Indian Wells: Bencic Interview
An interview with Belinda Bencic after her second round win at the BNP Paribas Open.
An interview with Belinda Bencic after her second round win at the BNP Paribas Open.
TOKYO, Japan – No.2 seed and defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska was one game from elimination against the always-dangerous Barbora Strycova, but the Pole turned things around to advance into the quarterfinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
Watch live action from Tokyo this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
“The first match is always tricky, especially at a really strong tournament like here,” Radwanska said in her on-court interview. “You’re playing someone in the Top 20, Top 30, so it’s never easy. I’m just very happy with that match; it wasn’t easy, but I was just better in a couple of points.”
First set ? @ARadwanska!
Leads Strycova 6-3! #TorayPPO pic.twitter.com/fxiEB3MGyS
— WTA (@WTA) September 21, 2016
Radwanska last played Strycova at the French Open, where the former World No.2 survived a three-setter on the terre battue, and it quickly became clear it would be a similar struggle on Wednesday as the Czech veteran raced out to a 5-1 lead in the second set despite dropping the first.
“I’ve known her for a long time, so I know she’s a great player with great hands. She can do everything on court, with great touch and is very often at the net. She made some incredible shots, so I’m very glad the last point was mine!”
3rd Set!@BaraStrycova rallies to force a decider vs Radwanska 3-6, 6-3! #TorayPPO pic.twitter.com/86nj44xbIm
— WTA (@WTA) September 21, 2016
Strycova is in the midst of a career-best season after reaching the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and came into Tokyo just two spots shy of her career-high ranking of No.19 – earned in late August. Thrice up a break in the decider, she served for the match at 5-4, but Radwanska gamely broke back and saved break points of her own in the next game to engineer victory in two hours and 16 minutes.
“I know it’s late but thank you for staying. Hopefully I will see even more of you the day after tomorrow!”
It is sure to be quite a quarterfinal match-up come Friday as the No.2 seed is set to take on Olympic tennis event champion Monica Puig; the Puerto Rican knocked out former Tokyo champion Petra Kvitova in three sets to earn her best result since becoming her country’s first-ever Olympic Gold medalist. Former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki also looms as a possible semifinal opponent, making the fight for the Toray Pan Pacific Open trophy likely a photo finish.
.@ARadwanska with the drop shot and lob! #TorayPPO pic.twitter.com/PmjW1E7MD6
— WTA (@WTA) September 21, 2016
ZHUHAI, China – Roberta Vinci was dressed all in black after her last match at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai. She looked fondly on a second straight Top 20 season and was in no mood to mourn what she once said would be her last year on tour.
“It was a good year, for sure,” she told WTA Insider Wednesday night. “I had a great last year, and a lot of points to defend this year.
“The tour is always tough and the players are always getting stronger. You always have to stay in good body and mind. Playing every single tournament is tough, but I’m so proud of myself for this year.
“I’m a little bit tired, of course, because it was a long season. I’m sad about today, but happy that I finished this year.”
The lingering question was whether she had finished for good. The answer was more up in the air.
“Right now, I’m finished with this season and I want to go home. I’ll be taking two weeks off for sure, without tennis or anything. Then I’ll decide, if I’m still motivated, if I still want to continue at this level, and if I want to keep working. I don’t know if I want to, or if I’m just tired right now.
“If I want to stay on tour, I’ll have to work a lot. But I don’t know.”
Vinci first rang the retirement bell last November, announcing her intention to finish her career in 2016. She walked the statement back slightly after winning her 10th career title – the biggest of her career at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy – and becoming the oldest woman to make her Top 10 debut. Any decision the Italian veteran does make, she insists, will be final.
“I don’t want to say, ‘Yes, I’m continuing,’ and then in one week, I stop, or say, ‘No, I’m retired,’ and then after a week, you see a video of me practicing.”
Taking a less decisive tact is the famously flamboyant Francesca Schiavone. Vinci’s compatriot has started a web series asking Facebook fans whether she should continue her career, or perhaps follow a new path, all with her signature flair.
“It’s nice for the fans, but I won’t be putting out any videos because I want to decide my future! But Francesca is Francesca; it’s so funny.”
While she waits to make a decision, Vinci won’t regret confessing her initial intent to retire, feeling it helped her better appreciate the tour on which she’s played nearly two decades, and those who’ve watched her play.
“For me, it’s nice because they want to know my future. If I say I’m going to retire and someone is sad, it feels good because it means they really love me and my tennis.
“It’s normal for the fans and the journalists to want to know. Soon, I will let you know what is in my future.”
The immediate future sees the former World No.7 at home with friends and family, looking back on a pressure-filled season centered around defending the 1300 points she earned at last year’s US Open, when she ended then-No.1 Serena Williams’ Calendar Year Grand Slam bid to reach the final.
