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Muguruza Moves On In Miami

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MIAMI, FL, USA – No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza needed less than an hour to defeat American wildcard Nicole Gibbs, 6-1, 6-0, to reach the fourth round of the Miami Open.

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The 2015 Wimbledon finalist, Muguruza has struggled to find consistency thus far this season – narrowly edging past Dominika Cibulkova on Friday – but the young Spaniard had none of those problems on Sunday night, hitting four aces and 20 winners – to only eight from the fast-rising Stanford All-American – and dropping just one game in the 57 minute match.

“I’m so happy about my match today; I felt great on court, so that’s amazing,” she told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview.

“I tried to be very aggressive, but be very concentrated and just play my game.”

Muguruza first attracted notice when, as a wildcard, she burst onto the scene in 2012 when she upset then-World No.9 Vera Zvonareva, following up the upset with another big win over Flavia Pennetta en route to the fourth round. The Spaniard has since become a mainstay in the Top 10, pushing World No.1 Serena Williams through a high-octane Wimbledon final last summer and winning all three of her round robin matches at her BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global debut last fall.

“I have great memories. The Miami Open was my breakthrough and this is my second home with this amazing crowd that supports me. I don’t know what to say, it all feels great!”

Up next for Muguruza is former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka, whose hot streak continued against Magda Linette earlier in the day.

Also into the fourth round is No.26 seed Johanna Konta. The Brit became the highest ranked from her country since 1987 (Jo Durie) by cracking the Top 25 last week, and showed off all the grit and determination that has taken her so far, so fast with a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(3) win over qualifier Elena Vesnina.

“I am very happy to be able to come back tomorrow to compete again,” Konta said after winning a match in which she hit a stunning 12 aces – six in the second set alone. “I knew going into the match that she was playing at a very good level so I knew there’d be very little in it, whichever way the match at the end. I’m very happy to be sitting here with a chance to play tomorrow.”

Vesnina was coming off of a big win over former No.1 Venus Williams, and though she fought hard throughout, Konta continued to play her best tennis when it matters most over the last 10 months.

“I really tried to play the same as I had throughout the whole match. There’s obviously ebbs and flows in a match – I was playing better in parts and not so good in parts – but I really just tried to stay offensive and have things end on my terms as much as possible, but also being humble enough to know that she was playing at a good level so not to get too disheartened or down on myself if she plays well too.”

Standing between Konta and a possible quarterfinal encounter with either Muguruza or Azarenka is No.32 seed Monica Niculescu, who eased past CoCo Vandeweghe, 6-4, 6-1.

“We’ve only played once before and that was last year in Nottingham. It was a very tough match there, and I know she’s one of the trickiest players on tour and one of the best competitors as well.

“At the end I think it’ll be a match where there’ll be very little in it and I’m just going to my best to fight every single point and hopefully be able to leave the court knowing that I did my best.”

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Gasparyan, Niculescu Send Off SanTina

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Margarita Gasparyan and Monica Niculescu dealt Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, the World No.1 doubles team, their most comprehensive loss of the year to advance to the quarterfinals in Miami.

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Kuznetsova Shocks Serena In Miami

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MIAMI, FL, USA – Former World No.2 Svetlana Kuznetsova recovered from a hotly contested opening set to earn her first victory over top seed Serena Williams since 2009, upsetting the 21-time Grand Slam champion in the fourth round of the Miami Open, 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-2.

Watch live action from Miami this fortnight on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

“I’m really thrilled,” Kuznetsova told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview. “I’m sorry, fans who are disappointed that Serena’s not going to keep playing, but for sure she’ll be at more events than here.

“I’m really happy with my performance; I tried to stay at a good level the whole game, put as many balls back. I think I did that pretty well and I’m happy with the way I served today.”

Beginning the season with a title at the Apia International Sydney, the two-time Grand Slam champion hadn’t defeated a reigning World No.1 since winning the French Open almost seven years ago and needed three sets to beat both Carina Witthoeft and Caroline Garcia just to reach the fourth round. Narrowly missed out on a one-set lead after dropping the tie-break 7-3, a strong service game to start the second set her up in good stead against the American, going on to win 10 straight points between the second and third sets.

