Stars Shine At Shenzhen Player Party
Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska was joined by Simona Halep, Johanna Konta and many more for the glamorous Shenzhen Open player party.
Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska was joined by Simona Halep, Johanna Konta and many more for the glamorous Shenzhen Open player party.
Highlights from the semifinal round action at the Apia International Sydney.
Nearly a decade after winning the 2007 Junior US Open crown, Kristina Kucova made her long-awaited Top 100 debut after a career week at the Rogers Cup.
“I enjoyed every minute here in Montréal,” she told press after her semifinal match against Madison Keys. “I really like everybody here.
“I’m so happy about all week because it was the greatest week of my life so far. So I’m very happy.”
Making it through qualifying – where she took out Christina McHale just to reach the main draw – Kucova knocked out a pair of Top 20 opposition in Carla Suárez Navarro and Johanna Konta. In the round of 16, she stunned former World No.5 Eugenie Bouchard in front of her home crowd, recovering from a set down under the lights.
“They were all supporting Bouchard, but in the end I felt like I was winner over all these people. I don’t know, I felt very happy that moment. Also I was happy that I could beat her after what happened in Fed Cup. I’d lost to her before, so I was happy that I could win against her.”
Her run came to an end in the final four, but she nonetheless became the first qualifier to reach the semifinals since Zi Yan in 2007, a full circle moment for Kucova, who won the girl’s singles title at the US Open over Urszula Radwanska a few weeks after Zi’s run.
“It means a lot for me, this success, but it’s not only my success. It belongs to my whole family. Especially to my parents and to my sister which brings me to the tennis from very young age.
“I have many people now around which also this success belongs to them. I would like to just say thank you also for them.”
For all of those reasons, Kucova is your Breakthrough Player of the Month!
Final Results for July’s WTA Breakthrough Performance Of The Month
1. Kristina Kucova (49%)
2. Johanna Konta (34%)
3. Laura Siegemund (12%)
4. Viktorija Golubic (5%)
2016 Breakthrough Performance Of The Month Winners
January: Zhang Shuai
February: Jelena Ostapenko
March: Nicole Gibbs
April: Cagla Buyukakcay
May: Kiki Bertens
June: Elena Vesnina
How it works:
Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com
Reports of her retirement were greatly exaggerated, Roberta Vinci declares after kicking the 2017 season by reaching the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International.
“I’m playing match to match,” she told WTA Insider after her second round win over Misaki Doi. “I saved five match points in my first round, not bad. I played in the heat, and another good match against Doi.”
“I don’t have any special goals, just playing and staying confident in mind and body.”
It was the World No.18 herself who announced at the end of 2015 that 2016 would be her last season, but became more uncertain as she continued earning impressive results like winning her first Premier title in St. Petersburg and becoming the oldest woman in WTA history to debut in the Top 10.
“I had lot of discussions with me, with myself in November after Zhuhai. This life isn’t easy but I want to continue. I love this life, this sport; I’ve had a lot of success, and I have a good ranking. In my mind, I said, ‘Ok, try to play and just enjoy without thinking about ranking. Keep going, and that’s it.'”
How much longer will she keep going? The Italian veteran plans to keep that to herself this time.
“One year, two years, but I don’t want to tell you right now so you won’t start asking me if this is my last!”
The turning point came at the US Open, the site of her greatest career triumph. One year removed from her improbable run to the final – ending Serena Williams’ Calendar Year Grand Slam bid en route – the top ranked Italian came to Flushing with an injured foot and all the pressure in the world to defend the points she’d earned. Defying the odds once more, she roared into the quarterfinals, falling to eventual champion Angelique Kerber.
“I fought a lot, and I probably had something special inside where, even though I wasn’t feeling good with my body, and wasn’t feeling confident, the passion and will took over.
“It gave me a lot of confidence in myself and was a big part of my decision to keep playing. You can’t be perfect every day, in form or body, so sometimes an injury can happen, but you can still win with the passion, fire, forehand, slice!”
Vinci ended a solid 2016 season at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai still uncertain whether she would continue, ultimately announcing her intent to play this season in late November.
Once she cleared up any doubt, it was time to get back on the court.
“The off-season is never enough, but it was nice. I stayed home in Italy with my parents. I had a great pre-season, nothing special, but I feel good, confident. I had two great matches, into the quarterfinals this week.”
Often over-analytic when it comes to ranking points – this was a player who shouted “60 points!” after a first round win at last year’s US Open – Vinci is intent on turning over a new leaf in 2017.
“When I saw the draw, I thought about how a quarterfinal is 100 points, but I’m trying not to think about that anymore. I’m happy.”
With happiness comes a more mature outlook, one the former World No.7 hopes will keep her fresh and healthy in the new year.
“I know it’s hard to work out every day; I’d speak a lot with my coach and say, ‘Today I can’t play. I’m done, finished.’ He’d say, ‘No problem; you have enough experience, and you know your body.’
“I’m happy about this decision. We’ll see from here; there might be some times when I’ll wonder ‘Why?’ but that’s normal. I’m happy, and that’s good. That’s it.”
All photos courtesy of Getty Images and Instagram.
Monica Puig takes on Belinda Bencic in the semifinals of the Apia International Sydney.
An interview with Carla Suárez Navarro before her first round at the Olympic tennis event.
Elina Svitolina produced a spectacular finish to upset World No.1 Angelique Kerber in Thursday’s Brisbane International quarterfinals.
Svetlana Kuznetsova takes on Monica Puig in the final of the Apia International Sydney.
An interview with Angelique Kerber before her first round at the Olympic tennis event.
Here’s how Alizé Cornet reacted after pulling off a stunning upset over World No.5 Dominika Cibulkova in the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International.