Tennis News

NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.5 seed Simona Halep survived a gutsy upset bid from No.31 seed Timea Babos, who kept her on the ropes for much of the second half of the match before Halep scraped through, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.

“Today I had in my head just that I can win the match, and I have just to take point by point,” Halep reflected in her post-match press conference. “So it was a good thing, and I want also to improve more in this. I feel safe when I’m on court. That’s why I refuse to lose.

“I’m stronger mentally and I don’t give up any more during the matches, even if I’m down.”

Halep looked set to cruise to a quick victory after she snapped up the first set in just 24 minutes. She made only four unforced errors to Babos’ nine, and despite the Hungarian entering the tournament ranked third on the WTA for most aces, Halep was able to contain that big serve and break three her three times.

But after being thoroughly outplayed in the opening set, Babos settled into her game and began to read Halep’s shots better. Babos suddenly began to outlast Halep at the baseline – the Romanian’s stronghold – and seemed to be one step ahead of her in the rallies.

With Babos firing off winner after winner, Halep began to play the kind of nervous, fast game that betrayed her mounting frustration. Babos rattled off six unanswered games to grab the second set and carry that momentum into the third, yanking Halep from line to line to draw out the errors and earn an early break.

The momentum shifted once as Halep refused to wilt and kept her cool to stay within touching distance. The Romanian eventually broke back at 3-3 to put them on even ground for the first time in over an hour.

Point of the match? #Halep gets the break she needs to lead her to a three set win over #Babos. #usopen @Chase https://t.co/eywEXaKjsJ

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 3, 2016

After a tense couple of games, with Babos serving at 5-4, 40-15 for a chance to extend her stay in the match, the Hungarian sprayed a string of nervous errors to gift Halep match point, before surrendering the match on a double fault.

“It feels good that I could win the match,” Halep said afterwards. “It was really tough. She played unbelievable second and third set. She didn’t miss at all. She was hitting very strong, so it was a good challenge for me and it was a good match.”

“I’m really proud that I could win it and come back from 3-1 down in the third set.”

Next up for the Romanian is the No.11 seed Carla Suárez Navarro, who has been quietly making her way through the draw with her usual consistency. The Spaniard celebrated her 28th birthday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against No.19 seed Elena Vesnina earlier in the day, and she’s yet to drop a set at the US Open.

A year ago, Suárez Navarro bowed out of the US Open in the first round, one of three first-round exits she suffered at Grand Slams. This year, she’s one of a handful of women to reach the fourth round at every Grand Slam.

“Last year in the Grand Slam I didn’t make the results,” she explained. “So I tried to be more focused, more relaxed. [Now] I play good in the Grand Slams but, you know, I want more.”

“I don’t want to lose in quarterfinals or the round before. I mean, if I’m staying in the second week I want more. I want to be in the final round.”

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Two-time US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki has tapped into some New York magic once more, taking out No.8 seed Madison Keys, 6-3, 6-4, to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in exactly two years.

“It’s been a good week,” Wozniacki said after the match. “I’m really happy about the way I played. Obviously Madison is a strong player. She hits the ball really hard.

“But I managed to really play well, get a lot of returns in. I served well, which I was pleased with.”

Dealing with injuries throughout the 2016 season, the former No.1 had tumbled all the way down to No.74 in the rankings, but is set to begin her climb back in earnest thanks another big win in Flushing. Playing Keys for the first time, the Dane relied on her signature consistency to frustrate the young American, winning 80% of her first serve points and hitting just three unforced errors in the one hour and 18 minute match.

“Everybody wants to beat you. No matter what my ranking is at this current moment , I always feel like I’m a target. I have to keep improving to beat everybody. I feel like I have been serving well this week, especially today, and returning well and really having good court coverage.”

Two-time #usopen finalist #Wozniacki off to a hot start against Madison #Keys, taking the opener 6-3. @chase https://t.co/CTc5svPzwB

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2016

Keys had come off a hard-fought third round win against fellow young gun Naomi Osaka, and despite hitting 30 winners against Wozniacki, 33 unforced errors proved critical on Sunday, engineering just one break point all day.

“I definitely felt like I got off to a bad start, and then I felt like I was trying to catch up from there,” Keys said in her post-match press conference.

“I definitely don’t think I was playing my best. I mean, I think she played really, really well today. I think it was just a combination of me not playing my best and not playing super smart and her playing really well.

“I feel like the match just got away from me.”

Up next for Wozniacki is comeback kid Anastasija Sevastova, who continued her own Cinderella run into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 7-5 win over No.13 seed, Johanna Konta.

“I had some tough matches against her in the past,” Wozniacki said. “I think we played Fed Cup a couple of times, but also we played the Australian Open.

“She’s a tough player. She’s a tough opponent. She has a lot of grit and good hands. It’s not going to be an easy one, but I’m excited just to have another shot.”

Calm and relaxed throughout the fortnight, Wozniacki even took in some of Saturday night’s match between Stan Wawrinka and Dan Evans, trying her hand at providing match analysis on Twitter:

What a match happening on Armstrong now!! Will be interesting to see how Evans will bounce back for the 5th set after having had match point

— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) September 4, 2016

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Simona Halep became the first player in the top half of the draw to reach the US Open quarterfinals after a straight set win over Carla Suárez Navarro.

Some late service jitters turned a stroll across the line into an altogether tenser conclusion, but Halep recomposed herself to close out a 6-2, 7-5 victory.

The Romanian signaled her positive intent from the off, some sparkling attacking tennis helping her to a 4-0 lead. While Suárez Navarro eventually managed to get on the board it was far too late to rescue the set.

This pattern continued into the second. Halep, despite a slight dip, continuing to control much of the action and building a 5-2 lead. Yet with the end in sight, Suárez Navarro finally loosened up, displaying some terrific shotmaking to draw level.

