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Delighted Vesnina & Makarova Reflect On WTA Finals Win

Delighted Vesnina & Makarova Reflect On WTA Finals Win

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SINGAPORE – Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova were in high spirits as they reflected on their win over Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, which made them the doubles champions at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“We were coming here so motivated to have this trophy,” Makarova admitted in their post-match press conference. “We came so early, because two years ago we came quite late – we had just two days for practice.”

“Not enough,” Vesnina interjected.

“Yeah, we came one week before [this year’s tournament began], and were ready, and really wanted this trophy,” Makarova continued. “We’re so happy that we did it today.”

They were quick to pay tribute to their vanquished opponents, and the role they played in making the match such a special occasion.

“We [have] always had tough matches against Lucie and Bethanie,” Vesnina said. “We know that it has to be [a] good match from us and we have to… up our level of the game, because otherwise we won’t beat them. It was really good quality tennis today in the final.”

Ekaterina Makarova, Elena Vesnina

Vesnina and Makarova’s win meant that Sania Mirza finishes the year as Doubles World No.1. The champions wondered whether she might want to thank them for their part in her ranking – or whether she was still smarting from her semifinal loss.

“Congrats to Sania, by the way,” Vesnina said with a smile. “She should give us some gift, I think. We still beat her in the semifinal so she’s upset.”

The new champions were also keen to talk about why they think their partnership works – despite the two players being polar opposites.

“We are different a little bit, but I think that [the partnership] is working because we are different,” Makarova suggested. “Yeah, I’m more quiet and Lena is more –

“I’m talking all the time!” interrupted Vesnina, and her partner agreed. “She’s lefty; I’m a right-hander. Left-handed people, you know that they’re thinking with a different part of the brain and I’m thinking with a different [part of mine]. So that’s why we’re different, but we are still together.”

“Yes – but we are still good to each other,” Makarova added.

Unsurprisingly, the pair are planning a break between Christmas and New Year – but are expecting that they will reunite in January to begin their 2017 campaign.

“For sure we will play Australian Open together, yeah; maybe the tournament before,” Makarova confirmed. 

“Now we want to enjoy this moment. We want to have a holiday. She goes to Zhuhai, so her season is not finished yet. We wish you will all big good luck there -same way as here.

“Then definitely, yeah, we will be ready for Australia.”

Official WTA Finals Mobile App, Created by SAP

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Cibulkova Climbs To World No.5 Following WTA Finals Triumph

Cibulkova Climbs To World No.5 Following WTA Finals Triumph

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SINGAPORE – Dominika Cibulkova has climbed to a career-high ranking of World No.5 after stunning Angelique Kerber, 6-3, 6-4, to win the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

The Slovakian began the tournament as World No.8 and looked set to make an early exit when she lost her first two round robin matches.

However, after beating Simona Halep to reach the semifinals, she recorded a victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova before upsetting the Australian Open and US Open champion to claim the title.

The win moves her up to fifth, leapfrogging Karolina Pliskova, Garbiñe Muguruza and Madison Keys, who were all eliminated at the round-robin phase.

Dominika Cibulkova

Had Cibulkova won her first two round-robin matches, she would be just over 100 points behind Simona Halep, who remains as World No.4.

Kerber secured her status as year-end World No.1 thanks to Serena Williams’ withdrawal from the tournament and received her award in Singapore.

Meanwhile, in the doubles rankings, Sania Mirza hangs on to top spot despite her and Martina Hingis’ semifinal exit in Singapore.

Had Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic or Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova won the tournament, the Indian’s 81-week reign as No.1 would have ended, but Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina’s triumph means she holds on to secure the 2016 WTA Year-End World No.1 Doubles Ranking, presented by Dubai Duty Free. Garcia is just 225 points behind her.

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Vinci Leaves Zhuhai With Uncertain Future

Vinci Leaves Zhuhai With Uncertain Future

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

ZHUHAI, China – Roberta Vinci was dressed all in black after her last match at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai. She looked fondly on a second straight Top 20 season and was in no mood to mourn what she once said would be her last year on tour.

