Tennis News

ROME, Italy – Serena Williams left little doubt about her clay court form after easing into the third round with a straightforward win over Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-4, 6-3 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Rome right here on wtatennis.com!

“I feel pretty good,” Williams said in her press conference before the match. “I wasn’t feeling really good for the past several weeks and even the past few days. But right now I’m better.

“I will see how I’m doing when I step on the court for the first time, but overall I think I’m feeling a lot better.”

She hadn’t played a tennis match in a month and a half – since her round of 16 appearance in Miami and subsequent withdrawal from the Mutua Madrid Open – but the three-time Rome champion was too much for Friedsam to handle.

The 22-year-old Friedsam – who reached a career-high ranking of No.50 this week – is making big strides in the WTA and finding the confidence to back up her big game. Earlier this year she reached the semifinals of Shenzhen and the final of the 125K event in San Antonio, and last year at the French Open she stretched Williams to three sets in their only previous encounter – the World No.1 had to battle back from a set down to advance on her way to the title.

Things were more straightforward in Rome, the first match of Williams’ 2016 clay campaign. She broke once to snag an early lead at 2-1 in the first set, then three times in the second set to put the match away after an hour and fifteen minutes. She struck 27 winners and 18 unforced errors to Friedsam’s 16 and 21.

“I was really happy with my level,” Williams said after the match. “I think I was really consistent. I think I was mentally consistent. I started out fast. Those are some of the things I wanted to work on [and] I was really happy about that.”

In the day’s other second-round match, last year’s finalist Carla Suárez Navarro survived a tricky second set to advance past Teliana Pereira 6-1, 7-5.

“I played a really good match, but the second set I tried to close the match but it was really tough,” Suárez Navarro said. “She came back really good and I was really, really nervous.

“You have to know how to finish that kind of match, so I’m happy because it was tough for me.”

ROME, Italy – Madison Keys employed thoughtful aggression under the lights of Center Court, pulling off a 6-3, 6-4 upset of No.5 seed Petra Kvitova to advance to the third round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Madrid right here on wtatennis.com!

“I definitely didn’t want to start down 2-0 right off the bat,” Keys said of her initially slow start. “But I was able to recover from that, build some momentum and keep it going.”

Hitting eight aces in the 78 minute match, Keys maintained an even winner/unforced error differential against Kvitova, who had enjoyed a strong start to her clay court campaign with a run to the semifinals of the Porsche Grand Prix. The Czech star hit nine fewer winners compared with the American youngster (11 to 20) and six more errors (27 to 21), only managing to engineer one break point in the contest.

Keys, by contrast, broke serve  three times and maintained an impeccable 85% first serve percentage.

First set ? @Madison_Keys!

Grabs the opening set vs Kvitova 6-3! #ibi16 https://t.co/7KmpjBjio9

— WTA (@WTA) May 11, 2016

“It’s definitely more love than hate now,” the 21-year-old said of her relationship with clay. “The first couple of years were very difficult for me; I never really played on red clay growing up. I think every year is a little more experience, and I’m feeling more comfortable.”

Up next for the unseeded American is Hungary’s Timea Babos, who outlasted No.12 seed Venus Williams, 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4, in just under three hours.

“I’ve played her on grass, and I think I got my butt kicked,’ Keys laughed. “So hopefully, it’ll be a little bit better for me next time. I haven’t really seen her play in the last couple of years, so I’ll definitely rely on my coach to help me figure that out.”

Babos led by a double break to start the match; by the final set, the 23-year-old thrice recovered from a break of serve – hitting 32 winners to 43 unforced errors during the two hour, 55 minute affair – to unseat the 35-year-old, who hit 48 winners to 56 unforced errors.

“I’m really happy to win,” she said after the match. “Venus is one of the biggest players in history and it’s the first time I’ve ever played her, so I just tried to think of my tennis and not about who was on the other side of the net.

“I started well, but then was a little more shaky, but I was fighting until the last moment.”

.@TimeaBabos makes 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4 comeback win over Venus!

Sets @InteBNLdItalia Round of 16 vs Keys! #ibi16 pic.twitter.com/xiQwzhvAiI

— WTA (@WTA) May 11, 2016

While some stars are still working hard on the tennis court, others are enjoying a well-deserved break…and some amazing gifts.

Defending champion Heather Watson is using her time off at the Abierto GNP Seguros wisely – by sitting in the stands and recording the performance of her friend and Great Britain Fed Cup teammate Naomi Broady.

Ace ace baby ? Thanks to bae @heatherwatson92 for the video

A post shared by(@naomibroady) on Apr 5, 2017 at 8:45pm PDT

Alizé Cornet is having fun in Mexico.

Thanks to those who came out in the heat yesterday to support me ? ! Always a thrill to play in Mexico ! Next match tomorrow vamos ?? pic.twitter.com/8JqNOPLzia

— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) April 5, 2017

Elsewhere, thrillseeker CoCo Vandeweghe is in deep water.

?????

A post shared by (@cocovandey) on Apr 5, 2017 at 12:51pm PDT

And new World No.7 Johanna Konta is ready for a very special delivery…of her favorite food.

I can't wait for my present!! #anxiouslywaiting https://t.co/nJFwY5PCvt

— Johanna Konta (@JoKonta91) April 6, 2017

CHARLESTON, SC, USA — Caroline Wozniacki won all four sets she played as day turned to night on Thursday in Charleston, as the 2011 champion ousted Anastasia Rodionova, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals for the fifth time at the Volvo Car Open.

“It was tough conditions to play in this wind, a little chilly tonight as well and then playing someone who doesn’t give you any rhythm,” Wozniacki assessed at the close of her second match of the day. “Obviously she plays a lot of doubles, so she was coming in, doing drop shots and hitting the ball hard and then slow. She was definitely trying to break my rhythm up, and it was difficult. But I managed to pull through.”

The No.5 seed defeated Annika Beck in straight sets earlier on Thursday, and showed no ill effects of having to play two matches in the span of a few hours. The Dane has never lost before the quarterfinals in five career appearances in Charleston, and advances to face Jelena Ostapenko in Friday’s quarterfinals.

The former World No.1 won 15 straight points over the first four games of the match to take command before the qualifier got on the board and a foothold in the match. The Australian broke and held serve in a lengthy game, saving five break points in total, to close the deficit to 4-2, but Wozniacki held on from there to take four of the next five games to lead by a set and a break.

.@CaroWozniacki wraps up the first set 6-3! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/Kfr7lvkXQK

— WTA (@WTA) April 6, 2017

Rodionova saved a trio of break points in the fifth game of the second set, and broke the Wozniacki delivery at love to level the match. Nonetheless, the qualifier who scored upsets against Duan Ying-Ying and Sara Errani to reach the third round was unable to conjure another stunner as the Dane secured the final three games to move safely through to the last eight.

Second Round ✅
Round of 16 ✅
Advances to @VolvoCarOpen Quarterfinals ✅

All in a days work for @CaroWozniacki! ? pic.twitter.com/NZbsHpckpX

— WTA (@WTA) April 7, 2017

Looking ahead to Friday night, Wozniacki lost the only match she’s played against the Latvian teenager at the Connecticut Open last year, as she attempts to reach the semifinals in Charleston for the first time since raising the trophy in 2011.

“I think I’m well-prepared for tomorrow. I got some clay tennis in today and feel like I’m just going to go out there and have fun and do my best and see how it goes,” Wozniacki said. “I’m just playing right now. I had one practice session before the tournament started for me, and that was it. I just kind of run on experience and try and figure it out.”