DUBAI, UAE – Elina Svitolina made it through to her third quarterfinal of 2017 so far after a titanic tussle with Christina McHale.
The Ukrainian triumphed 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to set up a clash in the next round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with Lauren Davis.
“It was really tough today – I was in and out today mentally, I was a little bit losing my focus in the first set,” she said in her on-court interview after the match.
“In the end I was just trying to fight for every ball, and I think that’s why I won.”
.@ElinaSvitolina reaches third Quarterfinal of 2017!
Tops McHale 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 at @DDFTennis! pic.twitter.com/0WdyLoSLVh
— WTA (@WTA) February 22, 2017
McHale pushed Svitolina right to the end, forcing her to serve for a match which lasted two hours and 22 minutes, and saving the first of three match points.
She could not delay the inevitable for too long, though, as the 22-year-old’s grit saw her through.
Svitolina was already thinking about her next opponent, the American Davis.
“I’ve played against her a couple of times…but it’s always going to be tough in any quarterfinal,” she said.
DUBAI, UAE – Top seed Angelique Kerber needed just over an hour to move into her first semifinal of 2017 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after defeating Ana Konjuh in straight sets.
The World No.2 employed her solid brand of tennis against the big hitting 19-year-old, staying calm against Konjuh’s barrage of winners to advance 6-3, 6-2.
“I’m really happy about the match today,” Kerber told press after the victory. “I mean, it was a tough one, because Ana is a tough opponent. She’s going for it. You have to play until the last point so it’s nice to get through in two sets.”
Speed and soft hands from @AngeliqueKerber! ? pic.twitter.com/Ti8X0o1Ej5
— WTA (@WTA) February 23, 2017
Kerber got off to a roaring start, shutting out Konjuh to build up a daunting 4-0 lead.
The Croat stopped the rot with a break of serve, reeling off three straight games to cut into Kerber’s advantage. But a string of double faults – including two in the 5-3 game – and loose errors off the ground handed Kerber the opening set.
Konjuh held her ground in the second, hanging with the World No.2 in the early exchanges and showing flashes of the brilliance that caused her to be named one of the most promising young players of the WTA. Kerber stayed firmly in control, though, and broke twice to reel off four games in a row and close out the match after an hour and fifteen minutes.
“I'm feeling good and really looking forward to play my first Semifinal at @DDFTennis!” -@AngeliqueKerber pic.twitter.com/KlNLPjZ4Sq
— WTA (@WTA) February 23, 2017
Kerber hit a scant seven winners to Konjuh’s 24, but allowed just eleven unforced errors compared to her opponent’s 35.
She’ll play Elina Svitolina for a spot in the final with an eye on the WTA’s top ranking: should Kerber win the title in Dubai she’ll return to World No.1.
“I think it will be a tough match again,” Kerber said. “I think we will have a lot of rallies. I have to be aggressive and just like the last days here. I mean, I have to be really focused on my game, on my rhythm.
“Just trying to enjoy the next match here on the Centre Court, and of course I will try to go out there and to win another match here.”
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Timea Babos and Lucie Safarova, the top two seeds at the Hungarian Ladies Open, moved past their semifinal opponents in straight sets to book a clash in the Budapest final.
No.2 seed Safarova needed almost an hour and thirty minutes against Germany’s Carina Witthoeft before battling through 6-4, 6-3 and reach her first WTA final since April 2016 in Prague.
“I knew Carina was playing very well, I knew I had to be tough out there and that is what I did,” Safarova told wtatennis.com after the match. “Probably experience helps, I was called a veteran on the WTA, I don´t feel like that but it was a good match.
“I am very pleased with being in a final after a long time.”
She’ll face a tough challenge in the final against Hungarian No.1 Babos, whom she teamed up with for doubles this week, reaching the quarterfinals together before Safarova was forced to withdraw with a right thigh injury.
Under the watchful eye of former World No.1 Monica Seles, top seed Babos overcame a tense opening set against Julia Goerges, the No.3 seed – she was unable to convert on three break point chances – including a set point – before finally edging through 7-5.
“Julia is a very very good player, a very experienced player on tour, so I knew it was going to be a tough one,” Babos said after the match.
“Honestly, I was a bit afraid in this match, and you could tell in the first set that I didn’t take all my opportunities. But after this, I got a little bit more into it, you could say I got mad at myself, and tried to play really aggressive and it worked out pretty well.”
Goerges was all business in the second, going up a double break to close out the 7-5, 6-1 victory in an hour and twenty minutes to reach a WTA final in her home country for the first time.
“I had a tough beginning of the year, and was just really trying to stay positive and keep my head up. Being at home, in front of this crowd and showing my emotions – this is what I was waiting for. Budapest has really turned around my season.”
Months that follow Grand Slams typically don’t feature new tennis fashion releases, but that doesn’t prevent the WTA courts from being stylish.
This February we’ve enjoyed a range of outstanding outfits that had been launched at the Australian Open, but got the true attention they deserve at the tournaments following it.
Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog gives us an overview of the best outfits in February (photos courtesy of Getty Images):
Kristina Mladenovic enjoyed the comfort of the extra light and breathable adidas Melbourne Dress en route to her maiden singles title at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. The slit on the side of the magnificent blue design helped the Frenchwoman move freely during her astonishing 62 winners in the final.
The dress comes paired with coordinating print compression shorts, which match the sun-bleached print insets at the sides of the top, while pops of color are provided by sleek orange spaghetti straps and accessories.
