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INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – On Wednesday afternoon Sara Errani and Oksana Kalashnikova claimed the latest upset of their fledgling partnership, ousting Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!
Playing only their third match together, Errani and Kalashnikova took a while to find their feet against the No.4 seeds, dropping a one-sided opening set. However, their turned the match on its head in spectacular fashion to take the second set and then outplay the Czechs in the decisive match tie-break.
Errani and Kalashnikova’s 3-6, 6-3, 10-5 victory means that only one of the eight seeded teams – No.3 seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova – has made it through to the semifinals in Indian Wells.
We did it again ???? Forza ?@SaraErrani @BNPPARIBASOPEN
— Oksana Kalashnikova (@OksKalashnikova) March 17, 2016
Meeting them for a place in the final will be Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova, 6-4, 6-3 winners over Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva.
In the previous round, King and Kudryavtseva sent shockwaves through the draw by knocking out top seeds Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza, and against Goerges and Pliskova they carried on from where they left off, surging into a 4-1 lead.
This proved to be a false dawn, though, as Goerges and Pliskova pegged back then overhauled them to make it through to the last four of a WTA event together for just the second time.
On the other side of the draw, Babos and Shvedova will take on the all-American team of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe.
Jovana Jaksic was on the precipice of a Top 100 debut at 21 years old; two years later, the big-hitting Serb has set out to make the 2017 season one in which she rebuilds a ranking beset by injuries and inconsistency.
“A lot of matches did not go my way in 2016,” she confesses in a blog entry posted on her official website. “My confidence went missing, I didn’t pick up the ranking points I needed; in truth I lost my way.”
Jaksic peaked at World No.102 in the spring of 2014, not long after reaching her first WTA final at the Abierto Monterrey Afirme – falling to friend and countrywoman, Ana Ivanovic. She later made a pair of Grand Slam main draw debuts at the French Open and Wimbledon, only to see much of that progress undone at the start of the next season.
“I got injured for seven months with my back, and I made the huge mistake of trying to play tournaments hurt, which was not helping me at all,” she explained to WTA Insider at the US Open in August. “I’d also started with a new coach, which made a new injury of my shoulder I ended up struggling with for six months. Still, I was trying to play.
“When you don’t defend your points and you drop, that’s when the mental part comes in, and you start overthinking because you’re nervous wanting to push for something. It never works when you try to force it, so I changed everything, my whole team, to clear out all that negative energy from my life.
“Now I can say I’m out from under. I feel like a bird that had a broken wing, but now I’m all better and pumped to play matches. I can do it, just have to keep practicing and working, it’s going to come.”
At the still-young age of 23, Jaksic strives to see her struggles as learning experiences, things she might grow from as her career continues.
“I learned that I need to listen to myself more and I need to trust myself,” she continues in her blog. “I learned that I need to find happiness in myself so that I can enjoy everything else in life. I learned that I need to have more rest in between practices so my body can recover better. I learned to listen to my body.”
Now coached by her mother, the Serb returns from a relaxing off-season ready to take control of her life and the game she’s loved since she was eight years old.
“I’ve really missed being on the court and hitting that little yellow thing. I miss the clarity of mind that I have on the court, where I am in control of everything. I miss creating those irreplaceable emotions of winning or losing. I can’t see myself doing anything other than playing tennis. It’s in my blood. It’s where I ‘feel’ the most, it makes me sad sometimes, sure, but it also brings me the greatest joy.
“So you know what? I can’t wait to be back in 2017. I am excited to work hard, I have no points to defend and many new lessons to learn. I thank you for staying with me on this crazy journey. Life in tennis is a rollercoaster, but it’s MY rollercoaster and I don’t want to get off.”
Click here to read Jaksic’s full post on jovanajaksic.net.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Hours after Karolina Pliskova reached the singles semifinal at the BNP Paribas Open, the Czech powerhouse went one round better in doubles as she and fellow Australian Open semifinalist Julia Goerges eased past former No.1 Sara Errani and Oksana Kalashnikova, 6-4, 6-3.
“I think we played a pretty solid match, and they are both pretty good players,” Goerges said after the match. “Sara has been No.1 in the world for a reason in doubles. We just tried to go with our strengths with the serves, being aggressive, hitting big from the baseline and trying to get some volleys catching our way.
“I think we did a pretty good job overall.”
Pliskova and Goerges are playing just their fourth-ever event together, starting the season with a run to the semifinals in Melbourne, but still have big goals despite an intentionally limited schedule.
“We played two tournaments last year in China and we got along pretty good, and we said we want to play the big ones next year but want to focus mainly on singles.
“That’s why we’re only playing a few tournaments, but we’re trying to do as well as we can to go to Singapore. So far we’re doing a pretty good job.”
