Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sania Mirza produced a near flawless display to overwhelm Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, 6-2, 6-3. The result ensures that Mattek-Sands will replace Mirza as the World No.1 when the new rankings are released on Monday.
An interview with Simona Halep before the start of the BNP Paribas Open.
Highlights from all of Saturday’s finals action at the Brisbane International.
Serena Williams
On how living with Venus led her to attempt a raw vegan diet…
My sister went through a lot of illnesses, and in living with her – I finally moved, but across the street! Got my freedom across the street – but she was really able to introduce me to a really kind of vegan and raw and really vegetable-heavy diet. It was just kind of a whole raw world that I really enjoyed. I was able to see a lot of benefits in my game and my body in general from that.
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On playing a tournament with a raw vegan diet…
I did it when I was at the French Open 2013. I wasn’t tired, it was good, really good. I don’t know why I don’t do that more often. Maybe this year, I need to get back on that!
On whether she’s kept up with veganism…
Unfortunately no. I really want to get there, I really do. For a minute I was, but I couldn’t quite give up the chicken and the tacos! It kind of crept back into my life. But there’s a lot of things, like I don’t eat red meat, and I don’t eat a lot of other stuff. I was educating myself through Venus on a lot of things to remain healthy. It’s very interesting.
Simona Halep
On a hypothetical match-up between Serena and Steffi Graf in their prime…
It would be interesting. They are very different in my opinion. Serena is very strong, a lot of power in her serve. Steffi has a good, flat forehand and a very good slice. I never saw this on the women’s tour. Serena has her game, a strong game with lots of power. I don’t want to say who would win, but it’d be very interesting and very nice to watch. I would go to watch if they played!
On whether practicing with Graf has inspired her to incorporate more slice…
I didn’t play much slices when I was younger, when I was a kid, and now to put it in the matches is tough. You have no confidence and it’s like you don’t remember that you have to play slice. It’s tough to put them in practical during the matches. I will try; I do more in the practices than before. I hope to improve this way of playing as well.
On meeting Ilie Nastase…
I met him. We didn’t speak on many thing about tennis, but I liked him a lot, how he was on court. I watched some videos on Youtube. I can say I admired him a lot, but it’s a bit too much for me to do some crazy things on court, but I can appreciate him a lot for what he did on court and he remains the best player in Romania.
Garbiñe Muguruza
On locker room dynamic and her earlier comments about friendships on tour…
I heard a lot of things about that comment, which I think were a little bit wrong. I didn’t mean it in a bad way. This is a sport, and at the end of the day, we’re playing the same girls the whole year, which is difficult sometimes. A lot of people misunderstood my saying that we kind of hate each other, and that’s not true because I also have friends on tour and I get along good with people. It’s just this competitive environment, and when you’re young sometimes it’s difficult because you’re playing against older people, but with time you kind of know where you have to be.
Angelique Kerber
On adjusting to becoming the hunted instead of the hunter…
It’s a new situation for me and I know every player who will play against me will give everything to beat me. But this is also the situation you’re dreaming for, you’re working your whole life to be like, for me, No.2 at the moment. This is something you’re working for.
Agniezka Radwanska
On changes she’s made over the course of her career…
I think of anything I can think of, it’s the schedule, not playing every week. When I was 18, I could do that and it was no problem: singles, doubles, every week, no problem. I was ok, but not any more! Time changes, but 10 years makes a huge difference on the tour. You really have to think a lot about the schedule to be on the same shape in February as in Asia at the end of the year. Sometimes even when you feel good, and you want to play more and more, it’s not going to be good later, in a couple of months. Then you’ll feel you did too much at the beginning of the year.
Belinda Bencic
On the secret to Swiss success…
Chocolate, maybe, in the water! I don’t know what it is; we’re doing well.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
SYDNEY, Australia – No.5 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova began her title defense at the Apia International Sydney with a decisive 6-1, 6-4 win over Irina-Camelia Begu.
“I started the year quite good with the feeling on court,” she said in her post-match press conference. “Sometimes the results don’t go with how you’re feeling, but I feel very good at the start of the year.”
It was a year ago that Kuznetsova came to Sydney to begin what would become her best season in nearly six years, but shrugged off the pressure of going for a second straight victory.
“I’m not thinking about defending my title. The trophy is at home and nobody can take it away from me. This is another year and another opportunity to play. I always feel like I need a lot of matches at the start of the year. I remember going to Auckland and not winning a single match. Then I came here and it gave me matches, confidence.
