Miami: Day 7 Roundup
All the action from Day 7 at the Miami Open.
Carla Suárez Navarro takes on Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals of the Qatar Total Open.
Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic eased into the US Open final with an impressive straight set win over Martina Hingis and CoCo Vandeweghe on Thursday afternoon.
Day 8’s stat of the day from the Miami Open, presented with SAP.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – No.3 seed Sabine Lisicki overcame energy-sapping conditions and a stubborn opponent to secure a place in the second round of the BMW Malaysian Open.
Watch live action from Monterrey & Kuala Lumpur this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Twelve months ago, Lisicki fell at the first hurdle in the Malaysian capital, but despite never quite finding her best tennis she dug in to defeat Magda Linette, 6-4, 7-6(5), on Monday.
In a match of contrasting styles, Linette’s resolute defense tested both Lisicki’s patience and fitness. The first of these seemed to be wearing thin during a dramatic conclusion to the second set, the German’s radar malfunctioning to gift Linette a 5-2 lead in the tie-break.
But with temperatures threatening the 100ºF mark, Lisicki was in no mood for a third set, rattling through the final five points to set up a second-round meeting with qualifier Barbora Krejcikova.
“She’s a tough opponent, especially for the first round, because she gets a lot of balls back,” Lisicki said. “She started pretty well and I think I needed to get my rhythm. Very tough conditions – very hot and humid – so I’m happy to be through in straight sets.”
Lisicki, who arrived in Malaysia with only two wins to her name in 2016, hopes the extra time on court will help shake off any lingering rustiness.
“You always have some ups and downs and I was very happy that I was able to play well from 2-5 in the tie-break,” she added. “I missed quite a few easy balls [earlier] but the most important thing is that I kept my concentration and got five points in a row – which is not the usual thing!
“I usually get used to the heat pretty quickly and I like it when it’s hot and humid – but here it’s a little bit extreme. It’s good preparation and I’ll try and get as many matches as possible and see how far I can go.”
Also advancing in Lisicki’s section of the draw was Kurumi Nara, who won an early evening marathon with Daniela Hantuchova, 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(10). The match, in which both players saved multiple match points, lasted three hours and 20 minutes, making it the longest on tour this season.
Elsewhere, Hsieh Su-Wei improved her fine record at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Jana Cepelova. “I think the weather is better for the Asian players, so to play at two o’clock was good for me,” Hsieh said. “It’s very hot and we are used to this more.”
Four years ago, Hsieh came through qualifying to lift her first WTA title and has since reached another quarter and semifinal. Seeded No.7 this time, she will meet Kristina Kucova next.
On Thursday evening, Angelique Kerber and Karolina Pliskova produced some of the finest tennis of their respective careers to move within touching distance of US Open glory.
Around the same time they were adding the finishing touches to impressive victories over Flushing Meadows favorites Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams, one of the tournament’s most popular champions received her nomination to join the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
At the dawn of the millennium Kim Clijsters battled it out with Amélie Mauresmo, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Justine Henin and the Williams sisters for domination of a golden era in women’s tennis.
After years of playing the role of bridesmaid, on September 10, 2005, Clijsters finally enjoyed her own big day, defeating Mary Pierce in the US Open final to lift her maiden Grand Slam title.
Despite being just 22 at the time, this victory had been a long time coming; Clijsters, and her entertaining brand of athletic, all-court tennis had been entertaining crowds since she slid onto the scene as bubbly teenager in the late 1990s.
The Belgian’s big breakthrough came a few years later, in 2001, where she reached the final in both Indian Wells and the French Open. Unfortunately for Clijsters, both occasions ended in runner-up speeches, a scenario that would become all too familiar over the coming years as she lost out in four further major finals.
Once she had rid this monkey from her back in 2005, though, there was no looking back. Clijsters won three further Slams – all of which came after the birth of her first child – and a whole host of other silverware to prove once and for all that nice girls can indeed finish first.
“I’m very honored to be on the ballot for International Tennis Hall of Fame induction,” Clijsters said. “The women who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame are great champions who I have always admired. It’s an honor to be considered to be part of that incredible group of athletes, and I’m grateful for this acknowledgement of my career.”
Tennis journalists and authors will cast their votes in the ballot over the coming months, culminating with an announcement early next year of the International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2017. The Class of 2017 Enshrinement Ceremony will be hosted on Saturday, July 22, 2017 during the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
MIAMI, FL, USA – Former World No.1 Venus Williams played stellar tennis from start to finish to upset top-ranked Angelique Kerber, 7-5, 6-3, to reach the semifinals of the Miami Open.
