Tennis News

STRASBOURG, France – No.3 seed Samantha Stosur clinched a second set tie-break to sweep aside Hsieh Su-Wei, 6-3, 7-6(3), to join Alla Kudryavtseva in the quarterfinals of the Internationaux de Strasbourg.

Stosur recovered from an early break in the opening set, and the disappointment of missing the opportunity to end the match in the tenth game of the second.

“I served for it at 5-4 then lost serve,” she told wtatennis.com after the match. “You just need to knuckle down and keep focused, think about what had been working in the match and get back to those things.

“It would have been hard having been serving for the match then playing a third set, and I lost serve again at 6-5.  Then it was all about a good start in the tie-break.”

Stosur had never dropped a set in her two previous matches against the former doubles No.1; the pattern held in the ensuing tie-break, which the 2011 US Open champion won to clinch the match in an hour and 37 minutes.

“I don’t remember the other encounters with Su-Wei. Just the scores. They were in different conditions. My coach had a look but two years is a pretty long time in tennis.

“It was another good match against a tricky opponent. It was closer than the score looked.”

Up next for the Aussie is No.10 seed Caroline Garcia, who eased past Jil Teichmann, 7-6(5), 6-3.

Kudryavtseva was the first into the final eight with a thrilling 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) win over Zarina Diyas. The Russian hadn’t reached a WTA quarterfinal since her run at last year’s Brisbane International as a lucky loser, and had to recover from a 5-3 final set deficit to defeat Diyas, and set up a match with either Alison Riske or No.4 seed Kristina Mladenovic, whose match was postponed due to darkness.

Elena Vesnina and Sloane Stephens were the last into the second round in Strasbourg on Tuesday; Vesnina was victorious in the fifth longest match of 2016, taking out Zheng Saisai, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(5), while Stephens captured a one-set shoot-out with Donna Vekic, completing a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 win.

Le soleil revient aux #IS2016 ! pic.twitter.com/SqFj1kB9Ig

— WTA Strasbourg (@WTA_Strasbourg) May 17, 2016

NÜRNBERG, Germany –  No.3 seed Annika Beck concluded a wild day at the NÜRNBERGER VERSICHERUNGSCUP, taking out countrywoman and No.7 seed Anna-Lena Friedsam, 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-2, to reach her first WTA semifinal of 2016.

A long rain delay interrupted quarterfinals day in Nürnberg, and a left thigh injury forced No.4 seed Lesia Tsurenko to withdraw from her hotly anticipated rematch with Julia Goerges, who advanced to her second semifinal of the season following her run to the ASB Classic final in January.

Qualifier Kiki Bertens continued her solid clay court season by taking the first set 6-1 over Bogota champion Irina Falconi before the American had to end her match prematurely due to a right ankle sprain.

With the Nürnberg crowd looking for a classic encounter, they got one between the two hometown favorites, as Beck battled Friedsam for over two hours on Center Court.

Narrowly taking the opening set in a tense tie-break, Friedsam fought back to level the match at a set apiece, only for Beck to right the ship in the decider, setting up a semifinal against either Varvara Lepchenko or Mariana Duque-Mariño, whose match was postponed due to darkness.

Serena Williams’ march towards history turns to Paris, as the World No. 1 and defending champion looks to win her fourth French Open title and 22nd overall major title to tie Steffi Graf’s Open Era record.

With the tournament set to begin on Sunday, WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen and Web Editor David Kane analyze the top-heavy draw, which sees Serena surrounded by some big names in the top half of the draw, but contrary to popular opinion, her path to the title may not be as rough as people think. Out of the bottom half of the draw, can Garbiñe Muguruza and Simona Halep make good on their favorable draws? Or is this the year World No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska finally solves the terre battue?

You’ll also hear from the top seeds themselves as we take you inside the Roland Garros press room, as the likes of Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, Victoria Azarenka, Simona Halep, Garbiñe Muguruza, and Angelique Kerber give you some insight into their mindset as they head into the second major of the season. Who sounds confident? Who sounds unsure of themselves? We’ll let you be the judge.

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.

PARIS, France – Timea Bacsinszky produced a stunning turnaround to defeat Eugenie Bouchard, 6-4, 6-4, and book her place in the third round of the French Open.

Trailing Bouchard 4-1 in the opening set, an upset looked on the cards. However, a run of 10 straight games from the No.8 seed turned the match on its head, before a late wobble gave the scoreline a more respectable sheen.

