Safarova Gets The Seal Of Approval
Lucie Safarova and mixed doubles partner Radek Stepanek celebrated their mixed doubles win in style, with a little help from soul singer Seal in London.
Lucie Safarova and mixed doubles partner Radek Stepanek celebrated their mixed doubles win in style, with a little help from soul singer Seal in London.
Heather Watson becomes the first British woman to win a Wimbledon title of any kind in almost two decades by capturing a mixed doubles crown alongside Henri Kontinen.
Top seed Timea Bacsinszky had a late start thanks to a rainy day in Gstaad, but advanced into the second round in straight sets alongside No.6 seed Johanna Larsson.
Elena Vesnina began the season ranked outside the Top 100, but you’d never know it after six months of impressive results.
“I was not putting any pressure on myself going on the court,” the Russian veteran said after reaching her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon. “I know I’m in good shape, I’m playing good. But it’s always tough when you know you’re in a good shape to build your game from beginning till the end and keep playing the same level.
“So I was just trying to be focused on every single game. I was not thinking about my draw. I didn’t see who I was playing next round. I was trying to enjoy myself on the court.”
Building her ranking back up with wins over the likes of Simona Halep, Venus Williams, and Belinda Bencic, Vesnina went farther than she’d ever gone at a major tournament in singles, breaking her second week duck against doubles partner Ekaterina Makarova and blasting into the final four against another in-form player in Dominika Cibulkova.
“I was watching Dominika’s match yesterday because we were going after this,” she said, referring to the Slovak’s win over Agnieszka Radwanska. “It was up and down, Dominika had match points. I knew she had long match.
“Me too. I had singles and we had to play doubles, as well. We finished quite late.
“I think first thing that I was not thinking about being tired. I was just thinking that this is my chance, and I had to use it.”
She certainly used it to full effect in the quarterfinals, dismantling Cibulkova in what might have been the best match of her career.
“I think it’s coming with experience. You really appreciate what you have now. You really enjoying what you’re doing. I love playing tennis. I’m really enjoying my time on the court, and off the court as well.
“I had really difficult beginning of the year, end of the year. I dropped out of the Top 100. I was playing all tournaments starting from qualifications. I had a lot of matches under my belt. It was not easy, to be honest, because I was in Top 30, then I was like No.120 or something.
“I’m really happy that it didn’t break me up. I think the difficult times, every single player has to go through it because it makes you better, it makes you stronger.”
For all of those reasons, Bertens is your Breakthrough Player of the Month!
Final Results for June’s WTA Breakthrough Performance Of The Month
1. Elena Vesnina (62%)
2. Madison Keys (31%)
3. Anastasija Sevastova (7%)
2016 Breakthrough Performance Of The Month Winners
January: Zhang Shuai
February: Jelena Ostapenko
March: Nicole Gibbs
April: Cagla Buyukakcay
May: Kiki Bertens
How it works:
Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com
THE WINNERS
Top seed Simona Halep was nearly flawless in the final of the BRD Bucharest Open, putting on a clay court masterclass in her 6-0, 6-0 win against Anastasija Sevastova to claim her second hometown title in three years.
“I am very happy, especially because I won like this,” Halep said. “I was very strong, I was confident and I can also say I was determined from the very beginning.
“It was a beautiful final and it’s also my 13th title. I will never forget this day.”
Read the match recap here.
Over in the Swiss Alps, local favorite Viktorija Golubic capped off a dream week by winning her first WTA title at the inaugural Ladies Championship Gstaad. Golubic defeated Kiki Bertens 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after a two-hour battle to claim the title in her home country.
Earlier in the year, Golubic’s performance at the Ricoh Open turned heads when she reached her first ever WTA-level quarterfinals. Now just over a month later, the 23-year-old has claimed her first WTA title.
“Yeah, it’s really amazing,” Golubic reflected on her meteoric rise. “In March, I qualified for Katowice and won one round – that was the first time in more than a year that I qualify for a WTA event. In ‘s-Hertogenbosch, I played quarterfinals. That was such a new experience too.
“From that point on I improved even more, and to be here now as a winner is really incredible and amazing feeling.”
Read the match recap here.
RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of July 18, 2016.
Viktorija Golubic (SUI) +33 (No.105 to 72): Golubic’s performance at the Ladies Championship Gstaad earned her a maiden WTA title in front of her home crowd, as well as this week’s biggest ranking jump. The 23-year-old now sits at a career-high of No.72.
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) +17 (No.66 to 49): Despite the lopsided score line in the Bucharest final,
Kiki Bertens (NED) +5 (No.26 to 21): Golubic’s opponent in the Gstaad final also notched a big ranking jump this week. Bertens continues her steady climb with a new career-high of No.21, a hair away from breaking into the Top 20 for the first time.
