November 19, 2016
At the final Premier Mandatory event of the campaign, the China Open, Agnieszka Radwanska reclaimed the trophy she won five years earlier, while over in indoor halls of Europe, Dominika Cibulkova and Svetlana Kuznetsova sealed their spots at the WTA Finals.
Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching took to the culture heart of Singapore during the WTA Finals, even attempting to create traditional dress worn throughout Southeast Asia.
What was the best Grand Slam match you’ve seen all year? What about the best WTA match? Click here to vote!
After a career-best 2016 season, Elina Svitolina will start 2017 with a new team led by Gabriel Urpi, along with coaching consultant Thierry Ascione and hitting partner Andrew Bettles.
Urpi is an experienced coach who worked with former No.1 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario during two of her four Grand Slam runs, 1994 Wimbledon winner Conchita Martinez, and Flavia Pennetta, helping her become the first Italian woman to crack the Top 10 back in 2009.
Both Urpi and Ascione are former ATP players, while Bettles was a hitting partner for 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic.
Oliver Fawls will continue on as Svitolina’s fitness coach; the Ukrainian youngster credited Fawls throughout her successful season, one that saw her defeat both reigning World No.1s in Serena Williams (Olympic tennis event) and Angelique Kerber (China Open), reach a career-high ranking of No.14, and reach the final of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Soon after her big week in Zhuhai, Svitolina announced the end of her two and a half year partnership with Iain Hughes.
The WTA and your favorite WTA stars want to wish you a Happy Holiday and a joyful New Year full of women’s tennis!
LONDON, England – Even the rain could not dampen the spirits of those at this year’s WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party presented by Dubai Duty Free.
The event, now in its 11th year, is one of the highlights of tennis’ social calendar. This time Serena Williams, Garbiñe Muguruza, Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki were joined by personalities from the world of sport, entertainment and fashion, including Thom Evans, Katie Piper and Tallia Storm.
There were also some younger faces braving the worst of the British weather, Elena Baltacha Academy starlet Tawana Senah walking the purple carpet alongside Judy Murray, and WTA Future Star Karman Thandi getting her first taste of life at tennis’ top table.
Once again, wtatennis.com left no stone unturned in showcasing the best moments from The Roof Gardens, a live blog, galleries and videos complementing the usual smorgasbord of social media coverage, highlighted by the inaugural outing of Facebook Live.
A fleet of Jaguar XJL Autobiographies ensured the players travelled to the west London venue in style, and following a warm welcome from the devoted youngsters in the WTA Fanzone, Serena and company dazzled on the purple carpet.
Inside the party, players, media and guests enjoyed an eclectic menu dreamt up by The Roof Gardens’ Head Chef Antonio Borg, who drew inspiration from the WTA tournaments from around the world; scallop ceviche, stir-fried Noodles, tomato and mascarpone risotto balls, lime marinated free range chicken tacos and, in a nod to the host nation, fish and chips.
The drinks list, populated by among others Stella Artois, Laurent Perrier, Pablo and La Poderosa and evian, was just as impressive, while new partner Häagen-Dazs catered for those with a sweeter tooth, previewing its new limited edition Strawberries & Cream ice cream.
“We’re very excited to have hosted the WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party for the 11th year at the Roof Gardens with the support of Virgin and Dubai Duty Free. Both our partners continue to make the event an incredible success year after year as we celebrate the ever growing global reach of the WTA and the fantastic achievements of these inspirational women,” said WTA CEO Steve Simon.
To relive the best moments from this year’s Pre-Wimbledon Party visit the dedicated page on wtatennis.com.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The WTA will launch a unique WTA Livestreaming subscription service in 2017 where tennis fans can view every WTA singles and many doubles semifinals and finals matches. That’s over 2000 WTA matches – everywhere the tour is playing around the world.
This is a breakthrough for women’s tennis.
We’re excited to create a new digital home where you will be able to follow your favorite players and share the thrills, suspense and fun moments on and off the court. WTA Livestreaming will be available to subscribers on smartphones, laptops and tablets soon. We regret there will be an unavoidable gap until we are able to bring this new service to you. We are working hard to bring this to you as fast as we can. Updated scheduling and subscription information will be provided on wtatennis.com as soon as possible.
Please stay tuned. We believe it’s worth the wait. Thank you for your patience and continued support of women’s tennis.
