Doha: Saturday Highlights
Highlights from the finals at the Qatar Total Open.
WTA Insider | In the latest Daily Dispatch, Italian journalist Luca Baldissera joins once again to try and make sense of a remarkable evening under the lights.
MONTERREY, Mexico – No.3 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has tended to play her best tennis at the Abierto Monterrey Afirme, winning the title three times – most recently in 2013 – but the Russian came up against stiff opposition in qualifier Pauline Parmentier on a stormy Tuesday night, falling, 6-2, 6-2 in the first round.
“I played a really good match,” she said during her on-court interview. “It wasn’t tight at all in the beginning; I played really good with the spin on the forehand and she had a problem with that. I’m really happy to win this match. It wasn’t easy to come back after the rain; I was a bit tight, but I think I made it, so it’s good.”
A former Top 40 player, Parmentier qualified for the Monterrey main draw dropping just one set en route, and roared through the opening exchanges before rain interrupted proceedings – canceling the planned second night match between No.2 seed Caroline Wozniacki and Olga Govortsova.
“I think playing qualifying helped me a lot because I won three matches when it was very hot. Now it was ok, so it was better for me; I had a rest today and it was good.
“But to play three matches before the main draw was really good.”
Serving for the match at 5-1 in the second set, Parmentier couldn’t find a serve on match point and Pavlyuchenkova engineered only her second service break of the match.
“I did a wonderful double fault on match point,” the veteran laughed, “But I said, ‘Ok, it’s still 5-2 for me, so refocus on the game, move my legs and just watch the ball!'”
Up next for Parmentier is Monica Puig, who outsteadied local wildcard Marcela Zacarias, 6-2, 7-5.
It was a solid day all around for Monterrey’s qualifiers, who went 3-0 on Tuesday as Parmentier was joined by Julia Glushko, who eased past Alexandra Dulgheru, 6-1, 6-1, and Nicole Gibba, who upset No.7 seed Danka Kovinic, 7-5, 6-2.
Rio Open winner and wildcard Francesca Schiavone couldn’t maintain her momentum when switching from clay to hardcourts, falling to former Wimbledon semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens, 6-3, 7-6(5). In the first match of the day, 2012 champion Timea Babos ran into nemesis Polona Hercog, who improved their overall head-to-head to 4-0 with a 6-2, 6-2 win over the current 2016 ace leader. American Christina McHale took out Mexico’s Victoria Rodriguez, 6-0, 6-4, while Yanina Wickmayer survived the only three-set match of the day against Johanna Larsson, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Elina Svitolina survived a stormy Sunday final against an inspired Eugenie Bouchard to capture her fourth career title at the BMW Malaysian Open, 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-5.
“Emotionally, I’m really exhausted now,” she said in her post-match press conference.
Svitolina recently hired former No.1 Justine Henin as part of her coaching team, and the Ukranian has enjoyed a flying start to their partnership with a run to the semifinals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and was looking for her first title of the season in Kuala Lumpur.
There were few signs of the rain-interrupted epic this match would become at the start, and Bouchard, who is in the midst of a resurgence following a disappointing 2015, broke through after the first rain delay to win the first set in a tie-break.
“It was a long day. The first set was really tough and she was playing really well, but I was 5-3 up, so I was disappointed to lose the first set after such a tough fight. After we stopped a couple of times because of the rain, it was up and down.”
Svitolina had never lost to the Canadian in three prior meetings, and her frustration at failing to serve out the opening set shown through as she fell behind 4-2 in the second. The No.2 seed soon caught fire once more, winning the last four games of the set to level the match before rain came once more.
“Honestly, I don’t remember much of the second set now because my emotions are over the moon. I just remember that it was so tough and I was 2-4 down and came back to win that set.
“During the match, I tried to change something in my game plan; I tried to adapt. When I’m not winning, why should I do the same thing?”
Bouchard looked to have the momentum when it counted, emerging from the final interruption to serve for the match in the tenth game. But the former Wimbledon finalist lost serve to love and Svitolina, who was forced to save a break point at 5-5, engineered an efficient service break to clinch the victory just before midnight.
“Many people would think the match is over, but I like to surprise everyone,” she said with a laugh. “Honestly, I was just trying to play my game; there was nothing special, just when I lost my serve I was 30-0 up, and emotionally I was struggling a bit because I lost my serve in such a big moment.
“I said to myself that I needed to just play my game and forget everything that happened in the last game. I did a great job; I played amazing returns, and she was really under pressure. This was the key in that moment.”
Winning in Kuala Lumpur brings Svitolina up to a career-high ranking of No.14, and back into the Top 15 for the first time since last summer.
“Thank you very much for staying that late to watch our final,” Svitolina said in her victory speech. “I want to thank Genie for a great final, it was a really tough one.”
