Australian Open: Tuesday Round-Up
A round-up of Tuesday’s first-round action at the Australian Open.
A round-up of Tuesday’s first-round action at the Australian Open.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Before main draw play begins on Monday, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will have already seen four days of hotly contested play during the US Open’s annual qualifying competition. Open to the public, US Open qualifying always features a fascinating mix of the game’s past, present, and future, all of whom have equal opportunity to win the three matches required to gain access to the final fortnight of the 2016 season.
Here’s a taste of some of the buzz from around the grounds last week:
Laura Robson goes from ashes to Ashe: The former World No.27 had already considered her summer a success when she swept the singles and doubles of an ITF Challenger in Landisville, Pennslyvania – her first titles of any kind since 2008. With her protected ranking given after her left wrist injury expired, she was ranked below the US Open qualifying cut-off, and so planned an Italian vacation with the hope of earning a late wildcard fading by the day.
“I played my final on a Sunday, and none of us thought there was any chance of me getting a wildcard here,” she told a small press room after knocking out Tatjana Maria, 7-6(5), 6-1, to reach the main draw. “I was on the phone with Max [Eisenbud], and he wasn’t getting good vibes from the USTA, either. He was telling me to go ahead and go on vacation.
“The next morning, I was thinking, ‘I’m supposed to get on this flight. Should I go?’ Everyone told me to, that there was only a 10% chance of a wildcard. It was one of those things where I sort of knew in the back of my head that it was going to happen, because as soon as you plan for it not to…”
Like forgetting your umbrella on a rainy day, Robson got the news soon after landing in Italy with her friends: New York was calling.
“We landed in Italy at 9AM, went to Vesuvius and a little bit of Pompei, and went straight back to the airport!” she joked. “I dropped my friends off at the villa, and I was there maybe seven hours. I was panicking a little bit, but my main priority was just to get back to London and then take the next flight here. My friends were helping me pack, not that I unpacked that much at that point.
“We’d already had a shared iCloud album, so all week, I’ve been getting photos of them on a sunset cruise and having the best time, but they’re all very happy for me.”
.@laurarobson5 `s match point reaction was a mix of relief and disbelief. She made the MD, starting with a WC. pic.twitter.com/mCwceK2RUu
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) August 27, 2016
Winning all three of her matches in straight sets, the young Brit wouldn’t be denied, even as her sudden change of plans were compounded by a bout with pink eye.
“It was actually a shocker though, because when I landed here, with all the travel I’d been doing, I got conjunctivitis. You’ve never seen an uglier eye, and I couldn’t come in on Friday because I was still contagious, so they sent me to a specialist. It was swollen shut, and you know when people will say, ‘Oh, it’s not so bad,’ but you know it is? Yeah.
“They obviously don’t do requests for Slams, but I saw Laura [Ceccarelli], the referee, and I was like, ‘Anything you could do to get me a Wednesday start?’ She took one look at my face and said, ‘We’ll do our best.'”
It has been a long road for for one who has been largely off the tour since the start of 2014 dealing with multiple surgeries on her left wrist. Playing qualifying at a major tournament for the first time since 2012 brought back plenty of memories, particularly of her first two attempts to make the main draw in New York.
“I had two matches when I was 15 and 16, where I was up in the third in the last round of qualies both times and almost had panic attacks. I put so much pressure on myself trying to qualify and it was such a big deal at the time. The third year, I qualified, but honestly I’ve just been happy to be here. I don’t know how it looks from the outside, but I feel like that’s been projecting as well. I feel a lot more confident. Today was a tough first set, and we had a long timeout in the second, but I’m not panicking about it. I’m just a lot more relaxed.”
Robson will play fellow Brit Naomi Broady on Tuesday for a potential second round match with No.4 seed and Connecticut Open champion Agnieszka Radwanska.
.@JaksicJovana in action at the @usopen today pic.twitter.com/8HXQ7Ox63O
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) August 25, 2016
Jaksic gives back: Jovana Jaksic was close to making her Top 100 debut at the end of 2014 when a back injury forced her to start all over again. The Serb has had to rebuild her ranking from a low of No.244 and appears back on her way to a strong finish to her season after a solid performance in qualies, where she narrowly lost to eventual qualifier Nadia Podoroska in the second round.
