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Photos | WTA Tennis English

Photos | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970
WTA stars at the Volvo Car Open were in for a treat at the Charleston player party, hosted at the South Carolina Aquarium.

WTA stars at the Volvo Car Open were in for a treat at the Charleston player party, hosted at the South Carolina Aquarium.

Players received customized, spray painted hats…

Players received customized, spray painted hats…

…looks like Zhang Shuai is a fan!

…looks like Zhang Shuai is a fan!

Players grabbed photos together….

Players grabbed photos together….

…while a lot of party goers wanted one with Venus Williams!

…while a lot of party goers wanted one with Venus Williams!

2012 finalist Lucie Safarova was also in attendance.

2012 finalist Lucie Safarova was also in attendance.

One of the main attractions is Charleston’s iconic Candy Bar, featuring all blue candy.

One of the main attractions is Charleston’s iconic Candy Bar, featuring all blue candy.

But even more iconic than the Candy Bar? Andrea Petkovic and Jelena Jankovic’s moves on the dance floor.

But even more iconic than the Candy Bar? Andrea Petkovic and Jelena Jankovic’s moves on the dance floor.

The pair always bust a move at the Charleston player party!

The pair always bust a move at the Charleston player party!

But they weren’t the only ones – Abigail Spears jammed out too.

But they weren’t the only ones – Abigail Spears jammed out too.

Elena Vesnina hung out with the Darias – Daria Kasatkina and Daria Gavrilova.

Elena Vesnina hung out with the Darias – Daria Kasatkina and Daria Gavrilova.

Jelena Jankovic and a friend posed for a quick photo.

Jelena Jankovic and a friend posed for a quick photo.

The doubles players Katerina Srebotnik and Spears also snapped a selfie.

The doubles players Katerina Srebotnik and Spears also snapped a selfie.

A good time was had by all at the always-enjoyable Charleston player party!

A good time was had by all at the always-enjoyable Charleston player party!

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Spotted: Serena & Venus Hit Stanford

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

STANFORD, CA, USA – World No.1 Serena Williams might not be in the draw at the Bank Of The West Classic, but she’s never too far away from the action. Eagle-eyed fans who turned up to top seed Venus Williams’ practice session got a treat as she was joined on court by her younger sister.

Venus started out the day the way she normally does at a new tournament: hitting the practice courts. The No.1 seed hit a few balls as she warmed up on center court ahead of her opening match tomorrow.

But who was there on the sidelines, keeping a close eye on her older sister’s practice session and dance break?

After a quick warmup of her own, Serena decided to join in on the action and hit the tennis court herself as the Williams sisters tuned up their doubles.

You can watch every minute of Venus and Serena’s impromptu training session in Stanford right here. Check out the full live stream courtesy of Stanford and Tennis On Facebook:

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MONTERREY, Mexico – No.2 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova completed a Russian sweep of WTA titles this week, shocking top seed and World No.1 Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 to win her fourth Abierto GNP Seguros title.

I’m really overwhelmed and don’t think I realized that I just won my fourth Monterrey trophy,” she said in her post-victory press conference. “Some people just have four trophies in total, and I have four here! It’s very special and it’s a special place in my heart; it’s where I won my first title and since won three more.

“But a trophy is a trophy; I’m so happy to hold it.”

Following countrywoman Daria Kasatkina’s title run at the Volvo Car Open, Pavlyuchenkova got out to the early advantage in Sunday’s final, taking the only break of the first set on her third set point.

“Playing the final against the No.1 player in the world is already very special, because everyone wants to compete against the No.1. You don’t get so many chances to do it, so it was one opportunity for me today. Beating here feels amazing, but I’m just enjoying the moment right now.”

Kerber was looking for her first title of the season and aimed to turn the tables on the big-hitting Russian, winning a long third game to break serve and run away with the second set to level the match.

“Honestly, I didn’t have much energy left in the tank during the second set. First, it was really hot today, and tough conditions. Angelique was making me play every single point, so I felt as though I’d already given a lot in the first set. The first three games in the second were really long and I felt, ‘That’s it. I don’t have anything left.’

“But it’s a final; I said I’d try my best and give everything I had. So I had to find something somewhere, what little energy I did have, and put that into the match. I’m so happy I managed to do that.”

Pavlyuchenkova is in the midst of a career best start to her year, making quarterfinal finishes at the Australian Open and BNP Paribas Open since hiring new coach Simon Goffin.

With Goffin in her corner, she raced out to a 5-0 lead in the final set, ultimately serving out her ninth career title in just under two hours.

Despite – or perhaps because of – her ability to adapt to the conditions, the Monterrey press still ribbed the Russian over her description of the tough conditions, those in which she nonetheless hit 49 winners to 31 unforced errors – compared to 14 winners to just 10 unforced errors from Kerber.

“I like to complain! Let me complain,” she laughed. “I feel sorry for myself sometimes, like it’s so hot and so tough. Let me complain. But it’s not complaining that much because the conditions aren’t easy here in general. Coming from other tournaments, it feels different to play here.”

Thanks to their strong results in Monterrey, both women are set to make big leaps on the Road to Singapore leaderboard, with Kerber inching just outside the Top 8 at No.10, while Pavlyuchenkova is two spots behind at No.12.

“I’ll probably enjoy this win for a few more days, but in tennis, you’ve got another one in a couple of weeks. I’ll have Fed Cup, playing for my country. But I really hope to bring this form with me throughout the year, improve, and be fitter for the next tournaments.”

In the doubles final, top seeds Alicja Rosolska and Nao Hibino recovered from a break down in the second set to defeat Dalila Jakupovic and Nadiia Kichenok, 6-2, 7-6(4).

“Our opponents really stepped up in the second set, played more solid and put a lot of pressure on us. We couldn’t play our game style as freely,” Rosolska said after the match.

“We had to be more focused from the first ball, so we tried putting in more first serves and be more aggressive so we wouldn’t be under as much pressure.

“There was a very important game at 2-4 where we won the deciding point and helped us win the second set.”

The pair previously paired up to win an ITF challenger title, but as the Pole noted, “It’s our WTA first!”

Alicja Rosolska, Nao Hibino

All photos courtesy of Abierto GNP Seguros.

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BOGOTA, Colombia – It’s the Claro Open Colsanitas – and here are some of the best photos from the first days of action there.

Kiki Bertens, Johanna Larsson, Sara Errani and Irina Falconi are just four of the players on court in Bogota.

They’ve been battling with changeable conditions, with the rain pouring down – but the crowds have been happy to sit tight and wait for some more top-class tennis.

Check out some of the best sneak peeks here!

Johanna Larsson

Kiki Bertens

Sara Errani

Irina Falconi

Bogota crowd

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Cibulkova Survives In Stanford

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

STANFORD, CA, USA – No.2 seed Dominika Cibulkova was among the last of the big names to kick off her Stanford campaign, but survived a late surge in the first set from Urszula Radwanska to advance into the last eight at the Bank of the West Classic, 7-6(3), 6-3.

Watch live action from Stanford this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Cibulkova was playing her first match since reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon – where she upset former finalist and Agnieszka Radwanska, Urszula’s elder sister, en route – and marrying her longtime fiance during finals weekend.

“I have to admit, I was just on the other side of the planet a few days ago and I’m playing on a different surface, so it’s very very tough,” she said after the match. 

The Slovak showed few signs of that rust from the outset as she raced ahead 5-2 in the opening set, but Radwanska, a former Top 30 player, undid the deficit with speedy efficiency to force a tie-break. Speaking with Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview, Cibulkova took the momentum shifts in stride.

“But tennis life is tough because you’re here one day, there the next and you have to adapt. But I was trying my best even though I wasn’t feeling great on the court today. But I was mentally tough and I made it through.”

Taking another 5-2 lead – this time in the tie-break – Cibulkova made no mistake and took the first set in a little over an hour. The second set appears more straightforward, but the pair twice exchanged breaks before the former World No.10 was able to close out the match.

“At the right time, I was focused and I didn’t panic though I lost a few games I should have won. My forehand was working and I knew I had to go for that, and I had to play smart today because I knew she was playing really well.”

Set to play Misaki Doi in the next round, Cibulkova is just one match away from returning to the Top 10 for the first time since early 2015, just before she took time off to treat a lingering Achilles injury.

Alison Riske captured another complicated three-setter in Stanford, dismissing qualifier Ana Bogdan, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. Looking to reach her first-ever WTA quarterfinal, the Romanian saved five match points before Riske clinched a spot in in the last eight for a second straight year.

Catherine Bellis backed up her win over Jelena Ostapenko with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Sachia Vickery to make her own debut in a WTA quarterfinal. The American first burst onto the scene in 2014 when she upset Cibulkova to reach the second round as a 15-year-old, later reaching the third round of Miami, where she played Serena Williams for the first time. Thursday’s win earned her a primetime showdown with top seed Venus Williams.

“I just had to focus really hard on my game plan for the entire match,” Bellis told press after her win. “We’ve played each other so many times; we actually played one another last week. We practice together all the time too, so we know each other’s games pretty well. I had to focus on me, my tennis, and playing my game. That’s what really got me through.

“It’s not going to be easy [playing Venus], but I don’t think anything is impossible. Obviously, it’ll be such an honor playing one of the best players of all time, and she’s done so much in her career and still doing amazing things. It’s going to be fun, and I’m very excited.”

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BOGOTA, Colombia – Playing her final season on tour, 36-year-old Francesca Schiavone not only earned her eighth career WTA title at the Claro Open Colsanitas, but also gained valuable ranking points towards guaranteeing what would be her final French Open main draw appearance, outlasting No.4 seed Lara Arruabarrena, 6-4, 7-5.

“I’m very happy and emotional,” she said in her on-court interview. “Today was a disaster match, but winning was the most important thing. Lara is improving a lot; I think she pulled a muscle and couldn’t run as well that she could, but I thank God that I could win the last three games.”

A former World No.4, Schiavone announced 2017 would be her last season in November, and came into the clay court season without winning a main draw match all year.

Just as she first did in 2010, when she won her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, the wildcard found some extra magic on the red clay of Colombia, shocking top seed and 2016 French Open semifinalist Kiki Bertens and No.3 seed Johanna Larsson en route to her first WTA final since the Rio Open last February.

It would nonetheless be a tough ask against Arruabarrena, a 2012 champion in Bogota who had enjoyed a career-best run at the Miami Open, where she reached the fourth round.

“There wasn’t a big difference between us. It was very close.”

The Italian kept up her impressive form to start Saturday’s final, winning her ninth straight set as Arruabarrena got the upper hand in the second, breaking serve and holding four set points to force a decider.

Schiavone showed off her signature fighting spirit to save all four and roll through the final four games of the match to earn her 600th career win bring her ranking back to within striking distance of the Top 100.

“I’m not thinking about retirement,” she said after striking 28 winners to just 21 unforced errors. “I’m enjoying tennis.”

A beloved figure on the tour for nearly two decades, current and former players alike sent out their congratulations to the veteran:

More to come…

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