Australian Open: Jelena Jankovic vs Julia Goerges
Jelana Jankovic takes on Julia Goerges in the second round of the Australian Open.
Jelana Jankovic takes on Julia Goerges in the second round of the Australian Open.
An interview with Serena Williams following her loss in the final of the BNP Paribas Open.
Angelique Kerber and Petra Kvitova’s 41-shot rally at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open was Wednesday’s rally of the day.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Angelique Kerber celebreated her 29th birthday with a win, but it was Australia’s comeback kid who stole hearts on Day 3 at the Australian Open.
Here’s what you need to know:
Ashleigh Barty emerges as the feel-good story of the first week.
Mention Ashleigh Barty’s name and you’ll get a big broad smile around these parts. The 20-year-old was a junior Wimbledon champion at 15 years old and a three-time Slam finalist in doubles before she was 18-years-old. But the attention and pressure from being the next great prospect from a tennis nation like Australia proved too much, and she stepped away from the sport at 17. After a brief stint playing professional cricket in Australia, Barty announced her intention to return the sport last February. As Barty put it then, “Tennis in the end, it just makes sense to me.”
Flash-forward 11 months and she’s into the third round of a Slam for the first time in her career. It’s no surprise that it came on home soil.
Gifted with incredible hands and preternatural tennis IQ, Barty returned to the tour with the one thing she lacked in her junior days: power. That power was on full display two weeks ago when she pushed World No.1 Angelique Kerber to three sets at the Brisbane International. On Wednesday night, Barty put on an arguably better performance, hitting just 11 unforced errors to 29 winners to beat No.52 Shelby Rogers 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the third round.
Round ☺️☺️☺️ pic.twitter.com/BrRb3XXz6x
— Ash Barty (@ashbar96) January 18, 2017
“Sometimes those things just click for you,” Barty said. “Tonight I felt great. I felt like I was in control, had full control of the ball off my racquet. It’s certainly nice when those things come together. It feels horrific when it doesn’t.”
Currently ranked No.223, Barty has shown she’s more than ready to eclipse her career-high ranking of No.129. That looks to be coming sooner rather than later, as her two wins in Melbourne have already pushed her up around the Top 150. Barty will play qualifier Mona Barthel, after the German knocked out No.29 seed Monica Puig in straight sets.
Regardless of the outcome, it’s great to have you back, Ash.
I ❤ Ash Barty. So natural. On and off court. Absolute gem. #AusOpen
— judy murray (@JudyMurray) January 18, 2017
Carina Witthoeft gets ahead of herself.
It’s only human. There was Carina Witthoeft, 21 years old, ranked No.82, German. Across the net was Angelique Kerber, 29 years old today (yes, it was her birthday), ranked No.1, German. And there was the scoreboard, which showed Witthoeft, who has recorded just one win over a Top 20 player in her career, up an early break in the decisive set. Was she really about to knock out the World No.1, the German No.1, and end her compatriot’s title defense?
Witthoeft was thinking the same thing. And she went on to lose six of the next seven games, as Kerber scored another resilient win, 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-2.
Plenty of ? on @RodLaverArena as No.1 #Kerber goes into a 3rd set v w/ fellow ??#Witthoeft.
? on the AO Live Blog: https://t.co/XqrMDgBLqQ pic.twitter.com/o8yFEJUSB1— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
“There are a lot of thoughts and sometimes they’re good and sometimes they’re worse and they bother you,” Witthoeft said. In the face of Kerber’s unrelenting defense, Witthoeft felt herself pressing, and the errors began to come.
“That’s Angie. If you go for too much the chances are there that you’ll lose the point because she’s running for every ball.”
You gotta Riske it to get the biscuit.
The young American upsets 2016 quarterfinalist Shuai Zhang 7-6(7) 4-6 6-1.#ausopen pic.twitter.com/qks800Ma73
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
Keep an eye on Alison Riske.
The American is playing solid, steady tennis to start the season. She beat Agnieszka Radwanska to make the Shenzhen Open final and she’s into the third round of a Slam for the first time since 2014 Wimbledon (in fact, her first round win over Madison Brengle was her first win at a Slam since that same tournament).
She’s into the third round here with a solid 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-1 win over last year’s semifinalist and No.20 seed Zhang Shuai. Asked where she feels her early confidence translating on court, Riske pointed to a sense of calm.