But before her week in New York could begin, Jaksic took time to help raise money for Manhattan’s Serbian Church of St. Sava. A fixture of the Flatiron section of the city since the mid 1800s, the church suffered a four-alarm fire back in May. A benefit was held last Monday at the New York Athletic Club, one that Jaksic didn’t think twice about missing.
“My Serbian friends organized an auction for raising money to rebuild the church,” she told WTA Insider. “I was a part of it and grateful to be so because I really believe in God. What happened, it was terrible to see the church burn down. But they did an amazing job organizing. I was really thankful to be invited and part of it.”
Was so happy to lend my support to the Save Saint Sava Benefit at New York Athletic Club tonight. Wonderful evening? pic.twitter.com/aOFcDJuVuv
— Jovana Jaksic (@JaksicJovana) August 23, 2016
It was a somber start to her stay in what she calls one of her favorite cities in the world.
“I love fast cities. Here, they call it ‘The City that Never Sleeps,’ and that’s something I’m in love with. It just has an energy, positive vibes, and that’s what you want, to come to a town that’s energetic and full of cool people.
“I went with my best friend for sushi afer my first round win because that’s my favorite restaurant. He’s staying in Manhattan, I’m in Queens, but we always end up in Manhattan. I don’t know why. Manhattan just calls out to you; it’s magnetic, and I love New York. There’s so many restaurants, good places to go. I like exploring different food, but sushi is my favorite.”
Jaksic will next play at the Coupe Banque Nationale in Québec.
Wedding Bells for Karatantcheva?: In a season that has already seen wedding celebrations from Ana Ivanovic, Dominika Cibulkova, Vera Zvonareva, and Dominika Cibulkova, former World No.35 Sesil Karatantcheva won’t be following her colleagues down the aisle in 2016, but did start the season by getting engaged to fiancé and former footballer Georgi Dolmov.
“He proposed in February, eight months after we met,” she said after her first round win over Rebecca Sramkova. “He wants us to get married next year, but I still haven’t decided if I want to let go of my freedom! He’s an ex-professional soccer player. Athletes find athletes; don’t get me wrong, I’ve dated non-athletes before, but I feel like another athlete really understands this kind of lifestyle. It’s tougher for a non-athlete to understand all the traveling, the pressure, and the hustle.”
A self-described contrarian, the former French Open quarterfinalist doesn’t feel the difference between team and individual sport is as great as many often believe.
“It’s funny because, to be honest, it’s a pretty thin line. When he tells me about the pressure he was under before matches and the responsibility he’d feel towards his team after a loss, you see it’s not that different. The responsibility isn’t shared between the team the way we think on the outside – especially when they miss penalty shots, it’s a big drama.
“He’s told me, ‘You know when you lose a match point? That’s how we feel.’ It’s good that you know someone is able to relate to your pain; when you win, it’s easy, but when you lose, that’s when the tough part begins.”
Qualifying underway @usopen. Second up on Court 13: Sesil Karatantcheva. pic.twitter.com/jMY7HRWTAP
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 23, 2016
Dolmov traveled with Karatantcheva to New York, a decision that was as much of a relief to him as it was to her.
“I was alone at Wimbledon and he was following my match on live scores, saying, ‘It’s killing me, I cannot look at the points flickering on the screen like this!'”
The tour’s preeminent Spice Girls enthusiast also fields music recommendations from her fiancé; though they might not fight over radio stations, Karatantcheva ultimately prefers her admittedly eclectic taste.
“I’m a big music junkie; you can open my phone and find anything in it. But lately, because my fiancé is into very heavy rock – he really likes Metallica and bands like Nirvana and Blur – and he was telling me, ‘This is the kind of music you need to listen to before your match,’ and I was like, ‘I’m not sure that’s me. I like it, but I’m a little bit more chill than that.'”
Karatantcheva will stay in the States following her second round loss to Elise Mertens to play more ITF Challengers with hopes of ending the season ranked inside the Top 150.
Liang Chen and Yang Zhouxuan take on Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching in the first round of the Australian Open.
No.3 seed Garbiñe Muguruza overcame a stuttering start to defeat qualifier Elise Mertens on the opening Monday of the US Open.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Grand Slam champions abound on Day 3 of the Australian Open, with two of 2016’s three major winners – World No.1 Angelique Kerber and French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza – hoping to advance into the third round in Melbourne. We preview all the day’s matchups right here at wtatennis.com.
