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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DUBAI, UAE – Top seed Angelique Kerber came out on top of a much-anticipated Olympic rematch against Monica Puig, dispatching the Puerto Rican star, 6-2, 6-3 to reach her first quarterfinal at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

“It’s tough to play against Monica,” she said during her on-court interview. “I know we we played a very good match in Rio and she deserved to win in the end; she played an unbelievable match. Today I was really happy with my performance; I was trying to stay focused and play my game. I’m happy to be in the next round here!”

“I was really not thinking too much about our final in Rio, because it was a completely totally different match than today,” she later elaborated in press.

“Tonight it was a new match, new challenge for me. So I was focusing more on the day today than looking back to the last match.”

Puig is in the midst of playing her best tennis since capturing Puerto Rico’s first gold medal, having reached the semifinals of the Qatar Total Open just last week. But Kerber made the best of a difficult draw to pull off some of her own best on Wednesday night, hitting 14 winners to just 12 unforced errors in the 65 minute match.

“I was trying to keep focusing on the next point, serve and move as well as I could.”

The unseeded Puig nonetheless acquitted herself well on the center court, hitting 20 winners, but a combination of 25 unforced errors and a zero for five break point conversion rate proved her undoing. Kerber, by contrast, broke serve four times, including on match point in the last game.

“I never played so well here, so I think things have changed a little bit this year. I feel really good on the court and I’m looking forward to playing my first quarterfinal.”

It’s been a tough start to the season for Kerber, who fell in her opening match in Doha last week to Daria Kasatkina – her second loss to the young Russian this season – but admitted to feeling under the weather during the tour’s stormy week in Qatar.

“I was a little bit sick last week. So that’s why I’m happy that I found my rhythm again. Yeah, I’m enjoying the tennis on court again.

“I was not sure how I was feeling on court because of the last week, and that’s why that was a little bit different.

“I was trying to just go out here, to make the transition from like I was practicing to the match, because I was practicing good in the last few weeks and also in the last few months.”

Up next for the former World No.1 is Croatian teen Ana Konjuh, who recovered from a set and a break down to upset No.8 seed Elena Vesnina, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4); Kerber won their only previous meeting back in 2015 at the Bank of the West Classic.

“She plays well; we’ve played a few matches in the past and I know it’ll be another tough one, but I think I’m ready to go out and win my next match.”

Into the last eight in Dubai, Kerber is just three wins away from wresting hte top spot back from Australian Open champion Serena Williams, but you won’t catch Kerber thinking too much about that prospect.

“I’m taking things match by match. I’m just trying to focus on playing good tennis and enjoying this week.”

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Radwanska Applies The Pressure

Radwanska Applies The Pressure

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MELBOURNE, Australia – Agnieszka Radwanska kept her Asia-Pacific winning streak going in Melbourne – the World No.4 needed an hour and 20 minutes to dispatch Christina McHale in straight sets and close out the day’s action on Margaret Court Arena.

“The first match is always tough, always tricky, especially with the conditions here every day being so different,” Radwanska said after the win. “I’m just very glad I could win that match in two sets.”

The unseeded American came out of the gates firing off her arsenal of booming groundstrokes, but it was the serve that turned out to be McHale’s downfall. Radwanska broke McHale’s serve seven times in the match – four in the first set and three in the second.

Once the finish line came into view, Radwanska put the pressure on McHale and drew out the errors – 28 to Radwanska’s 14. Radwanska fired off two aces in the final game to close out the match 6-2, 6-3.

“I really feel good here in Australia, very comfortable on the court,” Radwanska said. “I love the crowd, I’m really playing my game and enjoying tennis – I think that’s the most important thing.”

Up next for the reigning WTA Finals champion is either Eugenie Bouchard – whose recent renaissance makes her a tricky second-round opponent – or Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic, who Radwanska beat earlier in the year en route to her Shenzhen title. Radwanska leads both players 1-0 in their head-to-head series.

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Gold Rush Begins In Rio

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

It has been an eventful start to the tennis competition at the Rio Olympics, see all the best shots from the action here at wtatennis.com.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970
DUBAI, UAE – Anastasija Sevastova fought her way past Wang Qiang, securing victory 6-4, 7-5 to claim her place in the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

“I am very happy how I played the last game – it was great,” the Latvian told press after winning in an hour and 21 minutes.

