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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Former doubles No.1 Martina Hingis seems to be hitting her stride with new partner Chan Yung-Jan; together the No.6 seeds ousted Hingis’ former partner Sania Mirza and fellow No.4 seed Barbora Strycova, 6-4, 6-4, to reach the semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open.

“It’s great,” Hingis said after the match. “It’s only our third tournament together, and I feel like we’re getting better with each match. The confidence and trust between us is growing, and I think that’s the most important thing to win matches today and in the future.

“We’re going in the right direction.”

Hingis paired up with Chan at the start of the Middle East Swing, reaching the semifinals of the Qatar Total Open and the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Taking on Mirza and Strycova for the first time since switching partners, Hingis overcame tough opposition with the Taiwanese star by her side, ousting their higher-seeded opponents in just over an hour and 20 minutes.

“Definitely today’s match wasn’t easy,” Chan added. “Those two players are great, and they’re top players. We kept staying strong and staying together. Even though we’re a new team, we were able to make everything work. I think it’s been pretty good so far. We’re looking forward to our upcoming matches.”

Chan formerly served as stiff competition to both Hingis and Mirza when she played with sister Chan Hao-Ching, winning the last match against the team formerly known as Santina before they went on a 41-match winning streak from the end of 2015 to the beginning of 2016, playing quite a few tough matches against the pair in between.

“We know each other from playing against each other, like every single week!” she joked. “We’ve been practicing and spending a lot of time together, on court and off, using WhatsApp. I think it’s working.”

Up next for the No.6 seeds will be the winner of an interesting quarterfinal between top seeds and reigning Australian Open champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova and the unseeded and looming pair of Kristina Mladenovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova. Mladenovic is playing her first event with her new partner since splitting with co-French Open champion Caroline Garcia after Dubai.

Mattek-Sands and Safarova could wrest the top spot on the Road to Singapore leaderboard from current No.1s Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai by beating Mladenovic and Kuznetsova. If they don’t reach the final, No.2 seed and Olympic Gold medalists Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina could get to No.1 if they win the title.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will bring up an all-Russian quarterfinal battle against Svetlana Kuznetsova after downing Dominika Cibulkova in straight sets at the BNP Paribas Open.

She needed just over two hours to tamp down a Cibulkova comeback bid and win 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, making her way into the Indian Wells quarterfinals for the first time since 2009.

“I always like to get revenges. Feels amazing, especially we just recently played in Doha and also three-set match,” Pavlyuchenkova explained in her post-match press conference. “I was [also] really disappointed, though, even though it was really good level from the first till the last point.

“I thought I just didn’t convert my chances, and so really happy with the way I finished.”

Pavlyuchenkova finished with 35 winners to 23 unforced errors, keeping Cibulkova’s normally aggressive game stifled at just 15 and 14, respectively. She had Cibulkova’s serve under pressure throughout, pouncing on the vulnerable second serve and causing her problems on the return.

The Russian edged ahead in the opening set after trading breaks to start. Cibulkova was playing her high-octane aggressive game but leaking too many unforced errors that left her unable to capitalize on a break opportunity. Instead Pavlyuchenkova soared ahead, beating her with pace and narrowly taking the opening set.

Cibulkova didn’t stay down too long, though, and regrouped in the second to mount another of her famous comebacks. She raised her level and started to dictate the points, flipping the momentum against an increasingly frustrated Pavlyuchenkova. The Slovak earned a decisive break late in the set to level the score and force a decider.

Pavlyuchenkova did well to put her disappointment behind her in the final set; she broke straightaway and built up a 3-0 lead. Despite Cibulkova keeping herself fighting for every point, Pavlyuchenkova was just too solid, and the Russian tamped down a late upset bid to take the match after two hours and seven minutes.

“The key was to, of course, be aggressive, which is my game, but at the same time, find the balance between being aggressive and not giving her a lot of easy shots,” Pavlyuchenkova said. “Because she’s great fighter, and she’s always there.

“I know when she’s down in the score, she’s going for the shots.” 

With the victory Pavlyuchenkova brings up a quarterfinal matchup with her countrywoman Kuznetsova. She’ll head into the match trailing 3-5 in the pair’s head-to-head record, but bolstered by the fact that she’s won both of their most recent encounters at Sydney and Melbourne earlier this year.

