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Venus Withdraws From Auckland Following First Win Of 2017

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Venus Williams eased through a tense opening set against hometown favorite Jade Lewis, 7-6(2), 6-2, before being forced to withdraw from what would have been her second match of the day at the ASB Classic, citing right arm pain ahead of a highly anticipated encouter with Japanese youngster Naomi Osaka.

“I love this tournament and I’m really sad that I have to withdraw, but I’m happy to have had the opportunity to be here again this year,” the five-time Wimbledon winner said in a statement.

Impacted by adverse weather to start the tournament, Venus was scheduled to play a pair of singles matches on Tuesday after defeating Lewis to kick off the day session in Auckland. Lewis led by a service break three times in the opening set, holding a set point in the tenth game before fading in the tie-break and ensuing second set.

The win booked a clash with Osaka, who first the American after winning the Rising Stars Invitational at the 2015 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“I wasn’t really talking,” Osaka said at the time. “I was just kind of creeping her out. But she’s really nice. I don’t remember what we talked about because I was really freaked out.”

Venus reached back-to-back finals at the ASB Classic in 2014 and 2015, winning the latter over Caroline Wozniacki in the final.

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Garcia Mounts Mallorca Comeback

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

No.6 seed Caroline Garcia overcame a slow start and mounted a major comeback to beat Carina Witthoeft for a spot in the second round of the inaugural Mallorca Open.

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Mattek-Sands Could Overtake Mirza For Doubles No.1 With Brisbane Title

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BRISBANE, Australia – Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek-Sands have booked their spot into the Brisbane semifinals, but should they reach the final there could be more at stake than just the Brisbane International trophy.

Mirza has held the WTA Doubles No.1 Ranking since April 13, 2015, a total of 91-consecutive weeks (as of Jan 2, 2017), which includes 31 weeks as co-No.1 with Martina Hingis.

She faces a difficult task defending her top spot, though, as she will be defending 2,960 points during the Australian swing. Last year she teamed up with Martina Hingis to win titles at Brisbane, Sydney and the Australian Open.

This year in Brisbane, Mirza is the top seed along with her new partner Mattek-Sands, who currently sits at No.5 in the WTA Doubles Rankings. If they go on to win the title in Brisbane, Mattek-Sands will overtake Mirza for the No.1 WTA Doubles Ranking.

It’s not the first time that the American has come close to usurping her current partner’s top spot; last year at the WTA Finals, Mattek-Sands came within one win of climbing to No.1, but Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina dashed her hopes in the championship match.

Makarova and Vesnina, the No.2 seeds in Brisbane, are also through to the Brisbane semifinals and will play the winner of Irina Falconi and Shelby Rogers vs. Abigail Spears Katerina Srebotnik for a spot in the final. Mattek-Sands and Mirza await the winner of Andreja Klepac and María José Martínez Sánchez vs. Hsieh Su-Wei and Laura Siegemund.

Most Consecutive Weeks at WTA Doubles No.1 (As of Jan 2, 2017):
181 Martina Navratilova
145 Cara Black^
134 Liezel Huber^
91 Sania Mirza
73 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario

^ Black & Huber held co-No.1 Doubles Rankings for 127 weeks (Nov. 12, 2007 until April 18, 2010)

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Champion's Corner: CoCo Vandeweghe

Champion's Corner: CoCo Vandeweghe

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

The lush grass in ‘s-Hertogenbosch proved to be fertile ground once again for CoCo Vandeweghe. The 24-year-old American lifted the trophy at the Ricoh Open for the second time in three years after beating Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 7-5 in the final on Sunday. Both of Vandeweghe’s career titles have come in Den Bosch, winning her first as a qualifier in 2014.

It was a frustrating clay season for Vandeweghe, where she went 1-3 and missed a big opportunity to challenge for a spot on the United States Olympic Team. Candid as always, the California native admitted she struggled with her motivation in Den Bosch — “I was just honestly a crabby person this week” –but she was able to work her through the draw without losing a set. The title moves Vandeweghe up to No.32, right on the bubble of being seeded at Wimbledon, where she was a quarterfinalist last year.

WTA Insider caught up with Vandeweghe after getting a much-needed title on Sunday.

CoCo Vandeweghe

WTA Insider: Congratulations. How does it feel to once again win the title at the Ricoh Open?

Vandeweghe: It’s a little bit different than your first title. Your first title is all exciting. It’s something you dreamed about always doing. It’s funny, coming into this tournament I was pretty much on a cool even platform the whole time. A common word that’s been thrown around wasI kept my composure together very well through the whole week. That’s not always easy to do especially coming from clay to grass, so it was a hard change.