Wednesday, Second Round
[13] Venus Williams (USA #17) vs Stefanie Voegele (SUI #112)
Head-to-head: Venus leads, 2-0
Key Stat: Voegele won her first Grand Slam main draw match since the 2015 Australian Open on Monday (d. Kurumi Nara)
The former World No.1 was given all she could handle in a tough first round against Kateryna Kozlova, and was feeling confident after knocking out her younger opponent in straight sets.
“Girl, I don’t know,” she joked with Sam Smith during the on-court interview. “I know how to play tennis.”
She certainly proved that after holding off the Ukrainian youngster, and will try to show more of that level against Voegele, a former World No.42 who is inching closer towards the Top 100 after over two years in the wildnerness.
Venus and Voegele will open play on Rod Laver Arena, and the American will likely look to keep rallies short as the heat could possibly become a factor should the match run long.
[1] Angelique Kerber (GER #1) vs Carina Witthoeft (GER #89)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 2-0
Key Stat: Kerber is trying to defend a Grand Slam title for the first time in her career.
Angelique Kerber enjoyed a strong finish to the first match in her Australian Open title defense on Monday, edging past Lesia Tsurenko, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
“I was trying just to going for it in the third set, just trying to play my game,” she said in her post-match press conference. “I think that was the key for the match today.”
In the second round she takes on countrywoman Carina Witthoeft, whom she played twice at Wimbledon in the last two years. Their most recent encounter featured a first-set tie-break, the only set in which Witthoeft won more than one game.
Either way, Kerber won’t be taking too much into their next match.
“It’s the second round. I’m not looking too much about my opponents. I think she played a good match here. I know her very well; I think it will be a good match.
“But for me it’s important to go out there playing my match again, not thinking too much about my opponent.”
[7] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP #7) vs Samantha Crawford (USA #162)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Muguruza shook off injury concerns in her first-round win against Marina Erakovic
The reigning French Open champion may not be at 100%, but has nonetheless channeled those niggling injuries into a glowing start to 2017, reaching the semifinals of the Brisbane International and sweeping aside Marina Erakovic in her first match in Melbourne.
“I was happy to win the first set, and then I just felt a little bit uncomfortable,” she said of her state of mind on Margaret Court Arena. “I just thought, take some precaution because of what happened in Brisbane. I took a medical timeout and became a little bit unfocused on the court. It took me a couple of games to get into the match again.”
Once she did, she didn’t let go, winning the final five games of the match, and blamed typical first-round jitters on compounding her physical concerns.
“I think this match was definitely more mental in certain situations, so I’m pretty pleased. I had to really forget about that and try to bring the best I had there.”
Muguruza next faces young American Samantha Crawford, who burst onto the scene last year when she herself reached the semifinals in Brisbane. Her own injuries have stunted her progress since, but the 2012 US Open junior champion is a clean ballstriker when playing her best.
Around the grounds…
No.11 seed Elina Svitolina opens play on Margaret Court Arena against Julia Boserup, followed by No.8 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova’s second round match against Aussie qualifier Jaimee Fourlis.
Women’s doubles also gets underway on Wednesday, with top seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic taking on Belinda Bencic and Ana Konjuh. Venus and Serena also debut as the No.15, and all four women in the hunt for No.1 are in action, including Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Elena Vesnina, with partners Lucie Safarova and Ekaterina Makarova, respectively.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Tied at six matches apiece, the rivalry between Svetlana Kuznetsova and Caroline Wozniacki is among the most underrated in tennis.
Meeting for the 13th time in the second round of this year’s US Open, the pair differs in almost every way. The Russian’s power game contrasts the Dane’s wall-like defenses. Kuznetsova’s flashes of brilliances have been rewarded with two Grand Slam titles, while Wozniacki’s maddening consistency earned her the No.1 ranking for 67 weeks – the ninth largest total in WTA history.
Two of their most high-profile meetings have come in Flushing Meadows; the first was all the way back in 2009, when Kuznetsova was a reigning French Open winner, while Wozniacki was a star on the rise. The Dane took the match in three tense sets to make it all the way to her first major final. Two years later, it was Wozniacki who was on top of the world, taking on a feisty veteran Kuznetsova, who was eager to earn her way back into the upper echelons in the game.
