Kvitova Visits WTA Media TV Truck
Petra Kvitova paid a visit to the WTA Media TV truck to learn about everything that goes into producing a tennis match. Ride along right here at wtatennis.com.
Petra Kvitova paid a visit to the WTA Media TV truck to learn about everything that goes into producing a tennis match. Ride along right here at wtatennis.com.
Top-ranked doubles team and WTA co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza brought their 36-match winning streak to the St. Petersburg Ladies Tophy, adding to their total with a first round win over Jelena Ostapenko and Evgeniya Rodina, 7-5, 7-5.
“We didn’t know how to play them that well in the beginning,” Hingis said in their post-match press conference. “We lost an opportunity at 3-2, 40-0 to go up and close out the match, and they came back to play a couple of really good games – especially Ostapenko, who hit some really great shots.
“I think it was great experience for them to play a match like that, and also for us to get into the tournament. I’m definitely happy we didn’t have to play a deciding set. It’s always nice to close out in straight sets; it makes us that much stronger.”
Hingis and Mirza haven’t lost a match since last August at the Western & Southern Opent, their now-37-match winning streak having taken them to titles at the US Open, BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, and the Australian Open – with only the French Open standing between them and a possible “Santina Slam.”
“The streak that we’re on is amazing,” Mirza said. “To be honest, we knew we could play good, but not this good. We’re surprising ourselves as well, and we just want to keep going.
Asked about the media’s fascination with their streak, the longest since Jana Novotna and Helena Sukova won 44 straight matches in 1990, Mirza didn’t mince words.
“We’re counting, also.”
“Yes, we are,” Hingis added.
For Hingis, the partnership with Mirza marks her second to truly capture the imagination of the tennis world, the first being her late-90s domination with Russia’s own Anna Kournikova – still a popular topic in the St. Petersburg press room.
“She was a great player, a team player, and we had great times for those two years,” Hingis said, speaking about their two Australian Open victories in 1999 and 2002.
“She kind of was the one who started this Russian Armada – or Russian generation – along with Elena Likhovtseva. She was definitely the one who you could aim for and be like, go around the world and live the ‘Russian-American dream.’ I loved playing with her.
“We stay in touch, especially during the Miami event; we always try to see each other. I follow what she’s doing; she follows me.”
Mirza too fondly remembers the ‘Spice Girls’ of the women’s doubles circuit.
“At that time I think TV was not as evolved as it is today, combined with the computer, so it was not so easy to get to see matches all the time. But everybody knew Martina Hingis, everybody knew Anna Kournikova, and everybody knew that this partnership was winning a lot, and probably was one of the best doubles teams to play.
“She’s not that much older than me,” she added with a laugh. “Only five years; it’s just that she’s been around for such a long time!”
Another partnership Hingis looks forward to exploring involves fellow Swiss Roger Federer, who agreed to play mixed doubles with her at the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“I waited 10 months, and maybe after winning a lot with Sania, and becoming No.1 again and winning three mixed titles, I was hoping that would be persuasion enough to partner up.”
‘SanTina’ next face an all-Russian pair for a spot in the quarterfinals and Win number 38: rising Russian star Daria Kasatkina and Elena Vesnina, Mirza’s former doubles partner.
“We played together for a long time; she’s a very good friend of mine, and we’ve known each other since we were 13 years old.
“I have a feeling that the crowd will be behind them because she’s quite popular here, but hopefully there will be some people supporting us.”
Asked if they foresaw their partnership transcending to other endeavors, Hingis said they planned to let their racquets do the talking.
“We’ll stick to tennis; that’s what we do best.”
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Simona Halep takes on Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Ana Ivanovic moved confidently in the semifinals of the St. Petersburg Ladies Open with a 6-1, 7-5 win over qualifier Kateryna Kozlova.
Watch live action from St. Petersburg & Kaohsiung this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
In her opening round match Ivanovic took a while to get into her groove, but against Kozlova she hit the ground running, reeling off five straight games to pocket the opening set in 23 minutes. Kozlova, who was appearing the quarterfinals of a Premier event for the first time, gave a better account of herself in the second, battling back from 5-3 down before eventually succumbing.
Meeting Ivanovic for a place in the final will be another of the draw’s more established names, Roberta Vinci. And Vinci needed to draw on all her experience to see off Timea Babos in an absorbing encounter, 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4).
Babos was in command for much of the final set – leading 5-3 and then 4-2 in the tie-break – but was unable to find the decisive blow. The decisive moment came in the 10th point of the tie-break when Vinci skipped around a second serve only to flash a forehand fractionally wide.
The Hungarian’s relief was short-lived, though, Hawk-Eye adjudging the ball to have clipped the outer edge of the sideline. This successful challenge took the No.2 seed to match point, which she converted when Babos sent a weary forehand sailing beyond the baseline.
“It was a long match, a tough match. Timea has a great serve – always 190km/h. Tough for me to return,” Vinci said. “I was 5-3 down at the end, but I stayed focused and won a great match today.
“In those moments you have to stay positive and don’t think about the score. In the end she was probably a little bit nervous, and a little bit tight, she missed some easy balls and I won.”
