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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – No.9 seed Madison Keys needed just 57 minutes to knock out Naomi Osaka in straight sets and book her spot into the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open, 6-1, 6-4.

“I’m just happy to be out here, happy to have another win, happy to get to play tomorrow,” Keys said in her post-match press conference.

“I definitely had really low expectations [before the tournament]. I was, like, if I get a set, I’ll be happy. And to win? It’s always tough to come back and everyone is in the middle of their season.”

With her first match back on tour after a two-month injury layoff done and dusted against Mariana Duque-Mariño in the last round, Keys brought her best tennis against the Japanese teenager and took the opening set in just 19 minutes.

Billed as a battle between big hitters, Osaka was unable to impose her game on Keys the way she did in the pair’s rollercoaster encounter at the 2016 US Open. Keys bossed the rallies from the start, relying on her booming serve to keep Osaka on the back foot and letting her powerful groundstrokes do the damage.

“I felt really bad out there,” Osaka admitted in her post-match press conference. “I just wanted to play a good match, you know, because I don’t think that many people expected him to win except for myself. I wanted to show people a good match, but I’m upset because I played terrible.

“I think she overwhelmed me with how she played and that made me change how I played. I think I just doubted myself a lot.”

Keys continued her momentum in the second, grabbing a crucial break early on as Osaka’s game finally started to come together. But the Japanese player was never able to turn the tide despite bringing up four break points against Keys. The American held firm, sealing the contest with an ace and closing out the match in less than an hour for her place in the fourth round.

Up next for Keys is a matchup with Caroline Wozniacki. The 2011 champion dispatched Katerina Siniakova in straight sets 6-3, 6-1.

“I’m pleased with the performance, it was nice to get out of there very quickly and be out of the sun,” Wozniacki told press after the match.

“Obviously tomorrow is going to be another tough one, Madison is playing well. I’m excited to get another match.”

Keys trails Wozniacki 0-1 in the pair’s head-to-head record after falling to the Dane in straight sets at last year’s US Open round of 16.

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20 Days Out: Road To Singapore Heads Into Final Stretch At China Open

20 Days Out: Road To Singapore Heads Into Final Stretch At China Open

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BEIJING, China – The BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global is just under three weeks away, and with just three of the Top 8 players have already been determined in singles – while four teams have qualified in doubles – the China Open will be a crucial battleground for those aiming to earn enough points to book their ticket to Singapore.

The conclusion of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open saw Simona Halep become the third woman to qualify for Singapore after her run to the semifinals. For the Romanian, it marks the third straight year she has qualified for Singapore, having reached the final on her 2014 debut.

In doubles, darkhorses Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova flipped the script in Wuhan by clinching their spot at the WTA Finals by winning the doubles event over a surging Sania Mirza and Barbora Strycova. Mirza and Strycova remain outside the Top 8 since forming at the Western & Southern Open, and will need a strong result in Beijing to have a hope of crashing a party the World No.1 herself is already set to attend with former partner, Martina Hingis.

RTS

As the China Open enters its third round, defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska is a win away from returning to Singapore and making her eighth WTA Finals appearance in the last nine years after knocking out Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets. Currently into the second round in Beijing, Karolina Pliskova could also make her WTA Finals debut by reaching the last eight.

2015 semifinalist Garbiñe Muguruza is very much in the hunt for a return to Singapore of her own, and could book her spot by reaching the final.

Click here to check out a full list of senarios, here for the updated Road to Singapore leaderboard and here to buy tickets for the WTA Finals!

WTA Finals: Get Your Tickets!

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Dan Lucas

A keen tennis fan as well as an outstanding sports journalist, Dan started working on a freelance basis with the WTA in January 2017 and quickly became a key member of the Editorial team in London.

News of his sudden death was announced by his partner Liz Aubrey on Monday and tributes have been paid on social media for his contributions to both sports and music journalism, his other passion.