“I had a lot of pressure, especially at the US Open. In my mind, I was saying that this year will be tough. I didn’t know if I could even stay Top 50. Now, I’m in the Top 20, so my coach is happy and also I’m really happy about that.”
From shouting “60 points!” after her first round win, she made it all the way back into the second week for the fourth time in five years, falling to eventual champion Angelique Kerber.
“I was injured but I played amazing tennis; I won great matches there. I felt something special in New York; I’m always playing good there, be it final or quarterfinal. It’s an incredible tournament for me.”
Vinci described the year’s final major tournament in the present tense, just as she outlined the simple – yet life-changing – decision that stands in front of her.
“If it’s yes, then yes. If it’s no, then no.”
All photos courtesy of WTA Elite Trophy.
Christina McHale takes on Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.
ZHUHAI, China – Top seed Johanna Konta made a confident start to the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai by brushing aside Samantha Stosur in straight sets on Wednesday.
Watch live action from Zhuhai this week at WTA Live Powered By TennisTV!
Flying starts to both sets laid the foundations for an impressive 6-4, 6-2 victory over former US Open champion Stosur.
“Against a player like Sam, who plays such a big ball and has such a big game, I really had to do my best to stay there for every single point and take my chances whenever they came,” Konta said in her on-court interview.
Konta had not played since withdrawing from the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open with an abdominal strain, but she showed no sign of rustiness early on, darting across the net to break serve in the opening game.
.@JoKonta91 smiles at being called one of the hardest working women in tennis @WTAEliteTrophy pic.twitter.com/AykRpXngRF
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) November 2, 2016
At a time of year when the bodies and minds of many players are hankering for a holiday, the Briton looked sharp, maneuvering Stosur around the court with ease to stretch this lead to 4-0. And while the Australian eventually found some success, reducing her arrears to 4-3, Konta steadied the ship, firing down a couple of aces to calmly close out the set.
The second set was even more emphatic, the World No.10 taking the first four games once again as she hurtled towards the finishing line and top spot in the Azalea Group.
Konta, the WTA’s Most Improved Player of the year, narrowly missed out on qualifying for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, but still has plenty to play for on her Zhuhai debut; victory over Stosur confirmed Konta will become the first Briton since Jo Durie in 1983 to finish the year inside the Top 10.
“It doesn’t matter what group you’re in here, every single player is so tough – the elite! – so that I know going into every single match that I get to play this week I have to be 100%.”
Earlier on in Camellia Group, Timea Bacsinszky saw off Timea Babos, 6-4, 6-2.
An interview with Serena Williams after her win in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Steffi Graf has landed in Zhuhai, China for the second edition of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
The former No.1 has fans all around the world, and in Zhuhai it’s no different!
She received a warm greeting from her fan club, which received her with posters, artwork and more!
The tennis legend stopped for a photo with the group.
Graf headed to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge for a different kind of tennis match.
Joined by Caroline Garcia, Graf took part in a fun match on the bridge which connects Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China.
The bridge is one of the city’s most impressive landmarks.
Graf showed off her 22-time Grand Slam winning skills on the bridge against Garcia.
After the match they grabbed a photo with some special guests: Mezle Chung, Vice General Manger of Zhuhai Huafa Group Co.,Ltd., Micky Lawler, President of WTA and dozens of the bridge’s workers.
When it’s completed, the bridge will be the longest sea-spanning bridge in the world, the worker explained to Graf.
After the bridge visit, she headed back to the Zhuhai Hengquin International Tennis Center, where the WTA Elite Trophy is contested, for another fun activity.
The former No.1 hosted a charity clinic outside of the Haufa Center Court.
Graf ran through the basics with 29 students from primary schools and high schools, including 19 from Macau.
She had words of wisdom for even the smallest tennis fans!
After the clinic, Graf had time for all her fans, signing autograph after autograph.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – No.18 seed Karolina Pliskova needed less than an hour to take her place in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open, producing a dominant display to swat aside former champion Ana Ivanovic.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!
After an even start, Pliskova’s game clicked into gear in spectacular fashion, a sequence of 10 uninterrupted games helping her to a 6-2, 6-0 victory.
Ivanovic, who lifted the Indian Wells title eight years ago, came into the contest nursing a knee injury that hampered her movement throughout. A string of uncharacteristic errors saw her broken to love in the opening game and while she drew level soon after, it was clear that her game lacked its usual zip.
Pliskova, on the other hand, was having no difficulty getting the ball through the court, forging ahead and wrapping up the set with a fierce backhand drive. The winners continued to flow in the second, the Czech eventually finishing with 18 as she romped to the finishing line.