“Yeah, I know her pretty well, and I think these conditions suit her well,” she said. “She’s playing kind of this mix up a little bit of Spanish tennis, which I think is pretty good on these courts.

“I kind of feel very good, as well.Yeah, let’s see.” 

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – It’s hard to believe eight years have passed since a 17-year-old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova blasted her way into the semifinals of the 2009 BNP Paribas Open in her tournament debut.

Ranked No.42 at the time, the teenage prodigy beat No.1 Jelena Jankovic and No.10 Agnieszka Radwanska before losing to Ana Ivanovic. It was the breakout tournament for the former junior No.1, who was the last woman to win three junior Slam titles, having won the 2006 Australian Open, US Open, and 2007 Australian Open. Her talent was prodigious and obvious, but since 2009 Pavlyuchenkova has never made it past the third round in Indian Wells, a fact that she can only laugh about now.

“I’m making fun of this, really,” Pavlyuchenkova told WTA Insider. “After this, I was like a tourist. I had a bye and I was going straight to the prize money office to get my prize money for the second or third round.

“I maybe regret that in the past I wasn’t fit enough and wasn’t doing the right things. I was 17 and everything was new. I wasn’t in good shape. I couldn’t handle the pressure after. When you’re 17 and you’re Top 30… I just think 17 is too early to take all that pressure. It was tough. So I was struggling for a couple of years because I was expecting so much from myself. Let’s face it, it was one tournament, right? It can happen.

“Nowadays when you’re 17 it’s impossible to do this. Tennis is different. Everything changed a lot.”

Over the last eight years, Pavlyuchenkova has consistently held a Top 30 position, but her results have been erratic. Spurts of fantastic play would be followed by a string of early losses. To her credit, the candid 25-year-old puts the blame at her own feet. A lack of fitness and wavering work ethic over the last few years left her wanting on court. Asked whether her innate talent – she’s one of the best ball-strikers in the game – contributed to her work ethic, Pavlyuchenkova said no.

“I never really think of myself as a talented player,” she said. “Really, I’m totally cool with this. A lot of coaches before, they told me, ‘Yeah, you’re talented. That’s why you think you don’t need to work.’ I never thought I was super-talented or something. I just like to enjoy life, as well.

“I’m a moody person, and I hate routines. I think that was the main issue I had. Let’s say, for two, three weeks [practice is the same]. I’m like, seriously? Same exercise? Can you mix it up? The coach is like, ‘You have to do it.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m so tired of playing cross-court drills. Can we do something else? It gets annoying. Let’s warm up again. Can we do something else or can we go and change?’

“I was always moody and there was no consistency in anything before.”

Now Pavlyuchenkova is committed to change that. She’s put in the hard work over the last 12 months and the results have become much more steady.

“I just decided, for once, can you just start doing the hard work? Or can you finally start practicing and be serious with this? “

Of course, consistency of hard work [is important] as well, because in the past I could have done good work for a couple of weeks or months, but then it was like that all the time (indicating up and down) a lot of changes. I was going through a lot of changes with coaches, the training base, the cities, everything. I think now I’m more consistent and more serious with that, as well.

“I’m 25. I’ll be 26 in July. The time is going quick. Tennis life is kind of short. I feel like if it’s not now, then after it’s too late. I have an older brother who was really good, and I would say much more talented than me, who regrets a lot now, because he was doing a lot of bad choices and stuff. So that also shows me that I don’t want to end up like that.

“I’m just gonna take my chances, try my best, work hard consistently, and see where it can bring me. You never know. Maybe I will never achieve something good, or maybe I will achieve really good things.”

After the Miami Open last year, Pavlyuchenkova began working with Dieter Kindlmann, who had served as Maria Sharapova’s hitting partner. It was the first step towards recommitting to her career and the physical work they put in paid off when she made the Wimbledon quarterfinal over the summer.

This year Pavlyuchenkova is working with Simon Goffin, and she has now made three quarterfinals in five tournaments. In Indian Wells she knocked out No.5 Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals, where she faces Svetlana Kuznetsova. It was her first Top 5 win since beating Agnieszka Radwanska last year at the Rogers Cup.

