Rome: S. Williams Interview
An interview with Serena Williams after her win in the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
An interview with Serena Williams after her win in the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
The story of the tournament from the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
No.3 seed Annika Beck was among the first to arrive.
Doubles partners Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke stepped out on the step and repeat.
American Irina Falconi was also on hand and ready for her close-up.
Julia Goerges was met by some extra special friends on the red carpet.
Lesia Tsurenko caught up with Simba the Bear as well.
Top seed Roberta Vinci was feeling right at home in Nürnberg in this group shot.
No.2 seed Laura Siegemund was dressed to the nines at the Player’s Party…
…and caught up with countrywomen Annika Beck and Anna-Lena Friedsam to take home some extra-special souvenirs.
The WTA stars were treated to a sumptuous dinner, and it was clear some magic was in the air…
…and sure enough, some magicians were on hand to entertain the players; Sabine Lisicki tries her luck and finding her card.
World No.1 Serena Williams raced through the first match in her title defense at Roland Garros, dropping just two games to Magdalena Rybarikova.
PARIS, France – No.9 seed Venus Williams survived a second set surge from Alizé Cornet to win a sixth straight match against the Frenchwoman, 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-0, to reach the second week of Roland Garros for the first time in six years.
The 2002 finalist came into Paris having won just two matches in her last four French Open appearances, but heads into the second week having dropped just one set in her first three matches, though this marked her toughest test yet against Cornet, who played her best match against the American in her career.
Williams and Cornet emerged on Court Suzanne Lenglen from a brief rain delay to resume the first set, and though Cornet led by a late break, the former No.1 reclaimed the initiative and served out a tense tie-break with some fiercesome serving.
“After the break I felt a lot more clear about what I wanted to accomplish,” she said in her post-match press conference. “It’s never easy to play in France against a French player. Probably not easy for them either. So that’s the extra pressure against you.
“Honestly, she played really well. In the third I was able to capitalize on a couple of her errors, play some good points, and go on to the next match, literally,” referring to her doubles match with sister Serena, which was suspended due to darkness after they took the first set from Vitalia Diatchenko and Galina Voskoboeva.
Undaunted, Cornet rode her building momentum and the support of the French crowd to her first set over the elder Williams sister, roaring through the second set to force a decider.
“She’s a great competitor and it’s always a tough match,” Williams said in her on-court interview.
The turning point for the World No.11 came a game into the final set; with Cornet serving up 30-0, Venus clawed back to break serve and it was one-way traffic from then on, clinching the match in just over two hours.
“I had some luck in the end on the important points, and I’m so excited to be in the next round.
“I’ve had some issues in the past, but what can you do? Every year is different, and I’m trying to make this year my best yet.
“I love tennis, and today I was just telling myself to enjoy the battle and to compete. With Alizé, it’s always a battle and you always have to compete.
“What can I say? I’m doing what I love every day and I couldn’t ask for more.”
Standing between Williams and a spot in her first French Open quarterfinal in 10 years is No.8 seed Tima Bacsinszky. The 2015 French Open semifinalist has never beaten the American in their two previous encounters, but the two haven’t played since the 2014 US Open, and neither encounter came on clay.
No9 seed Venus Williams remains undefeated against Cornet, d. the Frenchwoman 7-6(5) 1-6 6-0. Next up: Bacsinszky. pic.twitter.com/46PmrZGBoL
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) May 28, 2016
1) Caroline Wozniacki is back in action.
A right ankle injury sidelined Wozniacki for all of the clay season, and the Dane is looking to make her comeback in Nottingham. She hasn’t played a WTA match since Miami and her ranking has plunged to No.34 – can she start her comeback on grass?
2) Can Cagla Buyukakcay keep making history?
The 26-year-old Turk is one to watch at the Aegon Open Nottingham: after making Turkish history in Istanbul and Paris, Buyukakcay starts her Wimbledon tune up at Nottingham, where she’s set to meet No.3 seed Caroline Wozniacki in the first round.
3) Defending champion Ana Konjuh faces a setback.
2015 Nottingham champion Ana Konjuh looked to be in good form after her run at the WTA Bol Open 125K before a lower back injury forced her to retire in the semifinals. Will she be recovered in time for Nottingham?
4) Don’t call it a comeback for Vicky Duval…
The American Vicky Duval is entering her second tournament of 2016 at Nottingham after undergoing knee surgery following the Australian Open. She’s up against the No.2 seed Johanna Konta in the first round.
5) …Or for Laura Robson.
With a clean bill of health and back on home soil again, former British No.1 Laura Robson is looking to make the best of her protected ranking at Nottingham. First up for the wildcard? Defending champion Ana Konjuh.
6) Belinda Bencic returns to Den Bosch going for one better…
No.1 seed Belinda Bencic is hoping to improve her run to the final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch last year.
7) …And she’s not the only one.
Besides Bencic, there are two other former ‘s-Hertogenbosch finalists in the draw: Kirsten Flipkens (2013) and Jelena Jankovic (2007) are both looking for their first title at the Ricoh Open. 2014 champion CoCo Vandeweghe is back as well.
