Moscow: Thursday Highlights
Highlights from the quarterfinals action at the Kremlin Cup.
Highlights from the quarterfinals action at the Kremlin Cup.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand – World No.2 Serena Williams is back in action for the first time in five months at the ASB Classic, playing her first ever match in Auckland. She’s not the only big name hitting the court, though, with Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki also starting out 2017 in New Zealand.
Click here for the complete Auckland singles and doubles draws.
POSSIBLE QUARTERFINALS:
[1] Serena Williams vs [7] Jelena Ostapenko
‘NEW EXPERIENCES’ KEY FOR SERENA:
It’s been over five months since Serena played a tour-level tennis match, after falling to Karolina Pliskova at the US Open semifinals. She ended her season rehabbing a troublesome shoulder injury that kept her out of the WTA Finals in Singapore.
Now that she’s back in action, No.1 seed Serena admits to relishing new experiences – on and off the court.
“I’ve never been in Auckland and so I’ve never had an opportunity to be first in the world to welcome in this New Year,” she said at a charity event ahead of her opening match.
“This is a new experience for me and the fact that I’m still having new experiences this deep into my career makes me feel really good.”
Competing at the ASB Classic for the first time, the newly-engaged Serena will have the chance to collect her first win in Auckland as she opens the day session on Tuesday against France’s Pauline Parmentier for the pair’s first tour-level match.
Later tonight, No.2 seed Venus is set to take on local wildcard Jade Lewis, while No.3 seed Wozniacki will close out the night session against Nicole Gibbs.
– Photos courtesy of Tennis Auckland
Svetlana Kuznetsova has Friday’s shot of the day at the Kremlin Cup.
WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen | In the latest WTA Insider Podcast, hear from famed coach David Kotyza on his work with Karolina Pliskova to start the 2017 season in Brisbane.
Svetlana Kuznetsova has Saturday’s shot of the day at the Kremlin Cup.
BRISBANE, Australia – For the second time in as many days, Garbiñe Muguruza came back from the brink to keep her hopes alive at the Brisbane International.
Muguruza entertained a record crowd at the Queensland Tennis Centre on Tuesday night, coming from match point down for to defeat the courageous Daria Kasatkina, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(7), in one minute shy of three hours.
“What a match! It was terrible, I was suffering until last moment, but I think we were both playing amazing,” Muguruza said in her on-court interview. “The tie break is just a few points where it will be decided. I don’t know how I won but I’m glad I did it.
Another huge moment!@DKasatkina breaks back after this phenomenal challenge! pic.twitter.com/wWC8Oa8tNG
— WTA (@WTA) January 3, 2017
In a match that ebbed and flowed until the last, Kasatkina came roaring back from 4-1 down in the deciding set only to stumble when she was then presented with the opportunity to serve for it. Muguruza, somehow maintained her composure in the subsequent tie-break, wiping out a match point at 6-7 with a pin-point forehand before eventually making her weary limbs across the finishing line.
The previous evening, the Spaniard had been involved in an equally dramatic contest against home favorite Samantha Stosur. By her own admission, it is an atmosphere she revels in.
“I love to play in this type of court when the crowd is so into the match. I like to make them enjoy and suffer like me!”
This match?? @BrisbaneTennis
— Elena Vesnina (@EVesnina001) January 3, 2017
In the quarterfinals, Muguruza will face either Svetlana Kuznetsova or Destanee Aiava.
Another seed put through the ringer was Elina Svitolina, who eventually saw off Shelby Rogers, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5.
An interview with Madison Keys ahead of her participation in the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
WINNERS
Irina Falconi captured her first WTA title in historic fashion, becoming the first American woman to win the Claro Open Colsanitas as she recovered from a break down in the final set to defeat Sílvia Soler-Espinosa, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
Starting the week at No.92, Falconi is tentatively set to return to the Top 70, close to her career-high ranking of No.64. The Ecuadorian-American also dedicated her win to her birthplace, which had just suffered an earthquake on Sunday.
Read the full story here.
Meanwhile, Fed Cup World Group semifinals came to their thrilling conclusion on Sunday, as the Czech Republic and France each swept the decisive doubles rubber to advance to the 2016 Fed Cup final in November.
Read the full story here.
GAME, SET, MATCH: WTA Insider
Game: Irina Falconi dedicates her win to Ecuador.
The Ecuadorian-born American captured her first title in grinding, clay court fashion, beating Sílvia Soler-Espinosa from a break down in the final set to win the Claro Open Colsanitas 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. It was a particularly impressive run for the 25-year-old given she had previously never made it past the third round of any tour-level clay court event. In addition to beating Soler-Espinosa in the final, she also took out an in-form Lara Arruabarrena in the semifinals 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
A Georgia Tech standout who made her big splash at the 2011 US Open when she defeated No.14 seed Dominika Cibulkova in the second round, Falconi dedicated her win to the victims and survivors of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Ecuador on Saturday.
