Behind The Tour: Communications Team
On this episode of Behind The Tour, see how the WTA communications team keeps players’ press conferences, media commitments, and ACES activities all in order.
On this episode of Behind The Tour, see how the WTA communications team keeps players’ press conferences, media commitments, and ACES activities all in order.
SINGAPORE – Garbiñe Muguruza ended her breakout season with one last win at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, ousting an on-fire Svetlana Kuznetsova and blitzing the Russian in the final two sets of a 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 victory.
Read how the match unfolded in the WTA Insider Live Blog.
– Muguruza wanted this win.
For a player who won their first Grand Slam and ascended to a career-high ranking of No.2 just four months ago, few eyes were on Muguruza heading into Singapore.
“I suffered a lot in the last month,” she said in her post-match press conference. “I was wondering if I’m going to qualify, if I’m not going to qualify. I really wanted to qualify.
“I had the opportunity to go to Linz to play, and then I twisted my ankle and it was drama for me.”
The drama continued at the WTA Finals; down a set to Karolina Pliskova in her first round robin match, the Spaniard roared back and got perilously close to victory, only to lose the last five games.
“It was a very tough tournament. I had a match point in my first match; then the second match [against Agnieszka Radwanska] was tough.”
Mathematically out of contention to advance into the semifinals, there was little more pressure on Muguruza than the amount she put on herself.
“I have to be honest. Going into this match, it was extremely hard for me. Minutes before I was like, ‘This is going to be is difficult one for me.’
“At the end it was about my desire of wanting to be here and competing against the best. It became a challenge for me today, to see how I was going to react.”
Losing a decisive first set to Kuznetsova, who already qualified first in their round robin group, the reigning Roland Garros winner reacted well, dropping just one more game and hitting 31 winners to end her week with a 1-2 record.
“For sure a victory like today’s is going to keep me a little bit happier. I felt I took my opportunities in this one. Well, it was too late, but I still did it!”
A season of ups and downs put extra emphasis on an ostensibly low-stakes match; from her emotional reaction on court and in press, it was clear how much the win meant to her.
A relieved @GarbiMuguruza gets a win at 2016 @WTAFinalsSG. And nice words from @AndrewKrasny. #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/zJYNXmfJwE
— WTA (@WTA) October 28, 2016
– Fatigue finally caught up with Kuznetsova.
The Russian had already advanced into the semifinals. For the first time in two weeks, she didn’t need to win a match to keep her season alive. Kuznetsova pointed to that inherent lack of intensity as being crucial to the loss on Friday.
“I’ve done the most important job in the past matches,” she said after the match. “You definitely don’t want to lose a match. You try to fight.
“Sometimes the lack of energy just won’t let you do that.”
Still, she noted her superb level of tennis in the first set, and how it only took a few tight games in the second set to turn things towards the Spaniard.
“I want to give credit to Garbine because I think she played way better in the second and third set.
“I don’t feel exhausted like that or something. But of course, to push yourself to the limit, you got to really go hard. I just want to do it tomorrow, try to do my best.”
She’ll have her opportunity tomorrow in the semifinal, where she takes on another surprise semifinalist in Dominika Cibulkova. Trailing 3-5 in their head-to-head, Kuznetsova’s lost her last five matches with the Slovak, including a three-set thriller at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
“I do remember quite a bit of that match. I know I will try to make the changes on what I think didn’t work for me in that match.
“Of course, obviously, I’m not going to tell it now,” she added with a smile.
Garbine on the scene. @GarbiMuguruza takes a near 13 minute game. 2-0 in set 3 #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/llIXns86bZ
— WTA (@WTA) October 28, 2016
– Muguruza is looking towards 2017.
It may be too soon for any player to sum up their season right after their last match, but Muguruza had a clear picture of what went right and wrong in 2016.
“I started the year thinking, ‘Okay, this is an important year for me. I finished well last year. Let’s try to keep doing well.’
“But the results weren’t there at the beginning, so I was like struggling. I was like, ‘Man, I’m practicing and doing everything and I am not winning matches.’ So it created a lot of frustration.
A top drop shot from @GarbiMuguruza. #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/nxuEqkuomr
— WTA (@WTA) October 28, 2016
“I calmed down and then finally had the results, but then everything changed. All these responsibilities, all these emotions. It was hard for me to deal with this for the next tournaments. But I wouldn’t change anything, obviously.”