“It was a good year, for sure,” she told WTA Insider Wednesday night. “I had a great last year, and a lot of points to defend this year.

“The tour is always tough and the players are always getting stronger. You always have to stay in good body and mind. Playing every single tournament is tough, but I’m so proud of myself for this year.

“I’m a little bit tired, of course, because it was a long season. I’m sad about today, but happy that I finished this year.”

The lingering question was whether she had finished for good. The answer was more up in the air.

“Right now, I’m finished with this season and I want to go home. I’ll be taking two weeks off for sure, without tennis or anything. Then I’ll decide, if I’m still motivated, if I still want to continue at this level, and if I want to keep working. I don’t know if I want to, or if I’m just tired right now.

“If I want to stay on tour, I’ll have to work a lot. But I don’t know.”

Roberta Vinci

Vinci first rang the retirement bell last November, announcing her intention to finish her career in 2016. She walked the statement back slightly after winning her 10th career title – the biggest of her career at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy – and becoming the oldest woman to make her Top 10 debut. Any decision the Italian veteran does make, she insists, will be final.

“I don’t want to say, ‘Yes, I’m continuing,’ and then in one week, I stop, or say, ‘No, I’m retired,’ and then after a week, you see a video of me practicing.”

Taking a less decisive tact is the famously flamboyant Francesca Schiavone. Vinci’s compatriot has started a web series asking Facebook fans whether she should continue her career, or perhaps follow a new path, all with her signature flair.

“It’s nice for the fans, but I won’t be putting out any videos because I want to decide my future! But Francesca is Francesca; it’s so funny.”

While she waits to make a decision, Vinci won’t regret confessing her initial intent to retire, feeling it helped her better appreciate the tour on which she’s played nearly two decades, and those who’ve watched her play.

“For me, it’s nice because they want to know my future. If I say I’m going to retire and someone is sad, it feels good because it means they really love me and my tennis.

“It’s normal for the fans and the journalists to want to know. Soon, I will let you know what is in my future.”

The immediate future sees the former World No.7 at home with friends and family, looking back on a pressure-filled season centered around defending the 1300 points she earned at last year’s US Open, when she ended then-No.1 Serena Williams’ Calendar Year Grand Slam bid to reach the final.

“I had a lot of pressure, especially at the US Open. In my mind, I was saying that this year will be tough. I didn’t know if I could even stay Top 50. Now, I’m in the Top 20, so my coach is happy and also I’m really happy about that.”

From shouting “60 points!” after her first round win, she made it all the way back into the second week for the fourth time in five years, falling to eventual champion Angelique Kerber.

“I was injured but I played amazing tennis; I won great matches there. I felt something special in New York; I’m always playing good there, be it final or quarterfinal. It’s an incredible tournament for me.”

Vinci described the year’s final major tournament in the present tense, just as she outlined the simple – yet life-changing – decision that stands in front of her.

“If it’s yes, then yes. If it’s no, then no.”

All photos courtesy of WTA Elite Trophy.

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Konta Swats Aside Stosur In Zhuhai Opener, Secures Top 10 Spot

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

ZHUHAI, China – Top seed Johanna Konta made a confident start to the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai by brushing aside Samantha Stosur in straight sets on Wednesday.

Watch live action from Zhuhai this week at WTA Live Powered By TennisTV!

Flying starts to both sets laid the foundations for an impressive 6-4, 6-2 victory over former US Open champion Stosur.

“Against a player like Sam, who plays such a big ball and has such a big game, I really had to do my best to stay there for every single point and take my chances whenever they came,” Konta said in her on-court interview.

Konta had not played since withdrawing from the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open with an abdominal strain, but she showed no sign of rustiness early on, darting across the net to break serve in the opening game.