Currently ranked No.35, she will reach a career high on Monday after her campaign in Dubai.

Yet she had struggled to dominate this quarterfinal thanks to her opponent’s battling spirit, and it was Wang who struck first, breaking serve to take a 3-1 lead in the opening set.

The 26-year-old hit right back, though, and went on to take the first set – but Wang was not ready to give up. Even after falling behind by a break of serve in the second set, she clawed her way right back into it to level up at 5-5.

Despite the Chinese player’s determination, Sevastova eventually managed to serve it out on her third match point to secured herself a deserved semifinal berth against either CiCi Bellis or Caroline Wozniacki.

“I’m going to watch the match,” Sevastova added. “CiCi played an amazing match yesterday, Caroline has a perfect record against me…we’ll see how it is tomorrow.”

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Olympics Wednesday: Magic Eight

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

And then there were eight! It’s quarterfinal time at the 2016 Olympic Games, and we’re breaking down the matchups at WTATennis.com, courtesy of contributor Chris Oddo.

Wednesday

Quarterfinals

Elina Svitolina (UKR #20) vs. [11] Petra Kvitova (CZE #14)
Head-to-head: Kvitova leads, 2-1
Key Stat: There has only been one unseeded medalist in women’s singles since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988 (Alicia Molik, Bronze, 2004).

Chaos reigned supreme at the top of the draw on Tuesday in Rio, as Elina Svitolina completed the upset to end all upsets by knocking off four-time Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams in straight sets. It was a monumental victory for Svitolina, who admitted afterwards that she dared not dream of defeating Williams. “It’s one of my dreams to play against her, and to beat her – I don’t think I was even dreaming about that,” the elated 21-year-old said after the match. Now, for the challenge of recalibrating emotionally to face a menacing Petra Kvitova for a spot in the semifinals. Kvitova showed true Olympic spirit in gutting out a see-saw three-setter with Ekaterina Makarova on Tuesday, and the Fed Cup legend has always taken her game to another level when representing her country in the past. Will she continue to elevate her tennis and engineer a season-changing run to the medal round, or will the 21-year-old Ukrainian continue to prove to be a player of destiny this week in Rio?

Pick: Kvitova in three

[2] Angelique Kerber (GER #2) vs. [10] Johanna Konta (GBR #13)
Head-to-head: Kerber Leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Kerber and Laura Siegemund are bidding to become the first German women to medal at the Olympics since Steffi Graf in 1992.

Two of tennis’ most in-form and mentally tough players will square off in a high-stakes quarterfinal that marks their second meeting of 2016. Angelique Kerber eased past Johanna Konta in this year’s Australian Open semifinals, and that victory proved not only to be a springboard to a first major title, it also has provided a layer of belief that has further solidified Kerber’s presence at the top of the game. On Tuesday Kerber worked her way past Samantha Stosur in straight sets while Konta had to scratch and claw to end Svetlana Kuznetsova’s Olympics in a three-hour and seven minute battle. Konta is just two weeks removed from her first career title at Stanford and she’ll no doubt be eager to prove that she has the ability to match wits and strokes with a player of Kerber’s caliber. She wasn’t up to the task against the German in January – will she find a way past her on Wednesday?

Pick: Kerber in three

Monica Puig (PUR #34) vs. Laura Siegemund (GER #32)
Head-to-head: First Meeting
Key Stat: Puig and Siegemund were ranked 90 and 92 respectively at the start of the season.

My, how fortunes can change over the course of a season. Monica Puig and Laura Siegemund, two players who began the season barely inside the Top 100, will play for a spot in the medal round on Wednesday in Rio. As unlikely as it sounds, when one considers the amount of progress that Siegemund and Puig have made over the course of the last seven months, this quarterfinal is not all that improbable. The pair own a combined 9-9 record vs. the Top 20 this season, and both have gone deep into draws more consistently than ever. Puig notched the second biggest shock of Day 4 when she shellacked Spain’s Garbiñe Muguruza, 6-1, 6-1. Puig matched Muguruza’s winner count and committed half the errors in a tidy performance. “I consider it the biggest win of my career because it’s at the Olympics,” she said after the match. “Right now, I’m in the clouds. I can’t even believe it because truly it was incredible.” Will Puig be able to recover mentally to take on the feisty Siegemund with so much at stake? Or is it the 28-year-old German who will seize the day and a surprise trip to the medal round?

