Insider Podcast: Venus Vs Serena XXXVIII In Melbourne
WTA Insider | The Insider team previews the ninth Grand Slam final between Venus and Serena Williams; who will emerge victorious at the Australian Open?
WTA Insider | The Insider team previews the ninth Grand Slam final between Venus and Serena Williams; who will emerge victorious at the Australian Open?
Courtney Nguyen, Point: How did we get to here? That’s the question many have been asking in the press room here at the US Open, where Angelique Kerber is set to play her third Slam final of the season just two days before she will officially take over as the No.1 player in the world.
It all began suddenly, in January, when she played what many considered the best match of her career to stun Serena Williams and win her first Slam title at the Australian Open. But as is the case for Kerber, her build towards No.1 and Saturday’s final has been far quieter, more workmanlike and unassuming in its reliability.
Reliable. That’s what Kerber has become. In a year that has seen a swirl of inconsistency hit the women surrounding her in the rankings, Kerber has pulled her visor down. She has embraced her ambition. She’s taken control of her game and her career. And the payoff has been immediate.
“That was my goal as well, was really going for it, taking control of my career and my game,” Kerber told WTA Insider on Saturday. “Not just waiting for the shots, if somebody is missing or not, just taking things in my hands and going for it.”
On Saturday, Kerber will be seeking “revanche,” as she says, to turn the tables on a bad loss to Karolina Pliksova just three weeks ago in the final of the Western & Southern Open. It was a bad beat, as a sluggish Kerber had no answers for Pliskova’s power game, and the Czech controlled the match from start to finish to cruise to a 6-3, 6-1 win.
“I think this is a completely new match, a completely new situation. I was a little bit tired in Cincinnati after the Rio trip and everything that happened there. I’m really looking forward to play Karolina again and take the challenge.”
A new match it is. In Cincinnati, Kerber was playing to take the No.1 ranking away from Serena and she was coming off an emotionally and physically exhausting silver medal effort at the Olympic tennis event. This time Kerber has the No.1 ranking already secured, and she comes into the final having not lost a set all tournament.
Kerber and Pliskova spent less than 90 minutes on court in their semifinal but Pliskova’s effort against Serena took a far greater toll. She told WTA Insider that she struggled to get to bed on Friday night, still reeling over her big win, and she admitted that beating Serena meant more to her than making the US Open final.
It makes you wonder whether she can come down from that high to play her best tennis for one more match. Because it will indeed take her best tennis to beat the toughest out in women’s tennis.
“I’m feeling very good because I have a lot of confidence from my last tournaments. I reached finals [at the Olympics and Cincinnati] and semifinals in Montréal. To be here in my next final is great. That’s why I’m really trying to take the energy of the last weeks on court tomorrow and playing with a lot of emotions and going out there to win the match.”
Playing a Slam final has become, in very quick pace, standard fare for Kerber this year. She’s familiar with the rhythms and routines leading up to a major final and the nerves that are natural for the occasion. This will be a brand new experience for Pliskova, who had never even made it past the third round of a Slam before this tournament.
The big key for Kerber will be her serve. You expect Pliskova, the WTA ace leader, to hold with far more ease. Kerber will need to match her to put pressure on her service games. Against Serena, Pliskova gave up just one break point all match. If Pliskova can handle the nerves and bring her best, Kerber’s serve will be under constant pressure.
But once the rallies begin the edge goes to Kerber. She has moved wonderfully throughout the tournament, her Rio hangover clearly a thing of the past. She will look to pick her spots to be aggressive, using that lefty forehand down the line to expose Pliskova’s forehand corner and open up the court.
That decision-making in particular, her ability to step in and take control of rallies on her terms, has been the biggest tactical change in Kerber’s game over the last 12 months. She used to be a reliable wall on the baseline that could be hit through with patience. Now she’s more of an offensive threat.
“That was my goal during my pre-season, working through the aggressive play,” Kerber said. “I know that I can do this, I’m practicing it a lot. Just going and transferring it onto the match court, that was the challenge for me. But I think right now I get used to it, playing really aggressive but also being really good in the defensive and just try to move good and making the mix. I think this is what makes me now stronger than ever.”
Both in her game and her mindset, Kerber has, at 28 years old, finally taken control of her own destiny. If things get tight on Saturday, she’ll take her chances. And when it comes to making good on those chances, no player in 2016 has been more bankable Angelique Kerber.
