Wuhan: Kvitova Interview
An interview with Petra Kvitova after her win in the final of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
An interview with Petra Kvitova after her win in the final of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
MELBOURNE, Australia – When Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams in the final of the Australian Open, her historic victory was felt around the world. She clinched a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam and returned to the WTA World No.1 ranking.
Here’s the best moments from Twitter as the world reacted to the 28th edition of Williams vs Williams – and Serena’ monumental victory.
It was a final nobody expected to see again – but a final that delighted the world.
Congrats @Venuseswilliams @serenawilliams I'll be recording the final so my two little girls can watch history and have strong role models
— James Blake (@JRBlake) January 26, 2017
Legends wished them luck…
Good luck @serenawilliams & @Venuseswilliams – You have both come so far from the day we met at the @WorldTeamTennis clinic in Long Beach!
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) January 28, 2017
Need I say more @AustralianOpen women's final!! @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams pic.twitter.com/Yxg2fzH0cj
— rennae stubbs (@rennaestubbs) January 28, 2017
…and the new generation felt like they were back in their childhoods.
Venus vs Serena. I feel like I'm 8 years old. ???
— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) January 28, 2017
After all the talk, it was time to play. Some people looked on with admiration and envy.
Ok… I'm gonna need both of their serves. HEY SANTA?? Come back around, I want to trade my presents ?
— Vicky Duval (@vicky_duval95) January 28, 2017
And some people had problems deciding who to cheer for.
Loving the fans calling out “Come on, Williams!” That would totally be me.
— Katie Bee (@breakpointsaved) January 28, 2017
Serena took the first set…
How good is @SerenaWilliams when winning the 1st set?
20-0 in Grand Slam finals! #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/OQRViJTnox
— WTA (@WTA) January 28, 2017
Everyone was enjoying the quality of tennis on display…
Watching these two champions battle it out! High quality tennis from the real queens of the tennis world #SerenavsVenus #AusOpen
— Leander Paes (@Leander) January 28, 2017
…and it wasn’t too long before Serena made history.
.@SerenaWilliams captures record 23rd Grand Slam title at @AustralianOpen!
Defeats Venus 6-4, 6-4! #MakeHistory #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/khMOPajHWc
— WTA (@WTA) January 28, 2017
It was her sister, the runner-up, who paid the most touching tribute.
“Serena Williams. That's my little sister guys. Your win has always been my win”
We're welling up at Venus ?https://t.co/D5SyvBR5pS pic.twitter.com/hEGwZ0bCiD
— BBC Tennis (@bbctennis) January 28, 2017
And the champion repaid the compliment.
#Serena, on #Venus: “There's no way I would be at [No.23] without her. Without her, the 'Williams Sisters' wouldn't exist.” #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/wGeK512QL0
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
The congratulations poured in for both champions after the historic moment of victory…
Congrats @serenawilliams on your 23rd major title and return to the top of the@WTA rankings. You are a history maker and a trailblazer.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) January 28, 2017
Congratulations @serenawilliams ?2️⃣3️⃣#WilliamsSisters continuing to make history, break records, and inspire. #AusOpen ??
— Shelby Rogers (@Shelby_Rogers_) January 28, 2017
History made!! #23 #legends
— Daria Gavrilova (@Daria_gav) January 28, 2017
What a match and surreal battle we just witnessed… Two legends. Inspiration for all ????.
— Vicky Duval (@vicky_duval95) January 28, 2017
Witnessed this. History maker ?? @serenawilliams
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) January 28, 2017
#Inspiring https://t.co/A4WCAcgkxk
— Elina Svitolina (@ElinaSvitolina) January 28, 2017
Hey if you're gonna take an L, it may as well contribute to breaking a record. Huge congrats to @serenawilliams on 23. ??? https://t.co/MsGceFG2Nb
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) January 28, 2017
The way they were…..#SHEROES.