Williams had reached the final in each of her two WTA appearances this season, but struggled to find her best form at a tournament she was looking to win for a ninth time. Earning two hard-foughts wins over Christina McHale and Zarina Diyas, she hit 43 winners on Monday but was undone by 50 unforced errors in the two hour match.

Kuznetsova was far more consistent throughout, hitting 27 winners to only 13 unforced and surviving a hiccup in the middle of the decider to serve out the upset on the first time of asking – starting the game with one of her eight aces.

“It’s my profession; I play tennis and I have to do my job on the court. I was just focused on my game, just trying to do what I do best.”

Into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009, Kuznetsova next plays the winner of No.12 seed Elina Svitolina and No.30 seed Ekaterina Makarova – neither of whom had made their WTA main draw debut when the Russian last won in Miami in 2006.

“I’m too old! It was 10 years ago. I’ve been on this court many times. I love playing on this stage; the fans in my Miami are great. I love being back here and I’m really happy with my performance.”

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Gasparyan & Niculescu First Into SFs

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MIAMI, FL, USA – Margarita Gasparyan and Monica Niculescu produced a stirring second set comeback against Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva to become the first team into the doubles semifinals at the Miami Open.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Gasparyan and Niculescu had sent shockwaves through the draw by outclassing top seeds and defending champions Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza. However, when they slipped 5-2 behind in the second set, hopes of building on this upset looked to be hanging in the balance.

The seeming inevitability of a match tie-break seemed to liberate the Eastern Europeans who played some swashbuckling tennis in far from ideal conditions to draw level then close out a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory.   

“I think we played our best match today, it was a very good win,” Niculescu said. “I was thinking it was going to be a very tough match. It’s not easy to beat No.1s in the world yesterday and then to come here – we know King won two Grand Slams.

“We’re happy to come back – it was a good win, we stayed focused, tried to stay aggressive. It was starting to rain a bit and was also very windy and now we’re in the semifinals! I’m so happy!”

Gasparyan and Niculescu’s previous two outings together ended in second-round defeats in Doha and Indian Wells, and the identity of their semifinal foes will not be revealed until Wednesday, when No.4 seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova take on Kateryna Bondarenko and Olga Savchuk.

In the bottom half, Xu Yi-Fan and Zheng Saisai face Ekaterina Makarova and Barbora Strycova, while in the opening match on Stadium court No.3 seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova take on fellow Grand Slam winners Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.

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Miami Wednesday: Aussie Redux

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Victoria Azarenka will look to continue her winning ways on Wednesday as the lower half of the draw contests its quarterfinals matches. We preview the matchups here.

Wednesday, Quarterfinals

[13] Victoria Azarenka (BLR #8) vs. [24] Johanna Konta (GBR #23)
Head-to-head: Konta leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Azarenka is bidding to become the first player to complete the Indian Wells-Miami double since 2005 (Clijsters).
Victoria Azarenka is back in the Top 10, riding a nine-match winning streak, and showing no signs of slowing down ahead of her quarterfinal with Great Britain’s Johanna Konta. With memories of her last two injury-marred seasons rapidly vanishing in the rearview mirror, the two-time Miami champion is oozing positive energy. “I think I’m a better player right now, just the way I handle myself on the court,” Azarenka said after handling Garbiñe Muguruza in two tight sets on Monday. “I think my game is developing with pretty big progress right now, and that’s what I’m most happy about, is being able to add a little bit more every time I play.” Trying to keep Azarenka from adding to her winning streak is one of the surprise stories of 2016 in Johanna Konta. The 24-year-old, already the first British woman to reach the quarterfinals in the history of this event, is looking to reach the semifinals on her debut. Konta is energized by her latest achievement, but aims only to look forward. “It’s a wonderful thing to have on paper and for other people to recognize,” Konta told the BBC of her latest milestone. “But I am very much in the moment in this tournament and it’s not over for me.”

