Johanna Konta's Best Shots Of 2016
Johanna Konta hit a lot of hot shots on her way to making British tennis history in 2016, but which one her best shots of the year was your favorite?
Johanna Konta hit a lot of hot shots on her way to making British tennis history in 2016, but which one her best shots of the year was your favorite?
NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.5 seed Simona Halep survived a gutsy upset bid from No.31 seed Timea Babos, who kept her on the ropes for much of the second half of the match before Halep scraped through, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
“Today I had in my head just that I can win the match, and I have just to take point by point,” Halep reflected in her post-match press conference. “So it was a good thing, and I want also to improve more in this. I feel safe when I’m on court. That’s why I refuse to lose.
“I’m stronger mentally and I don’t give up any more during the matches, even if I’m down.”
Halep looked set to cruise to a quick victory after she snapped up the first set in just 24 minutes. She made only four unforced errors to Babos’ nine, and despite the Hungarian entering the tournament ranked third on the WTA for most aces, Halep was able to contain that big serve and break three her three times.
But after being thoroughly outplayed in the opening set, Babos settled into her game and began to read Halep’s shots better. Babos suddenly began to outlast Halep at the baseline – the Romanian’s stronghold – and seemed to be one step ahead of her in the rallies.
With Babos firing off winner after winner, Halep began to play the kind of nervous, fast game that betrayed her mounting frustration. Babos rattled off six unanswered games to grab the second set and carry that momentum into the third, yanking Halep from line to line to draw out the errors and earn an early break.
The momentum shifted once as Halep refused to wilt and kept her cool to stay within touching distance. The Romanian eventually broke back at 3-3 to put them on even ground for the first time in over an hour.
Point of the match? #Halep gets the break she needs to lead her to a three set win over #Babos. #usopen @Chase https://t.co/eywEXaKjsJ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 3, 2016
After a tense couple of games, with Babos serving at 5-4, 40-15 for a chance to extend her stay in the match, the Hungarian sprayed a string of nervous errors to gift Halep match point, before surrendering the match on a double fault.
“It feels good that I could win the match,” Halep said afterwards. “It was really tough. She played unbelievable second and third set. She didn’t miss at all. She was hitting very strong, so it was a good challenge for me and it was a good match.”
“I’m really proud that I could win it and come back from 3-1 down in the third set.”
Next up for the Romanian is the No.11 seed Carla Suárez Navarro, who has been quietly making her way through the draw with her usual consistency. The Spaniard celebrated her 28th birthday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against No.19 seed Elena Vesnina earlier in the day, and she’s yet to drop a set at the US Open.
A year ago, Suárez Navarro bowed out of the US Open in the first round, one of three first-round exits she suffered at Grand Slams. This year, she’s one of a handful of women to reach the fourth round at every Grand Slam.
“Last year in the Grand Slam I didn’t make the results,” she explained. “So I tried to be more focused, more relaxed. [Now] I play good in the Grand Slams but, you know, I want more.”
“I don’t want to lose in quarterfinals or the round before. I mean, if I’m staying in the second week I want more. I want to be in the final round.”
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Two-time US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki has tapped into some New York magic once more, taking out No.8 seed Madison Keys, 6-3, 6-4, to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in exactly two years.
“It’s been a good week,” Wozniacki said after the match. “I’m really happy about the way I played. Obviously Madison is a strong player. She hits the ball really hard.
“But I managed to really play well, get a lot of returns in. I served well, which I was pleased with.”
Dealing with injuries throughout the 2016 season, the former No.1 had tumbled all the way down to No.74 in the rankings, but is set to begin her climb back in earnest thanks another big win in Flushing. Playing Keys for the first time, the Dane relied on her signature consistency to frustrate the young American, winning 80% of her first serve points and hitting just three unforced errors in the one hour and 18 minute match.
“Everybody wants to beat you. No matter what my ranking is at this current moment , I always feel like I’m a target. I have to keep improving to beat everybody. I feel like I have been serving well this week, especially today, and returning well and really having good court coverage.”
Two-time #usopen finalist #Wozniacki off to a hot start against Madison #Keys, taking the opener 6-3. @chase https://t.co/CTc5svPzwB
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2016
Keys had come off a hard-fought third round win against fellow young gun Naomi Osaka, and despite hitting 30 winners against Wozniacki, 33 unforced errors proved critical on Sunday, engineering just one break point all day.
“I definitely felt like I got off to a bad start, and then I felt like I was trying to catch up from there,” Keys said in her post-match press conference.
“I definitely don’t think I was playing my best. I mean, I think she played really, really well today. I think it was just a combination of me not playing my best and not playing super smart and her playing really well.
“I feel like the match just got away from me.”
Up next for Wozniacki is comeback kid Anastasija Sevastova, who continued her own Cinderella run into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 7-5 win over No.13 seed, Johanna Konta.