Sister Act. ? pic.twitter.com/V6RWo03o09— judy murray (@JudyMurray) January 28, 2017
An interview with Madison Keys before her first round match at the China Open.
Doubles star Abigail Spears kicked off her final year on tour by winning her first Grand Slam title with Juan Sebastian Cabal, defeating No.2 seeds Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig in two sets.
An interview with Garbiñe Muguruza before her first round match at the China Open.
January was defined by four breakthrough players who brought some impressive performances on and off the court. Which one soared the highest?
Have a look at the nominees for January’s Breakthrough of the Month and cast your vote before Thursday at 11:59pm ET! The winner will be announced Friday, February 3.
January 2017 WTA Breakthrough of the Month Finalists:
Katerina Siniakova: Siniakova started the season at the Shenzhen Open, where she won her first title with wins over Simona Halep and Johanna Konta before knocking out 2016 finalist Alison Riske in the championship match. The win brought the Czech youngster to a career-high ranking of No.37.
Elise Mertens: Mertens made her Top 100 debut after winning the Hobart International the week before the Australian Open. Though she missed the deadline for Melbourne qualifying, the powerful Belgian blew through the draw, roaring through qualifying to defeat top seed Kiki Bertens and Monica Niculescu in the final.
Lauren Davis: Another player to take home their maiden WTA title was young American Lauren Davis, who started the year at the ASB Classic. Unseeded in Auckland, Davis beat four seeds to the title, including Bertens, Barbora Strycova, Jelena Ostapenko, and Ana Konjuh.
CoCo Vandeweghe: Vandeweghe made her major breakthrough at the Australian Open, getting back-to-back wins over two of 2016’s three Grand Slam champions in World No.1 Angelique Kerber and Garbiñe Muguruza. Making her first Grand Slam semifinal, the American pushed eventual finalist Venus Williams to three tough sets.
2016 Winners:
January: Zhang Shuai
February: Jelena Ostapenko
March: Nicole Gibbs
April: Cagla Buyukakcay
May: Kiki Bertens
June: Elena Vesnina
July: Kristina Kucova
August: Karolina Pliskova
September: Naomi Osaka
October: Peng Shuai
How it works:
Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com
BEIJING, China – World No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska defeated the tricky Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets to advance to the third round of the China Open and put herself in pole position to qualify for the WTA Finals.
Watch live action from Beijing on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Makarova did well to avoid the first set shutout – she was down 5-0 when she finally got on the scoreboard and began to mount a comeback – but Radwanska powered through 6-3, 6-4 after just over an hour an thirty minutes on court.
Everything seemed to be going Radwanska’s way at the China National Tennis Center on Monday night. Despite facing fierce resistance from the Russian in the second set, Radwanska struck 20 winners and just eight unforced errors against Makarova’s 25 winners and 31 unforced errors. She also served at 52 percent and fired five aces.
.@ARadwanska with the drop shot to lob combo! ? https://t.co/mjfnrJ9FJ7
— WTA (@WTA) October 3, 2016
With the victory Radwanska edges even closer to qualifying for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. In fact, she’s one win away from a spot in the season-ending event, but she could still qualify without lifting a racquet if both Johanna Konta and Svetlana Kuznetsova lose in the second round.
“I just hope I can [qualify] here, that’s for sure,” Radwanska said after her win last round. “But, well, I had the situation last year when I had to win the Tianjin Open to qualify for Singapore, and I did it. Of course, it was last-minute qualifying.
“I will try everything to qualify a bit before that this year. Everything is open. This is a big event. Everybody can do a lot of points here.”
That doesn’t mean Radwanska’s in the clear just yet – standing between her and a ticket to Singapore is the winner between giant-killer Roberta Vinci and familiar rival Caroline Wozniacki. It would be the third meeting in as many weeks for Wozniacki and Radwanska, with the pair splitting their previous encounters and Tokyo and Wuhan.
