Tennis News

Five Top-10 players will take to the clay in Rome on Wednesday as the Internazionali BNL d’Italia action heats up. We preview the action for you right here at WTATennis.com.

Wednesday, Second Round

[2] Angelique Kerber (GER #2) vs. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN #46)
Head-to-head: Bouchard leads 2-1
Key Stat: Bouchard has never defeated a top-2 opponent.
World No. 2 Angelique Kerber’s clay court season was going along swimmingly until she was rudely knocked off by Barbora Strycova in the first round of Madrid last week. Kerber, who owns an impressive 9-2 record on clay this season with a title in Stuttgart, will look to get back on the horse Wednesday against Canada’s No.1, Eugenie Bouchard. Bouchard edged two-time Rome champion Jelena Jankovic in three sets on Tuesday to snap a two-match losing streak, but she’ll face a more difficult test in the proven, clay-savvy Kerber, who is a former Rome semifinalist.

Pick: Kerber in three

[3] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP #4) vs. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS #29)
Head-to-head: Tied, 2-2
Key Stat: Makarova owns a 1-6 record vs. the Top-5 on clay.
Garbiñe Muguruza has reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in each of the last two seasons, but the Spaniard is still searching for momentum on the red clay in 2016. That said, the 22-year-old superstar is not worried about her form after failing to win back-to-back matches at Stuttgart and Madrid. “I’m feeling good,” Muguruza told reporters in Rome over the weekend. “I think every time I go to a tournament I just try to forget everything that happened and start fresh, so I’m excited to be here.” Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova has also struggled to go deep in draws thus far this spring, but the former world No. 8 has 13 Top-10 wins on her resume and is always a dangerous opponent on any surface.

Pick: Muguruza in three

[6] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. Daria Gavrilova (AUS #32)
Head-to-head: Halep leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Halep won 12 of 13 sets en route to the Madrid title last week.
Is Simona Halep hitting her stride on the clay? It sure looks that way. The Romanian raced to the Madrid title last week and seems primed to become a major factor again this week in Rome. “Now I don’t feel tired so that means I was relaxed,” Halep told WTA insider Courtney Nguyen after winning the trophy in Madrid. “I was just with my mind to play tennis, not about the result or something else. Just enjoying and just showing what I have practiced.” Halep benefitted from arriving in Madrid early and having several days of practice before the tournament began, but in Rome she’ll have to turn around quickly to face a very tricky opponent in different conditions. Meanwhile Gavrilova, who turned so many heads when she reached the semifinals as a qualifier in Rome last year, is also finding her groove on the clay. She defeated Sabine Lisicki on Tuesday and upset Petra Kvitova last week at Madrid. Will Halep find her footing in Rome in time to keep Gavrilova from creating another Rome surprise?

Pick: Gavrilova in three

[4] Victoria Azarenka (BLR #6) vs. Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU #35)
Head-to-head: Azarenka leads 5-0
Key Stat: Azarenka owns a 26-1 record in 2016.
Surging Victoria Azarenka finally hit a speed bump in 2016 when she was forced to pull out of Madrid ahead of the third round with a back injury. Though the injury appears to be minor, it’s worrisome to see Azarenka, who has been riddled with injuries over the last two seasons, endure more physical hardship. Will the WTA’s hottest player return fit as a fiddle in Rome? We’ll find out on Wednesday as she faces Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu for the sixth time. Azarenka has won the first five meetings with Begu, but more important than another win is Azarenka’s health. With Roland Garros less than two weeks away Azarenka will have to tread carefully if she is to head to Paris at full strength.

Pick: Azarenka in two

[5] Petra Kvitova (CZE# 9) vs. Madison Keys (USA #24)
Head-to-head: Kvitova leads, 2-1
Key Stat: Kvitova is a two-time quarterfinalist at Rome.
Petra Kvitova and Madison Keys will meet on a clay-court for the first time on Wednesday, and while it is the Czech that holds the 2-1 lifetime edge over Keys, it’s difficult to tell how things will play out on the slow-playing red clay of the Foro Italico. Kvitova has struggled to find her form all season, but she has had her moments on the clay this spring, notching her first Top-10 win of the season over Garbine Muguruza en route to a semifinal in Stuttgart. Keys has also been up and down in a season that has seen her struggle with a freak injury in January and encounter instability within her support staff of late. She worked with coach Mats Wilander for a brief spell in March before hiring Tommy Hogstedt to guide her just two weeks ago.