The only other time Bacsinszky faced Bouchard came earlier this year in Indian Wells, where she was taken to three sets. And on Philippe Chatrier, Bouchard provided a reminder of the talent that saw her ranked No.5 not so long ago, barely making a mistake in the opening five games.

It was a standard that proved difficult to maintain, and when her level dropped Bacsinszky was there to pounce. At 4-4, the Swiss finally hit the front, finishing a well-worked point with an angled backhand winner.

In the next game, she showcased her creative side, a delicate drop shot helping her to set point, before a shellshocked Bouchard netted a backhand to complete the comeback.

Brimming with confidence, Bacsinszky raced through the opening five games of the second set, conjuring up winners from all over the court. To her credit, 2014 semifinalist Bouchard battled away to the bitter end, a relieved Bacsinszky eventually making her way across the line and into a third-round meeting against either Pauline Parmentier or Irina Falconi.

For Bouchard, the disappointment of an early exit was tempered by her performance against one of the WTA’s form players. “I felt like I put myself in a good position in preparation and everything,” she said. “I’ve done everything that I possibly could to be ready. I started out strong. The game plan was working and things like that.

“I think that my focus a little bit was the part that let me down, the mental part. Something I’ve been working on. I had been getting better, so it’s not always going to be good.”

The Williams sisters lead the top half of the draw into the third round on Saturday in Paris. We preview all the action here at WTATennis.com.

Saturday, Third Round

[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. [26] Kristina Mladenovic (FRA #30)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Williams has played the most matches (67), and has the highest match winning percentage (56-11, .836) at Roland Garros among active players with at least 20 matches.

Serena Williams has dropped just five games in her first two matches in Paris, but the 21-time major champion should face more resistance from France’s No.1, Kristina Mladenovic, in the third round. Many players are defeated in their minds before stepping on the court with Williams, but Mladenovic is determined not to let that happen as she faces the game’s greatest for the first time on Saturday. “Why should I be frightened?” Mladenovic said on Thursday. “No, I want this challenge.” Mladenovic is no stranger to big wins at Roland Garros, having knocked out No.2 seed Li Na in 2014 and No.6 seed Eugenie Bouchard last season. “I grew up watching Serena play,” Mladenovic said. “Then I’m going to play against her. I will try and get ready as best I can for this match, and then I’ll have to make no mistakes if I want to do something against her.”

Pick: Williams in three

[9] Venus Williams (USA #11) vs. Alizé Cornet (FRA #50)
Head-to-head: Williams leads, 5-0
Key Stat: Williams is the oldest woman remaining in the draw.

In the true Parisian spirit, Venus Williams is living fully in the present at Roland Garros. When asked on Thursday if there was a moment in her career that gave her particular satisfaction, the seven-time major champion did not hesitate. “This one right now,” she said. “I definitely stay in the moment. I’m just grateful I think with every year that passes and every moment that I play, I’m grateful for this experience and blessed. What else could I ask for, really?” Williams will face France’s Alizé Cornet on Court Suzanne Lenglen on Saturday, hoping to stretch her winning streak to six matches against the Nice native. Cornet has lost all ten sets she’s played against the 35-year-old, but the Frenchwoman has the heart of a lion when she plays on her home soil. Factor in the support of the French crowd and Cornet might have a chance to threaten Williams for the first time. Could this be the day Cornet finally solves the mystery of the American legend, or will Venus push forward in Paris?

Pick: Williams in three

[14] Ana Ivanovic (SRB #16) vs. [18] Elina Svitolina (UKR #20)
Head-to-head: Ivanovic leads, 7-0
Key Stat: Svitolina became the first Ukrainian woman to reach the quarterfinals of Roland Garros last year.

Ana Ivanovic has held sway over Elina Svitolina ever since the first time they met at the 2012 US Open. Even here in Paris where Svitolina has played her best tennis, Ivanovic has dealt the rising Ukrainian losses in back-to-back years. But that doesn’t mean the 2008 champion doesn’t have a healthy amount of respect for Svitolina. “I played Svitolina last year here in the quarterfinal,” she said “We always have tough matches. She’s a good player, young player. I think in the future we’re going to see a lot of her.” Svitolina hasn’t yet solved the Ivanovic puzzle, but the 21-year-old has clearly come into her own as a player over the last year. A tireless worker, Svitolina is hoping that adding seven-time Roland Garros champion Justine Henin to her coaching team will help her in exactly these kinds of matches. She’ll have to come out of her defense-first shell and play aggressively against Ivanovic in order to have a chance.