“I think mostly it alleviates panic,” she said. I think in moments that are tough I don’t feel threatened by them. That’s the biggest thing. that’s what the top players do so well in the crucial moments. To get to where they are, that’s the biggest thing. In times of stress they’re able to stay cool and I think that’s the biggest thing for me too.”
Riske was recently engaged, and laughed when asked how the wedding planning was coming. “I’m definitely not planning. My fiance is a little uptight about that, the fact that I’m not planning. But he understands it, his family has been in the tennis business as well. He totally gets it and I’m really fortunate for that. First of all I’m not a party planner. Tennis will be my priority for the next few years so I’m not too worried about it.”
Riske plays Sorana Cirstea in the third round and is looking to make the second week at a Slam for the first time since the 2013 US Open.
#AusOpen Blue Room: Watch Live with @SvetlanaK27 ? https://t.co/Mzyq7LyrCu
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
Svetlana Kuznetsova is resting her body, working her mind.
Kuznetsova isn’t playing doubles at the Australian Open, opting to focus on her singles instead. So far so good. She’s cruised into the third round and will face Jelena Jankovic. So with a full day off between matches, is Sveta getting bored? Not at all.
“When I have a day off I go to practice and then I try to read books. I’m reading a book about the history of Egypt and Athens. It’s very interesting. Something different. I want to develop myself not just as an athlete but it helps in the mentality and being a little bit smarter and wiser in life.”
As for Russian literature, “Pushkin, Dostoevsky, of course I read it all, but I can’t say I’m really into it. I believe all Russian poetry you gotta read it and feel it when you’re older. So I’d like to re-read it with time.”
“I just enjoy the game.” Svetlana #Kuznetsova through to 3R #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/TxcfAGlmhz
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
Old habits die hard for Sorana Cirstea.
The Romanian is into the third round of a Slam for the first time since 2011 Wimbledon, beating a hampered No.10 seed Carla Suárez Navarro 7-6, 6-3. The Spaniard has been dealing with a right shoulder injury, which forced her to serve at three-quarter speed and struggle with her backhand.
Unfortunately for Cirstea, she won’t be able to celebrate her Melbourne success with her frequent dinner partner of the last few years. Ana Ivanovic was her best friend on tour, but I’m sure she’ll be getting a congratulatory message from England later today.
Asked @sorana_cirstea about her good friend @AnaIvanovic’s decision to retire. Turns out, old habits die hard. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/aSBDSui666
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) January 18, 2017
Quote of the Day: “She’s No.1 so I guess she’s good.”
So…how many people do you think will get confused and call it a US Open final rematch? Karolina’s twin sister Kristyna Pliskova is into the third round at a Slam for the second time in her career, beating No.27 seed Irina-Camelia Begu 6-4, 7-6(8). Now she gets a crack at the World No.1.
“I never played her but she’s No.1 so I guess she’s good,” Pliskova said, laughing. “We will see on Friday.”
“I like big courts. I play better. I think it’s slower on big courts as well, which I like better.”
So will she get some tips from Karolina, who beat Kerber to win the Western & Southern Open last summer? “She’s off now but I asked her a couple of things. I hope she’s on her phone soon.”
It's #Venus into 3R singles. 1R doubles starts today with sister #Serena #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/FncGAoqXru
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
Speed it up!
Venus Williams has played two solid matches to open her tournament, beating Stefanie Voegele 6-3, 6-2. She’ll play Duan Ying-Ying in the third round. After her match, Venus was asked about the speed of Rod Laver Arena and about the perceived preference for slower-paced courts recently.
“It may not be as slow as last year, but I think at the same time when the courts get too slow it creates the same kind of player, people who just never come in,” she said. “So I think the courts have to be not too slow, not too fast. It’s got to be playable. You don’t want every ball to come back. At some point there should be a winner. If you’re hitting through the court and the ball just sits, that’s not tennis. It should go through the court.”
Duan Ying-Ying on the rise.
The 27-year-old from — where else — Tianjin, has been on fire to start the season. Ranked No.87, Duan had match points on Radwanska in Shenzhen, beat CoCo Vandeweghe at the Apia International, and is into the third round of a Slam for the first time of her career. Duan came through a tough match against Varvara Lepchenko, winning 6-1, 3-6, 10-8, scoring her second win over the American this year.
