Halep Marches Into Bucharest Quarters
Top seed Simona Halep made her way back to the quarterfinals of the BRD Bucharest Open with a straight sets win over Isabella Shinikova.
Top seed Simona Halep made her way back to the quarterfinals of the BRD Bucharest Open with a straight sets win over Isabella Shinikova.
NEWPORT, RI, USA – The International Tennis Hall of Fame officially welcomed two more WTA legends into the Hall of Fame family as seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin was joined by Class of ’15’s Amélie Mauresmo were honored on Saturday’s Enshrinement Ceremony. Former No.1 Dinara Safina was also on hand to celebrate brother Marat’s own induction into the ITHF.
An Australian Open and Wimbledon champion – both in 2006 – Mauresmo was voted into the Hall of Fame last year, but was unable to attend the ceremony due to the birth of her son, Aaron.
The Class of 2016 (+ Mauresmo '15) @TennisHalloFame pic.twitter.com/5DprrfLWCW
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) July 16, 2016
The official enshrinement proved more than worth the wait for the Frenchwoman, who was introduced by former manager and WTA President, Micky Lawler.
“My heart is beating faster than it was on championship point for Amélie’s legendary 2006 Wimbledon title,” she began.
“Amélie’s superior game at the net, her elegance, and ease of movement are greatly missed. Among her unique qualities are her intelligence, her continuous drive for excellence, and her passion for a happy life. She is an extraordinary mom, armed with great compassion and an unmatched sense of humor. Amélie is the Queen of Hearts.
“For those of you who don’t know Amélie: when you call her, you are 100% certain of getting her voicemail with a recording that says, ‘If you’d like to leave a message, fine. But I will never call you back!’ – with great emphasis on ‘jamais.’
“Many who think they know her mistake her so-called ‘nerves’ or ‘uncertain trepidation,’ when in reality, she is first, incredibly respectful of her opponent, and second, as courageous as a lion, and as strong as her beloved little Aaron over there.”
.@AmeMauresmo poses with former manager and WTA President Micky Lawler @TennisHalloFame pic.twitter.com/ppDNseXNMw
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) July 16, 2016
Lawler went on to tell the story of helping align Mauresmo’s unique appeal with Reebok.
“As the No.1 player in the world in 2005, she was playing without a footwear or apparel contract, which is unheard of in our industry – especially if I am the manager. Sitting on that grassy area, I could feel Amélie’s disappointment and sadness by a certain lack of acceptance that was completely unjust. She had done everything right, but felt that the industry didn’t really believe in her.
“Reebok had just launched the campaign, ‘I Am What I Am,’ and that campaign was made for Amélie Mauresmo. With the help and unwavering support of the Reebok team, led by our extraordinary Dianne Hayes, we had Amélie’s beaming face on thousands of buses in Paris. Her smile said to millions of kids, ‘Live your life honestly. Live it fully, and live it with passion. Play to win, work hard, and never give up.'”
Mauresmo later took the stage and showed off that signature sense of humor with aplomb.
“You guys can call me; I’ll call you back, don’t worry!
“I’d to thank the Hall of Fame for postponing my induction and giving me the opportunity to be here with you today with my family. I’m a bit late, but it was worth it!
The Frenchwoman closed with an emotional plea for peace in the face of the Bastille Day attack in Nice.
“In Paris, Brussels, Tel Aviv. It has to stop. The only thing we can do to continue to be free, continue to be happy.”
16 Slams between them, @Justine_Henin poses with @MonicaSeles10s on the famed Horseshoe Court. pic.twitter.com/a1GjBqaPeO
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) July 16, 2016
Henin closed the ceremony after being introduced by Monica Seles, the only other woman to capture a hat trick of French Open titles, and the first big name to practice with a then-17-year-old Belgian back in 1999.
“As a fellow competitor of Justine,” Seles said, “what I always respected about her as I watched her rise from a junior to professional is that she never changed as a person. Justine’s journey reveals the power of a single person’s desire to achieve greatness in his or her own way.”
