Tennis News

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Former World No.4 Francesca Schiavone showed flashes of the tennis that took her to a maiden Grand Slam title at the 2010 French Open, edging past American Shelby Rogers, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, to win her seventh career title at the Rio Open.

“I feel very emotional right now,” she said during the trophy ceremony. “It was a very tough match, and I want to congratulate Rogers. She is a young player and she grew a lot in the circuit.”

Schiavone looked down and out when she fell behind against a set and a break to Rogers, who was in just her second WTA main draw since last fall’s Coupe Banque Nationale, but the wily veteran cruised through the second set and raced out to an idential 5-2 lead in the final set before treating the Rio crowd to a tense ending.

“I want to thank everybody who made this fantastic tournament possible,” Rogers said in her runner-up speech. “It was definitely one of the best weeks of my life. I hope I can come back next year.”

Though she lost her first eight career WTA finals, the Italian has been 7-3 since breaking the duck back in 2007 (Bad Gastein), and her win in Rio is her first in just under two years (Marrakech); she will return to the Top 100 on Monday’s rankings.

“I’m really happy to be here today. I wrote this speech this morning,” Schiavone said, addressing the crowd in Portuguese, “regardless of the result, because I wanted to share my joy with you.

“Today is a happy day and I’m very emotional because Brazil is such a wonderful country. Your smile fulfilled my days here and I wish you the best for the Olympic Games.

“I want to thank everybody who helped me, and now it´s time to enjoy.”

THE WINNERS

Sara Errani crowned her return to form with a dominant victory over Barbora Strycova in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. A former Top 10 fixture and French Open finalist, Errani’s greater big-match experience shone through as she romped to a 6-0, 6-2 victory after little more than an hour on court.

“I have no words,” the Italian said after the victory. “I’m sorry for Barbora – she’s an amazing player, but I’m really happy to win this tournament. It’s been a tough week for me, and I’m really happy for me, my team and my family and friends.”

Read the match recap and watch highlights here.

At the Rio Open, former World No.4 and fellow Italian Francesca Schiavone showed flashes of the tennis that took her to a maiden Grand Slam title at the 2010 French Open, edging past American Shelby Rogers, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, to win her seventh career title.

“Obviously when you come here, you try to prepare as much as you can, but you don’t think ‘I’m going there to win it,’ no, no,” Schiavone said before the final. “It’s a wonderful surprise; it’s been a long time since I’ve had this big a result, so I’m taking it as it comes.”

Read the match recap here.

GAME, SET, MATCH: WTA Insider

Game: Forza Italia

You can’t say enough about this Golden Generation of Italian women. Since Flavia Pennetta became the first Italian to break into the Top 10 in 2009, all four women – Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani, and now Roberta Vinci – have broken into the Top 10. Pennetta and Schiavone scored a Slam title a piece, while Errani and Vinci both snagged a Slam final.

Now, with this generation on the verge of hanging up its racquets, we see Vinci win the biggest title of her career last week in St. Petersburg, Errani do the same this week in Dubai, and Schiavone win her first title in nearly three years in Rio de Janeiro, boosting herself back in the Top 100.

This group of Italians has been a special one. And they may have a few surprises yet.

Set: Marquee names yet to catch fire.

Whether it’s due to injuries, lack of confidence, or bad luck, there’s no denying it’s been a slow start to the season for a key group of players that includes Simona Halep, Garbiñe Muguruza, and Petra Kvitova. Elsewhere, we also see Caroline Wozniacki drop out of the Top 20 for the first time since August 2008. For the first time in the Open Era, no seeded player won a match in Dubai last week.

All are in action this week in Doha. Can they get some wins and pick up some steam as the tour heads to Indian Wells and Miami?

Match: Azarenka returns to action this week.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the results in Acapulco, as Victoria Azarenka returns to competition as the top seed there. The former No.1 had a strong start to the season after winning Brisbane in dominant fashion and marching to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, before getting stunned by eventual champion Angelique Kerber. It was a gutting loss for Azarenka, but hopefully she’s had time to work past it and comes into Acapulco fit and firing. She has a great opportunity to march up the rankings when the tour turns to Indian Wells and Miami.

RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of February 22, 2016.

Sorana Cirstea (ROU), +46 (No.199 to 152): Cirstea’s run to the Rio Open semifinals, playing in her first WTA main draw matches since last summer, were a huge milestone on the Romanian’s road back from injury. It also earned her the week’s highest ranking jump, improving 46 spots to No.152.  

Francesca Schiavone (ITA), +38 (No.132 to 94): When Francesca Schiavone turned back the clocks in Rio, winning her first title in two years, she also earned herself a spot back in the Top 100. The last time Schiavone was ranked inside the Top 100 was at the 2015 US Open, when she held the No.95 spot.

