Charleston: Monica Puig's Shot Of The Day
Check out Monica Puig’s shot of the day at the Volvo Car Open!
Check out Monica Puig’s shot of the day at the Volvo Car Open!
Serena and Venus Williams will bid to set up a fifth Williams sisters Wimbledon final on Thursday at SW19. Can Angelique Kerber and Elena Vesnina stop them? We preview both semifinals here at WTATennis.com, courtesy of contributor Chris Oddo.
Thursday
Semifinals
[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. Elena Vesnina (RUS #50)
Head-to-head: Williams leads, 4-0
Key Stat: Williams is 27-4 in Grand Slam semifinals.
Serena Williams’ march to 22 majors is running at full throttle at the All England Club. The American legend is now just two matches from matching Steffi Graf’s record for Open Era Grand Slam titles after knocking off Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the last two rounds. On Thursday the 34-year-old American will aim to make it a Russian trifecta when she takes on Elena Vesnina, the lowest-ranked and only unseeded player remaining in the draw. Surprised to see Vesnina make it this far at a major? So is she. “I am. I am very surprised,” she said after defeating Dominika Cibulkova to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal on Tuesday. “It was like a dream came true.” To avoid having her dream morph into a nightmare against the game’s premier power player, Vesnina says she’ll have to use any and every opportunity she gets. “You have to use your chances against Serena,” she said. “If she’s giving you chances, you need to be there.”
Williams has given her opponents a few too many chances in the latter stages of the last three majors, losing in the semifinals at the US Open last year, and in the finals of this year’s Australian and French Opens. But there is a different air about her on the Wimbledon grass. She leads all active players in wins and titles at SW19 and something about Centre Court just seems to bring out the spice in her legendary serve. Williams knows that Vesnina, a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion, is an accomplished player with an all-court game, but the American says she’ll take confidence from having won all four of their previous meetings. “I know her game really, really well,” Williams told reporters on Tuesday after reaching the semifinals “It’s good to play someone’s game that you know. I’ll be ready for it.”
Pick: Williams in two
[4] Angelique Kerber (GER #4) vs. [8] Venus Williams (USA #8)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 3-2
Key Stat: Venus Williams owns a 14-5 record in Grand Slam semifinals but has not played one since 2010.
Venus Williams has turned back the clock in a big way this Wimbledon fortnight. The five-time champion has been tested often, both by her opponents and the rain, and has come through with flying colors to reach the last four at a major for the first time since the 2010 US Open. Williams says the key to her success has been belief. “The good part is I always felt like I had the game,” she told the press after defeating Yaroslava Shvedova in the quarterfinals on Day 8. “This is always a plus, when you know you have the game. So you just have to keep working until things fall into place.”
The 36-year-old hopes that the dominoes of fate continue to fall in her favor on Thursday when she faces Angelique Kerber for the sixth time. The German endured a lull after winning this year’s Australian Open, but she has rediscovered the magic that brought her a maiden major title here at Wimbledon, reaching the semifinals without the loss of a set. “I’m feeling really good,” an enthusiastic Kerber said after pushing past Simona Halep in a wildly entertaining quarterfinal on Centre Court. “I’m playing really good tennis right now. I think I’m playing like in Australia, like really high‑class tennis.” Is Kerber playing well enough to end the magical run of a Wimbledon legend, or will Venus Williams reach a Grand Slam final for the first time in seven years?
Pick: Kerber in three
By the Numbers:
11 – Number of times that Venus and Serena have advanced to the semifinals of the same Grand Slam.
5 – Venus Williams can move to No.5 in the world if she wins the Wimbledon title.
18 – Elena Vesnina will crack the Top 20 for the first time if she reaches the final, coming in at a projected ranking of 18. She was ranked as low as 122 this February.
3 – Number of players to have reached a Grand Slam semifinal aged 36 or older (Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Venus Williams).
LONDON, Great Britain – Angelique Kerber’s win over Venus Williams in the Wimbledon semifinals presents her with an exceptionally rare opportunity – with Serena Williams awaiting her in a rematch of the Australian Open final on Saturday, she could pull off the rare feat of beating both Williams sisters at the same tournament.
Only seven players have achieved the feat before, with one of them doing it twice – full list here:
Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario
1998 Sydney
(d Serena in SFs & Venus in F)
Steffi Graf
1999 Sydney
(d Serena in 2r & Venus in QFs)
Martina Hingis
2001 Australian Open
(d Serena in QFs & Venus in SFs)
Kim Clijsters
2002 WTA Finals
(d Venus in SFs & Serena in F)
Lindsay Davenport
2004 Los Angeles
(d Venus in SFs & Serena in F)
Justine Henin
2007 US Open
(d Serena in QFs & Venus in SFs)
Kim Clijsters
2009 US Open
(d Venus in 4r & Serena in SFs)
Jelena Jankovic
2010 Rome
(d Venus in QFs & Serena in SFs)
Shelby Rogers takes on Naomi Osaka at the Volvo Car Open.
