Tennis News

THE WINNERS

Johanna Konta captured her maiden WTA title at the Bank of the West Classic. The British No.1 defeated top seed Venus Williams for the second time in 2016, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. Konta is now up to a career-high ranking of No.14 and has re-entered the Top 8 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard.

“It’s not just a final,” Konta told WTA Insider. I was playing against Venus Williams, such a champion. I was playing in a Premier tournament, as well. It was quite a lot of things. I’m really happy with how I was able to deal with that and really appreciate the situation for what it was and really be grateful and humbled by it. I’m just looking forward to reinvesting this experience that I gained today into future matches in my career.”

Read the match recap here and Konta’s Champions Corner interview here.

Yanina Wickmayer pulled off a DC double at the Citi Open, defeating first-time finalist Lauren Davis, 6-4, 6-2 and pairing with Monica Niculescu to capture the doubles title on Saturday.

Read the match recap here.

Six years after making her WTA main draw debut at the Ericsson Open, Laura Siegemund came full circle in Bastad to win her maiden WTA title. The German veteran, who qualified for ther first Olympic Summer Games following a stunning season on the European clay courts, defeated Czech youngster Katerina Siniakova, 7-5, 6-1.

“I got a new perspective on tennis,” Siegemund said after the match. “It’s a great sport, and that kind of gave me some freedom on the court to try things and change my game.”

Read the match recap here.

RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of July 15, 2016.

Dominika Cibulkova (+2, No.12 to No.10): One of Konta’s victims in Stanford was the in-form and newlywed Cibulkova. The semifinal defeat, though, failed to end her summer honeymoon – the 185 points gained confirming a return to the Top 10 for the first time since January 2015.

Laura Siegemund (+8, No.40 to No.32): Not so long ago Laura Siegemund and her fellow German Angelique Kerber existed in very different worlds on tour. Now, following a title run in Bastad that pushed her up to No.32 in the rankings, Siegemund could very well be seeded alongside her compatriot at the upcoming US Open.

Yanina Wickmayer (+8, No.44 to No.36): Yanina Wickmayer was hot in Washington DC. Literally. It was hard not to be with temperatures in the capital threatening 100°F. However, Wickmayer wisely kept her time on court to a minimum, dropping just one set en route to her fifth career title. She is now at her highest ranking since April 2013.

Alison Riske (+20, No.78 to No.58): While Riske was unable to complete her rousing comeback to defeat Venus in the Stanford semifinals, victories over seeds Varvara Lepchenko and CoCo Vandeweghe ensured the tournament remained a highly encouraging one. She is now closing in on returning to the Top 50 for the first time since last September.

Katerina Siniakova (+13, No.92 to No.79): Former junior No.2 Katerina Siniakova’s progress up the senior ranks has come in fits and starts. In Bastad, the Czech took a significant step in the shape of a maiden WTA final, a result that edged her 13 places closer to a Top 50 debut.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

Rogers Cup
Montreal, Canada
Premier | $2,413,663 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, July 25 – Sunday, July 31

TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Serena Williams –
2. Angelique Kerber – Montréal
3. Garbiñe Muguruza – Montréal
4. Agnieszka Radwanska – Montréal
5. Simona Halep – Montréal
6. Venus Williams – Montréal
7. Victoria Azarenka –
8. Roberta Vinci – Montréal
9. Carla Suárez Navarro – Montréal
10. Dominika Cibulkova – Montréal
11. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Montréal
12. Madison Keys – Montréal
13. Petra Kvitova – Montréal
14. Johanna Konta – Montréal
15. Timea Bacsinszky – 
16. Belinda Bencic –
17. Karolina Pliskova – Montréal 
18. Samantha Stosur – Montréal
19. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova –
20. Elina Svitolina – Montréal

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:

Maria Sakkari (GRE) – July 25, 1995
Patricia Maria Tig (ROU) – July 27, 1994
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) – July 31, 1989

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Monica Puig dropped just two games against American wildcard Danielle Collins on her way to the second round at the BNP Paribas Open.

Puig put together a dominant performance against Collins to advance 6-0, 6-2 after just under an hour and ten minutes.

“I always like playing on center stage, I guess it’s where I feel most comfortable,” Puig said in her post-match interview. “I’m always happy to play in Indian Wells, it’s one of my favorite tournaments.”

It was a different story for Collins, who was playing in just her third main draw match of her career. She found herself outhit and out of her depth as she fell to the Olympic champion.

The 23-year-old American – a two-time NCAA singles winner at the University of Virginia – showed flashes of promise against Puig as she targeted the Puerto Rican’s backhand high over her shoulder. But she allowed Puig to dictate the pace and dominate the rallies.