“I had some tough matches against her in the past,” Wozniacki said. “I think we played Fed Cup a couple of times, but also we played the Australian Open.
“She’s a tough player. She’s a tough opponent. She has a lot of grit and good hands. It’s not going to be an easy one, but I’m excited just to have another shot.”
Calm and relaxed throughout the fortnight, Wozniacki even took in some of Saturday night’s match between Stan Wawrinka and Dan Evans, trying her hand at providing match analysis on Twitter:
What a match happening on Armstrong now!! Will be interesting to see how Evans will bounce back for the 5th set after having had match point
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) September 4, 2016
Catherine Bellis completed a memorable week by upsetting top seed Zhang Shuai to lift the inaugural Hawaii Open.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Simona Halep became the first player in the top half of the draw to reach the US Open quarterfinals after a straight set win over Carla Suárez Navarro.
Some late service jitters turned a stroll across the line into an altogether tenser conclusion, but Halep recomposed herself to close out a 6-2, 7-5 victory.
The Romanian signaled her positive intent from the off, some sparkling attacking tennis helping her to a 4-0 lead. While Suárez Navarro eventually managed to get on the board it was far too late to rescue the set.
This pattern continued into the second. Halep, despite a slight dip, continuing to control much of the action and building a 5-2 lead. Yet with the end in sight, Suárez Navarro finally loosened up, displaying some terrific shotmaking to draw level.
Fueled by her opponent’s brilliance, Halep unleashed a couple of winners of her own to break once more. Serving for the match a second time she did not waver, recovering from 0-30 to set up a quarterfinal showdown with top seed Serena Williams.
Halep, a semifinalist 12 months ago, has enjoyed a productive summer, winning titles in Bucharest and Montréal, and now feels ready to take the next step. “My game now I feel is the best that I had ever, because I feel strong on my body. I feel that I can control every tactic during the match. I can change. I’m able to the change the tactic when I need.
“It’s tough to talk about the winning a Grand Slam because I never won one, so I don’t know the feeling. But I’m working hard to reach that title, to make that dream come true. So I’m just working, dreaming about it, and if one day it happens I will be very happy!”
.@Simona_Halep easily advances against #Navarro to the quarterfinals! #usopen @MBUSA https://t.co/GkA3WzDMHw
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2016
WUHAN, China – Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki is set to continue her US Open resurgence into the WTA’s Asian swing, joining Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber, Simone Halep, Petra Kvitova and defending champion Venus Williams at the 2016 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
“I’m so excited to be coming back to Wuhan and seeing all my amazing Chinese fans again,” Wozniacki said. “Playing in China, where the crowds have such a passion for tennis, is always really special. There is a really strong line-up of players this year in Wuhan and it’s going to be fantastic to be part of it.”
The 2016 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open announced today a star-studded field, with all of the WTA’s Top 10 active players entered and Wozniacki receiving a wildcard into the 56-player main draw.
The WTA Premier 5 tournament, now entering its third year, has become one of the cornerstones of tennis’s autumn Asian swing. The tournament takes place between 23 September and 01 October 2016, and tickets are already available. Visit the tournament’s website, www.wuhanopen.org, or www.4008702014.com for more details.
The American flag flies over Arthur Ashe Stadium – and its brand new retractable roof.
Johanna Konta fought through the shadows under the new courts.
Simona Halep tore through the draw on the way to her second straight US Open quarterfinal.
Agnieszka Radwanska was one of four women who started the tournament with a shot at the WTA World No.1 ranking.
Caroline Wozniacki loves New York City, and the city loves her: the two-time finalist revitalized her season at the US Open.
Last year’s finalist Roberta Vinci is a big hit, too, signing autographs for fans after her match.
Players and fans wrote goodbye messages to Louis Armstrong Stadium, which hosted its last scheduled match this year after 39 years.
Venus Williams surprised fans at an on-site event, hitting a few tennis balls on court and answering fan questions.
She’s back! Caroline Wozniacki returned to the US Open semifinals after an emphatic win over Anastasija Sevastova.
As day turned to evening the grounds were packed in preparation for the US Open night session.
Inside the stadium, the stars were out in full force to support their favorite players, including Beyoncé, who was in Serena Williams’ box cheering on the No.1.
But with Garbiñe Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska bowing out early, Angelique Kerber has a big chance to dethrone Serena at the top spot.
Kerber zoomed past an ailing Roberta Vinci to reach the semifinals.
Anastasija Sevastova’s Cinderella run to the US Open quarterfinals made lots of headlines…
…as did 18-year-old Ana Konjuh’s.
Konjuh was the author of one of the biggest upsets of the tournament when she knocked out Radwanska in the fourth round.
Things move fast in New York City, and after almost two weeks of action we see familiar faces emerge among the surprises.
Steady as always, Serena marches in historic fashion, aiming for a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title.
But World No.2 Kerber has just one goal in mind, and she inches closer and closer to it with every win.