Pick: Azarenka in two

[2] Angelique Kerber (GER #3) vs. [22] Madison Keys (USA #24)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 3-1
Key Stat: At 21 years old, Keys is the youngest player remaining in the draw.
Angelique Kerber is finding it difficult to replicate her Australian Open magic on a nightly basis, but whether she’s playing flawless tennis or not, the German is never without her trademark grit. The 28-year-old used every ounce of her mental toughness – and some match point magic – to battle past Hungary’s Timea Babos on Monday night, rallying from a break down in the third set to claim her spot in the quarterfinals. Waiting for her there is the last American standing, the talented, powerful Madison Keys. Keys has been on fire in Miami, winning more than 70 percent of her service points and not dropping serve once in three straight-sets victories. The 21-year-old may be relatively inexperienced compared to Kerber, but she’s had plenty of time to contemplate what it takes to beat the German. Keys has met Kerber in the only two Tour-level finals of her career, and has faced her on three different surfaces. Though Kerber holds the lifetime 3-1 edge, their last two meetings have been nip-and-tuck three-set affairs. Will Keys and her block-rocking ground game unlock the mystery of Kerber, or will the German dial up her defenses and reach the last four?

Pick: Keys in three

-Chris Oddo, wtatennis.com contributor

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Kerber Zooms Into Miami Semifinal

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MIAMI, FL, USA – No.2 seed Angelique Kerber put on a comprehensive display against No.22 seed Madison Keys, dispatching the young American, 6-3, 6-2 and reach her first career semifinal at the Miami Open.

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

Kerber came to Miami without a WTA win since capturing her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but a few tense matches – most notably a third set comeback over Timea Babos in the fourth round – appears to have helped the German rediscover her confidence.

“It’s nice to play a match like this,” Kerber said after the match. “I was feeling good. Madison is always a tough opponent. I know this because we had a lot of tough battles in the past.

“I knew that I must play very good to beat her because she played very well here in the last few matches. So it’s good. It’s good.”

Playing in her signature style, she drew 39 errors from Keys, who had taken Kerber to three sets in their last two meetings.

Racing out to a 4-0 lead in the second set, the 2015 Australian Open semifinalist could do little more than force her more experienced opponent to serve out the victory in just over an hour. Speaking to media following the win, Kerber admitted to feeling overwhelmed after her big breakthrough in Melbourne.

“Actually, it was not so easy after, you know, because I had so many things to do, and also after Indian Wells where I was still not feeling 100%. I had few days before coming here to focus again on my practice, on my work on court, and to playing here good matches.

“I had also had a tough match in the last round. Today I was feeling much better, and I think that the matches here. They give me more confidence for the next tournaments and that I’m still on a good way.”

Looming next for Kerber is former No.1 and BNP Paribas Open champion Victoria Azarenka. The Belarusian, who defeated top-ranked Brit Johanna Konta earlier in the day, had looked the clear favorite to reach the final Down Under with a title in Brisbane and a 6-0 head-to-head against Kerber heading into their quarterfinal.

Kerber nonetheless turned the tables on the two-time Australian Open champion and earned her first win in their rivalry in straight sets, going on to defeat World No.1 Serena Williams in the final.

“I went out there and trying to be really aggressive from the first point, trying to really believe in myself, because until this time I never won the match against her,” she said of that fateful match in January. “It was 0-6; now it’s 1-6. I will try to go out there again like in Australia and try to believe in my game and myself and, yeah, trying to challenge her.

“It will be not easy. It will be tough match. But this is for what I am practicing, for the big matches out there, to really show what, yeah, we can do and playing the best tennis.

“So I’m really looking forward to play against her again this year.”