Three tournaments into a comeback from wrist surgery, Madison Keys isn’t one to back down from a challenge.
Keys took a tough three-set loss to fellow American and Charleston native Shelby Rogers on Wednesday at the Volvo Car Open and, as has become her post-match ritual, began exposing a series of abusive tweets she received from cyberbullies on her official Twitter account.
“I can take criticism,” she writes in one response. “Telling me to go die is taking it too far.”
.@Madison_Keys takes a stand against cyber bullying in tennis
Tune in Sat. at 12 PM ET to watch the full feature during Tennis Channel Live pic.twitter.com/Kr04vRedSI
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 5, 2017
The American often uses her signature mix of emojis and sarcasm to disempower the insults hurled her way, but Keys isn’t just doing this for herself. A FearlesslyGIRL Ambassador, Keys aims to take a global stand against cyberbullying, shining a light on something that fellow athletes often suffer through in silence.
“I’ve taken a stance where we can have different opinions,” Keys said this week in Charleston’s All-Access Hour, “but as long as we can talk respectfully and we can have a conversation that doesn’t turn into an argument, I think that’s a big thing that I’m trying to do.
“The world has gotten very negative in very different ways and especially on social media, when you click on something, the comments are individually very negative.
“I think trying to bring more positivity to the world is very important.”
Read more from Keys below and check out the trailer for her Tennis Channel special airing Saturday, April 8 at noon ET.
Interesting stuff from @Madison_Keys at AAH @VolvoCarOpen on her non-tennis goals this year, related to @FearlesslyGirl and social media. pic.twitter.com/bfNC5cEthU
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) April 4, 2017
Jelena Ostapenko takes on Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open.
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – The unseeded Jelena Ostapenko put together a dominating performance to oust 2011 champion Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets and move into the Volvo Car Open semifinals.
At 19 years old and ranked No.66, Charleston-debutante Ostapenko was the youngest and lowest-ranked player left in the draw. But she backed up her results to reach the second Premier-level semifinal of her career with the 6-2, 6-4 victory.
“It feels amazing to be in the semis here,” Ostapenko told press after the match. “First time I’m in Charleston, and today was a tough match because Caroline is such a great player.
“I just tried, and I think it was not bad.”
Ostapenko closes out the first set 6-2! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/yi3oTfBt3f
— WTA (@WTA) 7 de abril de 2017
Ostapenko was dictating from the start against the former World No.1, fearlessly changing the direction of the ball and firing off winners from every angle. After an edgy few opening games as both players acclimated to the tricky, windy conditions, it was the Latvian who kicked into gear, breaking three times to reel off six games in a row and snatch up the opening set and start the second with a break to the good.
Wozniacki earned the break straight back with some rock-solid returning, but found herself down again a couple of games later as Ostapenko outpaced her to bring up a 3-2 lead. Wozniacki saved three match points as the teenager served for the match – she was even a point away from making it 5-5 – but Ostapenko wouldn’t be denied. She kept up the pressure and broke through Wozniacki’s defense, booking her spot into the Charleston semifinals after an hour and twenty-six minutes.
“I just knew before the match that I have to stay aggressive all the time and still be consistent,” Ostapenko explained. “And I tried not to step back, just to be like play in the court all the shots.And I think that’s helped me today.”
What an upset!
Ostapenko races past Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 to book the last @VolvoCarOpen Semifinal spot! pic.twitter.com/Q4aOgbbi3w
— WTA (@WTA) 8 de abril de 2017
Despite winning just 51% of her first serve points, the Latvian backed it up by firing 40 winners against Wozniacki’s 14, outweighing her 26 unforced errors to Wozniacki’s six. And the Dane will surely rue her missed opportunities – she only converted one of the five break chances she created, while Ostapenko converted four of eight.
“I really tried my best out there,” Wozniacki reflected in post-match press. “I was trying to grind everything down. I tried to change the pace when I had the opportunity, but I mean if she played like this every day, then she would be No.1 in the world.
“She really played well. She went for her shots. Everything was going in. She was hitting the lines. Everything that could go her way today was going her way.
“All I could do today was try my best, try my hardest to fight and try and get somewhat of a grip on it, but you know, it is what it is sometimes.”
The loss also denies Wozniacki a return to the upper echelon of the WTA rankings – she needed to reach at least the Charleston semifinals to guarantee herself a spot inside the Top 10.
MONTERREY, Mexico – World No.1 Angelique Kerber battled past Carla Suárez Navarro in two sets to return to the Abierto GNP Seguros final for the second time, 7-6(6), 6-1.
