Tennis News

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Ashleigh Barty continued her impressive progress through the draw at the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger with a straight-set win over fellow qualifier Junri Namigata on Wednesday.

Fifty-four minutes was all it took for Barty to wrap up a 6-2, 6-3 victory and set up a quarterfinal against No.6 seed Evgeniya Rodina.

Despite only turning 20 earlier this year, Barty is embarking on her second ascent of the tennis ladder. After a glittering junior career, she enjoyed instant success in the senior ranks, reaching three major doubles finals alongside fellow Australian Casey Dellacqua.

However, the stresses of life on tour soon took its toll on her teenage mind and body, prompting a 17-month hiatus. She has played sparingly since returning – a bone stress injury disrupted the momentum from an encouraging grass court campaign – but looked in fine form against Namigata, two breaks in the opening three games setting her on course for a comfortable victory.

Rodina overcame a slow start against Dalila Jakupovic, eventually triumphing, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. Also advancing to the last eight in Taiwan were Olga Govortsova and Vitalia Diatchenko. Govortsova saved two match points to defeat Julia Boserup, 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-5, while 2014 champion Diatchenko saw off Miyu Kato, 7-5, 6-4.

Elina Svitolina has announced a coaching shake-up, parting ways with coach Iain Hughes:

The 22-year-old Ukrainian has also been working with former No.1 Justine Henin since February, bringing the Hall of Famer on as a coaching consultant. Neither have confirmed whether that relationship will continue in 2017.

Svitolina’s announcement comes on the heels of her career-best season, after making the final of the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai to finish the season at her career-high ranking of No.14 and winning a fourth career title in Kuala Lumpur.

This season she became the only woman to beat both reigning No.1s this year, beating Serena Williams at the Olympics and Angelique Kerber at the China Open.

This year the US Open is looking to make rain delays a thing of the past, having finally unveiled a retractable roof over the world’s largest tennis venue, Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It was a massive undertaking requiring two years under construction, and it was inaugurated a few weeks ago just in time for this year’s final Grand Slam.

CNN Open Court gives you some fast facts on everything you need to know about Arthur Ashe Stadium’s new retractable roof.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Brazilian qualifier Paula Goncalves is through to her first WTA quarterfinals after upsetting the No.2 seed Johanna Larsson 6-4, 6-4.

Playing on the smaller Court 1 of the Jockey Club Brasileiro, Gonçalves channeled the Brazilian fans’ energy to fuel her to the biggest win of her career.

“This stadium is small so the crowd feels very near to you,” she told RioOpen.com after the match. “This is great because I can feel the energy of the fans – this helps me even more.”

Galvanized by the support of the enthusiastic home crowd, Gonçalves didn’t lose her nerve when the Swede broke her serve to start the set 3-1. Instead she broke back twice, sending Larsson on the run with her powerful groundstrokes and taking the first 6-4.

Larsson opened the second set with another break but Gonçalves broke her right back, leveling the score. A net cord on match point sealed the result and kept Brazilian hopes for a home champion alive – the world No.285 is the last Brazilian player left in the Rio Open draw.

“All of the pressure was against her,” Gonçalves said of playing Larsson. “I came here very calm, like I did from the first game of qualifying. It has been a week where my tennis came together, so I just gonna take advantage of this moment and keep going.

“Beating players at her level, inside the Top 50, shows that it’s possible for me to dream bigger.”

No.3 seed Danka Kovinic advanced comfortably against Sílvia Soler-Espinosa, winning 6-2, 6-3 against the Spaniard.

“I expected a longer and tougher match, but I played really good so I’m glad that I finished after maybe a bit more than an hour,” Kovinic said after the match. The Montenegran player struggled in her previous match against the intense heat and humidity of Rio de Janeiro.

“I really feel better today. I played good because I had two days off. I think that helped for me a lot to adjust to this weather.”

Also into the quarterfinals are No.6 seed Lara Arruabarrena and Petra Martic.