New Haven: Konjuh vs Vinci
Roberta Vinci takes on Ana Konjuh in the second round of the Connecticut Open.
Roberta Vinci takes on Ana Konjuh in the second round of the Connecticut Open.
DUBAI, UAE – Jelena Jankovic was two games from elimination in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Playing against against No.5 seed Belinda Bencic – who made her Top 10 debut on Monday – the former No.1 survived an onslaught from the 18-year-old to come out on top, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
“I just fought every point,” Jankovic said during her on-court interview. “I tried to hang in there; Belinda was playing so well and I was almost on the edge of losing in the second set but I fought hard and I’m lucky to win.”
Coming to Dubai a mere days after reaching the final of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, Bencic led by a set and a break, and had her chances in the final set as well, saving 14 of 17 break points faced – including three in a row in the eighth game of the third – but Jankovic proved too strong in the end.
“I made a few tactical changes, and my fighting spirit all added up together and it made me win at the end. Belinda is coming from the finals in St. Petersburg; she’s playing very well, she’s in form, and I’m happy to win tonight.”
In a match that had little between the two, the Serb hit 37 winners to 33 from the Swiss, and eight fewer errors than her much younger opponent – 44 to 52.
“When you look at it, I’m like 12 years older than her, almost her whole age!” Jankovic joked. “That was my advantage tonight.”
Up next for the 2008 US Open finalist is good friend Andrea Petkovic; the German had a seamless first round victory over Camila Giorgi 24 hours ago, dropping just three games.
“It’s all with the ‘-ic’ if you look at it,” Jankovic said with a laugh. “Jankovic, Bencic, and Petkovic all on this side of the draw!
“It’s kind of cool, but Andrea is my friend and I know her very well. We just practiced with each other a couple of days ago. We know each other’s games and there’s no secrets.
“It will be another tough match and hopefully I can play well and we’ll see how it goes.”
“When you look at it, I'm like 12 years older than her. I'm almost her whole age!” -@Jelena_Jankovic on Bencic #WTA https://t.co/lMeue1myOq
— WTA (@WTA) February 16, 2016
Elina Svitolina takes on Elena Vesnina in the quarterfinals of the Connecticut Open.
Highlights from the quarterfinal action at the Connecticut Open.
Highlights from the first round action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Serena Williams is expecting her first child with fiancé Alexis Ohanian, her representatives confirmed.
After a since-deleted photo was posted early this morning on her Snapchat captioned “20 weeks”, Serena’s representatives have now confirmed the news that the 23-time Grand Slam champion is pregnant.
“I’m happy to confirm Serena is expecting a baby this Fall,” her publicist confirmed to the WTA, adding that Serena will not play again in 2017 but aims to be back in action in 2018.
Last December, Serena announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Ohanian last year in a poem posted to the platform.
Ana Ivanovic takes on Simona Halep in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Agnieszka Radwanska takes on Elina Svitolina in the final of the Connecticut Open.
The story of the tournament from the Connecticut Open.
STUTTGART, Germany — Defending champion Angelique Kerber is the top seed this week as the WTA’s elite slide into the red clay at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. A two-time winner in her home country, Kerber is joined in the top 8 seeds by fellow former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, as eight of the WTA top 10 are competing in Stuttgart.
Check out the Stuttgart stories of the top 8 seeds and others who’ll be unseeded and looming in the German city this week:
1. Angelique Kerber (GER)
6th appearance (13-3)
Best result: CHAMPION (2015, 2016)
2. Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
2nd appearance (2-1)
Best result: QF (2016)
3. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
5th appearance (0-4)
Best result: R32 (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012)
4. Simona Halep (ROU)
4th appearance (2-3)
Best result: SF (2015)
5. Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP)
3rd appearance (2-2)
Best result: QF (2016)
6/WC. Johanna Konta (GBR)
3rd appearance (0-2)
Best result: R32 (2014, 2016)
7. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
10th appearance (13-9)
Best result: SF (2011, 2012, 2016)
8. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
8th appearance (14-6)
Best result: CHAMPION (2009)
More…
Samantha Stosur (AUS)
6th appearance (9-5)
Best result: F (2010)
Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP)
6th appearance (7-5)
Best result: QF (2014, 2015, 2016)
Maria Sharapova (RUS)
5th appearance (13-1)
Best result: CHAMPION (2012, 2013, 2014)