Wuhan champion Petra Kvitova opens her China Open account on Day 4, along with Simona Halep. Chris Oddo previews Tuesday’s key matchups in Beijing right here at wtatennis.com.
Tuesday
Second Round
[14] Petra Kvitova (CZE #11) vs. [Q] Wang Yafan (CHN # 143)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Kvitova has lost five times to players ranked outside of the Top 100 since July of 2013.
A few days after triumphantly bagging her second Wuhan title, No.14-seeded Petra Kvitova will look to keep the momentum rolling in Beijing in her second-round tilt with Chinese wild card Wang Yafan. Kvitova has won 20 of her last 25 matches, and she’s finally sustaining the type of consistency that can move her back into the Top 10. But the 26-year-old warns that it isn’t going to be easy for her to maintain the jaw-dropping level she hit in Wuhan. “I need this kind of consistency all year, which to be honest, I don’t think I can really do that,” Kvitova said after pummeling Dominika Cibulkova for her 18th career title on Saturday in Wuhan. “I’m probably the player who has up and downs. Of course, I am going to try to be better in the downs. But I don’t really think that I can be consistent all season. I’m just how I am probably, and I can’t really change it.” Kvitova may have to accept a certain amount of deviation in form due to her reliance on power and precision rather than margin, but she’s just happy to have turned her season around with some sparkling tennis over the last two months. “I’m happy that my ups, they are really high, which I love of course,” she said. “The downs are very low, but that’s how it is.” Will Kvitova stay high in Beijing and keep her hopes for a late run at a Singapore slot alive? Or will she fall prey to inconsistency against an unknown Chinese commodity? Wang, 22, has claimed seven ITF titles but has never broken into the Top 100 on tour. That said, she defeated Ana Konjuh to qualify for the main draw and knocked off World No.72 Madison Brengle in straight sets to reach the second round.
Pick: Kvitova in two
[4] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL #56)
Head-to-head: Wickmayer leads, 3-1
Key Stat: Wickmayer has lost her last 16 sets against the Top 10.
Yanina Wickmayer takes a 3-1 lifetime record into her second-round battle with Simona Halep, but the Belgian earned each of those three wins more than three years ago, and Halep has become a vastly improved, elite player since then. Halep demonstrated her superiority over Wickmayer when they last met in 2015 at the Australian Open’s round of 16, defeating her in straight sets. It’s been a mixed back for Wickmayer since she claimed the Citi Open title in late July. Since then she’s lost six of eight and only recently regained her form. On Saturday Wickmayer blasted past Monica Puig, 6-2, 6-0, and she should be confident on the heels of that strong result. But Halep is fresh off a semifinal appearance at Wuhan and she has won 24 of her last 28 matches dating back to the first week of Wimbledon. Halep was handed a lopsided defeat by Petra Kvitova in the Wuhan semis, but the Romanian’s confidence hasn’t suffered because of it. “I played semis, the best result here in China,” she said last week. “I played good matches, good tennis. Even today I’m not negative. I cannot be. I played tough matches in the last months, and all were very, very good. So I’m okay.”
Pick: Halep in two
[13] Roberta Vinci (ITA #16) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN #22)
Head-to-head: Wozniacki leads, 3-2
Key Stat: Wozniacki has won the last three hardcourt meetings against Vinci.
2010 Beijing champion Caroline Wozniacki has turned her season around in the span of a red-hot month. On Tuesday she’ll look to keep the good vibes rolling when she faces No.13-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci for a spot in the sweet 16. Vinci owns 23 hardcourt wins this season and she’s always a tough out on the surface, but Wozniacki has defeated the 33-year-old in all three of their meetings on hardcourts. Can Vinci use her eclectic style to throw Wozniacki’s game off saddle, or is Wozniacki, winner of 13 of her last 15 matches and six of her last seven deciders, simply too strong at this phase of the season to be denied?
