Tennis News

BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland – Marketa Vondrousova’s fairytale week continued at the Ladies Open Biel Bienne; the qualifier roared back from a first set deficit to surprise countrywoman and top seed Barbora Strycova, 7-6(3), 6-2 and book her first WTA final appearance alongside Estonian youngster Anett Kontaveit. Kontaveit triumphed in a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 thriller against Aliaksandra Sasnovich earlier in the day.

A week after teenagers Daria Kasatkina and Jelena Ostapenko fought for the Volvo Car Open title, the WTA field continued to serve youth in Biel/Bienne, with 23 as the average age of the semifinalists – and that’s including 31-year-old Strycova.

Defense to offense from Vondrousova!

Back on serve #WTABiel pic.twitter.com/Iq1uDQk3R7

— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017

Vondrousova, who reached two Slam semifinals and won two major doubles titles as a junior, was playing her first tour-level semifinal, and that experience showed early as the World No.18 raced out to a 5-2 lead, later holding a set point in the 12th game of the opener.

The teenager gamely saved it behind a booming lefty serve and saved her best tennis for the ensuing tie-break, striking a screaming winner to clinch it.

First set ? Marketa Vondrousova

Saves a set point to surprise Strycova 7-6(3)! #WTABiel pic.twitter.com/7wJHPy2X8i

— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017

Strycova struggled to counter her fellow Czech’s aggressive game on the indoor hardcourts as Vondrousova took a 5-2 lead of her own in the second, breaking serve for the fourth and final time to advance into the biggest final of her career.

17 year old qualifier Marketa Vondrousova reaches FIRST #WTA Final!

Stuns Strycova 7-6(3), 6-2 @WTABielBienne! pic.twitter.com/YKFgxhkRIC

— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017

In all, the qualifier played a clean match, striking 22 winners to 13 unforced errors; Strycova’s own 13 winners were undone by 20 unforced errors.

Anett Kontaveit and Aliaksandra Sasnovich open @WTABielBienne Semifinals! pic.twitter.com/PAfhqglB2r

— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017

Awaiting Vondrousova in the final is another former junior prodigy in Kontaveit, who reached the US Open girl’s singles final back in 2012 and outlasted Sasnovich to start Semifinal Saturday.

“I feel really good, and really happy to be in my first final,” she said after the match.

Back in the Top 100 after reaching the third round of the Miami Open, the unseeded Estonian battled through a high-quality encounter with Sasnovich, who was playing her first WTA semifinal since 2015.

Anett Kontaveit takes a close opening set vs Sasnovich 6-4! #WTABiel pic.twitter.com/KuezLGrvmB

— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017

“I was down a break twice in the third set, but I tried to stay in there even though she was playing really well. I was just trying to stay with her do what I always do: fight and not give up.

“Mentally, I toughed it out.”

Hitting 26 winners to the Belarusian’s 29, Kontaveit’s consistency won the day, hitting 17 unforced errors against Sasnovich’s 29, and won four more points (114 to 110) by match’s end, converting her WTA final on her fourth match point after two hours and 24 minutes on court.

Drop shot Anett Kontaveit! ? #WTABiel pic.twitter.com/XzM7w5UjLP

— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017

It will be Kontaveit’s first meeting with Vondrousova, and knows to expect another tough match if she hopes to hoist her first WTA trophy.

“She’s had really good wins, and it looks like she’s playing well this week.”

First #WTA Final!

Anett Kontaveit battles past Sasnovich 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 at @WTABielBienne! pic.twitter.com/WkGZC8LdNr

— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017

More to come…

STUTTGART, Germany – Former No.1 Ana Ivanovic recovered from an early deficit to dismantle talented youngster Carina Witthoeft, roaring into the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix with a 7-6(3), 6-0 victory.

Watch live action from Stuttgart & Istanbul this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

“She played really well, deep, heavy; she was not missing,” Ivanovic said of her opponent after the match. “So, I started a little bit to find my rhythm, but I was always a step too far in.

“Then when my coach came on court, he actually asked me to step in a little more and be more aggressive. I felt that made the difference and once I was aggressive, she started to aim for more and also I could get more free points.

“So, I think that was the key.”

The 2014 finalist fell behind 5-3 in the opening set to the hometown favorite – who had already won two matches in qualifiying to make her second main draw appearance in Stuttgart – but successfully broke serve in the tenth game to level the affair, ultimately running away with the match in the second set.

