Hobart: Friday Highlights
Highlights from the semifinals action at the Hobart International.
Highlights from the semifinals action at the Hobart International.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Unseeded Johanna Konta became the first British woman to reach the Australian Open semifinals since 1977 when she outlasted relentless qualifier, Zhang Shuai, 6-4, 6-1.
“I was really just taking it one match at a time while I was here and, even more simply, a point at a time,” she told former British No.1 Sam Smith during her on-court interview.
Not since Sue Barker made the final four nearly 40 years ago had a Brit gone this far in Melbourne, and Konta had to face a battle-tested opponent across the net; Zhang began her tournament with three wins in qualifying and a massive win over No.2 seed Simona Halep.
“She definitely didn’t make it easy for me today; every time I got a little bit ahead, she was constantly there.”
But Konta’s run had been equally impressive Down Under, defeating No.8 seed Venus Williams in the first round and surviving a thrilling three-setter with 2015 semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova in the round of 16. Showing few signs of fatigue, Konta raced out to a 5-2 lead, but needed six set points to put away Zhang, who nearly brought the match back on level terms in the tenth game.
“I really enjoyed playing in front of you guys,” she said, addressing the spectators on Rod Laver Arena. “This is why we play, to get the chance to play in front of such a wonderful crowd.
“I just wanted to make sure I came out and played the best level I could and, hopefully, gave everyone some good entertainment!”
With the first set in hand, the Brit never looked back, hitting 28 winners and drawing 20 unforced errors out the Chinesewoman to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal in 83 minutes – though not in ideal fashion for the competitive Konta.
“Unfortunately, I won it on a let cord; I’m not that proud of that. But I’m happy with how I was able to fight every single point.”
Asked about her family watching at home, Konta was tongue-in-cheek regarding the time difference – the match ended a little before 4AM in the UK.
“I’m pretty sure they have jet lag; they’ve been staying up at all ridiculous times of the morning. I’m sure they’re looking forward me to go home so they can sleep properly!”
Up next for Konta is No.7 seed Angelique Kerber, who provided an arguably even more shocking upset by taking out pre-tournament favorite Victoria Azarenka to reach her first Australian Open semifinal.
“It will be my first match against her. She’s Top 10 and an incredibly decorated, successful competitor and player. I’m really just going to go out there, bring to the court what I can, try my best, hopefully give the crowd a great match, and we’ll see how it goes.”
A fitting embrace after a great contest #Konta #zhang #ausopen Watch more https://t.co/Ek545ZyE1J https://t.co/PXCJl0eCDg
— Australian Open (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2016
What happens when a serve is too powerful for the net to handle? Check out what happened at the Hobart International!
Donna Vekic takes on Ana Ivanovic in the first round of the Western & Southern Open.
MELBOURNE, Australia – The first Grand Slam of the year is almost here as the Australian Open kicks off in Melbourne on Monday. The doubles draw is out, and Bethanie Mattek-Sands reunites with Lucie Safarova in hopes of defending her No.1 ranking against a trio of challengers.
But Serena Williams and Venus Williams threaten to blow the draw right open as they will take the court together to compete in doubles for the first time since the Olympic Games.
Click here to see the full singles and doubles draws.
POTENTIAL QUARTERFINALS:
[1] Caroline Garcia / Kristina Mladenovic vs [5] Martina Hingis / CoCo Vandeweghe
[3] Ekaterina Makarova / Elena Vesnina vs [7] Julia Goerges / Karolina Pliskova
[8] Vania King / Yaroslava Shvedova vs [4] Sania Mirza / Barbora Strycova
[6] Chan Yung-Jan / Chan Hao-Ching vs [2] Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Lucie Safarova
STORYLINES TO WATCH:
Garcia & Mladenovic are making their 2017 debut: The No.1 seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic are set to play together for the first time in 2017 at the Australian Open. The reigning French Open champions have always been adamant that their focus was on the singles competition, and at times seemed almost baffled by their continued doubles success. But the pair are back together for the first major of the year, and even have a shot at becoming co-No.1s.