“Probably last year or couple years ago, I would definitely lose this match,” Pavlyuchenkova told reporters after the match. “Maybe not two sets but three sets, for sure. I wouldn’t be able to hold this level in two, three sets under this heat. “Before, I would probably tire. After one set, I would be so tired even if I won the set. I think today it shows that I have improved and I feel much fitter, so the third set kind of was consistent for me.

“I’ve been working really hard. After Dubai, I went straight to France to the academy, and since the first practice I was full on. But again, you don’t know when it’s going to pay off. You can get unlucky, you can lose the first match. And you can think, ‘Oh gosh, I was working so hard. Why? Where is it?’ But it can come later.

“I’m just trying to play match by match. Everyone is tough. I’m trying hard to go deeper and be consistent, and balance between wanting to go deep and having perspective.”

Pavlyuchenkova was asked whether her change in attitude was triggered by a desire to play the rest of her career without any regrets. The thoughtful Russian dismissed that idea. This was more about taking control.

“I don’t want to [have regrets], but I will have it, anyways,” she said. “I think that’s impossible. Either it’s tennis or life, you always look back and you go, ‘Oh, I could have done this better.’ I think it’s how life is.

“But I just feel like if I can change it, I should change it. Like, okay, maybe I have regrets, let’s say, [the loss to Venus Williams at the Australian Open]. Next time I play her, let’s change it. Don’t at least repeat the same thing. I think that’s what’s important.”

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Insider Podcast: Coach's Corner

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

On this episode of the WTA Insider Podcast, we recap last week’s action at the Volvo Car Open and Katowice Open, which saw Sloane Stephens grow her title collection with her third title of the season and Dominika Cibulkova end her title drought. Then we debut the Coach’s Corner, a recurring feature that puts the spotlight on the hard working men and women sweating away in the players’ box.

David Taylor may have started as “just” a hitting partner for Martina Hingis, but he’s now one of the premier coaches in professional tennis. He has coached Australia’s two best prospects in the modern era into the Top 10, taking Alicia Molik and Sam Stosur into the upper echelons of the game and he was there, heart in his throat, when Stosur fired that inside-out forehand return on match point to win the 2011 US Open. He’s seen the highs and he’s lived the lows, and he was happy to talk about it all.

On being Hingis’ traveling hitting partner: “You could see the way Martina practiced was just translated into what she had to do. It was very specific. That was a time when the Williamses were coming onto the scene and she was definitely the Queen of that time and the other ones were coming. It was an interesting time. A lot of things were constructed on how to deal with the power of Davenport, Serena and Venus, and Capriati.”

On how the game has changed: “The skill has gone down but the striking of the ball has gone way up. So the ability to hit the ball amazingly fast and with power has increased. That’s what tennis is about. But a lot of the skill, because it’s so fast, has gone out of the game now. It’s interesting. It’s not better or worse. It’s just what it is.”

On conflicts of interest: “It’s a funny set up in tennis because the player is paying the coach, while in other professional sports they’re paid for by an outside body. Like basketball, the players don’t pay their coach. They all work for the organization, coach included. In tennis it’s very personal. I don’t think it’s that great a set up. I don’t see the alternative though.”

On the need for weapons: “I believe to be a great player you have to be able to win points on your own terms. And that’s reflective of any great player that we’ve had in recent times. That’s where we’re at. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a market for all types of players. Being aggressive doesn’t have to be cracking the ball hard. It can be playing from a very aggressive court position. Halep’s an aggressive player. She doesn’t hit a tremendous amount of winners, but she’s an aggressive player. It’s not just hitting the ball hard. It’s where you play from, your mentality, what you can do under pressure.”

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on any podcast app of your choice and reviews are always helpful, so if you like what you’ve heard so far, leave us one. You can also get new episode alerts by following us on Twitter @WTA_Insider.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

The last two semifinal spots at the 2017 BNP Paribas Open are on offer today at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. We preview both mouthwatering quarterfinal matchups right here at wtatennis.com.

Thursday

Quarterfinals

[14] Elena Vesnina (RUS #15) vs. [12] Venus Williams (USA #13)
Head-to-head: Vesnina leads, 3-2
Key Stat: Venus Williams has a career record of 111-46 in WTA quarterfinals.

