Tennis News

BEIJING, China – Agnieszka Radwanska reclaimed the China Open with a straight-set win over Johanna Konta on Sunday.

A dominant week, in which she did not drop a set was rounded off in style as Radwanska closed out a 6-4, 6-2 victory in an hour and 36 minutes.

Radwanska advanced to the final without dropping a set and early on she looked primed for another routine outing. However, from 5-2 down Konta finally began to display the sort of tennis that upset Madison Keys in the previous round.

She reduced her arrears to 5-4 and even had an opportunity to draw level. This proved to be the turning point, as Konta missed a routine drive volley and a few points later saw the set finally slip away.

The No.3 seed rammed home her advantage at the start of the second, planting a backhand onto the baseline to break in the third game. Konta battled away to the last but was unable to find a way through Radwanska’s defenses. The Pole would finish with just eight unforced errors, wrapping up victory with an ace out wide.

Asia has been a happy hunting ground for Radwanska, winning nine of her 20 career titles there. However, her success in Beijing, where she also triumphed in 2011, is of particular significance: “It’s a very special moment; third final and second title here. It was a really special week for me and it couldn’t be any better.”

“Every title means a lot, but especially here when you play against the best players in the world, in one of the biggest tournaments. It’s top players from the first round and I’ve been playing my best tennis all week so of course I’m very happy to win this tournament again, and this trophy is going to stay in a very special place.”

Radwanska becomes one of four active players to collect three or more Premier Mandatory titles, joining Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka. Konta, meanwhile, was appearing in her very first final at this level and the disappointment will be tempered by the knowledge that on Monday she will become only the fourth British player to reach the Top 10.

“It’s pretty cool! I’m very pleased with my progress over the past few years and hopefully many more places to climb,” Konta said. “I’m just working hard towards playing matches like these, against players like Agnieszka.”

An even grander stage could await. Konta’s run to the final sees her edge ahead of Dominika Cibulkova and into the final qualifying berth for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

A long-awaited off-season is on hold for an elite squad from the Czech Republic, who fly to France in the hopes of winning a fifth Fed Cup title in the last six years. Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova lead the team through what will be one last ride following a full fall schedule in Asia.

“It’s the last two matches of the year. There is no other choice,” Pliskova said after playing her last round robin match at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. “I’ll just get ready. There is one week between, so I’ll just rest a little bit and forget about tennis for few days.

“Then back to the work for that last week of tennis this season.”

It was even less of a break for Kvitova, who captured her second title of the season at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

“I don’t think I’m that tired,” she told WTA Insider in the latest edition of Champions Corner. “I just feel my entire body is sore, so I’ll need to take a few days off to get ready for the Fed Cup tie. I’m really looking forward, but it’s a little bit difficult. I’m a little bit tired, but winning always helps me recover faster.

“I’ll be flying to Prague, and then taking a car to go to Strasbourg, so that’ll be fun. I’m looking forward to seeing the team. We have a great team, so I can’t wait to be with them over there. It’ll be the last week of the season, so it’s great to have it then, as well.”

Kvitova was in Zhuhai alongside countrywoman Barbora Strycova, and both discussed that special bond the team has forged throughout the week.

“All the Czech players, we know how to be teammates in the week where there is Fed Cup,” Strycova said. “Three weeks a year we are so close together. I can’t describe it because it’s like a routine for us that we do everything together in those weeks.”

Coached by Petr Pala, the Czechs have won 15 of 16 ties dating back to 2011, when the team won their country’s first Fed Cup trophy since 1988.

“I’m looking forward to the final,” Kvitova said. “I love playing Fed Cup and playing for my country. The final is always special; we’re playing away, which isn’t great for us, since France will have the home crowd advantage. We know how to play, and that the fans will support them. It’ll be about us, and whichever team is better prepared will win.

“I think we’re only small favorites to win the tie; they have a great doubles team, and even the singles players, Kiki and Caro, are playing well. It’ll be a difficult tie, but we do have a more experienced team, from all the finals we’ve played. The motivation is always there.”

The teams have faced off just twice in the last ten years, with the Czechs winning the most recent encounter in 2015. Caroline Garcia leads a French contingent captained by former World No.1 Amélie Mauresmo, and is well-aware of just how formidable the Czechs can be in this format, joking that the country could easily field two teams based on its strong roster.

