Tennis News

SINGAPORE – Agnieszka Radwanska’s strong return of serve was key to her win over Karolina Pliskova 7-5 6-3 in the final round robin match of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The victory earned Radwanska a spot in the event’s semifinals.

One of the best returners in the game, Radwanska was facing one of the best servers in the game in Friday’s match.

Through this season, Radwanska is among the Top 3 on the WTA for return points won (49%), return games won (49%) and break points converted (54%).

She was facing an opponent in Pliskova who led the WTA in aces (530) and was second for first serve points won (74%) in 2016.

The SAP Coaches View shows that it was Pliskova’s second serve that was vulnerable to Radwanska’s return, with the Pole winning 61% of those points.

The “Return of Serve” tracking with Coaches View shows that a key to Radwanska’s success was her aggressive approach in taking those Pliskova second serves. Radwanska returned 78% of Pliskova’s second serves from inside the baseline.

During the first two round robin matches of the tournament, Pliskova won 47% of second serve points, compared to 36% against Radwanska. Neither of her first two opponents, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Garbiñe Muguruza, were as aggressive as Radwanska in taking the ball early. Kuznetsova returned 57% of Pliskova’s second serves inside the baseline, while Muguruza did so just 10% of the time.

The SAP Coaches View combines scoring information direct from the chair umpire with tracking data from HawkEye to allow for an in depth look at five different aspects of a match. Each tracking option can be filtered to narrow the focus to specific situations within a match, such as break points.This information is available directly to coaches in real-time during a match on their SAP tablet and also available to them online after matches.

“Return of serve” tracking shows where each service return was struck, differentiating between first and second serves, with an emphasis on how many serves are returned from inside the baseline. This data can be filtered by a particular score.

Radwanska broke Pliskova five times in 10 games during Friday’s match, giving the defending champion a berth in the semifinals as she aims for a second straight WTA Finals title.

As we’re approaching the end of the season, tennis apparel launches are few and far between. Still, in the month of October we did have some tennis fashion releases, while some older designs reminded us just how good they are. Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will give us an overview of the best clothes that graced the courts during the month highlighted by the $7,000,000 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

It’s been a while since Lacoste has launched a truly different design, but Dominika Cibulkova’s powerful and inspiring title run at the WTA Finals helped us better notice just how good the blue dress with orange built-in racerback sports bra suits the courageous Slovak. Every inch of the Lacoste Fall Racer Dress fits Cibulkova just right, so much that I thoroughly enjoyed watching the determined 27-year-old work the design that we’ve been seeing around the courts, in one form or another, through most of the year.

The sporty mini skirt and thick straps complemented Cibulkova’s 5’3″ frame perfectly, the peeking mango tree bra and 3D Lacoste script at mid-back reflect her drive and energy, while the mesh racerback overlay and white zipper create an absolutely winning look. What’s more, Cibulkova paired the dress with a classic white head tie, for an overall perfect blend of sporty, modern, retro and functional.

Before being stopped by inspired Cibulkova, Angelique Kerber confidently marched through the WTA Finals, wearing winter colors (white and light green), brightened by the vibrant coral contrast. The World No.1 opted for the white version of the adidas Fall Pro Tank, whose flash red racerback provides just the right amount of warm contrast, and the adidas Fall Pro Skirt, whose print is one of the best prints this season, and you know how tough the competition is.

The impression wouldn’t have been complete without the beautiful Adizero Ubersonic 2 shoes that offer confidence and stability even in ultra fast on-court movements.

Karolina Pliskova made her first appearance at the WTA Finals in style, wearing classic black and white hues from Fila’s Court Couture line characterized by feminine ruching, fashion-forward draping, and elegant, gold finishing touches. The Czech No.1 showcased the Court Couture Halter Tank, featuring a built-in bra and 30+ UV protection for the perfect melding of fashion and function, and the Court Couture Skirt, another timeless piece with classic contrasting colors.

Another player rocking the classic black and whites this October was Venus Williams, but the queen of prints used them to create a busy floral pattern, pairing it with solid colorblocks.

During her short campaign at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, Williams presented the EleVen Casablanca Glide Back Tank, a sleek black top featuring printed contrast elastic binding that enhances a feminine silhouette, and the EleVen Casablanca Triple Threat Skirt, equipped with EleVen Pro-Dri for moisture-wicking performance and superior breathability.

World No. 87 Carina Witthoeft lost in the first round of the Generali Ladies Linz as a qualifier, but in the fashion battle the German would have progressed much further at the tournament. Her purple Nike outfit consisted of the NikeCourt Maria Tank in color plum fog and the NikeCourt Maria Skort. The tank is made of stretch mesh fabric that provides stylish and breathable coverage. Carina decided to tuck the top in, not exposing split hems that offer a different, yet just as stylish look.