As the sun sets over Flushing Meadows, will we see a new WTA World No.1 at the end of the fornight?
TAMPA, FL, USA – Venus Williams might be gearing up for the 2017 WTA season, but the former No.1 is already outfitted through 2018.
Venus – who is set to start the year in Auckland – took some time off from her busy off-season preparations to debut the latest collection of Eleven By Venus, called Casablanca, as well as reveal some long-term career plans.
“I design all of my collections in advance, so while we’re just debuting this season’s collection I’ve actually got everything planned through 2018,” Venus said, speaking at an EleVen event in Tampa where she was showcasing the new collection.
“We’ve got all our designs ready for next year and the year after.”
Her meticulous planning and commitment to EleVen has definitely showed, with her Prism collection that debuted at the US Open being named one of the Top 8 women’s tennis fashion moments of 2016.
“Last season’s collection, Prism, was inspired by a prism of light. Our inspiration was all the different colors in there, we covered the full spectrum – literally! And so Casablanca is what’s left over: the black and the white.”
“It’s just really classic motifs of black and white. When you think of the movie Casablanca, it’s a classic love story, it’s black and white. That’s really what we brought to this line, a real classic feeling. Black, white, and a little bit of red.”
While her off-court entrepreneurial spirit keeps her always busy, on the court the seven-time Grand Slam champion still has just one mission.
“To win every match! Hello!” Venus laughed, adding:
“I’ve been working hard in the gym and getting back on the court. I just love the game, I really do. I love the challenge. It’s been such a part of my life that it’s hard to imagine life without it.
“I’m just gearing up for 2017 like I’m sure everybody else is.”
Gearing up for 2017 and already outfitted for 2018 – Venus is halfway to her biggest goal: the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
All photos courtesy of EleVen By Venus
An interview with Carla Suárez Navarro after her win in the semifinals of the Qatar Total Open.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Who has enjoyed the smoothest passage to the final? What does Angelique Kerber need to do to top the rankings? And just how impressive has Serena Williams’ serving been?
These are just a few of the questions answered in a US Open semifinal edition of wtatennis.com’s By The Numbers.
439 – Karolina Pliskova’s three aces against Ana Konjuh took her tally for the year to a WTA leading 439 from 54 matches.
110 – The average rank of Pliskova’s opponent en route to the last four is 110 (No.243 Sofia Kenin, No.192 Montserrat González, No.92 Ana Konjuh, No.6 Venus Williams and No.18 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova).
84 – Serena’s peerless delivery has helped her win 149 of 177 (84%) points on her first serve – the best percentage of any singles player this fortnight.
74 – Wozniacki is currently ranked No.74 – her lowest position since August 2007. Aside from unranked Kim Clijsters in 2009, Wozniacki is bidding to be the lowest-ranked finalist in US Open history.
60 – Serena has struck more aces, 60, than any other player in the tournament. Kerber, meanwhile, has hit just six.
52 – Kerber’s victory over Roberta Vinci in the quarterfinals was her 52nd of the year. This is the most by any player on tour (Simona Halep is her closest competition, with 40 wins).
48 – Wozniacki has won 48 of her 71 meetings with left-handers on tour. Seven of these defeats have come against Kerber, including four on hardcourts. The Dane has, however, won their only two meetings stateside, at Cincinnati (2014) and Indian Wells (2013).
34 – Williams will be aged 34 years and 350 days at the end of the tournament, making her the second-oldest US Open semifinalist in the Open Era, after Billie Jean King in 1979, who was 35 years, 291 days.
33 – Williams is appearing in her 33rd Grand Slam semifinal. For Pliskova it is her very first.
17 – In her 17 previous Grand Slam appearances Pliskova had never reached the second week. The last player to reach a major semifinal having never previously been beyond the third round was Madison Keys at the 2015 Australian Open.
10 – Wozniacki has defeated two Top 10 players (No.9 Madison Keys and No.10 Svetlana Kuznetsova) this fortnight – a feat she had never achieved in 36 previous majors.
7 – Wozniacki is the seventh unseeded player to make the US Open semifinals since the number of seeds was increased to 32 in 2001; the others were Clijsters (2009), Yanina Wickmayer (2009), Kerber (2011), Flavia Pennetta (2013), Peng Shuai (2014) and Vinci (2015).
6 – Pliskova is projected to reach a new career-high ranking of No.6 and could rise as high as No.5 by winning the title.
4 – Williams is bidding to reach all four major finals in the same year for the very first time. The last player to achieve this feat was Justine Henin in 2006.
2 – In her five matches Williams has dropped serve just twice – both coming during her quarterfinal against Halep.
1 – Williams needs to win her semifinal to have a chance of extending her 186-week stay as World No.1. If Kerber advances to the final, Williams will need to win the title to hold on to top spot.
0 – The number of sets Kerber has conceded en route to the semifinals. The last player to win a major without dropping a set was Serena at the 2014 US Open.