“If I played five weeks in a row at the end of last year, I can do three or four weeks here.”
The Russian veteran showed off similar form for much of the match against Begu, who struggled through the 31 minute opening set.
.@SvetlanaK27 has found her range early! pic.twitter.com/Gie2qUY2z3
— WTA (@WTA) January 8, 2017
Winning 10 of the first 12 games, the former World No.2 was on course for a seamless victory before the Romanian mounted a mini-comeback, drawing even at 4-4 in the second.
“What happened? What typically happens in a tennis match. I think I started to play more defensively, and she felt like she had nothing to lose. I got too passive.
“We practiced in December because she was also in Dubai; we played a practice match and that was good because I was able to remember her game.
“It’s a different style; she stays farther behind the baseline, not so much inside. She serves good, and it was hard to read.
.@Irina_Begu is on ?!
She breaks again to level the second set at 4-4! #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/FR3QXYMWRy
— WTA (@WTA) January 8, 2017
Kuznetsova closed the door from there, and served out her spot in the second round, where she’ll meet either 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur or compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
“Overall, I think I did good, except for those four games when I didn’t play so good.”
.@SvetlanaK27 starts @SydneyTennis title defense with 6-1, 6-4 win over Begu! pic.twitter.com/fMeKx8at2m
— WTA (@WTA) January 8, 2017
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Friday at the BNP Paribas Open sees the seeds enter the fold, with Simona Halep commencing her title defense against the in-form Vania King.
Friday, Second Round
Stadium 1
[5] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. Vania King (USA #202)
Head-to-head: King leads 1-0
One hundred ninety-seven spots separate Simona Halep and Vania King in the rankings, but if recent form is anything to go by their second-round encounter could be a closely contested affair. While Halep has been struggling for form and fitness in the opening months of 2016, King has been quietly racking up the wins.
After missing much of last year with back problems, King arrives in Indian Wells fresh from a couple of deep runs on the ITF Circuit. Halep on the other hand, has won just three of her eight matches this campaign, most recently losing to another player on the comeback trail, Elena Vesnina, in Doha. Despite her recent travails, Halep cut a relaxed figure during Wednesday’s All Access Hour, and with a clean bill of health is relishing the start of her title defense.
Stadium 3
[3] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #3) vs. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK #57)
Head-to-head: Radwanska leads 6-3
Agnieszka Radwanska may have the edge in her rivalry with Dominika Cibulkova, but tasted a chastening defeat in their most high-profile encounter. Two years ago, the mercurial Cibulkova triumphed in the most one-sided of Australian Open semifinals to leave Radwanska’s major dreams in tatters once more.
Since then both players have had their ups and downs; Cibulkova spending lengthy periods on the treatment table, while Radwanska recovered from a slide down the rankings to record her greatest triumph. The Pole has carried this form into 2016, reaching the semifinals or better on all three of her outings thus far. Cibulkova, meanwhile, has blown hot and cold since her return from a serious Achilles injury, but in arguably the most open section of the draw will relish the opportunity to showcase her abilities on the big stage.
Around the grounds…
Serena Williams begins her attempt to win a third Indian Wells title when she takes on Laura Sigemund. Preceding Serena on court is Venus Williams, who in her first match at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in 15 years faces Kurumi Nara. Petra Kvitova, Madison Keys and 2010 champion Jelena Jankovic also get their challenges underway.
SYDNEY, Australia – No.10 seed Caroline Wozniacki survived a titanic tussle against Olympic tennis event winner Monica Puig, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, to advance into the second round of the Apia International Sydney.
“It’s a tough match, because, you know, you kind of feel, like, oh, I’m winning pretty comfortably right now, but then she can go on a streak, starts hitting winners, has such a good serve,” the Dane explained in her post-match press conference. “That’s where it started going in in the second set, and then the third set I tried to stay closer to the baseline and maybe play a little deeper.
“It paid off. But, yeah, win is a win. I’ll take it.”
Wozniacki had just come off a quarterfinal appearance at the ASB Classic, while Puig was looking for her first win of the season, having dropped her opening round match to Elina Svitolina at the Brisbane International. The No.10 seed broke at her first opportunity and held on for dear life to start the match, gutting out a five-deuce game to hold for 5-2 and ultimately serve out the opening set in 47 minutes.
