Tennis News

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – No.2 seed Roberta Vinci won the battle of youth vs. experience at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, defeating 18-year-old Belinda Bencic – who is poised to crack the Top 10 next week – 6-4, 6-3 for her 10th career title, and her first on the WTA Premier level.

Vinci had overcome a thrilling quarterfinal encounter against the big-serving Timea Babos and turned around a lop-sided head-to-head against former No.1 Ana Ivanovic just to reach the final, but the 32-year-old showed few signs of fatigue on Sunday, hitting 32 winners to just 12 errors.

By winning her semifinal against former junior rival Daria Kasatkina, Bencic was assured of a Top 10 debut heading into the championship match, and though she struck 17 winners of her own, she only converted two of six break point opportunities, and was undone by Vinci’s 25 forays to the net – 17 of which ended in favor of the Italian.

“Roberta played amazing today and throughout this tournament,” Bencic said, addressing the champion. “I gave everything I could but today you were much better!”

“It wasn’t easy,” Vinci said during her on-court interview. “It was a tough match; Belinda is a great player, so it’s tough to play against her. She only missed a few balls, so I had to stay focused every single point.

“But I served so good today, so I think that was the key to my victory.”

Having earned a career performance at last year’s US Open – where she ended World No.1 Serena Williams’ quest for the Calendar Year Grand Slam to reach her first major singles final – Vinci had previously announced her intention to make 2016 her last season, but with another title under her belt, the veteran was singing a slightly different tune when asked if she planned to play a few more years.

“No, two, three years, no. One more, but maybe. Why not?”

DUBAI, UAE – Jelena Jankovic was two games from elimination in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Playing against against No.5 seed Belinda Bencic – who made her Top 10 debut on Monday – the former No.1 survived an onslaught from the 18-year-old to come out on top, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

“I just fought every point,” Jankovic said during her on-court interview. “I tried to hang in there; Belinda was playing so well and I was almost on the edge of losing in the second set but I fought hard and I’m lucky to win.”

Coming to Dubai a mere days after reaching the final of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, Bencic led by a set and a break, and had her chances in the final set as well, saving 14 of 17 break points faced – including three in a row in the eighth game of the third – but Jankovic proved too strong in the end.

“I made a few tactical changes, and my fighting spirit all added up together and it made me win at the end. Belinda is coming from the finals in St. Petersburg; she’s playing very well, she’s in form, and I’m happy to win tonight.”

In a match that had little between the two, the Serb hit 37 winners to 33 from the Swiss, and eight fewer errors than her much younger opponent – 44 to 52.

“When you look at it, I’m like 12 years older than her, almost her whole age!” Jankovic joked. “That was my advantage tonight.”

Up next for the 2008 US Open finalist is good friend Andrea Petkovic; the German had a seamless first round victory over Camila Giorgi 24 hours ago, dropping just three games.

“It’s all with the ‘-ic’ if you look at it,” Jankovic said with a laugh. “Jankovic, Bencic, and Petkovic all on this side of the draw!

“It’s kind of cool, but Andrea is my friend and I know her very well. We just practiced with each other a couple of days ago. We know each other’s games and there’s no secrets.

“It will be another tough match and hopefully I can play well and we’ll see how it goes.”

“When you look at it, I'm like 12 years older than her. I'm almost her whole age!” -@Jelena_Jankovic on Bencic #WTA https://t.co/lMeue1myOq

— WTA (@WTA) February 16, 2016

BIEL/BIENNE, Switerzland – Top seed Barbora Strycova is into her second semifinal of the season after No.7 seed Julia Goerges was forced to retire one game into the third set of their quarterfinal at the Ladies Open Biel Bienne, with the Czech prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (ret.). Strycova will face fellow Czech Marketa Vondrousova in Saturday’s semifinals.

The 31-year-old rallied from a set down with some gritty defending and resilience in the second set. After holding in a 15-minute game at 2-all in the second set, Strycova slowly grabbed the momentum back her way to take the second set.