Pick: Siegemund in three

[7] Madison Keys (USA #9) vs. Daria Kasatkina (RUS #27)
Head-to-head: First Meeting
Key Stat: Keys has won back-to-back three setters in her last four events.

The two youngest players remaining in the draw will square off in a matchup that tennis fans will likely see—and enjoy—quite a bit over the next ten years. No. 7 seed Madison Keys has had her mettle tested early and often here in Rio, but each time she has been pushed, the 21-year-old power broker has pushed back, gutting out back-to-back three setters in her last two matches and showing poise and patience to go with her world-class attack. Speaking of poise, 19-year-old Daria Kasatkina has proven to be a quick study on the Olympic stage. The Russian methodically eased past Italy’s Sara Errani to reach the quarterfinals on Tuesday, proving once again that she’s every bit as good as her ranking, and perhaps even better. But how will Kasatkina handle the grooved ground game of Keys? Will she be able to keep the hard-hitting American off balance, or will she find herself in over her head against a blossoming American who is willing to lay everything on the line in the quest for an Olympic medal?

Pick: Keys in three

Around the Grounds:

The women’s doubles quarterfinals will also be held on Wednesday. Russia’s Daria Kasatkina will perform double duty alongside Svetlana Kuznetsova in a battle against No. 6 seeds Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic. Switzerland’s Martina Hingis and Timea Bacsinszky will look to upend the Chan sisters of Chinese Tapei in a battle of Top 5 seeds. See the complete doubles draw for matchup information here.

By the Numbers:

19 – The age of Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, who is the youngest player left in the draw.

34 – Ranking of Monica Puig, who is the lowest-ranked participant in the women’s singles quarterfinals.

2 – Germany is the only country to boast two women’s singles quarterfinalists.

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Azarenka Cruises Into Third Round

Azarenka Cruises Into Third Round

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MELBOURNE, Australia – Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka continued her incredible start to her 2016 title campaign, notching a swift win over Montenegrin player Danka Kovinic to advance to the third round.

Azarenka needed barely an hour to cruise past Kovinic 6-1, 6-2. The Belorussian has yet to lose a set in 2016 – in fact, she has only dropped 20 games all year, and only three so far in the tournament.

“I really don’t count the games,” Azarenka said after the match. “What really works for me is to stay in the moment. I enjoy my time on the court and play every point like it’s my last.

“I just want to enjoy the journey. Right now I just can’t wait to be out here again.”

Her new outlook is paying dividends: the No.14 seed hit only nine unforced errors to Kovinic’s 22, and blasted 19 winners, including a huge around-the-post forehand winner.

“I played really well, especially in the beginning,” Azarenka said. “I just tried to just create opportunities and not let her dictate the points.”

Up next, Azarenka is set to face the unseeded Japanese 18-year old Naomi Osaka, who won 6-4, 6-4 in an upset over No.18-seeded Elina Svitolina.

“I never feel pressure from playing someone that’s supposed to be like better than me, sort of,” Osaka told the press of playing No.14 seed Azarenka. “I’m just going to go in there happy and hopefully try to pull off an upset.”

Osaka is into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career, previously never having advanced past qualifying. Last season at the WTA Finals in Singapore, Osaka announced herself as a young talent to watch by taking home the title at the WTA Rising Stars Invitational.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DUBAI, UAE – No.7 seed Elina Svitolina is into the biggest final of her career after upsetting top seed Angelique Kerber in straight sets at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Friday; standing between her and her sixth career title is none other than 2011 champion and former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki.

Check out everything you need to know about this high-stakes affair right here on wtatennis.com!

1. Svitolina can crack the Top 10 if she wins on Saturday.
Svitolina has been on the cusp of making her Top 10 debut for quite some time, and the Ukrainian youngster can close the deal should she beat Wozniacki in the final.

2. The Ukrainian is riding an 11-match winning streak.
Svitolina recovered from a third round upset at the Australian Open in impressive fashion, picking up her fifth career title at the Taiwan Open, leading her country to a Fed Cup victory over Australia, and reaching the final in Dubai.

3. Wozniacki is definitely at home in Dubai.
A Dubai Duty Free ambassador, Wozniacki overtook former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic’s record total of match wins in Dubai on Friday, winning a 22nd match in seven appearances. She last reached the final in 2011, when she beat Svetlana Kuznetsova for the title.