Kerber will face three-time champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the final, a rematch of the pair’s 2013 final here in Monterrey which saw the Russian defeat Kerber to claim her third title.
“It’s a completely new year, so I will not think about my last final here,” Kerber joked in her post-match press conference. “It was three years ago, and anything is possible. I’m going out there tomorrow to try to play my best tennis and try to win the match.”
Playing in her first Monterrey day session match of the tournament, Kerber had to contend with the different conditions as well as the determined Suárez Navarro.
What.A.Rally. ? pic.twitter.com/3A7wGPGlyv
— WTA (@WTA) 8 de abril de 2017
The Spaniard came into Monterrey with just one victory all season long after shoulder injury kept her off the courts for much of 2017, but she brought her best tennis against the World No.1 in the opening set.
She stayed calm despite Kerber opening up a double break lead, climbing back from 1-4 down to 4-4. They traded breaks once more and sent the match to a tiebreak, where Kerber finally emerged victorious after a string of marathon rallies.
It was more comprehensive for the World No.1 in the second set, though, as she raised her level to outhit Suárez Navarro and find winners from every angle. She started the set with another double break lead to go up 5-0.
.@AngeliqueKerber ousts Suarez Navarro 7-6(6), 6-1!
Sets @Abierto_GNP Final vs @NastiaPav! pic.twitter.com/NNOaxbiLB1
— WTA (@WTA) 8 de abril de 2017
Despite the Spaniard managing to get on board late, she couldn’t stem the tide as Kerber powered through to her second Monterrey final – and her first final of 2017.
“I think we both played on a really high level today,” she said. “It was a really tough match. It’s always tough to play against her, I know this because I’ve played her in a lot of tough battles in the past.
“I tried to stay focused, especially in the beginning of the second set, and I’m happy to be in the second final here.”
CHARLESTON, SC, USA — It was a whirlwind week for Daria Kasatkina in Charleston, as the teenager claimed her first career WTA title at the Volvo Car Open on Sunday – but the weekend of firsts wasn’t over for the Russian until she participated in the annual champion’s photo shoot.
Telling WTA Insider that clay has given her “all the best emotions [she] ever had,” the 2014 junior French Open champion set out on the town with her new trophy and coach Vlado Platenik for some celebratory photos in downtown Charleston after claiming the green clay crown.
Check out all of Kasatkina’s off-court trophy shots, courtesy of the Volvo Car Open:
Captain Alicia Molik has called up the teenager for the World Group II playoff in the absence of Samantha Stosur.
Aiava lines up alongside Daria Gavrilova, Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua for next week’s tie.
Very excited to be heading to Serbia with these lovely ladies ?????? Great to have Des on board for a must win tie #greenandgold #fedcup ?? pic.twitter.com/Fp4AA00Zjy
— Ash Barty (@ashbar96) April 12, 2017
The Czech squad for their semifinal tie against the USA is not quite so youthful but very inexperienced – Katerina Siniakova and Denisa Allertova have played Fed Cup doubles before, while Kristyna Pliskova and Marketa Vondrousova will be making their debuts.
Johanna Konta leads the lineup for Great Britain as captain Anne Keothavong names an unchanged side after their win against Estonia in February.
Heather Watson, Jocelyn Rae and Laura Robson make up the rest of the quartet as they face Romania in what will be a very difficult World Group II playoff.
Aegon GB @FedCup Team to take on Romania: @JoKonta91, @HeatherWatson92, @laurarobson5 and @JossRae91! #BackTheBrits ????? pic.twitter.com/zx72akc19C
— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) April 12, 2017
They will face Ilie Nastase’s team of Simona Halep, Irina-Camelia Begu, Monica Niculescu and Sorana Cirstea. World No.1 Angelique Kerber joins Julia Goerges, Laura Siegemund and Carina Witthoeft in the Germany squad to take on Elina Svitolina, Lesia Tsurenko, Olga Savchuk and Nadiia Kichenok of Ukraine in the World Group playoff.
Yannick Noah has selected Caroline Garcia, Kristina Mladenovic, Alizé Cornet and Pauline Parmentier to face Spain’s Sara Sorribes, Silvia Soler Espinosa, Olga Saez Larra and María José Martínez Sánchez.
Elise Mertens, Maryna Zanevska, Alison van Uytvanck and An-Sophie Mestach are the Belgium team for the World Group playoff against Elena Vesnina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Daria Kasatkina and Anna Blinkova of Russia.
?? Anastasia Myskina nominates @EVesnina001, @NastiaPav, @DKasatkina & Anna Blinkova for the #FedCup World Group play-off against Belgium pic.twitter.com/YzfLB5nWly
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 12, 2017