Though she is a tried-and-true veteran, 36-year-old Venus Williams is somewhat of a newbie at this stage of the BNP Paribas Open. Last year Williams dropped her first match in her return from a 14-year absence at Indian Wells, but this year Williams has marched into the quarterfinals, and has her sights set on her first trip to the semifinals at Indian Wells since 2001. Standing in her way will be a Russian on the rise who knows a thing or two about her legendary quarterfinal opponent. “I have so much respect for Venus and Serena; they’re great champions,” Elena Vesnina said after waltzing past Angelique Kerber for the first Top 2 win of her career on Tuesday. “I hope it’s going to be a great match because it’s always an honor to play against her.”

Vesnina owns a 3-2 lifetime edge over Williams, and even owns a win over the American at Wimbledon. But she knows that a big battle lies ahead, regardless of how well she plays. “We’ve had some great battles in the past; she’s won, I’ve won. But it’s a totally different story; it’s Indian Wells and I’m really enjoying my time here.” Will surging Vesnina enjoy another big win or will it be the crowd favorite Williams who keeps her latest dream run alive with a trip to the last four?

Pick: Vesnina in three

[28] Kristina Mladenovic (FRA #26) vs. [13] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN #14)
Head-to-head: Wozniacki leads, 3-0
Key Stat: Mladenovic is the first French player to reach the last eight at Indian Wells since Marion Bartoli in 2012.

By winning the title at Indian Wells, Caroline Wozniacki would return to the Top 10 for the first time since 2015, but she’ll have her hands full just reaching the semis because she is facing a Frenchwoman who is blossoming into a premier singles player. And 23-year-old Kristina Mladenovic has a rankings reward to chase as well this week—if she defeats Wozniacki on Thursday she’ll make her Top 20 debut on Monday. The Saint-Pol-sur-Mer native, who knocked off No.4-seeded Simona Halep in the third round and has not dropped a set all tournament, says she feels like a different player this year because of her improved movement. “I’m more powerful, which means that maybe my groundstrokes are kind of heavier, faster,” she told reporters after easing past Lauren Davis on Tuesday. But Mladenovic knows that 2011 BNP Paribas Open champion Wozniacki will make her work for every ball. “She’s a former World No. 1,” Mladenovic said of the Dane. “She’s coming back in great shape. She has won lots of matches lately. She has great confidence, I’m sure.”

Wozniacki, who moved into third on the all-time BNP Paribas Open win list with her victory over Madison Keys on Tuesday night, is aware of Mladenovic’s rise. “It’s not going to be an easy one-I played a tough one against her in Hong Kong, in the final,” said Wozniacki at the prospect of facing Mladenovic. “I’m expecting another tricky one, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Pick: Wozniacki in three

By the Numbers:

30-9 – Wozniacki’s lifetime record at Indian Wells. Only Lindsay Davenport (47) and Maria Sharapova (38) have more wins than the Dane.

3 – Number of players that reached their first Indian Wells quarterfinal this year at Indian Wells (Muguruza, Vesnina, Mladenovic).

3 – Number of quarterfinalists that have earned double-digit WTA titles. Williams has 49, Wozniacki 25 and Svetlana Kuznetsova 17.

2 – Number of players that have yet to drop a set at Indian Wells (Wozniacki, Mladenovic).

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – No.14 seed Elena Vesnina served out a gutsy three-set win over five-time Wimbledon winner Venus Williams to win, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, and reach her first-ever semifinal at the BNP Paribas Open.

“I’m in the semifinal of BNP Indian Wells tournament, one of the biggest tournaments. I guess I’m on fire,” Vesnina said in press, calling back to her on-court interview. “I’m enjoying myself on the court, and I’m really happy with my wins here.

“This win today against Venus really means a lot for me. It’s never easy to play against her. She’s a great champion and always fighting till the end.

“I’m really happy that I pulled it out.”

Venus was playing at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for just the second time since 2001, and had shown tremendous heart through a pair of tough victories over rival Jelena Jankovic and Peng Shuai to reach the last eight.

On the other side of the net was Vesnina, already in the midst of a career-best run at a Premier Mandatory tournament, who lead the American in their overall head-to-head and beaten her in their last previous encounter at the Miami Open.

“I’ve played against Venus, I don’t know, four times. I kind of knew the way she’s playing, hitting, serving, and today was totally different story. Today she was playing totally different match.”