The winner of Kerber’s semifinal with Azarenka will reach their third final of the season; Kerber will be keen to nab her first WTA title since capturing Grand Slam glory while Azarenka is a mere two matches from becoming the third woman in WTA history to complete the Indian Wells-Miami “Sunshine” Double. Steffi Graf twice won both titles in 1994 and 1996, while Kim Clijsters most recently achieved the feat in 2005.

More to come…

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Kerber Primed For Ultimate Test

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MIAMI, FL, USA – In the wake of Angelique Kerber’s most unexpected of triumphs at this January’s Australian Open, the tennis world was intrigued to find out what was next for its newest major champion.

Would she quickly be sucked back into the pack or at 28 was she now ready to use this breakthrough as a springboard to elevate her game to the next level?

In her first outing as a Grand Slam champion, Kerber was brought back to earth with a bump, slumping to a shock defeat at the hands of Zheng Saisai at the Qatar Total Open. By her own admission, Kerber struggled to deal with the occasion, her metronomic groundstrokes breaking down under the strain.

Worse was to follow at the BNP Paribas Open, the German crashing out at the first hurdle to another unheralded opponent, Denisa Allertova. These sobering experiences provided a wake-up call, and she redoubled her efforts to rediscover the winning formula in Miami.

“Actually, it was not so easy because I had so many things to do, and also after Indian Wells where I was still not feeling 100%. Had like few days before coming here to focus again on my practice, on my work on court, and to make sure I play good matches here.”

A routine victory over Barbora Strycova was followed by more testing assignments against Kiki Bertens and Timea Babos, which she came through before playing her best tennis of the week to stymie the big-hitting Madison Keys in the quarterfinals.

“I had tough matches in the early rounds. Today I was feeling much better, and I think that the matches here give me again more confidence for the next tournaments and that my game’s still in a good way.”

And she will need to be firing on all cylinders against her next opponent, the WTA’s form player, Victoria Azarenka. “She had a great start of the year, of course. She is on fire I think right now. I will just trying to play my game go out and try to beat her. I mean, we played two times already this year and that’s the third time.

“I will try to enjoy it. I know that I must play really my best tennis to beat her because she won Indian Wells; she’s here now in the semis.”

The two are well acquainted with one another, having met twice at the start of year in Australia; Azarenka took the spoils on the first occasion in a one-sided Brisbane final before Kerber gained revenge en route to her Melbourne triumph.

This was Kerber’s first victory over Azarenka in seven attempts and she is planning to adopt a similarly positive approach for the rematch. “I went out there and trying to be really aggressive from the first point, trying to really believe in myself, because until this time I never won the match against her. It was 0-6; now it’s 1-6,” Kerber said.

“I will try to go out there again like in Australia and try to believe in my game and myself and, yeah, trying to challenge her. It will be not easy. It will be tough match. But this is for what I am practicing, for the big matches out there, to really show what, yeah, we can do and playing the best tennis.”

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Brilliant Radwanska Defeats Konta To Lift Second Beijing Title

Brilliant Radwanska Defeats Konta To Lift Second Beijing Title

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BEIJING, China – Agnieszka Radwanska reclaimed the China Open with a straight-set win over Johanna Konta on Sunday.

A dominant week, in which she did not drop a set was rounded off in style as Radwanska closed out a 6-4, 6-2 victory in an hour and 36 minutes.

Radwanska advanced to the final without dropping a set and early on she looked primed for another routine outing. However, from 5-2 down Konta finally began to display the sort of tennis that upset Madison Keys in the previous round.

She reduced her arrears to 5-4 and even had an opportunity to draw level. This proved to be the turning point, as Konta missed a routine drive volley and a few points later saw the set finally slip away.

The No.3 seed rammed home her advantage at the start of the second, planting a backhand onto the baseline to break in the third game. Konta battled away to the last but was unable to find a way through Radwanska’s defenses. The Pole would finish with just eight unforced errors, wrapping up victory with an ace out wide.

Agnieszka Radwanska

Asia has been a happy hunting ground for Radwanska, winning nine of her 20 career titles there. However, her success in Beijing, where she also triumphed in 2011, is of particular significance: “It’s a very special moment; third final and second title here. It was a really special week for me and it couldn’t be any better.”