From Northampton in the English Midlands, Dan lived in London. He had also worked for the Guardian and Telegraph’s sports departments, and music websites Louder Than War and Drowned In Sound.

Carrie Dunn, a friend and fellow content producer at WTA Networks, said: “I first worked with Dan when we were both part of the team doing live online coverage for the 2014 Paralympics. He was a sports enthusiast in the best way – his love for sport extended across disciplines and his thirst for knowledge (and his innate professionalism) meant that, even when he was encountering a discipline he did not know particularly well, he would throw himself into finding out about it. He was also a music journalist and his love for (and strong opinions about) music was also well documented – his social media feeds are testament to that. He was a good man and a good friend. On a professional level, he was a great writer and a good colleague – reliable, assiduous and someone it was fun to work with.”

Reda Maher, Head of Editorial and Social Media at WTA Networks, said: “We are shocked and dismayed by this sad news, Dan was extremely well liked and highly talented, his zest for life and enthusiasm for his craft impressed all he worked with at the WTA. Dan had a big future as part of our team. We send condolences and our deepest sympathies to Liz and Dan’s family.”

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Every Day Is National Taco Day For Serena Williams

Every Day Is National Taco Day For Serena Williams

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

If there’s one thing that Serena Williams probably loves more than winning, it’s tacos.

Despite holding a record-tying number of Grand Slam titles and consecutive weeks at the WTA’s top spot, it’s tacos – not trophies – that are on her mind all day, every day.

 Good thing for Serena that there’s a whole holiday dedicated to her favorite food: National Taco Day. But if you’re Serena Williams, clearly every day is National Taco Day.

Her love for tacos runs deep, as USA Today’s Nick McCarvel uncovered earlier this year.

Before she had her first taste of Grand Slam victory, Serena had already developed a taste for the delicious Mexican dish.

“I’m from Compton and there is a big mixture of cultures there,” Serena said before the US Open. “I grew up next to all of these Mexican families and we were close with them when I was little, we were friends. I think that’s where my love for tacos comes from.”

Serena's tacos  Serena's tacos
Whenever she’s not eating or thinking about tacos, Serena spends her free time lovingly photographing them for her Instagram account.

Serena’s been around the world and obviously has tried many a taco, but the quest for finding the perfect one is lifelong.

Happy National Taco Day, Serena!

Taco Talk With Serena:

Q: What’s your favorite taco place?

Q: Who makes the best taco?

“I make the best taco,” Serena claimed. “Or my sister Lyn. If you ever watch my Snapchat, you know I don’t talk about my taco recipes.”

“I don’t taco about it.”

Q: What’s your favorite kind of taco?

Serena's tacos

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Sloane Stephens might be sidelined from the action at the BNP Paribas Open, but that doesn’t mean she’s been far away from the tennis courts.

While recovering from surgery on her left foot injury – which will leave her away from the tour until summer 2017 – Sloane has been taking to her new role as a reporter for Tennis Channel.

“I’ve been able to hang out, watch some tennis – not what I would usually be doing at a tennis tournament!” she said on a Tennis Channel broadcast. “For the first time I’ve been able to be normal, and I’ve really had fun!” 

From getting cooking lessons from celebrity chefs to player interviews to going undercover, Sloane has been making the most of her stint as a reporter. Check out some of her most memorable moments from the Indian Wells fortnight!

Working undercover a BNP Paribas Open info desk attendant:

Interviewing American wildcard Kayla Day, who reached the third round at Indian Wells:

Mingling with famed chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa:

Interviewing Vasek Pospisil after he scored a victory over ATP World No.1 Andy Murray:

“Everyone’s been like, ‘oh we loved it!'” Sloane said of the feedback she’s been receiving. “And you know how certain fans love certain players? When I did that thing on Dustin Brown, everyone was like ‘oh my god I love him, I love his hair!’

“So I’ve gotten really good feedback. But it’s mostly my family that’s been telling me it’s so cool.”

