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Konta Marches Past Broady Toward Singapore

Konta Marches Past Broady Toward Singapore

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

HONG KONG, SAR – Britain’s top player Johanna Konta christened her debut into the WTA Top 10 with a commanding win over countrywoman Naomi Broady to advance to the second round at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open.

Watch live action from Hong Kong all week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Fresh off her historic rise in the rankings, No.3 seed Konta kept to her winning ways and defeated Broady 6-2, 6-2, in a score that belied the difficulty of the matchup.

“The scoreline doesn’t really reflect the match itself,” Konta explained. “You can see in the length of the match how tight it was. I’m happy I was able to stay focused, stay level-headed and take my chances when they arose.”

The symmetrical match saw Konta breaking Broady’s powerful serve in the first and fifth games of each set. Broady struck five aces during the hour and twenty-minute encounter – an unusually low number for the big-serving Brit – but also hit eight double faults. Konta brought up fourteen break chances during the match, which was marked by lengthy games and multiple deuces.

“We knew going into the match that Naomi is a very good server and has a good strike, we really tried to utilize that as much as possible,” Konta said.

“I’m really happy with the level I’ve been playing and the amount of matches I’ve been able to play in succession. Hoping to stay healthy for the rest of the season and keep going like this.”

Konta kept her composure to see off Broady’s lone break chance early in the second set, and she powered through to a straight sets win.

With the victory, Konta takes a step closer to making her debut at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“I’m trying not to think about it, to be honest,” Konta laughed. “I’ve really got to keep myself present, especially since there’s so many variables with that. It really depends on how other players do as well.”

WTA Finals: Get Your Tickets!

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Download The WTA Finals App Now

Download The WTA Finals App Now

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SINGAPORE – The BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global is under a fortnight away and once again fans have the chance to get closer to that action thanks to the Official WTA Finals Mobile App, Created by SAP.

The app provides access to exclusive tournament content, including:

* Virtual Replay – the ability for fans to view, track and replay ball movement
* Leaderboard Stats – a player comparison tool tracking aces, fastest serves and a whole host of other information
* Player Notifications – keep up to date with all the news about your favorite players
* Fan Zone – a social media hub where fans can participate in live polls and engage on Twitter and Facebook

Official WTA Finals Mobile App, Created by SAP

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

ACAPULCO, Mexico – No.2 seed Kristina Mladenovic needed three sets and over three and a half hours but she’s through to the quarterfinals at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel after a marathon battle against Heather Watson, 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 7-5.

The epic, three-hour-and-thirty-two minute encounter clocks in as the longest WTA match of the season so far; only Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic’s Australian Open battle was longer at three hours and thirty-six minutes.

“Oh my god, what can I even say,” an exhausted Mladenovic told wtatennis.com after the match. “The conditions here were very difficult – the humidity is ridiculous and I think we both struggled physically.”

The blistering conditions in southern Mexico were heating up even more on Grandstand Caliente, with Mladenovic employing her doubles prowess to attack at the net and Heather staying solid from the baseline. The Frenchwoman struggled with her throughout the match, racking up nine double faults in the first set alone – she would hit 20 in total.

There were several twists and turns as both players struggled to establish momentum; Watson started off with a strong trio of breaks to give herself a 4-1 lead, before Mladenovic reeled off four games in a row to rip it away. Mladenovic edged through in the tiebreak, winning four points on the bounce from 4-4 to take the opening set.

The pair traded breaks twice in the second set, with Watson holding her nerve to break back each time as Mladenovic continued to apply all-court pressure, but the Brit relied on her down-the-line backhands to see her through in the second tiebreak.

Watson showed her grit to bat away two of Mladenovic’ match points at 5-3 in the third with a stinging, crosscourt backhand, before another double fault from the Frenchwomen gave her the break back. After managing to level the score at 5-5, Watson seemed to run out of steam, winning just three points in the next two games as Mladenovic closed out the match.

