Bellis Races Into Hawaii Open Quarterfinals
Catherine Bellis continued her fine run of form with a dominant second-round victory over Usue Maitane Arconada at the Hawaii Open on Thursday.
Catherine Bellis continued her fine run of form with a dominant second-round victory over Usue Maitane Arconada at the Hawaii Open on Thursday.
SHENZHEN, China – World No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska will begin her 2017 campaign by headlining a strong field at the fifth edition of the Shenzhen Open.
Twelve months ago, Radwanska continued her fine record on Chinese soil by cruising to the title at the Shenzhen Longgang Sports Centre without dropping a set. The tournament proved an ideal springboard for the Pole, who went on to reach the semifinals at the Australian Open.
“I can really see that it’s a lovely city and very nice site,” Radwanska said. “So many courts, a lot better for us to practice whenever we can and the tournament is very well organized. I cannot complain about anything; I really like the hotel as well. Every tennis tournament should be like that.”
This year, Shenzhen will offer prize money totaling $750,000 – the highest of any International event on the calendar – enticing a stellar field to southern China. Joining Radwanska in the draw will be two other members of the Top 10, Simona Halep and Johanna Konta.
Like Radwanska, Halep has fond memories of Shenzhen, having lifted the trophy in 2015. Since then, Halep’s trophy cabinet has become ever more crowded, consolidating her status at the summit of the game. Konta, meanwhile, is the latest addition to the Top 10 after a rapid rise up the ranks.
Since Li Na won the inaugural staging of the tournament in 2013, Shenzhen has become a fixture on the calendar, where it will remain until 2021 after signing a contract extension.
Main draw matches will begin on Sunday, January 1.
Click here to see the full entry lists for Shenzhen and the other opening week events in Brisbane and Auckland.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – The BNP Paribas Open gets underway on Wednesday, with an in-form Heather Watson and a couple of Americans on the comeback trail in action.
Wednesday, First Round
Stadium 1
[WC] Heather Watson (GBR #53) vs. Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ #NR)
Head-to-head: Watson leads 1-0
Unsurprisingly, Johanna Konta has dominated British tennis in the opening months of 2016. Last week, though, Heather Watson moved out of the shadows to lift the third WTA title of her career, at the Abierto Monterrey Afirme. Most impressive was the manner of her victory in México, taking the initiative to defeat Caroline Wozniacki, Caroline Garcia and then Kirsten Flipkens in a high-quality final.
Next stop is Indian Wells and an unfamiliar foe. Galina Voskoboeva missed the best part of two years recovering from a serious foot injury, making her return at an ITF event in February. The Kazakhstani has completed just a handful of matches since then and is using her protected ranking of No.72 to step up her competition in the desert. Watson won her only previous meeting against the Kazakhstani, an extremely tight three-set battle three years ago in Memphis, and in light of recent accomplishments will expect to repeat the result.
[Q] Taylor Townsend (USA #379) vs. Vania King (USA #202)
Head-to-head: Townsend leads 1-0
Two years ago, Taylor Townsend looked ready to deliver on her boundless potential, reaching the third round of the French Open and breaking into the Top 100. But since then, things have not exactly gone to plan for the former junior No.1, injury, coaching reshuffles and a loss of form sending her tumbling down the rankings.
Such has been Townsend’s fall, she needed to win eight matches to earn a spot in the main draw. Having negotiated her way through that minefield, the American, who does not turn 20 until later this spring, meets Vania King. Like Townsend, King is also on the comeback trail, a productive spell on the ITF Circuit leaving her on the cusp of the Top 200. The match is be third on Stadium 1 and with defending champion Simona Halep awaiting in the second round the winner is likely to be rewarded with another prime time slot.
Around the grounds…
Dominika Cibulkova attempts to set up a second-round blockbuster against Agnieszka Radwanska when she takes on Katerina Siniakova. Also on court are Barbora Strycova and CoCo Vandeweghe, who face Kiki Bertens and Aliaksandra Sasnovich, respectively.
Serena Williams has penned a powerful open letter encouraging female athletes to “continue to dream big” and break barriers to equality.
