Beijing: Radwanska Interview
An interview with Agnieszka Radwanska after her win in the final of the China Open.
An interview with Agnieszka Radwanska after her win in the final of the China Open.
Agnieszka Radwanska talks through her performance in the semifinals of the Apia International Sydney.
An interview with Johanna Konta after her final win at the Apia International Sydney.
LINZ, Austria – No.4 seed Carla Suárez Navarro overcame some big hitting from Mona Barthel to ease past the German, 6-4, 6-2, to not only advance into the second round of the Generali Ladies Linz, but also retain her hopes of qualifying for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
“The most important thing is to take it match by match, step by step,” Suárez Navarro said in her post-match press conference. “Today, I felt really good on the court today. It’s an important week because of Singapore – not only for me, but for other players, as well.”
The Spaniard, currently ranked No.10 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard, narrowly missed out on qualification last year, and could yet find herself closing in on the Top 8 with strong results in Linz – in a draw that boats four Top 10 players – and at next week’s Kremlin Cup.
“Players all want spots in Singapore, and we only have a few more tournaments. For me, this is a really good tournament, really good facilities. The hotel is close to site, and the food is really good. You guys will have an interesting week for sure,” she said, joking with the members of the media.
Though she led Barthel 2-0 in their head-to-head, the pair had only played on clay – Suárez Navarro’s favorite surface – and the indoor hardcourts are a much better fit for the former World No.23, who struggled with illness and injury throughout the season.
“The color [of the court] is different, but sometimes when the court is too fast, it’s not really good for me. It’s not good for the tennis or for the show, either, because it’s bing, bam, bing, bam – so fast! But I really like these courts; the color is nice and different. It’s not too fast, so it’s good.”
Serving at 71% for the match, Suárez Navarro’s consistency won the day, breaking serve four times to reach the second round in just over an hour.
“I know she serves really well, so I had to be focused on the return game. The end of the first set was tough for me, but I tried to be solid, sometimes aggressive with my return. I’m happy with my performance.”
One of the only women to reach the second week at all four major tournaments in 2016, Suárez Navarro, who won the biggest tournament of her career earlier this season at the Qatar Total Open, next plays Sara Sorribes Tormo, who knocked out Jelena Ostapenko, 7-6(3), 6-4.
“When you make it to Singapore, it’s one of the best moments after the four Grand Slams. It would be good for my career if I can make it there, even once.
“It’s tough to get there, but even Zhuhai is also a good tournament. It means you’ve finished the year in the Top 15; that’s not bad at all.”
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SYDNEY, Australia – British No.1 Johanna Konta put on a masterclass in the final of the Apia International Sydney to defeat Agnieszka Radwanska and capture her second career WTA title in straight sets.
Despite hitting a meager nine unforced errors, Radwanska had no answer against Konta’s aggressively controlled power tennis, falling 6-4, 6-2 after just over an hour and twenty minutes.
“She was just playing unbelievable tennis from the beginning till the end,” Radwanska said to press after the match. “And normally you’re thinking that she can’t play like this whole match and it’s gonna be even game or two that, you know, you can go forward because she’s gonna have some worse couple of games. But she didn’t.
“She was just playing [the] whole match so aggressive with pretty much everything in, and I couldn’t do much.”
Spurred on by a partisan crowd – “it’s a bit like playing Fed Cup,” Konta commented to her coach Wim Fissette at one on-court coaching break – the Sydney-born Brit stayed calm against the World No.3, who she had never defeated in their previous encounters.
.@JoKonta91 is on ?! #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/8Y2okuemYP
— WTA (@WTA) January 13, 2017
Keeping Radwanska under pressure with her relentless space and rhythm, Konta grabbed the lone break in the opening set but she had her opponent on the ropes throughout. Radwanska saved another break point that would have given the Brit a double-break lead, but couldn’t take back the deficit as Konta charged ahead.
Konta kept it rolling in the second set, quickly building up a double break to lead 4-0. Though Radwanska managed to grab a couple of games back, Konta imposed herself on every point and never allowed her opponent any time to get back into the match.
The Brit sealed the victory with an ace – her seventh of the match – to take home her second career WTA title.
.@JoKonta91 captures @SydneyTennis title!
Knocks out Radwanska 6-4, 6-2! pic.twitter.com/jVaZfiWMki
— WTA (@WTA) January 13, 2017
“I’m just overall happy with how I was able to progress throughout this tournament,” Konta told press after the win. “I felt each match that I was playing I was thinking a little more clearly and getting that much more match-tight, as the saying is.