4. The Dane is surging in 2017.
Wozniacki began this season much like she ended last; since reaching the semifinals of the US Open, she’s been on fire, reaching back-to-back finals in Doha and Dubai; the last time she did that was in 2014, when she reached two straight finals in Flushing and Tokyo at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.

5. The No.2 spot on the Road to Singapore leaderboard is on the line.
Not only can Svitolina earn a career-high ranking, but a win on Saturday will also send her shooting up the RTS leaderboard, all the way to No.2. The runner-up will also be in the Top 8, ranked No.5. Svitolina would make be making her debut at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, while Wozniacki qualified four times, most recently in 2014.

6. Svitolina saves her best for the game’s best.
The No.7 seed not only defeated Kerber for the second time this season, but also owns a three-match winning streak on the former No.1, dating back to the China Open in Beijing. She also knocked then-No.1 Serena Williams out of the Olympic tennis event; in her last three encounters with World No.1s, Svitolina’s won two.

7. Wozniacki aims for Miami Open revenge.
Wozniacki and Svitolina played just once before, in the third round of the Miami Open; Svitolina recovered from a set down to defeat the Dane, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(1) in a late-night match.

8. Svitolina is one win from her biggest title yet.
Svitolina has already racked up five titles in her young career, but all on the International level. She finished runner-up at the Connecticut Open and the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai to Agnieszka Radwanska and Petra Kvitova, respectively, and reached the final four last fall in Beijing.

9. Wozniacki returns to the big time.
Barring the US Open final, Wozniacki hadn’t reached a Premier Mandatory or Premier 5 final since 2013 at the BNP Paribas Open. This would be her biggest title since beating Naomi Osaka in the Tokyo final last fall.

10. The final takes place after a rousing doubles championship match.
Before Wozniacki and Svitolina hit the courts, new Road to Singapore leaderboard No.1s Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai face Olympic Gold medalists Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. The Russians are into their second final of the season while Hlavackova are in their third, including the Australian Open.

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Vote: January's Player Of The Month

Vote: January's Player Of The Month

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

It’s time to vote for January’s WTA Player of the Month!

Have a look at the nominees and cast your vote before Thursday at 11:59pm ET! The winner will be announced Friday, February 8.

January 2016 WTA Player Of The Month Finalists

Angelique Kerber: As the No.7 seed, Kerber stunned the tennis world by defeating both pre-tournament favorites in Victoria Azarenka and World No.1 Serena Williams to capture her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Kerber faced a match point in her first round against Misaki Doi, and after having – in her words – “one foot on the plane back to Germany,” Kerber played with renewed confidence through the first week. Facing Azarenka in the quarterfinals, the German turned around a 0-6 head-to-head and won five straight games to dismiss the Brisbane International champion and two-time Australian Open winner in straight sets. Seeing off surprise semifinalist Johanna Konta to reach her first major final, Kerber played stellar tennis and held her nerve against Williams, stopping her from tying countrywoman Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slam titles. Her win takes her to a new career-high ranking of No.2 and puts her at the top spot on the Road to Singapore standings.

Serena Williams: Entering the Australian Open under an injury cloud, Williams erased all doubts as to her form her first match in Melbourne, racing into the final without dropping a set. Her semifinal against No.4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska was particularly dominant; the World No.1 needed only 20 minutes to win the opening set over the reigning BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champion, going on to hit 42 winners to just 18 errors in the two-set match. Though she fell to Kerber in the final, the American remains just one major away from tying Graf’s Open Era record for most Grand Slam titles won, and is firmly behind Kerber at No.2 on the Road to Singapore standings.

Victoria Azarenka: Azarenka began the season hoping to make 2016 her comeback year. Looking in impeccable shape, she romped through the Brisbane International draw, losing just four games to eventual Australian Open champion Kerber in the final. In Melbourne, she was equally dominant through the first week, tying the record for fewest games lost in her first three matches. Despite losing to Kerber in the quarterfinals, the Belarusian still had chances to level the match, serving for the second set at 5-2 and holding three set points at 40-0.

Agnieszka Radwanska: The WTA Finals champion has only lost one match in 2016, the Australian Open semifinal to Serena Williams. Radwanska began her year at the Shenzhen Open, where she won the title, and looked in solid form through five matches in Melbourne before running into a World No.1 playing some of her best tennis.

WTA January POTM

How it works:

Four finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com

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