8) It’s anyone’s game in Den Bosch.
With defending champion Camila Giorgi and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova out due to injury, No.8 Belinda Bencic is the highest ranked player at the Ricoh Open. Can Bencic capitalize on the opportunity or will a new name make her mark?
9) Can Kiki Bertens keep up the momentum?
The on-fire Bertens has built up quite the winning streak: she’s won 12 of 13 matches by claiming her second WTA title at Nurnberg and reaching her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros. But as the season turns to grass, can Bertens keep it up?
10) And see where you can watch action from Nottingham and ‘s-Hertogenbosch on TennisTV!
Serena Williams takes on Kiki Bertens in the semifinals of Roland Garros.
Minutes after her tough 7-5, 6-4 loss to Garbiñe Muguruza in the Roland Garros final, Serena Williams walked directly into her post-match press conference. She was as open and honest as she felt she could be after minimal time to process the match, the loss, and her emotions.
Q: Are you the type of person who can kind of let this match go quickly, or will you beat yourself up about it for a few days?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don’t really know right now. I’m just — obviously it’s not something I’m like, Oh, it’s over with. It’s definitely something I want to dissect and see what I can learn from that and what can I do to get better from it. That’s the only way to keep improving.
On Wednesday, Serena turned to social media to tell the world how she really felt. “I was pissed, I have to admit,” she said in a video posted by Uninterrupted. “I thought I could’ve played better, I thought I could’ve competed better, I thought I could’ve really done everything five times better. And I didn’t, and I was so pissed that I actually abandoned my rackets in France after maybe a few smashes of the racket bag.”
VIDEO: @SerenaWilliams on French Open loss: “I'm going to take a moment to be super honest … I was really pissed.”https://t.co/qJzaGOjrJZ
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) June 8, 2016
Thankfully Serena’s speech did not end there. Not to worry, tennis fans. The World No.1 is already back on court preparing for her assault on Wimbledon, where she will once again be the defending champion and aim to match the Open Era record of 22 major titles.
Said Serena: “I’m out here [on court] by myself because sometimes by yourself is when the great things really happen.”
Here’s what Serena said in its entirety:
“So I’m going to take a moment to be super candid and super honest.
“After Paris, the final, which is great, you know, for everyone on this planet with the exception of me — I don’t do what everyone else does — I was really pissed, I have to admit. I thought I could’ve played better, I thought I could’ve competed better, I thought I could’ve really done everything five times better. And I didn’t, and I was so pissed that I actually abandoned my rackets in France after maybe a few smashes of the racket bag. I felt like if I was going to play that awful and that crappy, that maybe I don’t need rackets. Maybe I can just show up to a tournament, and maybe I can get to a final without playing great, and without practice.
“But obviously that doesn’t work and sometimes you have to work extra hard. So I’m out here by myself because sometimes by yourself is when the great things really happen.”
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.
NOTTINGHAM, England – Top seed Karolina Pliskova overcame Alison Riske in a rain-affected Aegon Open Nottingham final on Sunday to capture her fifth WTA title.
Afternoon showers pushed the start of play back a couple of hours, at one point even raising the possibility of a Monday final. When the clouds did eventually clear, Pliskova held her nerve to triumph 7-6(8), 7-5, in a fraction under two hours.
Just as she had in her quarterfinal victory over Ashleigh Barty, Pliskova was forced to come from set points down in the opening set tie-break, a feat that gave her added satisfaction.
“It feels good to win, especially after all those tie-breaks this week. All of those I was set point down, so I’m really happy that I made it and that I have the trophy in my hands,” Pliskova said. “Today there were parts of the match when I was better and parts when she was.
“I really needed my serve today and some aces got me out of some important moments. She has a great game on grass so I needed to be at my best today to get the win.”
Early on Pliskova threatened to run away with the contest, moving swiftly into a 3-1 lead. However, Riske, who went into the final on a nine-match winning streak having claimed the ITF Circuit title in Eastbourne last week, was never likely to go quietly.
Indeed, after breaking back in the sixth game she looked the more likely winner of the opening set, carving out three sets points at 4-5, then another three during a dramatic tie-break. The second set was equally frustrating for the American, who served for it at 5-4, only to see Pliskova reel off the final three games, completing her Houdini-esque escape with a wonderful crosscourt pass.
Not many better ways to seal a title! @KaPliskova hits a stunning pass to seal the #AegonOpen Nottingham title!https://t.co/ONEAghEKvq
— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) 12 June 2016
The Czech now makes the short trip west to further fine-tune her Wimbledon preparation at the Aegon Classic Birmingham. “It’s been a great week for me, I really didn’t count on having such early success on the grass so I am feeling good ahead of Wimbledon,” she added.
“I am just happy with the matches I have played, I have got some hours on the grass now and I can go to Birmingham and even if I don’t do anything there I have some matches under my belt ahead of Wimbledon.”
In the doubles final Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai got the better of No.4 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Yang Zhaoxuan, 7-5, 3-6, 10-7.