Tennis News

From around the world

New Swiss Miss Captures Junior Crown

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

PARIS, France – 16-year-old Rebeka Masarova became the latest Swiss standout on Sunday, upsetting No.2 seed Amanda Anisimova, 7-5, 7-5, to win her first junior Grand Slam title at the French Open.

Anisimova is just 14 years old and made her first splash on the junior circuit last fall, when she made the semifinals of the Eddie Herr International Tennis Championships, but Masarova is coming off of a run to the semifinals of the Australian Open back in January, and emerged victorious from a 48 minute opening set in which she twice trailed by a break of serve.

Masarova edged ahead 5-2 in the second, but the young American broke back as the No.12 seed served for the match, leveling the contest at five games apiece. Undaunted, the Swiss youngster broke back once more to clinch the biggest title of her young career.

“I was really nervous in the beginning,” she said in her post-match press conference. “Then at the end I was 5-2 up in the second set and my opponent also was playing very good. I did some mistakes, and I went 5-5; she went to 5-5.

“I was really nervous. I knew I had to do break. But I held my serve and then I broke her in the end.”

Winning the junior French Open has proved to be quite auspicious as nearly every winner – including fellow Swiss stars Martina Hingis and Belinda Bencic – has gone on to transition into a successful career on the WTA tour.

“It sounds crazy to say I’m a Grand Slam champion; I’m so happy I won this slam. And, I don’t know, I still have to like realize it.

“My goal was to reach the Top 3 [on the ITF junior rankings]. I think I did it with this tournament. I will try to reach No.1 in juniors. I will play some pros and I will prepare for Wimbledon, as well.”

Watching from afar was Bencic herself; the 2013 girl’s singles champion and the youngest Top 10 debutante since Caroline Wozniacki is making her return at the Ricoh Open from a back injury that kept her out of the French Open, and tweeted out a congratulatory message to her young compatriot.

Woohuu!! Congrats!! ????????????? https://t.co/5mm9yfCUeV

— Belinda Bencic (@BelindaBencic) June 5, 2016

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

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Wozniacki Wins On Notts Return

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NOTTINGHAM, Great Britain – No.3 seed Caroline Wozniacki was forced to skip the clay court season due to a right ankle injury, but enjoyed a winning return just as the grass court season began at the Aegon Open Nottingham, dispatching Cagla Buyukakcay, 7-5, 6-3, in the first round.

Buyukakcay made her share of history in Wozniacki’s absence, becoming the first Turkish woman to win a WTA title at her home tournament of Istanbul, debut inside the Top 100, and win a Grand Slam main draw match at the French Open. Twice falling behind a break of serve, she broke straight back each time, including when Wozniacki first attempted to serve for the opening set.

The former No.1 made no mistake on her second attempt, however, holding to love to edge ahead after 52 minutes. Racing out to a 5-1 lead, the Dane appeared to have the match under control when Buyukakcay made one last surge, reducing the deficit to just one break. Returning for a spot in the second round, Wozniacki broke serve one last time behind a fearsome volley to book a meeting with Anett Kontaveit, who upended American Lauren Davis, 6-3, 6-1, on Monday.

More to come…

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The Olympics: 28 Years Of Victories

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Tennis returned to the Olympic Games as a medal sport in 1988 at Seoul after a 64-year absence, and the very first gold medalist was none other than Germany’s Steffi Graf.

Graf beat out Argentina’s Gabriela Sabatini for the gold; the American Zina Garrison and Bulgaria’s Manuela Maleeva shared the bronze medal.

In 1992, American teen sensation Jennifer Capriati beat the top-seeded Steffi Graf in Barcelona to take home the gold medal. At 16 years old, she became one of the youngest Olympic champions ever.

Team USA swept the gold medals that year, with Gigi Fernandez and Mary Joe Fernandez also grabbing the doubles gold against Spain’s all-star pair of Conchita Martinez and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.

In front of their home crowd in Atlanta in 1996, the Americans completed another gold medal sweep, with Lindsay Davenport winning the singles gold over Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (silver) and Czech Republic’s Jana Novotna (bronze).

Gigi and Mary Joe returned to the doubles podium, taking home the gold medal once again.

The Americans continued their dominance in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, but this time it was a pair of new faces that brought home the gold: sisters Venus and Serena Williams.

Venus downed Russia’s Elena Dementieva for the gold medal while Monica Seles took the bronze.

The sisters then teamed up to win the doubles gold medal, too.

The 2004 Olympics in Athens was the first time that no Americans reached made the podium since the return of tennis as a medal sport in 1988.

Justine Henin took home the gold for Belgium, Amelie Mauresmo the silver for France, and Alicia Molik the bronze for Australia.

In doubles, China made their first Olympic tennis mark when Li Ting and Sun Tian Tian won their country’s first women’s tennis gold medal.

The 2008 Olympics in Beijing were dominated by the Russians: they took home all of the singles medals.

Elena Dementieva was the gold medalist, Dinara Safina was the silver medalist, and Vera Zvonareva was the bronze medalist.

The Williams sisters scored another doubles win for the United States, taking the gold medal.

The Olympics were held in London in 2012, and it was the first time the tennis event was held on grass. The Americans completed another gold medal sweep, taking home the singles and doubles medals.

Serena beat out Russia’s Maria Sharapova (silver) and Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka (bronze) to win her first ever gold medal in singles.