Vinci has lost six of her previous nine meetings with Ivanovic, although the two have not crossed paths for a couple of years.
“Ana is a great player. Of course it will be a difficult match. But I’m in the semifinals, nothing to lose, just enjoy! I will try my best – I need to be aggressive every single point. We will see.”
Friday’s shot of the day at the Western & Southern Open.
With the American hardcourt swing wrapped up after Indian Wells and Miami, the clay season begins in earnest at the Premier-level Volvo Car Open in Charleston. But for those not ready to switch surfaces, the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey has drawn a world-class field.
Here’s what’s on tap for this week on the WTA:
CURRENT TOURNAMENTS:
Volvo Car Open – Charleston
Tournament Level: Premier
Prize Money: $710,900
Draw Size: 56 main draw (8 byes)/32 qualifying
Surface: Green clay, outdoors
Qualifying Dates: Saturday, April 1 – Sunday, April 2
First Day of Main Draw: April 3
Singles Final: Sunday, April 9, NB 1:00 pm EDT
Doubles Final: Sunday, April 9, 10:30 am EDT
Top-ranked players: Madison Keys, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Elena Vesnina, Sam Stosur
Defending Champion: Sloane Stephens
TALKING POINTS:
– Five former Charleston champions are present: Andrea Petkovic (2014), Samantha Stosur (2010), and ex-No.1s Caroline Wozniacki (2011), Jelena Jankovic (2007) and Venus Williams (2004)
– Reigning Charleston champion Sloane Stephens is unable to defend title she won by beating Elena Vesnina 12 months ago due to her continuing recovery from foot surgery
– Madison Keys is top seed – a status she has enjoyed only once before at a WTA event (2015 Strasbourg) – and will continue her comeback having returned from a wrist injury at the Indian Wells-Miami double-header
Abierto GNP Seguros – Monterrey
Tournament Level: International
Prize Money: $226,750
Draw Size: 32 main draw/32 qualifying
Surface: Outdoor hard
Qualifying Dates: Saturday, April 1 – Monday, April 3
First Day of Main Draw: Monday, April 3
Singles Final: Sunday, April 9, NB 3:30 pm CDT
Doubles Final: Sunday, April 9, 1:00 pm CDT
Top-ranked players: Angelique Kerber, Carla Suárez Navarro, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Caroline Garcia, Timea Babos
Defending Champion: Heather Watson
TALKING POINTS:
– World No.1 Angelique Kerber is competing at this year’s tournament, having reached the final here in 2013
– No.2 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova returns to Monterrey for her sixth time, clinching the title on three occasions – 2010, 2011 and 2013
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS:
Claro Open Colsanitas – Bogota
International | $226,750 | Clay
Monday, April 10 – Saturday, April 15
Top-ranked players: Kiki Bertens, Katerina Siniakova, Peng Shuai, Johanna Larsson, Lara Arruabarrena
Defending Champion: Irina Falconi
Ladies Open Biel Bienne
International | $226,750 | Indoor Hard
Monday, April 10 – Sunday, April 16
Top-ranked players: Barbora Strycova, Timea Babos, Roberta Vinci, Laura Siegemund
Defending Champion: None, first staging
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix – Stuttgart
Premier | $710,900 | Indoor Clay
Monday, April 24 – Sunday, April 30
Top-ranked players: Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep, Dominika Cibulkova, Agnieszka Radwanska
Defending champion: Angelique Kerber
TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup
International | $226,750 | Clay
Monday, April 24 – Sunday, April 30
Top-ranked players: Elina Svitolina, Timea Babos, Yulia Putintseva, Irina-Camelia Begu, Eugenie Bouchard
Defending champion: Cagla Buyukakcay
TOP 20 PLAYERS’ SCHEDULES:
1. Angelique Kerber: Monterrey, Stuttgart
2. Serena Williams
3. Karolina Pliskova: Stuttgart
4. Dominika Cibulkova: Stuttgart
5. Simona Halep: Stuttgart
6. Garbiñe Muguruza: Stuttgart
7. Johanna Konta
8. Agnieszka Radwanska: Stuttgart
9. Svetlana Kuznetsova: Stuttgart
10. Venus Williams: Charleston
11. Madison Keys: Charleston, Stuttgart
12. Caroline Wozniacki: Charleston
13. Elina Svitolina: Istanbul
14. Elena Vesnina: Charleston, Stuttgart
15. Petra Kvitova
16. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: Monterrey
17. Samantha Stosur: Charleston, Stuttgart
18. Barbora Strycova: Biel, Stuttgart
19. Kristina Mladenovic: Stuttgart
20. Timea Bacsinszky
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:
Madison Brengle (USA) – April 3, 1990
Asia Muhammad (USA) – April 4, 1991
Darija Jurak (CRO) – April 5, 1984
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) – April 7, 1990
CiCi Bellis (USA) – April 8, 1999
Highlights from the round of 16 action at the Taiwan Open.
Angelique Kerber takes on Simona Halep in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open.
No.11 seed Mirjana Lucic-Baroni outlasted Aleksandra Krunic to ease into the second round of the Volvo Car Open in Charleston.
An interview with Ana Ivanovic after her quarterfinal win at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.