At a time of year when the bodies and minds of many players are hankering for a holiday, the Briton looked sharp, maneuvering Stosur around the court with ease to stretch this lead to 4-0. And while the Australian eventually found some success, reducing her arrears to 4-3, Konta steadied the ship, firing down a couple of aces to calmly close out the set.

The second set was even more emphatic, the World No.10 taking the first four games once again as she hurtled towards the finishing line and top spot in the Azalea Group.

Konta, the WTA’s Most Improved Player of the year, narrowly missed out on qualifying for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, but still has plenty to play for on her Zhuhai debut; victory over Stosur confirmed Konta will become the first Briton since Jo Durie in 1983 to finish the year inside the Top 10.

“It doesn’t matter what group you’re in here, every single player is so tough – the elite! – so that I know going into every single match that I get to play this week I have to be 100%.”

Earlier on in Camellia Group, Timea Bacsinszky saw off Timea Babos, 6-4, 6-2.

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WTA Elite Trophy Ambassador Steffi Graf Lands In Zhuhai

WTA Elite Trophy Ambassador Steffi Graf Lands In Zhuhai

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970
Steffi Graf has landed in Zhuhai, China for the second edition of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

Steffi Graf has landed in Zhuhai, China for the second edition of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

The former No.1 has fans all around the world, and in Zhuhai it’s no different!

The former No.1 has fans all around the world, and in Zhuhai it’s no different!

She received a warm greeting from her fan club, which received her with posters, artwork and more!

She received a warm greeting from her fan club, which received her with posters, artwork and more!

The tennis legend stopped for a photo with the group.

The tennis legend stopped for a photo with the group.

Graf headed to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge for a different kind of tennis match.

Graf headed to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge for a different kind of tennis match.

Joined by Caroline Garcia, Graf took part in a fun match on the bridge which connects Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China.

Joined by Caroline Garcia, Graf took part in a fun match on the bridge which connects Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China.

The bridge is one of the city’s most impressive landmarks.

The bridge is one of the city’s most impressive landmarks.

Graf showed off her 22-time Grand Slam winning skills on the bridge against Garcia.

Graf showed off her 22-time Grand Slam winning skills on the bridge against Garcia.

After the match they grabbed a photo with some special guests: Mezle Chung, Vice General Manger of Zhuhai Huafa Group Co.,Ltd., Micky Lawler, President of WTA and dozens of the bridge’s workers.

After the match they grabbed a photo with some special guests: Mezle Chung, Vice General Manger of Zhuhai Huafa Group Co.,Ltd., Micky Lawler, President of WTA and dozens of the bridge’s workers.

When it’s completed, the bridge will be the longest sea-spanning bridge in the world, the worker explained to Graf.

When it’s completed, the bridge will be the longest sea-spanning bridge in the world, the worker explained to Graf.

After the bridge visit, she headed back to the Zhuhai Hengquin International Tennis Center, where the WTA Elite Trophy is contested, for another fun activity.

After the bridge visit, she headed back to the Zhuhai Hengquin International Tennis Center, where the WTA Elite Trophy is contested, for another fun activity.

The former No.1 hosted a charity clinic outside of the Haufa Center Court.

The former No.1 hosted a charity clinic outside of the Haufa Center Court.

Graf ran through the basics with 29 students from primary schools and high schools, including 19 from Macau.

Graf ran through the basics with 29 students from primary schools and high schools, including 19 from Macau.

She had words of wisdom for even the smallest tennis fans!

She had words of wisdom for even the smallest tennis fans!

After the clinic, Graf had time for all her fans, signing autograph after autograph.

After the clinic, Graf had time for all her fans, signing autograph after autograph.

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Konta Races Into Zhuhai Semifinals, Kvitova Also Advances

Konta Races Into Zhuhai Semifinals, Kvitova Also Advances

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

ZHUHAI, China – Top seed Johanna Konta produced a clinical display to brush aside Caroline Garcia and take her place in the knockout stage of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

Watch live action from Zhuhai this week at WTA Live Powered By TennisTV!