“I’ve been practicing really hard the last couple of weeks,” she said after the match. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work, a lot of hours on court and in the gym. So, it’s nice to see. That actually helped me to go through today. Also my serve is improving.

“Overall, I’m just so happy to actually be healthy and consistent. Hopefully, I can keep the level and raise it.”

Finishing the match with a positive winner-to-unforced error differential (32 to 28), Ivanovic acquitted herself well in her first clay court match of the season and sets herself up in good stead for her second round encounter against either Karolina Pliskova or No.8 seed Lucie Safarova.

“I feel like I built that relationship throughout the tournament in 2014. I really had a great week here and getting very interactive also with the people. It is a very warm court to play on. And I feel like since then it has even better than before. So, I was very happy to have a victory today in front of the crowd.”

The last match of the day was between No.7 seed Carla Suárez Navarro, who won the last 11 games of her match against Oceane Dodin to join Ivanovic in the second round, 6-3, 6-0. Dodin came out firing after qualifying for the main draw, but Suárez Navarro proved the steadier overall, easing past her opponent in just over an hour – hittin 17 winners and only 11 unforced errors.

Up next for the Spanish veteran is Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam, who dispatched Johanna Konta in straight sets on Monday.

In doubles, No.2 seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic overcame an inspired Laura Siegemund partnered with Johanna Konta to repeat their Fed Cup heroics, 3-6, 6-3, 10-7. Top seeds Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza play their first round match against Eri Hozumi and Miyu Kato on Wednesday.

STUTTGART, Germany – Defending Stuttgart champion Angelique Kerber survived an inspired start from qualifier Annika Beck in her opening match at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix to make her way into the quarterfinals in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 comeback.

Watch live action from Stuttgart & Istanbul this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

The pair of Germans previously met at this year’s Australian Open, when Kerber beat Beck in straightforward fashion: 6-4, 6-0 in the fourth round on her way to the title. But the two go back even further as members of the German Fed Cup team.

“It is always difficult to play against a German, of course, and especially in my first match here,” Kerber said of the matchup.

This time, the defending Stuttgart champion faced a gutsier performance from the young German, who was into the second round here for the first time.

The qualifier came out swinging in the opening set, playing aggressively and keeping Kerber on her toes by doggedly running down every shot. She dictated play with her serve, too, winning 82% of points from her first serve against Kerber’s 61%. Kerber found herself in danger, dropping the first set after 46 minutes.

Upset Alert@BeckAnnika grabs the opening set vs Kerber 6-4! #PTGP https://t.co/VrWEaFoYrk

— WTA (@WTA) April 20, 2016

Dropping the first set only served to galvanize the defending champion, who raised her level and aggression in the next set.

“I tried to dictate the game more. I tried simply to seize the opportunity and go, which is not so easy,” Kerber said. “It’s always easier to say rather than to do because Annika gets the ball back so often and makes few mistakes. But I tried to just stay in the match and play point by point at the end.”

After trading breaks of serve, Kerber shook off a break point in order to notch the only hold of the second set. That lead would prove to be key, and Kerber came roaring back to level the score. It was one-way traffic from there, Kerber finding her range and hitting 46 winners to 31 unforced errors to Beck’s 26 and 18.

“The faith is definitely always there, whether I win or lose the first set,” Kerber said. “I know that I am fighting to the end and I know what to do in the important moments.

“I have in recent weeks and months proved myself and thus I have the confidence to really take the initiative. I think, at the moment, that’s my strength, to know what I can trust myself.”

On Thursday Time Magazine released the Time 100, its annual list of 100 most influential people in the world. Among global leaders and icons like the IMF’s Christine Lagarde, Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio, and more, is doubles co-No.1 Sania Mirza.

Mirza, the only tennis player on the list, made history in 2015 when she became the first Indian woman to achieve a No.1 ranking in tennis, win a Grand Slam and claim a second WTA Finals title. With her massively successful doubles partnership with Martina Hingis, she has not just produced spectacular tennis, she’s inspired a generation of Indians.

Her Time 100 tribute written by Sachin Tendulkar, one of the greatest cricketers of all time:

“The Mirzas probably knew what the future held for their daughter,” Tendulkar wrote. “Her name, Sania, means brilliant.”