“But overall, very happy with the match I played today. I really felt I definitely maintained a high level throughout and I made it very difficult for her to do much today. Going into any match against Aga – I played her twice before – I knew it had to be nothing short of what it was today if I was to have a chance of coming through.”
Guaranteed to move up to World No.9, Konta’s victory will give her plenty of confidence for the upcoming Australian Open, having not dropped a set all tournament long. She’s set to open against Kirsten Flipkens next week in Melbourne.
“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,” Konta said.
“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.”
TIANJIN, China – Agnieszka Radwanska made a confident start to her defense of the Tianjin Open, swatting aside Tatjana Maria in two one-sided sets on Wednesday.
Fresh from her victory in Beijing over the weekend, Radwanska needed little more than an hour to wrap up a 6-1, 6-2 victory – her 50th of the season – and set up a second-round meeting against Evgeniya Rodina.
“Firstly, I’m very happy to win my match pretty quickly. It’s good to have the opening round in two sets and be fresh for the next round,” Radwanska said. “I’m very happy that I could keep it up and play at the same level as at the China Open.”
Twelve months ago, Radwanska touched down in Tianjin amidst a desperate late scramble for points to secure a place at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. While the anxiety this time has diminished, her desire to be successful has not: “This year is much better. I already qualified in China Open so of course there is less pressure. But you still want to win the tournament, still want to play your best game, just a little less pressure.”
Naomi Osaka continued her scintillating run of form by brushing qualifier Lucie Hradecka aside, 6-2, 7-6(4), to reach the quarterfinals. The Czech player took the Japanese teenager to a tie-break in the second set but could not hold her off for too long.
Osaka had already beaten eighth seed Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-4, 6-2, in round one. This run in Tianjin comes towards the end of a great year for her in which she reached the third round of three of the four Slams, and made the final of the Toray Pan Pacific Open – an achievement for which she was voted WTA Breakthrough of the Month.
The WTA Newcomer of the Year nominee now faces Svetlana Kuznetsova after she saw off Donna Vekic, 7-5, 6-4.
Elsewhere, Han Xinyun won the first match of the day on Centre Court, beating wildcard Wang Yafan 7-5, 6-3.
Svetlana Kuznetsova ended 2016 at such a breakneck pace that it was hard for the Russian to slow down in the off-season.
“I just didn’t want to totally switch off, so that’s why I kept going, trying to do something,” she told WTA Insider before the Brisbane International. “Even in the Maldives, when I was with my parents, I still had some sessions, running or whatever it is.
“The body of an athlete has to be moving all the time. No stopping. One week, maybe a few days, you can let yourself go, but you feel better when you’re moving.”
The former World No.2 was almost unstoppable last fall, moving from a must-win week in Moscow to a long-awaited return to the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global in seven years. Kuznetsova kicked off the new season with a 600th match win, ranking her fifth among active players.
“It’s a great achievement, a lot of matches to count” ?
-@SvetlanaK27 on reaching 600 career wins pic.twitter.com/hhdl0dUwo6
— WTA (@WTA) January 2, 2017
“My physio told me it’s only a couple more until I get to 1000, and I was like ‘What?’ But I started to think about 600, and how sometimes you get confused in matches when you’re playing, thinking ‘How do I do this?’ But then I think, ‘In 600 matches, you haven’t learned how to win?'”
There’s clearly been a lot more winning of late, as the two-time Grand Slam champion returned to the Top 10 after being as low as No.85 four years ago.
“I would love to take some of the consistency into this season. In the last few years, I haven’t been so good; I was always there, but couldn’t quite flip the switch. I would love to stay with the switch on, because it’s the key for me.”
#WTA leading 22 three set match wins!
World No.9 @SvetlanaK27! pic.twitter.com/CNSLBGWua9
— WTA (@WTA) December 23, 2016
Part of the key to that consistency has been maintaining a simplistic approach to each match, focusing on one point at a time.
“The most difficult things in life are often the most simple ones. Even when you start to play tennis, what do they tell you? Look at the ball. It’s the main thing in the whole life of a player. Some players forget to look at the ball, and you don’t think about it. Any player, even the No.1 – I don’t know, maybe, I’ve never been there, but No.2 for sure.
