Tennis News

Former Great Britain Fed Cup captain Judy Murray has praised Johanna Konta for being a great role model – and has called for more women to get involved in tennis.

In an interview with the UK’s Daily Telegraph to mark International Women’s Day, Murray said it was important to encourage women into all levels of sport.

“Everyone looks at the sports stars, like Johanna Konta or [now-retired heptathlete] Jessica Ennis, and they are great role models,” she said, “but even more important, for me, is to have women in key decision-making positions. They will think and act much more on behalf of women, because they know how we tick.”

Hands up if you’re excited for #IWD2017!

And today we’re celebrating our @SheRallies program with @JudyMurray ?? pic.twitter.com/Xv36ezdeHH

— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) March 8, 2017

 Murray is spearheading campaigns to get more girls playing tennis as well as calling for more women to take up coaching, which she says will increase female participation across all age groups.

“Our strongest pockets within the UK, in terms of numbers of girls coming through, tend to be in places where there is a strong female coach,” added Murray.

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Top seed Serena Williams powered through a tough, but decisive victory over 2015 BNP Paribas Open champion Simona Halep, 6-4, 6-3, to reach the semifinals.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!

With strong crowd support from her compatriots, Halep started strong with an early service break, but Williams proved undaunted throughout the 68-minute affair, putting down 28 winners and only 24 unforced errors, breaking serve four times to defeat the defending champion and reach her second straight Indian Wells semifinal.

“It’s a lot of love in this stadium, and a lot of Romanians,” Serena jokingly told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview, offering her apologies to Halep’s unflappable fanbase. “Sorry guys, but there’s definitely a lot of love here.”

Williams and Halep had played two tricky matches in 2015, including a three setter almost exactly 52 weeks ago in the semifinals of the Miami Open; with the Romanian beginning to show signs of improvement after a slow start to the season, the American admitted to being on her guard coming into the match.

“She obviously has been in good form the past couple years,” she said during her post-match press conference. “So, yeah, I feel really good just to get under there and buckle down and to win that.”

Up next for the World No.1 is soon-to-be new World No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska, who eased past two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, 6-2, 7-6(3). The two last played in the semifinals of the Australian Open, which Williams won in two emphatic sets.

“She knows how to play in big stadiums and big matches, big games. Obviously she does everything so well, including running, and this is a good surface for her because it’s a slow surface. I think I expect there will be a lot of long rallies. Honestly, I will be ready.

“I really like Aga on and off the court. I think she’s super exciting to watch on the court, and off the court I think she’s really one of the nicest people. Regardless, I think it will be a really good matchup. Whoever wins will go into the final.

“It’s unfortunate it can’t be a final, but we’ll see how it goes. I don’t think she’s won this tournament yet, but obviously she probably wants to. We will see how that goes.”

SAN ANTONIO, TX, USA – Alison Riske began 2016 with a final at the Shenzhen Open, and stands just one match away from a second of the season after nabbing a 6-4, 6-4 victory over top seed Daria Gavrilova at the WTA 125K Series event, the San Antonio Open.

Gavrilova had beaten Riske in their only prior meeting – closer to home for the Aussie in Brisbane – and got out to an early advantage before Riske, a wildcard entrant into the BNP Paribas Open last week, pulled back and ran away with the win in straight sets.

“I got off to a slow start but it was only because she was putting a lot of pressure on me,” a breathless Riske said after the match. “I felt like that could only hold up for so long. I felt like I got into a groove a bit, and it worked in my favor.

“But she’s an amazing competitor; she is where she is for a reason.”

Up next for Riske is Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam; Friedsam was a lucky loser in Indian Wells who fell to eventual quarterfinalist Daria Kasatkina, and has earned some much-needed match wins, Thursday’s being over young Croat star Ana Konjuh in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Tsvetana Pironkova and Donna Vekic met just one week ago in Indian Wells, and the Bulgarian went two-for-two against the Croat in San Antonion, needing only 51 minutes to dispatch Vekic, 6-1, 6-1.

The last match of the day headlined the night session between No.6 seed Misaki Doi – the only remaining seed in the draw – who defeated hot-shot American Samantha Crawford, who reached the semifinals of the Brisbane International back in January, 6-3, 6-3.

In doubles, top seed Casey Dellacqua’s continued comeback came to an early end in the semifinals in San Antonio; with partner Daria Jurak, the Aussie fell to No.3 seeds Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Anastasia Rodionova, 6-4, 7-5. Jans-Ignack and Rodionova will play No.4 seeds Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Nicole Melichar, who defeated No.2 seeds Liang Chen and Chuang Chia-Jung, 3-6, 6-1, 10-6.

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Karolina Pliskova ended Daria Kasatkina’s breakthrough run at the BNP Paribas Open with a brilliant display of controlled aggression on Thursday afternoon.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!

Kasatkina has been one of the fortnight’s feel-good stories, but the emotional and physical exertions finally caught up with her as Pliskova ran out a 6-3. 6-2 winner.

Pliskova, the No.18 seed, took full advantage of the friendly conditions, hitting winners at will past her weary teenage opponent. However, it was far from mindless ball-bashing from the Czech, who gave Kasatkina very little in the way of cheap points, coughing up 10 unforced errors during their hour on court.

Kasatkina held her own in the first set, withstanding the onslaught from the other end until the sixth game when Pliskova arrowed a forehand into the corner to break. With Pliskova’s own serve as dominant as ever, the set was soon in the bag.

Pliskova continued to turn the screw at the start of the second, another thumping forehand bringing an immediate break as she hurtled towards a maiden Indian Wells semifinal.

There she will face 2012 champion Victoria Azarenka, who downed Magdalena Rybarikova in a 6-0, 6-0 shutout.

While Kastakina was unable to replicate the tennis that accounted for No.12 seed Timea Bacsinszky a round earlier, it takes little away from a remarkable rise; this time last year, the teenager, then outside the Top 300, was slogging it out on the ITF Circuit.

“Now I’m Top 40,” she said in her post-match press conference. “Last year I was 340. Yeah, it was pretty fast!”