Social Buzz: Kerber Enjoys Real Champions League Thriller
In the latest roundup of off-court action, Angelique Kerber watches a Champions League quarterfinal – and Lucie Safarova just wants to go home.
In the latest roundup of off-court action, Angelique Kerber watches a Champions League quarterfinal – and Lucie Safarova just wants to go home.
An interview with Julia Goerges after her win in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Lara Arruabarrena takes on Sara Sorribes Tormo in the semifinals of the Claro Open Colsanitas.
Want to know which hotel has its own private beach, the best spot to grab an Arabic coffee or where you can go ice skating in the middle of the desert? Our guest contributor and defending champion Lucie Safarova gives you the insider guide to Doha and the Qatar Total Open in this edition of the WTA Travel Guide.
WATCH THE MATCHES
Former home of the WTA Finals (previously the WTA Championships) from 2008 – 2010, the Khalifi Tennis and Squash Complex now plays host to the first Premier 5 of the year. Come watch the matches while some of the WTA’s best compete to join the ranks of Justine Henin, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova as a champion of the Qatar Total Open. Tickets are available here. Main draw begins February 21 and runs through February 27, with qualifying taking place February 19 and February 20.
Qatar Total Open Official Tournament Website
WHERE TO STAY
The Four Seasons Doha is the premier hotel destination for luxury and relaxation. With nine restaurants and lounges, five swimming pools, a three-story spa and its own private beach, this hotel has something for everyone.
WHERE TO EAT
Qatar’s capital city offers an incredible range of cuisines from all over the world. Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsey’s flagship restaurant, Gordon Ramsey Doha, offers award-winning Mediterranean food to Doha. If you’re looking for a steak, head to Prime, which has been voted best steakhouse in the city by Time Out Doha. In the mood for culture with your meal? Look no further than Jazz at The Lincoln Center Doha where you can enjoy American comfort food and live entertainment programmed by artists from the world-renowned Jazz at The Lincoln Center New York. If you are just looking for something to grab-and-go on your way to the tennis, then stop by Quick Bites for a big selection of pizzas, sandwiches, salads and ice cream.
WHAT TO DO
In between matches, make sure to visit Katara Cultural Village, a celebration and showcase of cultures, theatre, art and architecture. And of course, a trip to Doha would not be complete without a Desert Safari. Whether it’s riding on a camel or driving up the sand dunes in a four-wheel vehicle, there are plenty of adventures to be had in the “land-sea” surrounding the city.
LUCIE SAFAROVA’S FAVORITE SPOTS
“To me, the most interesting place in Doha is the Souk Wagif. It’s a local market where you can find everything from traditional food to coffee to souvenirs to home pets! Just watch out for those little animals because they are so cute you might just want to take them home. It feels like a magical maze of little streets and the air is filled with local spices. Don’t forget to check out the huge selection of peanuts if you love them as much as I do.
If you’re looking for great shopping, I love the Villagio Mall. If you don’t feel like walking, you can take a gondola ride or try ice skating on the indoor ice rink.
And of course, you must go to The Pearl for a nice seaside walk. There are shops and a lot of restaurants, ice cream shops and coffee shops; my favorite is The Art Coffee. Follow my Instagram for all of my favorite coffee spots around the world with #coffeewithLucie.
But the absolute best place to be in Doha is at the tennis center, watching the Qatar Total Open. It is one of the strongest events of the year. See you there!”
Petra Kvitova had some encouraging news for fans and followers on Monday, as the World No.14 penned an update on her road to recovery on Instagram.
Though it is unclear whether she will be ready to compete, steady progress in her recovery has seen the two-time Wimbledon champion enter the French Open.
“My name will appear on the entry list for Roland Garros tomorrow because, as the entry deadline approached, I had made good progress in my recovery process and I want to give myself every last opportunity to be able to compete at one of my favorite events,” Kvitova wrote.
“This unfortunately does not mean necessarily that I will be ready to play in Paris, but that I’m doing everything possible to give myself the chance and keep a positive mindset.”
Kvitova continues on her road back to tennis following a knife attack in her home last December, and her latest update is welcome news to the tennis community which has shown immense love and support for her across the world in the months since.
Great news! Hope this all goes well https://t.co/mfqgZY9iDA
— victoria azarenka (@vika7) April 17, 2017
In Monday’s post, Kvitova added: “There remains a long road ahead but I wanted to share this update with you. Thanks for your continued support and I hope to see you soon.”
First round action from Paris begins on May 28.
An interview with Sara Errani after her win in the quarterfinals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The first quarter of 2017 is in the books, and before the WTA tour turns to the European red clay, it’s time to take one last look back at the Top 5 moments that have shaped the season thus far.
The No.1 moment on our countdown is a record-breaking achievement that went down in tennis history…
Serena Cements Her Place In Tennis History: There was one word that dominated the tennis headlines in January: “history.” It’s what was on the line at the Australian Open final when Serena Williams and Venus Williams took to the court for the first all-Williams final in Melbourne in 14 years.
And 81 minutes later, Serena took home the title – without dropping a set or even facing a tiebreaker during the entire tournament – and rewrote the history books with an Open Era record 23rd Grand Slam title.
SHE’S DONE IT! No. 23@serenawilliams is your #AusOpen 2017 women’s singles champion. ? pic.twitter.com/LC6fpWi3Ik
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
“It’s such a great feeling to have 23,” Serena said after the match. “I’ve been chasing it for a really long time. When it got on my radar, I knew I had an opportunity to get there, and I’m here. I’m here.
“It’s a great feeling, and no better place to do it than Melbourne. My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of. I couldn’t have written a better story.”