Happy Birthday Angie! #Kerber continues her great run at Melbourne Park #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/T3SEV6DBdq
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2017
Some enticing third-round matches set for the top half.
Here’s the full slate of third-round matches for the top half of the draw:
Kerber vs. Kr. Pliskova, Bouchard vs. Vandeweghe, Cirstea vs. Riske, Sevastova vs. Muguruza, Barty vs. Barthel, Duan vs. Venus, Svitolina vs. Pavlyuchenkova, and Jankovic vs. Kuznetsova.
Based on form and draw, Venus has a great look to make the quarterfinals. She can’t face a Top 80 player before then. The highest-ranked player Muguruza can play before the quarterfinals is Riske at No.42. And keep an eye on Bouchard. She’s playing very well, full of confidence, and she could play the spoiler to Kerber’s title defense.
Day 4 Matches to Watch:
Naomi Osaka vs. Johanna Konta (1st match, Rod Laver Arena)
Serena Williams vs. Lucie Safarova (1st night match, Rod Laver Arena)
Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (1st night match, Margaret Court Arena)
Daria Gavrilova vs. Ana Konjuh (NB 6:30pm, Hisense Arena)
Andrea Petkovic vs. Barbora Strycova (2nd match, Court 3)
#Putintseva celebrating her win. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/9jxSSDCdYs
— Patrick (@RatedRHero) January 17, 2017
And if you know, then you know:
Jelena Ostapenko vs. Yulia Putintseva (1st match, Court 8)
THE WINNERS
Victoria Azarenka continued her near-perfect start to 2016 by showing vintage form against an out of sorts World No.1 Serena Williams to win the BNP Paribas Open final, 6-4, 6-4.
Azarenka is now the only player to defeat the American in more than three championship matches, and she had nothing but praise for her opponent after the match:
“I wanted to first address a personal thank you to Serena,” she said. “I know how emotional it was for you to be back here and you truly inspired so many people out there to see the type of commitment you have to the game. It’s truly inspiring.
“Thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. You are an amazing competitor who changed the game.”
With Sunday’s win, Azarenka will return to the Top 10 for the first time since the summer of 2014, at No.8. Meanwhile, Serena remains atop the WTA rankings heading into the Miami Open, a tournament she has won eight times.
Read the full story and watch highlights here. | As It Happened: Game-by-game analysis.
On the doubles side, Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe couldn’t have asked for a more perfect WTA debut to their newly-minted partnership – the pair rallied back from a set down to defeat Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova 4-6, 6-4, 10-6, and claim the doubles title at the BNP Paribas Open.
“All week long we’ve had great fan support, which is so cool,” Mattek-Sands said afterwards. “As two Americans together, the support was awesome.
“It’s always special coming back here to Indian Wells, it’s kind of like our home tournament. We’ll be back next year for sure.”
Read the full story here.
GAME, SET, MATCH: WTA Insider
Game: Victoria Azarenka back where she belongs.
This is the start to the season that I hoped Victoria Azarenka would deliver in 2015 after her terrible injury-laden season in 2014. Now 16-1 on the season and beating No.1 Serena Williams to win the BNP Paribas Open – her biggest title since the 2013 Australian Open – Azarenka is not just playing like a top player but she’s back in the Top 10 for the first time since August 2014. Her run to her second title in Indian Wells showcased her fight, battling through three sets to get past Sam Stosur and Karolina Pliskova, and she capped it off by becoming the first woman ever to beat Serena in four tournament finals.
On a quick-hit Dropshot episode of the WTA Insider podcast previewing the final, the Insider team discussed the nature of rivalries and whether Azarenka’s rivalry with Serena, in which she came into Sunday’s final with just three wins in 20 matches, could qualify as such. Her win on Sunday confirmed that when she is near her best – and sometimes when she is not – she remains the most consistent challenger to Serena in head-to-head matches.
Champions’ Corner: Vika Azarenka
Set: Emotions are still raw in the desert.
It was plain to see from the first game. Serena Williams was tight and she was trying to hit through her nerves. I asked Serena after her semifinal win over Agnieszka Radwanska whether the walk out to Stadium Court in Indian Wells still made her nervous, or whether a year after her return she could treat the walk-out like any other walk-out. She said all those emotions were behind her.
