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  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Former Great Britain Fed Cup captain Judy Murray has praised Johanna Konta for being a great role model – and has called for more women to get involved in tennis.

In an interview with the UK’s Daily Telegraph to mark International Women’s Day, Murray said it was important to encourage women into all levels of sport.

“Everyone looks at the sports stars, like Johanna Konta or [now-retired heptathlete] Jessica Ennis, and they are great role models,” she said, “but even more important, for me, is to have women in key decision-making positions. They will think and act much more on behalf of women, because they know how we tick.”

 Murray is spearheading campaigns to get more girls playing tennis as well as calling for more women to take up coaching, which she says will increase female participation across all age groups.

“Our strongest pockets within the UK, in terms of numbers of girls coming through, tend to be in places where there is a strong female coach,” added Murray.

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The 5 Best Things About Olympic Tennis

The 5 Best Things About Olympic Tennis

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

With the Olympic tennis event in Rio already underway, there’s just one thought on every player’s mind: bringing home a medal.

In the ITF’s Olympics book, My Life, My Medal, tennis players shared their medal-winning memories from the Olympics and Paralympics, from Seoul 1988 to London 2012.

Read on to hear the five things that Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Justine Henin, Serena Williams and more loved the most about their Olympic experiences, right here on wtatennis.com!

Team Italy, Olympic Village

1. Staying in the Olympic Village was one of their most cherished memories.

“I enjoyed every moment because I had a chance to meet other athletes from my country as well, living in the Olympic Village. It’s a completely different story, you get involved with other athletes as well form other countries. Even in Barcelona, when I was at home, I could go home, but I went the first couple of days to the Village.” – Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spain; Barcelona 1992)

“My fondest memories are of taking part in the opening ceremonies at Seoul and Barcelona and staying in the Olympic Villages. It was fascinating to be able to talk with the other athletes from all the different sports, cultures and backgrounds. We had a lot of fun guessing which country and sport they represented.” – Stefanie Graf (Germany; Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992)

“Everything is surprising because it is very different – the atmosphere, having lunch with some other Argentinians… and going to the restaurant and meeting the rest of the athletes. You find yourself saying, “Look who is here!” All of them are strong experiences which take place in a unique place and moment.” – Gabriela Sabatini (Argentina; Seoul 1998)

“It was fantastic to pick the other athletes’ brains about training, how they deal with pressure, etc… My favorite place was the cafeteria and I got to meet so many athletes in a casual setting and share stories with them. Having dinner with all the great athletes and talking to them like regular people was super cool. I had to sometimes pinch myself when I talked to a few of them.” – Monica Seles (United States; Sydney 2000)

Angelique Kerber, Germany

2. The Opening Ceremony is an unforgettable experience.

“From the very first day, when I had the occasion of carrying the flag at the Opening Ceremony, everything I experienced was really lovely. I was very happy about it.” – Gabriela Sabatini (Argentina; Seoul 1998)­

“When you’re out there, you go out on Opening Ceremony day and you’re just like in awe. Like you have to pinch yourself, is this really happening?” – Mary Joe Fernandez (United States; Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996)

“The Opening Ceremonies in all the Olympics I’ve played are some of the three biggest highlights of my whole life. Obviously besides kids and all that. But I never forget those moments.” – Lindsay Davenport (United States; Atlanta 1996)

“It was the most amazing rush of my life, walking into the stadium in Atlanta. We were in the tunnel going out and the whole team USA, like 680 people, started chanting ‘USA, USA, USA’ in this tunnel and it was reverberating and I still get goosebumps thinking about it.” – Gigi Fernandez (United States; Barcelona 1992, Atlanta, 1996)

Rio 2016

3. Checking out other sports is a must – because athletes are sports fans too.

“It doesn’t really matter to me [what sport] because when you’re there you get involved in it. You’re just so involved and your heart gets involved. You get drawn in. So wherever I would go – fencing, archery, whatever it is – I don’t care because I know I’ll be into it.” – Venus Williams (United States; Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, London 2012)