Fueled by her opponent’s brilliance, Halep unleashed a couple of winners of her own to break once more. Serving for the match a second time she did not waver, recovering from 0-30 to set up a quarterfinal showdown with top seed Serena Williams.

Halep, a semifinalist 12 months ago, has enjoyed a productive summer, winning titles in Bucharest and Montréal, and now feels ready to take the next step. “My game now I feel is the best that I had ever, because I feel strong on my body. I feel that I can control every tactic during the match. I can change. I’m able to the change the tactic when I need.

“It’s tough to talk about the winning a Grand Slam because I never won one, so I don’t know the feeling. But I’m working hard to reach that title, to make that dream come true. So I’m just working, dreaming about it, and if one day it happens I will be very happy!”

.@Simona_Halep easily advances against #Navarro to the quarterfinals! #usopen @MBUSA https://t.co/GkA3WzDMHw

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2016

WUHAN, China – Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki is set to continue her US Open resurgence into the WTA’s Asian swing, joining Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber, Simone Halep, Petra Kvitova and defending champion Venus Williams at the 2016 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.

“I’m so excited to be coming back to Wuhan and seeing all my amazing Chinese fans again,” Wozniacki said. “Playing in China, where the crowds have such a passion for tennis, is always really special. There is a really strong line-up of players this year in Wuhan and it’s going to be fantastic to be part of it.”

The 2016 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open announced today a star-studded field, with all of the WTA’s Top 10 active players entered and Wozniacki receiving a wildcard into the 56-player main draw.

The WTA Premier 5 tournament, now entering its third year, has become one of the cornerstones of tennis’s autumn Asian swing. The tournament takes place between 23 September and 01 October 2016, and tickets are already available. Visit the tournament’s website, www.wuhanopen.org, or www.4008702014.com for more details.

For Johanna Konta, the opening weeks of the new season could hardly have gone any better. Picking up from where she left off at the end of 2016, Konta has continued to rack up the wins and on Friday evening collected her second career title thanks to a dominant victory over World No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska at the Apia International Sydney.

Success in Sydney will have tasted particularly sweet for Konta, who was born in Sydney and learnt the game in the nearby suburb of Collaroy before moving to Britain as a teenager.

Her return to Australia’s cultural capital has afforded plenty of time to catch up with old friends and family, including elder sister Eva, who is married to AFL player Shane Mumford.

“I’m just really happy I get to stay here a little bit longer,” Konta said after her quarterfinal win over Daria Kasatkina.

“I think it’s more just about prolonging my stay here, more than anything, because I get to spend a bit more time with my sister.”

#SAPStatOfTheDay: @JoKonta91 did not drop a set ALL week en-route to @SydneyTennis Title! pic.twitter.com/AFZXwPPLua

— WTA (@WTA) January 13, 2017

However, with one piece of silverware in the bag the 25-year-old’s focus is now firmly set on the Australian Open, where she reached the semifinals 12 months ago. Friday’s draw handed her a first-round date against Kirsten Flipkens, with Caroline Wozniacki and Dominika Cibulkova also lurking in her quarter.

The last British player to win the tournament was Virginia Wade in 1972, and on current form, the Briton will fancy her chances against all-comers. Ever the consummate professional, though, she is taking nothing for granted: “I’m really pleased with just the amount of matches I have been able to play. Obviously how I have done here, I take it as a really positive thing, as a nice reward along the way for the hard work that myself and my team have put in every day.

“But it’s not a reflection of how next week will go, how the rest of the year will go. It’s back to everyday hard work, because that’s what dictates how I do.”

Perfect backhand down the line from @JoKonta91! ?

Wins @SydneyTennis Final Shot of the Day! pic.twitter.com/G6k8xrlTwx

— WTA (@WTA) January 13, 2017

A meticulous approach to each and every aspect of her game has characterized Konta’s rapid ascent of the tennis ladder. As impressive as her shotmaking is at times, her mental fortitude is arguably the cornerstone of her game.

During the off-season Konta parted ways with Esteban Carril, the coach who helped chart her passage from the outer extremities of the Top 100 to the game’s elite. Impressively, the changes behind the scenes – which also included the death of sports psychologist Juan Coto – do not seem to have jolted Konta from her unerring path to the game’s summit.

She is now working with the much-respected Wim Fissette, who looks to have successfully harnessed the career momentum that has helped her win 22 of her past 27 matches.

Fissette, who has worked with Sabine Lisicki, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka and most famously Kim Clijsters, has a fine track record. In Konta he has another potential success story on his hands.

Very happy with winning the title @SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/9RLwNPun4h

— Wim fissette (@wimfissette) January 13, 2017

The next step for his charge is Grand Slam glory. She has tasted it briefly, reaching the US Open fourth round twice, as well as last year’s run at Melbourne Park, and her consistency bodes well for another good showing over the coming fortnight.

“I do feel with myself that I am playing a good level. And the way it’s coming through, so far, is it’s been consistent over the last two weeks,” Konta said after beating Radwanska.

“But like I said, it’s no reflection of how the Australian Open will go… There are so many things that are a factor, and most importantly, I will continue to look at my health, happiness. And again, that will give me the best shot at trying to be consistent, like Aga. That’s pretty hard.”

She will begin her campaign on Tuesday, offering sufficient time to recover from her Sydney exploits. The conditions in Melbourne are likely to be every bit as brutal as they were in Sydney, where the WTA’s heat rule came into play on several occasions.

Konta began refueling for the battles ahead in the moments following the trophy ceremony, a British favorite getting her ready for the Antipodean press pack. “Because it’s quite late, I’m not too sure [what to eat]. I had a ham-and-cheese toasty, which was amazing!”