Miami: Simona Halep vs Naomi Osaka
Simona Halep takes on Naomi Osaka in the second round of the Miami Open.
Simona Halep takes on Naomi Osaka in the second round of the Miami Open.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Agnieszka Radwanska kept her Asia-Pacific winning streak going in Melbourne – the World No.4 needed an hour and 20 minutes to dispatch Christina McHale in straight sets and close out the day’s action on Margaret Court Arena.
“The first match is always tough, always tricky, especially with the conditions here every day being so different,” Radwanska said after the win. “I’m just very glad I could win that match in two sets.”
The unseeded American came out of the gates firing off her arsenal of booming groundstrokes, but it was the serve that turned out to be McHale’s downfall. Radwanska broke McHale’s serve seven times in the match – four in the first set and three in the second.
Once the finish line came into view, Radwanska put the pressure on McHale and drew out the errors – 28 to Radwanska’s 14. Radwanska fired off two aces in the final game to close out the match 6-2, 6-3.
“I really feel good here in Australia, very comfortable on the court,” Radwanska said. “I love the crowd, I’m really playing my game and enjoying tennis – I think that’s the most important thing.”
Up next for the reigning WTA Finals champion is either Eugenie Bouchard – whose recent renaissance makes her a tricky second-round opponent – or Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic, who Radwanska beat earlier in the year en route to her Shenzhen title. Radwanska leads both players 1-0 in their head-to-head series.
Venus Williams remained in orbit in Miami, ousting Patricia Maria Tig in straight sets to set up an intriguing fourth-round match-up with fellow former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka continued her incredible start to her 2016 title campaign, notching a swift win over Montenegrin player Danka Kovinic to advance to the third round.
Azarenka needed barely an hour to cruise past Kovinic 6-1, 6-2. The Belorussian has yet to lose a set in 2016 – in fact, she has only dropped 20 games all year, and only three so far in the tournament.
“I really don’t count the games,” Azarenka said after the match. “What really works for me is to stay in the moment. I enjoy my time on the court and play every point like it’s my last.
“I just want to enjoy the journey. Right now I just can’t wait to be out here again.”
Her new outlook is paying dividends: the No.14 seed hit only nine unforced errors to Kovinic’s 22, and blasted 19 winners, including a huge around-the-post forehand winner.
“I played really well, especially in the beginning,” Azarenka said. “I just tried to just create opportunities and not let her dictate the points.”
Up next, Azarenka is set to face the unseeded Japanese 18-year old Naomi Osaka, who won 6-4, 6-4 in an upset over No.18-seeded Elina Svitolina.
“I never feel pressure from playing someone that’s supposed to be like better than me, sort of,” Osaka told the press of playing No.14 seed Azarenka. “I’m just going to go in there happy and hopefully try to pull off an upset.”
Osaka is into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career, previously never having advanced past qualifying. Last season at the WTA Finals in Singapore, Osaka announced herself as a young talent to watch by taking home the title at the WTA Rising Stars Invitational.
Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka were joined by four colorful characters at the Australian Open Kids Tennis Day – as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Eugenie Bouchard’s loyal fans, the “Genie Army,” were out in full force in sunny Melbourne.
Australian player Daria Gavrilova thrilled Aussie fans with her spirited performance at her home slam. The 21-year-old made the Round of 16, her best result ever at a slam.
Down the road from Melbourne Park, Johanna Konta stands under the distinctive clocks of Flinders Street Station. Konta made British tennis history by becoming the first woman in 33 years to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley presents Maria Sharapova with a cake commemorating a major milestone: she reached 600 career singles wins after her victory in the third round.
Australian Open quarterfinalist Angelique Kerber makes a young fan happy at Autograph Island.
Naomi Osaka wants to be the very best, like no one ever was. The 18-year-old Japanese – pictured here meeting the penguins at Melbourne Aquarium – made the third round at the Australian Open.
Serena Williams signs autographs after her Round of 16 win. The World No.1 has yet to drop a set in her Australian Open title defense.
