News | Tennis Courts Map Directory

Notes & Netcords: March 21, 2016

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

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

Source link

Insider Draw Analysis: Miami

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

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.

Source link