“When we arrived in advance, we were practicing and training. And one day Steff [Graf] said, ‘Let’s go train with a 400 meters hurdler,’ as he was a very good German one. He said, ‘Okay I’m going to do some practice at the track and do some running.’ Steffi said, ‘Let’s go with him, we can also do some practice and warm-ups.’ For 15 minutes I was running with him and I was dead. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I still have to play.'” – Claudia Kohde-Kilsch (Germany; Seoul 1998)

“I had a lot of opportunities to see different things. I saw archery, swimming, I never made it to the gymnastics, but I saw the athletics, it’s just a great experience. It’s just so fun to see all these different athletes who are just in there, from countries you don’t expect.” – Serena Williams (United States; Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, London 2012)

Elena Dementieva

4. The winning moment is unlike any other.

“We [Belarus] never had any medals ever in the history of tennis. That type of pressure was there, and I really wanted to deliver… At that particular moment we won gold, that was one of the biggest reliefs. I was like, ‘Okay, thank god, we’ve done it.’ Then there was pure joy.” – Victoria Azarenka (Belarus; London 2012)

“It’s very emotional to hear the anthems. I probably cried a little bit. You get goosebumps, you get nervous, it’s quite emotional. It’s very cool and it’s different. You have the podium and you receive your medal with the other two. It’s the Olympics! It feels like tennis but it’s a little bit different.” – Conchita Martinez (Spain; Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004)

“I remember being on the podium trying to tell myself not to cry. I remember just keeping repeating that to myself because it is overwhelming when you get up there, and you think it’s all fun and you think it’s all happy, and then depending on your personality, it can be more emotional. It started to get a little emotional for me, but most of it was shock.” – Lindsay Davenport (United States; Atlanta 1996)

“The presentation ceremony took me by surprise. When you win a silver medal in tennis it means you’ve just lost in the final… I was very, very disappointed but within a couple of seconds I did switch because there was huge emotion coming up. And also a real pride. It’s cool! You’re able to bring a medal back to your country.” – Amélie Mauresmo (France; Athens 2004)

Athens, 2004

5. Playing for your country, not just yourself, is a humbling experience.

“There was a lot of joy. There was a lot of surprise, of sharing with the Belgian delegation. All the athletes were there. I didn’t cry, but I did sing. And I was so very, very proud. After the match and the ceremony I came back to the Village and all the athletes were waiting for me in the Belgian house and we celebrated together for an hour. Everyone was so happy.” – Justine Henin (Belgium; Athens 2004)

“The Olympics is something still different and you play for your country. There’s more pressure… With the Olympic medal [my country] realized a little bit more what I was achieving. From then on I became a star in Bulgaria.” – Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere (Bulgaria; Seoul 1988)

“It’s probably No.1 in my career because it’s one thing that the world will always relate to and I did it for my country, it wasn’t just for me. Even now if I pull it [the medal] out and I’m around little kids they’re so excited.” – Zina Garrison (United States; Seoul 1988)

“On one side, I was bitterly disappointed to lose the final, but on the other hand, I was really proud of our country and what we achieved in Beijing. This was a day when a dream came true. Of course, straight after the match I was disappointed, but afterwards this became less so. We could hear the national anthem and see the Russian flag. There were tears from the sadness, but there were tears of happiness for being so proud for my country.” – Dinara Safina (Russia; Beijing 2008)

– Photos courtesy of Getty Images

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Gold Rush Begins In Rio

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

It has been an eventful start to the tennis competition at the Rio Olympics, see all the best shots from the action here at wtatennis.com.

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Olympics Wednesday: Magic Eight

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

And then there were eight! It’s quarterfinal time at the 2016 Olympic Games, and we’re breaking down the matchups at WTATennis.com, courtesy of contributor Chris Oddo.

Wednesday

Quarterfinals

Elina Svitolina (UKR #20) vs. [11] Petra Kvitova (CZE #14)
Head-to-head: Kvitova leads, 2-1
Key Stat: There has only been one unseeded medalist in women’s singles since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988 (Alicia Molik, Bronze, 2004).

