WTA Frame Challenge: Alizé Cornet
Alizé Cornet set a brand new record on the WTA Frame Challenge, blowing past Sara Errani’s 108 bounces. Just how many did the Frenchwoman score? Find out right here!
Alizé Cornet set a brand new record on the WTA Frame Challenge, blowing past Sara Errani’s 108 bounces. Just how many did the Frenchwoman score? Find out right here!
TOKYO, Japan – Unseeded Czech Katerina Siniakova powered past No.6 seed Zhang Shuai to book a spot in the final at the Japan Women’s Open Tennis, where she’ll face No.7 Christina McHale for the title.
Watch live action from Tokyo this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
It’s been a banner year for the 20-year-old Siniakova, who continues to inch closer to a Top 50 berth. Earlier in the season, Siniakova posted her first appearance into the third round of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon, then backed up her results by reaching her first WTA-level final at the Ericsson Open in Bastad.
Now, two months later, Siniakova has kept her momentum going strong and booked a spot into her second career WTA final.
The Czech faced a stern test against No.6 seed Zhang, the highest-ranked player left in the draw. The two players traded breaks seven times during a tense first set, but Siniakova kept Zhang under pressure. The Chinese player won just one point behind her first serve all set long, and Siniakova took every break point that came her way – a perfect seven out of seven. She fired two aces in the final game to serve out the opening set in commanding fashion.
Siniakova broke three more times and rattled off the next six games in a clinical display of aggressive baseline play to see off Zhang 6-3, 6-0.
No.7 seed McHale had a more difficult road to the Japan Women’s Open Tennis final, needing to battle through her fourth three-set match of the tournament against Jana Cepelova.
The momentum swung back and forth between the two players throughout the match, with McHale and Cepelova splitting sets and trading breaks twice in the third set. Cepelova’s aggressive returning kept the American under pressure, but McHale kept her cool – the Slovakian player brought up seven chances to get another break off of McHale but couldn’t convert on any.
McHale broke Cepelova in the final game to take the match 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 and book a spot into her first WTA final since March 2014.
NGUANGZHOU, China – No.2 seed Jelena Jankovic faced few problems in a 6-2, 6-1 rout of hometown favorite You Xiaodi to reach the second round of the Guangzhou International Women’s Open.
Playing her first tournament since the US Open, Jankovic lost just five points behind her first serve and saved four of five break points faced throughout the 66 minute match, which the Serb told press was tougher than the scoreline indicated.
“There were a lot of tough points, and I think my young opponent played very well,” she said in her post-match press conference. “She has a great game and great potential. A lot of games were really close. Though I didn’t play my best tennis, I’m happy to get through, so I hope to keep improving and get even better.”
Jankovic had a strong end to her season in 2015, winning here and in Hong Kong to qualify for the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, and despite an injury-riddled season, still has big goals for her week in Guangzhou.
“I would like to play one match at a time, but my goal is to win the tournament. It won’t be easy because every tournament is tough and everyone is playing well, but I will try my best to achieve it.”
Up next for the former World No.1 is Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson, who dispatched local wildcard and former junior No.1 Xu Shilin, 6-3, 6-1.
“In general, I’ve loved coming to China for so many years. I’ve had quite a lot of success in this part of the world. I’d like to do well again, and so I’ll try my best to have a great Asian Swing and end my season on a positive note.
“But I’ve had a lot of injuries, two ruptures in my shoulder, and this is only my second tournament after a long time. I will try to fight and regain my confidence, get stronger, and get better with each match I play in Asia.”
Jankovic even managed to have some fun before the tournament began, sharing images from the player’s party on her official Facebook page:
Earlier in the day, 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki triumphed over lucky loser Kwan Yau Ng, 6-2, 6-0, while Lesia Tsurenko defeated qualifier Junri Namigata, 6-4, 6-1. Runner-up in Tokyo’s International event last week, No.7 seed Katerina Siniakova bowed out to young Estonian Anett Kontaveit, 6-1, 6-1, while champion Christina McHale was forced to withdraw from Guangzhou due to a right shoulder injury.
Top seed Sara Errani played the last match of the night against China’s Han Xinyun.
More to come…
A first time gold medalist, a new US Open winner, and – after three years – a brand new WTA World No.1. It’s been a hectic summer of tennis and CNN’s Pat Cash will catch up with the authors of the season’s biggest storylines: Angelique Kerber and Monica Puig.
Tune in on September 22 to catch the newest episode of CNN Open Court!
Defending champion and former No.1 Jelena Jankovic knocked out US Open quarterfinalist Ana Konjuh, next faces Lesia Tsurenko in the Guanzhou International Women’s Open final.
Caroline Wozniacki takes on Magda Linette in the quarterfinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Agnieszka Radwanska has Saturday’s shot of the day at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
WUHAN, China – Irina-Camelia Begu was a point from elimination in the first round of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, but roared back to defeat Russia’s Elizaveta Kulichkova, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.
Watch live action from Wuhan this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Kulichkova is one of a trio of young Russians who made waves in 2016, reaching the third round of the Australian Open alongside Daria Kasatkina and Margarita Gasparyan and reaching a career-high ranking of World No.87. Injuries have curtailed her progress since, but the 20-year-old appeared poised for a big upset over Begu after taking the opening set and serving for the match at 5-3.