Click here to follow the tour on the wtatennis.com web site offering live results point by point, live press conferences at selected WTA events, live and exclusive off court and behind the scenes content, player-commented match and video highlights, and breaking news. Follow the tour in real-time on WTA social channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
Click here for information about where to watch the WTA on TV and digital channels today via your local broadcaster.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: Why aren’t WTA matches livestreamed on TennisTV any longer?
A: We’re launching a new and exciting WTA livestream subscription service in 2017 dedicated to viewing women’s tennis both on and off court.
There will be an unavoidable gap before we can make this exciting service available to subscribers via smartphones, laptops and tablets. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.
Q: When will the new service be available?
A: We are working hard to bring this service to you as soon as we can. We appreciate your patience and we look forward to welcoming you as a new subscriber when we launch WTA Livestreaming.
Q: Where will I find out more information about this service?
A: Updated information will be available on wtatennis.com.
Q: How can I view WTA matches via livestream until then?
A: In the meantime, please find up to date “Where to Watch” live WTA matches on your local broadcaster’s TV and digital channels on the wtatennis.com/tv-schedule page.
We invite fans to follow the tour on the wtatennis.com web site which offers live results point by point, live press conferences at selected WTA events, live and exclusive off court and behind the scenes content, player-commented match and video highlights, and breaking news. Follow the tour in real-time on WTA social channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
Q: How much is it to subscribe?
A: Updated information will be provided on wtatennis.com closer to launch date.
Q: Why should I subscribe to the WTA Livestreaming service?
A: Fans will have access to every singles match live and many doubles semifinals and finals matches. For the first time ever, fans can pick and choose from over 2000 WTA matches and follow their favorite players behind the scenes like never before. Subscribers can follow the thrill and fun on and off court day in and day out all season long. This is new and it’s exciting.
LONDON, Great Britain – No.12 seed Carla Suárez Navarro survived a scare in her Wimbledon opener against Shuai Zhang, overcoming a mid-match wobble to advance 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
The last time the pair played was at this tournament and at this stage, with the Spaniard easing past Zhang in a comfortable straight sets back in 2014. Today’s match was decidedly more competitive, with the Chinese No.1 breaking twice to take the second set and going up a break in the third.
But the Spaniard, who reached the semifinals of the Aegon Classic Birmingham earlier in the grass season, roared back in the third to reach the second round.
No.14 seed Samantha Stosur also moved into the second round after putting an early wobble behind her to defeat 24-year-old Magda Linette 7-5, 6-3.
“Not much to be disappointed about with that match,” Stosur said afterwards. “I felt like I was in control.
“There’s always things you want to get a little bit better at but for the most part I thought I played well and really solid. I served well. A couple little things on my forehand. Apart from that, I was happy.”
The Australian’s next opponent will be the big-serving Sabine Lisicki, who was off to a roaring start at Wimbledon and needed only 52 seconds to win her opening game against Magda Linette before taking the match 6-1, 6-3 in 59 minutes.
Meanwhile, Russian qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova scored the biggest win of her career over No.23 seed Ana Ivanovic, knocking out the former No.1 in her Wimbledon main draw debut, 6-2, 7-5.
The Serb took no credit away from her No.223-ranked opponent but pointed to a lingering wrist injury as a factor in her first round exit.
“It was very tough. I mean, since two weeks I struggle with my right wrist,” she said “It was very hard to accelerate on my forehand. I tried to do everything possible to be fit and recover and tape it and so on.
“I feel like it caused me a lot of miss hits. My forehand was hard to control her fast shots. I thought she played really well and served very good. Especially in the first set, she was not missing many first serves.”
Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands put their friendship aside in their first round battle. Regular doubles partners, this time they stood on opposite sides of the net as Mattek-Sands looked to deal an upset to her No.28-seeded friend. She nearly managed it two times – the American held match point once in the second set and twice in the third – before Safarova closed her out 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 7-5.
Also through to the next round is No.17 seed Elina Svitolina, who advanced comfortably against British player Naomi Broady, 6-2, 6-3. Perhaps surprisingly, Svitolina has never made it past the second round of Wimbledon – she’ll hope to do so for the first time against Yaroslava Shvedova.
Serena Williams features on Centre Court, while a host of other second and third-round matchups will take place on Friday. We preview the must-see Day 5 matchups at Wimbledon here, courtesy of wtatennis.com contributor Chris Oddo.
