WTA Frame Challenge: Madison Keys
Madison Keys takes on the WTA Frame Challenge – does she have what it takes to grab the lead?
Madison Keys takes on the WTA Frame Challenge – does she have what it takes to grab the lead?
Highlights from second round and quarterfinal action at the Aegon Classic Birmingham.
Madison Keys takes on Barbora Strycova in the final of the Aegon Classic.
Elena Vesnina takes on Heather Watson in the first round of the Aegon International.
EASTBOURNE, Great Britain – Coming off her first Grand Slam semifinal since 2012, former World No.4 Samantha Stosur told press at the Aegon International that she will be working with Andrew Roberts, official hitting partner for the Australian Fed Cup team, after parting with longtime coach David Taylor.
“He’s coming here and Wimbledon and then we’re going to assess what we want to do from there,” she said on Tuesday. “Other than that, that’s the arrangement.”
Stosur had announced earlier in the season that she and Taylor would separate after the French Open, citing the latter’s desire to travel less. The 2011 US Open champion described how the connection with Roberts came about just after the French Open.
“We had spoken a little bit, and I actually spoke to him on the phone the day before the French Open started. Then once I finished there, then it was kind of like, ‘All right, what is the plan?’
“It’s very hard to think about things when you’re obviously so involved in a tournament. So, yeah, It was kind of last minute. Then it was possible for him to be able to come over.
“That was really good for me that he was able to come over on short notice and come.
“We will just see how it goes from here.”
Stosur lost her first match of the grass court season, 6-2, 6-1, to former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki.
World No.2 Garbiñe Muguruza lifted her first major title just two weeks ago at Roland Garros and the 22-year-old Spaniard is set to return to Wimbledon where she finished as runner-up last year. But just how far can she go? The question was put to Chris Evert during an ESPN conference call with reporters on Tuesday.
“I mean, who is going to be next, the next No.1 player, after Serena is gone? You’ve got to put your money on Muguruza because first of all, you have to have power in today’s game.”
While Muguruza became the third consecutive first-time Grand Slam winner, it’s the Spaniard’s power, Evert contends, that separates her from the field of rising WTA stars.
“When I look at the next three, I look at Radwanska, Kerber and Halep. I don’t think either of those three are going to end up No.1 in the world. They don’t have that sort of overwhelming power. Muguruza does have it, very much like Serena, following in her footsteps.
“Muguruza, she still has to mature a little bit. She’s still young. She still has to probably get a little more consistent with her results in the smaller tournaments. But when I look at winning Grand Slams, you’d have to say Muguruza, you’d have to look at Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka, and Petra Kvitova – the power players more now more so than the consistent counter-punchers.”
While the expectations remain lofty for Muguruza, Evert also tempered expectations, citing the difficulties of making the immediate adjustment from clay to grass. There’s a reason why only seven players have won the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Muguruza played one grass court tournament before Wimbledon, losing in the opening round to former Wimbledon semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens at the Mallorca Open.
“She’s come a long way,” Evert said. “I think she’s going to have a tough Wimbledon. It’s very hard to carry that momentum. Very few people have won the French and Wimbledon back-to-back, especially at that young of an age.
“That will be a real curiosity for me if she can carry that momentum and confidence and do well, think about last year reaching the finals, or is she going to have a hard time resetting, especially in dealing with people’s expectations.”
The grass court season has been a time of respite and opportunity for Agnieszka Radwanska. This year she comes into Wimbledon with less pause and more purpose. The World No.3 limited her clay court schedule this year, an aggressive signal that the 27-year-old is more about quality than quantity these days. Her focus now is to take advantage of the surface that has always been good to her.
The 2012 Wimbledon finalist has made the semifinals or better at two of her last three trips to the All England Club. While she grew up playing on fake grass back home in Poland, she did not step foot on the real thing until 2005. That year she would go on to win Junior Wimbledon.
“I was really comfortable on that from the first day,” Radwanska said. “Since then I had this feeling I feel really good on the surface. I feel really comfortable and I can do whatever I want there. It hasn’t changed since then.”
