Next Stop, Acapulco & Kuala Lumpur: Who Will Shine On The International Stage?
Top 20 players’ schedules, upcoming tournaments, birthdays and more – check out what’s on tap for this week on the WTA as the tour stops in Acapulco and Kuala Lumpur.
Top 20 players’ schedules, upcoming tournaments, birthdays and more – check out what’s on tap for this week on the WTA as the tour stops in Acapulco and Kuala Lumpur.
Duan Ying-Ying had Thursday’s shot of the day at the Alya WTA Malaysian Open.
ACAPULCO, Mexico – No.2 seed Kristina Mladenovic needed three sets and over three and a half hours but she’s through to the quarterfinals at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel after a marathon battle against Heather Watson, 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 7-5.
The epic, three-hour-and-thirty-two minute encounter clocks in as the longest WTA match of the season so far; only Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic’s Australian Open battle was longer at three hours and thirty-six minutes.
“Oh my god, what can I even say,” an exhausted Mladenovic told wtatennis.com after the match. “The conditions here were very difficult – the humidity is ridiculous and I think we both struggled physically.”
Monster forehand from @KiKiMladenovic! ? #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/kfRQX5NZhw
— WTA (@WTA) March 2, 2017
The blistering conditions in southern Mexico were heating up even more on Grandstand Caliente, with Mladenovic employing her doubles prowess to attack at the net and Heather staying solid from the baseline. The Frenchwoman struggled with her throughout the match, racking up nine double faults in the first set alone – she would hit 20 in total.
There were several twists and turns as both players struggled to establish momentum; Watson started off with a strong trio of breaks to give herself a 4-1 lead, before Mladenovic reeled off four games in a row to rip it away. Mladenovic edged through in the tiebreak, winning four points on the bounce from 4-4 to take the opening set.
The pair traded breaks twice in the second set, with Watson holding her nerve to break back each time as Mladenovic continued to apply all-court pressure, but the Brit relied on her down-the-line backhands to see her through in the second tiebreak.
Watson showed her grit to bat away two of Mladenovic’ match points at 5-3 in the third with a stinging, crosscourt backhand, before another double fault from the Frenchwomen gave her the break back. After managing to level the score at 5-5, Watson seemed to run out of steam, winning just three points in the next two games as Mladenovic closed out the match.
3 hours and 31 minutes!@KiKiMladenovic battles past Watson 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 7-5 for a spot in @AbiertoTelcel Quarterfinals! #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/uSgCvrlr0j
— WTA (@WTA) March 2, 2017
Despite Watson’s 59 winners to 29 unforced errors against Mladenovic’s 22 and 23, it was Mladenovic who proved more solid in the big moments, creating and converting more break opportunities.
“These kind of matches, I’m not really satisfied with the way I played – I’m not sure it was really the best quality tennis – but I’m actually very satisfied with the fighting,” Mladenovic explained.
“We both of us, we never gave up. It was up and down; I was down big time in the first set and I came back and won it. I also had match points in the end and she saved them, actually beautifully, and she came back.
“That was just grit. A mental battle. I’m just satisfied and proud to pull this one through.”
Mladenovic will be right back on Grandstand Caliente tomorrow to take on Kirsten Flipkens for a spot in the Acapulco semifinals. The Belgian advanced after Ajla Tomljanovic was forced to retire from their match due to a right shoulder injury.
Tired @KiKiMladenovic? ? #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/Mc7tcHs6G2
— WTA (@WTA) March 2, 2017
Tsvetana Pironkova produced a spectacular comeback to knock out No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska and book a place in the quarterfinals of the French Open.
Nicole Gibbs took some extra special friends along – including NFL pros Cameron Fleming and Shayne Skov – for some cliff diving and boat riding during her week in Acapulco.
Tsvetana Pironkova takes on Agnieszka Radwanska in the fourth round of Roland Garros.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Ashleigh Barty cruised into the semifinals of the Alya Malaysian Open after defeating Zhang Kai-Lin in straight sets, winning 6-0, 7-6(2).
Barty, who defeated fellow qualifier Maya Kato in the previous round, flew through the opening set 6-0 but was pushed closer in the second before winning the breaker 7-2.
“It wasn’t a breeze at all,” said the Australian afterwards. “I think I started well and I served particularly well at the start. I was able to get that early jump and get some early momentum but it didn’t matter what the score was in the first set, Kai-Lin’s a quality player, she really is, and I knew that second set was going to be a battle no matter what.”
.@AshBar96 reaches first #WTA Semifinal at @alyawtamo!