.@MonicaAce93 cruises past Collins 6-0, 6-2!

Plays @KaPliskova next in @BNPPARIBASOPEN Second round! pic.twitter.com/nUyuWZWBq7

— WTA (@WTA) March 9, 2017

After being shut out of the first set after just 24 minutes, Collins rallied back to earn a confidence-boosting first break of the match to start the second set. But the joy was short lived as Puig came roaring back, grabbing the break right back to level the score before reeling off the last four games in a row for a spot in the second round.

“You never know what to expect – I used to play against [Collins] when I was like, ten years old. I haven’t played her in a few years so I needed some time to feel her out a bit. I found my groove and finished off strong,” Puig said.

Waiting in the second round is No.3 seed Karolina Pliskova – it was originally Serena Williams before she announced her withdrawal from the tournament and caused a reshuffling of seeds. Puig trails the Czech 0-3 in the pair’s win-loss record.

“For me it’s not really a huge change,” Puig said of having to play Pliskova instead of Serena. “I was already waiting on a difficult opponent if I made it to the second round, and I still got a difficult opponent in the second round.

“It doesn’t really change much; I’m familiar with Pliskova and I’ve played her a few times. Lost a few times, too. She’s near the top of the game right now because she’s an amazing player.”

Twelve months ago, Johanna Konta took the first steps on a journey up the tennis ladder that shows no sign of ending any time soon. A 16-match winning run, which began at a lowly ITF Circuit event in Granby, Canada, sent the Briton skyrocketing up the rankings and, more importantly, imbued her with a sense of belonging.

This past weekend, Konta proved once more that her place at tennis’ top table is very much warranted, outplaying Venus Williams in the final of the Bank of the West Classic to take home her maiden career title.

The result bumps Konta several quite significant places up the rankings from No.18 to 14. Not only is Konta now highly likely to be among the leading 16 seeds for the US Open, she is also the first British player since Jo Durie in October 1984 to be ranked inside the Top 15.

While her plentiful points haul from last summer means a further rise is no foregone conclusion, on current form few would put deep runs in Montréal, Cincinnati or the US Open beyond the 25-year-old. Konta currently lies 176 points behind 10th-ranked Dominika Cibulkova and a good showing at any of the summer hardcourt events could well see her become the fourth Brit (after Virginia Wade, Sue Barker and Durie) to crack the Top 10.

Konta, though, is not player to make a significant move last week.

Dominika Cibulkova (+2, No.12 to No.10): One of Konta’s victims in Stanford was the in-form and newlywed Cibulkova. The semifinal defeat, though, failed to end her summer honeymoon – the 185 points gained confirming a return to the Top 10 for the first time since January 2015.

Laura Siegemund (+8, No.40 to No.32): Not so long ago Laura Siegemund and her fellow German Angelique Kerber existed in very different worlds on tour. Now, following a title run in Bastad that pushed her up to No.32 in the rankings, Siegemund could very well be seeded alongside her compatriot at the upcoming US Open.

Yanina Wickmayer (+8, No.44 to No.36): Yanina Wickmayer was hot in Washington DC. Literally. It was hard not to be with temperatures in the capital threatening 100°F. However, Wickmayer wisely kept her time on court to a minimum, dropping just one set en route to her fifth career title. She is now at her highest ranking since April 2013.

Alison Riske (+20, No.78 to No.58): While Riske was unable to complete her rousing comeback to defeat Venus in the Stanford semifinals, victories over seeds Varvara Lepchenko and CoCo Vandeweghe ensured the tournament remained a highly encouraging one. She is now closing in on returning to the Top 50 for the first time since last September.

Katerina Siniakova (+13, No.92 to No.79): Former junior No.2 Katerina Siniakova’s progress up the senior ranks has come in fits and starts. In Bastad, the Czech took a significant step in the shape of a maiden WTA final, a result that edged her 13 places closer to a Top 50 debut.

MONTRÉAL, Canada – Daria Gavrilova overcame the rain and Annika Beck to become the first winner at this year’s Rogers Cup.

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

On a wet opening day, Gavrilova returned from a lengthy first set rain delay to complete a 6-4, 6-3 win and book a second-round meeting with No.5 seed Simona Halep.

Both players struggled to stamp their authority on the contest early on, trading four breaks of serve before the heavens opened. When they returned more than an hour later, Gavrilova came out firing, a pair of fine forehand winners bringing her the set.

The Australian carried this momentum into the start of the second set, taking the first three games. While Beck managed to reduce her arrears to 4-3, Gavrilova responded by rattling off the final eight points of the match to secure her date with Halep.

Gavrilova has met Halep twice before, winning the most recent of these this spring in Rome. Following a slow start, Halep has grown in confidence as the year has progressed and is now looking to ramp up her preparations ahead of next month’s US Open.