Heading into Wimbledon, Radwanska has played 10 events this year (including Fed Cup), four fewer than in each of her last two seasons and her fewest since 2011. And yet she’s in the midst of one of her strongest 12-month runs, winning four tournaments, including the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, and making the Australian Open semifinals.
“If you ask me five years ago I would say, Yeah, it’s very scary [to play less] and I would feel weird not to play hundred matches,” Radwanska said. “Here it’s a different story.
“Every year you have a different experience and now when you’re older then you really have to think [about] it twice. So I really feel much better. It’s still not over, it’s just half the season. There’s still a few months to go with the Olympics and two Grand Slams so you you really need to think about the whole season.”
As a result, Radwanska has been the healthiest she’s ever been at this point of the season. As she joked in Paris, she’s not being held together by tape and she’s been able to play freely without much concern. This week she’s already into the quarterfinals at the Aegon International, where she was finalist last year, and will go into Wimbledon with a few quality matches under her belt. Regardless of whether she wins the title in Eastbourne, Radwanska has rediscovered her comfort level on grass.
“Sometimes I lost in the first round at Eastbourne and then I made the finals and semifinals at Wimbledon, not once but three times,” she said. “But I really want to take advantage of the fact that I really like grass. It’s good to have a couple matches before the Grand Slams.”
Click here to read more about this year’s Wimbledon Contenders, courtesy of WTA Insider.
Already during the tournaments opening the grass-court season we had an opportunity to see some nice new designs ready for the upcoming Wimbledon, but before tennis fashion completely switches to pure whites let’s have a look at the colorful clothes that graced the WTA courts in the period leading to the most traditional Grand Slam.
Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog gives us an overview of the best outfits we’ve had this June.
We had missed Belinda Bencic on tennis courts since Charleston, with the Swiss nurturing a back injury, but the 19-year-old made a stylish comeback this month at the Ricoh Open, wearing this ice grey and orange color-block dress, another refreshingly youthful and sporty Yonex design. The thick orange stripe below chest provides a figure-slimming effect and Yonex made sure to match it with Belinda’s visor, wristbands and company logo.
Besides nice subtle colors, the dress stands out with its wide supportive criss-crossed tank straps. Moreover, a coordinating ball short is included in the design.
Czech Barbora Strycova progressed all the way to the Aegon Classic Birmingham final in singles and to the champion’s trophy in doubles, feeling comfortable in her Sergio Tacchini Phoenix Dress. A dotted pattern adorns the chest and racerback area, matching a solid red side panel at right hip.
Agnieszka Radwanska brought a lot of color to the grey Eastbourne weather with the flowers of the Lotto Twice Dress. What makes this piece of clothing special is that it’s actually reversible, so when you don’t feel like wearing an eye-catching print, you can easily opt for the solid blue marine side. Other features of the dress include moisture management, spaghetti straps and ruffled hem.
For her grasscourt campaign in Birmingham, where she had played the finals back in 2008, Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer opted for the Lotto Moonride Tank from the company’s running range. This is not the first time that Lotto-sponsored athletes are putting aside their tennis clothes — the floral fitness and training Ursula line worn by Carla Suarez Navarro made my February’s fashion favorites.
Wickmayer cheered up the rainy British environment with the colorful tank top dominated by purple tones. Strategically-placed side color-blocks nicely accentuate the waist, while back keyhole cutout allows a sports bra to stylishly peek through. Being a running tank, the item also features a reflective bar down the back that provides visibility in low-light conditions.
Timea Bacsinszky, Daria Gavrilova and Johanna Konta have been sporting the pool blue Asics Club Dress this June, whose mesh panels and moisture-wicking fabric are keeping players cool and comfortable, while built-in sprinter tights ensure the necessary support. Just like most tennis apparel companies, Asics opted for a racerback design, providing players with ultimate mobility that allows them to hit the ball harder and faster.
– Photos courtesy of Getty Images and Jimmie48 Photography
Ana Ivanovic stunned by Russian qualifier: The No.23 seed lost to No. 223 Russian qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 7-5 in 70 minutes. Ivanovic told reporters after the match that she contemplated skipping Wimbledon due to wrist inflammation that got worse at the Mallorca Open.