David Kane, Counterpoint: Success at the Slams starts at the smaller tournaments; the momentum built there is essential for growing both confidence and experience. Karolina Pliskova has spent the last two years cutting her teeth in the shadows of the big stages, reaching five International finals in 2014, then five Premier finals in 2015 – including the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
But that next step remained elusive; 14 of her first 17 Grand Slam main draw campaigns ended in the first or second round, and all before the second week. For one who reached so many finals, Pliskova’s inability to channel that momentum into major victories was puzzling at best, worrying at worst. This was a woman whose consistency helped her capture the Emirates Airline US Open Series last summer, a player more than capable of making things happen on hardcourts.
All it took was a hot streak for the icy Pliskova to catch fire.
“I wasn’t feeling bad at other Grand Slams, any of them,” she said after breaking into the second week for the first time on Saturday. “But just somehow the game on the court wasn’t the way I wanted it to be. I was just a little bit tight, I wasn’t playing my tennis, wasn’t aggressive enough. If I’m not playing my game, I cannot beat those players like this. I cannot be the one who is running.”
It’s been quite a run all the same for the precise Czech powerhouse, who got on a roll after winning the Western & Southern Open, knocking out the year’s first two Grand Slam champions in Angelique Kerber and Garbiñe Muguruza en route, and keeping the former from hitting No.1 in the final.
“I took a lot from that week,” she said of her Cincinnati title, the biggest thus far in her career. “I’m really happy that I took it here with me in New York, and it’s paying off even here. I’m still continuing to do the same things as I did before. I was struggling a little bit with my game on the Grand Slams. I knew I can play big tennis and good matches, but I couldn’t put it in the Grand Slams. I felt little bit pressure on myself.
“So I’m happy that right now it’s all paid off and I finally found my game.”
This pressure-free Pliskova has been unbeatable through 11 matches, even as she found herself down match point to No.6 seed Venus Williams.
“Once I beat Venus here I knew I’m playing good tennis and I have a chance to beat anyone in the tournament. I was ready for anything.”
She was indeed ready for an even bigger moment on Thursday night, taking on World No.1 Serena Williams, Venus’ sister, for a spot in her first Grand Slam final.
“She’s World No.1, so it’s always tough to beat someone like this. She’s never giving up. Even if she’s losing, not playing her best, it’s always tough to beat girls like this.
“I was pretty calm today. Before the match I felt a little bit like pressure, nervous. But when I step on the court I didn’t feel anything. I just, you know, wanted to win, actually. Not just enjoy, but to win.”
It’s that attitude Pliskova will take into Saturday’s final against Kerber, not one of a young woman happy to have already earned a career-best result, but one of an athlete with the experience and confidence from three weeks of well-earned momentum, who knows she can climb higher.
“We played a lot of times. I lost to her; I won. So I will be ready for anything. That’s a final of a Grand Slam, so anything is possible. Of course, there will probably nerves from both sides. We both have a good chance to win.
“But I will just do anything to win the title here.”
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Happy Chinese New Year, and welcome to the year of the rooster! The 12 years of the Chinese Zodiac are represented by animals – which players are roster? Find out here.
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA, USA – Former World No.5 Daniela Hantuchova has earned a wildcard into the main draw of the upcoming BNP Paribas Open. Other wildcard entrants will include Australian Open quarterfinalist Zhang Shuai, Heather Watson, and Americans Shelby Rogers, Samantha Crawford, Lauren Davis, Alison Riske, and Jamie Loeb.
The Slovak made her big breakthrough back in 2002 when she upset Martina Hingis for the title, and came back in 2007 to win a second time – defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. Hantuchova also reached the semifinals of the Australian Open back in 2008, but with her ranking currently outside the Top 100, the seven-time WTA titlist could not enter the main draw without a wildcard.
Joining Hantuchova in the main draw is Zhang Shuai, the Chinese No.2 who enjoyed a Cinderella run to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open; a qualifier in Melbourne, she won her first-ever Grand Slam main draw match in emphatic fashion when she dismissed then-World No.2 Simona Halep in straight sets. Zhang took that momentum all the way into the final eight, where she fell to Johanna Konta; far from a one week wonder, she took turned that form and momentum into a title run last week at an ITF Challenger in Rancho Santa Fe.