“She’s been playing well, and we’ve had a lot of grueling matches, like 7-6 and 7-5 in the third,” Wozniacki told press after her first round win over Taylor Townsend. “It’s a match I’m looking forward to. I’m just going to have fun out there and enjoy every moment.”
“It’s another match,” Kuznetsova echoed after her 6-1, 6-2 victory against Francesca Schiavone. “She’s a great opponent, a great player. It’s going to be another tough one. I just have to go out there and play my best; that’s it.”
The tides have turned yet again, and Kuznetsova is back in the Top 10 with her best season since 2009 already in the books, while Wozniacki is at a nine-year low at No.74 after months of injury woes.
“It hasn’t been a good season, because I’ve been injured for most of it,” Wozniacki mused. “That’s something you can’t really do much about other than keep working and keep trying to get your body in check. I’m just happy to be here and happy to get another match.”
Wozniacki christened the new Grandstand court with a titanic match against Townsend, who battled through three rounds of qualies and was a set away from unseating the former No.1.
“It was really difficult, with her lefty spin serves. I like to say I’m one of the better returners on tour, but that did not show and so that was really frustrating. Once we kind of got going in the rally, I felt ok, but I’m just happy to be here.
“It was a little windy, and I wasn’t sure which way the wind was going, but I was just like, ‘Ok, especially on the return, just get it in – anywhere!'”
The gambles paid off against the young American, but an even tougher test looms against Kuznetsova, who defeated her in straight sets just two months ago at Wimbledon.
“I don’t take much from Wimbledon, to be honest. Hardcourts are a completely different game. At this point, I’m just happy when I’m healthy, and that’s been my focus this year, just trying to get back healthy and feeling 100% body-wise. It’s been a struggle, and I feel like I’m there now, and make the most of it for the rest of the year.”
Kuznetsova can relate to ups and downs; she calls them a career.
“Tennis players, we get affected by the press, by the people, by the parents, by the country, and by the federation. What you start to learn is to not be affected by the idea that everyone wants something from you, because I’m not a dollar. There’s no way everyone’s going to like me!
“I’ve had to get comfortable within myself, and so if you don’t like me, it’s not my problem. I’m trying to be a better person to everyone else, and a better player every day. That’s important for me, and I just leave other things behind that I cannot change. I was letting myself down because of the expectations of other people, but it’s more important for me not to let down my own expectations.
“When you start to focus on that, you get a different perspective of everything.”
It’s a perspective she’ll need to earn the winning edge in their storied head-to-head, but not one that can be earned overnight.
“It’s all about work, day by day. That’s why I said, I can’t let myself down, because if you let down after you lose, you miss a good strike of days. Days count by days and accumulate, and then you get better. It’s many days of work, and not one day, where I had a dream or something.”
Kuznetsova and Wozniacki play for a spot in the third round on Wednesday.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
World No.1 Angelique Kerber survived another second-set hiccup on her 29th birthday to overcome Carina Witthoeft in straight sets at the Australian Open.
The player party at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is one of the hottest parties in tennis – DDF ambassador Ana Ivanovic takes you inside the action.
Angelique Kerber continues her quest for No.1 as the bottom half of the draw contests its second-round matches in New York on Wednesday. We preview a busy slate at wtatennis.com.
Wednesday
First Round
[2] Angelique Kerber (GER #2) vs. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO #57)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 3-0
Key Stat: Kerber will ascend to the No.1 ranking if Serena Williams does not reach the semifinals in New York.
Playing the No.2 seed in the first week of the US Open may seem like a daunting task, but Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni has history on her side when it comes to this. She famously defeated Simona Halep in the third round here in 2014 and went on to reach the second week at a major for the first time in over fifteen years. It was an emotional high point of that year’s US Open and the Croatian hopes to create more magic when she meets Angelique Kerber on Day 3. But the German has been rock-solid all season, and it is hard to imagine anybody knocking her off at this stage of a draw. Kerber leads the WTA in wins, Top 10 wins and hardcourt wins this season and she was highly effective in her first-round encounter with Polona Hercog, winning all seven games before the Slovenian retired due to injury. “I played the first set really good, so this is what I will take from this match, that I’m playing my tennis,” Kerber said on Monday. “For me, it’s always tricky the first few rounds. So it’s always good to have the first round done. Just now focusing on the next rounds.” Will that focus enable her to roll past an upset-minded Lucic-Baroni, or does the Croatian have another stunner in her?
