Tennis News

STANFORD, CA, USA – Johanna Konta produced an classy display at the Bank of the West Classic to defeat Dominika Cibulkova and advance to the first final of her career.

Watch live action from Bastad, Stanford and Washington DC this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Displaying all the poise that has characterized her rapid ascent over the past 12 months, Konta outplayed 2013 champion Cibulkova from first point until last, triumphing 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and 14 minutes.

A picture of calm throughout, Konta’s could not hide her emotions when Cibulkova send a forehand sailing long on match point, emitting a scream of delight. “It’s a release of emotions, because I felt I needed to do a very good job of focusing on myself, my own game. And I was very happy I was able to do that and that’s what happens when you try to stay calm for so long,” Konta told on-court interviewer Andrew Krasny.

Think she's excited? @JoKonta91 defeats @Cibulkova 6-4, 6-2. #BOTWClassic pic.twitter.com/spYxrdeGKA

— BOTW Classic (@BOTWClassic) 23 July 2016

“I was trying to focus just on the circumstances and not anything that was going on around me. I enjoyed being out here, playing in front of a great crowd and am excited to come back tomorrow.”

This time last year she was embarking on a 16-match win streak that began on the ITF Circuit and ended in the second week of the US Open.

On her return Konta has looked every inch the Top 20 player, and judging by her form against Cibulkova she could yet rise further. A pin-point forehand return brought her an early break, and with her own serve impenetrable it was an advantage she never looked like squandering.

The second set was even more impressive, Konta conceding only two points on serve as she cruised to victory. She is the third Briton to contest the final in Stanford – Sue Barker beat Virginia Wade to the title the 1977 – and there she will face two-time champion Venus Williams.

Carrying the momentum she picked up at Wimbledon with her across the Atlantic, Williams has been in fine form this week. And for the first half an hour or so of her semifinal against Alison Riske, it looked like the would reach her 80th career final a canter.

Riske’s fighting spirit ensured the second set was far more competitive, but despite holding a couple of set points she was unable to prevent Williams winning, 6-1, 7-6(2).

“I was at the finish line and playing well, but getting killed on these points where I hit amazing first serves, so all credit to her because she played her best tennis when it was almost over,” WIlliams said.

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – No.7 seed Yanina Wickmayer withstood the tricky conditions at the Citi Open to outlast unseeded American Lauren Davis, 6-4, 6-2 to win her fifth career WTA title.

Eager to shake off a disappointing end to her grass court season – one that saw her lose a heart-breaking three-setter to Karolina Pliskova in the first round of Wimbledon – Wickmayer faced down a row of tough opposition to win her first title of 2016, recovering from a set down to defeat No.4 seed Kristina Mladenovic in the quarterfinals and surviving the extreme heat in the semifinals against fiery No.6 seed Yulia Putintseva.

Across the net was Davis, playing in her first WTA final after outsteadying French Open quarterfinalist Shelby Rogers and No.3 seed Monica Puig in her first two rounds. The 22-year-old American took out two more big hitters in Camila Giorgi and resurgent countrywoman Jessica Pegula to face Wickmayer for the chance to win her maiden WTA title.

It proved not to be for Davis in DC, as Wickmayer broke serve five times and won 67% of second serve return points. The American bravely saved two match points on her serve late in the second set, but Wickmayer made no mistake on her third opportunity, serving out the title in just over 90 minutes.

The win tentatively puts the Belgian star back into the Top 40 and within touching distance for a seed at the US Open; Wickmayer made her major breakthrough in Flushing back in 2009, where she made it all the way to the semifinals.

Wickmayer also struck gold in the doubles final on Saturday, pairing with Monica Niculescu to defeat the all-Japanese pair of Shuko Aoyama and singles quarterfinalist Risa Ozaki, 6-4, 6-3.

So happy after an amazing week! Thank you for all the support.. Feel so blessed to do what i love! ?❤️ pic.twitter.com/OWQVe6KYTd

— Yanina Wickmayer (@wickytennis) July 25, 2016

More to come…

BASTAD, Sweden – No.6 seed Laura Siegemund captured her maiden WTA title after a stunning week at the Ericsson Open, dispatching rising Czech star Katerina Siniakova, 7-5, 6-1.

Watch live action from Bastad, Stanford and Washington DC this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

“This is one of my favorite tournaments, and I can’t believe I won this one!” Siegemund said after the match.

“I was in good shape, and was playing well last week as well. I knew I could do well here but winning the whole thing is something you might not really expect or think about.”

Siegemund, who made her main draw debut in Bastad back in 2010, first showed off her clay court prowess earlier in the season at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix – where she defeated Simona Halep, Roberta Vinci, and Agnieszka Radwanska to reach her first WTA final as a qualifier.

“I remember being a qualifier was a big deal back then, and I’ve always played well here from some reason. I guess it has to do with really liking the place and enjoying your off-court time.”

But the 28-year-old came full circle in Bastad, outlasting former Stuttgart finalist and countrywoman Julia Goerges in the semifinals and surviving a tricky opening set against Siniakova to run away with the win in 83 minutes.

“I tried to find my game from the beginning. I wanted to be aggresisve and play some clay court tennis because she certainly likes to hit and be inside the court to dominate. I wanted to make her move; it didn’t work quite as well as I’d hoped, and at times I wasn’t happy with my game, but it’s not about perfection, it’s about making it work in that moment. Obviously, it worked out in the end.”

Set to make her Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Rio, Siegemund is projected to not only crack the Top 40, but also tentatively reach a career-high ranking of No.32, putting her in contention for a seed at the upcoming US Open.

“I got a new perspective on tennis; it’s a great sport, and that kind of gave me some freedom on the court to try things and change my game.

“When I’m tight, like today in the final, I take a minute to sit on the bench, close my eyes. If it all gets too much, I think about how this is amazing, and who wouldn’t want to be here? It’s great weather, your favorite place to be, and all these people are here to watch you play and do what you love to do. It might be a feeling of thankfulness, and trying to stay out of that narrow, unhappy perspective. I try to see the big picture more now, than before.”

Time to celebrate! Pop the ? @LauraSiegemund!! #EricssonOpen pic.twitter.com/Iq0WTimmD3

— WTA (@WTA) July 24, 2016

THE WINNERS

Johanna Konta captured her maiden WTA title at the Bank of the West Classic. The British No.1 defeated top seed Venus Williams for the second time in 2016, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. Konta is now up to a career-high ranking of No.14 and has re-entered the Top 8 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard.

“It’s not just a final,” Konta told WTA Insider. I was playing against Venus Williams, such a champion. I was playing in a Premier tournament, as well. It was quite a lot of things. I’m really happy with how I was able to deal with that and really appreciate the situation for what it was and really be grateful and humbled by it. I’m just looking forward to reinvesting this experience that I gained today into future matches in my career.”

Read the match recap here and Konta’s Champions Corner interview here.

Yanina Wickmayer pulled off a DC double at the Citi Open, defeating first-time finalist Lauren Davis, 6-4, 6-2 and pairing with Monica Niculescu to capture the doubles title on Saturday.

Read the match recap here.

Six years after making her WTA main draw debut at the Ericsson Open, Laura Siegemund came full circle in Bastad to win her maiden WTA title. The German veteran, who qualified for ther first Olympic Summer Games following a stunning season on the European clay courts, defeated Czech youngster Katerina Siniakova, 7-5, 6-1.

“I got a new perspective on tennis,” Siegemund said after the match. “It’s a great sport, and that kind of gave me some freedom on the court to try things and change my game.”

Read the match recap here.

RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of July 15, 2016.

Dominika Cibulkova (+2, No.12 to No.10): One of Konta’s victims in Stanford was the in-form and newlywed Cibulkova. The semifinal defeat, though, failed to end her summer honeymoon – the 185 points gained confirming a return to the Top 10 for the first time since January 2015.

Laura Siegemund (+8, No.40 to No.32): Not so long ago Laura Siegemund and her fellow German Angelique Kerber existed in very different worlds on tour. Now, following a title run in Bastad that pushed her up to No.32 in the rankings, Siegemund could very well be seeded alongside her compatriot at the upcoming US Open.

Yanina Wickmayer (+8, No.44 to No.36): Yanina Wickmayer was hot in Washington DC. Literally. It was hard not to be with temperatures in the capital threatening 100°F. However, Wickmayer wisely kept her time on court to a minimum, dropping just one set en route to her fifth career title. She is now at her highest ranking since April 2013.

