Tennis News

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.

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.

.@Schiavone_Fra breezes through the opening set vs Bertens 6-1! pic.twitter.com/2I1ny6kz6r

— WTA (@WTA) 13 de abril de 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.

.@Schiavone_Fra reaches @CopaWTABogota Semifinals!

Beats Bertens 6-1, 6-4! pic.twitter.com/ClrNY8T1WS

— WTA (@WTA) 13 de abril de 2017

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 19^th 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…

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.

Incredible rally from both @LaraArrua and @Sara_Sorribes! ? ? pic.twitter.com/PfaHJ4369p

— WTA (@WTA) 14 de abril de 2017

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.

.@LaraArrua reels off SIX straight games!

Books a spot in @CopaWTABogota Final with 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Sorribes Tormo! pic.twitter.com/a2YW8KIGvO

— WTA (@WTA) 14 de abril de 2017

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.

NÜRNBERG, Germany –  No.3 seed Annika Beck concluded a wild day at the NÜRNBERGER VERSICHERUNGSCUP, taking out countrywoman and No.7 seed Anna-Lena Friedsam, 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-2, to reach her first WTA semifinal of 2016.

A long rain delay interrupted quarterfinals day in Nürnberg, and a left thigh injury forced No.4 seed Lesia Tsurenko to withdraw from her hotly anticipated rematch with Julia Goerges, who advanced to her second semifinal of the season following her run to the ASB Classic final in January.

Qualifier Kiki Bertens continued her solid clay court season by taking the first set 6-1 over Bogota champion Irina Falconi before the American had to end her match prematurely due to a right ankle sprain.

With the Nürnberg crowd looking for a classic encounter, they got one between the two hometown favorites, as Beck battled Friedsam for over two hours on Center Court.

Narrowly taking the opening set in a tense tie-break, Friedsam fought back to level the match at a set apiece, only for Beck to right the ship in the decider, setting up a semifinal against either Varvara Lepchenko or Mariana Duque-Mariño, whose match was postponed due to darkness.

STRASBOURG, France – Caroline Garcia advanced to the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg after coming through an epic encounter with fellow Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano.

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

Leading 5-3 in the final set Garcia looked on course to close out the match in relative comfort. However, lucky loser Razzano ensured a dramatic finish by breaking back in the next game before eventually succumbing, 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-5.

“It feels great. I’ve watched Virginie for as long as I can remember,” Garcia said. “She’s a great player and a bit of an idol, so to not only play her but beat her was an amazing experience.

“It’s important for my confidence to get wins like this and in finals, especially ahead of Roland Garros next week. It was a fighting performance. Losing that first set was tough but I came back and got through.”

Later on, hopes of an all-French final were dashed in spectacular fashion as qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni dismantled No.4 seed Kristina Mladenovic, 6-1, 6-1, in exactly an hour.

In 1997, a teenage Lucic-Baroni lost to Steffi Graf in the final, and despite her long week she is quietly confident of making it second time lucky. 

“Nineteen years in between the finals. It’s amazing. It’s like coming home now for me in Strasbourg,” she said. “Will I become French after this? No! If I would change it would be to Italian. My husband is Italian.”

Garcia has won all three of her previous meetings with Lucic-Baroni, including earlier this year in Miami. “Against Garcia, I’ve always posted negative results,” she added. “But hopefully that will change tomorrow! I’m playing some great tennis and haven’t been on court very long, despite coming through qualies.

“I’ve just got to keep this going, keep on playing strong, and hopefully I can get the title.”

Serena Williams’ march towards history turns to Paris, as the World No. 1 and defending champion looks to win her fourth French Open title and 22nd overall major title to tie Steffi Graf’s Open Era record.

With the tournament set to begin on Sunday, WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen and Web Editor David Kane analyze the top-heavy draw, which sees Serena surrounded by some big names in the top half of the draw, but contrary to popular opinion, her path to the title may not be as rough as people think. Out of the bottom half of the draw, can Garbiñe Muguruza and Simona Halep make good on their favorable draws? Or is this the year World No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska finally solves the terre battue?

You’ll also hear from the top seeds themselves as we take you inside the Roland Garros press room, as the likes of Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, Victoria Azarenka, Simona Halep, Garbiñe Muguruza, and Angelique Kerber give you some insight into their mindset as they head into the second major of the season. Who sounds confident? Who sounds unsure of themselves? We’ll let you be the judge.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on any podcast app of your choice and reviews are always helpful, so if you like what you’ve heard so far, leave us one. You can also get new episode alerts by following us on Twitter @WTA_Insider.