Strycova Survives Bouzkova Blitz In Biel/Bienne
Top seed Barbora Strycova edged past former junior prodigy Marie Bouzkova in three sets to reach the second round of the Ladies Open Biel Bienne.
Top seed Barbora Strycova edged past former junior prodigy Marie Bouzkova in three sets to reach the second round of the Ladies Open Biel Bienne.
An interview with Roberta Vinci after her quarterfinal win at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
For so long the standard bearer for tennis on the subcontinent, Sania Mirza is no stranger to flying solo. A strange sensation for one of her generation’s outstanding doubles players, but one that has fostered an inner steel crucial to her longevity at the top of the sport.
Following the premature conclusion of her singles career in 2012 owing to a serious wrist injury, Mirza quickly established herself as a doubles specialist to be reckoned with. Already a serial title winner, a sequence of increasingly fruitful partnerships elevated her game – and ranking – to new levels.
Alongside Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and in particular the evergreen Cara Black, Mirza lifted silverware at many of tennis’ flagship events; with Black by her side, this culminated in the Indian qualifying for then winning the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
When Black left the tour to focus on family life, it left Mirza as one of the most sought-after partners on tour. And it was not long before another serial major winner came calling: Martina Hingis.
Success was immediate, the duo winning their first 14 matches and three tournaments together. The last victory in this sequence, in Charleston, brought Mirza to another major milestone: the No.1 ranking.
So impressive were the pair’s results – they won three consecutive majors, going unbeaten for 41 straight matches between August 2015 and February 2016 – Mirza was soon joined by Hingis atop the rankings. It was an honor they held until this Monday, when Mirza reassumed the mantle of outright No.1 following victory alongside new partner Barbora Strycova in the final of the Western & Southern Open.
Their opponents in the final were none other than Hingis and CoCo Vandeweghe, the ownership of the No.1 ranking adding an additional layer of intrigue to an already tense occasion.
“We played each other in the final, which is of course the best time to play each other,” Mirza told ESPN. “It was not the easiest situation, it is a bit weird. There are nerves but at the end of the day we are tennis players and we have to try and win and do our best and we both tried to do the same thing.
“We had a great partnership but it was time to move on and we have moved on. We’ve both had a great tournament. I have to look forward and I have to focus all my energy on this partnership which is obviously doing great.”
Defeat for Mirza would have seen her surrender sole possession of top spot to Hingis, and she was full of praise for her new partner’s competitive instinct following a rollercoaster final, in which they trailed 1-5, 15-40 in the first set before storming back to clinch the title.
“We are really happy, it was a new partnership and we are obviously very happy and excited to have started this way and winning one of the big tournaments of the year,” she said. “We had a really tough draw. We have beaten some big teams and for us it has been an amazing week.
“As professional athletes you have to first see whether you match each other on the court, which is what I thought which is why I approached her to play when that split had happened. Obviously I was right because our playing styles complement each other. We are similar personalities and we will get to know each other better in the course of time. We fight for every point.”
The 38th doubles title of the 29-year-old’s career extends her spell at No.1 to 72 weeks, a number bettered by only 10 players in history. The ranking will again be on the line when Hingis, Mirza and their new teammates head to New York for the year’s final major, the US Open.
“Consistent performances matter, it’s not a flash in the pan of one odd tournament. I have won six tournaments this year and played a bunch of finals which is huge already for this year. The hardcourts are my favorite surface. I am looking forward to the next few weeks. I am not going to put any added pressure on myself that this what I need to do or should do.”
The story of the tournament from the Western & Southern Open.
Barbora Strycova takes on Julia Goerges in the quarterfinals of the Ladies Open Biel Bienne.
BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland – Marketa Vondrousova’s fairytale week continued at the Ladies Open Biel Bienne; the qualifier roared back from a first set deficit to surprise countrywoman and top seed Barbora Strycova, 7-6(3), 6-2 and book her first WTA final appearance alongside Estonian youngster Anett Kontaveit. Kontaveit triumphed in a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 thriller against Aliaksandra Sasnovich earlier in the day.
A week after teenagers Daria Kasatkina and Jelena Ostapenko fought for the Volvo Car Open title, the WTA field continued to serve youth in Biel/Bienne, with 23 as the average age of the semifinalists – and that’s including 31-year-old Strycova.
Defense to offense from Vondrousova!
Back on serve #WTABiel pic.twitter.com/Iq1uDQk3R7
— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017
Vondrousova, who reached two Slam semifinals and won two major doubles titles as a junior, was playing her first tour-level semifinal, and that experience showed early as the World No.18 raced out to a 5-2 lead, later holding a set point in the 12th game of the opener.