So you could understand Serena’s surprise when the nerves came back like a ton of bricks on Sunday, when she took to the court 15 years after her terrible experience 15 years ago. “I was definitely a little nervous,” she said. “I did not expect to be, at all, like zero, and then when I walked out there I was like, Oh, man, I’m really nervous. And really excited. Those emotions I had a little bit last year I was having again. Definitely did not expect that.”
But once again the crowd made her feel the love and for a second year in a row Serena fought back tears, this time during the trophy presentation. Azarenka kicked off her victory speech with a heartfelt, emotional salute to Serena and the two respected rivals laughed and photobombed their way through the ceremony.
After the match they were faced with questions about the derogatory and unacceptable remarks made by tournament CEO Raymond Moore and both Serena and Vika handled them with unmitigated poise and class. The ripple effects of the off-court controversy may continue, but on this Sunday these two fierce competitors were unimpeachable in every way.
Match: Karolina Pliskova finds her legs.
After a breakout 2015 season that saw her soar through the rankings to make her top 10 debut, it was difficult to know what to expect from the 24-year-old Czech this year. On top of playing the heaviest schedule of any top player she played a played through a busy off-season exhibition schedule. How much gas would she have in the tank?
Pliskova told WTA Insider she was mentally fried after Australia and needed to put her racquet down for a few days and get away. She did just that, taking a week off in Monaco, and a rejuvenated Pliskova marched her way to the biggest result of her career, making her first Premier Mandatory semifinal.
RANKING MOVERS
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of March 21, 2016.
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL), +1 (No.3 to 2): Radwanska has been showing a lot of consistency in the past few months – she’s reached the semifinals or better at every event she’s played since October. It’s been paying off, too, and after a semifinal run at Indian Wells, she’s equaled her career-high ranking of No.2 in the world.
Victoria Azarenka (BLR), +7 (No.15 to 8): Azarenka’s roaring start to 2016 continued in the desert at Indian Wells, where she defeated Serena Williams for the BNP Paribas Open title. She’s now ranked No.8, the first time since the summer of 2014 that she’s inside the Top 10.
Misaki Doi (JPN), +11 (No.55 to 44): After bowing out of Indian Wells early, Doi stopped over at the inaugural WTA 125K Series event in San Antonio, Texas. Her title at the San Antonio Open puts her inside Top 50 for first time in her career.
Daria Kasatkina (RUS), +21 (No.48 to 36): 18-year-old Daria Kasatkina turned heads with her impressive run to the Indian Wells quarterfinals, and as a result she earned a career-high ranking of No.36.
Nicole Gibbs (USA), +21 (No.95 to 74): Another dream run belongs to the American Nicole Gibbs, a qualifier at Indian Wells. Her run to the fourth round bumps her up 21 spots to her career-high ranking of No.74.
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
Miami Open
Miami, USA
Premier Mandatory | $6,134,605 | Hard, Outdoors
Tuesday, March 22 – Sunday, April 3, 2016
Katowice Open
Katowice, Poland
International | $226,750 | Hard, Indoors
Monday, April 4 – Sunday, April 10, 2016
Volvo Car Open
Charleston, USA
Premier | $687,900 | Clay
Monday, April 4 – Sunday, April 10, 2016
TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Serena Williams – Miami
2. Agnieszka Radwanska – Miami, Katowice
3. Angelique Kerber – Miami, Charleston
4. Garbiñe Muguruza – Miami
5. Simona Halep – Miami
6. Carla Suárez Navarro – Miami
7. Petra Kvitova – Miami
8. Victoria Azarenka – Miami
9. Roberta Vinci – Miami
10. Belinda Bencic – Miami, Charleston
11. Maria Sharapova
12. Flavia Pennetta – (retired)
13. Venus Williams – Miami, Charleston
14. Karolina Pliskova – Miami
15. Lucie Safarova – Miami, Charleston
16. Elina Svitolina – Miami
17. Ana Ivanovic – Miami
18. Sara Errani – Miami, Charleston
19. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Miami
20. Timea Bacsinszky – Miami
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:
Karolina Pliskova (CZE) – March 21, 1992
Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) – March 21, 1992
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) – March 22, 1994
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) – March 23, 1985
Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) – March 26, 1994
An interview with Petra Kvitova after her win in the quarterfinals of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
No.9 seed Johanna Konta continued her own impressive form at the Australian Open, dismissing rising star Naomi Osaka in straight sets to reach the third round.
