Tokyo: Svitolina vs Pavlyuchenkova
Elina Svitolina takes on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Elina Svitolina takes on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
“I’m feeling much more comfortable in my skin, how I am, and how to work,” Kerber said in the latest WTA Insider Podcast. “It’s because of the experience; I now know how to deal with the pressure, with things I have to do off-court.”
Kerber got to celebrate her No.1 breakthrough alongside her US Open victory, taking part in a pair of photoshoots with each trophy commemorating her dual achievements.
“This gives me a lot of confidence to dress up, come out, speaking, working, being how I am! It took a little while to get there, but it was great work getting there.”
The first of two women to qualify for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global – alongside 22-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams – Kerber kicks off her Asian Swing as the top seed at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open. The World No.1 has played Wuhan since its inaugural event in 2014, reaching the semiifnals last year.
Kerber leads the field with 54 match wins this year, and will be in search of her fourth title of the season. Taking home three titles thus far, two have been on the game’s biggest stages at the Australian Open and US Open, while the third came at home at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
Success at the Grand Slams and consistency elsewhere is what helped Kerber end Serena’s 186 straight weeks at No.1; the first German No.1 since Stefanie Graf – and the first lefty since WTA Finals Tournament Ambassador Monica Seles – Kerber has reached the quarterfinals or better in six of her last seven tournaments, finishing runner-up at Wimbledon, the Western & Southern Open, and the Olympic tennis event (earning no ranking points at the latter).
Now that she’s earned the No.1 ranking, the question becomes how long Kerber can keep it. Williams announced her withdrawal from Wuhan and Beijing, meaning her rival needs to earn 1500 points to assure herself of the Year-End No.1.
“My motivation is still really high, especially after this title in New York. I will still try to improve my game because I know I could still improve my serve and a few other things in my game. It’s what I plan to do in the next in the next few weeks and in my pre-season for next year. There are still a few things where I know I can be better, and that gives me confidence too, to know I can still play better, more aggressively, or move better.
With a total of 900 points awarded to the winner at Wuhan and another 1,000 next week in Beijing, she could go a long way towards accomplishing that goal before even heading to Singapore – potentially locking down the Year-End No.1 ranking with a good two weeks on Chinese soil.
“Angie won’t stop wanting to get better,” said Torben Beltz, Kerber’s longtime coach who reunited with her just before her rise towards the top of the game last spring. “She doesn’t just want to practice for an hour and that’s it’ she wants to get better, and even have some input in the practice. She wants to get better, hit harder; these are things she wants to do, and we’ll work on that together.”
Kerber would join a select group of 11 women to have finished the year as No.1, and become the 12th to do so. Serena has earned the distinction five times (2002, 2009, 2013-2015), the third-most in WTA history behind Graf at eight (1987-1990, 1993-1996), and Martina Navratilova at seven (1978-1979, 1982-1986). Kerber would be the first woman not named Serena to finish the year No.1 since Victoria Azarenka, who ended her only season as leader of the pack in 2012.
It’s already been a year to remember for Angelique Kerber, but it’s not over yet, and the sky seems to remain the limit for the new No.1.
“Of course, I’m playing the best tennis of my career, but I’m still trying to be better and better,” Kerber said. “That’s what motivates me during my practices and matches. I still hope to play my best tennis over the next few months.”
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
An interview with Karolina Pliskova after her third round win at the BNP Paribas Open.
Timea Bacsinszky had Monday’s shot of the day at the BNP Paribas Open.
Magdalena Rybarikova takes on Roberta Vinci in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.
INDIAN WELLS – Agnieszka Radwanska grabbed the first semifinal spot of the BNP Paribas Open after a straight sets win over Petra Kvitova, but her reward is even sweeter – the win vaults her all the way back up to the World No.2 ranking.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!
In a rematch of their encounter in the final of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, longtime rivals Kvitova and Radwanska squared off for the tenth time. Although Kvitova owns the head-to-head advantage 6-3, she’s quite familiar with how crafty Radwanska can be.
“I just hope I can really play my good tennis against her, because otherwise I will be in big trouble,” Kvitova said ahead of the match. “But I think always against her you always really have to play good tennis and be careful, definitely on her serve.”
