DUBAI, UAE – Just days after throwing down the WTA Shot Of The Month gauntlet to trick shots queen Agnieszka Radwanska, World No.2 Angelique Kerber produced yet another highlight-worthy piece of brilliance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships – and this time she even went right handed for it!
Watch Kerber switch hands for a right-handed reflex volley in her WTA Shot Of The Day from her quarterfinal against Ana Konjuh:
Speed and soft hands from @AngeliqueKerber! ? pic.twitter.com/Ti8X0o1Ej5
— WTA (@WTA) February 23, 2017
“I don’t think [I’ve ever hit a right-handed volley before],” Kerber laughed in her post-match press conference. “I think this point — yeah, I have no idea. I just react, so it was just maybe a little bit luck, as well.”
She added, “I’m naturally right handed. Maybe that helps me in this point.”
On Tuesday, Kerber’s 26-shot rally against Mona Barthel prompted the German to muse out loud about displacing perennial hot-shot winner Radwanska, who not only took home January’s WTA Shot Of The Month but also owns the WTA Shot Of The Year Award for the last four years.
She’s coming for you @ARadwanska… pic.twitter.com/q11Hc9WD6Z
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) February 21, 2017
Radwanska was game and readily accepted the challenge on Twitter:
Game on ???@AngeliqueKerber https://t.co/0S9L0qIsjJ
— Aga Radwanska (@ARadwanska) February 21, 2017
@ARadwanska ???
— Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) February 21, 2017
But will it be enough for Kerber to dethrone Radwanska and claim February WTA Shot Of The Month? Stay tuned…
NEW YORK, NY, USA – World No.2 Angelique Kerber maintained her imperious form with a 6-3, 7-5 win over No.14 seed Petra Kvitova to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open.
Kvitova had held the early edge in their head-to-head, but Kerber had won their last two meetings to even the score, both this spring in Stuttgart and last fall at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Playing textbook counterpuncher tennis throughout the evening, the German kept her stats clean with eight winners and just eight unforced errors.
Kvitova, by contrast, was far more aggressive, but her 32 winners couldn’t make up for the 43 unforced errors hit over two sets – 27 coming off her forehand side alone.
Giving it all you've got under the ??? of Ashe. #usopen pic.twitter.com/tBJOpp17t4
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2016
After trading breaks to start the contest, the match largely went with serve, including the first 11 games of the second set. Serving to force a tie-break, Kvitova ultimately succumbed on a double fault – her seventh of the night – allowing Kerber to wrap up th ematch in one hour and 28 minutes.
Up next for the reigning Australian Open champion is No.7 seed and 2015 US Open runner-up Roberta Vinci, who fought through a tough first set to defeat Lesia Tsurenko, 7-6(5), 6-2.
By reaching the quarterfinals, Kerber has put herself in even stronger position to leave the final major tournament of the season as World No.1 – the first from Germany since Stefanie Graf in 1997 – and prevent Serena Williams from breaking Graf’s record of consecutive weeks at the top spot. Serena is set to tie Graf’s record at 186, but now needs to do no worse than reach the final to have a chance of retaining World No.1.
Should Serena and Kerber meet in the final, the winner walks away with No.1.
She's looking for her third slam final this year and @AngeliqueKerber moves closer with a 6-3, 7-5 win over #Kvitova pic.twitter.com/5npAv1DWet
Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic have become the second doubles team to qualify for the 2016 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
DUBAI, UAE – No.7 seed Elina Svitolina conquered top seed Angelique Kerber for a third straight time – the second time in 2017 – to advance into the biggest final of her young career with a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Svitolina kicked off the season by knocking out Kerber, then No.1, at the Brisbane International, but pulled off a hat trick of wins over the two-time Grand Slam champion on Friday, overcoming a rain delay and a late surge from an experienced – if slightly hampered – opponent to advance after one hour and 39 minutes of play.
“It was really tough,” she said during her on-court interview. “[Kerber] obviously had a medical timeout, so it was in and out all the time. The rain made it even tougher to stay focused, so it was a very tricky match. Hopefully Angelique has nothing serious with her knee and gets better soon.”
“It was a tough match,” Kerber said in press. “I don’t know what’s with my knee now, but I feel pain a little bit.
“I tried my best. This is how I am, and I’m always trying my best until the end.”
Great pace from @ElinaSvitolina! #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/gAyIMIoCFH
— WTA (@WTA) February 24, 2017
In control late in the second set, Svitolina saw her lead slip as Kerber won three straight games to serve for a decider. Digging in her heels, the Ukrainian youngster was riding a big wave of confidence – and an 11-match winning streak after taking home her fifth career title at the Taiwan Open – and broke back to roar though the ensuing tie-break.
“I was just trying to hit the ball, move my legs, think positively, and fight for every ball.”
Kerber was fighting to reclaim the No.1 ranking, needing to win the title to wrest the ranking from Serena Williams.
“I’m not thinking about this,” Kerber said. “I mean, everybody is writing or asking, but for me, I know how it feels to be No.1. I reach it once, and for sure I will try to get back there.
“But for me it’s really important to be healthy, and at the end, if I play consistent the next weeks or months, then we will see what’s happen then. Bfor the moment, I mean, I’m not looking about the number before my name, actually.”
.@ElinaSvitolina breaks and takes the second set to a tiebreaker! #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/OIwWpVxKHq
— WTA (@WTA) February 24, 2017
Standing between Svitolina and the biggest title of her career is former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, who reached her first final in Dubai since 2011 earlier in the day; Svitolina won their only previous meeting in three grueling sets.