One hour was all it took for Konta to wrap up a 6-2, 6-2 victory and set up a semifinal against Elina Svitolina. Earlier in the day, No.2 seed Petra Kvitova also advanced, topping her round-robin group after a 6-1, 6-4 win over Barbora Strycova.

Konta confirmed she would finish the year ranked inside the Top 10 following an impressive win against Samantha Stosur in her opening match, and she underlined her status with an even more dominant display second time out.

It did not take long for the Briton to get her nose in front, hooking a passing shot beyond Garcia’s reach to break in the third game. A few games later it was the backhand doing the damage, the World No.10 finding the line to stretch her lead further, before wrapping up the set soon after.

Konta handily won the pair’s previous meeting, at this summer’s Rio Olympics and a run of five straight games in the second set sent her hurtling past the finishing post.

“I really felt I played a very consistent match. I didn’t give he many windows [of opportunity] and I’m very happy I managed to do that today,” Konta said during her on-court interview. ” She has such a big game so I really needed to apply myself on every point.”

“Right now, it’s just one more match tomorrow. I’m not looking any further than that. I’m going to have a very tough one and looking to compete as best I can.”

Petra Kvitova

While Konta takes on Svitolina, in the other semifinal Kvitova meets Chinese No.1 Zhang Shuai.

Kvitova made a flying start against fellow Czech Strycova before encountering some late resistance. However, just as she has so often in her recent resurgence, she found her best tennis when it mattered most, withstanding some late service jitters – and a couple of break points – to take the final three games of the match.

“The second set was a little bit tight. It was really important to serve well in that game, 4-3. I was facing two break points and it was really the key point,” Kvitova said in her press conference.

“And I think that from the time that I started to play more aggressive than I did before, the beginning of the second set, so it helped me actually, to face the two break points to get back on the track and play little bit better and to return better as well. But, I mean, overall it was a good match. I think it was – the serve was really good today; helped me a lot as well. I’m happy that I’m in the semifinal for sure.”

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WTA Finals: 100 Days Out

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SINGAPORE – Friday marks 100 days until the start of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, and following an exciting, unpredictable and historic first half of the season all is still to play for.

The Road To Singapore leaderboard has started to take shape, with faces fresh and familiar occupying, while defending doubles champions Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza became the first to book their place at the season-ending finale.

At present Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza, Serena Williams, the winners of 2016’s first three Grand Slams, and Victoria Azarenka, who competed the rare Indian Wells-Miami double, are the mid-season pacesetters on the leaderboard. However, with defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska and the in-form Dominika Cibulkova among those in pursuit, there will be plenty of jostling for position as the tour heads for the hardcourts of North America. 

“It has been a truly exciting year for women’s tennis and as we mark 100 days out from the WTA Finals, we have seen different champions crowned at each of the first three Grand Slams this year. The Road to Singapore has never been more thrilling and this is testament to the current depth of the women’s game, as we look to the future of outstanding players rising up the ranks,” said Melissa Pine, Vice-President of WTA Asia-Pacific and Tournament Director of the WTA Finals.

Hingis and Mirza are not the only big names to confirm their place in Singapore: former champion Chris Evert will return as official event ambassador for the third consecutive year. In her role, Evert will work with players and other ambassadors including Martina Navratilova and Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario to promote and raise the profile of the event and the sport in the region.

“As WTA Finals ambassador for the past couple of years, I’ve seen the event grow, and with it, the popularity of tennis in the region,” Evert said of her role. “This has been a great year for women’s tennis and there is so much to look forward to in the coming months on the Road to Singapore as we head towards the big finale. The strength and level of competition have been simply amazing, and I’m looking forward to an exciting eight days of tennis in October!”

This has not been the only off-court development either. To coincide with the 100-days countdown, the second phase of ticket sales was launched, opening up single-session tickets to all matches, including the semifinals and final. Admission to single sessions will range from $16 to $226, and can be purchased on WTAFinals.com.

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