This perfect backhand has helped @CaroWozniacki save three break points! #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/GZaRauEliO
— WTA (@WTA) January 9, 2017
Puig served notice last summer when she took home Puerto Rico’s first ever Olympic gold medal, but was even more impressive off the return in the second set, break serve three times to level the match.
Not a bad way for @CaroWozniacki to save break point! #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/8EX3RtLwTt
— WTA (@WTA) January 9, 2017
Much like the first set, Wozniacki broke early in the third and never let go, even as Puig showed all her mettle to hold in a six-deuce game at 3-1 in the decider.
“I changed up my practice quite a bit. I did a lot of other things, probably spent more time on court than I have in a long time and less time in the gym, actually.
“That was a big change for me, because I have worked so hard on my fitness and worked so hard on trying to prevent injuries.
“But at the end of the day, I think I sometimes need to ease off a little bit. I guess I’m not a spring chicken anymore. Sometimes less is more.”
Clinching victory on her first match point, Wozniacki booked a second-round encounter with Yulia Putintseva.
“I was proud of how I managed to just keep grinding today. I feel pretty good. I’m not nervous about my form. I think it’s going to be fine.”
.@CaroWozniacki starts @SydneyTennis campaign with 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win over Puig! pic.twitter.com/QwCEg3qz3D
— WTA (@WTA) January 9, 2017
Highlights from first round action at the BNP Paribas Open.
TOKYO, Japan – Japanese wildcard Naomi Osaka scored her first win at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in emphatic fashion, knocking out Japan’s No.1 Misaki Doi in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Following her first round win at last week’s Japan Women’s Open Tennis, Osaka entered the Premier-level event on a career-high ranking of No.69, making her Japan’s No.2-ranked player. But across the net stood the Japanese No.1, who was looking to rebound from last week’s opening round loss.
Osaka blasted seven aces in her stellar performance against Doi. Both players were evenly matched throughout the one and a half hour encounter, but it was Osaka who dominated the big points, bringing up five break chances and converting two – one early in each set.
For her part, Doi did her best to stay within touching distance of the 18-year-old, but couldn’t find the weapons to put her under pressure. She brought up her first – and only – break opportunity late in the second set with Osaka serving for a 5-3 lead. Osaka batted it away with a zinging forehand down the line to stay on course.
A final ace sealed Osaka’s passage into the second round, where she awaits the winner between Lucie Safarova and No.6 seed Dominika Cibulkova.
More to come…
SYDNEY, Australia – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won an all-Russian battle with defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova to advance into the quarterfinals of the Apia International Sydney.
“I’m really happy, not only because she’s defending champion, but also my fellow player,” she said after the match. “She’s Top 10 and has had a really incredible year last year. I knew it’d be a really tough match and I was just trying to play good tennis, and take this as prep for Melbourne.”
Pavlyuchenkova had lost five of her last six encounters with her veteran compatriot, and things seemed to be moving in similar fashion to start Tuesday’s match.
Kuznetsova twice moved ahead by a break of serve to start, and served for the opening set at 5-4, only to see Pavlyuchenkova reel off the last three games to nab just her third set from her fellow Russian.
“I think I did everything well! I wasn’t serving as well as I did yesterday; I was a little upset with that, but I’m so happy that even with a lower first-serve percentage, that I was able to win the match in two sets.”
.@NastiaPav takes a hard-fought first set 7-5! #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/OqEFfSXu2z
— WTA (@WTA) January 10, 2017
The pair exchanged breaks early in the second, with last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinalist moving ahead 5-2 after a long service game, eventually clinching the win in one hour and 38 minutes.
“It’s just very different conditions here; last week was my first match of the year, plus it was cold, windy, with fast courts. I had Goerges there and she was just serving bombs so it was difficult for me to get into any rallies.
“I had zero expectations here; I was just trying to enjoy the tennis, but it’s working good so far.”
Up next for Pavlyuchenkova is either Eugenie Bouchard or No.3 seed Dominika Cibulkova.
“Cibulkova had an incredible year last year as well; she won the Masters and is in really good form. She’s a great fighter. I’ve never played Bouchard before. I don’t think we’ve even practiced together. I don’t know what to expect so I think I’ll watch some of their match today.”
.@NastiaPav reaches the @SydneyTennis Quarterfinals!
Beats defending champ Kuznetsova 7-5, 6-3! pic.twitter.com/ievj8PWCdM
— WTA (@WTA) January 10, 2017