Downs Zhang 6-0, 7-6 (2)! pic.twitter.com/AEF2YWfvjW
— WTA (@WTA) March 3, 2017
Zhang actually had the chance to serve for the second set before the match went to the breaker.
“I played a pretty poor game at 5-5,” added Barty. “But I was just happy to break straight back and move on and then play a quality tiebreak as well. Now I’m excited to be in my first semifinal and we just have to chip away throughout the year and hope the good results will come.”
Victory for Barty sets up a semifinal showdown with Han Xinyun, who came out on top of the battle of the Chinese, beating Wang Qiang 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4.
With the match evenly balanced at a set apiece, Wang recovered from a break down in the decider, winning three games on the spin to level at 4-4 before Han took the final two games to secure victory.
“The first set was really hot and the sun almost killed me!” said Han afterwards. “Into the second set I tried to stay aggressive and positive and could feel that she tired and in the third set we both tried really hard but I really played my tennis in the last two games. I made a really good winner and put a lot of pressure on her. I was 0-40 in the last game but I never gave up.”
“I like her so much because she is so talented,” said Han of her semifinal opponent. “She’s played really good tennis this week and I’m so excited to play her tomorrow so I hope it’s going to be a good match.”
Han is yet to win a WTA title and, like Barty, this run for the world no.139 represents her best to date .
Timea Bacsinszky takes on Venus Williams in the fourth round of Roland Garros.
Australia’s Ashleigh Barty took on Japan’s Nao Hibino in the final of the ALYA Malaysian Open.
PARIS, France – Defending champion and top seed Serena Williams was on the ropes for much of her quarterfinal encounter with Yulia Putintseva, but the American found a way to outgut the inspired young Kazakh, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, to reach the last four at the French Open.
Putintseva was playing her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, but the 21-year-old proved more that ready for primetime on Court Philippe Chatrier, winning three games in a row to capture her first set over Serena in three previous meetings.
Undaunted, the American appeared on course to quickly level the contest when she recovered from an early break to race out to a 4-1 lead in the second, but Putintseva dug deep to earn two break points in the ninth game, which would have given her the chance to serve for a spot in the semifinals.
“I just kept hitting balls out,” Serena told press, assessing her performance. “I just wasn’t firing the way I wanted to. I definitely knew I needed to do something different if I was going to stay in the tournament.
“I always try to have a plan B and C and go from there. But I felt like in the beginning of the second set, I started playing better, but then I let her come back.
“I also think she’s an incredible fighter, so she kind of came back through her will and making shots.
“Then after that I was like, I have to do something better and different if I’m going to stick around.”
23-shot rally between Putintseva & Williams = ??? #RG16 https://t.co/b0tQw0fxb5
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 2, 2016
Williams ultimately held firm and weathered one last surge late in the decider from the youngster – who saved three match points in a row in that final game – to advance in just over two hours, hitting 36 winners to 43 unforced errors.
“I think the match was very close and very far from being on my side,” Putintseva told press after the match. “I was trying to do everything what I can, to run, to cover, to attack when I can, to go forward. But it just was unlucky situation end of the second set for me.
“But it’s okay. I mean, still have some years to play Grand Slams.”
In all, Putintseva can be pleased with a clean score sheet, hitting 18 winners to 16 unforced, but wasn’t able to dicate play in the key moments against the World No.1 and 21-time Grand Slam champion.
“I had some great wins here. I win some really good matches in straight sets. I’m really happy with that. I’m really happy with the level that I was playing during all of this tournament.
“I got a lot of experience now. I played on center court here in Roland Garros, which is great. I just hope to come back stronger and next time to play better in important moments.”
Set to play Kiki Bertens – who upset No.8 seed Timea Bacsinszky on Court Suzanne Lenglen – in the semifinals, Serena stands just two wins away from tying Steffi Graf’s Grand Slam haul of 22 titles.
“I remember her being just really tough, and, you know, giving a good, tough performance,” Serena said about when she last played Bertens at the US Open. “I was happy to get through that match. Just, you know, every match counts and every match, you know, leads to a new one.
“I know she won the week before and she’s been playing really well. I saw a little bit of her match. We kind of finished around the same time so I didn’t get to see all of it, but I saw some of the highlights.
“She’s a really sweet girl. It’s always good to see someone like that do well.”
Serena slams the door on Putintseva, closes out the 21-year-old 6-1 in the 3rd. She's back in the SFs for 5th time. pic.twitter.com/XkEtAvrKq0
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 2, 2016