Watson enjoyed a solid start to the year by reaching the quarterfinals of the Hobart International as defending champion, and is currently in the quarterfinals of the Abierto Monterrey Afirme – one of three Brits to reach WTA quarterfinals this week, and the largest number since 1978.
Of the five Americans awarded wildcards, Samantha Crawford raced into the semifinals of the Brisbane International as a qualifier, while Shelby Rogers recently reached the finals of the Rio Open – falling to former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in straight sets. Alison Riske started 2016 brightly with a run to the finals of the Shenzhen Open, and Lauren Davis pushed former No.1 Maria Sharapova to three sets at the Australian Open. Finally, former NCAA champion Jamie Loeb has played solid tennis on the Challenger level, reaching the quarterfinals of a 100K and winning a 25K.
Read more about the wildcards set to play Indian Wells here.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Angelique Kerber capped off her rise to WTA World No.1 by winning her first US Open title, edging past No.10 seed Karolina Pliskova, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
“It’s just amazing. I won my second Grand Slam of the year and it’s the best year of my career,” Kerber said after the match.
“For me everything started here in 2011,” she added, referring to when she made the semifinals ranked No.92. “And now here, five years later I’m standing here with the trophy. All the dreams came true this year.”
Pliskova, who was contesting the first Grand Slam final of her career, opened the match looking a bit nervy, hitting four unforced errors in her first service game – including a wild forehand volley at the net. She broke a string just as Kerber broke her serve, and the German consolidated to build up a 2-0 lead.
But now with a couple of games in the bag, both players began to settle into the match and bring out the sparring tennis they’ve produced in their past seven encounters. Kerber defending the ball well then found open court with her famously consistent ground strokes, keeping Pliskova on the run. For her part, the Czech took advantage of Kerber’s short balls and pounced on her second serve, but the loose errors proved to be her undoing as Kerber broke again to take the first set.
New World No.☝️ with her new @USOpen ?! pic.twitter.com/nFwbzkBrIx
— WTA (@WTA) September 10, 2016
More to come…
MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams broke the Open Era record for Grand Slam titles on Saturday night, beating her older sister Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 to win her record-setting seventh Australian Open title. Her 23rd major title moved her past Stefanie Graf’s record of 22 and puts her just one shy of the all-time record of 24 majors, set by Australia’s Margaret Court.
But in a career that has spanned three separate decades, having won her first major in the 90s (1999 US Open), 10 more in the 2000s, and 12 in the aughts, Serena stands alone as the greatest tennis player the game has ever seen.
Saturday night’s blockbuster final at Melbourne Park was a celebration of greatness, revolution, and longevity. There was nothing more poetic than for Serena to finally capture No.23 – she fell short in her last attempt at the US Open last fall – with Venus by her side. The Williams sisters took the sport by storm when they turned pro as teenagers in the late 90s. Venus got the ball rolling, but it was Serena who carried it.
“There’s no way I would be at 23 without her, there is no way I would be at 1 without her, there’s now way I would have anything without her. She’s my inspiration. She’s the only reason I’m standing here today, the only reason the Williams sisters exist. So thank you, Venus, for inspiring me to be the best player I could be.”
As Venus joked in her speech on court, she had a front row seat for Serena’s 23 major titles, whether because she was on the court – she is now 7-8 in Slam finals with seven of those losses coming to her sister – or playing the role of cheerleader in the players’ box. Together they now hold 30 major singles titles.
? @serenawilliams' Grand Slam singles titles@AustralianOpen: ???????@rolandgarros: ???@Wimbledon: ???????@usopen: ?????? pic.twitter.com/ThqFAW7C95
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
“I don’t think we’re going for the greatest story in sports,” Venus said, when asked how she reacts whenever the reference is made. “We’re just going for some dreams. In the case that we are, what an honor.
“What an honor.”
Melbourne belongs to Serena, who in addition to breaking the Open Era record for major titles, also reclaimed her position atop the rankings, overtaking last year’s champion Angelique Kerber at No.1. But 23 was the number of the day. Before taking to the podium to accept her trophy, Serena switched out her match shoes for a pair of Nike Air 23s, an homage to another great sporting champion, Michael Jordan.
“His Airness” wrote her a letter, delivered on the set of ESPN, congratulating on her record-breaking feat.