“We played at the Miami Open last year; it was a very late match, and hopefully this next one will be good as well. I’ll give my best and we’ll see how it goes.”
A win in Saturday’s final would also guarantee her long-awaited ascension into the Top 10.
“It was up and down for me, but towards the end of 2016 I had really consistent results, and I was really consistent with my game,” she said in her post-match press conference. “So I’m really happy that I’m more mature now with my game, and hopefully I will try to stay focused.
“Of course the first thing is it’s important to stay healthy, is the most important for an athlete. Hopefully it will be good, and I will stay – of course, there will be up-and-down, but the only thing matters is how you come back from the downs.”
.@ElinaSvitolina defeats Kerber 6-3, 7-6 (3)!
Sets @DDFTennis Final vs @CaroWozniacki! pic.twitter.com/TEwHmRuXn6
What fashion weeks are in haute couture, Grand Slams are in tennis fashion, and NYC’s US Open is unarguably the most stylish major, inspiring designers to create edgy and vibrant outfits that reflect the energy of the host city. Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will show us the best tennis apparel we’ve seen on the courts this fortnight at Flushing Meadows.
Venus Williams‘ prints topped our fashion lists many times, but the EleVen Prism Chela Dress takes colors and patterns to a whole new level, just as the 2000 and 2001 US Open champion announced prior to launching the Prism collection, which includes bright and vibrant summer colors, as well as cooler and calmer fall tones.
The American’s dress at the final Grand Slam of the year stands out not only with its appealing print, but also with the stylish purple color-blocking at back, a nice wrap element and feminine flowy skirt, while performance features include EleVen Pro-Dri, managing moisture and breathability, and EleVen Ozone, fighting off harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Serena Williams‘ legendary career has been highlighted by dozens of outfits that pushed the boundaries in women’s tennis fashion and this time the world number one again made sure to stand out, accessorizing her NikeCourt Power Dress with “Wonder Woman” sleeves. Both the night and day version of the dress feature hyper pink pleat details, mock neck and ribbed shoulder panels.
The American also has two versions of her lightweight, quick and aggressive Nike Flare shoes, the black and white option with volt and pink touches. The footwear is ideal for explosive movements, as its extended stretch collar keeps the feet locked-in.
Completing the glamorous look are long almond-shaped nails and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore watch.
Madison Keys‘and Roberta Vinci‘s eye-catching fluorescent kit consists of the highly breathable and seamless constructed NikeCourt Dry Slam Tank and the pleated NikeCourt Flex Victory Skirt with a contoured power mesh waistband.
Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep are showcasing adidas’ spectacular fall collection, whose geometric print is inspired by New York City’s spectacular architecture.
The adidas Fall Pro Tank is equipped with ventilating Climacool material, while extra breathability is provided by keyholes at back, stylishly accompanied by a contrast mesh racerback.
While Kerber paired her flash red tank with the bold triangular print of the adidas Fall Pro Skirt, Halep went a step further and opted for the collection’s boldest piece, the adidas Fall Pro Short, whose colorful pattern is peeking through a white woven mesh layer.
Caroline Wozniacki, Garbiñe Muguruza and Andrea Petkovic picked color-blocking items that feature marble graphic elements engineered with ClimaLite® to wick sweat away from the skin.
Wozniacki’s adidas Stella Barricade New York Dress in collegiate navy/white/flash red pays tribute to the Grand Slam’s American home ground. The Dane’s neat flash red manicure accessorizes bold shades and figure-flattering lines that create a feminine hourglass illusion.
Muguruza’s and Petkovic’s ensemble includes the high-neck adidas Stella Barricade New York Tank and the adidas Stella Barricade New York Skirt, which is available in two lengths.
Fila is one of those brands that never goes far from good old retro. The Heritage collection for the 2016 US Open, as seen here on Yaroslava Shvedova and Jelena Jankovic, brings Fila’s time-honored silhouettes and colorways enhanced by modern elements.
Classic red head ties perfectly match contemporary blurred stripes, creating a wonderful balance between traditional and modern aesthetic led by the Fila Heritage Stripe Dress.
Karolina Pliskova opted for simple separates consisting of the Fila Heritage Racerback Tank and the Fila Heritage Skirt, in which the Czech won the Western & Southern Open title ahead of the US Open.
Which WTA player’s on-court fashion aced the US Open? Tell us now!
DALIAN, China – Jana Cepelova ended Peng Shuai’s campaign at the Dalian Women’s Tennis Open at the first hurdle after a three-set win on Wednesday.
Watch live streaming from Dalian all week right here.
In a closely fought encounter, No.6 seed Cepelova held her nerve during a tense conclusion to close out a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory in a fraction over two hours.
Exactly two years ago, Peng produced some of the best tennis of her career to reach the semifinals of the US Open. However, since then success has been thin on the ground after a debilitating back problem forced her to miss nearly all of 2015.
Progress since her return has been slow, struggling for wins away from the ITF Circuit. Against Cepelova she had her chances, threatening to get edge ahead in the deciding set only to surrender the solitary break in the seventh game.
Elsewhere, there were wins for Cepelova’s fellow seeds, Wang Qiang, Duan Ying-Ying and Tamira Paszek. Top seed Wang withstood a late rally to defeat Nigina Abduraimova, 6-4, 7-6(4), while Duan, the No.3 seed, provided further home cheer with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Sara Sorribes Tormo.
No.4 seed Paszek was pushed even harder, but finished strongly to see off You Xiaodi, 7-5, 5-7, 6-1.
We use technology such as cookies on our website, to provide functions and analysis of our visitor data. Click Accept to confirm that you agree to its use.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
