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TBT: Serena Returns To The Top

TBT: Serena Returns To The Top

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DOHA, Qatar – Serena Williams appeared unstoppable in the summer of 2010; the American had just won her fourth Wimbledon title and was the undisputed World No.1 when an out-of-nowhere foot injury ended her season.

“I left ranked No.1,” Williams said nearly a year later in Eastbourne. “That’s what I miss most, just being on top of the game and just playing some really good tennis, the challenges of all the players.”

Things went from bad to worse when her return to the game was further delayed by breathing troubles that turned out to be something even more serious: a pulmonary embolism.

Serena Williams

“I honestly just thought I was out of shape, that I needed to get on the treadmill or something. They just said it could have gotten a lot serious a day later or two days later. It could have been really not good.

“It could have possibly been career-ending, but for the grace of God I got there in time and I was able to recover from it.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time. I mean, I’m not just preparing for today or Wimbledon. I’m preparing for the rest of my career.”

Serena Williams

From a nadir of No.172 in July of 2011, Williams went on a tear that summer, winning 18 straight matches to reach the US Open final.

Clicking into gear with gusto in 2012, the American reclaimed her Wimbledon crown – her first major title in exactly two years – added an Olympic Gold medal at the Summer Games in Lodon, and capped a near-perfect season with wins at the US Open and WTA Finals.

She came into that next year’s Qatar Total Open having won 56 of her last 59 matches, with a run to the semifinals all she needed to return to No.1. From 4-1 down in the final set, Williams roared past Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinals to cap an emotional comeback.

Serena Williams

“I don’t know how I did it – I really don’t know,” she said after the match. “I just hung in there and she was playing so well. Every time I looked around she was hitting a winner.

“I just tried to stay in there.”

Williams has been atop the WTA rankings ever since, adding six more majors to her current total of 21, and is set to pass Martina Navratilova for consecutive weeks at No.1 at 157 straight weeks.

Steffi Graf remains the final frontier for the American, is in position to pass the German’s haul of 22 major titles and 186 straight weeks at No.1.

“In my particular situation, I never thought I’d play again,” she told press that night in Doha. “Then I thought I’d never be able to win tournaments or Grand Slams. No.1 was so far off. It was always a dream, but, you know, I was No.1 when tragedy struck, and it was just an awful thing to happen.

“So I’m happy that I’m back.”

Serena Williams

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

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Watson Gets ELLE-mentary In Exclusive Interview

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

LONDON, Great Britain – Heather Watson is coming off a career year that saw her earn hometown glory at the Wimbledon Championships in mixed doubles and win another WTA title in Monterrey.

Sitting down with Elle Magazine UK, the Brit had a no holds barred discussion about the differences between singles and doubles, getting into the right pre-match mindset, and how she injects her personal style into her on-court kits.

“In terms of mixed doubles, it’s a whole other ball game,” she said of her Wimbledon win with Henri Kontenin. “Personally, it’s just fun and I think that’s down to having had some incredible partners, which makes a big difference.

“I think I need to bring more of the mindset of ‘it doesn’t matter what the outcome is I’m just going to do what I need to do’, into my singles more.”

Watson also played mixed doubles with countryman Andy Murray, who went on to clinch the ATP World No.1 ranking earlier this fall.

“Andy is an incredible athlete. He’s so competitive, hardworking and so nice to be around. He’s not what people think he is. I find him quieter, very chilled and more relaxed off the court.”

Check out the full interview with Watson right here at ElleUK.com.

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Schiavone Wins Seventh Title In Rio

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Former World No.4 Francesca Schiavone showed flashes of the tennis that took her to a maiden Grand Slam title at the 2010 French Open, edging past American Shelby Rogers, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, to win her seventh career title at the Rio Open.

“I feel very emotional right now,” she said during the trophy ceremony. “It was a very tough match, and I want to congratulate Rogers. She is a young player and she grew a lot in the circuit.”

Schiavone looked down and out when she fell behind against a set and a break to Rogers, who was in just her second WTA main draw since last fall’s Coupe Banque Nationale, but the wily veteran cruised through the second set and raced out to an idential 5-2 lead in the final set before treating the Rio crowd to a tense ending.

“I want to thank everybody who made this fantastic tournament possible,” Rogers said in her runner-up speech. “It was definitely one of the best weeks of my life. I hope I can come back next year.”

Though she lost her first eight career WTA finals, the Italian has been 7-3 since breaking the duck back in 2007 (Bad Gastein), and her win in Rio is her first in just under two years (Marrakech); she will return to the Top 100 on Monday’s rankings.

“I’m really happy to be here today. I wrote this speech this morning,” Schiavone said, addressing the crowd in Portuguese, “regardless of the result, because I wanted to share my joy with you.

“Today is a happy day and I’m very emotional because Brazil is such a wonderful country. Your smile fulfilled my days here and I wish you the best for the Olympic Games.

“I want to thank everybody who helped me, and now it´s time to enjoy.”

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WTA Stars Unwind: Cibulkova, Wozniacki & Serena In The Sun

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

After a busy 2016 season which saw Dominika Cibulkova rack up the most titles of anyone on tour – capped off by the biggest one of her career at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global – the World No.5 is taking some time off to unwind.

