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Venus Takes Aim At Serving Record

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

STANFORD, CA, USA – Venus Williams’ serve has brought her plenty of wins and plenty of accolades down the years.

At the 2007 US Open, it also brought her a record, as she hit the fastest serve of all time. Williams’ delivery, clocked at 129mph, set a record that stood for seven years until it was bumped off top spot by Sabine Lisicki’s 131mph howitzer at Stanford’s Bank of the West Classic.

Williams herself is in action in Stanford this week. And while recapturing the title she won in 2000 and 2002 will be top of the agenda, recent form suggests that Lisicki’s mark could come under threat.

At Wimbledon, Williams enjoyed a welcome return to winning ways, reaching her first major semifinal since 2010 and putting the All England Club’s speed gun through its paces along the way…

Wimbledon
1. Serena Williams – 124.0mph / 199.6kph
2. Sabine Lisicki – 122.0mph / 196.3kph
3. Venus Williams – 121.0mph / 194.7kph
4T. Yaroslava Shvedova – 119.0mph / 191.5kph
4T. CoCo Vandeweghe – 119.0mph / 191.5kph

2016
1. Serena Williams – 127.0mph / 204.4kph (Indian Wells)
2T. Lucie Hradecka – 123.0mph / 197.9kph (Indian Wells)
2T. Venus Williams – 123.0mph / 197.9kph (Miami)
4T. Timea Babos – 122.0mph / 196.3kph (Indian Wells)
4T. Sabine Lisicki – 122.0mph / 196.3kph (Wimbledon)
6. Naomi Osaka – 121.8mph / 196.2kph (Roland Garros)
7. CoCo Vandeweghe – 121.mph / 194.7kph (Indian Wells)
8T. Madison Keys – 119.9mph / 193.0kph (Australian Open)
8T. Océane Dodin – 119.9mph / 193.0kph (Roland Garros)
8T. Polona Hercog – 119.9mph / 193.0kph (Australian Open)

All-Time
1. Sabine Lisicki – 131.0mph / 210.8kph (2014 Stanford)
2. Venus Williams – 129.0mph / 207.6kph (2007 US Open)
3. Serena Williams – 128.6mph / 207.0kph (2013 Australian Open)
4. Julia Goerges – 126.1mph / 203.0kph (2012 French Open)
5. Brenda Schultz-McCarthy – 126.0mph / 202.7kph (2007 Indian Wells)
6. Nadiia Kichenok – 125.5mph / 202.0kph (2014 Australian Open)
7. Lucie Hradecka – 125.0mph / 201.2kph (2015 Wimbledon)
8. Anna-Lena Groenefeld – 125.0mph / 201.1kph (2009 Indian Wells)
9T. Ana Ivanovic – 124.9mph / 201.0kph (2007 French Open)
9T. Denisa Allertova – 124.9mph / 201.0kph (2015 Australian Open)

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Radwanska In, Bouchard Out In Shenzhen

Radwanska In, Bouchard Out In Shenzhen

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SHENZHEN, China – The two remaining seeds in the draw – Agnieszka Radwanska and Eugenie Bouchard – had mixed fortunes on Quarterfinals Day at the $500,000 Shenzhen Open on Thursday.

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The No.6-seeded Bouchard was the first to take center court and succumbed to an on-fire Timea Babos, who broke once per set and fended off all five break points she faced to prevail, 6-4, 6-4.

Bouchard, who had only played one match since the US Open due to a concussion, was playing her first WTA quarterfinal since last year’s Australian Open – Babos was just too sharp on the day, though.

“Genie’s a great player, and she definitely has more confidence and is playing a lot better than the couple months before, so I’m happy I was solid and managed the tough situations well,” Babos said.

And what about the big serving in those tough situations? “In general, in my game, I have one of the biggest serves on the tour, so it’s a huge advantage for me, definitely. Genie is an aggressive player and takes the return very early – she has great returns – so I had to put a lot of first serves in.

“Thankfully in the big moments I came up with good serves and aces, so it worked out well.”