“As we repeated well enough, we are singles players, our priority is singles,” Mladenovic told WTA Insider at the WTA Finals, where they reached the semifinals. “[But] even if we are singles players, just to be able to say that you’ve been No.1 in the world in doubles, is such a pride.”
The French team will play Belinda Bencic and Ana Konjuh in the first round.
The No.1 ranking could change hands again: Newly-crowned World No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands has barely had time to savor her rise to the top before her ranking is back into play. Garcia, Mladenovic and Elena Vesnina all have a shot at becoming World No.1 by the end of the fortnight.
Of course, should Mattek-Sands and Safarova take home the Australian Open title, the ranking will stay with the American. But that’s easier said than done….
Serena Williams and Venus Williams join forces: Looming in Mattek-Sands and Safarova’s side of the draw are Serena Williams and Venus Williams. The veteran doubles team is joining forces for the first time since the Olympic tennis event, where they lost in the first round to Czech duo Safarova & Strycova. Between the two of them they’ve amassed 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles, making them a veritable threat in any major tournament.
Seeded No.15, they could potentially book a third-round clash with Mattek-Sands/Safarova, throwing a wrench in the works for Mattek-Sands’ defense of her newly-gained top ranking.
– Photos courtesy of Getty Images
Shelby Rogers handed No.4 seed Simona Halep her second straight first-round loss at the Australian Open, rolling through in straight sets.
Monica Niculescu earned a historic win for Romania following Simona Halep’s surprise loss, while Richel Hogenkamp edged past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make Fed Cup history.
Elina Svitolina takes on Julia Boserup in the second round of the Australian Open.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – There are few, if any, nationalities quite so fiercely patriotic as the Russians.
This pride manifests itself in all walks of life, from politics to arts to sports. Take Svetlana Kuznetsova’s unexpected – and emotional – surge to last year’s Kremlin Cup, the famous old Olimpiyskiy indoor arena whipped up in nationalistic fervor for her all-Russian final with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
It is a pity, then, that – aside from the occasional Fed Cup tie – this tournament has provided the sole opportunity for Russia’s golden generation to shine on home soil.
This year, though, has seen a second event, in the country’s old capital St. Petersburg, added to the calendar.
While several of the country’s leading lights – including World No.6 Maria Sharapova – have elected against making the trip home, the presence of Pavlyuchenkova, Margarita Gasparyan and Daria Kasatkina ensured the home nation was well represented in Saturday’s draw.
Two more home-grown talents, at very different stages of their respective careers, are also present in the 28-strong field: Elena Vesnina and Natalia Vikhlyantseva.
For 18-year-old Vikhlyantseva the tournament offers the opportunity to showcase her talents on a bigger stage, while Vesnina will be looking to use it as a springboard back to the top.
Less than three years ago, Vesnina, playing the tennis of her career, was knocking on the door to the Top 20. A shoulder injury and loss of form halted this rise, and Vesnina, who faces Alizé Cornet in the first round, knows the tournament represents an opportunity.
“The WTA is hard; you’re practicing every single day and we’re travelling all over the world, far away from our families,” Vesnina told wtatennis.com. “So it’s great to leave at the end of the week with the trophy and know that it’s all worth it.”
Despite being raised in Sochi, Vesnina is familiar with Russia’s second city from her childhood and excited about her return – this time on business.
“It’s very special. And it’s very special because it’s in St. Petersburg, that’s one of the most beautiful cities in Russia and I’ve really loved the city since childhood – I was coming here with my family to visit the historical parts – and I know the city really well.
“It’s great to have another event in Russia because we have so many young players and upcoming stars and it’s great they have the opportunity to play at home, gets some points and maybe get their first title here. That’s just wonderful and I’m really looking forward to play my first match here.”
Varvara Lepchenko takes on Duan Ying-Ying in the second round of the Australian Open.