Not only was the win Serena’s 216th at Grand Slam tournaments, improving on her already-record total, but it also restored her place at the top of the WTA rankings, returning to World No.1 for the first time since the 2016 US Open.
Her season would come to a halt after the Australian Open, though. Serena withdrew from Indian Wells and Miami before announcing earlier this week that she was expecting her first child in the fall.
But Serena stands alone on our countdown – much like she does in tennis history – and her record-breaking feat at the Australian Open is the No.1 moment of the 2017 season to date.
The Top 5 Moments That Marked 2017 So Far:
5) The Future Is Now: Teen Titans Crash WTA Party: Kasatkina, Vondrousova Take Titles To Start 2017
4) Slow & Steady Wins The Race: Wozniacki & Svitolina’s Hot Streaks Lighting Up 2017
3) Veterans Victorious: Venus & Lucic-Baroni Loom Large To Start 2017
2) Sunshine Sweeps: Vesnina & Konta Capture Career-Best Titles To Start 2017
1) Serena, Unparalleled: Serena Makes History With 23rd Grand Slam Title To Start 2017
Highlights from the semifinals action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Teenager Dayana Yastremska scored her first WTA victory from a set down over Andrea Petkovic on the first day of play at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup.
– Roberta Vinci ends the seed drought: On the day she makes her top 10 debut, No.9 seed Vinci snags the first win for a seed in the Middle East this year, beating Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 6-1 in the first round of the Qatar Total Open.
– Eight is not enough: 18-year-old Ana Konjuh saved eight match points against No.13 seed Caroline Wozniacki, but eventually lost 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in Doha. It was a much needed win for Wozniacki, who fell out of the Top 20 on Monday. She plays Daria Gavrilova in the second round.
– Rankings news in Doha: A few notes on what’s at stake in Doha (read our full preview here):
– Angelique Kerber will remain at No.2 unless Agnieszka Radwanska wins the title.
– Simona Halep and Garbiñe Muguruza need to advance to the final for a chance to move to No.3.
– Muguruza will overtake Halep if she finishes one round better.
– Maria Sharapova will be at No.6 unless Belinda Bencic makes the quarterfinal, Petra Kvitova makes the QF, Vinci makes the semifinal, or Carla Suárez Navarro makes the final.
– Defending champion Lucie Safarova needs to make the final for a chance to get back into the Top 10.
– Caroline Wozniacki needs to make the final for a chance to return to the Top 20.
– Dark horse doubles: Could Elena Vesnina and Daria Kasatkina be a dark horse doubles team for Russia in Rio? Vesnina has not been playing doubles with Ekaterina Makarova and has paired up with Kasatkina with good success over the last few months. Keep an eye on them.
– Who’s on first?: Here’s a confusing, but ultimately telling exchange between Wozniacki and a reporter in Doha:
Q. If the world ends tomorrow, what tennis match would you chose, to play or to see?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: If I had to choose a match.
Q. To play or to see a tennis match?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: To play.
Q. Who?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Who?
Q. Yeah.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: What game I would like to play?
Q. Yeah.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: The US Open finals.
Q. Against?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Someone I beat. So if I win, I don’t care who I play against. Doesn’t matter.
– Tricky conditions in Doha: Here’s how Vinci saw it after her opening round win: “So windy. The court is little bit strange. Sometimes it’s fast. Sometimes it’s slow. Completely different than Dubai the last week.”
– How “open” is “open”?: Agnieszka Radwanska was asked about the perceived parity in the women’s game right now. “Of course Serena is always there, especially last year, but other years totally different,” Radwanska said in Doha. “She’s definitely dominating if she’s on fire. When she’s playing her best tennis, she just playing unbelievable and too good, but otherwise it’s open.”
– Radwanska and Halep planning for Fed Cup: Both women told reporters in Doha that they were planning to play in their respective April ties in hopes of keeping their countries in World Group I. Halep’s Romanian side takes on Germany at home. “Yeah, I can say 50/50,” Halep said, when asked to handicap the tie, before joking “And 51 for us.”
– Experience matters: Garbiñe Muguruza has been very conscious of the perils of early success. Just weeks after making he first Slam final at Wimbledon last year, she was already telling me how worried she was about a let-down. Six months later, you can still tell it’s on her mind.
“I don’t think there’s an age to reach the top,” she said in Doha. “I think it’s great when you’re playing good. But being young and also having success, it can be very good and it can be very bad.
“We’ve seen some cases, you’re young and you’re like, I’m playing good, I’m doing a lot of things. But it’s also hard because you’re not as mature. Like Angelique Kerber said, she can maybe handle more or she’s used to more.
“It’s a very thin line there keeping that balance. With time, you can deal better with that.”
– Steve Tignor for Tennis.com on last week’s “Decimation in Dubai.”
Where some see chaos, we see an opportunity to watch lesser-known favorites get a shot at a title and gain some momentum. To me, Strycova, with her mix of melodrama and resourcefulness, is an underrated entertainer; maybe she can build on this run. If you’re interested enough, there’s always a storyline to follow.
On balance, I find upsets exciting, and I like a tour where rank-and-file players aren’t scared to challenge the elite. But I also like to see an elite. The two losses in Dubai that were dispiriting were those of Halep and Muguruza.
– Bustle.com has a nice look back on how women’s tennis has changed through the years.
– Tweet of the Week: It’s still early, but this exchange between Andrea Hlavackova and Jiri Fencl (coach of Hlavackova’s doubles partner Lucie Hradecka) was wonderful:
@maxav out of all the people in the world you misspelled my name?? ????
— Andrea Hlavackova (@AndreaHlavackov) February 22, 2016