The teenager gamely saved it behind a booming lefty serve and saved her best tennis for the ensuing tie-break, striking a screaming winner to clinch it.
First set ? Marketa Vondrousova
Saves a set point to surprise Strycova 7-6(3)! #WTABiel pic.twitter.com/7wJHPy2X8i
— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017
Strycova struggled to counter her fellow Czech’s aggressive game on the indoor hardcourts as Vondrousova took a 5-2 lead of her own in the second, breaking serve for the fourth and final time to advance into the biggest final of her career.
17 year old qualifier Marketa Vondrousova reaches FIRST #WTA Final!
Stuns Strycova 7-6(3), 6-2 @WTABielBienne! pic.twitter.com/YKFgxhkRIC
— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017
In all, the qualifier played a clean match, striking 22 winners to 13 unforced errors; Strycova’s own 13 winners were undone by 20 unforced errors.
Anett Kontaveit and Aliaksandra Sasnovich open @WTABielBienne Semifinals! pic.twitter.com/PAfhqglB2r
— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017
Awaiting Vondrousova in the final is another former junior prodigy in Kontaveit, who reached the US Open girl’s singles final back in 2012 and outlasted Sasnovich to start Semifinal Saturday.
“I feel really good, and really happy to be in my first final,” she said after the match.
Back in the Top 100 after reaching the third round of the Miami Open, the unseeded Estonian battled through a high-quality encounter with Sasnovich, who was playing her first WTA semifinal since 2015.
Anett Kontaveit takes a close opening set vs Sasnovich 6-4! #WTABiel pic.twitter.com/KuezLGrvmB
— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017
“I was down a break twice in the third set, but I tried to stay in there even though she was playing really well. I was just trying to stay with her do what I always do: fight and not give up.
“Mentally, I toughed it out.”
Hitting 26 winners to the Belarusian’s 29, Kontaveit’s consistency won the day, hitting 17 unforced errors against Sasnovich’s 29, and won four more points (114 to 110) by match’s end, converting her WTA final on her fourth match point after two hours and 24 minutes on court.
Drop shot Anett Kontaveit! ? #WTABiel pic.twitter.com/XzM7w5UjLP
— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017
It will be Kontaveit’s first meeting with Vondrousova, and knows to expect another tough match if she hopes to hoist her first WTA trophy.
“She’s had really good wins, and it looks like she’s playing well this week.”
First #WTA Final!
Anett Kontaveit battles past Sasnovich 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 at @WTABielBienne! pic.twitter.com/WkGZC8LdNr
— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017
More to come…
Highlights from the second round action at the Connecticut Open.
Before winning the inaugural Ladies Open Biel Bienne, Hsieh Su-Wei and Monica Niculescu went head-to-head on an egg hunt. Check out who won right here on wtatennis.com!
An interview with Johanna Larsson after her win in the quarterfinals of the Connecticut Open.
DUBAI, UAE – Ana Ivanovic produced another terrific performance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to knock out top seed and defending champion Simona Halep.
Watch live action from Dubai & Rio de Janeiro this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
In the previous round Ivanovic dropped a solitary game, and she was every bit as impressive against Halep, booking her place in the quarterfinals with a 7-6(2), 6-2 win.
“Honestly, I’m delighted,” Ivanovic said. “It was a great battle in the first set, and she’s such a great player and I really had to raise my game, which I think I did. It was not easy but I’m really thrilled to be through.”
Heavy rain meant the players did not get on court until after 8pm. When they did finally emerge, another interruption was soon forthcoming, as the ball kids hastily tried to towel down the still-damp baseline.
On the resumption, Halep started brightest, opening up a 5-3 lead. However, with the set at her mercy she tightened, netting a couple of routine groundstrokes to surrender her advantage.
With her tail now up, Ivanovic produced some sparkling tennis to take the tie-break before racing through the second set.
“I was a little but anxious because it was stop and go. I think we both wanted to continue playing but it was a little bit slippery. I needed to stay calm and I’m glad I managed to do that,” Ivanovic added when quizzed about the second interruption.
Barbora Strycova, a 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 winner over Julia Goerges earlier in the day, awaits in the quarterfinals, and Ivanovic expects another testing outing.
“She beat Julia, who is playing great, so it’s going to be a tough match,” Ivanovic added. “We’ve played a few times before, but I’m not really thinking about that at the moment.”