“Sometimes when you keep losing, and you’re thinking, ‘Damn, it’s so hard; how do I get there? It’s impossible.’ Then something goes on and you start winning and you think how it’s so simple. It’s the theory of life, what happens to everyone; when you’re on top, it looks simple. It’s not really like that, but when you’re there, that’s how it looks. When you’re not, it seems so much more complicated.
“I feel that I’m playing as well as the best in the world, and I have a chance to beat them and be ranked among them everywhere I go. It’s a great feeling because I worked really hard to be there; it’s a pleasure.”
Sveta on the Stretch!@SvetlanaK27 takes @BrisbaneTennis Day 4 Shot of the Day with this brilliant volley! pic.twitter.com/6EgWW4egIB
— WTA (@WTA) January 4, 2017
With that pleasure comes increased expectation; Kuznetsova opens against Mariana Duque Mariño on Monday, and is seeded to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2014 French Open, but the more things change, the more they stay the same for the 31-year-old veteran.
“People see me differently now because I’m a Top 10 player again. They don’t see you like a Top 10 player when you don’t have that same confidence. Players will only see you by the ranking, and ranking reflects everything. You can’t cheat the ranking, that’s for sure!
“All players want to beat me and I definitely don’t have this easy life where I’ve never been at the top and top players don’t expect anything good. Of course, everyone expects good tennis from me and that can be hard to deal with. But I feel confident, I feel happy and healthy. Those are the main things and I love the game; I enjoy it.
“If I feel like this, I’m ready to go for it and one day I’ll make it.”
.@SvetlanaK27 taking an unusual approach to her warm up today ??? #SydneyTennis pic.twitter.com/uMRSU4t4WW
— Apia Intl Sydney (@SydneyTennis) January 8, 2017
With no immediate goals, Kuznetsova does hope to one day surpass the quarterfinals, her best finish in Melbourne. She led by a set in two of those three prior appearances in the last eight, falling to Maria Sharapova in 2005 and Serena Williams in 2009.
“I love the event, the crowd, and Australia. The people are very nice; they love beer a lot! I tell my friends I’m in Australia and they tell me what a dream it is for them to travel here.
“I’m already living someone else’s dream, but I would still love to see more places in Australia.”
That dream already came true this year with a debut appearance in Brisbane; might the No.8 seed make another dream come true Down Under?
The finalists for the 2016 WTA Doubles Team Of The Year have been announced, and we want to hear from you, the fans. The fan vote will count as one of the coveted media votes.
Have a look at the finalists and cast your vote before Sunday, October 16th at 11:59pm ET! The winner will be announced Friday, October 21st.
2016 WTA Doubles Team Of The Year Finalists
Caroline Garcia & Kristina Mladenovic: It has been quite the year for Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic on the doubles court. After suffering a couple of near-misses in Sydney and Dubai, they finally got their hands on some silverware in Charleston. This began a glorious stretch on the clay, where they triumphed in Stuttgart, Madrid and, most memorably, Roland Garros. While they struggled to scale these heights in the second half of the season, they returned to form in time for the US Open, losing out to Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova in an entertaining final.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova: There is little doubt that Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova have been the outstanding team in the second half of 2016. Injuries and Olympic commitments meant the duo, winners of two majors in 2015, played sparingly together until the summer months, winning Miami and reaching the final in Charleston from a handful of appearances together. However, since their post-Rio reunion Mattek-Sands and Safarova have been unstoppable, embarking on a 16-match unbeaten run that has brought titles at the US Open, Wuhan and Beijing.
Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina: Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina may not have resumed their fruitful partnership until the clay court season, but they certainly made the most of this time together. On their first outing in unison, the Mutua Madrid Open, the Russians reached the semifinals, before going a stage further in Rome. One month later at Roland Garros, they continued this upwards trajectory, narrowly missing out on a third Grand Slam title. Any lingering disappointment was banished over the summer months, during which time they captured the trophy in Montréal then Olympic gold in Rio.
Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza: Following 2015’s trophy-laden campaign was always going to be a tough proposition for Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza. And while they did not quite scale the same heights, they remained regulars at the business end of showpiece events. The year started in dominant fashion, victories in their first four events – a run which included the Australian Open – confirming them as the team to beat on tour. They were nearly as impressive on clay, lifting silverware in Rome and reaching the final of both Stuttgart and Madrid, before announcing their surprise split following disappointing showings at Wimbledon and then Montréal.
