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Kvitova Kicks Off New Haven Defense

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW HAVEN, CT, USA – It was more complicated than Petra Kvitova would have liked, but the three-time Connecticut Open champion came back from a set down to advance against Louisa Chirico, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Watch live action from New Haven this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

“Luckily I turned it around, it was a difficult match for my first round here after a year,” Kvitova said afterwards.

“I didn’t play Cincinnati and I got sick in Rio, so it was a little bit difficult for me but I’m glad I was able to win it. I really had to fight for every point at the end.”

Chirico, an American qualifier, brought all of the powerful game that saw her make a breakthrough run to reach the semifinals in Madrid earlier this year. Kvitova was struggling to find her timing, and despite earning the first break of the match, she quickly found herself being outhit as Chirico rattled off six straight games to take the opening set.

The defending champion wasn’t too rattled though, as three-set comebacks are what she’s built her “P3tra” reputation on.

“I think that tennis now is very open, and with all the experience I have already, losing the first set doesn’t mean anything to me,” Kvitova said. “Even with the 6-1, which was not easy.”

The Czech’s lefty forehand found its marks and Kvitova broke twice to reel off five straight games of her own and take the second set to restore scoreboard parity, before going on to take the third set.

She needed an hour and thirty-four minutes to complete the turnaround and advance to the second round, improving her impressive Connecticut Open record to 17-2 overall.

Her victory sets up a second-round clash against Eugenie Bouchard, who had a much smoother time against German qualifier Annika Beck. The Canadian dictated play throughout, dragging Beck from line to line and keeping her on the run in the quick 6-2, 6-1 win.

It was the opposite story for four-time Connecticut Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, who took a wildcard into the tournament in a bid to rehab her injury-laden 2016 season. It was her first time playing against Jelena Ostapenko, and the 19-year-old youngster ousted her 7-5, 6-2 on her New Haven debut.

“It wasn’t my best match, but as well you just have to go with it and give her credit where credit is due,” Wozniacki said.

“I think I just haven’t played very much, and just a little bit unlucky as well.”

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BOGOTA, Colombia – Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone has booked a spot into the Claro Open Colsanitas final without dropping a set, continuing her run to oust No.3 seed Johanna Larsson, 7-5, 6-4.

After taking a wildcard into the tournament Schiavone – who is playing in her last season of professional tennis after announcing her plans to retire earlier in the year – has shown the best of her vintage form to see off the competition and return to her first final in 14 months.

The former French Open champion stayed consistent to weather Larsson’s highs and lows as the No.3 seed showed flashes of dominance but couldn’t keep Schiavone out of contention for too long. After trading breaks towards the start of the match, the pair stayed toe-to-toe until Larsson was broken to give Schiavone the opening set.

It was a much closer affair in the second as Larsson broke to earn a 4-2 lead, looking ready to take the match into a decider. But Schiavone raised her level considerably, covering every inch of the court and attacking with renewed aggression to finally break to love as Larsson double faulted under the pressure.

Schiavone powered through to make her way into the final, her first final of the year and the first she’s reached since taking home the title at the Rio Open in February of 2016.

More to follow…

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Radwanska Wins Ostapenko Opener

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW HAVEN, CT, USA – Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska overcame an early challenge from 19-year-old Jelena Ostapenko to advance in straight sets in her opening match at the Connecticut Open.

Watch live action from New Haven this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Radwanska took a wild card into the event in search of extra tune-up matches ahead of the US Open, and she was certainly put through her paces against the young Ostapenko.

“I was actually really surprised,” Radwanska said after the match, which was the pair’s first encounter. “She’s really a very smart and solid player. She’s very young and she can already do everything on court. She can play a really good game and for sure she’s gonna be good.”

Ostapenko and Radwanska traded breaks at the start of the match and held level throughout, with Radwanska’s cerebral game matching up against the teenager’s aggressive style. Ostapenko held a set point at 5-4 on Radwanska’s serve in the first set but was unable to convert as her backhand misfired and the unforced error count did her in. The Pole held her serve and won seven games on the trot to take the opening set and a commanding 4-0 lead in the second before easing through 7-5, 6-1.

Now into the quarterfinals, Radwanska is seeking one more win to end a drought dating back to April: the former World No.2 hasn’t reached a semifinal since the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, a streak she’s certainly hoping to snap heading into the US Open.

“I think these kind of matches is always good to have before a Grand Slam,” she said. “It was a great match and I’m really happy I could play my best game. I just hope that I could play the same tennis the next match and be fully prepared for the Grand Slam.”

Radwanska awaits the winner between Caroline Garcia and lucky loser Kirsten Flipkens.

Injuries and withdrawals may have wreaked havoc on the New Haven draw, but Flipkens is one player who’s certainly not complaining. The Belgian was called in at the last minute to replace Lesia Tsurenko, another lucky loser who had to pull out from the main draw with a right knee injury.

“Well, it was a crazy story,” Flipkens said of getting the call to play. “There were so many lucky losers, and I only found out at 12:15 today that I was going to play at two o’clock!”

The Belgian took full advantage of the second chance against Belinda Bencic, defeating the Swiss teenager 6-1, 4-6, 7-5. Bencic served for the match at 5-4 in the third, but Flipkens rallied to win four games in a row and advance.

Along with Radwanska, three other players booked early spots into the New Haven quarterfinals. Ekaterina Makarova grabbed the first quarterfinal berth after a 6-3, 6-2 win over Anastasija Sevastova. Meanwhile, Elena Vesnina booked a clash against the No.10 seed Elina Svitolina. Vesnina made her way to the quarterfinals after Anett Kontaveit retired at 6-4, 1-0, while Svitolina swept past Evgeniya Rodina 6-3, 6-1.

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WTA Stars Enjoy Taste Of Tennis

WTA Stars Enjoy Taste Of Tennis

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Before the US Open gets underway, the WTA stars painted the town red on Thursday night at the Taste of Tennis. Located at the W Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, the game’s biggest names turned out dressed to the nines in support of Wellness in the Schools, a national non-profit that inspires healthy eating and fitness for kids in public schools.

Check out the best photos from the night of tennis and haute cuisine:

Serena Williams, Venus Williams

Samantha Crawford, Louisa Chirico

Alla Kudryavtseva

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Serena Williams, Venus Williams

Nicole Gibbs, Caroline Wozniacki

CoCo Vandeweghe

Venus Williams

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

With Serena Williams and fiancé Alexis Ohanian expecting their first child, stars from the tennis world and beyond have been congratulating the 23-time Grand Slam winner.

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