STUTTGART, Germany – The European clay season begins in earnest this week as hometown favorite Angelique Kerber leads the WTA into the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. The two-time champion tops a draw that houses a host of elite players and threats on the dirt, as players look to get off on the right foot on the road to Roland Garros.

Check out 10 things to know ahead of Germany’s Premier red-clay event.

1) Star-studded sightings in Stuttgart.
Eight of the WTA’s top 10 are competing this week. Defending champion Angelique Kerber is the event’s top seed, as one of three former champions in the main draw.

2) Top seed, but not No.1 (for now).
Though Kerber will drop to World No.2 in the rankings on Monday, the German has a chance to reclaim the top spot in the WTA rankings should she reach the semifinals this week.

3) Good things come in threes.
Kerber could be the fourth player to three-peat in the history of the tournament, dating back to when Tracy Austin and Martina Navratilova did it at the event’s beginnings in Filderstadt. Maria Sharapova also won three straight tiles from 2012-14.

4) Siegemund sneaks in.
Last year’s runner-up Laura Siegemund earned the final wildcard to this year’s tournament at the 11th hour – the World No.37 was tabbed as the final entrant prior to Saturday morning’s draw.

5) Sharapova says hello.
The aforementioned three-time Stuttgart champion Maria Sharapova returns to the WTA this week.

6) An epic rematch first up.
Though both are unseeded, the first round match between Kristina Mladenovic and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni promises to have fireworks. The two have met already on clay this season, as the Croat took a marathon 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(13) victory in Charleston earlier this spring.

7) Game, set, match – for the first time.
Two of the event’s top 8 seeds will be looking to break a losing spell in Stuttgart this week. The No.6 seed and a wildcard in the event, Johanna Konta is 0-2 in her career at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, while No.3 seed Dominika Cibulkova has fallen in the first round in each of her four appearances.

8) Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
Several WTA stars will be returning to Stuttgart for the first time in a while this week, as Cibulkova makes her first appearance in the tournament since 2012, while Mirjana Lucic-Baroni plays the event for the first time in three years. Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova plays just her second Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, having fallen in the first round in 2011, and her first-round foe, 2010 runner-up Samantha Stosur appears for the first time since 2013.

9) Compatriots to do battle to commence play.
Two first-round matches will see countrywomen face off, as Elena Vesnina will play Daria Kasatkina — and the winner of the all-Russian showdown will face either Garbiñe Muguruza or Carla Suárez Navarro, who face each other in an all-Spanish clash.

10) Show your colors, then head to Stuttgart.
Nine players who will feature in the main draw are also donning their country’s colors this weekend – Kerber, Vesnina, Kasatkina, Siegemund, Johanna Konta, Simona Halep and CoCo Vandeweghe.

STUTTGART, Germany – Angelique Kerber continued the defense of her Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title with a straight set victory over Carla Suárez Navarro in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Watch live action from Stuttgart & Istanbul this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Since lifting her maiden major at this January’s Australian Open, Kerber has taken some time to get used to life with a target on her back. But following a couple of early exits, the German appears to have found her stride on clay, all the more impressive given the difficulty several of her peers have encountered at the Porsche Arena.

Against Suárez Navarro, one of the game’s most surefooted clay courters, she was particularly impressive, flying out of the traps, then overcoming a late wobble to close out a 6-2, 6-4 victory.

“I think it was a good match from me, a good performance,” Kerber said. “I know how Carla is playing and she is one of the best players on clay. I was trying to go for it, trying to play aggressive tennis. I knew this is the only way to beat her today and I think I did a great job.”

Although Kerber held the edge in previous matches with the Spaniard, she had lost their only tussle on the dirt. This came two years in Stuttgart and provided a source of inspiration during the rematch: “I knew that she beat me here two, three years ago. So, I was trying to take revenge! And I think it was a good match today.”

Taking the initiative from the off, a smart volley and a trademark passing shot saw Kerber break immediately for a 2-0 lead. She bookended the set with a second break, then took total control of the match with a rasping forehand drive to open up a 4-2 lead in the second.

The procession was momentarily halted when the Spaniard broke back in the ninth game, only for Kerber to batten down the hatches once more to wrap up victory the following game.

“But at the end of the second set it was still close and I know that against her I must play until the last ball because she is always tough and she’s fighting as well. So, I went out trying to take my revenge and play good tennis and beat her here,” Kerber added.

In the last four Kerber faces Petra Kvitova, who won a see-saw encounter with Garbiñe Muguruza, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0.