Shelby Rogers (USA), +23 (No.131 to 108): The resurgent Rogers made her first WTA final since 2014 at the Rio Open and as a result she now sits just eight spots shy of a return to the Top 100.

Barbora Strycova (CZE), +9 (No.47 to 38): Strycova improves nine spots to No.38 with run to the final at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Sara Errani (ITA), +5 (No.22 to 17): Sara Errani’s dominant performance in Dubai sends her up five spots and back into the Top 20.

Johanna Konta (GBR), +1 (No.27 to 26): While improving one ranking spot might not seem like much, it’s actually a historic achievement for Konta – her No.26 ranking is the highest ranking for a Brit since Jo Dury held the spot in April 1987.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

Qatar Total Open
Doha, Qatar
Premier | $2,517,250 | Hard, Outdoors
Sunday, February 21 – Saturday, February 27, 2016

Abierto Mexicano TELCEL
Acapulco, Mexico
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoors
Monday, February 22 – Saturday, February 27, 2016

Abierto Monterrey Afirme
Monterrey, Mexico
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoors
Monday, February 29 – Sunday, March 6

BMW Malaysian Open
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoors
Monday, February 29 – Sunday, March 6

TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES

1. Serena Williams –
2. Angelique Kerber – Doha
3. Agnieszka Radwanska – Doha
4. Simona Halep – Doha
5. Garbiñe Muguruza – Doha
6. Maria Sharapova –
7. Belinda Bencic – Doha
8. Petra Kvitova – Doha
9. Flavia Pennetta – (retired)
10. Roberta Vinci – Doha
11. Carla Suárez Navarro – Doha
12. Lucie Safarova – Doha
13. Venus Williams –
14. Victoria Azarenka – Acapulco
15. Timea Bacsinszky – Doha
16. Ana Ivanovic –
17. Sara Errani – Doha, Monterrey 
18. Elina Svitolina – Doha
19. Karolina Pliskova – Doha
20. Jelena Jankovic – Doha

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

 Klara Koukalova (CZE) – February 24, 1982
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) – February 25, 1994
Chen Liang (CHN) – February 25, 1989
Naomi Broady (GBR) – February 28, 1990
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) – February 28, 1985

DOHA, Qatar – Elena Vesnina notched one of the biggest wins of her career over No.2 seed Simona Halep in the second round of the Qatar Total Open, shocking her 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-1.

The Russian qualifier, ranked No.118 in the world, was fresh off of a first round upset against Caroline Garcia, a semifinalist last week in Dubai. She was up against the World No.4, who was playing on her favorite surface and on familiar ground – Halep is a 2014 champion here in Doha and last year had a WTA-leading 44-11 win-loss record on hardcourts.

Watch live action from Doha & Acapulco this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Halep had plenty of opportunities to put Vesnina away in the first set but the Russian refused to fold -Halep created 13 break opportunities and only converted on two of those occasions. But one of those occasions was exactly when it counted; Vesnina was serving for the set at 6-5 when Halep broke her serve, sending the match into a tiebreak.

The Romanian found another gear and played a near-perfect tiebreak, allowing Vesnina only one point before grabbing the first set 7-6(1).

Halep backed up her dominance in the tiebreak with an equally commanding start to the second set, winning four out of the next five games to race ahead to a 4-1 lead.

Seemingly down and nearly out of the match with the World No.4 up a set and a double break, Vesnina was somehow still able to gut out a comeback. What was going through the Russian’s mind?

“That’s my character – I’m always fighting ’til the end,” she said. “I was thinking, ‘I’m on center court here in Doha, I’m playing Simona, 1-4 down – but it doesn’t matter.

“I just fight game by game, ball by ball, and it just worked.”

Her mentality definitely worked: Vesnina came back to win the next four out of five games to take back the set at 6-4 and level the match. Halep started out the final set with a break at love, but Vesnina stayed on course and won six consecutive games, sealing the final game of the match with a timely ace followed by a deadly backhand down the line for match point.

With the win Vesnina not only reached her first round of 16 stage of the year, she also scored her sixth Top 10 win of her career – the first since 2013.

“For the last two years, this win is No.1 for me,” an emotional Vesnina said after the match. “Simona is a great player, she’s such a solid player. She’s had an amazing couple of years; she’s in Top 10 in the world. I’m really pleased with my game today.” 

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Twenty-two-time major champion Serena Williams is not the only player aiming to reach a significant milestone on Day 6 of the US Open. Chris Oddo previews all the key match-ups for wtatennis.com.