1. Can Serena get back to her winning ways in Miami?
It has been an odd start to Serena Williams’ season. On one hand, she is clearly playing at a superior, more consistent level of tennis than her near-historic 2015 season. On the other han,d she has yet to win a title, losing back-to-back finals for the first time since the summer of 2004 – getting nipped at the finish line by Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open and Victoria Azarenka last week at the BNP Paribas Open.
There are legitimate explanations for both losses. Kerber played the match of her life in Melbourne, while the emotions from playing an Indian Wells final for the first time 15 years clearly led to her nervy, tense play against Azarenka. In other words, they weren’t “bad” losses. But they were losses nonetheless, and for a perfectionist like Serena, they were tough to swallow.
Click here to check out the Miami Open draw.
Now she returns to the tournament she has dominated like no other. An eight-time champion at the Miami Open, the familiar surrounds of Crandon Park may just be what Serena needs to get her hands on her first trophy since the Western & Southern Open. She leads the top half of the draw with Petra Kvitova as a potential quarterfinal opponent and Agnieszka Radwanska and Simona Halep – both of whom she beat in Indian Wells – looming as potential semifinal opponents. She opens against either Misaki Doi or Christina McHale.
2. Can Vika go coast-to-coast?
Not since Kim Clijsters in 2005 has a player completed the Indian Wells-Miami double. With her sterling 16-1 record in 2016 – and riding a high after winning Indian Wells – Azarenka has a chance to cap off her resurgent spring hardcourt season if she can win her third Miami title. Drawn into the Spanish Quarter anchored by No.4 Garbiñe Muguruza and last year’s finalist Carla Suárez Navarro, she’ll play either Catherine Bellis or Monica Puig in the second round.
3. Can Simona Halep build on her Indian Wells form?
After a season start marred by injury and illness, Halep looked well on her way to regaining her form in Indian Wells, where she rolled into the quarterfinals without losing a set before bowing out to Serena. The No.5 seed is once again in Serena’s half but landed in Radwanska’s quarter. She could open her tournament against the surging Daria Kasatkina – who is making her Miami Open debut – and could face Sam Stosur and Sloane Stephens before the second week.
If Halep and Radwanska can take care of business in the first week, their projected quarterfinal would be a must-watch clash. Radwanska, the new World No.2, has made the semifinals or better at every tournament she’s played this year.
4. Can Garbiñe Muguruza navigate her tough draw?
The top players will breathe a sigh of relief once Dominika Cibulkova gets her ranking up and is no longer unseeded and looming. The Abierto Mexicano Telcel finalist narrowly lost out to Radwanska in three sets in the second round in Indian Wells and could be Muguruza’s opening round opponent in Miami (Cibulkova opens against Johanna Larsson). From there, the Spaniard’s draw could see her face one of either Kristina Mladenovic, Nicole Gibbs, or Yulia Putintseva, before a potential fourth round match against Victoria Azarenka. That’s a very tricky first week for Garbi.
5. Can Angelique Kerber hit the ground running?
Ranked No.3 but seeded No.2 this week – the draw was conducted before the new rankings came out on Monday – Kerber is about to embark on a stretch of tournaments in April in which she has a load of points to defend on clay. Miami offers her an opportunity to pick up some points to ease that pressure (she lost in the third round last year). The problem for her is she’s on a three-match losing streak, having won just one match at Fed Cup since her Australian Open win.
Kerber could open her tournament against the highest-ranked unseeded woman in the draw in World No.32 Barbora Strycova, who has had a fine start to the season. The Czech veteran beat Muguruza in Australia, made the biggest final of her career at the Dubai Duty Free Championships, and beat Andrea Petkovic en route to the fourth round in Indian Wells, where she retired due to illness. Kerber could also face Indian Wells semifinalist Karolina Pliskova – the pair had two thrilling three-set encounters last year, which Kerber won – with No.7 seed Belinda Bencic a possible Round of 16 opponent.
6. Can the teenagers do more damage?
In addition to main draw entries by Bencic and Kasatkina, the Miami Open awarded wildcards to five teenagers – Naomi Osaka, Sofia Zhuk, Paula Badosa Gibert, Beatriz Haddad Maia, and CiCi Bellis – all of whom are worth keeping an eye on this week.
