Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

World No.8 Agnieszka Radwanska knows what it’s like to be a teenage queen.

The Pole won her first WTA title at the age of 18 in 2007, and reached both her first Grand Slam quarterfinal and the world’s top 10 the next season. A decade later, WTA teenagers were in the spotlight on Sunday as Daria Kasatkina defeated Jelena Ostapenko to win the first all-teenaged final at a WTA event since 2009 at the Volvo Car Open.

For Radwanska, who turned professional at the age of 16, game recognizes game.

“Now I know what my opponents must have felt like back then. I have to say, the younger players on tour right now are dangerous,” Radwanska wrote in a Straits Times column this week. “We talk about it among ourselves. ‘The kids are coming!’ I think the new generation of players are just better than earlier in my career. They really play smart. From a young age, they’re already pushing to play tournaments and matches. They’re sacrificing a lot but that means they’re very good when they’re 16 or 17.”

Recognizing that she is now closer to the end of her career than the beginning, the 28-year-old reflected on playing a full schedule over the course of her years on the circuit, and how growing up in tennis has evolved.  

“When I was a junior, I played tournaments and went to school at the same time, and I went step by step. I had a pretty normal life, only unlike my friends I didn’t have much time for myself….I’ve been on tour for so long. I haven’t had any breaks. I’ve had a couple of surgeries but I always had those during the off-season and I’m always ready for the majors. I’ve played 43 Grand Slams in a row.”

She added: “My goal now is to maximize the time I have left on tour, and that means being as efficient as possible in my schedule by making the most of my opportunities.”

In the lead-up to the Oct 22-29 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the eight singles players from last year will pen a monthly exclusive column for The Straits Times. The second installment features 2015 champion Agnieszka Radwanska — read it in full here.

Source link

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BOGOTA, Colombia – Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone needed barely over an hour to take down top seed Kiki Bertens and book her place in the Claro Open Colsanitas semifinals, 6-1, 6-4.

The 36-year-old Italian, who is playing in her last season of professional tennis after announcing her retirement plans earlier in the year, will cap off her final trip to Bogota with her first semifinal appearance at the tournament – and her first semifinal of 2017.

The semifinals seemed a long way off for Schiavone in the opening set, however, as she started off sluggish and struggled physically with lingering shoulder pains as she dropped her opening service game.

But the former French Open champion drew on all her experience to put it out of her mind and steamroll past a flat Bertens, who was playing her second match of the day after defeating fellow Dutch qualifier Cindy Burger in their rain delayed second round encounter.

Bertens’ normally powerful groundstrokes were missing their bite as she sprayed unforced errors and double faults to keep Schiavone in the match, dropping serve three times as the Italian snatched up six games in a row to comfortably wrap up the opening set.

The top seed put up a better fight in the second, finding her first serves to keep pace with Schiavone before the Italian came away with the crucial break early on to go up 2-1. Bertens was never able to get it back or put any pressure on the Schiavone serve as they stayed on serve to send the Italian through to her first semifinal of the year.

It won’t get any easier for Schiavone in the next round as she looks to reach her 19th career singles final; up next is the highest seed left in the draw, No.3 seed Johanna Larsson.

Larsson fought past a determined Sara Errani in a tight straights sets encounter to advance 7-5, 6-4 and take the final spot in the Claro Open Colsanitas semifinals.

More to follow…

Source link

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BOGOTA, Colombia – 2012 champion Lara Arruabarrena battled back from the brink in a three-set rollercoaster against fellow Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to return to the final at the Claro Open Colsanitas.

“I’m so happy to be back into the final here in Bogota,” Arruabarrena told press after the match. “Sara and I know each other very well, we even shared a room at Indian Wells, Miami and here in Bogota we’ve been sharing a room. We’re really good friends, which made this match even more complicated emotionally.

“Last night we talked about it and we told each other, ‘Listen, it’s just another match. We’ll go on court and be enemies during the match, but as soon as it’s over we forget all about it and put it behind us.'”

Both players came into the all-Spanish semifinal after advancing in marathon quarterfinal battles, each needing three sets and almost three hours to move on. But Arruabarrena spent nearly three hours longer on court as she played an additional two doubles matches after rain delays earlier in the week wreaked havoc on the tournament schedule.