After saving match point in the first round against Dominika Cibulkova, Radwanska’s road to her sixth BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals has been fairly straightforward. By contrast, all of Kvitova’s matches have gone to a third set. And despite her “P3tra” nickname, that’s not a good omen for the Czech – she’s only won one WTA tournament (Montreal in 2012) after being involved in three or more three set matches.
Sure enough, Kvitova’s long hours on court showed their effect as Radwanska raced ahead in the first set to a 5-1 lead. The Czech’s big game grew to be too costly, and she sprayed 22 unforced errors to the always-tidy Radwanska’s 4. Those margins left her no room to breathe, and she eventually dropped the first set 6-2.
The No.9 ranked Czech dug her heels in during the second set, breaking twice for a 4-2 lead. Just as it looked like she would level up the score, Radwanska came roaring back, drawing from her extensive arsenal of trick shots to send the clash into a tiebreaker. Luck just wasn’t on Kvitova’s side – she was starting to mount a comeback after finding herself down 4-0 in the tiebreak, but two let cords and a backhand dumped into the net gave Radwanska the victory, 6-3, 7-6(3).
“I have good experience in the first match, almost losing 5-3 in the third. So I was pretty calm,” Radwanska said of her second-set comeback. “Obviously that’s just one break, so you just keep going. And I was a little big lucky, in the end.”
The win not only sends Radwanska into the BNP Paribas Open semifinal for the third time in her career, it also boosts her ranking up to World No.2 for the first time since 2012, overtaking Angelique Kerber.
You know her as the Ninja and Hotshot Master, but now she has a new name…
World No.2!
Welcome back, @ARadwanska! https://t.co/eK5PPprOxa
— WTA (@WTA) March 16, 2016
World No.56 Yulia Putintseva arrived in Miami after a career-best run at the BNP Paribas Open, where she reached the third round and pushed World No.1 Serena Williams to a first set tie-break. After heading to the American Airlines Arena for a Rihanna concert, Putintseva got down to business on Thursday, showing off what she called her “new way to serve:”
New way to serve ??? pic.twitter.com/cwSNDtxmy5
— Yulia Putintseva (@Yulka1995P) March 17, 2016
The moment was reminiscent of when colleague Elina Svitolina lit up social media at the end of 2014 with her own trick serve at the China Open:
Putintseva and Svitolina will undoubtedly get competition from Tweener Queen Kristina Mladenovic. The Frenchwoman debuted the shot under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium en route to the quarterfinals of the US Open, bringing it back once (or twice) during the off-season for IPTL:
How can you not love @KikiMladenovic? #showgirl #IPTL2 pic.twitter.com/elwHQfxpv2
— Noémie. (@Saschatard) December 16, 2015
But few have been able to work their magic into a match quite like Agnieszka Radwanska, who reached the semifinals in Indian Wells – and returned to the No.2 ranking – on Wednesday with a 6-2, 7-6(3) win over two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova:
#SCTop10 anyone? @ARadwanska was on FIRE! ? https://t.co/ctucReiGbc
— WTA (@WTA) March 13, 2016
Which are some of your favorite trick shots? Let us know on Twitter @WTA!
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – And then there were four. The BNP Paribas Open draw has dwindled down to a quartet of elite talents, including two former champions. Wtatennis.com breaks down a blockbuster semifinal day here.
Friday, Semifinals
Stadium 1
[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. [3] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #3)
Head-to-head: Williams leads 9-0
Key Stat: Williams has won 18 of 19 sets against Radwanska.
Will Serena Williams make it a perfect 10-0 against Agnieszka Radwanska on Friday to claim her spot in her first BNP Paribas Open final in fifteen years? If the scintillating form the two-time BNP Paribas Open champion displayed in her quarterfinal victory over Simona Halep is any indication, the American will be an extremely tough player to knock out of this draw. “She was moving really good, and hit it so strong,” an impressed Halep said after falling on Wednesday night to Williams. “I think she’s in good shape now. Yeah, maybe she’s going to win this title.”
