Tennis News

BEIJING, China – The resurgent Caroline Wozniacki needed just an hour and fifteen minutes to upset No.13 seed Roberta Vinci in straight sets for a spot in the round of 16 at the China Open.

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Continuing on from the recent success that has seen Wozniacki rise from No.74 to No.22 in the world, the Dane took to the court against Vinci on the back of a late season resurgence, having won 13 of her last 15 matches.

She drew first blood against the Italian in the fourth game, targeting Italian’s backhand and taking advantage of the short balls to draw a spate of errors before a volley into the net gave her the break. An untimely double fault in the next game handed Vinci the break right back, but Wozniacki wrestled the decisive break in reply for a 4-2 lead. She needed three set points but served out the opening set, 6-3.

Wozniacki was more straightforward in the second, bracketing the set with a break in the first and penultimate games, saving three set points in the fifth game to close out the match.

The 2010 champion Wozniacki was firmly in control throughout, dropping serve just once in the 6-3, 6-2 victory against Vinci. Up next she’ll meet a familiar foe, facing Agnieszka Radwanska for the third time in as many weeks.

As SAP Behind The Numbers revealed earlier in the season, historically both Radwanska and Wozniacki flourish in Asia post-US Open. They lead the tour in most Asian Swing match wins since 2011 and they’ve proved it in their growing 2016 rivalry, having just booked their third clash in as many weeks.

They first crossed paths this year in Tokyo at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, where Wozniacki defeated Radwanska in the semifinals en route to the title, but the Pole got her revenge a week later in Wuhan.

BEIJING, China – Agnieszka Radwanska reclaimed the China Open with a straight-set win over Johanna Konta on Sunday.

A dominant week, in which she did not drop a set was rounded off in style as Radwanska closed out a 6-4, 6-2 victory in an hour and 36 minutes.

Radwanska advanced to the final without dropping a set and early on she looked primed for another routine outing. However, from 5-2 down Konta finally began to display the sort of tennis that upset Madison Keys in the previous round.

She reduced her arrears to 5-4 and even had an opportunity to draw level. This proved to be the turning point, as Konta missed a routine drive volley and a few points later saw the set finally slip away.

The No.3 seed rammed home her advantage at the start of the second, planting a backhand onto the baseline to break in the third game. Konta battled away to the last but was unable to find a way through Radwanska’s defenses. The Pole would finish with just eight unforced errors, wrapping up victory with an ace out wide.

Asia has been a happy hunting ground for Radwanska, winning nine of her 20 career titles there. However, her success in Beijing, where she also triumphed in 2011, is of particular significance: “It’s a very special moment; third final and second title here. It was a really special week for me and it couldn’t be any better.”

“Every title means a lot, but especially here when you play against the best players in the world, in one of the biggest tournaments. It’s top players from the first round and I’ve been playing my best tennis all week so of course I’m very happy to win this tournament again, and this trophy is going to stay in a very special place.”

Radwanska becomes one of four active players to collect three or more Premier Mandatory titles, joining Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka. Konta, meanwhile, was appearing in her very first final at this level and the disappointment will be tempered by the knowledge that on Monday she will become only the fourth British player to reach the Top 10.

“It’s pretty cool! I’m very pleased with my progress over the past few years and hopefully many more places to climb,” Konta said. “I’m just working hard towards playing matches like these, against players like Agnieszka.”

An even grander stage could await. Konta’s run to the final sees her edge ahead of Dominika Cibulkova and into the final qualifying berth for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

HONG KONG, SAR – Britain’s top player Johanna Konta christened her debut into the WTA Top 10 with a commanding win over countrywoman Naomi Broady to advance to the second round at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open.

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Fresh off her historic rise in the rankings, No.3 seed Konta kept to her winning ways and defeated Broady 6-2, 6-2, in a score that belied the difficulty of the matchup.

“The scoreline doesn’t really reflect the match itself,” Konta explained. “You can see in the length of the match how tight it was. I’m happy I was able to stay focused, stay level-headed and take my chances when they arose.”

The symmetrical match saw Konta breaking Broady’s powerful serve in the first and fifth games of each set. Broady struck five aces during the hour and twenty-minute encounter – an unusually low number for the big-serving Brit – but also hit eight double faults. Konta brought up fourteen break chances during the match, which was marked by lengthy games and multiple deuces.

“We knew going into the match that Naomi is a very good server and has a good strike, we really tried to utilize that as much as possible,” Konta said.

“I’m really happy with the level I’ve been playing and the amount of matches I’ve been able to play in succession. Hoping to stay healthy for the rest of the season and keep going like this.”

Konta kept her composure to see off Broady’s lone break chance early in the second set, and she powered through to a straight sets win.

With the victory, Konta takes a step closer to making her debut at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“I’m trying not to think about it, to be honest,” Konta laughed. “I’ve really got to keep myself present, especially since there’s so many variables with that. It really depends on how other players do as well.”

LINZ, Austria – No.2 seed Dominika Cibulkova edged past No.4 seed Carla Suárez Navarro in straight sets to reach the final at the Generali Ladies Linz, her fourth WTA final of the year.

Both players came into Linz with Singapore on the mind, hoping to grab a last-minute qualification spot into the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

With the victory Cibulkova, who currently sits ninth on the Road To Singapore leaderboard, takes a big step toward qualifying for the season-ending event; she will qualify if she wins the title, so long as Svetlana Kuznetsova doesn’t win at the Tianjin Open.