It didn’t look like Arruabarrena felt tired at all after snatching away the opening set after three breaks to a nervy Sorribes Tormo. The 20-year-old was looking for her first WTA final after breaking new ground in Bogota, but double faults plagued her game throughout the match (she would hit 12 in total).

Sorribes Tormo picked up steam in the second, though, as Arruabarrena’s serve abandoned her as well and the pair six straight breaks. They kept toe-to-toe until Sorribes Tormo roared ahead to take the late break and send the match into a decider.

With the momentum firmly on the younger Spaniard’s side, Arruabarrena saw herself slip behind in the score as Sorribes Tormo broke twice to open up a daunting 4-0 lead.

But with her back against the wall, Arruabarrena produced some of her best tennis of the tournament to get back both breaks, firing off forehand winners from every angle of the court. Sorribes Tormo’s service woes reared their head once again and her go-to shot, the backhand slice, broke down under Arruabarrena’s renewed assault.

Arruabarrena reeled off six games in a row to find her way back from the brink and see off her countrywoman, returning to the Bogota final after five years.

“I feel like I played the whole match well, despite starting a little nervy which is normal in a semifinal,” Arruabarrena explained. “I was able to impose my rhythm throughout, but Sara is such a fighter and she waits for her chances.

“When I was 0-4 down I just told myself, remember what you did in the first set. Stay aggressive, come up to the net more. I also knew all the pressure was on her, trying to reach her first final. I think the experience helped me in the end. I’m proud of my mental strength I showed, too.”

She awaits the winner between No.3 seed Johanna Larson and Francesca Schiavone.

Source link

Shenzhen Player Party Highlights

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

How did Agnieszka Radwanska, Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard feel about glamming up for the Shenzhen Open player party? See highlights from the big night here.

Source link

Hingis & Mirza Win 25th Match In A Row

Hingis & Mirza Win 25th Match In A Row

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BRISBANE, Australia – Just days into the new season and they’ve already hit another milestone – Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza won their 25th match in a row at the Brisbane International on Friday.

Watch live action from Brisbane, Shenzhen & Auckland on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Hingis and Mirza, the No.1-ranked team in the world and top seeds at the Premier-level tournament, faced some resistance – Andreja Klepac and Alla Kudryavtseva, the No.4 seeds, jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and, after dropping the first set, were a game away from winning the second set up 5-4.

But Hingis and Mirza did all the right things at all the right times and closed it out, 6-3, 7-5.

“I think we’re off to a great start in the new season,” Hingis said. “We never really felt like we finished in 2015 – I played the Indian league and Sania played IPTL, so we still kind of kept our routine.

“We’re really happy to have the possibility to be in another final, and win another title.”

Hingis and Mirza’s 25-match winning streak, which has brought them five titles in a row at the US Open, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Beijing and the WTA Finals, is the longest winning streak since Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci’s 25 in a row in 2012 – the Italians also won five titles in a row, at Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, the French Open and ‘s-Hertogenbosch (the winning streak was snapped at Wimbledon).

“It’s been a long time since we’ve lost, but it’s never easy to start a new season, especially when you’re coming off such a great season. Everyone’s gunning for us – we’re the hunted,” Mirza commented.

“We’re just taking it one match at a time, staying positive, and picking up from where we left off.”

To find the last doubles team to win more than 25 matches in a row you have to go all the way back to the 1994 season, when Gigi Fernández and Natasha Zvereva rattled off 28 victories in a row.

The other semifinal, which took place later in the day, saw German wildcards Angelique Kerber and Andrea Petkovic take out Anabel Medina Garrigues and Arantxa Parra Santonja, 2-6, 6-3, 10-2.

Hingis and Mirza will face the all-German team for the first time in the final Saturday night.

Source link

Gavrilova Wins One For Australia

Gavrilova Wins One For Australia

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Daria Gavrilova’s Australia Green brought home the Hopman Cup title, sweeping Ukraine and ending the country’s 17-year wait for the trophy.

The newly-minted Australian – who last year was voted WTA Newcomer Of The Year – won the hearts of the exuberant home crowd with her gutsy performance against Elina Svitolina in the final. After winning the first set 6-4, Gavrilova found herself trailing behind 6-1 in the second-set tiebreak.