Friday
Second Round and Third Round
[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. Christina McHale (USA #65)
Head-to-head: Williams leads, 2-0
Key Stat: Williams has compiled an 80-10 record in her 17 Wimbledon appearances.
After a three-day rain-induced rest, Serena Williams will get back to the business of defending her Wimbledon title against fellow American Christina McHale in second-round action. Williams has already faced the Teaneck, New Jersey native twice this year, and though she’s come away with two victories the contests have been far from simple. After her three-set victory over McHale in Miami this March, Williams was quick to offer up some kind words about her vanquished foe. “She’s an unbelievably sweet girl,” she said of McHale. “I’ve had the opportunity to play with her on Fed Cup, and we always have such a good time. I think she did a really good job. She can, should, and will be very proud of herself in this match.” The pair would meet again in Rome with Williams winning in straights, but needing a first-set tiebreaker to get through. Naturally Williams will come in as the heavy favorite, but if McHale comes out swinging this could turn into another good battle between compatriots.
Pick: Williams in two
[10] Petra Kvitova (CZE #10) vs. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS #35)
Head-to-head: Kvitova leads, 4-3
Key Stat: Kvitova won 25 of 27 of her first-serve points in her first match at Wimbledon.
Can you say brutal draw? Fans of Petra Kvitova and Ekaterina Makarova surely can, as these two hard-hitting bona fide talents are set to square off in round two. That’s way too early for talents of this level, but as the cliché reads, it is what it is. Makarova certainly does not have the grass pedigree that two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova has, but the Russian is a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist who missed being seeded at Wimbledon by a whisker this year. She also owns five Top 10 wins on grass, including one against Kvitova at Eastbourne in 2012. But when they met at Wimbledon in 2013, it was Kvitova who came through with a three-set triumph. Kvitova was in devilish form in her opening-round victory over Sorana Cirstea, but she’ll have to keep it up to get past Makarova, who is consistently formidable on grass and at the majors.
Pick: Kvitova in three
[8] Venus Williams (USA #8) vs. [29] Daria Kasatkina (RUS #33)
Head-to-head: Kasatkina Leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Five-time Wimbledon champion Williams leads all active players with 90 main draw matches played at Wimbledon.
One of the more eye-opening victories of the 2016 WTA season came in January, when Daria Kasatkina stunned defending champion Venus Williams in Auckland for her first Top 10 win. Kasatkina, ranked in the 70’s at the time, battled from 3-1 down in set three to win that match and afterwards paid Venus some big-time respect. “She’s an amazing tennis player and I respect her so much,” she said. “It was an unbelievable match for me.” Given that Kasatkina is making her Wimbledon debut, she’s proved to be quite a quick study on grass by reaching round three. But how will she fare against one of the most legendary grass-courters that the game has ever known? An upset at an Australian Open tune-up is certainly notable, but Friday’s task will surely be more daunting for the 19-year-old Russian. And Williams may be the oldest woman in the draw, but she’s making her intentions very clear at SW19. “I want to win,” she said on Thursday after winning her singles and doubles rounds. “I’m not here to not win. What’s the point of being here?”
Pick: Williams in two
Around the Grounds: Many of Thursday’s second-round winners on the lower half will be back in action on Friday. No.9 seed Madison Keys will take on France’s Alizé Cornet. Keys leads the head-to-head 2-0 but the pair have not met since 2014. Will Sabine Lisicki produce another memorable Wimbledon run? The German squares off with former Golden Set winner Yaroslava Shvedova on Court 16. No. 5 seed Simona Halep will meet No.26 seed Kiki Bertens in the last match on No.2 court. Bertens, who produced a career-best semifinal appearance at Roland Garros, is playing the third round at Wimbledon for the first time.
By the Numbers:
21 – Sabine Lisicki’s ace count in her first two rounds. The German is four aces behind Karolina Pliskova for the tournament lead.
6-0, 6-0 – Carina Witthoeft’s double-bagel loss to Angelique Kerber at Wimbledon last year marks the only time she has lost a tour-level match without winning a game. She’ll get a chance for revenge on Friday as she meets Kerber for the second straight year at SW19.
2 – Simona Halep has only won back-to-back matches two times at the All-England Club. The other time was 2014, when she reached the semifinals.
Last year’s runner-up Alison Riske overcame her nerves to defeat wildcard Zhu Lin in the first round of the Shenzhen Open. Fellow seed Monica Niculescu was among Sunday’s other winners.