“During the Mallorca tournament, it really got inflamed,” Ivanovic said. “Then I had couple of days off. It start to calm down a little bit. Every time I would start hitting, it would flare up. I felt like I could probably manage it. It’s tough on grass because ball really skids through. She was hitting very, very heavy. So, yeah, it was disappointing.
“For two weeks I struggled with my right wrist. It was very hard to accelerate on my forehand. I tried to do everything possible to be fit and recover and tape it and so on.”
Ivanovic will get an MRI on the wrist and does not plan to play a tournament until the Olympics.
Stosur and Lisicki set to clash: The two came through easily in their first round matches and will face off in the second round. Stosur leads the head-to-head 5-2 but she’s obviously wary of Lisicki’s ability to summon some magic at Wimbledon.
“I don’t know what she did actually in the grass court tournaments before this one, but she probably hasn’t had a fantastic year so far, but I’m sure when she walks through the gates here she probably feels like she’s No.1 in the world,” Stosur told reporters.
“You have to be aware of that and know she has a very big serve. She plays big and hits the ball hard. She absolutely plays aggressive. If she’s on that day, you have got to be really willing to fight fire with fire and go after it, and, yeah, not kind of feel like you’re going to get dictated to.
“Against someone like her with a game like she’s got, it’s very easy to feel under the pump and under pressure all the time if she’s playing well. You have to be aware of that and balance out the patience and consistency with your own aggression.”
Serena and Venus in 2020: The sisters have been peppered with questions about their doubles preparation for the Olympics. “We have to start looking at 2020,” Venus said with a laugh. “That would be impressive. If you think this year’s impressive, hold on. That would be a blessing if we did play.”
I’m not going to question it. Would you?
Madison matures: Madison Keys is in the midst of her most consistently high-level span of play in her career. She’s been solid since Fed Cup in April, and she rolled through her first round match against Laura Siegemund, winning 6-3, 6-1. There’s a sense of calm about her these days.
“I think in a lot of ways I have changed,” she said. “But I also think every 18 year old changes a lot from 18 to 21 to 25. So I think on and off the court, I have changed in a lot of ways. And I think just a big thing is experience wise, it’s still only my third full year, fourth full year on tour. Obviously there is plenty of experience that I can still have.
“But just feeling more comfortable and knowing what to expect and it becoming more of a routine has really helped me. I think the maturity level of being able to handle a lot of what’s thrown at me has been a big difference.”
Garbiñe Muguruza battles to get past Camila Giorgi: Absolutely no one wants to draw the dangerous Italian in the first round of any tournament, let along on the fast grass at Wimbledon. But the No.2 seed came through in three sets by, once again, not panicking. It was a confident win for Muguruza, who came in with just one grass match under her belt, a loss to Kirsten Flipkens in Mallorca.
“Sometimes you don’t win the most beautiful way,” she said. “You got to be there fighting and waiting for your chance, especially against a player that bangs the ball. Is a very tough opponent to begin the tournament.” She plays Jana Cepelova in the second round.
Third time’s a charm for Daria Kasatkina: Seeded in her Wimbledon debut, the 18-year-old earned her first win ever on grass with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Victoria Duval. “My third match on grass in all my life,” Kasatkina told WTA Insider. “The first was at Wimbledon 2012. It was so bad. Now I’m professional, I come on grass, I can say I like it.”
Primarily known as a clay-courter, Kasatkina said with a few minor adjustments she’s feeling comfortable on grass. “The first few practices were really, really terrible. Better not to see this,” she said laughing.
“Because I was trying to change my game because I thought it was totally different tennis. But my coach told me no, you don’t have to change so much. Just little bit adapt for grass tennis. Just go for the volley or something like this. And it’s a little bit more difficult to move. It’s a little bit slippery and you have to move like a cat. Soft steps. But we worked a lot in fitness for this, so I adapt to that.”
Kasatkina admits she was tired through much of the clay court swing but feels refreshed on the grass. “In Madrid I was finished because it was so complicated calendar,” she said. “America, Fed Cup, then immediately I go to clay court preparation. It was too much for me. After Roland Garros I had a few days off and I came to the grass more fresh.”
As for qualifying for the Russian Olympic Team, the young Russian is over the moon. “If last year somebody told me I would go to the Olympics I would tell him you are a crazy man.”
