Tennis News

MADRID, Spain – 2014 Mutua Madrid Open finalist Simona Halep got her outdoor clay court campaign off to a flying start on Court Manolo Santana; opening the night session on Sunday, the Romanian eased past Japan’s Misaki Doi, 6-0, 6-3, to reach the second round.

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“It was a good match, a good start for me,” she said after the match. “The first set was fast; I had a good start because I was confident, and practicing very well the last few days here. In the second set, she started to hit faster, and I was hitting flatter than I was at the start of the match. That was good for her.

“I had to make it more of a clay court game, and that’s why I won.

Halep was suffering from the lingering effects of an ankle injury and breathing problems in a stunning loss to Laura Siegemund just two weeks ago in Stuttgart, but exhibited none of those health concerns in Madrid, racing through the first eight games of the match, hitting five aces and 19 winners in the match.

A dangerous floater, Misaki Doi came closest to preventing Angelique Kerber’s Australian Open run back in January – having held a match point on the German in their first round encounter – and leveled the second set by winning three games in a row after falling behind a break. Halep’s coach Darren Cahill took to the court to advise his charge, who brushed off the string of games to win the final four of the match to reach the second round.

Converting six of eight break point opportunities, Halep maintained an impressive 66% first serve percentage and won all four of her points at net.

Awaiting the former World No.2 in the second round will be Italy’s Karin Knapp. Knapp has spent much of the season dealing with a right knee injury, played some emphatic tennis to defeat rising Russian Margarita Gasparyan, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

“I have great memories from two years ago, so the game is ok here. It was a bit cold, but it’s always cold here in the evenings. It was ok, I was playing good and it was a good day for me.”

In just twenty-two minutes, @Simona_Halep drops a bagel on Doi 6-0! #MMOpen https://t.co/kXbyMNb3JZ

— WTA (@WTA) May 1, 2016

Sunshine Double winner and former No.1 Victoria Azarenka maintained an unbeaten streak that now stretches to 15 matches (including Fed Cup) with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Laura Robson. A former No.1 in Great Britain, Robson has been off the court for much of the last two and a half years, and had entered Madrid’s main draw with a protected ranking.

Nonetheless, she kept things close against the two-time Australian Open champion – particularly in the first set, where she maintained even footing until the crucial ninth game, in which the Belarusian broke serve to run away with the match. Azarenka’s next opponent will be Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet; though she trails 4-0 in their head-to-head, the last three matches have gone three sets.

Porsche Tennis Grand Prix finalist Laura Siegemund had retired from her doubles match on Saturday citing dizziness, but pushed through another impressive singles result on Sunday, dispatching 2015 Madrid runner-up and No.9 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3. A qualifier in Madrid, Siegemund is currently the No.4 German; should she hold onto that position, she is a likely candidate to qualify for the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She will next play fellow qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who won a second straight match over Kristina Mladenovic, having narrowly taken out the young French star in a third set tie-break in Charleston. Mladenovic’s countrywoman and doubles partner Caroline Garcia reached the second round when Australian Open semifinalist Johanna Konta was forced to retire in the second set of their first round, citing an upper respiratory illness.

Earlier in the day, 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic captured a thrilling three-set win over qualifier Katerina Siniakova; the No.14 seed emerged victorious out of a titanic final game to win, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. No.11 seed and J&T Banka Prague Open champion Lucie Safarova enjoyed a seamless win over American CoCo Vandeweghe, while Romanian wildcard and former World No.21 Sorana Cirstea continued her charge back up the rankings with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Jelena Jankovic.

25th win of 2016! ?@Vika7 Azarenka tops Robson 6-4, 6-2 in @MutuaMadridOpen first round! pic.twitter.com/J2DhcNZ0V0

— WTA (@WTA) May 1, 2016

MADRID, Spain – Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu backed up her win over 2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard with an even bigger result, toppling No.3 seed and 2015 Wimbledon runner-up Garbiñe Muguruza, 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3, to reach the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open.