“The more matches I play it helps me get confidence and get used to the pressure,” Halep told wtatennis.com. “I have this tournament, I have Cincinnati, so I think I have enough – I’m also playing doubles here – time to be ready for US Open.”

The only other player to advance before Monday’s latest intervention from the weather was Madison Brengle, who scored a minor upset by defeating Ekaterina Makarova, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Croatian wildcard Donna Vekic vaulted past American Alison Riske, 6-3, 7-6(3), to book a second round clash with 2015 BNP Paribas Open champion Simona Halep.

“I’m so happy,” she told WTA Insider after the match. “It was a bit tough in the second set, but I got through it.”

A former World No.62, Vekic has struggled with inconsistency since stunning Dominika Cibulkova to win her maiden WTA title in Kuala Lumpur back in 2014. Still, the 21-year-old has show signs of regaining her momentum to start 2017, reaching the second round of the Australian Open and the round of 16 at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.

“This year, I’ve played some pretty good tennis. My level is definitely there, but I need to be more consistent to have it from the first point. Sometimes you need three matches to get the confidence to play well, because in practice I’m playing great. It’s just a few more matches and I’m sure it’s going to come.

“I feel really fit. I had some practice time before coming here, so I’m hoping I can keep the tennis level up.”

.@DonnaVekic puts the backhand away! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/ACj1y5hOwa

— WTA (@WTA) March 10, 2017

Against Riske, she posted impressive numbers off return, winning 68% of the Shenzhen Open runner-up’s second serve points and breaking the American five times in one hour and 42 minutes – all under the watchful eye of 1997 French Open champion Iva Majoli, the first Croatian woman to win a major title.

“I love playing on big courts and stadiums. This court is amazing; I warmed up on it this morning and it was huge. But I really enjoyed my time out there tonight.

“I was more nervous than I felt before the match, so I didn’t find my game straight away. I was struggling a little bit throughout the match, but that’s because the conditions here are so different. It’s not easy to play here, and playing the American as a wildcard was tough.

“I was just trying to work through the points. I was struggling with my serve in the wind and that’s usually my advantage, how I get some free points. I just had to work through it, stay in the rallies and win the hard way.”

Great defense and winner from @DonnaVekic! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/QuSV6DSwPE

— WTA (@WTA) March 10, 2017

Looming in the next round is No.4 seed and former French Open finalist Simona Halep, who will be playing her first match since St. Petersburg after skipping the Middle East swing to heal a persistent knee injury.

“I’m going to have to play good. But I’m really excited; she’s a great player. I’ve had one match here, and it’s not easy to come out and play your first match. But she’s obvious a great player who has played well here before.”

.@DonnaVekic ousts Riske 6-3, 7-6 (2)!

Faces 2015 @BNPParibasOpen champ @Simona_Halep next! pic.twitter.com/2OhG8NvgIt

— WTA (@WTA) March 10, 2017

It wasn’t all bad news for the Americans; ASB Classic champion Lauren Davis survived a Swiss onslaught from Viktorija Golubic, winning, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Davis next plays No.22 seed Anastasija Sevastova, who is coming off a run to the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

.@LaurenDavis93 edges past Golubic 6-4, 4-6, 7-5! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/ppkWu5vk7z

— WTA (@WTA) March 10, 2017

Around the grounds, Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka impressed in her Indian Wells main draw debut, knocking out countrywoman and qualifier Risa Ozaki, 6-4, 6-2, to book a second round clash with No.30 seed and former Australian Open quarterfinalist Zhang Shuai.

Shenzhen champion Katerina Siniakova recovered from a set down to defeat the resurgent Mona Barthel, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, while former World No.5 Lucie Safarova kicked off play on Court 4 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena.

Safarova will next play No.20 seed CoCo Vandeweghe, who is coming off a major breakthrough in Melbourne, where she reached the semifinals.

When Serena Williams dons the Team USA colors for the fourth time in her illustrious career, she won’t only be playing for herself.

“You’re playing for your country, and you become really proud to be where you’re from,” she says in a new advertisement made by Mini USA.

The campaign, called “Defy Labels,” allows Serena to tell the story of growing up as a young girl in Compton, California, and how she went on to become one of the greatest tennis players the world has ever known.

“If I was talking to the kids in Compton, I would tell them that no one can define you, no one can put a label on you.

“No one can say, ‘This is what you’re supposed to do,’ and when you think of all the Olympic athletes, they are really doing something that is beyond everything that they should have done – having the chance to win a gold medal and compete against the best of the best across the globe.”

Posted on Serena’s official Facebook page, check out the full video right here on wtatennis.com: