Tennis News

– Serena Williams has pulled out of next week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships citing illness. The withdrawal means the Australian Open remains Serena’s only competitive outing of the year.

– Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki are also out of Dubai: The Australian Open champion is still entered in Doha – a Premier 5 event this year – but has withdrawn from Dubai citing an upper right thigh injury. Wozniacki has also pulled out of Dubai citing a left knee injury. The Dane lost to Dominika Cibulkova, 6-4, 7-5, at this week’s St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.

– Coach Henin in action: The first snaps of Justine Henin coaching Elina Svitolina in Dubai:

.@ElinaSvitolina & @Justine_Henin out on centre court this morning. #ddftennis pic.twitter.com/bU5rwqOnGE

— Dubai Tennis Champs (@DDFTennis) February 12, 2016

– Venus Williams makes her first final of 2016: The American held off a feisty challenge – is there any other kind? – from Yulia Putintseva to win, 7-5, 6-3, and advance to the Taiwan Open final. She’ll face Misaki Doi on Sunday.

– Belinda Bencic primed for a Top 10 debut: The 18-year-old Swiss phenom will make her Top 10 debut on Monday if she beats Daria Kasatkina in Saturday’s semifinal at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.

– Bencic and Kasatkina meet for the first time: Well, at least as professionals. The two 18-year-olds faced off twice in the juniors, with Bencic winning both matches. Saturday’s match will be the first time two 18-year-olds faced off in a WTA semifinal since 2008 in New Haven (Wozniacki, Alizé Cornet).

– Count it: Some great stuff here from Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis on their 38-match win streak (“We’re counting also,” said Mirza) and Hingis has nothing but nice things to say about her former doubles partner, Anna Kournikova.

– Too good, Hev: Heather Watson wins the #TBT sweepstakes this week.

I remember I was SO mad at my mum for making me get the fro out for school picture day (18 years ago!) #throwback pic.twitter.com/zjguFjmWCf

— Heather Watson (@HeatherWatson92) February 11, 2016

– Wozniacki’s woes: Hard courts are supposed to be Wozniacki’s bread and butter. But after a solid clay and grass season last year, Wozniacki has made it past the Round of 16 at just three of her last 13 tournaments, all on hard courts. Her week ended prematurely in St. Petersburg, as she was defeated by Cibulkova in the second round.

– Lyndrea Price speaks to SI.com: The Beyond the Baseline Podcast features Serena and Venus Williams’ sister Lyndrea Price. It’s worth a listen.

– Oh, Donna: Ever wanted to know what exactly a WTA Supervisor does during the day? Introducing Donna Kelso, who has served as a WTA Supervisor for 19 years:

WTA Behind The Tour ? ?

From making OOP's to player services, live a Day in the Life of a #WTA Supervisor!https://t.co/xGRXPUoOSa

— WTA (@WTA) February 12, 2016

DUBAI, UAE – The first day of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships brought the first upset as CoCo Vandeweghe knocked out last year’s finalist Karolina Pliskova in straight sets.

Watch live action from Dubai & Rio de Janeiro this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Unsurprisingly, given both players’ fearsome serves, break opportunities were few and far between in the opening set. However, once Vandeweghe had pinched that, it was one-way traffic, as she sailed through, 7-6(5), 6-1.

“Taking care of my service games was my main focus. And then in the tie-breaker, I mean, every point matters,” Vandeweghe said. “So when I had my opportunity, I was going to take it. Sometimes I messed up and other times I was successful. But I wasn’t going to allow her to dictate me in the tie-breaker. So that’s what I was thinking going in.”

The tie-break’s decisive crucial moment came when Vandeweghe turned defense to attack with a rifled backhand that brought up two set points. The No.6 seed managed to fend off the first, but could not complete the escape, pushing a backhand long on the following point. 

“Then the second set, getting that early break was really key. Then, you know, from there I just kind of went into a rhythm and continued to steamroll,” Vandeweghe added.

One former runner-up that did make it safely into the second round was Julia Goerges, who enjoyed an easier-than-expected outing against Svetlana Kuznetsova. Goerges, a finalist back in 2012, needed only 57 minutes to knock out the No.8 seed, 6-1, 6-0, and set up a meeting with either Barbora Strycova or Tsvetana Pironkova.

“A very solid performance but at the same time being aggressive and didn’t make that many mistakes,” Goerges said. “Well, I just didn’t give her any chance to get into the match and get into her rhythm, because if she has time she creates good balls and deep balls, and that’s what I tried to take away from her. That worked pretty well today.

“That’s what you’re working for, to play as consistent as possible and why you train every day, and it’s very satisfying to see the performance like this today.”

Also advancing on the opening day was Goerges’ fellow German, Andrea Petkovic. In four previous visits to Dubai, Petkovic has won just two main draw matches, but looked full of confidence in her opening outing this time, brushing aside the mercurial Camila Giorgi, 6-2, 6-1.