Annika Beck dealt the No.11 seed Timea Bacsinszky a second-round upset, and doled out many autographs at the Australian Open Autograph Island.
World No.113 Zheng Shuai was contemplating retiring after the Australian Open – until she upset the No.2 seed Simona Halep in the first round. Zheng – pictured here with coach Liu Shuo at the Chinese Museum – is now in her first ever Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka signs a camera lens after her victory – can the undefeated No.14 seed make it three Grand Slams in Melbourne?
Daria Kasatkina, who made the third round in Melbourne, tries on a bit of Aussie spirit – and a cork hat – at the Australia Pop Up Shop.
Carla Suárez Navarro is always calm – whether she’s on court or holding a freshwater crocodile. A quarterfinalist here in Melbourne, she’s looking to move into the final four for the first time in her career.
Garbiñe Muguruza during her post-match interview. The World No.3 made the third round of the Australian Open.
The spotlight is on World No.4 Agnieszka Radwanska, behind the scenes at her ESPN Player Montage. The reigning WTA Finals champion is seeking to make the Australian Open her first Grand Slam title.
Highlights from the quarterfinal clash between Karolina Pliskova and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen | World No.1 Serena Williams maintained her mastery of Maria Sharapova, winning an 18th straight match in Melbourne on Tuesday. Here’s how it happened.
MIAMI, FL, USA – Johanna Konta became the first British woman to reach the Miami Open semifinals after coming back from a set down to oust No.3 seed Simona Halep.
Putting an injury-plagued start of the season behind her, Halep came into the matchup after winning consecutive matches for the first time all season here in Miami. And in the quarterfinals, the Romanian even saved match point in her late-night thriller against Sam Stosur.
But she couldn’t pull off the escape once again against Konta, falling 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 after a rollercoaster two hours and thirty minutes.
.@JoKonta wins a mammoth tiebreak 9-7!
Into a decider… #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/TWpn1gbFnG
— WTA (@WTA) March 29, 2017
The Brit had to overcome a slow start against Halep, though, as the Romanian came out of the gates firing and would take an early break in the opening set. Loose unforced errors during the initial exchanges cost Konta, and Halep didn’t allow her to settle into a rhythm with her changes of pace.
Dropping the first set only galvanized Konta, as the Brit notched an emphatic break to love and a 3-0 lead. But that’s when things got complicated, and Halep dodged a pair of break points and leveled the match a few games later.
She served for the match at 5-4, and was two points away from victory when Konta denied her, keeping her serve under pressure and rewarded with loose errors.
Into a tiebreaker, Halep once again saw her lead erased as Konta came roaring back from 5-3 down and edged through 9-7.
.@JoKonta91 advances to @MiamiOpen Semifinals!
Battles past Halep 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2! pic.twitter.com/nm3n99u6s8
— WTA (@WTA) March 29, 2017
With the wind in her sails Konta grabbed the lead once again but this time didn’t allow Halep back in. She broke Halep twice to reel off the final five games and complete the comeback.
“It was a really tough match, very high level,” Halep told WTA Insider after the match. “I was so close to winning, I was two points away in the tiebreak, but she played very strong and deserved to win today.
“I’m happy to be here after the break that I had. I’m just disappointed I lost a match I had in my hands. But my confidence is there, the game is there – I just need to play matches.”
Konta be rewarded with a clash against the winner between World No.1 Angelique Kerber and Venus Williams for a chance to go even further and win a spot into her second career Premier Mandatory final.
Should she reach the final, she’s projected to return to the Top 10 after the WTA rankings are released on Monday.
“Whoever I’m playing, I’ll have a battle on my hands that’s for sure,” Konta said. “I’ve played Venus and Angie a few times. They’re going to have a tough battle tonight, and I’m looking forward to playing either of them. Either of them will be a great opportunity for different reasons.”
Angelique Kerber, Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska – who will win January’s WTA Player Of The Month? It’s up to you – vote now!