“Hopefully I can come back next year!”
Earlier in the day, the unseeded pairing of Varatchaya Wongteanchai and Yang Zhaoxuan upset top seeds Liang Cheng and Wang Yafan, 4-6, 6-4, 10-7; for both winners, Sunday’s win marks the first WTA title of any kind.
“In the first set we played well,” Liang said after the match. “But didn’t play our best game from the second set. I felt very sorry to my partner for my double fault in the end. But we’ll move on and and continue to work hard.”
All photos courtesy of BMW Malaysian Oepn 2016.
After the new rankings were released on Monday, Angelique Kerber was presented with the WTA World No.1 Trophy, which was unveiled last year at the WTA Finals in Singapore.
The focal point of the trophy is a silver “star-map” tennis ball that represents the tennis universe.
On the trophy, all World No.1s, past and present, are depicted by a diamond in the sky, representing each champion leaving their mark on the sport.
At 28 years old, Kerber became the oldest woman to rise to World No.1 for the first time.
She’s only the second German woman to achieve this historic milestone since computer rankings were introduced in 1975, and the first since Stefanie Graf.
Kerber has also qualified for the 2016 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global in October, and will be making her fourth appearance at the year-end finale.
Kerber’s rise to WTA World No.1 brings to an end the reign of Serena Williams, whose 186 weeks tied the all-time record set by Graf.
Serena Williams takes on Johanna Konta in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
LOS ANGELES, CA, USA – Maria Sharapova held a press conference on Monday to announce she has tested positive for meldonium. Sharapova told reporters she received a letter from the ITF after the Australian Open notifying her of the failed drug test.
“I failed the test and I take full responsibility for it,” Sharapova said. “For the past 10 years, I have been given a medicine called Mildronate by my family doctor, and a few days ago after I received the ITF letter, I found out that it also has another name of Meldonium, which I did not know.
“It’s very important for you to understand that for 10 years, this medicine was not on WADA’s ban list, and I had been legally taking the medicine for the past 10 years.”
Sharapova said she was prescribed the medication for health issues dating back to 2006, including magnesium deficiency, an irregular heartbeat, and a family history of diabetes.
“Throughout my long career, I have been very open and honest about many things, and I take great responsibility and professionalism in my job every single day, and I made a huge mistake,” Sharapova said. “I let my fans down, and this sport down that I’ve been playing since the age of four and that I love so deeply.
“I know that with this, I face consequences, and I don’t want to end my career this way and I really hope that I will be given another chance to play this game.”
Sharapova said she does not know what the consequences will be yet. “I just received the letter a few days ago and I will be working with the ITF,” Sharapova said.
“I am very saddened to hear this news about Maria,” WTA CEO Steve Simon said in a statement. “Maria is a leader and I have always known her to be a woman of great integrity. Nevertheless, as Maria acknowledged, it is every player’s responsibility to know what they put in their body and to know if it is permissible. This matter is now in the hands of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program and its standard procedures. The WTA will support the decisions reached through this process.”
Following the announcement, WADA released the following statement:
“WADA is aware of the ongoing case. As is our normal process, and in order to protect the integrity of the case, WADA will refrain from commenting further until a decision has been issued by the ITF. Following that, WADA will review the reasons for the decision and subsequently decide whether or not to use its independent right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
We can confirm that meldonium was added to the 2016 Prohibited List which took effect on 1 January 2016, having previously been on WADA’s monitoring program for the duration of 2015.
Meldonium was added [to the Prohibited List] because of evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance.”
MELBOURNE, Australia – Venus Williams is through to her first Australian Open semifinal since 2003 without dropping a set after powering past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-4, 7-6(3).
“It’s wonderful to be here to start the year out with this,” an emotional Venus told the crowd on Rod Laver Arena. “I want to go further! I’m not happy just with this, but I’m just happy to be in the position to go further.”
Venus was made to work for every point by the No.24-seeded Pavlyuchenkova, who was into her first Australian Open quarterfinal and looking for a career-first Grand Slam semifinal appearance.
QFs are about to begin with @NastiaPav taking on @Venuseswilliams #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/e85sXfJP5G
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2017
Pavlyuchenkova punished Venus’ vulnerable second serve throughout the match, and the American found herself trailing down a break twice in both sets. But the experience of the seven-time Grand Slam champion showed in the big moments, and she broke back each time as Pavlyuchenkova faltered.
“I just think I wasn’t fresh enough to really go for the serves,” the Russian explained later in press. “I knew that I had to serve good because she’s very aggressive on the baseline and return. I was kind of putting a bit of pressure on myself on the serve. That’s why the percentage went low.”