“My father is there right now, actually,” Falconi said. “He wanted to come here and watch me play, but obviously with the earthquake travel became complicated. First of all, thank god all my family is fine. But I know it’s a very difficult situation for so many people over there.
“The last 24 hours we’ve just been praying constantly for all the families and the children – I knew there’s a lot of people who’ve been killed already. We’re sending over a lot of prayers.”
Set: Doubles on display at Fed Cup.
Given the Fed Cup format, which sees the doubles played as the final rubber it’s easy to focus solely on the singles rubbers as being the decisive matches. But both France and the defending champion Czech Republic booked their spots in November’s final via the decisive doubles.
The Czechs overcame a heroic performance by 23-year-old Viktorija Golubic, who stepped in for an injured Belinda Bencic to earn two singles wins over Karolina Pliskova and Barbora Strycova, by stunning Martina Hingis and Golubic. Pliskova and Lucie Hradecka teamed up for a surprising 6-2, 6-2 rout of the Swiss team give the Czechs a 3-2 win and put them into their fifth final in six years.
For Amelie Mauresmo’s French squad, it was Charleston champions Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia who secured the win in the final rubber. They too had to overcome a strong singular performance. In this case it was No.94 Kiki Bertens stunning them both in singles. But Mladenovic and Garcia showed their doubles form, beating Bertens and Rachel Hogenkamp 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to take France into their first Fed Cup final in 11 years.
Match: Simona Halep, Belinda Bencic, and Caroline Wozniacki fighting injuries.
All three were set to be key cogs in their respective Fed Cup machines but as the European clay season kicks off they’re all battling injury. Halep was finally fit and healthy over the US hardcourt spring but she rolled her ankle in her first singles match for Romania on Saturday against Andrea Petkovic. She was able to come out the next day for a three-set battle with Angelique Kerber but is now racing the clock to find her fitness for what should be a strong part of the season for the 2014 French Open finalist.
Bencic and Wozniacki’s injury woes are far more serious. Bencic is out for at least four weeks due to a back injury, while Wozniacki turned her ankle during practice. Last year the Dane made the final in Stuttgart and the quarterfinals in Madrid. With over 500 points to defend over the next few weeks, Wozniacki could see herself unseeded at the French Open if she can’t get back on the court soon.
RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of April 18, 2016.
Irina Falconi (USA), +25 (No.92 to 67): Falconi earned the biggest ranking jump of the week when she became the first American to win the title at the Claro Open Colsanitas in Bogota.
Lara Arruabarrena (ESP), +10 (No.86 to 76): Arruabarrena had a dominating run in Bogota – the Spaniard only lost five games in three matches leading up to the semifinals – an as a result she jumps up to No.76, inching closer and closer to her career-high ranking of No.70.
Wang Qiang (CHN), +9 (No.88 to 79): One of three Chinese players ranked inside the Top 100, Qiang Wang rises to a career-high ranking of No.79 after winning back-to-back ITF-level titles.
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI), +1 (No.17 to 16): Bacsinszky rises one spot to No.16, trading places with Elina Svitolina who suffered a surprise first-round loss at the Claro Open Colsanitas.
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Stuttgart, Germany
Premier | $693,900 | Clay, Indoor
Monday, April 18 – Sunday, April 24, 2016
TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup
Istanbul, Turkey
International | $226,750 | Clay, Outdoor
Monday, April 18 – Sunday, April 24, 2016
GP SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem
Rabat, Morocco
International | $226,750 | Clay, Outdoor
Monday, April 25 – Saturday, April 30, 2016
J&T Banka Prague Open
Prague, Czech Republic
International | $226,750 | Clay, Outdoor
Monday, April 25 – Saturday, April 30, 2016
TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Serena Williams
2. Agnieszka Radwanska – Stuttgart
3. Angelique Kerber – Stuttgart
4. Garbiñe Muguruza – Stuttgart
5. Victoria Azarenka
6. Simona Halep – Stuttgart
7. Petra Kvitova – Stuttgart
8. Roberta Vinci – Stuttgart, Prague
9. Maria Sharapova
10. Belinda Bencic – Stuttgart
11. Carla Suárez Navarro – Stuttgart
12. Flavia Pennetta
13. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Stuttgart, Prague
14. Venus Williams
15. Lucie Safarova – Stuttgart, Prague
16. Timea Bacsinszky – Rabat
17. Elina Svitolina –
18. Karolina Pliskova – Stuttgart, Prague
19. Ana Ivanovic – Stuttgart
20. Sara Errani – Stuttgart
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:
Misa Eguchi (JPN) – April 18, 1992
Maria Sharapova (RUS) – April 19, 1987
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) – April 23, 1983
An interview with Angelique Kerber ahead of her participation in the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
Karolina Pliskova takes on Garbiñe Muguruza in the round-robin stage of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.