Tennis News

NEW YORK, NY, USA – The high still hadn’t settled in for the No.48-ranked Anastasija Sevastova when she entered the press room late last night at the US Open.

Just hours earlier, she’d dealt Garbiñe Muguruza the biggest shock of the tournament, outing the No.3 seed and reigning French Open champion in straight sets.

It was definitely the win of Sevastova’s career, and certainly an occasion to celebrate. So did she have any big plans?

“I go to Five Guys maybe, eat a burger,” she answered with no hesitation, before bursting into laughter.

“I don’t know. Maybe have some drinks. My mom is here but she’s leaving tomorrow. It’s her first Grand Slam.”

“And my best friend [is here too]. We’ll maybe go somewhere. They will drink; I will watch.”

Burgers and peanuts seem like a modest plan for a player who’s just scored the win of her career and reached her best result at a Grand Slam in five years, but not for Sevastova.

Sevastova was a rising star back in 2011 when she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open at 20 years old. But injuries soon sapped the desire away from the young Latvian, who hung up her racquets two years later, and was off the tour for two years more.

So while last night’s win over the World No.3 stands as her biggest victory since her return, Sevastova is keen to stay grounded and keep the perspective she gained from her years away from the sport.

“It’s not like it’s my last match. It’s not like it’s over, the tournament,” she mused. “It’s only second round. The third round is in two days. Tomorrow I have to play doubles, so…

“Yeah, it’s a good feeling. We can enjoy it today, but tomorrow is a new day. There are other matches. Nobody thinks about the previous match. You have to think forward. But tonight I can enjoy.”

How will Anastasija Sevastova celebrate her big win? Hey @five_guys, you still open? #USOpen pic.twitter.com/TpE1dCs0Jr

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 1, 2016

NEW YORK, NY, USA – A battle of elite southpaws highlights the Day 7 schedule in New York. We preview Sunday’s Round of 16 tilts at wtatennis.com.

Sunday
Round of 16

[2] Angelique Kerber (GER #2) vs. [14] Petra Kvitova (CZE #16)
Head-to-head: Tied, 4-4
Key Stat: Kerber will ascend to the No.1 ranking if Serena Williams does not reach the semifinals in New York.

Two talented southpaws and former Grand Slam champions will meet in one of the most heavily anticipated matches of the tournament on Day 7. Angelique Kerber is in hot pursuit of the No.1 ranking and she has been fit and focused in New York, dropping just ten games in three rounds. But Sunday’s task promises to be far more daunting than her first three challenges. Kerber will have to square off against a menacing lefty who is finally learning how to excel at the US Open. Kerber has faced Petra Kvitova eight times before, with the pair splitting the pot, but never have they met at a Grand Slam. “Playing against lefties is always a little bit different,” Kerber said on Friday after racing past 17-year-old American CiCi Bellis, 6-1, 6-1. “I played a lot of matches against Petra and we had great matches in the past, so I think it will be a good match. I will try to go for it, go out there to win the match.” Kerber has won 15 of 18 this hardcourt season and has every reason to like her chances on Sunday. “I’m confident. I will go out there and try to enjoy every moment here,” she said. But Kvitova is a confident player herself. A quarterfinalist for the first time at the US Open last season, Kvitova says she is finally starting to understand how to harness the energy of the Big Apple. “I feel that the crowd, it’s always, you know, cheering,” she said after defeating Elina Svitolina on Day 5. “I think finally I find the way how I should take the energy from them as well.”

Pick: Kvitova in three

[7] Roberta Vinci (ITA #8) vs. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR #99)
Head-to-head: Vinci leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Tsurenko is the lowest-ranked player left in the draw.

Roberta Vinci has been here before. The Italian who stunned Serena Williams in last year’s semifinals clearly is having a love affair with the US Open and it shows in the form of nine wins in her last ten matches in Queens. Lesia Tsurenko, on the other hand, is into uncharted waters. The Ukrainian reached the second week of a major for the first time on Friday when she shocked No.12-seeded Dominika Cibulkova in three sets. Tsurenko, playing at her lowest ranking in two years, entered the event with a four-match losing streak at majors and a lifetime 8-20 record at the Grand Slam level. But she’s a battler, and she has five career Top 10 wins to her name as well. But can Tsurenko take the play to an in-form Vinci that is playing her best tennis of the season? The Italian had only won five of her last 15 heading into New York, but she is clearly resonating with the place of her greatest Grand Slam achievement.

