Charleston: Mirjana Lucic-Baroni vs Shelby Rogers
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni takes on Shelby Rogers in the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open.
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni takes on Shelby Rogers in the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open.
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Mirjana Lucic-Baroni took down the hometown favorite Shelby Rogers in three sets to reach the semifinals at the Volvo Car Open.
35-year-old Lucic-Baroni – the oldest player left in the draw – first played in Charleston in 2001, the same year her opponent Rogers was a ball girl at this very tournament. The Croat had never been past the round of 16 on the green clay, but on Friday night she mounted a spirited comeback to oust Rogers from her home tournament, 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-1.
“It was beautiful in a way,” Lucic-Baroni said in her post-match press conference. “It was difficult playing against the crowd, because Shelby is from here. It’s normal. It’s always tough, but I felt they were very respectful. They were cheering for their home girl, and it’s totally normal.
“The wind was what was really difficult today. It was incredibly hard, and the fact that I came out yesterday and today playing some great tennis and winning in these conditions, it’s incredible, really, really good effort.
.@Shelby_Rogers_ saves set point and claims the first set 7-6(7)! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/MNRXGG6ySb
— WTA (@WTA) 7 de abril de 2017
Just one point made the difference for Rogers as she took the rollercoaster opening set under blustery conditions – which Lucic-Baroni described as, “I would rather play with a live lion running around in normal conditions than play in today’s weather.”
The Charleston-native leveraged the vocal home support to inspire an early comeback as she found herself down a break with Lucic-Baroni serving for the set at 5-4. She dodged a Lucic-Baroni set point to take it to a tiebreaker, then denied the Croat another one as she edged through to take the opening set.
But the big-hitting Lucic-Baroni refused to fold, and reeled in the errors from her all-or-nothing game to shut out Rogers from the next two sets. She didn’t allow Rogers a single break opportunity as she broke the American five times in a row to snatch a dizzying ten games in a row before claiming the match – and her spot in the semifinals – in two hours and thirteen minutes.
Third Semifinal of 2017!
Lucic-Baroni downs Rogers 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-1 at @VolvoCarOpen! pic.twitter.com/Ir5ELxURsr
— WTA (@WTA) 7 de abril de 2017
“I was just trying to fight for every point,” Rogers reflected in her post-match press conference. “Like it was definitely back and forth. I thought we had a very good level. It was super entertaining; and bad luck, I wish I could have kept it up.
“But a lot of positives to take from that, and you know, moving forward into the clay season, this week’s been great for me, and so many good things to move forward and build on.”
Meanwhile, Lucic-Baroni had nothing but praise for her opponent, lauding her to the adoring Charleston crowd.
“You guys should be so proud of Shelby,” she said. “She’s such a wonderful girl, amazing tennis player with a super bright future and present as well. You should really be proud, she represents [Charleston] beautifully.”
BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland/BOGOTA, Colombia – The Ladies Open Biel Bienne will make its debut on the WTA circuit this week. The second annual tournament in Switzerland is played on indoor hard-courts. While the Claro Open Colsanitas continues the spring, clay court season. Since it’s upgrade to a WTA-level event in 1998, the Colombian tournament has evolved into one of the most prestigious sporting events in all of Latin America.
1) The Swiss are out with a vengeance.
Three Swiss players are playing in Biel/Bienne this week. Belinda Bencic, former World No.7 was given a wildcard into the tournament, while Rebeka Masarova is back at home after making her debut to the women’s tour at Gstaad in 2016 – beating former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic in the first round. Finally, Viktorija Golubic who went on to win the tile in Gstaad, is also in action.
2) Strycova leads in Swiss field.
Top seed Barbora Strycova will aim to win her second career title in Biel/Bienne after strong results at the Miami Open in singles and doubles. Her last title came in 2011 at the Tournoi de Québec – another indoor hardcourt event.
3) Babos, Niculescu anchor quarter of contrasts.
There are few match-ups more fun than those that provide a contrast in styles, one of which we may get if No.3 seed Timea Babos and No.8 seed Monica Niculescu advance into the last eight. Niculescu leads their head-to-head 3-2, but Babos won both of their 2016 encounters.
4) Carla Suárez Navarro back on form after injury.
Suárez Navarro looks nearly back to her best after an injury-addled start to 2017, she will come into Biel as the No.2 seed after reaching the quarterfinals in Monterry last week.
5) Vinci gets KrisPlis rematch in Biel/Bienne.