The adidas Adizero Ubersonic 2 shoes supported Mladenovic’s feet as she eliminated Australian Open finalist Venus Williams and defending champion Roberta Vinci from the Premier-level tournament in Russia.
Elina Svitolina rocked both her tennis and her fashion game in the month of February! Wearing this striking black and white Nike outfit, the 22-year-old won two WTA titles and became the first Ukrainian to crack the Top 10.
The performance-packed Nike Spring Print Power Spin Skirt beats the competition with its graphic inspired by the shadows cast on a court. Elastic in Nike Power fabric stretched as Svitolina covered the court and then got back to its original shape to keep the new World No.10 supported, Dri-FIT Technology helped keep her dry and comfortable by wicking sweat away, while inner shorts confidently provided coverage.
A classic white Nike Spring Premier Slam Tank perfectly balanced out the look. Although the design is very simple, the top is made from a well-thought-out engineered mesh with a more open knit pattern in high heat areas.
With designer Stella McCartney keeping her style strong, Caroline Wozniacki could focus on her tennis, playing eleven matches in eleven days and making two WTA Premier finals in a row. The Dane’s adidas Spring Stella McCartney Tank in bold blue offers moisture-wicking performance and super soft feel. The form-fitting top nicely goes with an A-line adidas Spring Stella McCartney Skirt, equipped with Climalite technology, built-in compression shorts and laser-cut hem for increased breathability.
With top-level matches day in and day out, Wozniacki’s feet were helped by the revolutionary foam of the adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade Boost shoes that stored and unleashed energy every time the Dane’s foot hit the ground. With the weather in the desert being anything but favorable this year, Wozniacki also made good use of her aviator-style adidas Spring Stella McCartney Jacket.
Timea Babos came to the inaugural Hungarian Ladies Open without even one singles match win in 2017, but that all changed at her home tournament as the 23-year-old went all the way to the title, sporting Fila’s Sleek Streak collection designed for the urban-chic player.
The Hungarian made her way to the champion’s trophy in style, wearing the Fila Sleek Racerback Tank and the Fila Sleek Insert Skirt, unique for their black/white/ruby rose tie-dye print and color-blocking.
Even though Mona Barthel didn’t go far at February’s tournaments, her Bidi Badu Avril Tech Dress managed to steal my attention with its wonderfully refreshing yellow and pink hues. The ombre effect is executed beautifully, just as the feminine silhouette of the dress.
ACAPULCO, Mexico – Eugenie Bouchard just turned 23 this weekend, and the folks at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel made sure the Canadian celebrated the date in grand Mexican style.
Things didn’t look very festive earlier in the day, when Genie tweeted a photo after spending her birthday at the airport.
Spending my birthday at an airport, as you do. #athletelife pic.twitter.com/XMly5SkxOD
— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) February 25, 2017
But the Abierto Mexicano Telcel was ready to save the day, and as soon as Genie touched down in Acapulco she greeted with a full Mexican fiesta.
We have a cake waiting for some Canadian player who is celebrating her birthday today in #Acapulco. ?????? pic.twitter.com/SSZiwcoIPc
— #AMT2017 (@AbiertoTelcel) February 25, 2017
The tournament arranged a huge welcome party – complete with cake, balloons and an entire mariachi band who serenaded her with birthday songs in English and Spanish.
?Éstas son las mañanitas que cantaba el rey David… ?¡Feliz cumpleaños, @geniebouchard! ??????? pic.twitter.com/W9PunK5zKB
— #AMT2017 (@AbiertoTelcel) February 25, 2017
Arriving to your hotel in Acapulco like…
Gracias @AbiertoTelcel for the welcome! ? pic.twitter.com/DGbPHR0N76
— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) February 26, 2017
Check out the video above to see Genie ring in her birthday in Acapulco!
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Alya WTA Malaysian Open top seed Elina Svitolina claimed her 250th WTA win with a 6-2, 6-3 first-round win over qualifier Su Jeong Jang on Tuesday.
That moment when you win 250th @WTA match ??@alyawtamo pic.twitter.com/CDSr0mFnej
— Elina Svitolina (@ElinaSvitolina) February 28, 2017
The 22-year-old also extended her winning run to 13 matches despite spirited resistance from Jang, who lies 138 places lower in the WTA rankings. The Korean stole a break back in the second set at 3-1, but the reigning champion showed the class that has seen her win back-to-back titles at the Taiwan Open and Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to come through.
Elina Svitolina picks up 250th career WTA win!
Wraps up a 6-2, 6-3 win over Jang Su Jeong! pic.twitter.com/YOJTmnP0It
— WTA (@WTA) February 28, 2017
In the biggest shock of the tournament so far, the promising Russian 18-year-old Anna Kalinskaya defeated No.5 seed Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-2. The WTA World No.23 became the third seeded player to be dispatched in the first two days in Kuala Lumpur, while Kalinskaya was able to celebrate her first ever main draw victory.
What an upset!
World No.173 Anna Kalinskaya knocks third seed Caroline Garcia out of @alyawtamo 7-5, 6-2! pic.twitter.com/xs9HQRyrhG
— WTA (@WTA) February 28, 2017
“Of course I feel a little bit more confident now,” said Kalinskaya afterwards. “I understand that I can play with the players in the top 50, top 100 and it means a lot to me. For the next match I will prepare and hope I play better than today.”
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