The sisters then paired up again for doubles and won their third gold medal together.

The Olympics heads to Rio de Janeiro this year, the first time ever it’s being held in South America. Who will take home the gold for their country – will the Americans dominate again or will new faces shine in Brazil?

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Flavia & Fabio Get Tie The Knot

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

In keeping with her style on court, Flavia Pennetta’s wedding to long-term boyfriend Fabio Fognini was a classy affair.

The couple, who have been together since 2014, tied the knot on Saturday in Pennetta’s hometown of Ostuni, Italy.

Among the guests were many of the tennis family, including Pennetta’s former doubles partner Gisela Dulko and her teammates in the all-conquering Italy Fed Cup team, Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.

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Roland Garros Serve Speed Leaders

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Clay court tennis is commonly associated with drawn-out baseline battles, but at Roland Garros the WTA’s big servers were doing their best to keep these to a minimum.

Unsurprisingly, Serena Williams led the way in terms of both aces and service speed. Her fastest of the fortnight was clocked at 121.8mph – a figure matched by one of the game’s stars in waiting, Naomi Osaka. They were not the only ones notching noteworthy numbers, either; Océane Dodin, Madison Keys and Danka Kovinic all threatening the 120mph mark.

Roland Garros
1. Serena Williams – 121.8mph / 196.0kph
1T. Naomi Osaka – 121.8mph / 196.2kph
3. Océane Dodin – 119.9mph / 193.0kph
4T. Madison Keys – 119.3mph / 192.0kph
4T. Danka Kovinic – 119.3mph / 192.0kph

2016
1. Serena Williams – 127.0mph / 204.4kph (Indian Wells)
2T. Lucie Hradecka – 123.0mph / 197.9kph (Indian Wells)
2T. Venus Williams – 123.0mph / 197.9kph (Miami)
4. Timea Babos – 122.0mph / 196.3kph (Indian Wells)
5. Naomi Osaka – 121.8mph / 196.2kph (Roland Garros)
6. CoCo Vandeweghe – 121.mph / 194.7kph (Indian Wells)
7T. Madison Keys – 119.9mph / 193.0kph (Australian Open)
7T. Océane Dodin – 119.9mph / 193.0kph (Roland Garros)
7T. Polona Hercog – 119.9mph / 193.0kph (Australian Open)
10. Danka Kovinic – 119.3mph / 192.0kph (Roland Garros)

All-Time
1. Sabine Lisicki – 131.0mph / 210.8kph (2014 Stanford)
2. Venus Williams – 129.0mph / 207.6kph (2007 US Open)
3. Serena Williams – 128.6mph / 207.0kph (2013 Australian Open)
4. Julia Goerges – 126.1mph / 203.0kph (2012 French Open)
5. Brenda Schultz-McCarthy – 126.0mph / 202.7kph (2007 Indian Wells)
6. Nadiia Kichenok – 125.5mph / 202.0kph (2014 Australian Open)
7. Lucie Hradecka – 125.0mph / 201.2kph (2015 Wimbledon)
8. Anna-Lena Groenefeld – 125.0mph / 201.1kph (2009 Indian Wells)
9T. Ana Ivanovic – 124.9mph / 201.0kph (2007 French Open)
9T. Denisa Allertova – 124.9mph / 201.0kph (2015 Australian Open)

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WTA Trio Crack SportsPro List

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Last month, SportsPro unveiled it annual list of the world’s 50 most marketable athletes. Once again, the WTA was well represented with three players making the cut.

French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza led the way, entering the list at No.14 on the back of her recent exploits. Joining her is fellow new entrant Sania Mirza and last year’s No.1 Eugenie Bouchard.

Muguruza first burst onto the scene two years ago when she inflicted a humbling second-round defeat on defending champion Serena Williams at Roland Garros. Since then her star has grown, a Wimbledon final appearance laying the foundations for a brilliant second half of 2015. The 22-year-old hit her first bump in the road at the start of the current season, before a spectacular return culminating in her Paris triumph.

Viewed by many as the sports next big crossover star, Muguruza has seen sponsors come flocking – BBVA Bank, Maui Jim, adidas and Babolat are among her current portfolio – capitalizing on the decade-long quest to find a female icon to join Rafael Nadal atop the pedestal of Spanish tennis.

Life has not been quite so rosy for the new generation’s other great young hope, Eugenie Bouchard. However, following a turbulent 2015 campaign, the green shoots of recovery have begun to sprout.

Success on the court and charisma off it fuelled the Canadian’s initial rise to prominence, and now unburdened by the weight of expectation that hung around her neck for much of 2015, she has begun to climb back up the rankings. The qualities that first attracted Nike, Babolat, Coca-Cola and others remain, and her reunion with childhood mentor Nick Saviano is sure to hasten her return to tennis’ top table.

Mirza, on the other hand, has had no shortage of success over the past 12 months, her all-conquering partnership with Martina Hingis – the duo have won three of the past four Grand Slams – thrusting her back into the spotlight.

A superstar in her homeland for the best part of a decade, the Indian, whose contracts include adidas, Sahara India and Tata Tea, is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations and was flagbearer at the 2012 Olympics.

Since SportsPro released its inaugural list in 2010, WTA players have been near ever-presents at the top of the pile, Caroline Wozniacki, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Sloane Stephens all featuring down the years.

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