???#AusOpen #Serena pic.twitter.com/etQVXxfCDP
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
Aside from sending every record book back to the printer, Slam No.23 puts Serena firmly ahead of the woman to whom her domination is often compared in Stefanie Graf. Both women showed incredible dominance – Graf remains the last palyer to complete the Calendar Slam – and the German still holds the record for weeks at No.1, at 377 (Serena trails at 309 weeks). But this is where Serena’s longevity reigns supreme.
“My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of,” Serena said. “I couldn’t have written a better story. I just feel like it was the right moment. Everything kind of happened. It hasn’t quite set in yet, but it’s really good.”
.@WilsonTennis (via Mary Joe Fernandez) present @serenawilliams w/ a special golden racquet on the occasion of Grand Slam No. 23 #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/0VIgFhN2SA
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
Graf’s glorious career ended in 1999 at the age of 30. By contrast, Serena has won 10 major titles after the age of 30. At 35 years old she continues to be the standard against whom all others are measured, and given her performance over the fortnight in Melbourne, that window is not closing anytime soon.
En route to the title, Serena faced down four current or former Top 10 players and did not lose a set, never once even going to a tie-break. In five of her matches she finished with more winners than unforced errors.
This was a relaxed and focused Serena. And a stress-free Serena is a dangerous one.
“I feel like my game is good,” Serena said. “I was thinking yesterday on the practice court that gosh, I’m playing better than I have ever. I thought, man, I’m hitting pretty well. It felt really good to know that I’m playing better and I’m here to take this game pretty seriously.”
Team Serena celebrates the new ? addition to the family! ?#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/JRtpjnIWiY
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
Numbers won’t matter much for Serena going forward. But they also don’t lie. As she repeatedly insists, she is playing with house money and everything from here on out is a bonus. From the outside, the focus will shift to the prospect of eclipsing Court’s record of 24 major titles. It’s a nice goal, but whether she beats it or not will have zero impact on her legacy.
“I’ve been trying to live it (play stress-free) for quite some time now, but definitely I agree that this tournament I was really able to do it even though I was trying to do it and trying and trying. I think having to play those two matches in the first two rounds, I had no choice but to be better.
“I really was OK with, not losing, but I knew that I didn’t have to win here to have to make my career. For whatever reason that settled with me this time. I don’t know why. I wish I could tell you. I want to know because I definitely want to do that next time,” she said with a laugh.
#Serena on GOAT talk: “Between Martina [Navratilova], myself, Steffi Graf — hands down we are leading that conversation.” #AusOpen
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
Outside of Billie Jean King, no woman – or women, if you rightfully include Venus – has had more impact on the women’s game. They introduced and perfected the power game. They forced the rest of the field to match their intensity and physicality. In elevating their status as pop culture icons they elevated the game, bringing what was traditionally considered a country-club sport to the masses.
And they did it by marching to the beat of their drummer, faltering and flying on their own specific terms.
Simona Halep aims to rebound from an early exit at the Australian Open amidst a stacked field at the St. Peterburg Ladies Trophy while Elina Svitolina headlines the Taiwan Open.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Simona Halep faces a daunting challenge if she is to become the second player to successfully defend her crown at the BNP Paribas Open.
In the event’s 27-year history, only the great Martina Navratilova has won back-to-back titles. Halep’s hopes of following in these legendary footsteps were done no favors during Monday afternoon’s draw, which placed her in a treacherous top quarter.
All 32 seeds receive a first-round bye and Halep’s opening match will be against either Vania King or a qualifier.The mercurial Ekaterina Makarova, who famously upset Halep at the 2015 Australian Open, is seeded to be her third-round opponent.
Should she pass these early tests, then in all likelihood the Romanian will have to run the Williams gauntlet; Venus Williams is Halep’s projected fourth round foe, with top seed Serena Williams likely to be lying in wait in the quarterfinals. Only seven players have succeeded in beating both sisters at the same tournament, Jelena Jankovic being the most recent, at Rome in 2010.
Twelve months ago, Serena made her much-publicized return to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and her move prompted Venus to follow suit. Agnieszka Radwanska and Petra Kvitova are also in the top half, both of whom will be wise not to look too far ahead.
In a section that includes Svetlana Kuznetsova, Monica Niculescu, Heather Watson and last year’s runner-up, Jelena Jankovic, No.3 seed Radwanska’s most pressing concern will be the possible second-round banana skin against Dominika Cibulkova.
Keeping Kvitova company are Fed Cup teammate Lucie Safarova and fellow big-hitters Madison Keys and Sabine Lisicki.