Chaos reigned supreme at the top of the draw on Tuesday in Rio, as Elina Svitolina completed the upset to end all upsets by knocking off four-time Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams in straight sets. It was a monumental victory for Svitolina, who admitted afterwards that she dared not dream of defeating Williams. “It’s one of my dreams to play against her, and to beat her – I don’t think I was even dreaming about that,” the elated 21-year-old said after the match. Now, for the challenge of recalibrating emotionally to face a menacing Petra Kvitova for a spot in the semifinals. Kvitova showed true Olympic spirit in gutting out a see-saw three-setter with Ekaterina Makarova on Tuesday, and the Fed Cup legend has always taken her game to another level when representing her country in the past. Will she continue to elevate her tennis and engineer a season-changing run to the medal round, or will the 21-year-old Ukrainian continue to prove to be a player of destiny this week in Rio?

Pick: Kvitova in three

[2] Angelique Kerber (GER #2) vs. [10] Johanna Konta (GBR #13)
Head-to-head: Kerber Leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Kerber and Laura Siegemund are bidding to become the first German women to medal at the Olympics since Steffi Graf in 1992.

Two of tennis’ most in-form and mentally tough players will square off in a high-stakes quarterfinal that marks their second meeting of 2016. Angelique Kerber eased past Johanna Konta in this year’s Australian Open semifinals, and that victory proved not only to be a springboard to a first major title, it also has provided a layer of belief that has further solidified Kerber’s presence at the top of the game. On Tuesday Kerber worked her way past Samantha Stosur in straight sets while Konta had to scratch and claw to end Svetlana Kuznetsova’s Olympics in a three-hour and seven minute battle. Konta is just two weeks removed from her first career title at Stanford and she’ll no doubt be eager to prove that she has the ability to match wits and strokes with a player of Kerber’s caliber. She wasn’t up to the task against the German in January – will she find a way past her on Wednesday?

Pick: Kerber in three

Monica Puig (PUR #34) vs. Laura Siegemund (GER #32)
Head-to-head: First Meeting
Key Stat: Puig and Siegemund were ranked 90 and 92 respectively at the start of the season.

My, how fortunes can change over the course of a season. Monica Puig and Laura Siegemund, two players who began the season barely inside the Top 100, will play for a spot in the medal round on Wednesday in Rio. As unlikely as it sounds, when one considers the amount of progress that Siegemund and Puig have made over the course of the last seven months, this quarterfinal is not all that improbable. The pair own a combined 9-9 record vs. the Top 20 this season, and both have gone deep into draws more consistently than ever. Puig notched the second biggest shock of Day 4 when she shellacked Spain’s Garbiñe Muguruza, 6-1, 6-1. Puig matched Muguruza’s winner count and committed half the errors in a tidy performance. “I consider it the biggest win of my career because it’s at the Olympics,” she said after the match. “Right now, I’m in the clouds. I can’t even believe it because truly it was incredible.” Will Puig be able to recover mentally to take on the feisty Siegemund with so much at stake? Or is it the 28-year-old German who will seize the day and a surprise trip to the medal round?

Pick: Siegemund in three

[7] Madison Keys (USA #9) vs. Daria Kasatkina (RUS #27)
Head-to-head: First Meeting
Key Stat: Keys has won back-to-back three setters in her last four events.

The two youngest players remaining in the draw will square off in a matchup that tennis fans will likely see—and enjoy—quite a bit over the next ten years. No. 7 seed Madison Keys has had her mettle tested early and often here in Rio, but each time she has been pushed, the 21-year-old power broker has pushed back, gutting out back-to-back three setters in her last two matches and showing poise and patience to go with her world-class attack. Speaking of poise, 19-year-old Daria Kasatkina has proven to be a quick study on the Olympic stage. The Russian methodically eased past Italy’s Sara Errani to reach the quarterfinals on Tuesday, proving once again that she’s every bit as good as her ranking, and perhaps even better. But how will Kasatkina handle the grooved ground game of Keys? Will she be able to keep the hard-hitting American off balance, or will she find herself in over her head against a blossoming American who is willing to lay everything on the line in the quest for an Olympic medal?