She went on to win seven straight points to secure the victory.

“I just literally told myself to settle down, just stop thinking of everything,” Gavrilova said after the win. “Just think about how to win every point.

“I just played free.”

Gavrilova’s Australia Green partner Nick Kyrgios went on to secure the title in the mixed-team event, beating Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 6-4 in the men’s singles rubber.

Though the Hopman Cup is Gavrilova’s first trophy for Australia, she’s earned herself another accolade, a rite of passage for every Australian athlete: an Aussie nickname. The crowd calls her “Dash” – a play on “Dasha,” the Russian nickname for “Daria,” and also a nod to the 21-year-old’s aggressive and unrelenting style of play.

“It means so much,” Gavrilova said of playing in the Hopman Cup.

“It’s just amazing that I got to represent Australia here.”

Source link

Bodgan Sends Jankovic Crashing Out

Bodgan Sends Jankovic Crashing Out

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil – Top seed Jelena Jankovic was sent crashing out of the Brasil Tennis Cup at the hands of Romania’s Ana Bogdan in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5.

Watch live action from Florianopolis this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Jankovic struggled as much with the conditions in southern Brazil as she did against her No.127 ranked opponent.

“It was a tough match overall. It’s completely different conditions here playing in the evening,” she said. “The ball moved so slow – it didn’t go anywhere. I hit as hard as I could, it wouldn’t take spin, nothing.

“The conditions didn’t really suit my game. It was better for Bogdan, and she won.”

Both players’ discomfort with the heavy conditions was evident in the 12 breaks of serve throughout the course of the hour and a half match. In fact, Bogdan was the only one to manage to hold in the opening set, doing so twice to put herself firmly ahead in the score.

Jankovic was able to impose her game more in the second set, and broke Bogdan’s serve three times to climb to a 5-4 lead and bring up three set points. The Romanian denied her the chance to even the scoreboard and broke right back.

“I just wanted to continue playing and not think about the score or anything else,” Bogdan said of the nerve-wracking moment. “Sometimes you get really nervous and you can’t control your emotions. I knew who she was and what a great champion she was, but I just tried not to think about that. I just kept going and believed in myself.”

Bodgan powered through to take the next two games and book a spot in her second WTA quarterfinal of her career.

“It’s definitely one of the greatest victories I’ve had until now,” Bodgan said. “I can’t compare it to any other match I’ve played.”

Bogdan will face Tereza Martincova in the next round. The Czech came away the winner in her match against lucky loser Lyudmyla Kichenok, the author of last round’s big upset of defending champion Teliana Pereira.

Monica Puig

No.3 seed Monica Puig had a more straightforward road to the quarterfinals after defeating Olga Savchuk 6-0, 6-4.

After being completely shut out in the first set, Savchuk came out swinging in the second, playing more aggressively and hitting more winners. The change of tactic wasn’t enough to breakthrough against the Puerto Rican’s solid hitting, and Puig earned the decisive break in the ninth game to take the match after barely past an hour.

“It’s nice to be back here in Latin America where I have my roots,” Puig said after the match. “It feels very nice to be representing as the No.1 Latin American player. There’s always a lot of pride and responsibility on my shoulders, but I like it.”

Up next for Puig is the No.8 seed Naomi Osaka, a familiar face for her as the two have been practicing together earlier in the week.

“She definitely hits the ball very hard and has a big serve,” she said. “I’ll just focus on my game and do what I need to do put her in trouble, but I have a lot of respect for her of course.”

Also into the quarterfinals is No.4 seed Jelena Ostapenko who is set to take on No.6 seed Timea Babos. Ostapenko comfortably dispatched Argentina’s Catalina Pella 6-2, 6-3, while Babos came through after a commanding win over Alizé Lim, dropping just one game in the 6-0, 6-1 romp.

No.2 seed Irina-Camelia Begu dashed the last of the Brazilian hopes for a home champion as she defeated Paula Cristina Goncalves in straight sets. Goncalves was one of five Brazilians in the draw and the only one to advance past the first round, but she couldn’t move on against Begu, who downed her 6-1, 6-2. She’ll play No.7 seeded Nao Hibino next after the Japanese player edged Veronica Cepede Royg 6-3, 7-6(6).

Source link