Insider Daily: Stanford Live Blog
WTA Insider | Live from the Bank of the West Classic, check out all the action from the first day of main draw play in Stanford.
WTA Insider | Live from the Bank of the West Classic, check out all the action from the first day of main draw play in Stanford.
DOHA, Qatar – Caroline Wozniacki won her second match of the day in emphatic style, overcoming Olympic Gold medalist Monica Puig, 6-1, 6-2, to reach the final of the Qatar Total Open.
“It sounds amazing, but also makes me feel a little old!” she said during her on-court interview, when reminded of her last appearance in the Doha final, back in 2011.
“It’s been a great week, really tough conditions with all the waiting, but I managed to keep focus and play some of my best tennis out there.”
Too good from @CaroWozniacki! ? #Qatar_Total_Open pic.twitter.com/WLxzClmCjN
— WTA (@WTA) February 17, 2017
The former World No.1 was the last of field to advance into the semifinals after finishing off Lauren Davis, 7-5, 6-1, while Puig kicked off play on Friday by defeating Daria Kasatkina in a one-set shootout.
Still rolling from her win over Davis, Wozniacki started the quicker of the two despite the late start, roaring out to a 5-1 lead in the first set and never looking back, hitting 12 winners to just four unforced errors and converting five of seven break point opportunities to advance after an hour and 10 minutes.
What a rally! ?
Defense to offense from @CaroWozniacki! ?? #Qatar_Total_Open pic.twitter.com/bzVehSiT0L
— WTA (@WTA) February 17, 2017
Up next for the two-time US Open finalist is Karolina Pliskova, the No.2 seed and last year’s runner-up in Flushing. Wozniacki’s never lost to the Czech powerhouse, but their last meeting came in 2014, before Pliskova became a Top 10 player.
“She’s playing really well, serving really well. It’s going to be a great final and I’m excited for it.”
.@CaroWozniacki bests Puig 6-1, 6-2!
Sets @QatarTennis Final vs @KaPliskova! pic.twitter.com/vyJIToTMoV
— WTA (@WTA) February 17, 2017
Standing between both of them would be the unpredictable forecast, which forced both of them into playing multiple matches on Friday. Wozniacki was cautiously optimistic of starting Saturday’s championship match on time.
“I don’t want to jinx anything, so let’s just hope there’ll be good weather. I’m just excited to be on the court, and if I have to wait a little bit, I’m used to it by now and I’m feeling good!”
Karolina Pliskova takes on Zhang Shuai in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open.
STANFORD, CA, USA – Australian Open semifinalist Johanna Konta was emphatic in her first hardcourt match of the summer swing, dismissing wildcard Julia Boserup, 6-3, 6-1, to reach the quarterfinals at the Bank of the West Classic.
Watch live action from Stanford this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Coming off a second round finish at Wimbledon, Konta was eager to regain the momentum that saw her surge into the Top 20. Playing Stanford for the first time, Konta faced a tricky opponent in Boserup, who is having her own summer of firsts following her run into the third round at the All England Club.
“I definitely felt I played a really good level in parts,” she said during her on-court interview, adding, “She definitely made me work for it, especially towards the end of the first set. It was quite tough for me to close it out. She’s a great competitor and a great player, so I’m happy to be coming back in a couple of days to play again.”
Konta’s rise up the rankings began just around this time last year, when she won 16 straight matches on the Challenger and WTA level, leading her into the round of 16 of the US Open and foreshadowing her breakthrough run in Melbourne. Comfortable on the quicker surfaces, the Brit was able to wrap up the victory in just over an hour, booking an encounter with China’s Zheng Saisai for a spot in the semifinals.
“I’m really looking forward to this part of the season; I’m a rookie, haven’t played here or next week, so there’s a lot of firsts for me coming up. I like playing on hard, equally on grass, but it’s definitely a nice change for the season. I take a lot of confidence with every match I get to play, moving forward into the next one.”