She’ll have to spend the off-season adjusting to what she cannot change, but after a heavily scheduled season, the former World No.2 will be looking to relax over the next few weeks.
“I didn’t really plan things because I didn’t know when I was going to finish here. Right now I’m just going to see how many days I have, see where can I go, who’s available.”
What she hopes will emerge will be the “dangerous opponent” she believes herself to be.
“I don’t really care who’s in front of me. Obviously the situation and the tournament, these can affect me, but I always think I have a chance to win.”
TIANJIN, China – Svetlana Kuznetsova kept up her pursuit of a place at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global by beating Donna Vekic, 7-5, 6-4, in the second round of the Tianjin Open.
The Russian currently sits at No.11 in the Road to Singapore and has an outside chance of qualifying the tournament for the sixth time in her career, and the first time since 2009.
The match began in frenetic fashion, with Vekic, who had won the pair’s only previous encounter, breaking Kuznetsova to love in the second game, only to surrender her advantage immediately.
Kuznetsova went on a four-game winning streak and though she was later broken when serving for the set, she recovered her advantage to take a decisive lead.
Vekic failed to hold her serve in the opening game of the second set, and though she got back on level terms, she was broken once more in the penultimate game of the match, with the 31-year-old serving out the match to secure a hard-fought win.
“I’m really happy to win the match, I think that Donna played very well,” Kuznetsova said after her victory.
“It was a very good match and I’m happy with the result. I was broken in the second game of the first set but, as I said, Donna played very well, she went for her shots and it took me time to figure out the tactics to play against her. It was a really competitive match.”
Kuznetsova, seeded second in Tianjin, will meet Naomi Osaka, who overcame Lucie Hradecka, 6-2, 7-6, in the next round.
Highlights from round-robin action at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
TIANJIN, China – Agnieszka Radwanska stunned Tianjin when she withdrew from the tournament with a right thigh injury – shortly after showing just why she was the top seed.
The defending champion had taken Evgeniya Rodina apart, 6-1, 6-1, to progress to the quarterfinals, where she was to face Peng Shuai.
The Chinese wildcard had earlier beaten qualifier Chang Kai-Chen of Taipei 6-3, 6-2.
Radwanska is also the defending champion at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. “It’s the end of the season – I guess everyone is struggling with something,” she said afterwards.
She added that the injury had worsened over time and that she had decided to withdraw in order to give herself the best chance of recovering in time for Singapore.
“I’m very sorry I had to withdraw…I just hope I can see my fans [here] next year — it was a pleasure to come here again,” she said.
Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig had a straightforward time of it, beating Lara Arruabarrena of Spain, 6-4, 6-2.
Alison Riske also progressed in straight sets – but Poland’s Magda Linette did her utmost to take it to a decider, eventually losing out on a tie-break, 6-3, 7-6(2).
SINGAPORE – Dominika Cibulkova staged a thrilling fightback to defeat Svetlana Kuznetsova and take her place in the final of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
Watch interviews and highlights from Singapore on the WTA Facebook page!
In a week chock-full of dramatic moments, Cibulkova’s grandstand finish on Saturday evening will take some beating, as she hauled herself back from the brink to triumph, 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-4.
“At the end I was lying on the court and now I’m so excited. It’s my first time here playing Finals and for me it’s one of my dreams come true – it’s just incredible,” Cibulkova told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview.
“I just played my tennis. First set, she was really, really aggressive. I knew I had to change things because I needed to play my aggressive tennis. In the end I won because I was the more positive.”
Having been blown away in the first set, Cibulkova displayed typical resolve to haul herself back into the contest. As the Russian’s level dipped slightly, Cibulkova upped the intensity, earning her first break when Kuznetsova sent a routine volley long. While Cibulkova was unable to hang onto the advantage, the momentum had swung.
The set was decided on a tie-break, Cibulkova taking charge in a series of brutal rallies. A thumping drive volley brought up set point, which she converted by guiding a backhand past her forlorn opponent.
So focused on the next point, @Cibulkova asks Kader Nouni in between games, “What's the score?” #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/1VAr3FnGfV
— WTA (@WTA) October 29, 2016
Kuznetsova was not done, though, and when she produced a sublime lob to move 4-2 ahead in the third set the match appeared hers for the taking. Somehow Cibulkova roused herself for one final push, reeling off the next three games amidst a stream of winners.