Maria Sakkari on the verge of the Top 100: Sakkari scored a good win over Zheng Saisai, winning 6-3, 6-2 for her first win at Wimbledon. In fact, the first time she ever played on grass was last week in qualies at Roehampton. “I never practiced on grass, I never played juniors on grass,” she told WTA Insider. “I just practiced twice before my first match. It’s fine. I like it. It’s different. But if you take care of your steps and your running and think about it more in the beginning then it’s fine.”
Asked whether her mother, who played on tour, gave her any advice about the grass, Sakkari said she kept it simple. “My mom never liked grass,” she said. “She played once or twice at Wimbledon. She told me not to try too many things. Don’t try to hit too hard. Just play tennis.”
Crawford earns her first Slam win: After a blistering start to the season, making the semifinals of the Brisbane International as a qualifier, Samantha Crawford finally earned her first main draw win at a Slam, beating Paula Kania, 7-5, 6-3 at Wimbledon. The win was especially sweet given Crawford had played just one match since breaking her hand in a fall at the Volvo Car Open in April. Crawford fractured the scaphoid bone in her right hand and was in a cast for six weeks, but was able to come back at the French Open last month.
“Before it happens it’s in the back of everyone’s mind,” Crawford said, when asked about getting her first Slam win. This was just her third match on grass ever. “This is my fifth Slam main draw. I was aware that I hadn’t won. I got a little nervous but I told myself to enjoy the moment being at Wimbledon.”
Questions that need to stop: I think it’s time to put a moratorium on asking players why they don’t have a pep in their step during press conferences.
Q. You seem quite down.
LAURA ROBSON: I seem quite down? Probably because I lost. It tends to do it.
Robson lost 6-2, 6-2 to Angelique Kerber, but will still be around Wimbledon for doubles with Ashleigh Barty. She will head to the US afterwards to play on the ITF Circuit to get her ranking up.
“For me, it’s a massive win to be here and not have any niggles for quite a few months now, apart from a very small one in Eastbourne,” she said. “I’ve worked very, very hard to be healthy, to be completely fit on court. It’s 100% a huge goal for me to finish the year in the same way. Yeah, it’s now about winning matches, as well.”
To Infinity, and Beyond: How’s this from Venus Williams:
Q. Looking back to 26, would you have thought that you would still be engaged at 36?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I still feel 26, so… You know, I don’t think anyone feels older. You have this infinity inside of you that feels like you could go forever. That’s how I feel on the court. As long as I’m halfway decent, can get my racquet on the ball, I think I can make something happen. So far so good.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
The 2016 Aces For Humanity campaign was launched by USANA and the WTA at the BNP Paribas Open and continued in Eastbourne at the Aegon International, where every ace hit by a WTA player at Premier-level events translates into a donation to the USANA True Health Foundation, whose mission is to provide the most critical human necessities to those who are suffering or in need around the world.
For every ace hit by any player the WTA donates $5, and for every ace hit by a USANA Brand Ambassador, it’s $10.
USANA Brand Ambassadors Eugenie Bouchard, Samantha Stosur, Kristina Mladenovic, Madison Keys, Monica Puig, Sloane Stephens, Zheng Saisai, Alizé Cornet and Caroline Wozniacki hit 58 of the 315 aces at Eastbourne – raising a grand total of $1,865 throughout the week. Mladenovic hit the most with 23 aces.
Read more about the campaign here and see below to find out who’s hit the most aces so far!
#AcesForHumanity Fan Giveaway
It’s simple: before each WTA Premier tournament guess how many total aces will be hit.
Next up is the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford. Last year there was a total of 156 aces hit. It’s now your turn, take your best guess of how many will be hit this year.
How To Enter:
• Follow @WTA and @USANAFoundation on Twitter and before each WTA Premier tournament tweet the number of aces you predict will be hit during the whole tournament (Singles, Main Draw)
• Include the hashtag #AcesForHumanity
• Eastbourne deadline is July 19 at 11:59pm ET
• The winner will be announced June 25th
Aces For Humanity is a joint WTA and USANA initiative that benefits the USANA True Health Foundation, which provides critical human necessities to those in suffering or in need around the globe.
For full rules on how to enter, click here.