Bencic is trying to get back on a roll since cracking the Top 10 in February. She’s been drawn into Kerber’s quarter and will play either a qualifier or 18-year-old wildcard Paula Badosa Gibert, the reigning French Open junior champion. Meanwhile, Kasatkina could face Halep in the second round, a fun potential match between two strong clay courters. Also notable: Jelena Ostapenko is the No.1 seed in qualifying. If she makes it through, watch for her placement in the draw.
Japan’s Osaka, 18, faces a qualifier in the first round. Get past that and she would face No.14 seed Sara Errani. At No.104 a win could put her into the Top 100 for the first time.
In addition to Badosa Gibert, another reigning junior champion is in the mix in 16-year-old Zhuk. The feisty Russian won junior Wimbledon last year and will face Zhang Shuai in the first round. Keeping Zhuk company in the 16-and-under category, Bellis will try her luck against Monica Puig in the first round.
Lastly, in the “What are the odds?” match-up of the first round, it’s an all-Brazilian battle between 19-year-old Haddad Maia and the veteran Teliana Pereira.
7. Can Caroline Wozniacki snap out of her slump?
Down to No.25 in the rankings – her lowest since July 2008 – the Dane has yet to get her season into gear. She has beaten just one Top 50 player this season and has taken losses to No.30 Sloane Stephens, No.76 Yulia Putintseva, No.66 Dominika Cibulkova, No.118 Elena Vesnina, No.84 Heather Watson, and No.69 Zhang Shuai.
Drawn into Serena’s quarter, she’ll open against either Vania King or a qualifier, and is projected to face Elina Svitolina and Petra Kvitova before a potential meeting with Serena.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Taking stock of the first two rounds of play at the Australian Open, where Serena Williams leads a class of players who look primed for a title run.
Fit and ready to fight.
Through the first two rounds of play, here are the players who look in-form and ready to make a real run at the Australian Open title.
Serena Williams
No one had a tougher draw in the first two rounds than Serena and she passed with flying colors, beating Belinda Bencic and Lucie Safarova in straight sets. Her win over Safarova on Thursday night was particularly impressive. Serena fired 15 aces and a total of 35 winners to 23 unforced errors and she was clutch when she needed to be. Serena faced down six break points and saved them all to win, 6-3, 6-4.
And you know it was good if she says it was good. Serena’s her harshest critic, which explains why she didn’t have much patience for anyone finding fault in her performance.
“Scrappy?”
Serena put in a top-notch performance tonight. So you can understand this response. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/PJrvI4AAVH
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) January 19, 2017
Karolina Pliskova
Through two matches against, as she said, soft opponents, the World No.5 has lost just four games, dropping two bagel sets along the way. She has yet to be tested in the tournament, but she’s been striking the ball well and has been broken just once.
Johanna Konta
Konta continues her incredible form that was on display in her run to the Apia International Sydney title last week. She has not lost a set, beating Kirsten Flipkens and Naomi Osaka handily, and her level has been outstanding. If she wasn’t in Serena’s quarter of the draw she’d be a more than justifiable pick to make the semifinals, if not the final. That’s just how good Jo is playing right now.
Dominika Cibulkova
The No.6 seed has not lost a set but she’s been made to fight on court to beat Denisa Allertova and Hsieh Su-Wei. There have been some wobbles, but the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champion has yet to panic, a true sign of her growing confidence. Cibulkova did not come into the tournament with many matches, and she may need a few more to fully round into form. But she’s been solid early.
Garbiñe Muguruza
The Spaniard insists that her abductor injury is getting better as time goes on, and her ability to pocket tough straight-set wins in the early going will only help. She did not have dominant wins over Marina Erakovic and Sam Crawford, but she’s shown the same resilience she showed at the Brisbane International to start the year. Muguruza is battle-tested and she’s playing well. The only question is whether her body holds up during the tournament.
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Much like Pliskova, the No.8 seed has yet to face a real test, losing just one game to Mariana Duque-Mariño and handling Aussie teenager Jamiee Fourlis easily.
Venus Williams
As I wrote before the tournament, Venus has a great draw to make the second week and possibly the semifinals. Through two matches she has looked far better than expected given the right arm injury she’s been managing. Much like Muguruza, we’ll be keeping an eye on how she’s doing physically – she withdrew from doubles so as to not aggravate the injury – but so far, so good for Venus.