At 5’6″, Henin stood tall as she took the podium to tell her story of watching Seles win the third of her French Open titles, where she defeated Stefanie Graf in 1992.
“At six years old, I grew up in a small village in Belgium. I’d jump up and down on the bed like I won the French Open. But watching these two incredible women fighting with respect, passion, and dedication, it was a wonderful inspiration for me. I turned to my mom and told her that one day, I too would compete for this title.”
Henin: “I wasn't the biggest or the strongest. But like Amelie said, impossible is nothing. You have to believe.”??? pic.twitter.com/hTfStddetQ
— Tennis Hall of Fame (@TennisHalloFame) July 16, 2016
Just over a decade later, Henin fulfilled the promise she made to mother, Francoise – who had died of cancer when she was 12 – by defeating compatriot Kim Clijsters in the 2003 Roland Garros final.
“We were very lucky to be there at the same time,” she said earlier in the press conference. “I always say I wouldn’t have been the player I was without Kim. It was challenging being from a small country and being almost the same age. We traveled a lot together when we were young and were pretty close. When we became rivals on the tour, it became more competitive, but the respect was always there.
“Because of and with Kim, I was able to accomplish a lot of things. Seeing her succeed made me think I could do the same. Being No.1 and No.2 from a small country made the story different and made it more beautiful. She pushed me to get better and improve. It made us better players than we might have been.”
Safina was sitting in the front row of that very press conference as Marat was asked which of the brother-sister tandem was the better tennis player.
“What a stupid question! Of course, sister! Unfortunately, we weren’t so close when we were younger, because when I left for Spain at 14, she was eight. We were seeing each other only at Grand Slams, and it was a real pity that we couldn’t spend so much time together. We didn’t know each other and after a while we didn’t feel like brother and sister at some point because we were separated.
“Now we’re having a great time and finally I get to know her. She had great potential. Too bad she couldn’t make a Grand Slam winner, but she understands tennis much more than me, and she’s a better person.”
“He was my idol…I'm very proud of him.” Dinara here at @TennisHalloFame to support brother Marat Safin. pic.twitter.com/su9epPtjdB
— Blair Henley (@BlairHenley) July 16, 2016
All photos courtesy of Kate Whitney Lucey.
Defending champion Belinda Bencic was forced to withdraw from the upcoming Rogers Cup due to the left wrist injury she sustained at Wimbledon.
Find out what Angelique Kerber and company have been up to on and off the court at one of the WTA’s most popular stop-offs, the Ericsson Open.
WASHINGTON, DC, USA – Yanina Wickmayer put friendship to one side on Friday afternoon to defeat No.4 seed Kristina Mladenovic and take her place in the semifinals of the Citi Open.
Watch live action from Washington DC, Bastad and Stanford this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Breaks at the end of the second and third sets proved the difference in a tight affair as Wickmayer prevailed, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, to book a meeting with No.6 seed Yulia Putintseva for a place in the final.
Wickmayer and Mladenovic are close off the court, a relationship which complicated matters going into their quarterfinal meeting. “Yeah it’s difficult, I think we went for dinner five or six times in the past week, it’s tough playing her and being her opponent today,” Wickmayer said afterwards. “I had to work hard because she plays such good tennis.”
Early on it appeared like it would be the Frenchwoman bringing the bragging rights to their next dinner date. However, after dropping the first set, Wickmayer grabbed the initiative in the second, three forehand winners bringing her the decisive break in the eighth game.
The third was just as evenly contested. Wickmayer made her move early, only to surrender this advantage with a misjudged drop shot at 3-2. A game later, the Belgian was back in front, and this time there would be no second chances, confidently serving out for a place in just her second semifinal of the season.
Putintseva ensured she would be fresh for their last four showdown by comfortably seeing off the unseeded Risa Ozaki, 6-4, 6-2.
Also impressing was wildcard Jessica Pegula, who knocked out top seed and former US Open champion Samantha Stosur, 7-6(4), 6-3, to reach her maiden WTA semifinal. There she will face the winner of the evening session between another American, Lauren Davis, and Camila Giorgi.