The No.1-seeded Radwanska took the court straight afterwards and needed just 63 minutes to beat Wang Qiang, 6-3, 6-2, holding all nine of her service games – she saved both break points she faced.

Radwanska has now won 20 of her last 24 matches – including eight in a row on Chinese soil.

“We actually played each other in Tianjin, and I think she played a much better match this time, but I really pushed myself to play my best tennis today,” Radwanska said. “It was a good match for me.”

Up next for the World No.5 is Anna-Lena Friedsam, who won a see-saw battle against Katerina Siniakova in the late match, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. Radwanska beat Friedsam in the pair’s only meeting.

Babos’ semifinal opponent will be Alison Riske, who rallied past Anett Kontaveit, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Babos has beaten Riske in both previous meetings, including in Tianjin just a few months ago.

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Radwanska To Pass Sharapova For No.4

Radwanska To Pass Sharapova For No.4

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SHENZHEN, China – Agnieszka Radwanska kept her fantastic last few months going Friday, beating Anna-Lena Friedsam for a spot in the Shenzhen Open final – and in the Top 4 on the WTA Rankings.

Watch live action from Brisbane, Shenzhen & Auckland on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

After jumping out to a 6-2, 2-0 lead, the No.1-seeded Radwanska faced some resistance from Friedsam, the unseeded German breaking back to even the second set, 2-2. But Radwanska got right back on the horse, breaking one last time for 3-2 then holding the rest of the way to win, 6-2, 6-4.

“I’ve been feeling good from the beginning of the year,” Radwanska said. “I’ve been playing some good tennis, especially here in Shenzhen this week, and now I have one more match to go to win here.”

Radwanska has now won 21 of her last 25 matches, a stretch that started right after the US Open and has brought her titles at Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Tianjin and the WTA Finals, and now a final here.

Radwanska is now into the 25th WTA final of her career – she’s 17-7 in her first 24 WTA finals.

And by reaching this final, Radwanska is projected to pass Maria Sharapova on the WTA Rankings come Monday, going from No.5 to No.4 – a move that has major, major implications, as it’s Monday’s WTA Rankings that will determine the seeds for the Australian Open, and a Top 4 seed is massive.

“Reaching the final here is great preparation for the Australian Open, and that’s a good projection too,” Radwanska, a former World No.2, said after being told of the ranking news. “First I’ll focus on winning here in Shenzhen, and then I’ll just try to play the same tennis in Sydney and in Melbourne.”

But back to Shenzhen, and waiting for Radwanska in the final will be Alison Riske, who won an all-unseeded semifinal against Timea Babos earlier in the day by the exact same scoreline, 6-2, 6-4.

“It was definitely a tough match for me,” Riske said. “Babos is a great competitor and a great player, so I had to be there on every point, and I’m excited that the match came out in my favor in the end.

“I’m also excited to be in the final – it’s a great start to a season to reach a final.”

Radwanska beat Riske in their only previous meeting, in her opening match at Indian Wells last year.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Three tournaments into a comeback from wrist surgery, Madison Keys isn’t one to back down from a challenge.

Keys took a tough three-set loss to fellow American and Charleston native Shelby Rogers on Wednesday at the Volvo Car Open and, as has become her post-match ritual, began exposing a series of abusive tweets she received from cyberbullies on her official Twitter account.

“I can take criticism,” she writes in one response. “Telling me to go die is taking it too far.”

The American often uses her signature mix of emojis and sarcasm to disempower the insults hurled her way, but Keys isn’t just doing this for herself. A FearlesslyGIRL Ambassador, Keys aims to take a global stand against cyberbullying, shining a light on something that fellow athletes often suffer through in silence.

“I’ve taken a stance where we can have different opinions,” Keys said this week in Charleston’s All-Access Hour, “but as long as we can talk respectfully and we can have a conversation that doesn’t turn into an argument, I think that’s a big thing that I’m trying to do.

“The world has gotten very negative in very different ways and especially on social media, when you click on something, the comments are individually very negative.

“I think trying to bring more positivity to the world is very important.”

