Tennis News

Fed Cup stalwarts Barbora Strycova and Karolina Pliskova clinched an unassailable 3-1 lead for defending champs Czech Republic over Spain.

Here’s a full run down of the World Group I ties as they unfolded on Day 2:

?? is into the #FedCup semis! It won in front of its fans who always make a huge difference & are the 5th team member! #WeAreCzechRepublic pic.twitter.com/SR3qIncW4K

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017

Czech Republic 3-1 Spain

Pliskova kicked off the first reverse singles rubber against Garbiñe Muguruza after both emerged victorious in their opening matches on Saturday.

Playing at home in Ostrava, Pliskova had plenty of reason to feel confident after winning four of her last five matches over the reigning French Open champion.

After an hour on court, the Czech powerhouse put down the hammer on Muguruza, winning almost twice as many points and breaking serve five times for a 6-2, 6-2 win.

“My tennis was much better than it was yesterday so I enjoyed it more today,” said last year’s US Open runner-up. “I think she [Muguruza] doesn’t like a fast game because she likes to dictate.

“I was serving well and you cannot do much about it if someone is serving well.”

#CZEESP @BaraStrycova celebrates after sealing ??'s place in the 2017 #FedCup semifinals pic.twitter.com/nxqluv1spZ

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017

Next up was Strycova, who played a critical role in clinching the Czech team’s third straight Fed Cup title over France. Up against Lara Arruabarrena, the veteran smacked a whopping 33 winners to just 21 unforced errors to assure victory with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph.

“This one was very tough for me,” Strycova said after the match. “I was leading 5-2 and two match points; I felt like I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but I couldn’t take the extra step. I tried some different things at the end and it worked!”

“I’m very glad that we got through,” remarked Czech captain Petr Pala. “Even in the first match the score looked quite easy but it was quite tight in the beginning and Karolina put in a great performance and showed she is a great Fed Cup player.

“The second match was tighter. Barbora was using the crowd and the crowd helped us a lot. It wasn’t an easy decision for us to play her today because normally she would play doubles.”

Standing between the Czechs and a fourth straight final will be either the USA or Germany.

BELARUS WINS!!! Aryna #Sabalenka defeats #Krajicek 76(5) 64 and ?? is into the #FedCup semifinals for the first time in its history! pic.twitter.com/kTkFmwOsYq

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017

Switzerland 3-1 France

Timea Bacsinszky turned the tables on St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy champion Kristina Mladenovic to help lead Switzerland into a second straight Fed Cup semifinal.

#SUIFRA @TimeaOfficial​ knows how to handle pressure on-court, but how will she deal with our reporter @eliweinstein's quickfire questions? pic.twitter.com/Vesy4uGoY9

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017

Bacsinszky recovered from a tumble to keep Mladenovic from a second straight win over the weekend with an impressive 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-5 win to make the Swiss team anything but neutral.

“I looked really unlucky this week with the medical timeouts, but I fell and injured my knee,” she said after the match. “That took me away from tennis for three months last year and so I needed an extra check. In the moment, it’s tough becuase you care about your health, see the whole year and don’t want to be injured. But I’m ok.

Leading 5-2 in the final set, Mladenovic quickly leveled the decider but the Olympic Silver medalist closed the door in front of her home fans.

“I was just telling myself how privileged I am to play a match like this, and wasn’t focused on who was going to win. I’m just so lucky to be playing tennis in front of my country, carrying the Swiss flag.

“It could have gone either way because she played so well at the end. But we both deserved to win because it was such high quality.”

In the critical fourth rubber, Belinda Bencic dismissed substitute Pauline Parmentier, 6-3, 6-4, to book an encounter against surprise semifinalists, Belarus.

#emotions ?????? pic.twitter.com/1OvyN5q92f

— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) February 12, 2017

Belarus 4-1 Netherlands

In a battle of underdogs teams, Belarus roared through the final three rubbers of the tie oust the Netherlands for an emphatic win in Minsk.

After Kiki Bertens helped level the tie on Saturday, Aliaksandra Sasnovich stunned the 2016 French Open semifinalist, 6-3, 6-4 to turn the tie on its head.

#BLRNED #Sasnovich takes the opening set 63 against #Bertens! Can she push on and give ?? a 2-1 lead in the tie? pic.twitter.com/oSQirdlgZq

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017

Armed with the momentum, Belarus played Aryna Sabalenka, a 19-year-old playing in just her second Fed Cup tie – and only her second singles rubber. Recovering from her loss to Bertens, Sabalenka dispatched Michaella Krajicek, 7-6(5), 6-4 to clinch her country’s first semifinal in Fed Cup history.

