Pliskova, Strycova Seal Fifth Fed Cup Title In Six Years
Karolina Pliskova and Barbora Strycova win the deciding doubles rubber for the second straight year, capturing a fifth Fed Cup title in the last six years over home team France.
Karolina Pliskova and Barbora Strycova win the deciding doubles rubber for the second straight year, capturing a fifth Fed Cup title in the last six years over home team France.
Roberta Vinci takes on Yanina Wickmayer in the second round at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
An interview with Karolina Pliskova after her win in the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open.
COMPTON, CA, USA – Former World No.1s Venus Williams and Serena Williams returned to their hometown of Compton, California last weekend to strengthen childhood ties to the city where they first played tennis.
“You always remember those places, like where we went to elementary school, the courts we practiced at, even our old home,” Venus told the LA Times. “And just places you used to go. And of course things change over time. Places move. Shops close. Streets change. But it’s still the same place.”
The Williams sisters made use of their eponymous charity fund to bestow a five-year endowment on what will be the Yetunde Price Resource Center, which will help those affected by violence and trauma. The center was named for their eldest sister, who was killed in 2003.
“We definitely wanted to honor our sister’s memory because she was a great sister, she was our oldest sister and obviously she meant a lot to us,” Serena said. “And it meant a lot to us, to myself and to Venus and my other sisters as well, Isha and Lyndrea, that we’ve been wanting to do something for years in memory of her, especially the way it happened, a violent crime.”
Saturday was dedicated to the refurbishing of Lueders Park tennis courts henceforth known as the Venus & Serena Williams Court of Champions.
Check out a full interview with the Williams sisters here, along with some of the best photos from the weekend below:
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – It was a photo finish in the second round of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, but Dominika Cibulkova had an extra gear against former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, dispatching her rival, 6-4, 7-5.
Watch live action from St. Petersburg & Kaohsiung this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
The Slovak unleashed her signature aggressive style for most of the match, hitting 36 winners to 26 errors throughout the nearly two-hour match, but Wozniacki wasn’t far behind with 19 winners to 21 errors, working her way back into the second set from 3-5 down and saving three match points before Cibulkova was able to close it out on serve.
“I think it was a really great match,” the 2014 Australian Open finalist told former WTA star turned on-court interviewer Ksenia Pervak. “It’s always tough to play Caroline. Today, I played really well; I was really aggressive even though I made some mistakes, I was really confident. I knew it was the only way I could beat her.
“In the end, I started having a problem with my arm, but it turned out really well, so I’m proud of how I stayed really tough mentally.”
The two have played since their junior days, with Wozniacki coming into the match with a 9-3 head-to-head advantage in WTA matches, but three out of their last four matches had gone the distance, including Cibulkova’s win over then-No.1 Wozniacki in the fourth round of Wimbledon back in 2011.
“The tactic was always the same against Caroline: be as aggressive as I can and go for my shots. She gets back so many balls and is waiting for your mistake; if you play shorter, she’s going for it. I had to be aggressive every single point, no matter the score.
“That’s what I did and that’s why I won.”
Up next for the former World No.10 is rising Russian Daria Kasatkina; the teenager reached another WTA quarterfinal when she eliminated lucky loser Laura Siegemund, 6-3, 6-4.
“I never saw her play, so it’s going to be another tough round. I’m just going to be focused and ready, and I’m just going to hope for another match like this.”
Earlier in the day, Timea Babos upset No.9 seed Monica Niculescu, recovering from a set down to win, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, while qualifier Kateryna Kozlova continued her dream run into the quarterfinals with another three-set win over wildcard Elena Vesnina, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The final match of the day was centered around home favorite and No.5 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, survived a tough second set to beat German youngster Carina Witthoeft, 6-1, 7-5.
Garbiñe Muguruza takes on Timea Babos in the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open.
The stars of the WTA are about to descend on the luxurious, modern city of Dubai for the 2016 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Dubai has been a favorite tour stop since it became a joint event in 2001 and this year’s event will feature World No.1 Serena Williams along with defending champion Simona Halep, 2013 champion Petra Kvitova and our guest contributor, Ana Ivanovic. The WTA Travel Guide is here to tell you everything you need to know about visiting the City of Gold.
WATCH THE MATCHES
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Centre is host to the two-time winner of the WTA Premier Tournament of the Year award, with the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium serving as center stage for the matchups of some of the WTA’s best. Tickets are available here. Main draw begins February 15 and runs through February 20, with qualifying taking place February 13 and February 14.
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Official Homepage
WHERE TO STAY
If you’re looking for a place to stay while in Dubai, it doesn’t get more convenient than the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, which is located adjacent to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Centre and minutes away from the Dubai International Airport. A 5-star resort, with 292 rooms, the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel features two outdoor pools, fitness facilities, two restaurants, two bars, a lounge and a healthy café. You’ll also be able to unwind at the Akuru Spa, or if you were inspired by watching the WTA matches, head to one of the four tennis courts to work on your game.
Jumeirah Hotels
WHERE TO EAT
For a good meal after taking in a day of matches, head over to the Century Village for a beautiful al fresco dining experience and 10 different world cuisines to sample from including Lebanese, Italian, Portuguese, French and more. Also within walking distance from the courts is Irish Village, offering a true Irish experience in the heart of Dubai.
Restaurants in Jumeirah Creekside Hotel
ANA IVANOVIC’S FAVORITE SPOTS
“I always look forward to coming back to Dubai. Not only is the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships one of my favorite events on tour, but also the city itself has so much to offer. Here are my favorite spots:
Dubai Miracle Gardens is perfect for an afternoon stroll amongst the beautiful flower arrangements. Take a drive down Sheikh Zayed Road for the quintessential Dubai drive and a chance to see all of the iconic architecture along the way.
Luckily for me, one of my favorite restaurants in the world is located in Dubai. Head to Nobu for incredible Japanese food (like this sushi I had last time I was there)! Other favorite restaurants of mine include La Serre, Cle and Armani Italian. And, no trip to Dubai would be complete without some world-class shopping at the Dubai Mall.”
Visit Dubai
Dubai Duty Free
Highlights from quarterfinal action at the Western & Southern Open.
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.
The race is on! There are only eight spots available at the WTA Finals and every match, every game, every point, matters. Follow the 2016 Road To Singapore right here!