Pliskova had won all three of her previous encounters with Ivanovic, including earlier this year in Sydney. “We’ve played a few times already and I’ve always won. But I think I played really good tennis today and I’m happy that I made [the next round] so fast,” Pliskova said.
The one-sided scoreline was all the more surprising given the players’ respective form heading into the tournament; Ivanovic had made the semi and quarterfinals in St. Petersburg and Dubai, while Pliskova had suffered a couple of early exits in the Middle East.
“Last year I didn’t lose any first rounds. Now I’d lost twice in a row so I’m just happy to have some matches and looking forward to the next one,” Pliskova added.
That next outing will come against Johanna Konta, a 6-4, 6-1 winner over No.2 seed Angelique Kerber’s conqueror, Denisa Allertova.
Also emerging triumphant from Monday’s afternoon session were Roberta Vinci and Magdalena Rybarikova. Vinci continued her fine start to the year by outclassing Elina Svitolina, 6-1, 6-3, while Rybarikova caused the tournament’s latest shock, dumping out No.7 seed Belinda Bencic, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
ZHUHAI, China – Top seed Johanna Konta produced a clinical display to brush aside Caroline Garcia and take her place in the knockout stage of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Watch live action from Zhuhai this week at WTA Live Powered By TennisTV!
One hour was all it took for Konta to wrap up a 6-2, 6-2 victory and set up a semifinal against Elina Svitolina. Earlier in the day, No.2 seed Petra Kvitova also advanced, topping her round-robin group after a 6-1, 6-4 win over Barbora Strycova.
Konta confirmed she would finish the year ranked inside the Top 10 following an impressive win against Samantha Stosur in her opening match, and she underlined her status with an even more dominant display second time out.
It did not take long for the Briton to get her nose in front, hooking a passing shot beyond Garcia’s reach to break in the third game. A few games later it was the backhand doing the damage, the World No.10 finding the line to stretch her lead further, before wrapping up the set soon after.
Konta handily won the pair’s previous meeting, at this summer’s Rio Olympics and a run of five straight games in the second set sent her hurtling past the finishing post.
“I really felt I played a very consistent match. I didn’t give he many windows [of opportunity] and I’m very happy I managed to do that today,” Konta said during her on-court interview. ” She has such a big game so I really needed to apply myself on every point.”
“Right now, it’s just one more match tomorrow. I’m not looking any further than that. I’m going to have a very tough one and looking to compete as best I can.”
While Konta takes on Svitolina, in the other semifinal Kvitova meets Chinese No.1 Zhang Shuai.
Kvitova made a flying start against fellow Czech Strycova before encountering some late resistance. However, just as she has so often in her recent resurgence, she found her best tennis when it mattered most, withstanding some late service jitters – and a couple of break points – to take the final three games of the match.
“The second set was a little bit tight. It was really important to serve well in that game, 4-3. I was facing two break points and it was really the key point,” Kvitova said in her press conference.
“And I think that from the time that I started to play more aggressive than I did before, the beginning of the second set, so it helped me actually, to face the two break points to get back on the track and play little bit better and to return better as well. But, I mean, overall it was a good match. I think it was – the serve was really good today; helped me a lot as well. I’m happy that I’m in the semifinal for sure.”
WUHAN, China – If Angelique Kerber thought reaching the top of the rankings would make life any easier at the WTA’s flagship events, she was given a rude awakening at Friday’s draw for the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
Indeed, Kerber’s first event since lifting the US Open and usurping Serena Williams as World No.1 will be far from straightforward after a number of potential banana skins were placed in her path at the Premier 5 event.
As one of the leading eight seeds, Kerber is the recipient of a first-round bye, meeting either Kristina Mladenovic or CoCo Vandeweghe in her opening match.
The German, a quarter and semifinalist in Wuhan’s first two years on the calendar, is projected to face No.14 seed and 2014 champion Petra Kvitova in the third round, with possible showdowns versus Carla Suárez Navarro and Simona Halep lurking further down the line.
In the bottom half of the draw, defending champion Venus Williams faces a slightly less threatening start. Her opening opponent will be either Anastasija Sevastova or Yulia Putintseva, while Svetlana Kuznetsova and Agnieszka Radwanska are likely to lie in wait in should she clear the early hurdles.
Serena Williams’ late withdrawal promoted Garbiñe Muguruza, last year’s runner-up, to No.2 seed, and she will begin against either Daria Gavrilova or former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic. This was not the only eye-catching first round match-up of a draw which also threw together No.16 seed Samantha Stosur and the resurgent Caroline Wozniacki.
The official draw for the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open 2016….you saw it here first. Some top matches coming your way! #wuhanopen pic.twitter.com/xOILshaqzE
— Wuhan Open (@wuhanopentennis) September 23, 2016