Up next for the Czech/German pair are two Americans in Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe; the former survived an ankle turn at the start of the match tie-break to help her partner advance over No.3 seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova, 2-6, 6-4, 10-4.
Mattek-Sands and Vandeweghe first paired up during a dead-rubber doubles match in Fed Cup, but have showed excellent potential as an Olympic pair this week in Indian Wells, dropping just one set en route to the final and taking out two mono-country teams who played at last year’s BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global in No.2 seeds Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching and No.8 seeds, fellow Americans Raquel Atawo and Abigail Spears.
Goerges and Pliskova began their tournament with an upset over No.7 seeds Carla Suárez Navarro and Garbiñe Muguruza, going on to score quality wins against the only two teams to take out Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza since August of last year in Daria Kasatkina and Elena Vesnina and Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva. Goerges hopes this kind of momentum can see them qualify for Singapore come season’s end.
“I think it doesn’t have to be Singapore; it’s the WTA Finals in general. Of course, we only heard really good things about Singapore, that it’s a big city and they always do a really good job with everything. They do everything big! It’s one of our goals, it doesn’t matter where it is city-wise, but it’s a big goal for every player to achieve the masters at the end of the year.”
Winning feels this good ??? ??@CoCoVandey @BMATTEK #BNPPO16 pic.twitter.com/shpW5XXzKn
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 18, 2016
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – 2012 champion Victoria Azarenka needed just 67 minutes to overcome an ailing Magdalena Rybarikova in a complete shutout to advance to the semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!
Ahead of day’s last quarterfinal, Azarenka delivered a warning message to her opponents at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
“I don’t think I am close to fulfilling my potential,” she said in last round’s post-match press conference. “Just to see what I can do on practice court and physically what I can improve, I’m far from that. That’s what I’m looking forward to improve.”
If that’s really the case, her opponents will have much to worry about after Azarenka’s 6-0, 6-0 win over Magdalena Rybarikova.
Rybarikova, who at No.97 is the lowest-ranked player to reach the quarterfinals at Indian Wells since 2012, found herself struggling with her serve early on. Only 41 percent of her first serves found their mark in the opening set, giving Azarenka many opportunities to come up into the court and attack Rybarkiova’s weaker second serve. The Belarusian threw everything at her opponent – even attempting a tweener – and Rybarikova couldn’t come up with a reply, quickly dropping the first set after only 34 minutes.
The Slovak’s troubles would only get worse from there; she called the trainer during the changeover to treat an injury to her right leg.
Azarenka continued to steamroll in the second set as Rybarikova’s movement became increasingly hampered. Despite struggling a bit with her serve – Azarenka served two double faults in one game to give Rybarikova break point at 2-0, and again at 4-0 to give her three more break chances – she stayed perfect until the end, blasting her third ace of the match to secure the victory and her spot in the semifinals.
“I think the key today was the start,” Azarenka said after the win. “I really started aggressive, taking opportunities and I felt like I was in full control.”
“I think in the second set she wasn’t feeling really well, but it was important for me to stay in the moment and keep dictating. It’s easy to lose focus and pay too much attention to your opponent.”
Azarenka opponent in the semifinals will be the big-hitting Czech Karolina Pliskova, who ended Daria Kasatkina’s breakthrough run in Indian Wells with a 6-3, 6-2 victory.
SAN ANTONIO, TX, USA – Anna-Lena Friedsam closed in on the second WTA 125K Series title of her career with a hard-fought victory over Alison Riske at the San Antonio Open on Friday.
After breezing through the first set and opening up an early lead in the second, Friedsam briefly looked like she might let Riske back into the semifinal before regrouping to close out a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory.
Friedsam saved a set point while serving to stay in the second set and credited Riske for bringing out her best tennis.
“I’m really happy with my game today. I played a really good set – really aggressive and consistent,” Friedsam said. “The second was not so good. She had a little more confidence, she pushed me from corner to corner and it was a little bit harder for me to put pressure on her.”
Eighteen months ago, Friedsam won the WTA 125K Series tournament in Suzhou, an achievement she has used as a springboard in her bid to reach the Top 50. Standing between her and a second title at this level will be Misaki Doi, a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 winner over Tsvetana Pironkova in the day’s second semifinal.
In the doubles final, there was a popular winner as America’s Nicole Melichar teamed up with Anna-Lena Groenefeld to defeat Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Anastasia Rodionova, 6-1, 6-3.
First @SanAntonioOpen doubles championship goes to Groenefeld/Melichar! A hometown champ!! #SAOpen #tennis pic.twitter.com/RtBnGOHggJ
— HY Lai (@HY_Lai) March 18, 2016
From Alizé Cornet’s record-shattering performance to Naomi Osaka’s record low, take a look back at all the best WTA Frame Challenge moments!