But she’s not the only WTA star hitting the beach – check out how Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Garbiñe Muguruza and more are spending their off season!

Cibulkova’s booked herself a well-deserved break in a private island in the Maldives…

But she didn’t stay away from the tennis court for long, taking a break from her vacation to head back to her hometown of Bratislava for an exhibition match against Belinda Bencic.

And she wasn’t the only one to run into a fellow WTA star during the offseason, either…

Caroline Wozniacki and Nicole Gibbs have been snapping away in the scenic Virgin Islands. The pair are in town for the Necker Cup, held on Richard Branson’s private Necker Island.

Serena Williams – and the whole Williams family, sans Venus – took to the beach in the Bahamas, before returning to Compton to inaugurate refurbished tennis courts in her old hometown.

The tireless Svetlana Kuznetsova finally took a break and took her whole family with her to the beach as well.

Garbiñe Muguruza had some fun in the sun too, but it was a slightly different kind of sand and sun.

Instead of hitting the beach, the Spaniard hit the desert and visited the pyramids in Egypt.

Ana Ivanovic also decided to forgo the beach during the off season, trading the sun and warmth for chilly London.

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Notes & Netcords: February 22, 2016

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

THE WINNERS

Sara Errani crowned her return to form with a dominant victory over Barbora Strycova in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. A former Top 10 fixture and French Open finalist, Errani’s greater big-match experience shone through as she romped to a 6-0, 6-2 victory after little more than an hour on court.

“I have no words,” the Italian said after the victory. “I’m sorry for Barbora – she’s an amazing player, but I’m really happy to win this tournament. It’s been a tough week for me, and I’m really happy for me, my team and my family and friends.”

Read the match recap and watch highlights here.

At the Rio Open, former World No.4 and fellow Italian Francesca Schiavone showed flashes of the tennis that took her to a maiden Grand Slam title at the 2010 French Open, edging past American Shelby Rogers, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, to win her seventh career title.

“Obviously when you come here, you try to prepare as much as you can, but you don’t think ‘I’m going there to win it,’ no, no,” Schiavone said before the final. “It’s a wonderful surprise; it’s been a long time since I’ve had this big a result, so I’m taking it as it comes.”

Read the match recap here.

GAME, SET, MATCH: WTA Insider

Game: Forza Italia

You can’t say enough about this Golden Generation of Italian women. Since Flavia Pennetta became the first Italian to break into the Top 10 in 2009, all four women – Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani, and now Roberta Vinci – have broken into the Top 10. Pennetta and Schiavone scored a Slam title a piece, while Errani and Vinci both snagged a Slam final.

Now, with this generation on the verge of hanging up its racquets, we see Vinci win the biggest title of her career last week in St. Petersburg, Errani do the same this week in Dubai, and Schiavone win her first title in nearly three years in Rio de Janeiro, boosting herself back in the Top 100.

This group of Italians has been a special one. And they may have a few surprises yet.

Set: Marquee names yet to catch fire.

Whether it’s due to injuries, lack of confidence, or bad luck, there’s no denying it’s been a slow start to the season for a key group of players that includes Simona Halep, Garbiñe Muguruza, and Petra Kvitova. Elsewhere, we also see Caroline Wozniacki drop out of the Top 20 for the first time since August 2008. For the first time in the Open Era, no seeded player won a match in Dubai last week.

All are in action this week in Doha. Can they get some wins and pick up some steam as the tour heads to Indian Wells and Miami?

Match: Azarenka returns to action this week.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the results in Acapulco, as Victoria Azarenka returns to competition as the top seed there. The former No.1 had a strong start to the season after winning Brisbane in dominant fashion and marching to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, before getting stunned by eventual champion Angelique Kerber. It was a gutting loss for Azarenka, but hopefully she’s had time to work past it and comes into Acapulco fit and firing. She has a great opportunity to march up the rankings when the tour turns to Indian Wells and Miami.

RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of February 22, 2016.

Sorana Cirstea (ROU), +46 (No.199 to 152): Cirstea’s run to the Rio Open semifinals, playing in her first WTA main draw matches since last summer, were a huge milestone on the Romanian’s road back from injury. It also earned her the week’s highest ranking jump, improving 46 spots to No.152.  

Francesca Schiavone (ITA), +38 (No.132 to 94): When Francesca Schiavone turned back the clocks in Rio, winning her first title in two years, she also earned herself a spot back in the Top 100. The last time Schiavone was ranked inside the Top 100 was at the 2015 US Open, when she held the No.95 spot.

Shelby Rogers (USA), +23 (No.131 to 108): The resurgent Rogers made her first WTA final since 2014 at the Rio Open and as a result she now sits just eight spots shy of a return to the Top 100.

Barbora Strycova (CZE), +9 (No.47 to 38): Strycova improves nine spots to No.38 with run to the final at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Sara Errani (ITA), +5 (No.22 to 17): Sara Errani’s dominant performance in Dubai sends her up five spots and back into the Top 20.

