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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – No.9 seed Madison Keys needed just 57 minutes to knock out Naomi Osaka in straight sets and book her spot into the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open, 6-1, 6-4.

“I’m just happy to be out here, happy to have another win, happy to get to play tomorrow,” Keys said in her post-match press conference.

“I definitely had really low expectations [before the tournament]. I was, like, if I get a set, I’ll be happy. And to win? It’s always tough to come back and everyone is in the middle of their season.”

With her first match back on tour after a two-month injury layoff done and dusted against Mariana Duque-Mariño in the last round, Keys brought her best tennis against the Japanese teenager and took the opening set in just 19 minutes.

Billed as a battle between big hitters, Osaka was unable to impose her game on Keys the way she did in the pair’s rollercoaster encounter at the 2016 US Open. Keys bossed the rallies from the start, relying on her booming serve to keep Osaka on the back foot and letting her powerful groundstrokes do the damage.

“I felt really bad out there,” Osaka admitted in her post-match press conference. “I just wanted to play a good match, you know, because I don’t think that many people expected him to win except for myself. I wanted to show people a good match, but I’m upset because I played terrible.

“I think she overwhelmed me with how she played and that made me change how I played. I think I just doubted myself a lot.”

Keys continued her momentum in the second, grabbing a crucial break early on as Osaka’s game finally started to come together. But the Japanese player was never able to turn the tide despite bringing up four break points against Keys. The American held firm, sealing the contest with an ace and closing out the match in less than an hour for her place in the fourth round.

Up next for Keys is a matchup with Caroline Wozniacki. The 2011 champion dispatched Katerina Siniakova in straight sets 6-3, 6-1.

“I’m pleased with the performance, it was nice to get out of there very quickly and be out of the sun,” Wozniacki told press after the match.

“Obviously tomorrow is going to be another tough one, Madison is playing well. I’m excited to get another match.”

Keys trails Wozniacki 0-1 in the pair’s head-to-head record after falling to the Dane in straight sets at last year’s US Open round of 16.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Sloane Stephens might be sidelined from the action at the BNP Paribas Open, but that doesn’t mean she’s been far away from the tennis courts.

While recovering from surgery on her left foot injury – which will leave her away from the tour until summer 2017 – Sloane has been taking to her new role as a reporter for Tennis Channel.

“I’ve been able to hang out, watch some tennis – not what I would usually be doing at a tennis tournament!” she said on a Tennis Channel broadcast. “For the first time I’ve been able to be normal, and I’ve really had fun!” 

From getting cooking lessons from celebrity chefs to player interviews to going undercover, Sloane has been making the most of her stint as a reporter. Check out some of her most memorable moments from the Indian Wells fortnight!

Working undercover a BNP Paribas Open info desk attendant:

Interviewing American wildcard Kayla Day, who reached the third round at Indian Wells:

Mingling with famed chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa:

Interviewing Vasek Pospisil after he scored a victory over ATP World No.1 Andy Murray:

“Everyone’s been like, ‘oh we loved it!'” Sloane said of the feedback she’s been receiving. “And you know how certain fans love certain players? When I did that thing on Dustin Brown, everyone was like ‘oh my god I love him, I love his hair!’

“So I’ve gotten really good feedback. But it’s mostly my family that’s been telling me it’s so cool.”

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Azarenka Ends Crawford's Brisbane Run

Azarenka Ends Crawford's Brisbane Run

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BRISBANE, Australia – Victoria Azarenka ended qualifier Samantha Crawford’s run at the Brisbane International with a one-sided victory in Friday’s second semifinal.

Watch live action from Brisbane & Auckland on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

In the previous round Crawford had blown away Andrea Petkovic, but it quickly became clear that toppling Azarenka would be a far sterner challenge. The Belarusian, who had dropped a combined 10 games in her opening three matches, hit the ground running, her precise return game prizing a succession of unforced errors and an immediate break.

With Crawford, appearing in a WTA semifinal for the first time, struggling to rein in her huge strokes, Azarenka efficiently went about her business, punching a backhand down the line to pocket the first set in only 25 minutes.

The American put up more of a fight in the second but was powerless to prevent the former World No.1 running out a 6-0, 6-3 winner.

“I think it was a pretty solid match for me, especially the first set,” Azarenka said. “I just think I should have been a little bit more in control in the end; she was going for, you know, everything, so I needed to be a little bit more aware of that.”

Azarenka won the Brisbane title in 2009 and in the final this time will face Angelique Kerber, a player whom has never beaten her in five career meetings.

As impressive as she has been, Azarenka, whose last title came in the summer of 2013, is refusing to get carried away: “I’m just trying to stay focused. There is one more match, and then you can just reassess how the tournament went and what was working, what is something still needs to be worked on.

“Right now I’m just trying not to overthink. I think sometimes it can be a trouble when you overthink too much.”

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Sloane Stephens Wins Auckland

Sloane Stephens Wins Auckland

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Sloane Stephens did double duty at the ASB Classic on Saturday, completing a semifinal victory over Caroline Wozniacki and then defeating Julia Goerges for the title.

Stephens was leading Wozniacki 5-2 in the first set when rain stopped play on Friday, and when they resumed play on Saturday morning the American held on, edging the No.3-seeded Dane, 6-2, 7-6(3).

And she continued her winning ways later in the day in the final – Stephens, the No.5 seed, reeled off nine of 11 games from 4-5 in the opening set to run away with it against Goerges, 7-5, 6-2.

She held all 10 of her service games in the match, fighting off the only two break points she faced.

“You can never prepare for playing a set and then rain, then finishing the match the next morning and coming back again in the afternoon. You just have to keep going and do your best,” Stephens said.