Three more brought her to match point. Kuznetsova looked to have escaped when she dragged her opponent to the outer limits of the arena, only to be bamboozled when the reply flicked off the tape and beyond her reach.
Cibulkova, who is making her debut at the year-end Finals and only won one of her three round-robin matches, will now face World No.1 Angelique Kerber or defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska for the title.
LINZ, Austria – Madison Keys made short work of Océane Dodin to sprint through to the semifinals of the Generali Ladies Linz.
She beat Dodin, 6-3, 6-3, in just under an hour – and will now face Garbiñe Muguruza.
“I’m not feeling great, but I’m happy I got the win today,” admitted Keys. “[Dodin] is a tough player, she can hit some really, really good shots.”
Earlier, Carla Suárez Navarro fought through against Denisa Allertova, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
In a match that lasted just under two hours, the Spaniard had moments when she looked a little nervy – and that led to her losing the second set as her opponent hit back. But she regrouped to take the decider to secure herself a match with Dominika Cibulkova.
“I think I played really good at the end of the match,” reflected Suárez Navarro afterwards. “I like the court – I like everything of the tournament.”
She’s held the No.1 spot for 81 consecutive weeks, and now it’s official – Sania Mirza has secured the 2016 WTA Year-End World No.1 Doubles Ranking, presented by Dubai Duty Free.
CHARLESTON, SC – Eugenie Bouchard and Madison Keys hit the center court at the Family Circle Tennis Center for the second installment of Workout With USANA.
Caroline Wozniacki and Sam Stosur hosted the first installment of the Workout With USANA series at Indian Wells, where they showed fans their best resistance and flexibility exercises. This time, USANA brand ambassadors Genie and Madison grabbed a pair of young fans from the crowd and walked them through their go-to shots.
“It was my first experience coaching so I was trying to explain my favorite shot, which is my backhand cross court,” said Genie.
“It was super fun, I hope the kids learned something!”
For Madison, her go-to shot was her booming serve, and she gave fans a step-by-step instruction on how to hit it.
“I love that we were able to bring someone out from the crowd,” she said. “She was very good, I was really impressed!”
Check out the best photos from Workout With USANA, and see how well Genie and Madison did in coaching their young protégés, Paige and Haynes!
USANA is the Official Vitamin & Supplement Supplier of the WTA, and over 170 Athletes – including 8 out of the Top 10 and 15 out of the Top 20 use USANA products. Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, Samantha Stosur, Eugenie Bouchard, and Madison Keys are among several USANA ambassadors, and 2016 marks the 10th Anniversary of the USANA-WTA partnership. Check them out on Instagram at @USANAInc.
HONG KONG, SAR – Angelique Kerber has crashed out of the Prudential Hong Kong Open, succumbing 6-3, 6-1 to Daria Gavrilova in the quarterfinals to throw her status as year-end World No.1 in doubt.
The German started the match at a canter, holding easily before breaking thanks to a pair of wayward forehands from the Australian after pushing her to deuce.
However, Kerber’s set collapsed from there, losing five games, surrendering her lead thanks to a forehand into the tramline. Kerber squandered four break points in Gavrilova’s next game before the 21-year-old moved ahead.
A second break, confirmed with an emphatic volley, put Gavrilova firmly in the ascendancy and though Kerber halved her deficit, the eighth seed took the set by breaking once more.
The first three games of the second set went with serve before Kerber sent down a double fault to give Gavrilova a break. There was little sign of a comeback from there. Though the US Open champion squandered two break points in the next game, she was broken to love thanks to a series of unforced errors to give the underdog a 5-1 lead.
The youngster made no mistake from there, wrapping up a big-name scalp, with Kerber sending yet another shot into the net.
“[I was not surprised by Gavrilova] because I know how she is playing but I was not playing my best tennis and my serve wasn’t working well and I can just say that I was not at my best, that’s for sure,” Kerber said after the match.
“It’s a long season and we’ve been playing for 10 months. I’ve been playing a lot of matches this year, and I think I need a few days off to get ready for Singapore because I am tired and I need a lot of treatment to get ready for the next one. I was not serving at my best, I made a lot of double faults which is not normal for my game.”
Gavrilova, meanwhile, was delighted after recording her first career win over Kerber.
“I guess I’m really excited, I’ve played Angie six times and now I’ve finally won, it’s really exciting,” she said.
“I was prepared for a battle. I think Angie has had a long season. I didn’t expect to win that easily but I was ready to turn it around and get a win against her.”