Taking advantage of the veteran’s slow start, the Russian raced out to a quick 3-0 lead and never looked back in the opening set, winning her sixth set over the former No.1 with the loss of two games or less.

“She looked tired and slow on the court. Then, all of a sudden, she started moving around, hitting great shots, winners from all over the place. And in this momentum, I kind of lost my rhythm, because I didn’t know what to expect.”

Things only got more tense from there, as Venus made up for a subpar serving day with phenomenal groundstrokes, pushing Vesnina farther back and drawing errors from last year’s Wimbledon semifinalist to help level the match at one set apiece.

“It was not easy. When she won the second set, I was thinking how I’d seen previous matches where she was down with match point or set point, and I was like, Uh-Oh, it’s happening again. I’m going to be another victim of Venus. I don’t want that. I want to win this. I want this match.”

Shaking off a frustrating first game in the decider, Vesnina buckled down and broke back, winning five of the next six games to tee the Indian Wells crowd up for the tensest of endings. Venus valiantly staved off three match points on her own serve, and held a whopping six break points in the hopes of clawing back even.

“I was actually very proud of myself, how I held my nerve. I was 0-40 down, but, like, I didn’t even think about that. It was point by point, trying to create a good rally, trying to move her around.

“I was struggling with the first-serve percentage in the end of the third set, so I started serving with a little bit less power, and a bit more pace.

“Couple of kind of big points she gave me unforced error, but I stuck to my game. I was like, ‘I’m never gonna lose this game.’ I was really fighting like it’s the last game of my life.

Vesnina displayed impressive mental fortitude to save all six – including three in a row at 0-40 – to convert her fourth match point and one of the biggest results of her career after two hours and 11 minutes on court.

“Maybe this kind of tactic helped me to win this last game. Because otherwise it would have been 5-4, she would serve for 5-5, and you never know. She could come back again.”

Employing solid aggression throughout, the Russian finished the match with seven more winners and nine fewer errors than her illustrious opponent, and made 15 charges to net, winning 10.

“I’m a little bit tired. Of course, it was not an easy match, especially mentally, because when you’re set up and then down with a break, it’s never easy coming back again.

Standing between her and the biggest final of her career is No.28 seed Kristina Mladenovic, who stunned another former No.1 in Caroline Wozniacki earlier in the day.

“Kiki is having a great season. She’s on fire. She won her first maiden title in St. Petersburg and then she made final in Acapulco. It’s going to be tough match. We played couple of times, but two, three years ago, and it’s totally different story now.

“I need to think how I need to play against her, because I have couple of thoughts on my mind. She’s a great doubles player, as well. She can come into the net. She’s using the dropshots, slices.

“So it’s going to be difficult match, but on the other hand, it’s very exciting to play the semifinal match here in Indian Wells.”

But first, the Russian has a doubles semifinal to take care of; the No.2 seed partners with Ekaterina Makarova to take on Czechs Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova after a suitable rest.

“I have doubles coming in few hours. So I need to win that match, and then tomorrow I will be ready for the semifinal. I know how to recover. I’m not the new player on the tour. I know that I need to recover, and how to recover right and fast for that.”

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Falling Short Never Fun, Says Frustrated Venus

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Venus Williams admitted that she was frustrated to fall short at the quarterfinal stage of the BNP Paribas Open, losing in three sets to Elena Vesnina – but said she had given her utmost to the cause. Carrie Dunn reports.

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Arruabarrena Continues Bogotá Stroll

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Lara Arruabarrena closed in on her first WTA final since 2012 with a quick-fire win over Sachia Vickery at the Claro Open Colsanitas on Friday.

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

In a tidy display, No.4 seed Arruabarrena broke five times to wrap up a 6-2, 6-0 victory in exactly an hour. Meeting her for a place in the final is the tournaments only other remaining seed, Irina Falconi, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Catalina Pella.

Four years ago, Arruabarrena lifted her first and to date only WTA title in the Colombian capital and she has looked like a woman on a mission in the early rounds – dropping a grand total of five games in three matches.

In the top half of the draw, another Spaniard, Sílvia Soler-Espinosa takes on Paula Cristina Goncalves.

Soler-Espinosa secured a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 win over Arma Sadikovic, while Goncalves defeated Elina Svitolina’s conqueror, Alexandra Panova, 6-4, 6-3.

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