STANFORD, CA, USA – Johanna Konta produced an classy display at the Bank of the West Classic to defeat Dominika Cibulkova and advance to the first final of her career.
Watch live action from Bastad, Stanford and Washington DC this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Displaying all the poise that has characterized her rapid ascent over the past 12 months, Konta outplayed 2013 champion Cibulkova from first point until last, triumphing 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and 14 minutes.
A picture of calm throughout, Konta’s could not hide her emotions when Cibulkova send a forehand sailing long on match point, emitting a scream of delight. “It’s a release of emotions, because I felt I needed to do a very good job of focusing on myself, my own game. And I was very happy I was able to do that and that’s what happens when you try to stay calm for so long,” Konta told on-court interviewer Andrew Krasny.
Think she's excited? @JoKonta91 defeats @Cibulkova 6-4, 6-2. #BOTWClassic pic.twitter.com/spYxrdeGKA
— BOTW Classic (@BOTWClassic) 23 July 2016
“I was trying to focus just on the circumstances and not anything that was going on around me. I enjoyed being out here, playing in front of a great crowd and am excited to come back tomorrow.”
This time last year she was embarking on a 16-match win streak that began on the ITF Circuit and ended in the second week of the US Open.
On her return Konta has looked every inch the Top 20 player, and judging by her form against Cibulkova she could yet rise further. A pin-point forehand return brought her an early break, and with her own serve impenetrable it was an advantage she never looked like squandering.
The second set was even more impressive, Konta conceding only two points on serve as she cruised to victory. She is the third Briton to contest the final in Stanford – Sue Barker beat Virginia Wade to the title the 1977 – and there she will face two-time champion Venus Williams.
Carrying the momentum she picked up at Wimbledon with her across the Atlantic, Williams has been in fine form this week. And for the first half an hour or so of her semifinal against Alison Riske, it looked like the would reach her 80th career final a canter.
Riske’s fighting spirit ensured the second set was far more competitive, but despite holding a couple of set points she was unable to prevent Williams winning, 6-1, 7-6(2).
“I was at the finish line and playing well, but getting killed on these points where I hit amazing first serves, so all credit to her because she played her best tennis when it was almost over,” WIlliams said.
BASTAD, Sweden – No.6 seed Laura Siegemund captured her maiden WTA title after a stunning week at the Ericsson Open, dispatching rising Czech star Katerina Siniakova, 7-5, 6-1.
Watch live action from Bastad, Stanford and Washington DC this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
“This is one of my favorite tournaments, and I can’t believe I won this one!” Siegemund said after the match.
“I was in good shape, and was playing well last week as well. I knew I could do well here but winning the whole thing is something you might not really expect or think about.”
Siegemund, who made her main draw debut in Bastad back in 2010, first showed off her clay court prowess earlier in the season at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix – where she defeated Simona Halep, Roberta Vinci, and Agnieszka Radwanska to reach her first WTA final as a qualifier.
“I remember being a qualifier was a big deal back then, and I’ve always played well here from some reason. I guess it has to do with really liking the place and enjoying your off-court time.”
But the 28-year-old came full circle in Bastad, outlasting former Stuttgart finalist and countrywoman Julia Goerges in the semifinals and surviving a tricky opening set against Siniakova to run away with the win in 83 minutes.
“I tried to find my game from the beginning. I wanted to be aggresisve and play some clay court tennis because she certainly likes to hit and be inside the court to dominate. I wanted to make her move; it didn’t work quite as well as I’d hoped, and at times I wasn’t happy with my game, but it’s not about perfection, it’s about making it work in that moment. Obviously, it worked out in the end.”
Set to make her Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Rio, Siegemund is projected to not only crack the Top 40, but also tentatively reach a career-high ranking of No.32, putting her in contention for a seed at the upcoming US Open.
“I got a new perspective on tennis; it’s a great sport, and that kind of gave me some freedom on the court to try things and change my game.