Begu broke back and recovered from match point down a few games later to level the match in a tense tie-break. Saving a whopping seven break points in the first game of the decider, the Romanian took control from there to clinch a spot in the second round after two hours and 32 minutes.
Up next for the World No.23 is countrywoman Simona Halep, who narrowly defeated Begu in three sets at the Mutua Madrid Open. Halep is set to play her first match of the Asian Swing after a hamstring injury forced her out of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Later in the day, Olympic Gold medalist and Tokyo quarterfinalist Monica Puig took on No.13 seed Roberta Vinci, but fell to the 2015 US Open finalist, 6-3, 6-3. Puig turns 23 this week after a stellar season that saw her become Puerto Rico’s first-ever athlete to win gold at an Olympic Games.
Around the grounds, Yaroslava Shvedova continued her own second-half season resurgence by dropping just four points in the opening set of a 6-0, 6-3 win over China’s own Zheng Saisai. Shvedova and partner Timea Babos could become the fourth team to qualify for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global should they win the title in Wuhan.
“Tennis Dance” performed in opening ceremony of the Wuhan Open, a WTA tournament of 2.4-million-dollar prize money pic.twitter.com/6o7TJXkeH7
— Xinhua Sports (@XHSports) September 25, 2016
Francesca Schiavone first came to the Tashkent Open several weeks shy of her 20th birthday. The teenager was ranked outside the Top 100, but stunned top seed Anna Smashnova in the first round en route to her first WTA final.
“It’s been nearly 16 years since I was last here,” she said in an interview with Sunder Iyer. “I have great memories of Tashkent. The city has changed a lot from what I saw then; it’s great to be back.”
Schiavone went on to win her first Grand Slam title just over a decade after her initial breakthrough in the Uzbek capital, eventually peaking at No.4 at the start of 2011.
The return to Tashkent is a bittersweet, full circle moment for the 36-year-old, who is once again outside the Top 100 despite a title run at the Rio Open earlier this year. Still, Schiavone showed she still had some magic left with a straight-set upset over No.7 seed Sorana Cirstea.
“This match was a tough one. Sorana is coming back, so I had had to play good tactics and win every point. I played well and feel confident.”
Confidence has been hard to come by for the former French Open champion, who began the year playing qualifying at the Australian Open. Adjusting to the shift in results has admittedly been a process.
“When you are Top 10, it is different level, different money, different services, different satisfaction. As your ranking drops and you are outside Top 100 everything changes in life; the entire system changes and you are no longer as special you were.
“But I love the sport and still enjoy playing.”
It was unbridled passion and pure love for the game that brought Schiavone to the top of the sport, and it appears that same love is what keeps her on tour to this day.
“I play because I enjoy it. I’m happy to play tennis – even now. It’s tough, and there are some decisions one has to take about their careers sometimes. I decided to continue playing. I would like to thank God for keeping me healthy and allowing me to still play at this level.”
Debuting on the WTA tour back in 1996, Schiavone has had a front seat to the radical changes the game has made, noting a far more physical sport than rewards experience over youth.
“One has to play a minimum of 20 shots in a rally. The matches are longer; one has to play for around three hours. Tennis is going faster and faster.
“A lot of young players used to be around, but today the overall age of players playing the tour is higher. Many players in their 30s are winning matches and events. If one is fit, they all have an opportunity. Players were younger in the sport back then, and were under lot of pressure. There was no time to relax because of the busy schedules and commitments; many of them burnt out.
“But now, I see them taking time to practice, be physically fit, and ensure longevity in the sport, playing for longer time spans.”
Schiavone has found it’s never too late to make such changes, the likes of which were apparent when she declined a wlldcard to the Olympic tennis event in Rio de Janeiro.
“Obviously, things change. When you are young, you can fly from the US to China and back to US and back to China without much thought. Flights were easy then, but now, at 36, you make different decisions and ensure you get rest, practice, and be fresh for competition. One learns to work at an easy pace and enjoy the game, which is what I’m doing now.”
With no plans of stopping anytime soon, there remains a plan for what’s to come when the veteran decides to call it a career, one that will channel her love of the game into the next generation of Italian tennis.
“I hope one day I can serve my country and its players. I want to work with them and help them in the sport.
“It would be great to give back what I learned, because it truly was a gift.”
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Tennis players are a superstitious bunch. And so, too, it turns out are many coaches.
Among their number is Torben Beltz, coach to World No.1 Angelique Kerber. “I think I’m more superstitious than her maybe,” Beltz told CNN’s Open Court after his charge lifted the US Open title earlier this month.
The current ritual, which began during her New York run, leaves Beltz in danger of departing Asia looking even more hirsute than usual: “When she’s winning, I’m not shaving.”
And for this week’s Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, Beltz has upped the stakes, agreeing with the new World No.1 that he would sport a mustache for the remainder of the season should she lift any further silverware during the Asian leg of the tour.
“In the past when I was playing I didn’t shave, and I still keep on doing this as a coach,” Beltz said. “If she keeps on winning for two weeks like here it’s getting really big my beard.”
In the latest edition of Open Court, Kerber and Beltz discussed rising up the ranking, the secret behind their close bond and, of course, shaving habits…