Johanna Konta (GBR), +1 (No.27 to 26): While improving one ranking spot might not seem like much, it’s actually a historic achievement for Konta – her No.26 ranking is the highest ranking for a Brit since Jo Dury held the spot in April 1987.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

Qatar Total Open
Doha, Qatar
Premier | $2,517,250 | Hard, Outdoors
Sunday, February 21 – Saturday, February 27, 2016

Abierto Mexicano TELCEL
Acapulco, Mexico
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoors
Monday, February 22 – Saturday, February 27, 2016

Abierto Monterrey Afirme
Monterrey, Mexico
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoors
Monday, February 29 – Sunday, March 6

BMW Malaysian Open
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoors
Monday, February 29 – Sunday, March 6

TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES

1. Serena Williams –
2. Angelique Kerber – Doha
3. Agnieszka Radwanska – Doha
4. Simona Halep – Doha
5. Garbiñe Muguruza – Doha
6. Maria Sharapova –
7. Belinda Bencic – Doha
8. Petra Kvitova – Doha
9. Flavia Pennetta – (retired)
10. Roberta Vinci – Doha
11. Carla Suárez Navarro – Doha
12. Lucie Safarova – Doha
13. Venus Williams –
14. Victoria Azarenka – Acapulco
15. Timea Bacsinszky – Doha
16. Ana Ivanovic –
17. Sara Errani – Doha, Monterrey 
18. Elina Svitolina – Doha
19. Karolina Pliskova – Doha
20. Jelena Jankovic – Doha

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

 Klara Koukalova (CZE) – February 24, 1982
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) – February 25, 1994
Chen Liang (CHN) – February 25, 1989
Naomi Broady (GBR) – February 28, 1990
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) – February 28, 1985

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Vesnina Knocks Out No.2 Seed Halep

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DOHA, Qatar – Elena Vesnina notched one of the biggest wins of her career over No.2 seed Simona Halep in the second round of the Qatar Total Open, shocking her 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-1.

The Russian qualifier, ranked No.118 in the world, was fresh off of a first round upset against Caroline Garcia, a semifinalist last week in Dubai. She was up against the World No.4, who was playing on her favorite surface and on familiar ground – Halep is a 2014 champion here in Doha and last year had a WTA-leading 44-11 win-loss record on hardcourts.

Watch live action from Doha & Acapulco this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Halep had plenty of opportunities to put Vesnina away in the first set but the Russian refused to fold -Halep created 13 break opportunities and only converted on two of those occasions. But one of those occasions was exactly when it counted; Vesnina was serving for the set at 6-5 when Halep broke her serve, sending the match into a tiebreak.

The Romanian found another gear and played a near-perfect tiebreak, allowing Vesnina only one point before grabbing the first set 7-6(1).

Halep backed up her dominance in the tiebreak with an equally commanding start to the second set, winning four out of the next five games to race ahead to a 4-1 lead.

Seemingly down and nearly out of the match with the World No.4 up a set and a double break, Vesnina was somehow still able to gut out a comeback. What was going through the Russian’s mind?

“That’s my character – I’m always fighting ’til the end,” she said. “I was thinking, ‘I’m on center court here in Doha, I’m playing Simona, 1-4 down – but it doesn’t matter.

“I just fight game by game, ball by ball, and it just worked.”

Her mentality definitely worked: Vesnina came back to win the next four out of five games to take back the set at 6-4 and level the match. Halep started out the final set with a break at love, but Vesnina stayed on course and won six consecutive games, sealing the final game of the match with a timely ace followed by a deadly backhand down the line for match point.

With the win Vesnina not only reached her first round of 16 stage of the year, she also scored her sixth Top 10 win of her career – the first since 2013.

“For the last two years, this win is No.1 for me,” an emotional Vesnina said after the match. “Simona is a great player, she’s such a solid player. She’s had an amazing couple of years; she’s in Top 10 in the world. I’m really pleased with my game today.” 

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CNN Open Court: Hingis' Olympic Dream

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Martina Hingis’ list of accomplishments on the tennis court is as long as it is impressive.

With five Grand Slam titles in singles, a further 16 in doubles and a combined total of 250 weeks at the top of the rankings, there is not much of note left to achieve on the career checklist.

However, ask the Swiss Miss and she will admit there is one glaring omission: an Olympic medal.

Her sole Games experience came at Atlanta in 1996, when a 15th-seeded Hingis, still a few months shy of her 16th birthday, slipped to a second-round defeat to Ai Sugiyama.

Since coming out of retirement for a second time in 2013, Hingis has enjoyed great success, adding six trophies to her major collection, three alongside India’s Sania Mirza, at Wimbledon and the US and Australian Opens.

For one week this summer, though, Hingis and Mirza will park their all-conquering partnership. Among the frontrunners to pair up with Hingis in Rio will be Belinda Bencic, who partnered Hingis to victory in the decisive rubber of Switzerland’s recent Fed Cup win over Germany. 

Hingis will also appear in the mixed doubles, and to help achieve her Olympic goal she has enlisted the help of another all-time great, Roger Federer – a dream team that was among the subjects touched on by CNN’s Open Court.

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