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First Round Of Fed Cup Kicks Off

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

After a rollercoaster first month of WTA play Down Under, players have scattered across the globe to play for their countries in Fed Cup. The international team competition’s World Group and World Group II first-round ties are set to take place on February 6 and 7, and players have been tweeting up a storm as they’ve reunited with their national teammates.

Here’s who is in action for their country this week (all quotes provided by FedCup.com): 

Romania vs Czech Republic

“We are all enjoying the week as we have a great team and the people around us, the doctors, physios and everyone,” said the Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova. “It’s something different a few times in a year.

“So we are always looking forward to this week and I hope it can continue like this and the girls will stay in the team.”

Romania: Simona Halep, Monica Niculescu, Andreea Mitu, Raluca Olaru

Czech Republic: Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova, Barbora Strycova, Denisa Allertova

 

Germany vs Switzerland

“This is obviously very big for us,” said Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic. “For sure we want to do big things now in Fed Cup and I think we can, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Well obviously they have a great team also for many years, they’ve been having great results. Of course it will be very difficult but I think now we also have a very good team and for sure it will be even.”

Germany: Angelique Kerber, Andrea Petkovic, Annika Beck, Anna-Lena Groenefeld, Anna-Lena Friedsam

Switzerland: Belinda Bencic, Timea Bacsinszky, Viktorija Golubic, Martina Hingis

 

Russia vs Netherlands

“It will definitely be a tough match as always,” said Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova. “Team tennis is always different to a normal tournament. Different emotions, different games from the players.

“We normally do everything by ourselves and there, for one week, we are a little bit more close to each other. We all have a good communication.”

Russia: Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ekaterina Makarova, Daria Kasatkina

Netherlands: Kiki Bertens, Richel Hogenkamp, Cindy Burger, Arantxa Rus

 

France vs Italy

“We’re really proud of where we are right now,” France’s Kristina Mladenovic said. “We definitely started to believe in our chances. We’re trying to stay humble, but we also have high expectations and goals for this year.”

France: Kristina Mladenovic, Caroline Garcia, Pauline Parmentier, Oceane Dodin

Italy: Sara Errani, Camila Giorgi, Francesca Schiavone, Martina Caregaro

 

Also in action…

Spain:

Serbia:

Great Britain:

United States:

Puerto Rico:

India:

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Kulichkova Passes Taiwan Test

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan – Elizaveta Kulichkova showed why she was one to watch at the Taiwan Open, fighting her way out of a dangerous deficit to advance past Taiwanese wildcard Ya-Hsuan Lee, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Named by WTA Insider as part of Russia’s “Generation Next,” Kulichkova entered the tournament following some of the best results of her young career: at the Australian Open, she reached the 3rd round of a Grand Slam for the first time, dealing No.25 Andrea Petkovic an upset along the way.

In Kaohsiung, Kulichkova found herself in big trouble against Lee – the Russian dropped the first set and was actually down 0-3 in the second – before she found a way to play herself into the match.

“I didn’t play my best today so I didn’t feel so comfortable on court,” Kulichkova told wtatennis.com after her win.

“I just try to concentrate on my game, keep bringing back all the balls, and then I could come back eventually.”

Also coming back to advance into the second round is Donna Vekic, who notched her first WTA-level win of the year against Alison Riske in a seesaw match, 4-6, 7-5(5), 6-3.

The Croatian found herself four points away from defeat in the second set; Riske was serving for the match at 6-4, 6-5, before Vekic broke her serve at love to force a tiebreak before grabbing the set. Vekic hit nine aces to Riske’s 12 double faults in the two hour and forty minute-encounter.

The win was a boon for Vekic, who is now working with new coach David Felgate. The pair reunited before last month’s Australian Open after splitting in 2014.

Local favorite Su-Wei Hsieh survived a mid-match surge from Japan’s Ayama Okuno but advanced 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-2. Yulia Putintseva, Zarina Diyas, Saisai Zheng and Kurumi Nara are all through to the second round while Naomi Osaka – who was looking to follow up her incredible Australian Open run – fell to Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella in straight sets.

No.1 seed Venus Williams will wrap up the Taiwan Open’s first round action when she takes the court against Taiwanese wildcard Pei-Chi Lee tomorrow.

Watch live action from St. Petersburg & Kaohsiung this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MIAMI, FL, USA – After more than a week of compelling tennis, Johanna Konta and Caroline Wozniacki are the last two standing at the Miami Open, as both women look to raise the trophy for the first time at the WTA Premier Mandatory event.

Here are 10 things to know before Saturday’s championship showdown.

Johanna Konta (GBR #11) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN #14)
Head-to-head: Konta leads, 1-0

1) Maiden (in) Miami.
Both players will break new ground in their careers when they set foot on court on Saturday, as each is competing in her first-ever final at the Miami Open. Playing in Miami for the 10th time, Wozniacki’s best result previously came in 2012, when she reached the semifinals. Konta is playing in Miami for just the second time in her career, and reached the quarterfinals in her 2016 debut.

2) Wozniacki Goes Four for Four.
Wozniacki has reached the final of all four Premier Mandatory events in her career with her success in Miami this week. The former World No.1 first was runner-up at the 2009 Mutua Madrid Open; won the BNP Paribas Open in 2011; and won the China Open in 2010. Konta will contest her second final at Premier Mandatory level out of her last three, finishing runner-up to Agnieszka Radwanska in Beijing last fall.

3) Comebacks – and upsets (on paper).
Over the course of the week, both women have recorded wins over higher-ranked players en route to the final. Konta ousted No.3 seed Simona Halep in a marathon quarterfinal match, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2, after the Romanian served for the match in the second set, and was two points away from victory. Wozniacki also rallied from a set down to defeat No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova in Thursday’s semifinals.

4) Third Time’s the Charm?
While Miami marks both Wozniacki and Konta’s first Premier Mandatory final of the season, both players have already reached finals this year. Wozniacki will contest her third final of 2017 after Doha and Dubai, the most on tour this season. While the Dane is looking to win her first title of the year, Konta is appearing in her second final after winning the Apia International Sydney.

5) Lucky Number…45.
With this result, Wozniacki becomes just the fourth active player to reach 45 career finals on the WTA Tour; the 26-year-old has reached at least one final every year since the 2008 season.

6) Recent History, Down Under.
The two have only met once before just two months ago at the Australian Open. In the third round match, Konta broke serve four times en route to a 6-3, 6-1 victory in one hour, 17 minutes.

7) Top 10 Implications.
Regardless of Saturday’s result, Konta is assured of returning to the WTA Top 10. With a victory, the Brit will rise to a new career-high of No.7, bettering her previous of No.9 from last fall. For Wozniacki, only a victory in the final will get her back inside the Top 10 for the first time since 2015, with a rise to No.8 in the rankings.

8) The Road to the Final.
Combined, both players have dropped three sets this week. Konta had a battle on her hands in her first match of the week against qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich before her quarterfinal comeback against Halep. By contrast, Wozniacki rolled through her first four matches without losing a set until the semifinals.

9) A Bit of British History.
Konta is looking to become the first British woman to not only win the title in Miami, but also win a WTA Premier Mandatory event.

10) Singapore Shakeup.
A win for Wozniacki would see her rise to No.1 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard, ahead of Karolina Pliskova and Serena Williams, while Konta would sit in fifth.  Should Konta win the title, she will sit behind Pliskova in second, while Wozniacki will rise to third.

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