Roberta Vinci was a game away from knocking out Kristyna Pliskova at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships before Karolina’s twin sister stunned the Italian veteran in three sets. The two face off again in the first round in Biel/Bienne, Vinci the No.4 seed.
6) Kiki Bertens will start in Colombia as the No.1 seed.
The Dutchwoman reached her career high in February, cracking the World’s Top 20. She is set to play 20-year-old Nina Stojanovic in the first round.
7) Irina Falconi is back to defend her title in Bogota.
The World No.105 has has struggled with injury since winning her maiden WTA title last spring, but she will be fighting to defend it this week. The American faces Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic in the first round.
8) Errani to face streaking Alexandrova.
Former French Open finalist Sara Errani will begin her red clay swing in earnest down in Bogota, but will first have to get past the on-fire Ekaterina Alexandrova. The young Russian comes to Colombia on the back of 10 straight wins and two ITF titles in China and France.
9) Siniakova aims to bring doubles success to singles court in Bogota.
20-year-old Katerina Siniakova started the season with a singles title in Shenzhen, and has since shown her best tennis on the doubles court with Lucie Hradecka, reaching finals at the BNP Paribas Open and the Volvo Car Open last week. The Czech will aim to rediscover her singles form in Bogota, where she will be the No.2 seed.
10) Can Arruabarrena reclaim her Colombian crown.
Lara Arruabarrena won the Claro Open Colsanitas in 2012, and has shown some improved hardcourt form at the Miami Open, where she upset Madison Keys en route to the fourth round. The No.4 seed in Bogota, she opens against a qualifier.
Wading through the sea of champions set to be featured at the International Tennis Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony and watching from the sidelines was a quietly tall figure, but a former No.1 all the same.
Dinara Safina came to Newport in support of brother Marat Safin, the other half of the sport’s only sibling tandem to reach the top of the ATP and WTA rankings.
“There’s lots of history here, and it’s a really beautiful museum,” she told WTA Insider. “I’ve never seen anything close to it, really. What impressed most me was this wall here, with the ball cans. I really liked those.”
Asked whether he or his sister was the better tennis player, Safin didn’t mince words.
“What a stupid question,” he blurted out at the press conference alongside Justine Henin and Amélie Mauresmo. “Of course, sister!”
Beaming from her seat was Safina, who once called big brother “her God” in a 2004 interview they conducted with one another for L’Équipe.
“When you play, I love watching you,” she said at the time. “When you lose, I’m even sadder than when I lose. When you’re hurt, I suffer. When you talk to me, I drink your words. When you come to see me play, I’m beside myself with joy. I hate hearing or reading something bad about you. I know you are hard-working and that you do everything you can to be No.1.”
The two-time French Open finalist expressed a similar sentiment on Saturday when she recalled playing Hopman Cup with him shortly before his 2009 retirement.
“It wasn’t easy because, for me, I have so much respect for him and I tried to do as well as I could. I had a close match in the final that I lost, but I still had a lot of fun and it was a great experience.”
The two might have spent nearly a decade together on tour, but both look back and admit that they couldn’t have been further apart.
“We never really saw each other. First, he was living in Spain, and when I moved to Spain, he was on the tour. We’d only see each other a few weeks out of the year, at Grand Slams and a few of the Masters events.”
“It’s really a pity that we didn’t spend enough time together and couldn’t understand each other,” Safin added in press. “We didn’t know each other, and at some point we didn’t even feel like brother and sister because we were separated for quite some time. Now we’re having a great time; finally I’m getting to know her.
“She understands tennis much more than me – a hundred times more than me – and she’s a better person.”
Safina has put that knowledge to good use since her own retirement in 2014. From an administrative position at the Kremlin Cup, the Russian worked with young compatriot Anna Blinkova last summer, and has been a mentor figure to recent junior Wimbledon champion Anastasia Potapova.
“We’re in contact and I’m always talking with her; I’m really proud that she won a Grand Slam. I think she’s going to be good.”
Our pride: Lena, @Dinarik27 & @verazvonareva @ITF_Tennis pic.twitter.com/NJOJYGVrni
— Vladas Lasitskas (@VladasLasitskas) July 6, 2016
Safina led a Golden Era for Russia, on top of the world at a time when she and her countrywomen held a near-monopoly on the Top 10. Looking to the future, she has high hopes for the new wave that features Daria Kasatkina, Margarita Gasparyan, and Elizaveta Kulichkova.
“Kasatkina, for me, I’m really impressed with her. I really love the way she plays. She’s very smart, very intelligent, with a very good feeling for the court and the ball.
“Gasparyan is struggling this year, but I really like her one-handed backhand and she has a different game. It’s a new generation; they still have to work hard to get higher in the rankings. But I like Kasatkina; she’s on the right track and I like the team she has.”
Part of the all-Russian podium from the 2008 Olympic Games, the 30-year-old recently reunited with fellow medalists Elena Dementieva and Vera Zvonareva for an ITF photoshoot, and has fond memories of their wild week in Beijing.
“After eight years, you realize what you achieved and what it was really like, but I would say, I don’t know if we’ll ever see what we were able to do again, sweeping the podium. We set a high bar for the next generation.
“With Elena and Vera, we’re always in contact. They’re beautiful girls. I’ve known Elena since I was a year old; she’s an amazing person.”
I just ran 17,0 km @ a 6'07''/km pace with Nike+. https://t.co/FEs2w5exzA #nikeplus pic.twitter.com/WLzep2w2MJ
— Dinara Safina (@Dinarik27) July 13, 2016
By summer’s end, Safina hopes to make a new life in New York; the Olympic silver medalist was seen jogging through Central Park before heading north to Newport. But there’s a sense she’d trade a crowded city for a crowded stadium in a heartbeat.
“I miss my fans and the crowds, that feeling you have on the court when you have a full crowd behind you and supporting you – whether you win or lose, especially when you win, that’s nice.
“I miss the traveling and all of the girls on the tour; even though we were competitors, we were like a family and had a really nice group of people. I really enjoyed it.”
Sitting on a set of pre-modern Wimbledon benches, Safina mused on whether she might one day return to the museum with her brother as a fellow Hall of Famer, but ever the awed younger sister, she resolved not to look too far in the future.
“Of course, it would be an amazing thing if I could join him one day. But for me, today is about being his sister, and I’m really proud of him. He deserves it. I know the way he was working to get to No.1 from where he started. I’m really happy for him.”
Follow Dinara on Twitter @Dinarik27 and Instagram @dinarasafina2704!
All photos courtesy of Dinara Safina and Getty Images.
After a hard-fought second round win over Magda Linette, Bank of the West Classic top seed and former No.1 Venus Williams treated a fan to an extra special surprise.
After catching one of the autographed tennis balls Venus hit into the crowd, Emily was invited down by Andrew Krasny to take a selfie with the five-time Wimbledon winner. Within minutes, she was whisked back stage to meet Venus’ sister, World No.1 and 22-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, where they also took a photo.
Relive one magic night in Stanford in the latest episode of Dubai Duty Free Full of Surprises.
Very cool. Venus hits a ball into the crowd and invites the catcher to come down for a selfie. #BOTWClassic pic.twitter.com/G1fYt4wLHF
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) July 21, 2016
World No.8 Agnieszka Radwanska knows what it’s like to be a teenage queen.
The Pole won her first WTA title at the age of 18 in 2007, and reached both her first Grand Slam quarterfinal and the world’s top 10 the next season. A decade later, WTA teenagers were in the spotlight on Sunday as Daria Kasatkina defeated Jelena Ostapenko to win the first all-teenaged final at a WTA event since 2009 at the Volvo Car Open.
For Radwanska, who turned professional at the age of 16, game recognizes game.
“Now I know what my opponents must have felt like back then. I have to say, the younger players on tour right now are dangerous,” Radwanska wrote in a Straits Times column this week. “We talk about it among ourselves. ‘The kids are coming!’ I think the new generation of players are just better than earlier in my career. They really play smart. From a young age, they’re already pushing to play tournaments and matches. They’re sacrificing a lot but that means they’re very good when they’re 16 or 17.”
Recognizing that she is now closer to the end of her career than the beginning, the 28-year-old reflected on playing a full schedule over the course of her years on the circuit, and how growing up in tennis has evolved.
“When I was a junior, I played tournaments and went to school at the same time, and I went step by step. I had a pretty normal life, only unlike my friends I didn’t have much time for myself….I’ve been on tour for so long. I haven’t had any breaks. I’ve had a couple of surgeries but I always had those during the off-season and I’m always ready for the majors. I’ve played 43 Grand Slams in a row.”
She added: “My goal now is to maximize the time I have left on tour, and that means being as efficient as possible in my schedule by making the most of my opportunities.”
In the lead-up to the Oct 22-29 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the eight singles players from last year will pen a monthly exclusive column for The Straits Times. The second installment features 2015 champion Agnieszka Radwanska — read it in full here.
WASHINGTON, DC, USA – Yanina Wickmayer put friendship to one side on Friday afternoon to defeat No.4 seed Kristina Mladenovic and take her place in the semifinals of the Citi Open.
Watch live action from Washington DC, Bastad and Stanford this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Breaks at the end of the second and third sets proved the difference in a tight affair as Wickmayer prevailed, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, to book a meeting with No.6 seed Yulia Putintseva for a place in the final.
Wickmayer and Mladenovic are close off the court, a relationship which complicated matters going into their quarterfinal meeting. “Yeah it’s difficult, I think we went for dinner five or six times in the past week, it’s tough playing her and being her opponent today,” Wickmayer said afterwards. “I had to work hard because she plays such good tennis.”
Early on it appeared like it would be the Frenchwoman bringing the bragging rights to their next dinner date. However, after dropping the first set, Wickmayer grabbed the initiative in the second, three forehand winners bringing her the decisive break in the eighth game.
The third was just as evenly contested. Wickmayer made her move early, only to surrender this advantage with a misjudged drop shot at 3-2. A game later, the Belgian was back in front, and this time there would be no second chances, confidently serving out for a place in just her second semifinal of the season.
Putintseva ensured she would be fresh for their last four showdown by comfortably seeing off the unseeded Risa Ozaki, 6-4, 6-2.
Also impressing was wildcard Jessica Pegula, who knocked out top seed and former US Open champion Samantha Stosur, 7-6(4), 6-3, to reach her maiden WTA semifinal. There she will face the winner of the evening session between another American, Lauren Davis, and Camila Giorgi.
The WTA Future Stars Clinic made its third stop of the 2016 season on Saturday in Jakarta following successful weekends in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Assisting the platform – which aims to promote the game all over the Asia-Pacific region – in its latest clinic was a woman who has been, in her own words, “opening the door for professional tennis in Indonesia” for the better part of three decades.
“I’ve always followed all the WTA’s plans for growing the game in Indonesia, and hopefully this works,” former World No.19 Yayuk Basuki told WTA Insider.
Working with national representatives and players from her eponymous academy, Basuki spent the day working with the Future Stars on the court, and shared some of her memories of being a professional athlete.
“It’s always great to be able to give back to the next generation,” she said at the clinic led by Melissa Pine, Vice President of WTA Asia-Pacific and Tournament Director of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. “I hope to be able to inspire the children, and show them that anything is possible so long as you put your heart and mind to it.”
Basuki is Jakarta’s hometown hero with an impressive on-court resumé, one that features a run to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1997 in singles and a box set of Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances in doubles – including a semifinal finish at the 1993 US Open. In the 20 years since reaching those heights, she remains the only Indonesian player to crack the Top 50.
“Maybe these clinics can encourage players – especially the young ones – so they can get motivated to be able to be up there in the WTA rankings,” she explained on Friday. “Because we really need some new stars from our country.
“At the moment really we don’t have any, only one is ranked inside the Top 600. It’s really that we need some juniors to come up. I’m following some of them; one or two of them are doing quite well on the ITF Junior Circuit. So hopefully we have a better future for the girls in the next coming years.”
A trailblazer for Indonesian tennis, Basuki took charge of a fledgling national career and quickly burst onto the international scene.
“In my time, no one ever thought an Indonesian player could do well as a professional. I had been playing for my country, for the flag, for so many years – for Fed Cup, the Asian Games or the Olympics.
“I was thinking: I don’t want to just play for my country; I want to turn pro. Within six months of doing that, I was Top 50. I stayed up there until I reached my highest ranking of Top 20.”
Retiring from singles at the start of the new millennium – after having won six WTA titles, – Basuki was eager to offer advice to the next generation of Indonesian stars. She became a WTA mentor to Angelique Widjaja, who defeated future No.1 Dinara Safina to win the first of two junior Grand Slam titles in 2001.
“I was looking forward that more players would follow me and what I did.”
Widjaja appeared on course to match – even surpass – what Basuki had achieved in her first two years on the WTA tour, rocketing up to No.55 in singles and No.15 in doubles, where she reached four Grand Slam quarterfinals. But injuries and burnout took their toll and Widjaja was gone from the game by 2008.
“I’ve tried to encourage her to come back and to play some – even if it was just for doubles – but she says she doesn’t have the motivation anymore and that’s such a pity.”