“Caro is funny! I never really thought like that,” Kvitova said with a smile, before breaking down their secret to success.

“I think we’re not only good players, but also good people. We’re never fighting with each other; we act as a team, and I think that’s very important. None of us make trouble, and we all work well together. If one of us needs to schedule a massage, we talk all talk and decide who gets to go first; it’s the same with practice schedules.

“Communication is very important for a team. We also have great people around us; they’re all boys, so there’s always a lot of fun throughout the week. Our stringer is DJ, and they’re all doing what they can to keep things relaex. The practices are very easy and never too stressful.

“Everything is working when you’re playing well, and everything is easier than when you’re not. We’re on a good way right now and I hope we continue like that.”

When that off-season finally does come, Kvitova plans to spend a vacation with none other than teammate Lucie Hradecka, who will likely be on hand for a potentially decisive doubles rubber against France.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

ZHUHAI, China – With the year’s final Premier-Mandatory event at the China Open done and dusted, there were a few key changes to the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai leaderboard.

By virtue of reaching the final in Beijing, Johanna Konta has moved out of the Zhuhai race and Dominika Cibulkova, a finalist at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, has stepped in.

Carla Suárez Navarro and Svetlana Kuznetsova have kept their spots near the top of the field, along with Wuhan winner Petra Kvitova and defending Zhuhai champion Venus Williams.

But while the top of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai leaderboard looks solid, the bottom spots could still be up for grabs after a busy three-tournament week.

Barbora Strycova, No.19 on the leaderboard, is 110 points clear of former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, who has experienced a late-season renaissance. The Dane has carried her form into the Asian swing, and a run to the semifinals or better at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open could put her firmly in contention for Zhuhai.

The year’s final tournament will take place in Zhuhai, China and will run from November 1 to 6. Like last year, the singles draw will feature 11 of the top ranked players and one wildcard, with the winner collecting 700 ranking points.

The Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy announced last week that Asian No.1 Zhang Shuai received the wildcard to round out the 12-player field in Zhuhai.

Here’s the latest leaderboard update for the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai as of October 10, 2016:

HONG KONG, SAR – Britain’s top player Johanna Konta christened her debut into the WTA Top 10 with a commanding win over countrywoman Naomi Broady to advance to the second round at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open.

Watch live action from Hong Kong all week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Fresh off her historic rise in the rankings, No.3 seed Konta kept to her winning ways and defeated Broady 6-2, 6-2, in a score that belied the difficulty of the matchup.

“The scoreline doesn’t really reflect the match itself,” Konta explained. “You can see in the length of the match how tight it was. I’m happy I was able to stay focused, stay level-headed and take my chances when they arose.”

The symmetrical match saw Konta breaking Broady’s powerful serve in the first and fifth games of each set. Broady struck five aces during the hour and twenty-minute encounter – an unusually low number for the big-serving Brit – but also hit eight double faults. Konta brought up fourteen break chances during the match, which was marked by lengthy games and multiple deuces.

“We knew going into the match that Naomi is a very good server and has a good strike, we really tried to utilize that as much as possible,” Konta said.

“I’m really happy with the level I’ve been playing and the amount of matches I’ve been able to play in succession. Hoping to stay healthy for the rest of the season and keep going like this.”

Konta kept her composure to see off Broady’s lone break chance early in the second set, and she powered through to a straight sets win.

With the victory, Konta takes a step closer to making her debut at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“I’m trying not to think about it, to be honest,” Konta laughed. “I’ve really got to keep myself present, especially since there’s so many variables with that. It really depends on how other players do as well.”

SINGAPORE – The BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global is under a fortnight away and once again fans have the chance to get closer to that action thanks to the Official WTA Finals Mobile App, Created by SAP.

The app provides access to exclusive tournament content, including:

* Virtual Replay – the ability for fans to view, track and replay ball movement
* Leaderboard Stats – a player comparison tool tracking aces, fastest serves and a whole host of other information
* Player Notifications – keep up to date with all the news about your favorite players
* Fan Zone – a social media hub where fans can participate in live polls and engage on Twitter and Facebook