Saturday, Third Round

Arthur Ashe Stadium
[5] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. [31] Timea Babos (HUN #34)
Head-to-head: Halep leads, 2-1

Key Stat: Halep has won 19 of her last 21 matches.
Simona Halep wasn’t exactly thrilled with her level of play during her second-round win over Lucie Safarova, but she takes comfort in the fact that she has navigated a very tricky draw to get to the third round in New York for the fourth straight year. “In the important moments I found the rhythm,” Halep said of her 6-3, 6-4 win over Safarova. “I found the way that I have to hit. And also the serve helped me a lot in important moments.” Halep will next turn her attention to the blossoming Hungarian, Timea Babos. The No.31 seed moved into the third round at a major for the first time by defeating Richel Hogenkamp in straight sets, but her next test will be far more difficult. Babos has gone 0-8 against the Top 10 since 2015, but she does own a victory over Halep in Fed Cup, which came in 2014. Can Babos draw upon that victory and threaten an in-form Halep on the big stage? Or will Halep keep her momentum and ride into week two?

Pick: Halep in three

[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. Johanna Larsson (SWE #47)
Head-to-head: Williams leads, 2-0

Key Stat: Williams is bidding for a record 307th Grand Slam victory on Saturday.
With a win on Day 6 Serena Williams will pass Martina Navratilova in Grand Slam victories, and move into a tie with Roger Federer for the all-time lead in that category. It’s been a remarkable journey for Williams, who first graced the Grand Slam stage with her presence in 1998. Eighteen years later, Williams’ quest for history continues at the scene of her maiden Grand Slam title in 1999. But the 34-year-old has work to do in New York and she knows it. Time for tunnel vision. Always a perfectionist, Williams was not pleased with her second-round victory over Vania King despite the fact that it came in straight sets. “I feel like I made a lot of errors,” she told reporters on Thursday. “But, you know, there’s nothing I can do about that now. What really matters is I got the win. Hopefully I’ll just get better.” There was some good news for the World No.1, however. The serve is ramping up. Williams cracked 13 aces and won 30 of 36 first-serve points against King. “That was the best part of my game today,” Williams said of her vaunted serve. “So seeing that’s what I did the least coming into this tournament, it’s a really good sign of me being able to serve well and hopefully gain momentum on that.” Williams has taken all four sets she has played against her third-round opponent, Sweden’s Johanna Larsson, and if she can continue to serve well, the rest of her game should fall into place.

Pick: Williams in two

Louis Armstrong Stadium
[4] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #4) vs. [25] Caroline Garcia (FRA #33)
Head-to-head: Radwanska leads, 3-1

Key Stat: Radwanska improved to 28-7 on hardcourts this season with her second-round victory.
Agnieszka Radwanska was tested early and often during her second-round win over Naomi Broady, but the Pole dealt with the Brit’s very aggressive game and found a way to sneak out with the straight-sets win. Next up she’ll face a familiar Frenchwoman that has played her competitively over the years. Radwanska owns a 3-1 edge over Caroline Garcia, but the No.4 seed knows she’ll have to be on point if she is to book her fifth appearance in the US Open’s second week. “We played couple of times,” Radwanska said of Garcia on Thursday. “Long matches, long battles. Playing her is never easy. She’s very solid player, really hitting the ball hard, coming in. Just hitting really fast from the bounce. She’s not giving you much time.” Radwanska has never reached the quarterfinals in New York, but her draw is a favorable one. She’s hoping that she’s in good enough form to capitalize. “I’m healthy,” she told reporters on Thursday. “I’m in one piece. It’s good opportunity to make a good result here. I was doing everything in my power 100% to prepare for this US Open, so we’ll see.”

Pick: Radwanska in three

Grandstand
[10] Karolina Pliskova (CZE #11) vs. [17] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS #18)
Head-to-head: Pliskova leads, 3-0

Key Stat: Pliskova owns a 15-17 lifetime record at the majors.
The head-to-head with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova favors Karolina Pliskova, but what about the nerves? Pliskova has reached the third round at a major three times before and each time she has fallen. Though the Czech is one of the most talented players on tour, her lack of success at the majors has hung over her like a black cloud for the last 18 months. Can she get the monkey off her back on Saturday? It will not be an easy task as Pavlyuchenkova has been in very solid form since before Wimbledon. The Russian has been battle-tested here in New York already, and came through with flying colors as she defeated Kristina Mladenovic in a three-set thriller that took three hours and two-minutes to finish. Pliskova has yet to drop a set in New York, and she’s certainly in good enough form to get past the Russian, but will she be able to break through the mental barrier and produce what could be a career-changing victory?

Pick: Pliskova in three

By the Numbers…
306 – Matches won by Serena Williams at majors. She’ll bid to tie Roger Federer’s all-time record of 307 on Day 6.
18 – Venus Williams’ 18 US Open appearances is most among active players and fourth in the Open Era, behind Martina Navratilova (21), Amy Frazier (20), and Chris Evert (19). Williams will face Germany’s Laura Siegemund in third-round action.
3 – Radwanska is one of three players that could finish the tournament at No. 1 in the rankings, along with Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber.
0 – Number of times Karolina Pliskova has reached the second week in 17 previous majors. She’ll bid to change that today when she meets Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

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.”