Despite Watson’s 59 winners to 29 unforced errors against Mladenovic’s 22 and 23, it was Mladenovic who proved more solid in the big moments, creating and converting more break opportunities.

“These kind of matches, I’m not really satisfied with the way I played – I’m not sure it was really the best quality tennis – but I’m actually very satisfied with the fighting,” Mladenovic explained.

“We both of us, we never gave up. It was up and down; I was down big time in the first set and I came back and won it. I also had match points in the end and she saved them, actually beautifully, and she came back.

“That was just grit. A mental battle. I’m just satisfied and proud to pull this one through.”

Mladenovic will be right back on Grandstand Caliente tomorrow to take on Kirsten Flipkens for a spot in the Acapulco semifinals. The Belgian advanced after Ajla Tomljanovic was forced to retire from their match due to a right shoulder injury.

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Gallery: Taking A Taste Of Tianjin

Gallery: Taking A Taste Of Tianjin

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970
Shuai Zhang and Fangzhou Liu headed to the Hai riverside to do one of the quintessentially Tianjin tourist things: take a photo with the Tianjin Eye, the only Ferris wheel in the world built on a bridge.

Shuai Zhang and Fangzhou Liu headed to the Hai riverside to do one of the quintessentially Tianjin tourist things: take a photo with the Tianjin Eye, the only Ferris wheel in the world built on a bridge.

They enjoyed all the rest of the sights that the city had to offer from the comfort of an open top bus!

They enjoyed all the rest of the sights that the city had to offer from the comfort of an open top bus!

Monica Puig swapped out her tennis racquet for a bicycle.

Monica Puig swapped out her tennis racquet for a bicycle.

She helped kick off the 2016 China 1200km Cycling Challenge Final.

She helped kick off the 2016 China 1200km Cycling Challenge Final.

Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska was popular in the press room.

Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska was popular in the press room.

She served up some aces in the kitchen too, learning some Chinese cuisine staples during her off time.

She served up some aces in the kitchen too, learning some Chinese cuisine staples during her off time.

Looks delicious, Aga!

Looks delicious, Aga!

WTA President Micky Lawler stopped by the Tianjin Open’s exhibition wall to check out some vintage tennis gear.

WTA President Micky Lawler stopped by the Tianjin Open’s exhibition wall to check out some vintage tennis gear.

Danka Kovinic and her fan made a heart shape! (But check out that art behind them, too.)

Danka Kovinic and her fan made a heart shape! (But check out that art behind them, too.)

Meanwhile, the WTA Chair Umpires where out on court working hard…

Meanwhile, the WTA Chair Umpires where out on court working hard…

…while the Tianjin ballkids took a break!

…while the Tianjin ballkids took a break!

Yafan Wang met the tournament’s mascots.

Yafan Wang met the tournament’s mascots.

And Alison Riske signed lots and lots of autographs.

And Alison Riske signed lots and lots of autographs.

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Who Did Serena Vote For In Our Player Of The Year?

Who Did Serena Vote For In Our Player Of The Year?

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

The finalists for the 2016 WTA Player Of The Year awards were announced just hours ago, but Serena Williams has already cast her vote.

Eagle-eyed Instagram users spotted the former World No.1 leaving a comment on the WTA’s Instagram page that left little doubt as to which player she thought had the best season, and it’s no surprise who she voted for.

Did you catch it? Here’s who Serena voted for in the 2016 WTA Player Of The Year award:

Serena Williams

The comment comes as no surprise, as the pair’s fierce rivalry this year has played out across two Grand Slam finals, with Kerber winning her maiden major title at the Australian Open and Serena later getting her revenge at Wimbledon in her record-tying 22nd Grand Slam title.

Kerber finally unseated Serena as the WTA World No.1 in September after the German won the US Open, but Serena had foreseen her rise much earlier than that.