Pick: Kvitova in three

Around the Grounds: 19-year-old Russian Daria Kasatkina will look to reach the third round on her Rome debut when she faces qualifier Mariana Duque-Marino on Court 4. In a battle of former Grand Slam champions, Svetlana Kuznetsova will face Sam Stosur on Court 1. 12th-seeded Venus Williams will face surging Hungarian Timea Babos in the last match of the day on Court Pietrangeli. Italy’s Roberta Vinci will face Johanna Konta in the last match of the day session on Court Centrale.

-Chris Oddo, wtatennis.com contributor

MIAMI, FL, USA – Johanna Konta became the first British woman to reach the Miami Open semifinals after coming back from a set down to oust No.3 seed Simona Halep.

Putting an injury-plagued start of the season behind her, Halep came into the matchup after winning consecutive matches for the first time all season here in Miami. And in the quarterfinals, the Romanian even saved match point in her late-night thriller against Sam Stosur.

But she couldn’t pull off the escape once again against Konta, falling 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 after a rollercoaster two hours and thirty minutes.

.@JoKonta wins a mammoth tiebreak 9-7!

Into a decider… #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/TWpn1gbFnG

— WTA (@WTA) March 29, 2017

The Brit had to overcome a slow start against Halep, though, as the Romanian came out of the gates firing and would take an early break in the opening set. Loose unforced errors during the initial exchanges cost Konta, and Halep didn’t allow her to settle into a rhythm with her changes of pace.

Dropping the first set only galvanized Konta, as the Brit notched an emphatic break to love and a 3-0 lead. But that’s when things got complicated, and Halep dodged a pair of break points and leveled the match a few games later.

She served for the match at 5-4, and was two points away from victory when Konta denied her, keeping her serve under pressure and rewarded with loose errors.

Into a tiebreaker, Halep once again saw her lead erased as Konta came roaring back from 5-3 down and edged through 9-7.

.@JoKonta91 advances to @MiamiOpen Semifinals!

Battles past Halep 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2! pic.twitter.com/nm3n99u6s8

— WTA (@WTA) March 29, 2017

With the wind in her sails Konta grabbed the lead once again but this time didn’t allow Halep back in. She broke Halep twice to reel off the final five games and complete the comeback.

“It was a really tough match, very high level,” Halep told WTA Insider after the match. “I was so close to winning, I was two points away in the tiebreak, but she played very strong and deserved to win today.

“I’m happy to be here after the break that I had. I’m just disappointed I lost a match I had in my hands. But my confidence is there, the game is there – I just need to play matches.”

Konta be rewarded with a clash against the winner between World No.1 Angelique Kerber and Venus Williams for a chance to go even further and win a spot into her second career Premier Mandatory final.

Should she reach the final, she’s projected to return to the Top 10 after the WTA rankings are released on Monday.

“Whoever I’m playing, I’ll have a battle on my hands that’s for sure,” Konta said. “I’ve played Venus and Angie a few times. They’re going to have a tough battle tonight, and I’m looking forward to playing either of them. Either of them will be a great opportunity for different reasons.”

ZHUHAI, China – The WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai has announced today the appointment of José Miguel Garcia from Madrid, Spain as Tournament Director for the year‐end WTA event held at the Hengqin Tennis Center Zhuhai.

Garcia brings 15 years of experience at professional tennis events, mainly at the Mutua Madrid Open where he remains a key member of the completion, operations and player services team.

“I am very excited by this new project,” Garcia said during his first visit to Zhuhai. “The facilities at the Hengqin Tennis Center Zhuhai are extremely impressive and I look forward to using my experiences from other major events I have been involved with and by working with the WTA and Zhuhai based event teams to continue to grow the event as it enters into its third year.”

In cooperation with the Mutua Madrid Open, Garcia will travel regularly to Zhuhai to coordinate the organization of the event with teams from the event operator and promoter Zhuhai Huafa Sports Operations Management Co. Ltd, the licensing owner APG and the WTA.

“We are very happy to have José Miguel Garcia as Tournament Director for the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, his international experience will be extremely valuable to the event and contribute to the development of the tournament,” said Peter Lv, Executive Director of Zhuhai Huafa Sports Operations Management Co. Ltd.

“We strongly believe José Miguel will be a great asset for the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai and will provide the support needed to take the event to the next level. We are proud to have him appointed as the Tournament Director for the event and look forward to seeing the event continue to grow successfully,” said Fabrice Chouquet, APG Chief Operating Officer.

The WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, established in 2015, features 11 of the top ranked singles players along with one wild card and four of the top ranked doubles teams and two team wild cards.

The $USD 2.28 million event to be held between October 31st – November 5th at the Hengqin Tennis Center Zhuhai, also sees up to 700 WTA ranking points awarded to the winner. Venus Williams won the title in 2015 and Petra Kvitova in 2016.