WTA Insider: Did you go home after the French Open?

Vandeweghe: No, I actually went home after Rome, so just before the French Open, because I wanted to play all of the grass and honestly I was having a really difficult clay season. I had some really tough first round matches, one against Safarova, another one against Venus. I had 10 days on my hands before the French Open and I was like what am I going to do with 10 days in Europe? I’m going to go home. So I went back to California and came two days before the French and played. I was actually on the same flight as Lindsay Davenport and Justin Gimelstob, so I was coming in with the commentators.

WTA Insider: So you go to the French Open, obviously a tough loss second round loss there to Irina-Camelia Begu. What was your mindset going from clay to grass?

Vandeweghe: The clay was actually really disappointing. It was the last chance to make points for Olympics. I knew going in it was going to be my most difficult surface from any other surfaces that I play on. I was trying to do my best.

I had a really tough second round that could have gone either way. I honestly didn’t feel like I could lose it when I was playing, and when it happened and I lost it was like shock. I couldn’t put it into words. It was such a heart-breaking loss. I was really emotionally drained and physically too.

Luckily the next day I had doubles with Christina McHale and we played a match so I didn’t have time to wallow. So I got a win under my belt and then also had mixed doubles. So I had a lot more matches to play and compete at, which I think was beneficial for me mentally. To be there, still competing and figuring things out, getting my feet underneath me and my tennis game. Matches are always beneficial for anyone. When you’re playing a bunch of matches you’re going to feel more comfortable in your own skin on the court.

But the transition from clay to grass, I only had a day of practice out here before I played my match. The thing I focus on is definitely trying to make my swings as compact as possible, that’s first and foremost. Also getting my feet underneath me. I definitely worked through my fitness through the tournament, working on my stability, different things. So when I plant and move I’m sure-footed and moving well, which I think definitely shows on the grass when you’re able to hit and move and hit a good shot behind your movement.

WTA Insider: You didn’t drop a set. Pretty dominating week for you en route to the title. Did it look easier than it actually was?

Vandeweghe: Actually it was funny. Craig told me I didn’t lose a set and I was like “Oh, really? OK.” It wasn’t anything special. It was actually really not such an easy tournament for me mentally. I wasn’t mentally engaged for some matches and other matches I was. My second round match against Nao Hibino, honestly I went out there and I was just like I don’t want to play tennis today. It was just like that.

I think like everyone they show up to work and I don’t feel like working today. It happens to everybody and it’s just getting through those moments definitely I think are stepping stones to making yourself not only a better player but a better person out there on the tennis court. So it was day-by-bay, match-by-match, it was just trying to survive myself sometimes.

CoCo Vandeweghe

WTA Insider: How much of that is you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed, or that you’re thinking of other things? Are you able to isolate why you might feel like that on any given day?

Vandeweghe: Sometimes it is something maybe at home that happened the day before, during the tournament, or maybe it’s something to do with nothing completely relevant to tennis. For me it wasn’t any of those. I was just honestly a crabby person this week (laughs).

It was nothing going on at home. My mom was sending me videos of my puppy swimming in the pool and dumb things like that. My sister sent me pictures of her new haircut. So it wasn’t like I was getting any bad news at home or someone broke up with me. I was just a crabby person this week. I don’t know.

WTA Insider: It seems to have worked out Ok for you.

Vandeweghe: Yeah. It was actually nice to get on the court and play and compete. I used the fire that I had. Usually outside the court I’m pretty chill and happy go lucky, I guess you could say, maybe not openly in your face but definitely a relaxed individual.

But I think I used the piss and vinegar that I had in my stomach of just I’m so mad at today and the clouds being out, or the sky being blue, or whatever the reason was and transferred it to the court and just dismantled people at times.

WTA Insider: There was a swagger, an edge to you this week. Did you feel that?

Vandeweghe: Yes. It helps when you have confidence going into a tournament. Comparing the clay court tournaments to my grass court tournament season last year to this year, or even in previous years, there’s just no comparison. I excel on the grass. I excel on the hard courts. I haven’t figured out a scenario when I excel on the clay, which is something I’m always going to be battling with.

It’s not easy to play on your least favorite surface where you’re not rewarded for your good play. Or your good shots. You have to start over and rebuild the point. Here on the grass and hard courts it’s pretty simple. I get rewarded for what I do well and my game translates extremely well to both surfaces.