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Serena Williams withstood a spirited challenge from Agnieszka Radwanska to reach the final of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday evening.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!
In stark contrast to their meeting at the same stage of this January’s Australian Open, Williams found herself In a real dogfight, responding magnificently by rattling off 11 of the final 12 points to complete a 6-4, 7-6(1) victory.
“I love tie-breakers and my whole aim is just to win the first seven points – if you do that you can’t lose,” Serena told Andrew Krasny immediately after the match.
No player has ever won three titles in Indian Wells, and 15 years after picking up her second Williams will go in search of the hat-trick when she takes on Victoria Azarenka in the final.
“What a career. I never expected to be here again in Indian Wells, let alone the final. It’s really unbelievable,” she added.
Perhaps inspired by her imminent rise to No.2 in the rankings, Radwanska committed to attacking Williams from the outset. The decision made for an entertaining spectacle and it was immediately apparent that there would be no repeat of the Melbourne whitewash, a smart backhand winner helping the Pole to a break in the opening game.
Radwanska continued to pile on the pressure as the set wore on, only for Williams to bail herself out of trouble with a series of pin-point serves. The failure to secure the insurance of a second break proved costly, as Williams’ own return game belatedly spluttered into life.
A vicious backhand proved the catalyst as the American converted her first break point to draw level at 4-4 before completing the turnaround a few games later some more ferocious returning.
At the start of the second set, Radwanska looked in danger of getting blown away, Williams moving through the gears to open up a 3-0 lead. To her credit, Radwanska did not let her head drop, pulling back the break and even threatening to force a decider. However, there was to be no comeback, the World No.1’s grandstand finish sending her would-be rival back the drawing board.
Agnieszka Radwanska had Tuesday’s shot of the day at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe couldn’t have asked for a more perfect WTA debut to their newly-minted doubles partnership – the Americans rallied back from a set down to defeat Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova and claim the doubles title at the BNP Paribas Open.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!
“It’s pretty special for me. It’s my first doubles title, and to win it on home soil with an American is very special,” Vandeweghe said during the trophy ceremony. The title vaults the native Californian to No.25 in doubles, while Mattek-Sands will return to her career high ranking of No.3.
Both teams in the final were unseeded, the first time since 2009 that two unseeded teams faced off for the BNP Paribas Open doubles trophy.
Doubles debutantes Mattek-Sands and Vandeweghe, who are bidding for an Olympic spot later in the year, were up against another relatively new team in Goerges-Pliskova. Though the 2016 BNP Paribas Open marks their fourth outing as a team, the Czech-German partnership has been quite successful. They’ve always reached at least the quarterfinal stage in all the events they’ve played together.
Goerges and Pliskova drew first blood against the Americans, breaking Vandeweghe’s serve to start the match. The big-hitting Vandeweghe’s serves can rarely be called vulnerable – in fact she’s known for having one of the strongest serves on tour – but Goerges’ backhands were deadly, beating her for pace and breaking her twice in the first set.
With Goerges serving for the set at 5-3, the German thought she’d hit an ace to take the set. But after a half-hearted challenge from the Americans revealed it was out, a Mattek-Sand’s swing volley wove up the middle of Goerges-Pliskova and gave them the game. With the momentum behind the Americans, Vandeweghe was able to hold serve for the first time to keep them in the set, but Pliskova’s powerful groundstrokes erased any ideas of a comeback and the Czech-German duo took the first set.
With the Indian Wells crowd firmly cheering for the locals, the Americans kept toe-to-toe with their opponents throughout the next set and keep the pressure on. Eventually it was Goerges and Pliskova who blinked first, a Pliskova forehand sailing long bringing up 2 set points for the Americans and a double fault from Goerges giving them the second set.
Mattek-Sands and Vandeweghe grabbed an early mini-break in the final tiebreak, and though Pliskova and Goerges through everything they had at the Americans but they didn’t give up their lead. When it came time for her to serve for the match, Vandeweghe’s serve didn’t falter and a punishing smash from Mattek-Sands sealed the victory and the pair’s first doubles title.
Afterwards, the Americans gave a lot of credit to the crowd for keeping them in the match.
“All week long we’ve had great fan support, which is so cool,” Mattek-Sands said afterwards. “As two Americans together, the support was awesome.
“It’s always special coming back here to Indian Wells, it’s kind of like our home tournament. We’ll be back next year for sure.”
Your 2016 womens doubles champions! ?????? @BMATTEK @CoCoVandey #BNPPO16 pic.twitter.com/OqebaFap7O
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 20, 2016