Undaunted by the setback, Basuki sought to grow the game herself by returning to tennis at nearly 40 years old, playing doubles on the ITF Circuit.
“I know that there was no way for to completely come back at my age, but it was more about trying to motivate the younger players. I was trying to say, ‘Come on, I’m 40 and I still can do it; why can’t they?’ I wanted to encourage them.”
The comeback might not have yielded the result she wanted, but it made her realize she needed to do something even bigger to change the way her country viewed professional sport.
“It’s so hard to get children involved in sports, or even to be an athlete, because most of the parents are thinking, ‘If I put my kid into athletics, what are they doing after?’ You know, what is life after sports? They’re all worried about that.”
Returning to Indonesia after coaching in Hong Kong, Basuki was encouraged to run for political office in 2013; within a year, she was a member of parliament working to reform sports and education.
“They don’t give enough attention for the sport,” she said of the government. “What they need is to put in more effort, to give more of the budget for the Indonesian sport. I’d already tried to work for the National Olympic Association, where I was Vice President. I tried to help as an advisor in the Indonesian ministry, as well. But nothing has worked, so the only thing right now is to get into the system, which was to become a house representative.
“During the campaign, it was clear not many people knew I used to be the ex-tennis player who turned into a politician. But I got enough votes!”
Between her political endeavors and the growing initiatives spearheaded by WTA Future Stars, Basuki is optimistic about the state of the sport – not only in her country, but also throughout the region.
“So far my country is giving more attention to education. But at least in sport, as well, we’re trying to make up for that in the budget. So in the beginning, for example, the budget was let’s say only 30%, but now it’s becoming three times larger than where it started when I first became a politician.
“I’m trying to create a system, one where athletes won’t have to worry about their future by creating pension plans and ways for them to develop skills for after their careers. I can share a lot of my experience, so hopefully we’ll be able to make progress.
“I’ve dedicated 26 years to Indonesian tennis, as a player, as a Fed Cup captain, and as coach as well. So what I’m looking forward to are some new players who really have their goals and their dreams. To tell you the truth, I haven’t found it yet. Hopefully at the clinic, I can see some of the younger ones who might have a brighter future.
“I’m hoping.”
All photos courtesy of the WTA.
BOGOTA, Colombia – Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone needed barely over an hour to take down top seed Kiki Bertens and book her place in the Claro Open Colsanitas semifinals, 6-1, 6-4.
The 36-year-old Italian, who is playing in her last season of professional tennis after announcing her retirement plans earlier in the year, will cap off her final trip to Bogota with her first semifinal appearance at the tournament – and her first semifinal of 2017.
.@Schiavone_Fra breezes through the opening set vs Bertens 6-1! pic.twitter.com/2I1ny6kz6r
— WTA (@WTA) 13 de abril de 2017
The semifinals seemed a long way off for Schiavone in the opening set, however, as she started off sluggish and struggled physically with lingering shoulder pains as she dropped her opening service game.
But the former French Open champion drew on all her experience to put it out of her mind and steamroll past a flat Bertens, who was playing her second match of the day after defeating fellow Dutch qualifier Cindy Burger in their rain delayed second round encounter.
Bertens’ normally powerful groundstrokes were missing their bite as she sprayed unforced errors and double faults to keep Schiavone in the match, dropping serve three times as the Italian snatched up six games in a row to comfortably wrap up the opening set.
.@Schiavone_Fra reaches @CopaWTABogota Semifinals!
Beats Bertens 6-1, 6-4! pic.twitter.com/ClrNY8T1WS
— WTA (@WTA) 13 de abril de 2017
The top seed put up a better fight in the second, finding her first serves to keep pace with Schiavone before the Italian came away with the crucial break early on to go up 2-1. Bertens was never able to get it back or put any pressure on the Schiavone serve as they stayed on serve to send the Italian through to her first semifinal of the year.
It won’t get any easier for Schiavone in the next round as she looks to reach her 19th career singles final; up next is the highest seed left in the draw, No.3 seed Johanna Larsson.
Larsson fought past a determined Sara Errani in a tight straights sets encounter to advance 7-5, 6-4 and take the final spot in the Claro Open Colsanitas semifinals.
More to follow…
AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Former World No.1s Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki, two of the biggest draws at this year’s ASB Classic, went to Newmarket on the weekend to play street tennis, sign autographs and meet the press. Here are 10 of the best photos, courtesy of www.photosport.nz.