“Every title means a lot, but especially here when you play against the best players in the world, in one of the biggest tournaments. It’s top players from the first round and I’ve been playing my best tennis all week so of course I’m very happy to win this tournament again, and this trophy is going to stay in a very special place.”

Radwanska becomes one of four active players to collect three or more Premier Mandatory titles, joining Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka. Konta, meanwhile, was appearing in her very first final at this level and the disappointment will be tempered by the knowledge that on Monday she will become only the fourth British player to reach the Top 10.

“It’s pretty cool! I’m very pleased with my progress over the past few years and hopefully many more places to climb,” Konta said. “I’m just working hard towards playing matches like these, against players like Agnieszka.”

An even grander stage could await. Konta’s run to the final sees her edge ahead of Dominika Cibulkova and into the final qualifying berth for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

WTA Finals: Get Your Tickets!

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Zhuhai: Cibulkova, Suárez Navarro Lead The Field, Wozniacki Closes In

Zhuhai: Cibulkova, Suárez Navarro Lead The Field, Wozniacki Closes In

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

ZHUHAI, China – With the year’s final Premier-Mandatory event at the China Open done and dusted, there were a few key changes to the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai leaderboard.

By virtue of reaching the final in Beijing, Johanna Konta has moved out of the Zhuhai race and Dominika Cibulkova, a finalist at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, has stepped in.

Carla Suárez Navarro and Svetlana Kuznetsova have kept their spots near the top of the field, along with Wuhan winner Petra Kvitova and defending Zhuhai champion Venus Williams.

But while the top of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai leaderboard looks solid, the bottom spots could still be up for grabs after a busy three-tournament week.

Barbora Strycova, No.19 on the leaderboard, is 110 points clear of former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, who has experienced a late-season renaissance. The Dane has carried her form into the Asian swing, and a run to the semifinals or better at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open could put her firmly in contention for Zhuhai.

The year’s final tournament will take place in Zhuhai, China and will run from November 1 to 6. Like last year, the singles draw will feature 11 of the top ranked players and one wildcard, with the winner collecting 700 ranking points.

The Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy announced last week that Asian No.1 Zhang Shuai received the wildcard to round out the 12-player field in Zhuhai.

Here’s the latest leaderboard update for the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai as of October 10, 2016:

WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai

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Konta Marches Past Broady Toward Singapore

Konta Marches Past Broady Toward Singapore

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

HONG KONG, SAR – Britain’s top player Johanna Konta christened her debut into the WTA Top 10 with a commanding win over countrywoman Naomi Broady to advance to the second round at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open.

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Fresh off her historic rise in the rankings, No.3 seed Konta kept to her winning ways and defeated Broady 6-2, 6-2, in a score that belied the difficulty of the matchup.

“The scoreline doesn’t really reflect the match itself,” Konta explained. “You can see in the length of the match how tight it was. I’m happy I was able to stay focused, stay level-headed and take my chances when they arose.”

The symmetrical match saw Konta breaking Broady’s powerful serve in the first and fifth games of each set. Broady struck five aces during the hour and twenty-minute encounter – an unusually low number for the big-serving Brit – but also hit eight double faults. Konta brought up fourteen break chances during the match, which was marked by lengthy games and multiple deuces.

“We knew going into the match that Naomi is a very good server and has a good strike, we really tried to utilize that as much as possible,” Konta said.

“I’m really happy with the level I’ve been playing and the amount of matches I’ve been able to play in succession. Hoping to stay healthy for the rest of the season and keep going like this.”

Konta kept her composure to see off Broady’s lone break chance early in the second set, and she powered through to a straight sets win.

With the victory, Konta takes a step closer to making her debut at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“I’m trying not to think about it, to be honest,” Konta laughed. “I’ve really got to keep myself present, especially since there’s so many variables with that. It really depends on how other players do as well.”

WTA Finals: Get Your Tickets!

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