Tennis News

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan – Nao Hibino is back into the finals of an event that kickstarted her career; the No.4 seed dispatched Denisa Allertova, 6-2, 6-3, to reach the Tashkent Open final for a second straight year.

“It’s unbelievable,” she said after the match. “I was nervous, and wanted to make the final at any cost. I focused on every point and it helped.”

Hibino cracked the Top 100 for the first time in her career by taking the title in Tashkent a year ago, and the Japanese star has held onto that momentum in 2016, reaching the final once more without dropping a set.

“I started my Top 100 journey in Tashkent,” she recalled. “I realized what I was trying in my game for the last year has started working here this week. I think the Tashkent Open is lucky for me; I like the courts here because they suit my game .

“I feel like this is my second home and would like to stay for longer. If possible, I could take back home the court from here!”

The ensuing transition onto the WTA tour had been a struggle; after winning Tashkent last fall, she went on a five match losing streak in the spring but showed signs of turning things around at the Olympic tennis event, where she upset Irina-Camelia Begu in the first round of Rio after reaching the quarterfinals in Florianopolis.

“I’ve had tough year on the tour,” Hibino said, reflecting of the time since winning her maiden WTA title. “I didn’t do well at all because it was tough playing very good players when I had no experience and didn’t get the results I was expecting.

Awaiting Hibino in the final is Kristyna Pliskova, twin sister to US Open runner-up Karolina. Pliskova came to Tashkent having already won a WTA 125K Challenger event in Dalian to start the month, and will be a favorite against Hibino, by the Japanesewoman’s own admission.

“I have played against Pliskova twice and have lost both times. I will be the challenger tomorrow, but I will be looking forward to break the Tashkent jinx of a player never having won the title for the second time by winning here tomorrow!

“I hope this second year as Top 100 player will be good one for me and I will have some good results.”

Pliskova was the first to make her Top 100 debut of the sisters, but has been on the outside looking in as Karolina rose to a career-high ranking and beat both Williams sisters to reach her first Grand Slam final. But even as Karolina turned heads in Flushing, Kristyna was plugging away in Dalian with the help of a new coach, and is now into her first WTA final.

“It feels great to be in my first ever WTA tour event final,” she said after beating Kateryna Kozlova. “It was a tough first set; she was playing well and didn’t give me many chances. It was also very cold, and so the balls were heavy. I’ve played her before and knew she’d make some mistakes. So, I waited for my chance; I called my coach at 2-5, and he pepped me up and told me to be calm. That helped me a lot. 

“Before I came here didn’t have too many expectations beyond earning enough points so I can play the main draw at the Australian Open, but this result will take me to my highest ranking.”

Indeed, Pliskova is set to crack the Top 80 for the first time in her young career.

BOGOTA, Colombia – Unseeded Sara Sorribes Tormo continued her march through the draw at the Claro Open Colsanitas on Wednesday, upsetting No.2 seed Katerina Siniakova in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals.

The 20-year-old scored her fourth victory of the season against an opponent ranked above her to advance to the last eight – the second WTA quarterfinal of her career.

“It feels really good to be in quarterfinals,” Sorribes Tormo told press afterwards. “I haven’t had the best start to the year, I’ve been training well but couldn’t get the results on the court.

“But thankfully in this past month it’s turned around. I’m proud of the results and of the tennis I’ve been able to produce to get here.”

.@Sara_Sorribes moves into @CopaWTABogota Quarterfinals!

Hurries past Siniakova 6-2, 6-3! pic.twitter.com/G1Lq63ccSc

— WTA (@WTA) 12 de abril de 2017

From a break down, the Spaniard reeled off six straight games to take the opener, before claiming four of the last five games with two breaks of serve to close out the one hour, 34-minute victory.

“I think I’ve played a great match from start to finish,” she said. “I started off strongly, despite the starting from a break down.

“I think those last few games in the first set were the key, because I fought very hard and found myself getting better and better. It gave me confidence to play my game and finish well.”

Joining Sorribes Tormo in the quarterfinals is Italian veteran Sara Errani, who took down Sachia Vickery in straight sets to advance 6-2, 6-3.

“I think it’s a great match and I played at a great level,” she told press. “It wasn’t easy to play against her, and against a player like her you have to create your pace because the ball flies a lot. But I’m happy to be still in the tournament for sure.”

.@SaraErrani tops Vickery 6-2, 6-3!

Plays Johanna Larsson next in @CopaWTABogota Quarterfinals! pic.twitter.com/ja7NS6LH5s

— WTA (@WTA) 12 de abril de 2017

Errani is into her first quarterfinal of the year after halting a disappointing run of first and second round losses. She’s been battling injuries – including a right adductor injury which saw her have to miss Dubai, where she was the defending champion – and as a result has slid down the rankings to outside the WTA Top 100.

“I’ve had two good matches back to back here, this is good for me. Even with the conditions here and the altitude, I’m happy to be through in both matches two sets. I’m ready to play the next match tomorrow.”

Also through on a rainy Day 3 in Bogota, No.3 seed Johanna Larsson stayed on track against Veronica Cepede Royg, edging past the Paraguayan 6-4, 6-4. No.5 Magda Linette also came away with the win in a tight encounter, taking down Elitsa Kostova 6-4, 6-4. Aleksandra Krunic is also through after tamping down a late comeback from last year’s finalist Sílvia Soler Espinosa 6-0, 7-5.