Pick: Vinci in two

[8] Madison Keys (USA #9) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN #74)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Keys owns a 14-4 record in three-setters in 2016.

Fresh off the greatest comeback of her young career, 21-year-old American Madison Keys will set her sights on reaching the US Open quarterfinals for the first time. But standing in her way is a suddenly resurgent two-time US Open runner-up who has always thrived in New York. Caroline Wozniacki is finally finding her form after a long and unspectacular season, and she will be a very dangerous opponent for the No.8-seeded Keys. But Keys is confident and feeling lucky after narrowly escaping defeat in two of her first three matches. “I think the biggest thing is I’m never giving up and I’m fighting to the very end,” Keys said after battling back from 5-1 down in the third set to defeat Japan’s Naomi Osaka on Day 5. “That’s something to pat myself on the back for.” Wozniacki has had to fight through her fair share of injuries in 2016, but she’s hoping it’s all behind her. “Every time I have come back something else has been hurting,” she said. “Knock on wood, right now I’m feeling good.” Does she feel good enough to deconstruct Keys’ lethal game or will it be the young American who moves on?

Pick: Keys in three

[13] Johanna Konta (GBR #14) vs. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT #48)
Head-to-head: Konta leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Konta owns a 27-10 hardcourt record in 2016.

The first British player to hold a Top 20 ranking in nearly 30 years will take a shot at reaching her first US Open quarterfinal on Sunday against an unlikely opponent. Johanna Konta and Anastasija Sevastova will meet for the first time in a main draw and the second time overall. Konta will be the favorite based on her higher ranking and impressive hardcourt record this season, but Sevastova is putting the cherry on top of a solid season by making her first run to the second week of a major in over five years. The Latvian No.1 shocked Garbiñe Muguruza on Day 3 and on Friday she won for the first time in four meetings against Kateryna Bondarenko. Konta, who nearly had to retire due to heat-related exhaustion in her second round win over Tsvetana Pironkova, rebounded smartly on Friday by trouncing Belinda Bencic, 6-2, 6-1. Having recovered fully, Konta looks set to make another deep run at a hardcourt major. Is there anything Sevastova can do to stop her?

Pick: Konta in three

By the Numbers:
1-0 – Wozniacki’s record against the Top 10 this season. The Dane defeated No.10 Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second round.
36-11 – Kvitova’s career record against left-handers. Kerber’s career record against lefties is 26-15.
1 – Number of players in Top 10 to have yet to play in a Grand Slam final (Madison Keys).

NEW YORK, NY, USA – CoCo Vandeweghe enjoyed a productive afternoon, winning alongside first Martina Hingis, then Rajeev Ram, to keep alive her bid for doubles silverware on two fronts.

After a slow start to the tournament, Vandeweghe and Hingis are improving with each match, and against quarterfinal foes Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova produced their most accomplished performance yet, romping home, 6-1, 6-2.

Breaks at the starts of both sets set the No.6 seeds on their way, running their young Czech rivals ragged for the little over an hour spent on court.

“I felt that we always had potential,” Hingis said. “It was just question of being solid for entire sets and entire matches, so it was nice to be able to hold that for 90 minutes today. I feel like my role is almost trying to get her to calm down and make her realize that even a shot with 80% of what she’s capable of is still a damn good shot.

“When you change partners, everybody gets excited. It gives you new energy and new motivation. That’s what keeps you going. I love the challenge. Matches like today that are almost perfect; why wouldn’t you keep going?”

CoCo Vandeweghe is bonding with new partner Hingis (and her vintage hairstyle). BASELINE: https://t.co/LnRqaGhoJA pic.twitter.com/YhOeQy7zfI

— TENNIS.com (@Tennis) September 7, 2016

A tougher test is sure to lie ahead in the semifinals, where they take on Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic, who booked their spot courtesy of a 7-6(3), 6-1 victory the previous day over Sania Mirza and Barbora Strycova.

On the other side of the draw, former champions and No.5 seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina take on Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova.

The swiftness of her first outing afforded Vandeweghe the luxury of a longer break ahead of teaming up with Ram to defeat Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Robert Farah in a more taxing mixed doubles semifinal, 7-6(4), 6-4.