WTA Doubles Team Of The Year Winners
2015: Martina Hingis / Sania Mirza
2014: Sara Errani / Roberta Vinci
2013: Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci
2012: Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci
2011: Kveta Peschke/Katarina Srebotnik
2010: Gisela Dulko/Flavia Pennetta
2009: Serena Williams/Venus Williams
2008: Cara Black/Liezel Huber
2007: Cara Black/Liezel Huber
2006: Lisa Raymond/Sam Stosur
2005: Lisa Raymond/Sam Stosur
How it works:
Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a media vote with a fan vote counting as one media vote
Tennis apparel companies are ready for the 2017 Australian Open, and Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will show us the latest performance wear that will help WTA players bring their A-game to the sunny courts in Melbourne.
Angelique Kerber will defend her title in a stunning blue and orange outfit inspired by the tournament’s environment: the mystery blue reflects the Australian Open courts, the layers of the adidas Melbourne Tank symbolize depth of the ocean and sky combined with sun-washed graphic, while pops of bright orange represent the ever-present Australian heat.
The super-lightweight performance clothes combats the scorching heat with ClimaLite materials, which encourage quick evaporation of sweat, and Climacool technology, which enhances the body’s ability to regulate its temperature.
The adidas Melbourne Skirt, featuring printed compression shorts and wrap design, nicely matches the top’s spaghetti straps, as well as orange adidas adizero Ubersonic shoes that the world number one Kerber is set to launch at the first Grand Slam of 2017.
Garbine Muguruza will wear the new slim-fit adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade Dress in hypergreen and white. The item combats extreme heat with Clima™ technologies and seamless structures with mesh cutout details. The reigning Roland Garros champion will complete the look with the flexible and supportive adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade footwear.
Switching from dresses to separates, Caroline Wozniacki will sport the form-fitting seamless adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade Tank in vibrant hypergreen and bold blue alongside the matching skirt that features the designer’s signature laser-cut holes. The Dane’s adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade Boost 2017 shoe is crafted from premium materials and features BOOST technology, about which the former world number one says: “BOOST is something you need to feel to believe; my game is more energised and I’m lighter and faster on my feet.”
After dominating last year’s Australian Open with her yellow crop top and pleated skirt, Serena Williams is ready to once again blow us off our feet with her Nike Spring Serena Premier Power Dress, whose outstanding features are the striking print that resembles piano keys at the extended bottom hem, stylish thin vertical slits at upper back and solid panels at the bust and upper back that contrast the slightly sheer body of the dress.
Eugenie Bouchard will also rock a black and white look, debuting the Nike Spring Premier Crop Top, featuring half-length raglan sleeves and rounded side vents, and the Nike Power Spin Premier Skirt, which stretches as you move, but then recovers its shape for supreme support.
Venus Williams will sport the Competitor Dress from the EleVen Thika collection.
The print’s hues resemble a tropical sunset, with the blurred crossing lines representing the last sunrays of the day.
Lotto’s Agnieszka Radwanska will showcase the Nixia III Dress, which we have already seen during the Pole’s first two tournaments of the season, the Shenzhen Open and the Apia International Sydney. Lotto Stratosphere II shoes will be Radwanska’s choice for the Australian Open, created for players who cover the entire court, therefore requiring a shoe that is stable while providing advanced mobility and reactivity during fast movements.
Fila’s athletes will present not one but two outstanding collections.
Karolina Pliskova and Jelena Jankovic are set to wear pieces from the new Heritage collection, which reflects the brand’s rich history in the game with its clean color palette and a variety of timeless designs. Paying homage to Fila’s original Italian aesthetic, the range offers three silhouettes of tops that can be paired with two skort styles, while the highlight piece is the Heritage Polo Dress.
The Sleek Streak collection, to be worn by Yaroslava Shvedova, Timea Babos and Irina-Camelia Begu, takes a bold approach to on-court styling, complete with vibrant hues, eye-catching graphic prints, and standout finishes.
New Balance’s Heather Watson will rock the printed Yarra Tank, an athletic racerback piece featuring stylish slit openings along armholes, and the Tournament Skort in color firefly, featuring an engineered elastic waistband with cutouts and printed built-in compression short. The shoes that complement this look are New Balance 996v3, equipped with ProBank technology that keeps your foot stable and in optimal position during fast lateral movements.
Nicole Gibbs is set to promote the same kit, only her ensemble is pink and white.
Judging by the Australian Open designs, we can look forward to another stylish year on the WTA circuit.