I felt confident after my first round match. I was super nervous going into my first round match. I was thinking about the wrong things, like I had such great results on grass and I have to keep it up and compete again. I put so pressure on myself to do well that I was really quite nervous in my first round match.

And also playing a local wildcard you don’t know what type of player they’re going to be. If they’re going to rise to the occasion of playing in front of their home crowd and just play out of their minds, or they’re actually a really good player, or if they’re going to crumble in the occasion. I’ve experienced it all in front of my own home crowd so you never know what’s going to happen.

So after I battled through that first round match it was just focusing on simple things. I mean, I played simple, stupid tennis, and that’s all it took to win.

CoCo Vandeweghe

WTA Insider: Do you have family in The Netherlands?

Vandeweghe: My family is actually in Belgium. I’m not Dutch. They came out yesterday for the semifinal. I saw some uncles, they drove their motorcycles from Belgium. I feel like I get a good welcome from the Dutch fans not only because I won the title but either they think I’m Dutch or the Belgians claim me for the week. I’ll take it either way. I’ll take the support.

WTA Insider: Different players react to winning a title differently. Either it relaxes them because it validates to them they’re playing good tennis, or it creates more pressure because the expectations are higher. How do you feel about it?

Vandeweghe: I mean I only have two other moments to build off of. I made the final in Stanford and I completely over-expected so much of myself immediately. I guess I got beat up a little bit afterwards. I went to the San Diego tournament straight after and got smoked first round and then I believe I didn’t play again until the US Open where I played Serena again int eh first round and I got absolutely trounced.

I mean the pressure I put on myself, Ok I made a final I should make another final the next week, I was just wet behind the ears and didn’t realize each tournament is different. There’s different adversities you face, there’s different highs, there’s different lows, you have to take it day by day. That’s kind of the fun thing about different tournaments and tennis in general. You play a different opponent every single day and whether it’s yourself or someone else who is your opponent that day, it changes.

The last time I won this title, I went immediately to Wimbledon and beat Muguruza again. And then the next round it all hit me of I just won a title, I’m tired, and everything like that, and I wasn’t able to nor did I have the experience to find it within myself to just manage through the match. That was my own fault.

But I think this tournament is in a different place. It’s the first tournament of the grass court season, so there’s two more tournaments ahead with Birmingham and Eastbourne. Who knows what will happen. But the big tournament you have to be ready for, that we’re all building towards, is Wimbledon. That’s what you have to focus on, how you’re going to be best prepared for Wimbledon.

WTA Insider: So are you leaving on a train or plane tonight to Birmingham?

Vandeweghe: Heck no. I’m going tomorrow morning on a plane. I can’t get up. I didn’t know if the rain was going to hold, I didn’t want to book a ticket and then cancel it and eat a bunch of money. So I was like I’ll go the next day on Monday. It’s kind of tour life I guess you could say.

WTA Insider: You win a title and in a couple of days you’re going to play top seed Agnieszka Radwanska in Birmingham. Such is life.

Vandeweghe: And worrying about baggage fees that I have coming up. (Laughs).


Listen to more of Vandeweghe’s post-match thoughts in the latest episode of the WTA Insider Podcast:

 

– Photos courtesy of Edwin Verhoef, Ricoh Open.

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Flipkens Stuns Muguruza In Mallorca

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MALLORCA, Spain – Kirsten Flipkens played some of her most solid, complete tennis to complete the biggest upset of the Mallorca Open, knocking out top seed Garbiñe Muguruza in straights sets for a spot in the second round.

Watch live action from Birmingham and Mallorca this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

In her first match since winning the French Open and ascending to World No.2, Muguruza just couldn’t get comfortable on the new, faster surface and was struggling with her serve.

“I think it was very tough,” Muguruza said after the match. “I barely had time to actually practice and enjoy the tournament.

“I wanted to play Mallorca so much and I tried, but then I went to the court and obviously I couldn’t find my rhythm. Also, [Flipken’s] game matches grass very well. My performance today was just not what I wanted.”

The Spaniard looked poised to roll through early on in the first set, breaking in the first game and consolidating for a 2-0 lead. But No.61 ranked Flipkens would have none of it, rallying to break back and erase Muguruza’s lead.

Despite Muguruza holding five other break points during the course of the first set, it was the Belgian who broke once again, closing the first set 6-3 against the World No.2. Flipkens marched through the second, getting the decisive break at 3-3.

Muguruza never recovered, and her Spanish homecoming was cut short, 6-3, 6-4.