After her loss in the final in Melbourne back in January, an introspective Serena was asked about Kerber’s rise to World No.2, and she had this to say:

QUESTION: Pretty deserved No. 2 in the world now?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think so. I mean, she’s had a great month. She got to the finals in Brisbane. She won here. So, yeah. I was surprised and really happy for her. I’m like, Whoa, No. 2.

What’s after 2 is 1, so I guess I better be careful (laughter).

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Ashleigh Barty cruised into the semifinals of the Alya Malaysian Open after defeating Zhang Kai-Lin in straight sets, winning 6-0, 7-6(2).

Barty, who defeated fellow qualifier Maya Kato in the previous round, flew through the opening set 6-0 but was pushed closer in the second before winning the breaker 7-2.

“It wasn’t a breeze at all,” said the Australian afterwards. “I think I started well and I served particularly well at the start. I was able to get that early jump and get some early momentum but it didn’t matter what the score was in the first set, Kai-Lin’s a quality player, she really is, and I knew that second set was going to be a battle no matter what.”

Zhang actually had the chance to serve for the second set before the match went to the breaker.

“I played a pretty poor game at 5-5,” added Barty. “But I was just happy to break straight back and move on and then play a quality tiebreak as well. Now I’m excited to be in my first semifinal and we just have to chip away throughout the year and hope the good results will come.”

Victory for Barty sets up a semifinal showdown with Han Xinyun, who came out on top of the battle of the Chinese, beating Wang Qiang 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4.

With the match evenly balanced at a set apiece, Wang recovered from a break down in the decider, winning three games on the spin to level at 4-4 before Han took the final two games to secure victory.

“The first set was really hot and the sun almost killed me!” said Han afterwards. “Into the second set I tried to stay aggressive and positive and could feel that she tired and in the third set we both tried really hard but I really played my tennis in the last two games. I made a really good winner and put a lot of pressure on her. I was 0-40 in the last game but I never gave up.”

“I like her so much because she is so talented,” said Han of her semifinal opponent. “She’s played really good tennis this week and I’m so excited to play her tomorrow so I hope it’s going to be a good match.”

Han is yet to win a WTA title and, like Barty, this run for the world no.139 represents her best to date .

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Cibulkova Edges Suárez Navarro, Faces Golubic For Linz Title

Cibulkova Edges Suárez Navarro, Faces Golubic For Linz Title

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

LINZ, Austria – No.2 seed Dominika Cibulkova edged past No.4 seed Carla Suárez Navarro in straight sets to reach the final at the Generali Ladies Linz, her fourth WTA final of the year.

Both players came into Linz with Singapore on the mind, hoping to grab a last-minute qualification spot into the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

With the victory Cibulkova, who currently sits ninth on the Road To Singapore leaderboard, takes a big step toward qualifying for the season-ending event; she will qualify if she wins the title, so long as Svetlana Kuznetsova doesn’t win at the Tianjin Open.

“It’s a good feeling to know that I have a chance at the Finals,” Cibulkova said. “That’s why I came here. I knew that I needed to reach the final or win the tournament to have something from it, and I just handled that so good.”

Cibulkova opened the match with a comfortable service hold, but against the tricky Spaniard things quickly became complicated. The pair went on to break each other’s serve nine consecutive times in the opening set, and Cibulkova’s lone hold proved to be decisive as she took the set 6-4.

The Slovak held her ground in the second set, attacking Suárez Navarro’s one-handed backhand with her aggressive forehands, and she broke twice to take the match 6-4, 6-3 in just under an hour and a half.

Cibulkova will face Viktorija Golubic in the final after the Swiss player received a walkover in to the final from Madison Keys. Keys withdrew from her semifinal match due to respiratory illness.

“Maybe physically it’s an advantage for her, but this match against Carla gave me special confidence,” Cibulkova said of her opponent’s day off. “I just want finish here with a good feeling and go for it, and just keep playing like today.”

WTA Finals: Get Your Tickets!

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