Her letter, which is part of Porter Magazine’s ‘Incredible Women of 2016’ issue, addressed “all incredible women who strive for excellence” and shared her childhood dreams of being the best tennis player in the world – “not just the best ‘female’ tennis player.”
Serena wrote:
I was fortunate to have a family that supported my dream and encouraged me to follow it. I learned not to be afraid. I learned how important it is to fight for a dream and, most importantly, to dream big. My fight began when I was three and I haven’t taken a break since.
But as we know, too often women are not supported enough or are discouraged from choosing their path. I hope together we can change that. For me, it was a question of resilience. What others marked as flaws or disadvantages about myself – my race, my gender – I embraced as fuel for my success. I never let anything or anyone define me or my potential. I controlled my future.
So when the subject of equal pay comes up, it frustrates me because I know firsthand that I, like you, have done the same work and made the same sacrifices as our male counterparts. I would never want my daughter to be paid less than my son for the same work. Nor would you.
As we know, women have to break down many barriers on the road to success. One of those barriers is the way we are constantly reminded we are not men, as if it is a flaw. People call me one of the “world’s greatest female athletes”. Do they say LeBron is one of the world’s best male athletes? Is Tiger? Federer? Why not? They are certainly not female. We should never let this go unchallenged. We should always be judged by our achievements, not by our gender.
For everything I’ve achieved in my life, I am profoundly grateful to have experienced the highs and lows that come with success. It is my hope that my story, and yours, will inspire all young women out there to push for greatness and follow their dreams with steadfast resilience. We must continue to dream big, and in doing so, we empower the next generation of women to be just as bold in their pursuits.
Serena’s letter is one of four letters published in Porter Magazine’s ‘Incredible Women of 2016’ issue, which hits newsstands on Friday, December 2. Read the full piece reprinted at the Guardian right here.
ZHUHAI, China – With the dust settled after an action-packed fortnight at the US Open, there were major shifts on the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai leaderboard. Some of the WTA’s biggest stars – including defending champion Venus Williams, Roberta Vinci, Madison Keys and Johanna Konta – moving up in contention.
The year’s final tournament will run from November 1 to 6, and like last year the singles draw will feature 11 of the top ranked players and one wildcard, with the winner collecting 700 rankings points.
Here’s the latest leaderboard update for the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai as of September 12, 2016:
WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen | World No.1 Angelique Kerber leads a stacked field at the Apia International Sydney that also features WTA Finals winner Dominika Cibulkova; check out the full entry list here on wtatennis.com.
Queens of the court Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki have both reigned supreme in women’s tennis. But how did they fare spending a day watching the sport of kings?
Elina Svitolina takes on the WTA Frame Challenge, but can she topple Alize Cornet and become the new leader? Find out on wtatennis.com!
Victoria Azarenka
2016 Quick Hits
Week 1 Ranking: No.22
Year-End Ranking: No.13
Season Highlights: Titles at Brisbane, Indian Wells & Miami
Best Major Result: QF (Australian Open)
13 Days left until the 2017 #WTA season! pic.twitter.com/8SEKBlJltK
— WTA (@WTA) 19 de diciembre de 2016
2017 Outlook
Two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka tore off the blocks in 2016, winning the first title of the year at the Brisbane International in emphatic style. She was just as ruthless in Indian Wells and Miami, where she became the first woman in over a decade to clinch the elusive “Sunshine Double.”
And the 2016 SAP Match Stats reflect her torrid form: she dropped just 17 games en route to lifting the trophy in Brisbane – the fewest games lost in winning a WTA title in the entire year.
But after the clay season, the former No.1 announced that she was putting an end to her season in order to take on her biggest challenge yet: motherhood.
Looking ahead to 2017, Azarenka has plans to return to the sport but admits she won’t put a date on her comeback.
“I don’t put any time frame on myself,” Azarenka said in an interview with Tennis Channel. “I would love to make it as soon as possible, but give myself a reasonable time to fully recover and be ready. I’m not going to rush anything, and it’s hard to tell before the birth actually happens.
“So, we’ll see, but I’m confident that I’ll be able to play tennis again pretty soon.”
An interview with Aliaksandra Sasnovich after her second-round match at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.