Pick: Keys in three

Around the Grounds:

The women’s doubles quarterfinals will also be held on Wednesday. Russia’s Daria Kasatkina will perform double duty alongside Svetlana Kuznetsova in a battle against No. 6 seeds Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic. Switzerland’s Martina Hingis and Timea Bacsinszky will look to upend the Chan sisters of Chinese Tapei in a battle of Top 5 seeds. See the complete doubles draw for matchup information here.

By the Numbers:

19 – The age of Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, who is the youngest player left in the draw.

34 – Ranking of Monica Puig, who is the lowest-ranked participant in the women’s singles quarterfinals.

2 – Germany is the only country to boast two women’s singles quarterfinalists.

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Williams & Sharapova Open Round 3 Action

Williams & Sharapova Open Round 3 Action

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova remain on a collision course for a quarterfinal date at this year’s Australian Open. But they’ve still got some work to do before they get there. We preview their Day 5 tilts, as well as some other enticing Friday matchups, here.

Friday, Day 5
Third Round

[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. Daria Kasatkina (RUS # 69)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Kasatkina was just two years old when Serena Williams won her first major.

Russia’s Daria Kasatkina is quickly making a name for herself as a future star on the WTA tour. Just two weeks ago she defeated Venus Williams in Auckland, and the 2014 French Open junior champion has now reached the third round at both Grand Slams she’s played in her career. But on Friday when she faces top-seeded Serena Williams, she’ll encounter the biggest challenge in women’s tennis. Williams, who has erased all doubts about the state of her health by breezing through her first two matches in Melbourne, is hungry to make more Grand Slam magic and very much aware of the potential of Kasatkina. “I don’t think it’s going to be easy,” Williams said of their impending battle. “Any time someone is beating Venus they are more than likely playing really good. So I definitely will be ready for that.”

Pick: Williams in two

[5] Maria Sharapova (RUS #5) vs. Lauren Davis (USA # 103)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Sharapova is going for her 600th career win. 

Like Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova also came to Melbourne with doubts about her health and match fitness swirling. But the five-time major champion has dropped seven games in two matches and looks to be in mid-season form ahead of her third-round showdown with hard-charging American Lauren Davis. Sharapova has never faced the Ohio native before, but at this stage of the tournament the fifth seed is more concerned about dictating with her power strokes than the opponent on the other side of the net. “I don’t think it matters [who I face],” she told reporters after her straight-sets victory over Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Wednesday. “I think my focus has to be on myself and on my game. Just improving and getting better.”

Pick: Sharapova in two

[4] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #4) vs. Monica Puig (PUR # 52)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Red-hot Radwanska has won 24 of her last 28 matches.

After an impressive takedown of surging Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in the second round things don’t promise to get any easier for No.4-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska. Her next opponent, 22-year-old Puerto Rican Monica Puig, has won 10 of her last 11 matches and is into the third round of a major for the first time since 2013. After surviving a 31-ace onslaught from Kristyna Pliskova in the second round, Puig has stockpiled a pile of the belief that comes with saving five match points and gutting out an improbable win at a major. “I think it’s just about believing that you can come out of a moment like that, that at any moment you can get a second wind and come out of it,” Puig said after her marathon win on Wednesday.

Pick: Radwanska in two

[28] Kristina Mladenovic (FRA # 30) vs. Daria Gavrilova (AUS # 39)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Gavrilova has four Top 10 wins since last March.

They have never met at the tour-level but that does not mean that France’s Kristina Mladenovic and Australia’s Daria Gavrilova don’t have history. They met in the Roland Garros Girls’ Singles final in 2009, and it was Mladenovic who got the win. “We played juniors a lot,” Gavrilova explains. “I actually lost to her at the French Open, I don’t know, ages ago. I was 15. It was in the finals. We have known each other since we were about 12.” Nearly seven years on, both players appear to be on the cusp of big-time stardom. Mladenovic reached her first major quarterfinal at last year’s US Open, while Gavrilova, who exudes fire and infectious enthusiasm for the game, has risen from outside the Top 200 to No.39 in the world in just over a year’s time.