No.2 seed Angelique Kerber finds herself in the less threatening bottom half, although her recent Doha hiccup will surely safeguard against complacency.
Barring upsets, Kerber and Carla Suárez Navarro are set to lock horns in the last eight, while two of the WTA’s new kids on the block, Garbiñe Muguruza and Belinda Bencic, are the leading seeds in the other quarter.
Click here to see the full draw.
The 2016 Grand Slam season is in the books, but there is still plenty of tennis before the WTA’s grand finale at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Top tier tournaments in Tokyo, Wuhan, and Beijing will help determine the remaining spots for Singapore. Who has already qualified and who has the edge heading into the Asian Swing?
“With only 40 days to go until the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the Road to Singapore is really heating up now with the best players putting in all their final efforts to secure a prized spot among the greatest eight,” said Melissa Pine, Vice-President of WTA Asia-Pacific and Tournament Director of the WTA Finals. “Women’s tennis is truly exciting at the moment and I am sure that this year’s WTA Finals will feature some of the most thrilling action on court. It is definitely going to be a great time for all the fans!”
KEY INFORMATION:
Tournament Level: Tour Championships
Prize Money: $7,000,000
Draw Size: 8 main draw singles (round robin)/8 main draw doubles (knockout)
Main Draw Ceremony: Friday, October 21
First Day of Main Draw: Sunday, October 23, 5pm
Singles Final: Sunday, October 30, NB 7.30pm
Doubles Final: Sunday, October 30, 4pm
MUST FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:
@WTA
@WTA_Insider – WTA Insider, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen
@WTAFinalsSG – The official tournament Twitter for the WTA Finals
Get involved in conversations with the official hashtags, #WTAFinals and #WTA.
OPENING DAY ACTION:
This year, fans can look forward to the new Family Day At The Tennis festivities which will complement the scintillating action on Center Court on opening day. Session 1 ticket-holders will be given a Family Day At The Tennis Passport which they can use to earn themselves incentives and prizes such as front-row tickets, fast-track access to special activities, and a meet and greet with WTA legends, while attempting various activities and challenges at the all-new Fan Village.
QUALIFICATION UPDATE:
– Top 2 on the WTA rankings, Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber became the first two women to qualify for Singapore; leading the Road to Singapore leaderboard for most of 2016, Serena and Kerber contested two of the three Grand Slam finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon championships. The two will be making their 13th and fourth WTA Finals appearances respectively; Serena has won the title five times.
– By winning her second Grand Slam title at the US Open, Kerber moves up to No.1 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard.
– Three doubles teams have already qualified. Australian Open champions Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza were the first women to qualify for Singapore, followed by French Open champions Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic. Olympic Gold medalists Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina became the third team to qualify after reaching the semifinals of the US Open.
– Hingis and Mirza are defending champions and plan to play Singapore despite splitting after the Rogers Cup, while Garcia and Mladenovic will be making their first apperance as a team after debuting in 2015 with different partners. By reaching the US Open final, the French will take over the No.1 ranking on the Road to Singapore leaderboard.
MAKAROVA AND VESNINA QUALIFY FOR SINGAPORE:
– Makarova and Vesnina were forced to withdraw from the WTA Finals last year, but have qualified twice before, reaching the finals in 2013. The Russians rode a 13-match winning streak into the US Open semifinals with a title at the Rogers Cup before Rio. Learn more about Makarova and Vesnina’s qualification story here.
SINGAPORE IN SIGHT FOR BUCIE?
– Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova were the second team to qualify for Singapore last year, but have played just six events in 2016 due to Safarova’s struggles with illness and injury. Still, the captured their their major title as a pair at the US Open, moving up to No.7 on the RTS leaderboard.
LOOKING AHEAD: THE ASIAN SWING
Six spots in singles and five spots in doubles will be decided during the WTA tour’s final stretch of the 2016 season. The first major tournament of the Asian Swing is the Premier-level Toray Pan Pacific Open, won by defending WTA Finals champion Agnieszka Radwanska last year. From there, the tour heads to China for back-to-back weeks at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open (won by Venus Williams) and the Premier Mandatory China Open (won by French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza).
Here is the current RTS leaderboard in singles and doubles; who will qualify next?
Venus Williams speaks to the media before her opening match at the St Petersburg Ladies Open.