Tennis News

SINGAPORE – Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova were in high spirits as they reflected on their win over Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, which made them the doubles champions at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“We were coming here so motivated to have this trophy,” Makarova admitted in their post-match press conference. “We came so early, because two years ago we came quite late – we had just two days for practice.”

“Not enough,” Vesnina interjected.

“Yeah, we came one week before [this year’s tournament began], and were ready, and really wanted this trophy,” Makarova continued. “We’re so happy that we did it today.”

They were quick to pay tribute to their vanquished opponents, and the role they played in making the match such a special occasion.

“We [have] always had tough matches against Lucie and Bethanie,” Vesnina said. “We know that it has to be [a] good match from us and we have to… up our level of the game, because otherwise we won’t beat them. It was really good quality tennis today in the final.”

Vesnina and Makarova’s win meant that Sania Mirza finishes the year as Doubles World No.1. The champions wondered whether she might want to thank them for their part in her ranking – or whether she was still smarting from her semifinal loss.

“Congrats to Sania, by the way,” Vesnina said with a smile. “She should give us some gift, I think. We still beat her in the semifinal so she’s upset.”

The new champions were also keen to talk about why they think their partnership works – despite the two players being polar opposites.

“We are different a little bit, but I think that [the partnership] is working because we are different,” Makarova suggested. “Yeah, I’m more quiet and Lena is more –

“I’m talking all the time!” interrupted Vesnina, and her partner agreed. “She’s lefty; I’m a right-hander. Left-handed people, you know that they’re thinking with a different part of the brain and I’m thinking with a different [part of mine]. So that’s why we’re different, but we are still together.”

“Yes – but we are still good to each other,” Makarova added.

Unsurprisingly, the pair are planning a break between Christmas and New Year – but are expecting that they will reunite in January to begin their 2017 campaign.

“For sure we will play Australian Open together, yeah; maybe the tournament before,” Makarova confirmed. 

“Now we want to enjoy this moment. We want to have a holiday. She goes to Zhuhai, so her season is not finished yet. We wish you will all big good luck there -same way as here.

“Then definitely, yeah, we will be ready for Australia.”

Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep have been drawn in the same group for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, which starts on Sunday.

The German, who will finish the year as World No.1, is seeded top for the tournament and she has avoided an early meeting with defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska.

Kerber, who is bidding to qualify from the round robin stage of the WTA Finals for the first time, has been drawn in the Red Group, alongside Halep, the winner of three titles in 2016, Dominika Cibulkova, whose late-season from carried her into the tournament and Madison Keys, who has reached a career high of World No.7 this year.

Radwanksa, who defeated Petra Kvitova in last year’s final, leads the White Group, which also features Garbiñe Muguruza, who won her first-ever Grand Slam at the French Open in June. Karolina Pliskova, who was defeated by Kerber in the final of the US Open, is the final known player in the group, with one place yet to be determined.

That spot will be filled by the Brit Johanna Konta unless Svetlana Kuznetsova wins the Kremlin Cup. The Russian plays Elina Svitolina in the semi-final in Moscow later on Friday.

Read: Kerber, Radwanska Lead Red & White Groups In WTA Finals Round Robin Draw

SINGAPORE – Dominika Cibulkova has climbed to a career-high ranking of World No.5 after stunning Angelique Kerber, 6-3, 6-4, to win the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

The Slovakian began the tournament as World No.8 and looked set to make an early exit when she lost her first two round robin matches.

However, after beating Simona Halep to reach the semifinals, she recorded a victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova before upsetting the Australian Open and US Open champion to claim the title.

The win moves her up to fifth, leapfrogging Karolina Pliskova, Garbiñe Muguruza and Madison Keys, who were all eliminated at the round-robin phase.

Had Cibulkova won her first two round-robin matches, she would be just over 100 points behind Simona Halep, who remains as World No.4.

Kerber secured her status as year-end World No.1 thanks to Serena Williams’ withdrawal from the tournament and received her award in Singapore.

Meanwhile, in the doubles rankings, Sania Mirza hangs on to top spot despite her and Martina Hingis’ semifinal exit in Singapore.