The Dark Horse
Eugenie Bouchard looks primed to play spoiler in her section of the draw. Bouchard has been playing confident tennis in Melbourne and faced CoCo Vandeweghe on Friday. Get through that match and she could earn a shot at defending champion Angelique Kerber, who is still trying to find her form.
The Surprises
Jennifer Brady, Maria Sakkari, Nicole Gibbs, Mona Barthel, Ashleigh Barty, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Sorana Cirstea probably aren’t names many penciled into the third round.
Quote of the Day: “Sometimes people think you play a top player and you’ll go in there relaxed like you have nothing to lose. I don’t see it that way at all.”
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni pulled off the upset of the day, routing No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-2 in just 66 minutes. The 34-year-old fired 33 winners to just 20 unforced errors, and she left Radwanska playing the role of bystander. “Shooting – not playing – is the right word for that game,” Radwanska said. “In or out. That’s it. It went so quickly.”
“Sometimes people think you play a top player and you’ll go in there relaxed like you have nothing to lose,” Lucic-Baroni said. “I don’t see it that way at all. I know I have the game to beat top players so I came in there with a gameplan today to win the match. I didn’t go to see the court and enjoy. I’m way too old and I’ve been around way too long to just gain experience. I came there to win the match.”
It took the Croat 19 years to win her second match ever at the Australian Open, which came in the first round. Now, 48 hours later she scored her third.
“Feelings like tonight are incredible on court,” Lucic-Baroni said. “You can’t replicate it anywhere else in life.”
Jennifer Brady saves five match points to beat Heather Watson.
The American qualifier, ranked No.116, is playing just her second main draw at a Slam. Thanks to some clutch serving, she saved five match points to beat Watson, 2-6, 7-6(3), 10-8 in 2 hours and 43 minutes. She’ll face No.14 seed Elena Vesnina next. The Russian has a chance to make the second week without facing a player in the Top 100.
Brady told reporters she had no expectation of still being in the tournament in the third round. “I booked my hotel through the 20th,” Brady said. “Gotta change that now.”
Brady’s friends are pretty excited for her:
Spot the brat in the 3rd rd of @AustralianOpen!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/N07XJ7uqxG
— Grace Min (@GraceMin56) January 19, 2017
SakkAttack!
Greece’s Maria Sakkari won her first main draw match at a Slam here in Melbourne last year. Twelve months later she’s into her first third round, beating No.28 seed Alizé Cornet, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. With the massive Greek support here in Melbourne, Sakkari was left speechless when asked what this result means to her.
“I still cannot believe it. It’s a dream. I grew up watching all these players that I’m playing now and I could not imagine when I was young that I would be here in the third round playing against these players.”
“It’s something that not many people can do, around the world. I still cannot believe it so I cannot tell you what it feels like.”
Johanna Konta and Caroline Wozniacki set for a big third-round clash.
Both women won through easily on Thursday, setting up a must-watch match on Saturday. Clear your schedules. That’s the biggest third-round showdown of the tournament. It will be the first meeting between the two.
Dominika Cibulkova on the mental game.
Cibulkova started working with a sports psychologist in February of 2015 and she credits all the hard work they’ve done over the last two years for her on-court improvements. But she admits that she wasn’t sure about it when they first began working together.
“In the beginning I didn’t believe this was something that would help me achieve what I want,” she said. “But I started to work with him and I saw the results. So I started to believe once I tried it myself.”
Earlier in the week, CoCo Vandeweghe said she had tried working with a sports psychologist years ago but stopped because she found it too invasive. I asked Cibulkova why more players don’t work with a sports psychologist, especially in a high-pressure game like tennis.
“I think the best players, they work with a mental coach, they just don’t talk about it,” she said. “They just want to keep it for themselves. Who would want to say, ‘I’m doing this extra and it will help you too’?
“Three years ago I thought if I give 100% on the court then off the court it’s my time off and I don’t have to think about tennis and do other things. Now my coach led me to this mental coach and he said, ‘Domi, you need this because your game is so good but you need your head to be more stable and more strong.'”
Nicole Gibbs gets back to basics.
Gibbs is into the third round of a Slam for the first time since the US Open in 2014, and for just the second time in her career. She came through an All-American derby, beating Irina Falconi in straight sets.