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Halep Races Into Third Round, Chinese No.1 Zhang Up Next

Halep Races Into Third Round, Chinese No.1 Zhang Up Next

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BEIJING, China – No.4 seed Simona Halep overcame Yanina Wickmayer and the worst of the Beijing weather to take her place in the third round of the China Open.

Watch live action from Beijing on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

On a day disrupted by heavy rain, Halep made the most of a brief respite to swat aside Wickmayer, 6-2, 6-2. In the third round she will face Chinese No.1 Zhang Shuai.

After an even start, Halep took control of proceedings with a run of three straight games to close out the opening set. This grip tightened when Wickmayer threw in a couple of errors to surrender serve at the start of the second set, going on to wrap up victory after just 59 minutes.

Next she takes on her conqueror at this January’s Australian Open, Zhang. Unlike Halep, Zhang enjoyed the luxury of playing underneath the roof, eventually seeing off Alison Riske, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4), in a match lasting over two and a half hours.

Also advancing in the bottom half of the draw was Svetlana Kuznetsova. A semifinalist last week in Wuhan, Kuznetsova continued her good form by beating Misaki Doi, 6-1, 7-5.

WTA Finals: Get Your Tickets!

 

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Venus Williams had to come back from a set down to oust Chinese qualifier Peng Shuai and make her way into the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open.

After battling back from match point down earlier in the week against Jelena Jankovic, Venus was able to pull off another turnaround against Peng, advancing 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.

“There were some up-and-downs and errors. It was so frustrating,” Venus admitted in her post-match press conference. “But I feel like I got my focus more in that second set and towards the end of the third, because — I don’t know. I’m just a competitor.

“So if things get closer, then I think my better tennis is going to come. But obviously I don’t want things to get close. I want to try to run away with it.”

It was one-way traffic for the Chinese player in the opening set, though, as Venus found herself down an early break almost as soon as she took to the court. Peng bossed the rallies with her tricky two-handed groundstrokes off both wings, and she quickly took the opening set with another solid break.

But it was a completely different story as the seven-time Grand Slam champion roared to life in the second. Venus found her rhythm to break Peng four times – the Chinese player avoided a shutout by grabbing one of the breaks back, but couldn’t stem the tide as the former World No.1 sent the match to a decider.

With the momentum – and the vocal southern California crowd – firmly behind her, Venus powered through the final set. She traded breaks early on, but got her second opening when a Peng double fault gifted her the chance to serve out the match.

Venus took her spot in the final eight with ease, moving into the Indian Wells quarterfinals after just under two hours.

She’ll play the winner of No.2 seed Angelique Kerber and Elena Vesnina for a spot in the semifinals.

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Cunningham Loses Inspirational Battle With MND

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MELBOURNE, Australia – Angie Cunningham, the WTA’s former Vice President of Player Relations and On-Site Operations, has passed away after a long battle with Motor Neurone Disease.

A staunch campaigner in raising awareness of the disease, Angie died at her Melbourne home on Tuesday, surrounded by family.

As a teenager Angie was a leading junior player, going on to work at the WTA for eight years before moving back to Australia with husband Pat to raise their two children, Maggie and Sophie. In 2012, she was diagnosed with MND, but even as her condition deteriorated she continued the fight.

Not only fight the disease, for which there is no known cause, or effective treatment, but also to raise funds and awareness for other sufferers.

Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova, Rennae Stubbs, Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt were among those who rallied behind the cause, many of whom took to social media to mourn the passing of an inspirational figure in the tennis community.

Motor Neurone Disease is a group of neurological diseases that affects the voluntary muscles in the body, which control activities like speaking, walking, swallowing and general movement. It progresses over time, causing debilitating disability and eventually death. The life expectancy is two to three years.

There is no known cause for the disease, although many sufferers are athletes. In the US the disease is also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, after the famous baseball player who died from it.

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