Pick: Wozniacki in two
[11] Johanna Konta (GBR #14) vs. Timea Babos (HUN #26)
Head-to-head: Konta leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Babos is bidding for her 5th Top 20 win of 2016 on Tuesday.
Two players in the midst of breakout seasons will vie for a spot in the round of 16 on Tuesday, as Johanna Konta and Timea Babos meet for the second time and the first time in more than four years. Konta, ranked No.14 this week, was outside of the Top 200 when she first met Babos, who was then No.59. Four years later both players are firmly inside the Top 30 with Konta now knocking on the door of the Top 10 and entertaining hopes of making a last-ditch run at WTA Finals qualification. But Konta will have to hurry if she wants to make it to Singapore. She’s nearly 400 points behind No.8 Madison Keys on the RTS leaderboard and Beijing could be her only chance to make up the difference. Konta started her Asian swing with a quarterfinal performance at Wuhan last week, and she actually played Petra Kvitova pretty tough despite falling to the scorching-hot Czech in straight sets. Konta has won 18 of 23 matches since Wimbledon and continues to impress with her consistent level and supreme focus. The British No.1 doesn’t ever lack intensity or purpose on the court, and that should serve her well when she meets Babos, who is still learning to compete at the elite level and can go off the rails at times.
Pick: Konta in two
By the Numbers:
23 – All but three of Wozniacki’s 26 wins have come on hardcourts this season.
133 – Zhang Shuai’s ranking at this year’s Australian Open. The 27-year-old is currently the Chinese No.1, ranked at 36. She faces Alison Riske in second-round action on Tuesday.
4 – Previous champions remaining in the draw (Wozniacki, Kuznetsova, Radwanska and defending champion Muguruza).
0 – Number of successful China Open title defenses that have occurred. Garbiñe Muguruza is bidding to become the first.
An interview with Simona Halep after her win in the third round of the Miami Open.
BEIJING, China – Petra Kvitova overcame some early resistance from local favorite Wang Yafan to safely take her place in the third round of the China Open.
Watch live action from Beijing on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Continuing the dominant form that took her to the title last week in Wuhan, Kvitova required little more than an hour to wrap up a 6-4, 6-1 victory and set up a showdown with defending champion Garbiñe Muguruza.
Beijing resident Wang came through qualifying to take her place in the main draw and even with the roof closed due to rain she looked at ease on court. In fact, it was the World No.143 that broke first, edging 3-2 ahead when Kvitova netted a backhand.
Any suggestion that Kvitova’s recent exertions were in danger of catching up with her were given short shrift. A break to love began a run that would bring her 10 of the next 12 games and place in the third round.
Happy to be through in Beijing! Thanks to my friend Mr Roof 😉 @ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/ZzNePB6CtB
— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) October 4, 2016
“I was pretty tired. I had two days off, which I think helped me. For sure, was a good win today. We’ll see how everything is going, like, in the next days,” Kvitova said.
“But I think I still do have motivation. I think it was a great week in Wuhan. I think that gave me more motivation and confidence, which I really needed before. I’m not really struggling with motivation here.”
While Kvitova’s head was ready for Wang, the same could not be said for her hands – a botched grooming session meant she took to the court with her fingers generously taped.
Kvitova with 3 fingernails taped so I ask what happens thinking it's blisters.Nope: manicure gone wrong. “Never do gel”, she said in a laugh
— Carole Bouchard (@carole_bouchard) October 4, 2016
If the Czech keeps winning, she still has an outside chance of reaching the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Muguruza is also in the hunt for a place in Singapore, where last year she defeated Kvitova in an epic round robin encounter.
Kvitova, who avenged this with a three-set victory in Stuttgart, is expecting another tight affair: “For sure will be great match. I think it will be great battle again. I know how we fight in Stuttgart. It was a great match over there.
“I know how dangerous she is. I mean, she’s really playing aggressive from both sides and she’s serving real well and returning as well. That’s why I think I really need to be ready from the first shot which I’m playing.”