Watching Gibbs early this season it’s clear that she’s been working on being more aggressive and looking to hit forehands with more pace and placement. Gibbs credits a racquet switch during the off-season, trading in her Wilson Burn for the new Wilson Blade. But she’s also getting back to the fundamentals of her game, which she felt she went away from last year.
“When my dad built my game he kind of modeled me after Justine Henin,” Gibbs said. “He wanted me running around backhands, looking for my forehand everywhere. His only regret was not giving me a one-handed backhand.
“That was the basis of my game and for the first time in a long time I have a coach that sees it that way as well. So we’re getting back to the foundational principles that my game was built around and I think that’s going to take me to the highest potential peak of my game.”
Naomi Osaka bows out.
For the first time in five Slams, Osaka failed to reach the third round, though in this case you can blame a tough draw against Konta. Asked about her goals for the season, the 19-year-old was pretty clear.
“Goals for the season, I wanted to get into the Top 20, win a tournament, and then get to the quarterfinals of a Slam.”
Serena is just…Serena.
“Overall I played really well. But unfortunately, Serena played…Serena.”
That was Lucie Safarova after playing a great match and still finding herself on the losing end of a straight-set loss to Serena.
“She’s not someone you see in a second-round match. I know that [French Open final against Safarova] was a tough three-set match. She never gives up. Like she’s just always fighting to come back. So I knew that I wanted to jump out in the lead.
“I knew that I wanted to just be Serena. That’s what I’m good at doing, is being Serena.”
So what exactly does it mean to “be Serena”?
“To me, it’s being a champion, but not only by the way I play, but the things I do off the court as well,” Serena said. “I know that being Serena on the court is in a way being calm, which is in my name, but always having that fire as well. I think, most of all, being confident. I should be confident ’cause there’s no other Serena. I mean, I’m Serena. Maybe there is another one, but she’s not in tennis.
“So I think sometimes I forget. I try to be so humble that I forget I have accomplished so much. I really wanted today to just have confidence when I was out there.”
Day 5 Matches to Watch:
Eugenie Bouchard vs. CoCo Vandeweghe (1st match, Rod Laver Arena)
Angelique Kerber vs. Kristyna Pliskova (2nd match, Rod Laver Arena)
Elina Svitolina vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (1st match, Margaret Court Arena)
Venus Williams vs. Duan Ying-Ying (3rd match, Margaret Court Arena)
Garbiñe Muguruza vs. Anastasija Sevastova (2nd night match, Margaret Court Arena)
Jelena Jankovic vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova (1st match, Hisense Arena)
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
MIAMI, FL, USA – Kirsten Flipkens weathered a strong start from wildcard Laura Robson to ease through to the second round of the Miami Open.
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Robson, whose bright career has been derailed due to injury woes since 2014, has been edging her way back onto the WTA in the past few months, and she put up a strong challenge against the No.65-ranked Flipkens, a finalist earlier this year at the Abierto Monterrey Afirme.
The 22-year-old Brit came out firing, grabbing an early break to race ahead to a 3-0 lead and allowing Flipkens to win just two points. The Belgian finally got on board and after three consecutive breaks, she held serve to level the score at 4-4. They hung tight and, despite Robson bringing up three set points, Flipkens held her nerve to send it into a tiebreaker.
This time it was Flipkens who grabbed an early lead to go up 3-0, and though Robson was starting to mount a comeback, Flipkens fired off five straight points to take the opening set.
After seeing her monumental effort come up short, Robson had nothing left in the tank to withstand Flipkens’ second-set dominance, and the Belgian reeled off four straight games to clinch the match 7-6(4), 6-2.
Earlier in the day, No.664-ranked Peng Shuai, whose career was similarly derailed due to injury, is back to her winning ways after a win over Van Uytvanck 6-3, 7-5. It’s Peng’s first victory since February 2015 in Dubai, and just her second singles match since last year’s French Open.
Nicole Gibbs and Madison Brengle, a pair of Americans, also advanced to the second round in straight sets. Brengle dispatched the always dangerous Camila Giorgi 6-4, 6-3, while Gibbs backed up her Indian Wells dream run with a straightforward win over Yulia Putintseva, 6-4. 6-2.
Also through to the second round are Zarina Diyas, Lesia Tsurenko, Margarita Gasparyan and Danka Kovinic.