In order to stop Williams from winning it all, Agnieszka Radwanska will likely have to play the match of her career. But if there was ever a time for Radwanska to pull a jaw-dropping upset, it could be now. The Pole has been the WTA’s most consistent performer since the US Open, going 34-6 with four titles, including the biggest of her career at last October’s BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The momentum has certainly been building for Radwanska, but how to take that extra step to get past the daunting Williams? When they met two months ago at the Australian Open semifinals, Radwanska got off on the wrong foot and never recovered. “I think she started unbelievable, with such a power and speed,” she said at the time. “I was just standing there kind of watching her playing.” To avoid a similar situation Radwanska will have to make a high percentage of first serves and do everything in her power to stay in rallies and keep Williams off balance.
Williams is well aware that Radwanska is a threat, particularly on the gritty hard courts here in the desert, despite the lopsided victory in Australia and the 9-0 lifetime advantage. “Obviously she does everything so well, including running, and this is a good surface for her because it’s a slow surface,” Williams said. “I expect there will be a lot of long rallies. I will be ready.”
Pick: Williams in three
[13] Victoria Azarenka (BLR #15) vs. [18] Karolina Pliskova (CZE #19)
Head-to-head: series tied 1-1
Key Stat: Azarenka will return to the Top 10 (at No.8) for the first time since August 2014 if she wins the title at Indian Wells.
Victoria Azarenka reached only one WTA final in 2015, but the Belarusian is closing in on her second title of 2016 and we’re not even through March yet. It has happened in fits and starts over the last two years, but could we finally be witnessing the return to elite status of one of the WTA’s most talented — and decorated — players? Whether she reaches the final or not, one thing is certain: Azarenka is relishing the opportunity to prove herself on the big stage. “I love pressure,” she told reporters this week at Indian Wells. “That’s what makes me a good player and a great player. That’s what motivates me. Without pressure I get bored and it’s not fun. So to be able to compete in that high situation, that’s what I’m always looking forward to.”
Azarenka may be fine with the pressure, but how will the 2012 BNP Paribas Open champion handle the searing heat of Karolina Pliskova’s world-class serve? The tall, cool Czech ripped nine aces and won 24 of 26 first-serve points to take down Russia’s Daria Kasatkina on Thursday. How well Pliskova can dictate with her heavy offerings will be the key to her survival in this intriguing matchup, but in Azarenka she’ll be facing one of the WTA’s elite returners.
Pick: Azarenka in two
– Chris Oddo, wtatennis.com contributor
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Friday’s evening session at the BNP Paribas Open will see all four semifinalists in action. Read on to discover 10 need-to-know facts heading into the two showdowns.
(1) Serena Williams (USA #1) vs (3) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #3)
H2H: Williams leads Radwanska, 9-0
1) Serena resumes desert domination.
Serena Williams has cruised through the draw this fortnight – she is the only player yet to drop a set – to improve her win-loss record at Indian Wells to 22-1 (.957). This winning percentage is second only to the great Martina Navratilova*:
Martina Navratilova 10-0 (1.000)
Serena Williams 22-1 (.957)
Steffi Graf 17-2 (.895)
Kim Clijsters 24-5 (.828)
* Minimum of five matches played at tournament
2) Chasing another record.
No player has won the title at Indian Wells more than two times. Serena is one of eight players to lift the title in Indian Wells twice (1999, 2001) and is attempting to add it to an impressive list of titles she has won on three or more occasions:
Eight – Miami
Six – Australian Open, US Open, Wimbledon
Five – WTA Finals
Three – Charleston, Roland Garros, Rome, Stanford, Toronto
3) Radwanska moving up in the world.
Agnieszka Radwanska will move to No.2 in the WTA Rankings on Monday. It will be her eighth week at No.2 having previously held this career-best ranking in July and August of 2012.
4) But she is still searching for an answer to Serena’s questions.
A runner-up finish at Wimbledon propelled Radwanska’s previous ascent to the No.2 spot. Denying her the title in a three-set thriller was Serena, who has dominated their rivalry ever since. In fact, the Pole’s solitary set in their nine meetings came that afternoon at the All England Club.
5) Radwanska on a roll since Flushing Meadows setback.