Pick: Gavrilova in three

Around the Grounds: Belinda Bencic will look to advance to the round of 16 in Melbourne for the first time, but she’ll have to get past one of the tournament’s inspirational figures in Kateryna Bondarenko to get there. Bondarenko, who left the tour in 2012 to give birth to a child and didn’t return until 2014, is looking like she never missed a beat… Quietly, No.10-seeded Carla Suárez Navarro is working her way through the draw. The 2009 Australian Open quarterfinalist will face 19-year-old Russian Elizaveta Kulichkova for a spot in the second week… A finalist at last year’s US Open, Italy’s Roberta Vinci is alive and well in Melbourne. She’ll bid to reach the round of 16 in Melbourne for the first time against Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany.

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Sharapova & Williams Clash In Rematch

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

A blockbuster battle between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova highlights the Day 9 schedule in Melbourne as quarterfinal action begins. Here’s a preview of what’s on tap.

Tuesday, Day 9
Quarterfinals

[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. [5] Maria Sharapova (RUS # 5)
Head-to-head: Williams leads, 18-2
Key Stat: Williams has won 17 straight decisions against Sharapova, a streak that dates back more than a decade.

There’s no denying that the numbers make a case for a predictable outcome. Serena Williams has—quite remarkably—defeated Maria Sharapova on 17 consecutive occasions and only lost three of her last 37 sets against the Russian, and yet when these two iconic forces meet there is always an air of electricity surrounding the affair. That can be chalked up to several factors. One, starpower; Two, sheer athleticism; Three, competitive fire. Both Sharapova and Williams possess all three of the aforementioned entities in spades, and plenty of Grand Slam hardware to boot. And even though Williams has thoroughly dominated this rivalry over the last 11 years, the one-sidedness has not detracted from the intrigue. “Every match is new,” Williams said of the upcoming quarterfinal with Sharapova. “You know, she always brings in something new and something special.”

Williams remains confident in her game after four breezy wins in Melbourne but she admits that the psychology of having such a long winning streak against a formidable opponent creates a strange dynamic. “I think the person who is winning could definitely feel the pressure because there is a lot of expectations,” she says. Meanwhile, Sharapova enters the matchup with a sense of brimming hope. She’s serving as well as she ever has, as 37 aces in her last two matches can attest, and she’s upped the aggression in her ground game, which could help her avoid having her movement exposed by the quicker Williams. “You’re always trying to improve,” Sharapova said on Sunday after her fourth-round win over Belinda Bencic. “I got myself into the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam. There is no reason I shouldn’t be looking to improve and to getting my game in a better position.” Could these new wrinkles help Sharapova finally get over the hump against Williams? Or will Williams once again prove to be an unsolvable puzzle for the hard-hitting Russian?

Pick: Williams in three

[4] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #4) vs. [10] Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP # 11)
Head-to-head: Radwanska leads, 3-1 (counting Fed Cup)
Key Stat: Radwanska is currently on a 12-match winning streak that dates back to last year’s WTA Finals in Singapore.

Two of the tour’s most cherished players will duke it out for a coveted semifinal slot at the year’s first major. Radwanska, a semifinalist in 2014 in Melbourne, has won three of four matches against Suárez Navarro, but dropped the pair’s last meeting in Miami last year. Though the Pole comes in as the hottest player on the WTA Tour at the moment, she knows she’ll be in for a tough, physical encounter against the resourceful Suárez Navarro. As for the 27-year-old Spaniard, she’s quite familiar with Radwanska’s tactics and form, and knows she’ll have to be on point in order to reach her first career Grand Slam semifinal. “We had really tough matches in the past,” Suárez Navarro said of matching up with Radwanska after dispatching Daria Gavrilova on Day 7. “I know it will be tough for me. I know that because of her style, you have to run a lot, you have to think every point what to do.”
Radwanska had to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat on Sunday, reeling off five consecutive games in the final set to defeat Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam, and the magical finish has her thinking that she could be destined for a career-best run down under. “I’m just very happy that I could win the last point,” she said, adding: “I just hope I can go further and do one step forward, make the final.”

Pick: Radwanska in three

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