Pick: Ivanovic in three

[12] Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP #14) vs. [22] Dominika Cibulkova (SVK #25)
Head-to-head: Cibulkova leads, 3-1
Key Stat: Suárez Navarro has lost her last three encounters against Top 25 opposition on clay.

A pair of Roland Garros stalwarts are set to do battle in what promises to be an intriguing contest between polar opposite personalities and tacticians on Saturday. Cibulkova, boisterous and dynamic, likes to roll the dice and shoot to kill. Suárez Navarro, pragmatic and poised, prefers a patient game based on movement, margin and angles. Cibulkova owns the 3-1 edge in the pair’s head-to-head but Suárez Navarro took their last meeting at Moscow last autumn. “Cibulkova is a tough opponent,” the Spaniard said after defeating China’s Qiang Wang on Thursday. “It will be a tough match. Physically I’m okay. Tomorrow I will be able to rest, so I will be in form on Saturday.”

Pick: Cibulkova in three

Around the Grounds: Daria Kasatkina has played three Grand Slams and reached the round of 32 each time. Can the Russian take it one step further on Saturday? She’ll meet Kiki Bertens, who is currently on a nine-match winning streak, on Court 1. Madison Keys and Monica Puig are also looking to reach the second week here in Paris for the first time. They’ll battle on Court Suzanne Lenglen for a coveted Round of 16 slot.

By The Numbers

3 – Number of former Grand Slam champions in action on Day 5 (Serena and Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic).

133 – Combined number of Grand Slam appearances by the Williams sisters. Serena (70) and Venus (63) are No.1 and No.2 on the active list.

4 – Number of former Roland Garros Girls’ Singles champions in action today (Mladenovic, Cornet, Svitolina and Kasatkina).

-Chris Oddo, wtatennis.com contributor

PARIS, France – Shelby Rogers beat the odds on Sunday, dispatching No.25 seed Irina-Camelia Begu, 6-3, 6-4 at the French Open to reach her first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Rogers proved she could play on clay earlier this year when she reached the final of the Rio Open, but the unseeded American had never been past the third round at any major tournament in her career. Meanwhile, Begu had enjoyed the most consistent clay court season of anyone in the field, reaching the quarterfinals in Charleston and Madrid, and the semifinals in Rome.

Nevertheless, Rogers has been the Cinderella story of the tournament, taking out No.17 seed Karolina Pliskova, Volvo Car Open finalist Elena Vesnina and No.10 seed Petra Kvitova just to reach the second week. Playing on Court Suzaane Lenglen, she took it to her Romanian opposition, hititng 15 winners and nine fewer unforced errors than Begu, who only hit 12 winners in two sets.

“I think any player has to be ready to do well every week,” she said in her post-match press conference. “We enter the tournaments with expectations, of course, to do well or work on things or, you know, with certain goals in mind.

“If you don’t expect to do well, then maybe you shouldn’t play, you know. I keep going back to trying to treat this as any other tournament, any other tennis match. Obviously the stakes are much higher and the players are much better.

“I’m just trying to stick with my routines and do what I have been doing all year.”

Up a set and 4-2, Rogers briefly saw her lead under threat as the No.25 seed surged back to level the second.

“I won the first set and it was working. Okay, I missed a few, but still going for the right shots kind of thing. So just keep going after it I kept telling myself. It was working in the first, it’s going to work again. So keep doing it.”

Maintaining the course, a fifth break of serve in the tenth game proved decisive for the 23-year-old American, who clinched the biggest win of her career in one hour and 21 minutes.

“I really enjoyed playing on that court. It was a great experience.

“I think that’s a very important point on backing up a big win. I guess I have done that pretty much this whole tournament, starting with the first round, because that was a huge upset for me and kind of set the tone for the last few matches I have played.”

Setting up a quarterfinal encounter with No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, Rogers becomes the first American not named Venus or Serena Williams to make it this far at the French Open since 2005 (Lindsay Davenport) and, at No.108 in the world, the lowest ranked player since 2012, when qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova won her way into the last eight, ranked No.142.

“I keep reminding myself to play one point at a time and that this is just another tennis match. But that’s getting a little bit harder to do as the rounds get farther.

“But I’m very happy with the way I played, and I just hope to continue it.”

“I always dreamed it would happen but I'm not sure I thought it could.” Well @Shelby_Rogers_ , it's happening! #RG16 https://t.co/0eZ2l2LrCu

— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) May 29, 2016