Indian Wells: Radwanska Interview
An interview with Agnieszka Radwanska after her win in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.
An interview with Agnieszka Radwanska after her win in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich takes on Karolina Pliskova in the second round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
The exits of Angelique Kerber and Garbiñe Muguruza have left the bottom half of the Indian Wells draw wide open.
Shelby Rogers takes on Naomi Osaka at the Volvo Car Open.
Serena Williams announced today that due to a continuing shoulder injury she will not compete in the upcoming Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open and the China Open in Beijing.
“I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open or the China Open due to continuing issues with my right shoulder,” Williams said in a statement. “I have been practicing and playing but my shoulder is still not fit for tournament play.”
“I wish the tournaments great success and I’m sure the fans will enjoy some great tennis. I am focused on getting ready to compete at the WTA Finals in Singapore.”
Williams recently told CNN’s Ravi Ubha, “I’m tired of playing tournaments unhealthy and taking losses that I would never lose.”
Williams has played eight tournaments this year, the fewest she has played in a season since returning from injury in 2011. She has won two titles (Rome and Wimbledon) and finished as runner-up three times – Australian Open (lost to Angelique Kerber in final), Indian Wells (lost to Victoria Azarenka in final) and Roland Garros (lost to Garbiñe Muguruza in final).
Her coach Patrick Mouratoglu stated in an interview with CNN, “It’s a bad season for her. She has been a lot injured. For Serena any other result that is not a title is a bad result. The final at a Grand Slam is a bad result for her. We cannot be satisfied with one Grand Slam Serena Out Of Wuhan, Beijing – Targets Singapore Return and two finals lost.”
As Williams seeks time to recover from her injury, she will look to return to action in Singapore for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, an event she has competed in nine times and won five titles.
Three tournaments into a comeback from wrist surgery, Madison Keys isn’t one to back down from a challenge.
Keys took a tough three-set loss to fellow American and Charleston native Shelby Rogers on Wednesday at the Volvo Car Open and, as has become her post-match ritual, began exposing a series of abusive tweets she received from cyberbullies on her official Twitter account.
“I can take criticism,” she writes in one response. “Telling me to go die is taking it too far.”
.@Madison_Keys takes a stand against cyber bullying in tennis
Tune in Sat. at 12 PM ET to watch the full feature during Tennis Channel Live pic.twitter.com/Kr04vRedSI
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 5, 2017
The American often uses her signature mix of emojis and sarcasm to disempower the insults hurled her way, but Keys isn’t just doing this for herself. A FearlesslyGIRL Ambassador, Keys aims to take a global stand against cyberbullying, shining a light on something that fellow athletes often suffer through in silence.
“I’ve taken a stance where we can have different opinions,” Keys said this week in Charleston’s All-Access Hour, “but as long as we can talk respectfully and we can have a conversation that doesn’t turn into an argument, I think that’s a big thing that I’m trying to do.
“The world has gotten very negative in very different ways and especially on social media, when you click on something, the comments are individually very negative.
“I think trying to bring more positivity to the world is very important.”
Read more from Keys below and check out the trailer for her Tennis Channel special airing Saturday, April 8 at noon ET.
Interesting stuff from @Madison_Keys at AAH @VolvoCarOpen on her non-tennis goals this year, related to @FearlesslyGirl and social media. pic.twitter.com/bfNC5cEthU
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) April 4, 2017
An interview with Naomi Osaka after her win in the semifinal of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Jelena Ostapenko takes on Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open.
Highlights from the semifinal round at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – The unseeded Jelena Ostapenko put together a dominating performance to oust 2011 champion Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets and move into the Volvo Car Open semifinals.
At 19 years old and ranked No.66, Charleston-debutante Ostapenko was the youngest and lowest-ranked player left in the draw. But she backed up her results to reach the second Premier-level semifinal of her career with the 6-2, 6-4 victory.
“It feels amazing to be in the semis here,” Ostapenko told press after the match. “First time I’m in Charleston, and today was a tough match because Caroline is such a great player.
“I just tried, and I think it was not bad.”
Ostapenko closes out the first set 6-2! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/yi3oTfBt3f
— WTA (@WTA) 7 de abril de 2017
Ostapenko was dictating from the start against the former World No.1, fearlessly changing the direction of the ball and firing off winners from every angle. After an edgy few opening games as both players acclimated to the tricky, windy conditions, it was the Latvian who kicked into gear, breaking three times to reel off six games in a row and snatch up the opening set and start the second with a break to the good.
Wozniacki earned the break straight back with some rock-solid returning, but found herself down again a couple of games later as Ostapenko outpaced her to bring up a 3-2 lead. Wozniacki saved three match points as the teenager served for the match – she was even a point away from making it 5-5 – but Ostapenko wouldn’t be denied. She kept up the pressure and broke through Wozniacki’s defense, booking her spot into the Charleston semifinals after an hour and twenty-six minutes.
“I just knew before the match that I have to stay aggressive all the time and still be consistent,” Ostapenko explained. “And I tried not to step back, just to be like play in the court all the shots.And I think that’s helped me today.”
What an upset!
Ostapenko races past Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 to book the last @VolvoCarOpen Semifinal spot! pic.twitter.com/Q4aOgbbi3w
— WTA (@WTA) 8 de abril de 2017
Despite winning just 51% of her first serve points, the Latvian backed it up by firing 40 winners against Wozniacki’s 14, outweighing her 26 unforced errors to Wozniacki’s six. And the Dane will surely rue her missed opportunities – she only converted one of the five break chances she created, while Ostapenko converted four of eight.
“I really tried my best out there,” Wozniacki reflected in post-match press. “I was trying to grind everything down. I tried to change the pace when I had the opportunity, but I mean if she played like this every day, then she would be No.1 in the world.
“She really played well. She went for her shots. Everything was going in. She was hitting the lines. Everything that could go her way today was going her way.
“All I could do today was try my best, try my hardest to fight and try and get somewhat of a grip on it, but you know, it is what it is sometimes.”
The loss also denies Wozniacki a return to the upper echelon of the WTA rankings – she needed to reach at least the Charleston semifinals to guarantee herself a spot inside the Top 10.