Venus stayed aggressive throughout the hour and forty-seven minute affair, hitting 35 winners to Pavlyuchenkova’s 17 and striking 29 unforced errors against 32. She was a force at the net as well, winning 81% of the 16 points finished at the net.
The victory is Venus’ 50th win at the Australian Open, and, at 36 years old, she becomes the oldest player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since Martina Navratilova in 1994 Wimbledon.
“I have a lot to give to the game,” Venus said in her post-match press conference. “I feel like I have a lot of great tennis in me. So any time you feel that way, you continue.
“Why not? I have nothing to lose, literally.”
Venus will play the unseeded CoCo Vandeweghe for a spot in the final after the American knocked out No.7 seed Garbiñe Muguruza in straight sets.
“To have that thought that there’s going to be at least one U.S. player in the final is great for American tennis,” Venus said.
“I’m sure she’s going to want to be in her first final. I’m going to want to be in only my second final here. So it’s going to be a well-contested match.”
“I'm just so excited that I have an opportunity to play again.” @Venuseswilliams #AusOpen #Venus pic.twitter.com/nlmCO654vQ
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2017
MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams is two victories away from a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title and a return to WTA World No.1 after moving into the Australian Open semifinals with a commanding win over Britain’s Johanna Konta, 6-2, 6-3.
With the victory Serena is through to her tenth consecutive Grand Slam semifinal, a run stretching back to the 2014 US Open.
An even better omen for the American? She’s never been defeated at this stage of the Australian Open, having advanced to the final in the six previous times she’s reached the semifinals. This time, the promise of a return to the WTA No.1 ranking awaits should she claim her seventh Melbourne crown.
A walk that #Serena has done many times. Can Johanna #Konta cause another QF upset on RLA? #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/ll5twHthSK
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) 25 de enero de 2017
Serena snapped up the last remaining semifinal spot after her much-awaited first-time clash against Britain’s No.1 Konta, who’s been in torrid form throughout the Australian summer.
Konta’s serve had been broken only twice in the entire tournament, but she quickly found herself on the back foot against Serena’s powerful returns, dropping serve twice in the opening set.
“I think it was probably one of the best experiences of my life,” the Brit described playing Serena for the first time. “I think there’s so many things I can learn from that, so many things I can look to improve on, also acknowledge some things that I did well.
“I think, credit to her, she played an almost perfect first set. I felt she really did incredibly well. She just showed and shows why she is who she is.”
Serena struggled with her own serve throughout the match as her normally powerful first serves – one of the hallmarks of her game – seemed to abandon her, giving Konta the first look at a break point in the third game of the first set. But when the serve failed Serena found other weapons to rely on, outpacing Konta from the baseline with some heavy ground strokes. A timely ace – Serena’s first of 10 in the match – bailed her out of trouble.
“My first serve wasn’t really great, but I’ve really been working on my second serve,” Serena explained later in press. “Hasn’t been great all tournament, so I’ve been kind of relying on my second serve. I’ve been relying on my groundstrokes, forehand, backhand. My returns have really picked up.
“All around, I feel like she’s a great all-around player. So I feel like I had to be on it all around today.”
With that early wobble behind her, Serena was all business as she steamrolled through the opening set, her forehand firing on all cylinders.
The American’s service woes put her in another early deficit in the final set, as Konta roared back from down 15-40 to break and open up a 3-1 lead. But the pressure from the 22-time Grand Slam champion never let up, who quickly broke back to establish parity, rattling off five games in a row to move into her 34th career Grand Slam semifinal.
“No matter what happens, someone 34 or older will be in the final.” @serenawilliams on playing #LucicBaroni in the SF #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/5qEATzXq26
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) 25 de enero de 2017
Standing between Serena and the final is Mirjana Lucic-Baroni after the 34-year-old stunned No.5 seed Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. The pair’s last match came almost two decades ago.
“It was in ’98, I remember,” Serena said of their Wimbledon match. “It was on Centre Court. That’s all I remember. I remember winning. I was so excited because I was so young. She obviously was super young, too.
“Honestly, we have totally different games now, the both of us. We both have gone through a lot. We both have survived, and here we are, which I think is a really remarkable story.”
Full Circle For Santina: Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza paired up for the very first time at last year’s BNP Paribas Open, winning the event and prompting a 15-match winning streak through Miami and Charleston. The summer following their first Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon proved even more fruitful, taking Santina on a 41-match win streak that included nine titles and two more majors at the US Open and Australian Open.
That incredible run came to an end in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open, three matches shy of tying the longest winning streak since 1990 – when Jana Novotna and Helena Sukova won 44 matches in a row – forcing Hingis and Mirza to celebrate their one year anniversary on a decidedly unexpected one-match losing streak.