BELARUS WINS!!! Aryna #Sabalenka defeats #Krajicek 76(5) 64 and ?? is into the #FedCup semifinals for the first time in its history! pic.twitter.com/kTkFmwOsYq

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) February 12, 2017

More to come…

A rain-affected Tuesday means Wimbledon has some catching up to do, but second-round action nonetheless begins in earnest on Wednesday at the All England Club. We preview the key matchups and look inside the numbers here on wtatennis.com, courtesy of contributor Chris Oddo.

Wednesday

Second Round

[5] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. Francesca Schiavone (ITA #111)
Head-to-head: Schiavone leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Schiavone snapped a three-year Wimbledon losing streak with her first round win on Monday.

Simona Halep has only won back-to-back matches at SW19 on one occasion, but that occasion was quite special because it led to an appearance in the semifinals in 2014. Can the Romanian, who has suffered from patchy form and a nagging Achilles injury in recent months, rekindle the magic on grass this year? Standing in her way will be one of the tour’s most revered veterans in Francesca Schiavone. The 36-year-old snapped a three-year Wimbledon drought on Monday with a straight set win over Anastasija Sevastova, but the challenge will be elevated on Wednesday when the Italian tries to win against a Top 10 player on grass for the first time. Halep had to skip Birmingham with injury, but she told reporters on Monday that despite her lack of match play on grass this summer, her extra practice time on the surface is starting to pay off. “I had many days practicing here,” she said. “I feel the grass. I feel the court. I feel the atmosphere here… I’m looking forward for the next round, and maybe I will play better after two days.”

Pick: Halep in two

[9] Madison Keys (USA #9) vs. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL #51)
Head-to-head: Tied, 1-1
Key Stat: Keys enters on six-match winning streak.

Madison Keys, American storm. The 21-year-old may possess a calm and easy going demeanor, but it’s clear to anyone that watches her play that she enjoys playing rock-n-roll tennis when she’s on court. She did that to great effect in winning the Birmingham title a few weeks back and she looked stunning in hammering her way past Germany’s Laura Siegemund on Day 1. But Keys knows her next test against the crafty Belgian Kirsten Flipkens will force her to problem solve a bit more. Will she prove up to the task? She says she’s ready. “It will be tough,” she told reporters on Monday, when asked about the challenge of facing the former Wimbledon semifinalist. “I played her in Miami. It was a tough match. She’s obviously done well on grass before and can be really crafty, is really good with dropshots and slices and mixing it up. That’s going to be a tough match. I think I’ll have to go in with a similar game plan as I did today.”

Pick: Keys in two

Sabine Lisicki (GER #81) vs. [14] Sam Stosur (AUS #16)
Head-to-head: Stosur leads, 5-2
Key Stat: Lisicki improved to 26-7 lifetime at Wimbledon with her win over Shelby Rogers on Monday.

Samantha Stosur holds the significant edge in the pair’s head-to-head, but Sabine Lisicki’s Wimbledon magic could play a role in the eighth meeting between these two hard-serving veterans. Stosur, making her 14th Wimbledon appearance, is well aware of the Lisicki aura at SW19. “I mean, it’s no doubt this is a tournament she feels very comfortable at no matter kind of what she’s been doing in the lead-up,” Stosur said. “I’m sure when she walks through the gates here she probably feels like she’s No. 1 in the world. You have to be aware of that and know she has a very big serve.” Lisicki has won just two of seven tilts against the Aussie, but she’s once again brimming with confidence and a certain je ne sais quoi at Wimbledon. “I really liked this place from the beginning,” she said. “I think in this place you feel the history. It’s just a magical place. When I come here, I just feel really special to have the opportunity to play here.”

Pick: Lisicki in three

Around the Grounds: Garbiñe Muguruza will look to continue her eight-match winning streak at major tournaments when she takes on world No.124 Jana Cepelova of Slovakia. Muguruza owns a 6-1 record against players ranked outside of the Top 100 at majors. Venus Williams will square off with Greek qualifier Maria Sakkari. World No.115 Sakkari won her first Wimbledon match on Monday; Williams owns 77 wins at the All England Club, second only to her sister Serena among active players. Karolina Pliskova will continue her quest to make the second week of a major for the first time when she meets Misaki Doi on Day 2. In 16 major appearances, Pliskova has only reached the third round three times.

By the Numbers:

8 – Number of Wimbledon finals that Venus Williams has played, winning five.

89 – Percentage of first-serve points that Stosur won in her Day 1 victory over Magda Linette.

18 – Number of American women that entered the main draw – most of any country.

122 – The speed of Sabine Lisicki’s fastest serve on Day 1, which was the fastest recorded by all players in action on Monday.