Zheng opened play with a 6-4, 6-1 win over No.7 seed Alizé Cornet. Cornet survived a marathon match with American Jennifer Brady in her first round, and though she edged ahead by a break to start the first set, Zheng proved too strong in the end, dispatching her French opposition in 87 minutes.
“My gameplan changed a lot today, not keeping too many rallies with her because she moves very well and very solid,” she said after the match. “I think I played well today.”
Doubles champion a year ago, Zheng felt the love from the Stanford crowd as she reached her first quarterfinal in singles, throwing a towel up to a fan following her victory.
“Last year, I was here 10 days and I really love it here. Every match, I feel like I meet new fans, so I really enjoy playing here and hope I can keep going!”
Karolina Pliskova takes on Caroline Wozniacki in the final of the Qatar Total Open.
It’s been a busy Throwback Thursday for the WTA stars, who’ve shared some of their first photos on Twitter as part of a new ad campaign from Nike.
Madison Keys, Roberta Vinci, Sara Errani, Caroline Garcia, and Annika Beck have already tweeted out baby pictures to show fans where their stories began. Check out the #tbts here:
My story began in Rock Island where I dreamed of playing on the big stage. Now I want to win it all @Nike #justdoit pic.twitter.com/PlaXuSIm1j
— Madison Keys (@Madison_Keys) July 21, 2016
My story began in Taranto, Italy, where I improved my game. And now, I play to improve my ranking. @Nike #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/9sKSd2mfyB
— Roberta Vinci (@roberta_vinci) July 21, 2016
My story began in Bologna. Tennis is my path forward. It's made me the person I am. Better every day.@Nike #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/GgZHJGm6jn
— Sara Errani (@SaraErrani) July 21, 2016
My story began in Lyon where I dreamed to travel around the world now my tennis passion allows it @Nike #justdoit pic.twitter.com/AoZZDL5cz0
— Caroline Garcia (@CaroGarcia) July 21, 2016
My story began in Bonn, where I dreamed of tennis grand slams. Now I put my heart and soul in it. @Nike #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/qCf2BXzH6b
— Annika Beck (@BeckAnnika) July 21, 2016
STANFORD, CA, USA – This week at the Bank of the West Classic proved one to remember for 17-year-old Catherine Bellis, who reached her first WTA quarterfinal, where she played former No.1 Venus Williams.
Bellis first turned heads at the 2014 US Open, when she became the youngest woman to win a match in Flushing since Anna Kournikova in 1996, upsetting then-reigning Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova in the first round. The youngster went on to reach the third round of the Miami Open in 2015 – where she played Venus’ sister Serena for the first time – and with wins over No.6 seed Jelena Ostapenko and Sachia Vickery, kept dreams of a pro career alive in Stanford, even as she committed to play college tennis for that very university.
Here from Bellis as she spoke with reporters following her first round win over Ostapenko, how she doubted whether she’d even be able to take the court after a traumatic left eye contusion left her faced with “the scariest moment of her life,” and how her game has improved since bursting onto the scene nearly two years ago.
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WTA Insider | Two all-American battles are on Friday’s Bank of the West Classic schedule; stay tuned for an action-packed Live Blog.
BASTAD, Sweden – Katerina Siniakova advanced to the first final of her career by dethroning home favorite and reigning Ericsson Open champion Johanna Larsson on Saturday.
Watch live action from Bastad, Stanford and Washington DC this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
A relative novice at this stage of a WTA event and faced with an unashamedly partisan crowd, Siniakova took some time to find her bearings. However, once she had the Czech produced some sparkling tennis to run out a 7-5, 6-1 winner and set up a Sunday showdown with Laura Siegemund.
“It was a really hard match, I just tried to focus on every point and I think I played pretty well,” Siniakova said. “Maybe in the beginning I was a little bit nervous, so there were a few more mistakes, but from there my performance was better so I’m really happy.”
Having frozen when serving for the opening set at 5-3, Siniakova showed no hesitancy when another chance presented itself, thundering a backhand into the corner to bring up two set points. Larsson ballooned a drive volley long to surrender the set.
In addition to her title run last year, Larsson was a finalist on home soil in 2011 and 2013, but she never looked like adding to this tally in the second set, Siniakova establishing an early lead and never looking back.
Siniakova, whose previous semifinal appearance ended in defeats in Moscow and Prague, was understandably elated at clearing this hurdle at the third time of asking: “It’s really exciting. I think it will be a really tough match, hopefully we will both show great tennis. I think I will be nervous, but this is normal. I will just have to try my best, fight for every point and see how it goes.”
Like Siniakova, Siegemund took some time to find her groove, weathering an early storm of winners to see off Julia Goerges. Siegemund had already reached semifinals on the clay this year, in Stuttgart and Bucharest, and despite falling behind early on refused to get disheartened against her powerful compatriot.
While she was unable to rescue the first set, she hit back to take a high-quality second then forge ahead in the third. Trailing 4-6, 6-3, 4-0, Goerges body admitted defeat, a hip injury bringing an entertaining contest to a premature end.
“It was very tough – she started out very strongly in the first set. I tried to be solid but it was not enough, she was really the better player at the beginning and I needed to step it up,” Siegemund said. “I felt good out there today, I felt confident to be a bit more risky and go for my shots.”
Until recently, Siegemund existed in a different world on the tennis circuit to some of her more celebrated compatriots. A memorable run all the way through qualifying to the final in Stuttgart changed all this and on Sunday she has the opportunity to further cement her place among the elite.
semifinal highlights from #ericssonopen @wta pic.twitter.com/yQB2YTfbfn
— Swedish Open Tennis (@swedish_open) 23 July 2016
ZHUHAI, China – Sunday marks 100 days until the start of the final event on the 2016 tennis calendar, the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
This year’s tournament promises to build on the overwhelming success of its inaugural staging, which saw fans flock and former World No.1 Venus Williams walk away with the trophy.
While the line-up for 2016 will not be finalized for several months yet, one bona fide star is already confirmed to be making the trip to southern China. Stefanie Graf – winner of 107 WTA singles titles, 22 Grand Slam singles titles and global ambassador for the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai – will be present this November to greet players and fans at the Hengqin Tennis Center, Zhuhai.
“With a fantastic player field, increased domestic and international coverage, exciting on site entertainment activities, and a special appearance by our global ambassador Stefanie Graf, the 2016 WETZ definitely is not to be missed,” said Tournament Director Peter Johnston.
Once again the event will be organized by Zhuhai Huafa Group and APG, who in addition to the singles and doubles competitions will lay on a variety of off-court entertainment, including the unique opportunity for players and fans to enjoy the taste of famous Michelin restaurants from around the world at the on-site SAVOUR Festival. Last year’s success has also encouraged several well-known domestic and international brands to lend their support, including Peak Sports, USANA, Yonex, Guodao Gold, Liri Tent Technology, Eulong and Rossini.
“We are proud to see the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai making breakthroughs this year,” said Zhong Ming, Chairman of the Organizing Committee & Vice General Manager of Zhuhai Huafa Group. “We are determined to create the most unforgettable event for our fans with the highest level of matches and world-class entertainment activities.”
The tournament will run from November 1 to 6, and like last year the singles draw will feature 11 of the top ranked players and one wildcard, with the winner collecting 700 rankings points. The doubles will be comprised of four leading teams, plus two wildcard pairings.
“The inaugural Elite Trophy Zhuhai achieved a remarkable level of success,” added Steve Simon, CEO of the WTA, “As the 2016 event approaches the 100 days out mark, we are confident that WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai will grow to even greater heights in delivering a premier, and compelling global experience that engages our fans around the world.”
Tickets for the tournament will go on sale on July 28, and can be purchased on the official website www.wtaelitetrophy.com.