“I had so many opportunities coming to me that I couldn’t take, and she played really well during those big moments,” Muguruza said. “So the match started slipping away from me little by little.”

“It was great to be back here and playing in Spain, and especially in my first tournament [since the French Open] it was even more special. Hopefully next year it will be better.”

Flipkens’ game loves the faster surfaces: with today’s win over Mugurza, Flipkens notched her fourth career win over a Top 10 player, and her first since 2013, when she shocked the then No.8-ranked Petra Kvitova in Wimbledon. In fact, three of those four Top 10 wins have come on grass courts.

Up next for Flipkens is Monica Puig, who defeated Julia Goerges, 6-4, 7-5.

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Caroline Wozniacki’s Berry Berrylicious

Caroline Wozniacki’s Berry Berrylicious

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

It’s no secret that Caroline Wozniacki has a sweet tooth, so when we asked her to share with us her recipe for a pre-match snack we weren’t surprised that was berry sweet.

Caro’s pre-match smoothie is easy to make – just five delicious ingredients plus ice and water – and it makes a great on-the-go snack or a quick, nutritious breakfast.

Here’s everything you need to make Caro’s Berry Berrylicious:

USANA Pre-Match Snacks


USANA is the Official Vitamin & Supplement Supplier of the WTA, and over 170 Athletes – including 8 out of the Top 10 and 15 out of the Top 20 use USANA products. Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, Samantha Stosur, Eugenie Bouchard, and Madison Keys are among several USANA ambassadors, and 2016 marks the 10th Anniversary of the USANA-WTA partnership.

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Suárez Navarro Survives Svitolina

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BIRMINGHAM, England – Carla Suárez Navarro snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on another rain-interrupted afternoon at the Aegon Classic Birmingham.

Watch live action from Birmingham and Mallorca this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Trailing 5-3 in the final set, Suárez Navarro’s three-day wait to complete her first-round match looked like it would end in disappointment. However, with the rainclouds gathering overhead once more she produced a rousing finale to triumph, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.

Originally scheduled for Monday, the players did not make it on court until Tuesday, splitting the opening two sets before the last of the day’s showers brought play to a halt with the Spaniard leading 2-1 in the decider.

A sluggish start on Wednesday, though, saw Svitolina take the first three games to build a seemingly insurmountable lead. As Suárez Navarro struggled to find her rhythm – and footing – Svitolina stretched this advantage, coming within two points of victory when serving for the match only to be denied by her opponent’s late show.

In two of the other matches carried over from the previous day, British wildcards Naomi Broady and Tara Moore suffered close losses. Tamira Paszek broke in the penultimate game to end Moore’s spirited effort, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, while Daria Gavrilova eventually defused Broady, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Over on Centre Court, No.4 seed Belinda Bencic’s tournament came to an unfortunate end as a thigh injury forced her to retire from her match with Irina-Camelia Begu. Bencic required treatment after a tumble in the first set and despite bravely battling on eventually admitted defeat trailing 6-4, 4-3.

“I slipped during the first set and injured my thigh. I tried to play on but unfortunately I wasn’t able to finish the match,” Bencic said. “It’s not ideal but being healthy in the long term is the top priority so I had to do the sensible thing.”

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BRISBANE, Australia – The unseeded Alizé Cornet is through to the final at the Brisbane International after Garbiñe Muguruza was forced to retire due to injury.

“I was really focused on my match but I could tell [Garbiñe] was not playing like usual,” Cornet said in her post-match interview. “She was not running or hitting the ball as well as usual. But I was just trying to stay focused on what I had to do.”

The No.4 seeded Spaniard looked off from the start, her usually powerful groundstrokes lacking their bite. She struggled to hold serve in the opening game under Cornet’s all-court assault, fending off two break points.

But Muguruza was broken in her very next service game after a string of long rallies which saw her struggle to hit through the ball, and finally retired trailing Cornet 1-4, citing a right thigh injury.

“Of course, it’s not the way I wanted to get to the final but its part of the game,” Cornet explained. “We understand sometimes we have some physical issues. Tennis is more and more tough on the body.

“But well, it’s good for me because I will have a little bit of rest before the big final tomorrow.”

Aside from securing a spot into her second career Premier-level final, the win guarantees Cornet a seed at the Australian Open. The Frenchwoman’s ranking will rise as high as No.31 by virtue of reaching the final, and could go as high as No.26 should she take home the title.

Cornet awaits the winner between No.6 seed Elina Svitolina and No.3 seed Karolina Pliskova.

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