DUBAI, UAE – Kristyna Pliskova is quickly rising out from under the shadow of twin sister and World No.3 Karolina as the Czech lefty scored a big upset at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, dispatching No.16 seed Roberta Vinci, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

“All week I felt pretty bad in practice, so I’m happy I made it through this match,” she said after the match. “It wasn’t easy at all.”

Delicate touch from @KrisPliskova! #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/a1KY0HurPd

— WTA (@WTA) February 19, 2017

As Karolina was reaching her maiden Grand Slam final at last summer’s US Open, Kristyna was making a breakthrough of her own at the WTA 125K Series event in Dalian, following that up with her first career title at the Tashkent Open. Ranked just shy of her career-high of No.55, Pliskova earned a comeback victory over Vinci, a runner-up in Flushing back in 2015.

“It’s much slower on the Center Court and the balls aren’t flying that much. Plus, she’s a tricky opponent.”

3rd set! @KrisPliskova wins three straight games to take us into a decider! #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/WfVHjaWjPN

— WTA (@WTA) February 19, 2017

Vinci appeared in control as she served for the match in the second set, but Pliskova broke back and rode the momentum into a decisive three-set victory after just under two hours on court. With a serve as big – if not bigger – than her sister’s, the 24-year-old struck nine aces throughout and maintained an impressive 82% winning percentage behind her first serve, losing just two points in the decider.

“I was trying to fight all match, but sometimes you have a few bad games. She was solid, serving well. I resolved to be more aggressive and that’s when she started making a few more mistakes.”

Up next for Pliskova is a potentially tough challenge in either ASB Classic champion Lauren Davis or lucky loser (and Taiwan Open semifinalist) Mandy Minella.

“I’m happy to still be in the tournament and to fight for another win.”

.@KrisPliskova advances to @DDFTennis Second Round!

Turns tables on Vinci 3-6, 7-5, 6-3! pic.twitter.com/9L4yAKo4VS

— WTA (@WTA) February 19, 2017

LONDON, Great Britain – For the first time since 2009, Serena Williams and Venus Williams have made the semifinals of the same Slam. Serena booked her spot on Tuesday with a clean 6-4, 6-4 win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Venus followed suit with her own straight set win, 7-6(5), 6-2 over Yaroslava Shvedova.

So is an All-Williams final in the cards? Not if Angelique Kerber or Elena Vesnina have something to say about it.

The Australian Open champion beat No.5 seed Simona Halep, 7-5, 7-6(2) in her toughest test of the tournament, while Vesnina played her best match of the fortnight to beat Dominika Cibulkova, 6-2, 6-2 to make her first major semifinal.

Serena Williams has her swagger back: Serena has been taking care of business on court. With her win over Pavlyuchenkova to advance to her eighth straight Slam semifinal, she has lost just one set at Wimbledon. Since her second round three-set win over Christina McHale – where she hit 40 unforced errors – she has cleaned things up dramatically, hitting no more than 19 unforced in any single match since. In her five matches she’s also dished out two bagel sets. It’s all shaping up perfectly for the World No.1 on court.

But off-court, her swagger has been even more apparent. Through much of last year, as she marched toward a possible Calendar Grand Slam, there was an intentional, purposeful humility about Serena. When asked to talk about herself the frequent phrases were some iteration of, “I’m just trying the best I can can.” She worked overtime to diffuse any pressure, talking up the qualities of the field and the task at hand. There was an air of uncertainty about her, despite the results she was racking up.

That has not been the case at Wimbledon. From the get-go Serena has been on edge. In a good way. In a very refreshing way. In a way that should worry the remaining semifinalists.

Serena is backing herself here. She is not shying away from her accomplishments or her qualities. Serena is reminding everyone, not just with her play but now with her own words, that’s the World No.1, the best player on the planet, and one of the greatest of all time.

Here’s a sample of some of what we’re hearing in the interview room:

Q. In the interview when you came off court after your win, you said, I know mentally no one can break me. What did you mean by that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it says it in itself. I’ve been through a lot in my career, on the court and off the court. I’ve been in every position you can be in. So I know mentally I’m, hands down, one of the toughest players out here. It’s very difficult to break me down mentally.

Q. This is your eighth straight Grand Slam semifinal. How happy are you with the sort of consistency you’ve had getting through these first five rounds?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think it’s great. You know, like I said, it just shows another mental toughness of mine, just being able to come through and consistently get to this stage of the tournament. I think it’s something that is really noteworthy.