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI), +2 (No.17 to 15): Another deep run – this time to the semifinals at her home tournament in Gstaad – bumps up Bacsinszky two spots to No.15.
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
Bank Of The West Classic
Standford, USA
Premier | $687,900 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, July 18 – Sunday, July 24
Citi Open
Washington DC, USA
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, July 18 – Sunday, July 24
Ericsson Open
Bastad, Sweden
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, July 18 – Sunday, July 24
Rogers Cup
Montreal, Canada
Premier | $2,413,663 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, July 25 – Sunday, July 31
Brasil Tennis Cup
Florianopolis, Brazil
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoor
Sunday, July 31 – Friday, August 5
Jiangxi Women’s Tennis Open
Nanchang, China
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, August 1 – August 7
TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Serena Williams – Montreal
2. Angelique Kerber – Bastad, Montreal
3. Garbiñe Muguruza – Montreal
4. Agnieszka Radwanska – Montreal
5. Simona Halep – Montreal
6. Victoria Azarenka
7. Venus Williams – Stanford, Montreal
8. Roberta Vinci – Montreal
9. Carla Suárez Navarro – Montreal
10. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Montreal
11. Madison Keys – Montreal
12. Dominika Cibulkova – Stanford, Montreal
13. Petra Kvitova – Montreal
14. Samantha Stosur – Washington DC, Montreal
15. Timea Bacsinszky –
16. Belinda Bencic – Montreal
17. Karolina Pliskova – Montreal
18. Johanna Konta – Stanford – Montreal
19. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – Stanford, Montreal
20. Elina Svitolina – Montreal
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:
Teliana Pereira (BRA) – July 20, 1988
Luksika Kumkhum (THA) – July 21, 1993
Former World No.7 Nicole Vaidisova has decided to curtail her second comeback and officially retire from tennis due to recurring injuries.
Dominika Cibulkova played her best tennis when the pressure was on; SAP Tennis Analytics for Coaches shows how the Slovak got it done at the Bank of the West Classic.
WTA Insider | Two all-American battles are on Friday’s Bank of the West Classic schedule; stay tuned for an action-packed Live Blog.
ZHUHAI, China – Sunday marks 100 days until the start of the final event on the 2016 tennis calendar, the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
This year’s tournament promises to build on the overwhelming success of its inaugural staging, which saw fans flock and former World No.1 Venus Williams walk away with the trophy.
While the line-up for 2016 will not be finalized for several months yet, one bona fide star is already confirmed to be making the trip to southern China. Stefanie Graf – winner of 107 WTA singles titles, 22 Grand Slam singles titles and global ambassador for the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai – will be present this November to greet players and fans at the Hengqin Tennis Center, Zhuhai.
“With a fantastic player field, increased domestic and international coverage, exciting on site entertainment activities, and a special appearance by our global ambassador Stefanie Graf, the 2016 WETZ definitely is not to be missed,” said Tournament Director Peter Johnston.
Once again the event will be organized by Zhuhai Huafa Group and APG, who in addition to the singles and doubles competitions will lay on a variety of off-court entertainment, including the unique opportunity for players and fans to enjoy the taste of famous Michelin restaurants from around the world at the on-site SAVOUR Festival. Last year’s success has also encouraged several well-known domestic and international brands to lend their support, including Peak Sports, USANA, Yonex, Guodao Gold, Liri Tent Technology, Eulong and Rossini.
“We are proud to see the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai making breakthroughs this year,” said Zhong Ming, Chairman of the Organizing Committee & Vice General Manager of Zhuhai Huafa Group. “We are determined to create the most unforgettable event for our fans with the highest level of matches and world-class entertainment activities.”
The tournament will run from November 1 to 6, and like last year the singles draw will feature 11 of the top ranked players and one wildcard, with the winner collecting 700 rankings points. The doubles will be comprised of four leading teams, plus two wildcard pairings.
“The inaugural Elite Trophy Zhuhai achieved a remarkable level of success,” added Steve Simon, CEO of the WTA, “As the 2016 event approaches the 100 days out mark, we are confident that WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai will grow to even greater heights in delivering a premier, and compelling global experience that engages our fans around the world.”
Tickets for the tournament will go on sale on July 28, and can be purchased on the official website www.wtaelitetrophy.com.
Magda Linette gave Venus Williams a scare last week in Stanford. Fresh from a confidence-boosting win in qualifying can she cause 2012 champion Petra Kvitova problems in Montréal?