In the final the American dup will face Laura Siegemund and Mate Pavic, 7-6(5), 7-5 winners over Chan Yung-Jan and Nenad Zimonjic.

On Thursday evening, Angelique Kerber and Karolina Pliskova produced some of the finest tennis of their respective careers to move within touching distance of US Open glory.

Around the same time they were adding the finishing touches to impressive victories over Flushing Meadows favorites Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams, one of the tournament’s most popular champions received her nomination to join the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

At the dawn of the millennium Kim Clijsters battled it out with Amélie Mauresmo, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Justine Henin and the Williams sisters for domination of a golden era in women’s tennis.

After years of playing the role of bridesmaid, on September 10, 2005, Clijsters finally enjoyed her own big day, defeating Mary Pierce in the US Open final to lift her maiden Grand Slam title.

Despite being just 22 at the time, this victory had been a long time coming; Clijsters, and her entertaining brand of athletic, all-court tennis had been entertaining crowds since she slid onto the scene as bubbly teenager in the late 1990s.

The Belgian’s big breakthrough came a few years later, in 2001, where she reached the final in both Indian Wells and the French Open. Unfortunately for Clijsters, both occasions ended in runner-up speeches, a scenario that would become all too familiar over the coming years as she lost out in four further major finals.

Once she had rid this monkey from her back in 2005, though, there was no looking back. Clijsters won three further Slams – all of which came after the birth of her first child – and a whole host of other silverware to prove once and for all that nice girls can indeed finish first.

“I’m very honored to be on the ballot for International Tennis Hall of Fame induction,” Clijsters said. “The women who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame are great champions who I have always admired. It’s an honor to be considered to be part of that incredible group of athletes, and I’m grateful for this acknowledgement of my career.”

Tennis journalists and authors will cast their votes in the ballot over the coming months, culminating with an announcement early next year of the International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2017. The Class of 2017 Enshrinement Ceremony will be hosted on Saturday, July 22, 2017 during the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

Alizé Cornet has been training for the WTA Frame Challenge all season long, and she certainly delivered.

Check out the video above to watch Alizé shatter the WTA Frame Challenge record of 108 bounces set by Sara Errani. Can you keep track of all the bounces?

@SaraErrani pretty cool but I'm coming for you ?! @WTA come on guys when are you gonna show my #WTAFrameChallenge ?!

— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) August 28, 2016

That’s right – Alizé scored more than double the bounces that Sara did, becoming the new all-time leader in the WTA Frame Challenge. Will anyone top that?

Maybe Lara Arruabarrena, who scored one of the fanciest trick serves earlier this year, is up for the challenge? After all, she had a few words for both Sara and Alizé:

@alizecornet @SaraErrani you both are lucky they didnt ask me to do it?

— Lara Arruabarrena (@laraarrua) August 28, 2016

Can Alizé’s record hold? She’s shattered the previous record and now sits head and shoulders above the rest, but that could all change when the next WTA star takes on the WTA Frame Challenge.

Stay tuned…

KEY INFORMATION:
Tournament Level: Premier
Prize Money: $1,000,000
Draw Size: 28 main draw (4 byes)/32 qualifying
Main Draw Ceremony: Saturday, September 17, 2pm JST
Qualifying Dates: Saturday, September 17 – Monday, September 19 
First Day of Main Draw: Monday, September 19
Singles Final: Sunday, September 25, 12pm JST
Doubles Final: Saturday, September 24, third match

MUST FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:
@WTA
@WTA_Insider – WTA Insider, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen
@TorayPPO – official tournament handle
Get involved in conversations with the official hashtag, #WTA.

TOURNAMENT NOTES:
· No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska bids to win a third Tokyo title in six years. She is the only player in the last decade to win multiple times at the event.
· Radwanska is not the only returning champion in the field this year; 2013 champion Petra Kvitova accepted a late wildcard, while 2010 winner Caroline Wozniacki and 2015 runner-up Belinda Bencic is also in the draw. 
· Also in attendance are Top 10-ranked players Garbiñe Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova, Carla Suárez Navarro and Madison Keys.
· For the full draw click here.

WILDCARDS:
Petra Kvitova (CZE), Madison Keys (USA), Naomi Osaka (JPN), Olesya Pervushina (Russia)

WITHDRAWALS:
Simona Halep (left hamstring), Samantha Stosur (right arm), Sloane Stephens (right foot), Daria Gavrilova (right Achilles)