Q. Your serve is described as the single greatest stroke in the history of women’s tennis. We know about your mental toughness. Can you compare those two elements in your game?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, my serve is usually really good. I don’t know how it came about, though. Like, I’m not as tall as all the other players. So it’s strange that I have such a strong, hard serve.

But I have to say what I think really is my game is my mental toughness because just not only to be able to play, to win, but to be able to come back when I’m down. Both on the court and after tough losses, just to continue to come back and continue to fight, it’s something that takes a lot of tenacity.

Q. Her mobility is outstanding, she’s a great retriever. Your ground game looked really sharp. What are the keys for you on grass and how are you able to get to so many balls, crack those unbelievable backhands.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I move very well, as well especially when I want to (smiling). Yeah, I guess I’ve been wanting to lately just kind of get out there and pretty much get every ball back.

That’s one thing I’ve been working on, is my defensive game. I feel like I’ve got an extremely strong defensive game, and always have throughout my career. I wanted to bring it up to par again the way it was, so… I’m glad you noticed.

Q. Could you talk about your intensity. Do you feel it’s just you? Is it something you embrace and love? Do you step away and say, Whoa, a bit too much?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean, it’s no secret, I’m a very intense player. I’m so passionate at my job, just like you guys are with writing. I hope you are just as passionate. This is what I do, and I love what I do.

I wake up since I was three years old to do this. These are the moments that I live for. The passion and the intensity that I have is what makes me Serena. I can’t change, nor would I ever want to be different.

Q. Those sort of bright spots, how much can that give you confidence, you’re moving in the right direction or where you want to be?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It gives me a lot of confidence. I know what it takes to win these tournaments. It’s just about now just doing it.

Q. If you’re going to struggle and fight, is this the best venue for you to do it at where you have the grass underfoot, big serve going?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don’t think that’s a fair statement. I think I’ve struggled and fought on every surface and I’ve come out on top. It really doesn’t matter what surface it is for me.

Q. There seems to be a notion out there that trying to get your 22nd major singles title to equal Graf’s mark wears on you. I want to ask you how much you think about that. What do you think of the idea that some people think it’s a difficult mental thing for you? How much do you think about that number 22?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think more or less about winning Australia, I think about winning the French Open. Didn’t happen. I think about winning Wimbledon. I don’t necessarily think about winning 22.

Mentally I’ve been further down than anyone can be. Well, maybe not anyone, but I’ve been pretty low. There’s nothing that’s not mentally too hard for me.

Through it all she’s been as gracious as she has in the past in complementing her opponents and celebrating in the success of her fellow Americans at Wimbledon. But the tone has been different here in London compared to Roland Garros or the Australian Open. Serena is sending a clear message both on and off the court: She’s done feeling sorry for herself or being scared of failure. She’s here to win Wimbledon.

Venus Williams turns back the clock: The feel good story of the fortnight is, without a doubt, Venus Williams. At 36 years old she’s back in the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time since 2009. She’s brushed aside three young upstarts in Donna Vekic, Maria Sakkari, and Daria Kasatkina in the first three rounds, before rolling past two veteran opponents in Carla Suárez Navarro and Yaroslava Shvedova. And she’s not done yet. Put aside those patronizing questions about everything now being a bonus for Venus, that she should just be happy to have made the semifinals.

The five-time Wimbledon champion wants more, and she’s one win away from a possible final showdown against her sister. “Semifinals feels good,” a smiling Venus said. “But it doesn’t feel foreign at all, let’s put it that way.”

Venus’s journey back to this stage at a major tournament has been five years in the making. Diagnosed with an auto-immune disease in 2011, she has played on, showing flashes of brilliance but struggling to string it together at the Slams. The whispering voices wondered why she continued to play when it appeared her glory days were behind her.

“Retiring is the easy way out,” Venus said. “I don’t have time for easy.

“The most difficult part of the journey is just not being in control because when you’re an athlete, you’re used to being in control, being able to work for anything,” Venus said, when asked about how she’s learned to manage being a high-level athlete and Sjogren’s Syndrome. “Not being able to do that is a challenge. Also it was a relief for me to know what was wrong with me because I hadn’t felt well in a while. That was, Okay, I’m not crazy. So that was a good moment.

“This has been my life. What can I say? I wouldn’t wish it any other way. It’s been my life. It’s been a beautiful life. It’s been a great experience. It’s been everything.”

As for what the last five years have taught her, Venus pointed to the two qualities that have always defined her career: fearlessness and self-belief in the face of the odds.

“It’s easy to be afraid. You have to let fear go. Another lesson is you just have to believe in yourself. You just have to. There’s no way around it. You’ve got to believe in yourself. No matter how things are stacked against you, you just have to every time.”

Angelique Kerber on a roll: Under the radar suits Angelique Kerber’s personality. She’s a quiet champion. The spotlight can be blinding. Sometimes it can burn. Kerber felt that when she arrived in Paris in May as the Australian Open champion. People were talking about her. That wasn’t the case here in London.

“When I arrived in Paris, I was feeling much more pressure,” Kerber said. “I did it actually by myself, to put a lot of pressure on me. Also, I was not handling it so well to do everything also off court. It was everything too much, I think.

“When I arrived here, I was telling myself, just like in Australia, Just be relaxed, playing round by round, not making things actually too much complicated, not putting pressure on myself. So that was actually what I changed, what I learn also from Paris. Just also focusing on the tennis thing, on my practice, being more relaxed.”

Kerber’s career about the work. When she can block out the distractions and just focus on the work, her best results have come. Last year she won four titles but never progressed past the third round at any major. This year she start the season with her first major win and she she’s a win away from contesting another major final.

“I know that I have the game to win the big tournament,” she said. “I know that I know how to do it right now. But the pressure is there, of course. I mean, I’m just looking forward to it. I know that I have a lot of confidence right now. I’m feeling good on grass court. This is what counts.”

Kerber is the only semifinalist who has yet to lose a set, and though her first four matches were against unseeded opponents, she played a confident match to dispatch of No.5 seed Simona Halep in the quarterfinals. Kerber has not been broken in three of her five matches, and she’s put more than 90% of her returns in in her last three matches.

Elena Vesnina’s Grand Slam breakthrough: With a 6-2, 6-2 decimation of the streaking No.19 seed Dominika Cibulkova, Elena Vesnina betters her already career-best run by reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal in singles. With a winking nod towards her apparent Lendl Effect boost, stay tuned for a full Insider take on the Russian veteran.

Rankings Watch: Kerber is set to move back to No.2 after Wimbledon. She can overtake Serena for No.1 if she wins the title and Serena loses in the semifinals.

Venus will move to No.7 by reaching the semifinals and can climb to No.6 by reaching the final, which would be her highest ranking since week of Feb. 14, 2011. She could move to No.5 by winning the title.

Vesnina was ranked No.122 in mid-February this year. By reaching the semifinals she will move into the Top 25. She would move to a career-high No.18 by reaching the final and would make her Top 10 debut (at No.9) if she wins the title.

Emotional rescue: Players and pundits focus on the importance of physical recovery. It’s no surprise that a team of physios, trainers, and a regular regimen of ice baths are standard in today’s game. But what about emotional recovery? There are no massage tables or tape jobs for that.

That was the dilemma for Dominika Cibulkova, who came out flat and just couldn’t get things going against Vesnina.

“I think it was the biggest issue today for me,” Cibulkova said. “When you see me play, I get really, really emotional. Some players, they don’t get so many emotions, but I just play with it. That’s how I am. Maybe if I would get the day off, it would help me. But it was just so close playing today’s match after yesterday. So I think that was the toughest for me, I would say. It was more tough for me than maybe physically.”

“I have to say Vesnina played really, really well,” Cibulkova said. “It was just all together. She was playing really well.”

And for those who are on Domi Wedding Watch: It will go forward as planned on Saturday.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova looks to build: The 25-year-old was into her first Slam quarterfinal in five years, a good reward for the hard works she’s been putting in with her coach Dieter Kindlmann. Could this be the spark that Pavlyuchenkova needed to get her prodigious career back on track? She was a three-time junior Slam champion but her transition to the pro tour has been spotty for someone of her pure talent.

This was quite the chunk of junior talent. Junior Slam winners start with AO left to right. pic.twitter.com/bbBxEPsZvu

— Courtney Nguyen (@FortyDeuceTwits) July 5, 2016

The best news to come out of the week for Pavlyuchenkova was her expressed ambition. She told reporters that after Miami she realized she had to take a more disciplined approach to her tennis and hiring Kindlmann was a big part of that. Against Serena, she played with purpose and her performance was one to be proud of.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long, so it’s very special right now playing against Serena on Centre Court here,” she said after the match. “I was very nervous today before the match because I didn’t want to go out there and just enjoy, I really wanted to win.” That was very good to hear.

The foolishness of youth: Let’s end it on this.

Q. A few years ago you said that you would never expect to be playing tennis being 35 years old, still in the pro career. If someone would tell you you’d be still playing being 40 in the pro tennis, do you think it’s feasible or not?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, you have to understand that 21 year olds are foolish. I didn’t think I was going to be here at 36. Now, if I’m here at 46, I will say that 46 year olds are foolish. I don’t think I’ll be here, but we’ll see.