“It was an interesting match,” she said in her press conference. “I was controlling it. I had more errors than I like and lower first serve percentage than I would like. For me, I’m looking at it from a standpoint of how can I get better.
“I have to play well against the No. 1 in the world. She’s on top of her game and she played well, so I had to find a way to play a little better.”
.@VenusesWilliams is just unstoppable right now! ? #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/Yluxlg2vED
— WTA (@WTA) March 30, 2017
Williams and Kerber last played in the semifinals of Wimbledon last summer, where the German won in straight sets, and appeared on course for a similar decision at the start as she broke to open the match.
But Venus employed a hyper-aggressive gameplan throughout the one hour and 39 minute match, striking crisp groundstrokes and finishing quite a few points at the net to stay ahead of last year’s Australian Open and US Open champion.
Kerber tried to find her way back in the second set, staying within one break and saving four match points – three with searing forehand winners – but Venus ultimately proved too strong, striking 32 winners to 27 from the German.
.@VenusesWilliams defeats World No.1 Kerber 7-5, 6-3!
Secures the last spot in @MiamiOpen Semifinals! pic.twitter.com/gm9m6iBZy5
— WTA (@WTA) March 30, 2017
“She was really aggressive from the beginning, and was hitting the balls really hard,” Kerber said after the match. “I think I didn’t move too well today, and made a lot of mistakes, which isn’t normal for my game. It wasn’t my best game, but she deserved to win because she played really well tonight.
“This wasn’t the best start I would have wished for,” she added of her season, “but it’s not a drama because I’m still playing good and winning matches. I’m looking forward to playing again.”
Up next for the American is British No.1 Johanna Konta, who enjoyed a comeback win over No.3 seed Simona Halep earlier on Wednesday.
“It's an amazing feeling to be better than the World No.1!” -@VenusesWilliams #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/bi6JxrA7ts
— WTA (@WTA) March 30, 2017
“She played well, served well,” Venus said of their last meeting, which Konta won in the Bank of the West Classic final. “Tomorrow is an opportunity for me to come out and play hopefully better than today. There are a few things I would like to work on. Outside of that, just come out fresh eyes, fresh feet, and big shots.
“That’s my plan.”
Someone particularly proud of Venus tweeted her support after the match; it was none other than little sister and 23-time Grand Slam champion, Serena Williams:
@Venuseswilliams yea great job! I knew you would do it. ❤❤❤
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) March 30, 2017
How many minutes did it take Kurumi Nara to overcome Daniela Hantuchova in their recent Malaysian marathon? Which nation is best represented in the Top 100? And who has hit the most aces in 2016? These are just a few of the questions answered in the latest installment of wtatennis.com’s By The Numbers.
200 – The number of minutes needed by Kurumi Nara to defeat Daniela Hantuchova in the first round of the BMW Malaysian Open, making it the longest match of the season. The previous record was Heather Watson and Monica Niculescu’s 194-minute marathon in Hobart.
84.6 – Despite having a delivery that rarely breaks the 90mph mark, Sara Errani succeeded in winning 84.6% of the points on her first serve in February.
76 – The WTA-leading number of aces struck by, no, not Serena Williams or Karolina Pliskova, but Timea Babos, who credits a change in technique with improved power and consistency behind her booming delivery. Number two on the list for the year is Julia Goerges (61), who, as chance would have it, teamed up with Babos for doubles through the Middle East Swing..
45 – Doha finalist Jelena Ostapenko was the most upwardly mobile of any player currently ranked in the Top 100 in February, rising 45 places (from No.86 to 41).
33 – Based on the rankings from February 29, 2016, there are currently 33 nations represented in the Top 100, led by the USA (12), Germany (10) and Russia (8).
13 – Unlucky for some, Angelique Kerber, Agnieszka Radwanska and Carla Suárez Navarro have all played 13 matches in 2016, more than any other player.
3 – Kerber still leads the way in the Road To Singapore leaderboard with 2,361 points. Three of the current Top 8 on the leaderboard have never competed in singles at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
2 – Sloane Stephens became the first player to win multiple singles titles in 2016 with victory in Acapulco on Saturday. It was her third career title (after Washington DC, in 2015 and Auckland this January). Stephens played 83 tournaments before advancing to her first WTA singles final and has now won three titles in her last 11 events.
1 – Looking ahead to Indian Wells, Simona Halep will follow in the footsteps of greatness should she reclaim the title; Martina Navratilova (1990, 1991) is the only woman to successfully defend her title at the event
0 – Number of wins by seeded players in Dubai.
The sun is shining and the stars are loving it – but they’re also working hard in the gym and on court. Check out the best of their social media.
Highlights from the semifinal clash between Johanna Konta and Venus Williams.