Since losing to Madison Keys in the third round of the US Open, no player on tour has won more matches than Radwanska. During that time she has posted a 34-6 record (Angelique Kerber is next with 25 wins), reaching the semifinals or better at eight of her previous nine tournaments and going on to lift the trophy four times.
(13) Victoria Azarenka (BLR #15) vs (18) Karolina Pliskova (CZE #19)
H2H: series tied, 1-1
6) Happy memories for Azarenka.
The last occasion Victoria Azarenka made the last four at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden she was in the midst of the most purple of purple patches. Rewind four years and Azarenka was busy compiling what would become the best start to a season since 1997, defeating Kerber and Maria Sharapova to add the Indian Wells trophy to the ones already picked up at Sydney, the Australian Open and Doha.
7) Top 10 beckons.
Should Azarenka head for Miami on Sunday evening with the trophy in her suitcase, she will return to the Top 10 (at No.8) for the first time since August 2014. If she reaches the final she will rise to No.11 and No.13 should she fall in the semifinals.
8) Pliskova no longer a flat track bully.
It is no secret that Karolina Pliskova has long been frustrated by her inability to make an impression at tennis’ flagship events. Prior to this fortnight, her best showing at a Grand Slam or Premier Mandatory tournament was a quarterfinal run last year in Miami.
9) Semifinal specialist.
While Azarenka may lord it over her in terms of big-match experience, Pliskova can draw confidence from her fine record at the business end of tournaments; of the 15 semifinals she has contested, she has come out on the winning side 12 times.
10) Long wait for a Czech finalist.
Should she make it 13 on Friday, Pliskova will become the first Czech finalist at the tournament since Helena Sukova in 1990. On that occasion Sukova lost out to former compatriot Navratilova**.
** Navratilova was born in Czechoslovakia but became a US citizen in 1981.
KEY INFORMATION:
Tournament Level: Premier Mandatory
Prize Money: $6,314,605
Draw Size: 96 main draw (32 byes)/48 qualifying
Main Draw Ceremony: Sunday, March 20, 6pm EDT
Qualifying Dates: Monday, March 21 – Tuesday, March 22
First Day of Main Draw: Tuesday, March 22
Singles Final: Saturday, April 2, 1pm EDT
Doubles Final: Sunday, April 3, NB 1pm EDT
MUST-FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:
@WTA
@WTA_Insider – WTA Insider, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen
@MiamiOpen – official tournament handle
Get involved in conversations with the official hashtags, #MiamiOpen and #WTA.
TOURNAMENT NOTES:
· Defending champion Serena Williams is bidding to capture her ninth Miami Open title. Only three other players have won the same WTA event eight or more times – Chris Evert (8 at Hilton Head), Martina Navratilova (12 at Chicago, 11 at Eastbourne, 9 at Dallas, Washington DC and Wimbledon and 8 at Los Angeles, WTA Finals and Orlando) and Steffi Graf (9 at Berlin).
– There have been five different champions in the past ten years in Miami. There are five returning champions in the field this year – Williams (2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015), Agnieszka Radwanska (2012), Victoria Azarenka (2009, 2011), Svetlana Kuznetsova (2006), Venus Williams (1998, 1999, 2001).
MAIN DRAW ENTRIES:
Serena Williams
Angelique Kerber
Simona Halep
Agnieszka Radwanska
Garbiñe Muguruza
Carla Suárez Navarro
Petra Kvitova
Lucie Safarova
Belinda Bencic
Venus Williams
Karolina Pliskova
Victoria Azarenka
Timea Bacsinszky
Roberta Vinci
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Caroline Wozniacki
Jelena Jankovic
Ana Ivanovic
Elina Svitolina
Sara Errani
Andrea Petkovic
Madison Keys
Sloane Stephens
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Samantha Stosur
Shuai Peng
Johanna Konta
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
Kristina Mladenovic
Ekaterina Makarova
Sabine Lisicki
WILDCARDS:
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA), Cici Bellis (USA), Heather Watson (GBR), Laura Robson (GBR), Naomi Osaka (JPN), Paula Badosa (ESP), Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA), Sofya Zhuk (RUS)