“Julia had been playing some really great tennis all week, but I knew if I just kept playing solid I could do it. I was pleased the way I was able to pull myself together and come back and play well.

“Just kind of going with the flow – that was pretty much it. Pretty basic.”

Stephens, who has played some of the best tennis of her career during the Australian season in the past – she was a semifinalist at the Australian Open in 2013, after all, famously upsetting Serena Williams along the way – now has two WTA titles, her first coming in Washington DC last summer.

“We have a really long season – I have to play all the way until October – so to win a tournament in the first week of the year is amazing,” Stephens said. “But I’m going to have many more opportunities throughout the year, and I’m looking forward to all of them. It’s easier to look at it that way.”

The American was asked if she was surprised how well she did for the first week of the season.

“I wouldn’t say surprised – I wouldn’t use that word. But the first week of the year you don’t really know what to expect. I felt good coming into the tournament. I was excited – I think that really helped.”

The doubles final took place later in the day, with Belgian duo Elise Mertens and An-Sophie Mestach taking out the Montenegrin-Czech pairing of Danka Kovinic and Barbora Strycova, 2-6, 6-3, 10-5.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – No.28 seed Kristina Mladenovic roared back from a set and a break down to defeat 2011 BNP Paribas Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2, to not only reach her first Premier Mandatory semifinal, but also gaurantee a Top 20 debut on next week’s WTA rankings.

“It’s been a lot of matches and, to be honest, it’s like the longest kind of string of winning matches I had so far in my career,” Mladenovic said in her post-match press conference.

“It feels great, but in the same time, every day I go out there on the court or in the gym practicing, it’s for moment like that. So I’m not getting too excited. I’m just super satisfied that I am on that kind of stages right now and trying to use my chances and the my opportunities I have.”

Mladenovic had never beaten Wozniacki in three previous encounters, but their most recent meeting last fall undoubtedly gave the surging Frenchwoman hope of pulling off the upset.

“Caroline is a top player, former World No. 1. She’s also in very great shape; she had a very good start of the season, as well, and won lots of matches.

“That final in Hong Kong at the end of last year was very painful for me, very frustrating. I thought I was playing well that entire week and, in the final, I was just kind of exhausted and injured.

“Today I thought, ‘Okay, today I’m feeling good.’ When I woke up, nothing was hurting. I’m not injured. I was happy about that. I wanted to give a fight there and have no regrets.”

The start of the match saw Mladenovic with plenty of opportunities, but after six games, the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy champion was down 1-5 and 0/7 on break point opportunities.

“I wanted to take my revenge, of course. It was not easy. Again, it was a tough battle and tough conditions. We played, yeah, two hours and a half. I didn’t start the match well at all.

“I thought, when you lost three times against a player, it means that something is wrong and that you don’t really like her game.”

Edging closer in the first set, she recovered from an early break in the second to move ahead 5-3 before ultimately leveling the match in a tie-break.

“I felt like I needed adjustments. It’s the first time for me playing on that huge stadium. I just stayed very positive and composed, because I was out there battling with myself first, because I wanted kind of too much.

“I was just fighting mentally to be close with her at the scoreboard, and eventually I got my chances. And I think I played really well the tie-break.”

Mladenovic is in the midst of a career-best stretch of form, winning her first WTA title and reaching another final at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, and only got better as the final set wore on, breaking twice to serve out the win in two hours and 33 minutes.

“I went for my game. I went for some variation. I think I played differently at some points, trying to use more the court to make her run, as well, because she was doing that pretty well to me.

“Something new I put today was the serve and volley on such important points. I impressed myself with that! Every time I would serve good on the backhand, she would go very deep and return well. I was, like, ‘Okay, let’s just be creative here.’

“It paid off, and it gave me a chance to fight a third set. I think the third set was the best of today from me.”

Maintaining impressive stats, she struck 42 winners to 39 unforced errors, and won five of six break points in the final two sets.

“I felt pretty much in control there for a while, but sometimes it is what it is,” Wozniacki said in press. “Maybe lost a little bit of concentration, let her back, and then she started playing better. It happens.

“I was trying to be very focused out there and just do my thing. I fought until the end, but it just wasn’t enough today. You can always learn and I can do better.

“But, at the end of the day, I tried my hardest and that’s all I can do.”

Up next for the French No.1 will be No.14 seed Elena Vesnina, who held off an impressive fight from former World No.1 Venus Williams to win in three sets.

“I’m going to enjoy this win and try to recover, because two and half hours on court takes a lot out of me. I’m excited and no matter who I play, I’m sure it’ll be a tough one, hopefully an exciting one with great tennis.

“I’m very happy, and hopefully I can continue.”

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WTA Insider Podcast: Vika Victorious

WTA Insider Podcast: Vika Victorious

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

On this episode WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen recaps the action in Week 1, which culminated with Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska, and Sloane Stephens emerging from an otherwise fraught week, as champions. You’ll hear from Brisbane International champions Azarenka and Sania Mirza, both of whom look primed for a momentous season.

Azarenka on maturing and changing her perspective: “I think my ego dropped a lot. I dropped it. I didn’t want to be the type of player that is so full of themselves. I want to be understanding. I want to be available. Because tennis is more than just about results to me. It’s the process.”

Mirza on the prospect of completing the non-Calendar Grand Slam: “Sure, we’re halfway there. But halfway there and halfway to go is a long way off. It’s a Grand Slam for a reason. There’s a reason to win one in your lifetime and we were lucky enough to win two in a row.”

Listen below:

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on any podcast app of your choice and reviews are always helpful, so if you like what you’ve heard so far, leave us one. You can also get new episode alerts by following us on Twitter @WTA_Insider.

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