Goerges, who had seen her forehand misfire regularly throughout the latter half of the second set, called the trainer after the second set and took a medical timeout to get her right arm massaged. Strycova won the first game after the changeover and the German was forced to call it a day, citing a right wrist injury.

“We had always tough matches against each other,” Strycova said. “It’s very tough to play against Julia because we know each other very well, we used to play doubles together, and we are going to play again a little bit. It’s never easy, but we both want to win.

“I’m happy that I won, but not in this way because it’s always very hard to see someone injured and have to walk off from the match.”

Heavy hitting from @juliagoerges and @BaraStrycova to start their quarterfinal @WTABielBienne. pic.twitter.com/fhuW407oFo

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) April 14, 2017

It was a bad luck ending to a great week for No.46 Goerges, who dominated much of the match against Strycova before succumbing to injury. The 28-year-old fired 18 winners to just 6 unforced errors in the first set, smothering Strycova with her heavy hitting despite the retirement, finished with 33 winners to 21 unforced errors. Strycova hit 8 winners to 11 unforced errors for the match.

Who says serve and volley is dead? Not @BaraStrycova @WTABielBienne. pic.twitter.com/SachkSbU6C

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) April 14, 2017

Despite being besieged by Goerges’ offense, Strycova found a way to problem-solve the match, throwing in a good amount of variety with dropshots, slices, and the occasional serve and volley to keep the German uncomfortable.

.@BaraStrycova caps off a scrambling rally with the perfect drop shot. pic.twitter.com/esn7Phjua3

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) April 14, 2017

“It feels nice,” Strycova said. “The court is very comfortable to play on, the ball is coming to you very nice. It took me some matches to get used to it but I feel good.”

After nearly being down a double-break, @BaraStrycova is battling back. Level at 3-3. pic.twitter.com/B7OA0o8gK4

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) April 14, 2017

Next up for Strycova is her 17-year-old compatriot Vondrousova.

“Another young gun from Czech! I saw her play here already and she’s playing very well,” Strycova said. “She’s playing from the qualifying so she has a lot of matches under her belt. It will be a tough one because she’s young and she wants to play the best tennis she can so I have to be ready so I have to play my best tennis as well.”

DUBAI, UAE – Sara Errani returned to the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after a hard-fought win over Elina Svitolina on Friday afternoon.

Watch live action from Dubai & Rio de Janeiro this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Despite trailing 3-1 in the second set, Errani produced a typically punchy fightback to prevail, 6-4, 6-4. The Italian, who lost to Petra Kvitova in the 2013 final, will meet either Barbora Strycova or Caroline Garcia on Saturday.

“It’s tough today – it’s hot and Elina hardly missed a ball at first – so I just tried to stay focused every point,” Errani said in her on-court interview.

Both players had their moments in the opening set, but it was Errani who held her nerve when it most mattered, some resolute defending helping her to the decisive break in the ninth game.

Struggling with a At times in the previous round, Errani had cut a forlorn figure, but there were no signs of fatigue against Svitolina. From 3-1 down in the second set she pegged back, then surged past her faltering foe.

Errani’s last title came exactly one year ago, in Rio de Janeiro, and she is excited about the chance to get her hands on some silverware again.

“It’s always unbelievable for me to play a final and I’m really happy to be here.”

More to follow…

Serena Williams will return to No.1 on the WTA Rankings, when they are released on April 24, 2017, when the points from last year’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart drop off.

Two-time defending Stuttgart champion Angelique Kerber will have an immediate chance to return to the top spot by reaching the semifinals of this year’s event, which takes place a week later this year due to a shift in the calendar.

As top seed in Stuttgart, Kerber, who has held the No.1 ranking for 25 weeks, will receive a first round bye, so will need to win two matches to overtake Williams.

The WTA Rankings are based on a 52-week, cumulative system with each players singles ranking determined by 16-best results; WTA Finals participants count points earned as the 17th bonus tournament.

For Williams it will be her 317th week at No.1, the third most in WTA Rankings history behind only Stefanie Graf (377) and Martina Navratilova (332).