“When I’m tight, like today in the final, I take a minute to sit on the bench, close my eyes. If it all gets too much, I think about how this is amazing, and who wouldn’t want to be here? It’s great weather, your favorite place to be, and all these people are here to watch you play and do what you love to do. It might be a feeling of thankfulness, and trying to stay out of that narrow, unhappy perspective. I try to see the big picture more now, than before.”
Time to celebrate! Pop the ? @LauraSiegemund!! #EricssonOpen pic.twitter.com/Iq0WTimmD3
— WTA (@WTA) July 24, 2016
Twelve months ago, Johanna Konta took the first steps on a journey up the tennis ladder that shows no sign of ending any time soon. A 16-match winning run, which began at a lowly ITF Circuit event in Granby, Canada, sent the Briton skyrocketing up the rankings and, more importantly, imbued her with a sense of belonging.
This past weekend, Konta proved once more that her place at tennis’ top table is very much warranted, outplaying Venus Williams in the final of the Bank of the West Classic to take home her maiden career title.
The result bumps Konta several quite significant places up the rankings from No.18 to 14. Not only is Konta now highly likely to be among the leading 16 seeds for the US Open, she is also the first British player since Jo Durie in October 1984 to be ranked inside the Top 15.
While her plentiful points haul from last summer means a further rise is no foregone conclusion, on current form few would put deep runs in Montréal, Cincinnati or the US Open beyond the 25-year-old. Konta currently lies 176 points behind 10th-ranked Dominika Cibulkova and a good showing at any of the summer hardcourt events could well see her become the fourth Brit (after Virginia Wade, Sue Barker and Durie) to crack the Top 10.
Konta, though, is not player to make a significant move last week.
Dominika Cibulkova (+2, No.12 to No.10): One of Konta’s victims in Stanford was the in-form and newlywed Cibulkova. The semifinal defeat, though, failed to end her summer honeymoon – the 185 points gained confirming a return to the Top 10 for the first time since January 2015.
Laura Siegemund (+8, No.40 to No.32): Not so long ago Laura Siegemund and her fellow German Angelique Kerber existed in very different worlds on tour. Now, following a title run in Bastad that pushed her up to No.32 in the rankings, Siegemund could very well be seeded alongside her compatriot at the upcoming US Open.
Yanina Wickmayer (+8, No.44 to No.36): Yanina Wickmayer was hot in Washington DC. Literally. It was hard not to be with temperatures in the capital threatening 100°F. However, Wickmayer wisely kept her time on court to a minimum, dropping just one set en route to her fifth career title. She is now at her highest ranking since April 2013.
Alison Riske (+20, No.78 to No.58): While Riske was unable to complete her rousing comeback to defeat Venus in the Stanford semifinals, victories over seeds Varvara Lepchenko and CoCo Vandeweghe ensured the tournament remained a highly encouraging one. She is now closing in on returning to the Top 50 for the first time since last September.
Katerina Siniakova (+13, No.92 to No.79): Former junior No.2 Katerina Siniakova’s progress up the senior ranks has come in fits and starts. In Bastad, the Czech took a significant step in the shape of a maiden WTA final, a result that edged her 13 places closer to a Top 50 debut.
When Serena Williams dons the Team USA colors for the fourth time in her illustrious career, she won’t only be playing for herself.
“You’re playing for your country, and you become really proud to be where you’re from,” she says in a new advertisement made by Mini USA.
The campaign, called “Defy Labels,” allows Serena to tell the story of growing up as a young girl in Compton, California, and how she went on to become one of the greatest tennis players the world has ever known.
“If I was talking to the kids in Compton, I would tell them that no one can define you, no one can put a label on you.
“No one can say, ‘This is what you’re supposed to do,’ and when you think of all the Olympic athletes, they are really doing something that is beyond everything that they should have done – having the chance to win a gold medal and compete against the best of the best across the globe.”
Posted on Serena’s official Facebook page, check out the full video right here on wtatennis.com:
CoCo Vandeweghe hosted her Twitter Q&A session, #AskVandey, yesterday evening, but things got interesting when her fellow Team USA high-jacked the chat – see all the highlights here!