Turning that around won’t be an easy ask for the best team in the world; in a jam-packed draw, Santina are set to play a first round against Casey Dellacqua – the current World No.4 who reached the US Open final with Yaroslava Shvedova – and former No.1 Samantha Stosur. Also in their section are Elena Vesnina and Daria Kasatkina, the very team who beat them in Doha.
But bear in mind: Hingis and Mirza haven’t done a whole lot of losing in the last 12 months; should they pass these early hurdles, they could easily catch fire once more and capture their fifth title of 2016.
Olympic Fever: Dellacqua/Stosur and Vesnina/Kasatkina aren’t the only mono-country pairings to form this season, as half of the Indian Wells doubles field is comprised of women playing with their compatriots.
Four of them – No.4 seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka, No.7 seeds Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro, No.8 seeds Raquel Atawo (née Kops-Jones) and Abigail Spears, and No.2 seeds Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan – qualified for BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global just a few months ago.
The Czechs have the most experience under their belts, including two Grand Slams and an Olympic silver medal, while the Spaniards finished runner-up to Hingis and Mirza in Singapore, and the Americans played some of their best tennis in 2015. The Chan sisters were the story of the second half of the season, and reversed a slow start with back-to-back titles in Taiwan and Doha.
No.6 seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic were both in Singapore with other partners – Katarina Srebotnik and Timea Babos, respectively – but teamed up to start the season with the Olympics in mind. The two have already reached two finals in Sydney and Doha – beating the Chans and pushing Santina to a match tie-break in the former.
A trio of potential Olympic pairs remain unseeded and looming in the California desert. Anabel Medina Garrigues and Arantxa Parra Santonja came together on a more permanent basis last summer, and have been bastions of consistency throughout 2016. Making the semifinals or better at seven of their last eight events, the Spaniards – who open against Mladenovic and Garcia – swept the Central American swing with titles in Acapulco and Monterrey.
By contrast, wildcards Andrea Petkovic and reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber are playing just their second tournament together and will have to hit the ground running against the Chans, but they may yet build on their reputation as the “best worst team ever,” one that took them into the finals of the Brisbane International.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands has been in search of a consistent partner since injuries and illness felled partner and co-Australian and French Open champion, Lucie Safarova. The Czech is back in action at Indian Wells, but instead playing with Ekaterina Makarova – Vesnina’s former partner. Mattek-Sands began the year alongside Sabine Lisicki and Yaroslava Shvedova, but is revisiting a successful Fed Cup partnership with CoCo Vandeweghe; the Americans won their doubles rubber against Poland’s Paula Kania and Klaudia Jans-Ignacik in straight sets.
Equal and Opposite: With 2015 partners Dellacqua and Mladenovic chasing after Olympic glory, Shevedova and Babos have decided to team up for the time being. Babos had enjoyed success with Julia Goerges in the Middle East, but after opting out of her original arrangement with Katarina Srebotnik, the Hungarian youngster admitted it was tough to find a consistent partner at this point in the season.
“I still have big goals in doubles, and we had a goal with Kata,” she told WTA Insider in Monterrey, “But after two tournaments, we realized it wouldn’t be so easy to make it, and our games weren’t matching so well. After Australia, I tried to find someone who I could play with every week, but it’s not easy to find someone who is still free and can be a good partner when the season’s already started.”
Comeback Kids: Peng Shuai began her wade back into the competitive pool in Australia, playing doubles in her first tournaments since a back enjury ended her 2015 season at the French Open. Making her highly-anticipated singles return at the BNP Paribas Open, Peng is also reforming her most successful partnership by reuniting with Hsieh Su-Wei.
The former No.1s burst onto the scene nearly three years ago with wins at Wimbledon, the French Open, and the WTA Finals. Unseeded in the Mladenovic/Garcia section, Peng and Hsieh drew Sara Errani and Oksana Kalashnikova – Hsieh’s most recent partner. Errani is coming off of a solid Middle East Swing, reaching the finals of Doha with Suárez Navarro.
Elsewhere in the draw is Galina Voskoboeva, who made her WTA return at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in doubles with Anastasia Rodionova. Winning one match before losing in a valiant effort to Hobart International champions Christina McHale and Han Xinyun, Voskoboeva had been off the tour for almost two years and has solid history with the Aussie, reaching the semifinals of the Rogers Cup back in 2012. Their tournament begins with a first round encounter with Kasatkina and Vesnina.
Finally, Vania King is back at Indian Wells for the first time since 2014 – when she played, oddly enough, with Voskoboeva. Using her protected ranking, King is coming off of a run to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open with Alla Kudryavtseva, where they earned consecutive upsets over Shvedova and Stosur and Vesnina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. In the Santina section of the draw, King and Kudryavtseva will play their first round against Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Barbora Strycova.
All photos courtesy of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy and Getty Images.