“It’s a good feeling to know that I have a chance at the Finals,” Cibulkova said. “That’s why I came here. I knew that I needed to reach the final or win the tournament to have something from it, and I just handled that so good.”

Cibulkova opened the match with a comfortable service hold, but against the tricky Spaniard things quickly became complicated. The pair went on to break each other’s serve nine consecutive times in the opening set, and Cibulkova’s lone hold proved to be decisive as she took the set 6-4.

The Slovak held her ground in the second set, attacking Suárez Navarro’s one-handed backhand with her aggressive forehands, and she broke twice to take the match 6-4, 6-3 in just under an hour and a half.

Cibulkova will face Viktorija Golubic in the final after the Swiss player received a walkover in to the final from Madison Keys. Keys withdrew from her semifinal match due to respiratory illness.

“Maybe physically it’s an advantage for her, but this match against Carla gave me special confidence,” Cibulkova said of her opponent’s day off. “I just want finish here with a good feeling and go for it, and just keep playing like today.”

MOSCOW, Russia – No.8 seed Daria Kasatkina gave fans at the Kremlin Cup a lot to cheer about after her straight sets victory over Belinda Bencic.

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Russian players have always thrived at the year’s last Premier-level event in Moscow, with at least one Russian reaching the semifinals or better at nine of the last 10 editions of the tournament. Kasatkina looked set to add her name to that list as she needed just 61 minutes to dispatch Bencic 6-4, 6-1.

“It was a great win, especially in front of the home fans here,” Kasatkina said after the match. “Belinda is a tough opponent, a former Top 10 player, so it’s nice to get the victory and start the week here in Moscow playing well.

“I just want to keep putting in performances like this and finish the season strongly.”

Bencic got off to a roaring start early in the match, dragging Kasatkina from alley to alley and ripping a 150 kph overhead winner to bring up the first break for a 4-2 lead in the opening set. But Kasatkina clawed her way back as the unforced errors began to fly from Bencic’s raquet, with a wild forehand drifting wide to hand the break back to the Russian and level the match.

Kasatkina reeled off seven straight games to take the opening set and go up a break in the second. A double fault from Bencic – her fifth of the match – gave Kasatkina the final break and the Russian player closed out the match 6-4, 6-1.

No.9 seed Timea Babos will join Kasatkina in the second round after she took out 2014 finalist Irina-Camelia Begu in a two-and-a-half hour battle to advance 6-2, 6-7(2), 7-5.

Also in action today, Kremlin Cup qualifying wrapped up with Lesia Tsurenko, Katerina Siniakova, Anna Blinkova and Nicole Gibbs earning main draw berths.

Learning to peak at the right times is skill that takes years to learn in tennis. Garbiñe Muguruza has already shown she’s light years ahead of schedule. The 23-year-old Spaniard earned her reputation as a big stage player last season when she made her first major final at Wimbledon — on her worst surface, no less — and then proceeded to roll through the Asian swing to win her biggest title at the China Open, and back it up with an undefeated run through group play at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, to make the semifinals in her tournament debut.

“I think the important tournaments are the ones you’ve got to play well, the ones that really count, the ones that really take you to the top level,” Muguruza said. “Last year I’m like, Well, I did a final in Grand Slam; I won the China Open. But they’re important, so that means a lot of points and a lot of to the top level.”

This season she did one better.

Muguruza’s dominating two weeks in Paris was the definition of “peak”. After overcoming a few nerves in the first set of her first match, she would reel off 14 consecutive sets, including a 7-5, 6-4 win over then-No.1 Serena Williams in the final, to win her first major title at Roland Garros. This was the type of run you dream about as a kid, tennis’ equivalent of the 10-year-old hitting imaginary buzzer-beating three-point shots at the playground.

After hitting pitch-perfect lob winner on Championship Point, not even Muguruza could believe it. “Did I win Roland Garros?” she said, recounting her unbelievable shot on match point. “What happened? When [the umpire] said, ‘Game, set, and match’, I was like, ‘No way. I won.’ It was amazing.”

Muguruza’s Parisian fortnight launched her to a career-high No.2 and cemented her ability to beat anyone on any given day. The affable Muguruza will be the first to admit her season had its ups and downs. Outside of Roland Garros she struggled with her consistency throughout the season — Paris was her first and only final of the season — though the signs were there during the clay season that something special was in the works. Two weeks before the French Open, Muguruza earned her best result at the time, making the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, where she lost to Madison Keys.

“I just have a very aggressive game. I go for my shots with no regrets, even if I play to the fence,” Muguruza said.

It’s a strategy that can win Slams, and yes, the plural is intentional. One need to look no further than two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who’s game is also built on a high-risk, high-reward mentality. But Muguruza’s game is also built for all surfaces, fast and slow alike. Her CV has proved it, having won the French Open, made the final at Wimbledon, and making the semifinals in Singapore last year. The slower courts, as is the one laid down at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, may suit her the best, as she has the time she needs to set up her powerful groundstrokes as well as attack the net (Muguruza made the doubles final in Singapore last year with Carla Suárez Navarro).

That is what makes Muguruza an exciting young player. She may have become the youngest player since Victoria Azarenka to win a major title, but she’s still a work in progress. Her potential for growth and improvement is vast, which means she’s a massive threat every time she takes the court.

“I feel nothing can be sad this year after winning a Grand Slam,” Muguruza said last month at the Wuhan Open. “No matter what happens for me, is an incredible year already.”

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