Read more from Keys below and check out the trailer for her Tennis Channel special airing Saturday, April 8 at noon ET.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

CHARLESTON, SC, USA – The unseeded Jelena Ostapenko put together a dominating performance to oust 2011 champion Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets and move into the Volvo Car Open semifinals.

At 19 years old and ranked No.66, Charleston-debutante Ostapenko was the youngest and lowest-ranked player left in the draw. But she backed up her results to reach the second Premier-level semifinal of her career with the 6-2, 6-4 victory.

“It feels amazing to be in the semis here,” Ostapenko told press after the match. “First time I’m in Charleston, and today was a tough match because Caroline is such a great player.

“I just tried, and I think it was not bad.”

Ostapenko was dictating from the start against the former World No.1, fearlessly changing the direction of the ball and firing off winners from every angle. After an edgy few opening games as both players acclimated to the tricky, windy conditions, it was the Latvian who kicked into gear, breaking three times to reel off six games in a row and snatch up the opening set and start the second with a break to the good.

Wozniacki earned the break straight back with some rock-solid returning, but found herself down again a couple of games later as Ostapenko outpaced her to bring up a 3-2 lead. Wozniacki saved three match points as the teenager served for the match – she was even a point away from making it 5-5 – but Ostapenko wouldn’t be denied. She kept up the pressure and broke through Wozniacki’s defense, booking her spot into the Charleston semifinals after an hour and twenty-six minutes.

“I just knew before the match that I have to stay aggressive all the time and still be consistent,” Ostapenko explained. “And I tried not to step back, just to be like play in the court all the shots.And I think that’s helped me today.”

Despite winning just 51% of her first serve points, the Latvian backed it up by firing 40 winners against Wozniacki’s 14, outweighing her 26 unforced errors to Wozniacki’s six. And the Dane will surely rue her missed opportunities – she only converted one of the five break chances she created, while Ostapenko converted four of eight.

“I really tried my best out there,” Wozniacki reflected in post-match press. “I was trying to grind everything down. I tried to change the pace when I had the opportunity, but I mean if she played like this every day, then she would be No.1 in the world.

“She really played well. She went for her shots. Everything was going in. She was hitting the lines. Everything that could go her way today was going her way.

“All I could do today was try my best, try my hardest to fight and try and get somewhat of a grip on it, but you know, it is what it is sometimes.”

The loss also denies Wozniacki a return to the upper echelon of the WTA rankings – she needed to reach at least the Charleston semifinals to guarantee herself a spot inside the Top 10.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MONTERREY, Mexico – World No.1 Angelique Kerber battled past Carla Suárez Navarro in two sets to return to the Abierto GNP Seguros final for the second time, 7-6(6), 6-1.

Kerber will face three-time champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the final, a rematch of the pair’s 2013 final here in Monterrey which saw the Russian defeat Kerber to claim her third title.

“It’s a completely new year, so I will not think about my last final here,” Kerber joked in her post-match press conference. “It was three years ago, and anything is possible. I’m going out there tomorrow to try to play my best tennis and try to win the match.”

Playing in her first Monterrey day session match of the tournament, Kerber had to contend with the different conditions as well as the determined Suárez Navarro.

The Spaniard came into Monterrey with just one victory all season long after shoulder injury kept her off the courts for much of 2017, but she brought her best tennis against the World No.1 in the opening set.

She stayed calm despite Kerber opening up a double break lead, climbing back from 1-4 down to 4-4. They traded breaks once more and sent the match to a tiebreak, where Kerber finally emerged victorious after a string of marathon rallies.

It was more comprehensive for the World No.1 in the second set, though, as she raised her level to outhit Suárez Navarro and find winners from every angle. She started the set with another double break lead to go up 5-0.

Despite the Spaniard managing to get on board late, she couldn’t stem the tide as Kerber powered through to her second Monterrey final – and her first final of 2017.

“I think we both played on a really high level today,” she said. “It was a really tough match. It’s always tough to play against her, I know this because I’ve played her in a lot of tough battles in the past.

“I tried to stay focused, especially in the beginning of the second set, and I’m happy to be in the second final here.”

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