Pick: Kerber in two
[24] Belinda Bencic (SUI #26) vs. Andrea Petkovic (GER #43)
Head-to-head: Bencic leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Petkovic has failed to reach the second week at a major in her last nine appearances.
Germany’s Andrea Petkovic has not won back-to-back matches since the grass-court season and she hasn’t reached the quarterfinals in a main draw since February. But the 28-year-old can put those old worries behind her by knocking off Belinda Bencic on Wednesday. Bencic, who survived a three-setter with American Samantha Crawford on Day 1 in New York, is still in search of her game after missing a big chunk of the season due to injuries to her back and wrist. Bencic struggled to find her form against Crawford, and let her frustration show, before coming back to win in three. The former world No.7 says that in the end playing three sets was probably good for her in terms of getting match tough. “I think it’s normal after the injury to have [struggles],” she said. “I mean, in the moment I was very frustrated, but I had nothing left, just to fight and win the next two sets. That’s what I did.” She’ll have to fight much harder to eliminate the steely Petkovic. Though she has struggled to go deep at the Slams of late, Petkovic showed good form in defeating Kristina Kucova in straight sets on Day 1.
Pick: Petkovic in three
[9] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS #10) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN #74)
Head-to-head: Tied, 6-6
Key Stat: Both players have earned 30 or more wins at the US Open and reached the final twice here.
The throwback tour for Svetlana Kuznetsova continues at the US Open. In the first round she swept by fellow veteran Francesca Schiavone in their fourth meeting at a major. On Wednesday the 31-year-old Russian will look to continue her fine form when she faces Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki for the fifth time at a major. The pair have split their four major meetings but Wozniacki holds the edge on the big stage in New York. Wozniacki defeated Kuznetsova in round of 16 tilts in 2009 and 2011 at the US Open and in general the Dane has played her best tennis in New York. She reached the final in 2009 and 2014 and owns a 30-9 lifetime record in Queens. But 2004 US Open champion Kuznetsova snapped a three-match losing streak in New York on Monday and has been in much better form than Wozniacki all season. Is it the Russian’s time to make more waves in the Big Apple?
Pick: Kuznetsova in two
[3] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP #3) vs. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT #48)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Muguruza is bidding to reach the US Open’s third round for the first time.
Garbiñe Muguruza stormed the tennis world when she rolled to the Roland Garros title this spring, defeating Serena Williams in the final. Now she’s trying to take baby steps in New York. Well-suited for the fast courts here at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the Spaniard has needed time to get accustomed to the hustle and bustle that characterizes the year’s final major. Muguruza says it is different to play in New York, but that she likes it. “I felt there’s more movement, more noise, more stuff,” she told reporters on Monday after her first-round win over Elise Mertens of Belgium. “But it’s well known also because of the environment and the crowd and the vibes, I don’t know, that feeling that brings New York. I think it’s also special to feel… There’s a lot of people. They’re watching you. Maybe it’s not as silent as Wimbledon, that everybody is like this, but I enjoy a lot also.” Can Muguruza silence the noise in her head so that she can stir up noise at this year’s Open? She’ll bid for her first trip to the third round on Day 3 when she faces tricky Latvian Anastasija Sevastova. The 26-year-old has been on a good ride in 2016. She has climbed from outside of the Top 100 to her current rankings perch of 48 on the strength of 17 wins and two final appearances.
Pick: Muguruza in two
Around the Grounds:
No.8 seed Madison Keys will take on the youngest player in the draw, 16-year-old American Kayla Day. In her Grand Slam debut, Day reached the second round with a win over Madison Brengle. British No.1 Johanna Konta will look to reach the third round for the second consecutive year at New York when she faces the tricky Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova. Last year’s runner-up, No.7-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy, will square off with New Jersey Native Christina McHale.
By the Numbers:
13-4 – Keys improved her record to 13-4 in three-setters this season (career three-set record: 32-29) with her win over Alison Riske on Monday.
30-8 – Angelique Kerber’s hardcourt record this year.
2012 – The last time a player won Wimbledon and the US Open back-to-back. It has only happened four times since 1998, with Venus Williams achieving the feat twice (2000, 2001) and Serena winning it twice (2002, 2012).
Catch up with all of the second-round results from Day 4 of the Australian Open.