Charleston: Stat Of The Day
Check out Daria Kasatkina’s stat of the day from the Volvo Car Open final.
Check out Daria Kasatkina’s stat of the day from the Volvo Car Open final.
On Tuesday afternoon Serena Williams will begin the defense of her French Open crown when she meets Magdalena Rybarikova on Philippe Chatrier.
By her own high standards, Williams’ made a slow start to 2016. But judging by her performance in Rome, where she lifted the 70th title of her career, she appears to be rounding into form at just the right time.
Ahead of her return to the French capital, CNN Open Court sat down Williams to discuss her love of clay, coaching set-up and the quest for Grand Slam title number 22.
Bogota’s top seeds Kiki Bertens and Katerina Siniakova had to weather a pair of tough opponents – and the rainy conditions – to move into the second round at the Claro Open Colsanitas.
BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland – Former World No.1 Martina Hingis and fellow Olympic Silver medalist Timea Bacsinszky enjoyed a happy reunion at home, knocking out Diana Marcinkevica and Carina Witthoeft, 6-2, 6-3, in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Ladies Open Biel Bienne.
“It’s really cool,” Bacsinszky said after the match. “What we have together, we shared so many big emotions and two unbelievable weeks. Those memories will stay with me forever.”
Bacsinszky and Hingis paired up for the first time at the Olympic tennis event, stunning 2012 silver medalists Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka en route to the Gold medal match, where they lost a tense two-setter to Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.
???@mhingis and @TimeaOfficial show off their victory dance! #WTABiel pic.twitter.com/AglQe6iiwd
— WTA (@WTA) April 12, 2017
Back together in Biel/Bienne, the pair reunited with the upcoming Fed Cup semifinal in mind; the Swiss team takes on Belarus in two weeks for a spot in their first final since 1998, when Hingis helmed the squad in singles and doubles.
“It was amazing to play again with her here, and great preparation for Fed Cup,” Bacsinszky added, “because you never know, if it’s 2-2 in a semifinal, you’ll want to have some matches under your belt to get the connection back.
“That was important for us, so that’s why we decided to play here. I’m thrilled to play here again in Switzerland with my home crowd!”
The Swiss are certainly looking strong at home. With Hingis and Bacsinszky cheering her on from the stands, Viktorija Golubic extended her winning streak to eight straight matches on Swiss soil, having won both singles rubbers in last year’s Fed Cup semifinal against the Czech Republic, her maiden title at the Ladies Championship Gstaad, and her first round match in Biel/Bienne, a nail-biting three-set win over Volvo Car Open semifinalist Laura Siegemund.
Viktorija Golubic battles past Siegemund 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3)!
Makes @WTABielBienne Second round! pic.twitter.com/GwWuXaNEnF
— WTA (@WTA) April 12, 2017
All photos courtesy of Ladies Open Biel Bienne.
At the eighth time of asking, Elina Svitolina finally got the better of Ana Ivanovic, winning their third-round encounter at Roland Garros in straight sets.
Angelique Kerber and Svetlana Kuznetsova are just two of the stars who took to Twitter to send Easter greetings to fans.
Agnieszka Radwanska takes on Barbora Strycova in the third round of Roland Garros.
PARIS, France – WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen and Web Editor David Kane reconvene on a rainy second Monday at the French Open to assess a first week free of the dramatic upsets and draw-changing results to which fans have become accustomed.
How has World No.1 Serena Williams fared as she began her quest for her record-tying 22nd Grand Slam title?
Plus, an analysis of the noteworthy but ultimately unsurprising early exits of No.3 seed Angelique Kerber and No.5 seed Victoria Azarenka, No.8 seed Timea Bacsinszky’s continued consistency on clay, unseeded Shelby Rogers’ role as the fortnight’s Cinderella story, and who will be most affected by the postponed round of 16 encounters involving No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska and No.6 seed Simona Halep.
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on any podcast app of your choice and reviews are always helpful, so if you like what you’ve heard so far, leave us one. You can also get new episode alerts by following us on Twitter @WTA_Insider.
PARIS, France – To describe Amélie Mauresmo as a late bloomer isn’t quite right. She was a two-time junior champion as a teenager, winning the girls’ titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Her all-court game, played with that typical Gallic flourish, were evidence of a preternatural talent and tennis IQ that outmatched her young years.
And yet, when the now 37-year-old Hall of Famer looks back on her legacy, one word seems to define it: Persistence.
“When I was 20 or 22, I thought maybe I could achieve No.1 and win these big trophies,” Mauresmo told WTA Insider at Roland Garros. “But as a little girl I never really expected that. It was a passion. I was lucky to have a gift in that sport. It really brought me everything in my life. But I never really expected that. You can’t, really.”
Last year, Mauresmo was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The two-time major champion and former No.1 was pregnant with her first child last summer and was unable to attend the induction ceremony. But she will make up for lost time this summer, when she makes her way to Newport, Rhode Island for her formal induction, alongside this year’s class of inductees, which includes her long-time rival Justine Henin and Marat Safin.
On Saturday, before the women’s final at Roland Garros, she accepted her Hall of Fame ring in a ceremony on Court Philippe Chatrier. Mauresmo finished her career with 25 WTA singles titles, spent 39 weeks at No.1, and was ranked in the Top 5 for 191 weeks. She represented her country impeccably in international competition as well. She is the winningest player for France in Fed Cup competition, compiling a 30-9 record, and won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics. The soft-spoken Frenchwoman admitted it has taken her time to process her Hall of Fame status.
“In France we don’t really have this celebration of former players and accomplishments,” she said. “So at first I needed time to really process what it was, and the people in there, and all the previous inductees. Then I started to really – ‘whoa’ – felt honored and proud to be part of this group.
“The former players that are celebrated there are incredible. To be a part of this group is incredible. I never thought I would achieve this.”
Born in Saint-Germain-En-Laye, which also happens to be Caroline Garcia’s hometown, Mauresmo became the 1st Frenchwoman to reach No.1 in 2004. Though she made her first major final in 1999 at the Australian Open, it took her seven years before she finally broke through to win her first major title, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006. She retired three years later in 2009.
“I don’t know if they are going to see someone who really changed the game,” Mauresmo said, when asked about her legacy in the game. “Maybe [they will see someone who] not change the game but bringing something different to the game. Someone with generosity and emotions and was trying to carry these things around. And perseverance is a very important word in my career. It took me time.”
When asked whether she was conscious of building a legacy during her career, Mauresmo said no. It’s something she regrets.
“Once I stopped I was less selfish in a way,” she said. “I saw it it in a different way, I stepped back and saw how important it would have been to already, while I was still in my career, maybe bring the young ones with me. I did some things but looking back I think I could have done more.”
“I think taking over the Fed Cup captaincy, helping Andy (Murray), talking to players, now I feel like I do it a lot more. And if you don’t do it, it’s kind of wasted. Everything you learned in your career, everything you learned maybe the hard way, you try to give it to others. Sometimes they listen, sometimes they don’t. It’s not easy, but you try.”
“I’m happy with everything I’ve done. I’m happy with the choices that I made after I stopped my career. That to me is the most important.”
Congrats, Amelie! #RG16 https://t.co/IivQo7E9Kk
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2016
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Serena Williams takes on Yulia Putinseva in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros.