Muguruza Rolls Into Roland Garros Final
No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza served her way into her first French Open final, ousting 2010 finalist Samantha Stosur in straight sets.
No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza served her way into her first French Open final, ousting 2010 finalist Samantha Stosur in straight sets.
MELBOURNE, Australia – 2003 finalist Venus Williams is back into the Australian Open final for the first time in 14 years after coming back from a set down to dispatch fellow American CoCo Vandeweghe.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion celebrated Australia Day in the best way possible, notching a 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4 victory to reach her second final in Melbourne Park.
“It means so much to me, mostly because she played so well,” an emotional Venus addressed the crowd at Rod Laver Arena. “She played so unbelievable and I had to play defense the whole time, it feels like.
“There was never a moment of relaxation ever, so to be able to get to the final through a match like this… I’m excited about American tennis!”
“I would love more than anything to see her across the net from me on Saturday.” #Venus on possibly facing #Serena in the final #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/LBgBcTPqBq
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) 26 de enero de 2017
Vandeweghe, whose power game suited perfectly to the faster court speeds of this year’s event, was enjoying her maiden Grand Slam semifinal appearance after a commanding run, which included a straight-sets stunner against World No.1 Angelique Kerber.
But she was out of her depth against the 36-year-old Venus, who relied on her veteran experience to allow Vandeweghe to take advantage of just one of her 13 break point chances.
“I don’t think I was totally freaking out or anything close to that when I came out there,” Vandeweghe reflected later in press. “I was pretty set on competing and working hard. I think it showed in kind of the tougher points and tougher moments.
“As far as not playing as well as I could have, it goes along with tennis. You’re going to have good days and bad days. You just have to adjust as best you can.”
Thank you #Vandeweghe for your wonderful performance at this year's #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/xxuSL3OQj2
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) 26 de enero de 2017
The younger American’s lone break of serve came in the very first game of the match, where she had Venus under pressure from the start. But the lead didn’t last very long, with Venus jumping on some second serves and a double fault – the first of 11 for Vandeweghe – to wrench back the advantage.
The pair stayed on par to take the set into the tiebreak, where Vandeweghe found her dictating form once again and Venus, while not making too many missteps, was left to react. Vandeweghe crushed a Venus second serve with a backhand down the line and took the tiebreak, the first set Venus had dropped in the entire tournament.
Venus was right back on track in the second set, though, switching gears to target the vulnerable Vandeweghe backhand and reel off five straight games for a 5-1 lead. The younger American didn’t cede an inch, bringing up four break points in the marathon, seven-minute seventh game, but Venus stayed in front.
The 36-year-old stayed the course in the third, breaking twice and, after two hours and thirty minutes on court, advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal since 2009 Wimbledon.
.@Venuseswilliams is through to the women's final #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/3Jdo8Zlag9
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) 26 de enero de 2017
With the win Venus becomes the oldest Grand Slam finalist since Martina Navratilova at 1994 Wimbledon, and the 14 years between this and her last Australian Open final appearance sets a new Open Era record.
Awaiting in the final is younger sister Serena Williams, who blew past Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in straight sets to book the first all-Williams final Down Under since their 2003 meeting.
“When I’m playing on the court with her, I think I’m playing the best competitor in the game,” Venus said in her post-match press conference. “I don’t think I’m chump change either, you know. I can compete against any odds. No matter what, I get out there and I compete.
“[It] won’t be an easy match. I know that it won’t be easy. You have to control yourself, then you also have to hopefully put your opponent in a box. This opponent is your sister, and she’s super awesome.”
Karolina Pliskova and Johanna Konta enjoyed strong starts at the Aegon Open Nottingham, winning their first rounds to begin the grass court season.
NOTTINGHAM, Great Britain – No.3 seed Caroline Wozniacki was forced to skip the clay court season due to a right ankle injury, but enjoyed a winning return just as the grass court season began at the Aegon Open Nottingham, dispatching Cagla Buyukakcay, 7-5, 6-3, in the first round.
Buyukakcay made her share of history in Wozniacki’s absence, becoming the first Turkish woman to win a WTA title at her home tournament of Istanbul, debut inside the Top 100, and win a Grand Slam main draw match at the French Open. Twice falling behind a break of serve, she broke straight back each time, including when Wozniacki first attempted to serve for the opening set.
The former No.1 made no mistake on her second attempt, however, holding to love to edge ahead after 52 minutes. Racing out to a 5-1 lead, the Dane appeared to have the match under control when Buyukakcay made one last surge, reducing the deficit to just one break. Returning for a spot in the second round, Wozniacki broke serve one last time behind a fearsome volley to book a meeting with Anett Kontaveit, who upended American Lauren Davis, 6-3, 6-1, on Monday.
More to come…
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Venus Williams made her debut at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy with plenty to celebrate; the American had just enjoyed her best run at a Grand Slam since 2009, falling to sister Serena at the Australian Open.
“No one plans to lose, so it’s never the outcome you work so hard for,” she said in her All-Access Hour interview. “But it was still a wonderful opportunity for me to be in the right situation to win a championship. At this point, I can’t wait to play another match.”
Venus had to make a quick turnaround from Melbourne, but still arrived in time for the Player’s Party in her first visit to Russia’s cultural capital.
“The party yesterday was beautiful, and very entertaining. I heard that the tournament does a great job with the players and now I’m seeing it for myself.”
Most players opt out of returning to the court so soon after a deep Slam run, but St. Petersburg was never in doubt for the No.4 seed, who plays Kristina Mladenovic on Thursday.
“I knew I was coming here, so mentally I was prepared. This is a place I want to be, and have always wanted to visit because of the historic value, and because it’s a beautiful city.
“Of course, it was a privilege to be in the Australian Open final because you think about how close you are to the championship and having a chance to play for that. That’s everything I wanted, but I always planned to come here, regardless.”
Check out more from Venus, along with some of the best photos from the start of her stay right here on wtatennis.com:
On her decision to play St. Petersburg for the first time and adjusting to the Russian winter…
I’ve always wanted to come here, so that was the first reason. The second is that, I know this tour pretty well, and no tournament can escape my glance.
I think it would been worse if it had been hot in Australia, but it really wasn’t so hot. So it wasn’t a massive change.
On her intent to never stop improving at 36 years old…
In practice, you try to train harder than you ever would in a match. Of course, you can’t practice the emotions of a match. But I’m always trying to improve things; you can’t stay in one place, because that’s when the world stops for you and the rest of the world is still going. I’m constantly trying to think about how I can do better, so that excitement and passion is always there.
On plans to explore the city…
I just got here, so I’m still adjusting to the time difference, but I’m looking forward to a nice dinner this evening. I’m really interested in the local fashion and the designers here because I like to be inspired by different cultures. Those two things are on the top of my list.
On the next generation of Russian talent…
I’m not sure who’s coming. I know who I have to play, and they’re all tough. That’s a great thing for tennis. But if the same history continues for Russia, the future will be very bright.
On her rivalry with Serena Williams entering its third decade on the WTA tour…
We’re just trying to win our dreams, and our dream is to be here. When it’s not, we’ll watch on TV.
All photos courtesy of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy 2017.
Venus Williams made a disappointing exit in St Petersburg – but she reassures fans that she loves tennis, and will always give everything in every match.
BIRMINGHAM, Great Britain & MALLORCA, Spain – The official draw ceremonies for the Aegon Classic Birmingham and the Mallorca Open took place Saturday morning, and the stacked fields produced some exciting early matchups as some of the top players look to take their first steps on grass courts.
Click here to view the full Birmingham draw! | Click here to view the full Mallorca draw!
This year’s top seed at Birmingham is Agnieszka Radwanska. Last year, she skipped Birmingham in favor of Nottingham, but the Pole’s game loves the grass courts, and it was at this stage last year that Radwanska found her form and reignited a flagging season.
Radwanska has a tough road ahead if she looking to score her second title of 2016 at the Edgbaston Priory Club. Awaiting her in the first round is CoCo Vandeweghe, a big-serving American whose powerful game just clicks together on grass each season. Vandeweghe comes in to the matchup with plenty of matches under her belt too, having reached the final at the Ricoh Open.
If she gets past Vandeweghe, the top seed will face a qualifier in the second round, then potentially Caroline Wozniacki or Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinals, two players against whom she’s got a steep losing head-to-head record. She could run into last year’s finalist Karolina Pliskova – who’s into the final in Nottingham this week – in a potential semifinal matchup.
And of course, potentially awaiting in the final is the No.2 seed and defending Birmingham champion, Angelique Kerber.
The German’s road to the final is similarly treacherous: if she gets past Peng Shuai in the first round, Kerber’s potentially up against dangerous youngster Daria Gavrilova and her penchant for knocking out Top 10 players on the big stage. Possible quarterfinal opponents include Carla Suárez Navarro and Andrea Petkovic, while a matchup with Simona Halep could come in the semifinals.
The host country is well represented at the Aegon Classic Birmingham, with four Brits in the main draw: Heather Watson, Johanna Konta, Tara Moore and Naomi Broady.
Although all eyes are on Johanna Konta, the World No.18 who keeps climbing up the ranks, it’s been Moore whose recent performance has left an impression. She’s fresh off an appearance in the quarterfinals of the Aegon Open Nottingham, and has been drawn against Konta in the first round.
Possible Birmingham Quarterfinals:
Radwanska vs Kvitova
Bencic vs Ka. Pliskova
Keys vs Halep
Suárez Navarro vs Kerber
Notable early round matches:
Radwanska vs Vandeweghe (round 1)
Konta vs Moore (round 1)
Safarova vs Halep (round 1)
Wozniacki vs Kvitova (round 2)
Petkovic vs Suárez Navarro (round 2)
Gavrilova vs Kerber (round 2)
In Mallorca, reigning French Open champion and top seed Garbiñe Muguruza is back in action in her home country at the inaugural Mallorca Open. She’s joined by the likes of Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Eugenie Bourchard, and Kristina Mladenovic as they seek to become the International-level event’s first champion.
Muguruza won’t get a moment to rest once she steps onto the court to play her first grass court match of the year, though, because in the first round awaits the seemingly indefatigable Kristen Flipkens. The Belgian amassed an impressive winning streak of 19-3 on clay, but fell in the first round at the Ricoh Open.
Should Muguruza advance past Flipkens, she sets up a possible quarterfinal clash Laura Siegemund, and her semifinal opponents could include Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Garcia.
Mallorca’s No.2 seed is former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic, whose road to the final is loaded with possible landmines. Right out of the gates she’s set to face Ana Konjuh, last year’s Nottingham winner, and if she advances to the second round she gets Francesca Schiavone. Her potential quarterfinal opponents are Yulia Putintseva, Daniela Hantuchova and Yaroslava Shvedova, and in the semifinals she could play 2014 Wimbledon finalist Bouchard or Sabine Lisicki.
Possible Mallorca quarterfinals
Muguruza vs Siegemund
Ivanovic vs Garcia
Bouchard vs Mladenovic
Putintseva vs Jankovic
Notable early round matches
Muguruza vs Flipkens (round 1)
Lisicki vs Mladenovic (round 1)
Schiavone vs Jankovic (round 2)
Click here to learn how you can follow all the action right here on wtatennis.com.
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DOHA, Qatar – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was the only winner on Tuesday at the Qatar Total Open, moving through a rainy Valentine’s Day to dispatch former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic, 6-1, 6-4, and advance into the second round.
“It was quite a long day, but I’ll take it,” she said after the match. “I’m happy to be one of the first ones done today, and it’s a nice present for myself, as well.”
Pavlyuchenkova came in hot after a run to the Australian Open quarterfinals, completing a career set of last eight appearances at major tournaments. But stormy weather threatened to cool off the big-hitting Russian, who was set to open play against Jankovic, one of the most dangerous qualifiers in recent memory.
“I haven’t such a good start to a season before, but it’s exciting, and I’m just trying to take it tournament by tournament.”
Court floor being dried in order to resume the matches of the @WTA #Qatar_Total_Open! Keep following us for more updates! pic.twitter.com/IEGFVI5wIe
— Qatar Tennis Fed. (@QatarTennis) February 14, 2017
Jankovic had to battle through three rounds of qualifying for the first time since 2004 (Filderstadt), but after a year full of injuries, the 2008 US Open finalist discussed the need for more matches to help ease her back into competitive play.
“I’m feeling good but I need to get my game up there and of course my confidence and just being comfortable in the matches, being in those situations all over again, match in, match out, day in, day out, compete and fight and find my way,” she said on Monday.
Even with multiple rain delays, the Serb ultimately had few answers against Pavlyuchenkova, who hit 23 winners to just 14 unforced errors while Jankovic went 0/5 on break point opportunities.
.@NastiaPav has come out swinging after the rain delay! @QatarTennis pic.twitter.com/f7suGTINVJ
— WTA (@WTA) February 14, 2017
“I didn’t do much,” Pavlyuchenkova said of how she spent the time between play. “I was just talking with my coach, and some players as well. But I tried not to expend too much energy so I could keep as much as I could for the court. I don’t know how i managed, so I’m happy to finish this match.
“I guess I was calm,” she continued later on in a post-match interview, “and that’s the main thing, to accept the weather conditions. We were both in the same position, waiting for play to resume. I just tried to do my best.
“I haven’t done so well in the past at this tournament. I’ll try to go as far as I can and hopefully I can show some good tennis and have a great result.”
The Valentine’s Day victory reminded her of another from a few years ago at the Abierto Monterrey Afirme, where she fielded a proposal from an excited fan.
“I’d won a quarterfinal match in Monterrey, and he got on one knee with a ring. That was the last thing I expected, but it’s nice.
“At least somebody wants to marry me!”
Up next for the Russian is No.3 seed and reigning BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champion Dominika Cibulkova.
.@NastiaPav edges Jankovic 6-1, 6-4!
Meets @Cibulkova in @QatarTennis Second round! pic.twitter.com/CK4wbLJFTP
— WTA (@WTA) February 14, 2017
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