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Begu needed three sets to battle past Bouchard on Sunday, and things hardly differed on Monday night against Muguruza; despite leading 5-2 in each of the first two sets, the hometown favorite battled back each time – saving three set points at 5-3 in the second – to take the opening set and get within four points of victory in the second set tie-break.

“I was a little bit disappointed in my game when I was leading; I wouldn’t be as aggressive as I was before,” Begu said about her lost leads after the match. “My coach told me I’m really close, and really playing well. I just had to keep fighting for every ball, and that was the key.”

The Romanian, however, wouldn’t be denied; becoming something of a marathon woman – winning her last six three-setters reaching the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open with a trio of grueling matches – Begu recovered from a mini-break down to level the match and lead by a break in the decider.

“In Spain and especially in Madrid, there are a lot of Romanians, so I think it was 50/50!” Begu laughed when asked about the crowd support. “It’s tough to play a local player, and especially against Garbiñe, one of the best players. I was ready for this match, and I think that was the key as well.”

Muguruza hit 39 winners in the two hour and 42 minute epic, and managed to draw level once more, but Begu swept three of the final four games, hitting 30 winners of her own and only 34 unforced errors to 42 from the World No.4.

“I think I could have started better, but I managed to come back,” Muguruza said in her post-loss press conference. “I managed to fight and find my game.

“But I think it has been a very good game. I think she played pretty well. I played against Begu before and I think that today she played much better than previous times.

“I think that she served very well. I had to fight everything that I can, but just didn’t go my way this time.”

Up next for Begu is Christina McHale, who began the day with a win over No.13 seed Karolina Pliskova in straight sets.

ST PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The WTA has announced a newly established WTA Coach Program which will launch January 2017 as the new season begins.

WTA coaches will be recognized as a WTA Registered Coach under a formalized WTA Coach Program. The WTA Coach Program is designed to professionalize, standardize, and recognize the important role of coaching on the WTA, signifying that coaches are a key element of the WTA business.

This newly formed program will allow world class coaches, whether working with top players or emerging talent, access to benefits at WTA tournaments, professional development programs, and will provide more opportunities to broaden the product and the WTA audience, becoming a marketable asset for women’s professional tennis. It will also allow fans the ability to get closer to the game and the on court action through coaches.

Steve Simon, WTA CEO, stated, “I am pleased to introduce this new program which will professionalize and raise the standards associated with being a coach on the WTA. Coaches are an integral part of the players’ achievements and performance on the court. We recognize the value of coaches and their overall contribution to the game and to the WTA.”

Coaches who wish to participate in the program must be currently working with a WTA Tour level player and meet defined criteria (including professional certification or licensure from a coaching governing body), uphold professional obligations and be recommended by a WTA player.

A Coach Program Advisory Committee has been formed of six coaches representing each global region and this group will advise WTA staff on the administration and governance of the program, acceptance of applicants, and will provide continual feedback from the coaching body.

Former WTA player and current coach of Australia’s Daria Gavrilova, Nicole Pratt, is one such member of the Coach Program Advisory Committee. Pratt commented, “The establishment of the WTA Coaches Program is a leap forward for validating the expertise of many of the coaches on the WTA. We are looking forward to working together and feel confident there will be tremendous benefits for all stakeholders.”

Additionally, Craig Kardon, a member of the Coach Program Advisory Committee who is a longtime WTA coach and current coach of CoCo Vandeweghe stated, “I am very excited about the new WTA Coach Program. This program will give professional tennis coaches a platform for promotion and professionalism while coaching on the pro tour.”

As part of their registration, coaches will participate in weekly activities to help promote WTA tournaments, the WTA and women’s tennis, including media opportunities, clinics, and coach symposiums. Additionally, coaches will be made available immediately following matches for international media opportunities, allowing coach insight and perspective on the match.