Alison Riske (+20, No.78 to No.58): While Riske was unable to complete her rousing comeback to defeat Venus in the Stanford semifinals, victories over seeds Varvara Lepchenko and CoCo Vandeweghe ensured the tournament remained a highly encouraging one. She is now closing in on returning to the Top 50 for the first time since last September.

Katerina Siniakova (+13, No.92 to No.79): Former junior No.2 Katerina Siniakova’s progress up the senior ranks has come in fits and starts. In Bastad, the Czech took a significant step in the shape of a maiden WTA final, a result that edged her 13 places closer to a Top 50 debut.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

Rogers Cup
Montreal, Canada
Premier | $2,413,663 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, July 25 – Sunday, July 31

TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Serena Williams –
2. Angelique Kerber – Montréal
3. Garbiñe Muguruza – Montréal
4. Agnieszka Radwanska – Montréal
5. Simona Halep – Montréal
6. Venus Williams – Montréal
7. Victoria Azarenka –
8. Roberta Vinci – Montréal
9. Carla Suárez Navarro – Montréal
10. Dominika Cibulkova – Montréal
11. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Montréal
12. Madison Keys – Montréal
13. Petra Kvitova – Montréal
14. Johanna Konta – Montréal
15. Timea Bacsinszky – 
16. Belinda Bencic –
17. Karolina Pliskova – Montréal 
18. Samantha Stosur – Montréal
19. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova –
20. Elina Svitolina – Montréal

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:

Maria Sakkari (GRE) – July 25, 1995
Patricia Maria Tig (ROU) – July 27, 1994
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) – July 31, 1989

Twelve months ago, Johanna Konta took the first steps on a journey up the tennis ladder that shows no sign of ending any time soon. A 16-match winning run, which began at a lowly ITF Circuit event in Granby, Canada, sent the Briton skyrocketing up the rankings and, more importantly, imbued her with a sense of belonging.

This past weekend, Konta proved once more that her place at tennis’ top table is very much warranted, outplaying Venus Williams in the final of the Bank of the West Classic to take home her maiden career title.

The result bumps Konta several quite significant places up the rankings from No.18 to 14. Not only is Konta now highly likely to be among the leading 16 seeds for the US Open, she is also the first British player since Jo Durie in October 1984 to be ranked inside the Top 15.

While her plentiful points haul from last summer means a further rise is no foregone conclusion, on current form few would put deep runs in Montréal, Cincinnati or the US Open beyond the 25-year-old. Konta currently lies 176 points behind 10th-ranked Dominika Cibulkova and a good showing at any of the summer hardcourt events could well see her become the fourth Brit (after Virginia Wade, Sue Barker and Durie) to crack the Top 10.

Konta, though, is not player to make a significant move last week.

Dominika Cibulkova (+2, No.12 to No.10): One of Konta’s victims in Stanford was the in-form and newlywed Cibulkova. The semifinal defeat, though, failed to end her summer honeymoon – the 185 points gained confirming a return to the Top 10 for the first time since January 2015.

Laura Siegemund (+8, No.40 to No.32): Not so long ago Laura Siegemund and her fellow German Angelique Kerber existed in very different worlds on tour. Now, following a title run in Bastad that pushed her up to No.32 in the rankings, Siegemund could very well be seeded alongside her compatriot at the upcoming US Open.

Yanina Wickmayer (+8, No.44 to No.36): Yanina Wickmayer was hot in Washington DC. Literally. It was hard not to be with temperatures in the capital threatening 100°F. However, Wickmayer wisely kept her time on court to a minimum, dropping just one set en route to her fifth career title. She is now at her highest ranking since April 2013.

Alison Riske (+20, No.78 to No.58): While Riske was unable to complete her rousing comeback to defeat Venus in the Stanford semifinals, victories over seeds Varvara Lepchenko and CoCo Vandeweghe ensured the tournament remained a highly encouraging one. She is now closing in on returning to the Top 50 for the first time since last September.

Katerina Siniakova (+13, No.92 to No.79): Former junior No.2 Katerina Siniakova’s progress up the senior ranks has come in fits and starts. In Bastad, the Czech took a significant step in the shape of a maiden WTA final, a result that edged her 13 places closer to a Top 50 debut.