Gibbs Enjoys Acapulco Boat Trip With NFL Stars, Fellow Stanford Alums
Nicole Gibbs took some extra special friends along – including NFL pros Cameron Fleming and Shayne Skov – for some cliff diving and boat riding during her week in Acapulco.
Nicole Gibbs took some extra special friends along – including NFL pros Cameron Fleming and Shayne Skov – for some cliff diving and boat riding during her week in Acapulco.
MIAMI, FL, USA – 2012 Miami champion Agnieszka Radwanska battled through Saturday’s intense heat and humidity to swat aside Madison Brengle for a spot in the Miami Open fourth round.
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The match, which started just after midday on one of the balmiest days in Key Biscayne, proved to be as much of a test of fitness as it was a test of Brengle and Radwanska’s tennis.
“Today was really hot. And yes, we both kind of have to get used to [the humidity],” Radwanska said after the match. “Today was a really tough day, and I knew that since this morning.
“You just try everything to stay cool, especially during the changeovers.”
It was Brengle, the unseeded American making her Miami third round debut, who kept her cool first, breaking Radwanska’s serve early and consolidating for a 3-1 lead.
But her efforts weren’t enough to trouble the World No.2, who quickly got the break back and leveled the score. A handful of well-crafted points finished at the net gave Radwanska the advantage, and she grabbed the next three games to take the set.
First set ? @ARadwanska!
Grabs the opening set vs Brengle 6-3! #WTA https://t.co/RuGGFrCWxZ
— WTA (@WTA) March 26, 2016
The pair hung tight to start off the second set, trading holds and breaks of serve for 2-2. But the heavy conditions began to take their toll on the American, whose shots misfired on the important points allowing Radwanska to rattle off four straight games for a comfortable win, 6-4, 6-2.
Radwanska is into the Miami fourth round for the eighth time in her career, and she’s seeking to extend her impressive run of reaching the semifinals or better in eight of her last nine events, a streak dating back to October of last year.
Though after an hour and 13 minutes in this intense heat, Radwanska is looking forward to a more immediate reward:
“One second after the match point, all I’m thinking is: the ice bath!”
Aga Radwanska? More like Aga Rad-WIN-ska.
She moves on after winning straight sets against Madison Brengle. #MiamiOpen
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 26, 2016
Radwanska’s opponent in the fourth round is Timea Bacsinszky, who took a big step on her road to regaining her 2015 form by downing No.16 seed Ana Ivanovic, 7-5, 6-4.
In a see-saw opening, Ivanovic recovered from losing four games on the trot to hold a set point at 5-4. However, a wild forehand let Bacsinszky off the hook as the momentum swung again. The following game, the former World No.1 wavered, double faulting to surrender her serve and ultimately the set.
After struggling at the start of the year, Bacsinszky has been quietly playing herself into form in recent weeks, reaching the last 16 in Doha and Indian Wells, and despite a late rally from Ivanovic she held on the extend this streak.
Also advancing in this quarter were Simona Halep and Heather Watson. No.5 seed Halep withstood some early resistance before easing past Julia Goerges, 6-4, 6-1, while Watson dug deep to overcome Yanina Wickmayer, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, in a match lasting over two and a half hours.
Petra Kvitova takes on Wang Yafan in the second round of the China Open.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Ashleigh Barty cruised into the semifinals of the Alya Malaysian Open after defeating Zhang Kai-Lin in straight sets, winning 6-0, 7-6(2).
Barty, who defeated fellow qualifier Maya Kato in the previous round, flew through the opening set 6-0 but was pushed closer in the second before winning the breaker 7-2.
“It wasn’t a breeze at all,” said the Australian afterwards. “I think I started well and I served particularly well at the start. I was able to get that early jump and get some early momentum but it didn’t matter what the score was in the first set, Kai-Lin’s a quality player, she really is, and I knew that second set was going to be a battle no matter what.”
.@AshBar96 reaches first #WTA Semifinal at @alyawtamo!
Downs Zhang 6-0, 7-6 (2)! pic.twitter.com/AEF2YWfvjW
— WTA (@WTA) March 3, 2017
Zhang actually had the chance to serve for the second set before the match went to the breaker.
“I played a pretty poor game at 5-5,” added Barty. “But I was just happy to break straight back and move on and then play a quality tiebreak as well. Now I’m excited to be in my first semifinal and we just have to chip away throughout the year and hope the good results will come.”
Victory for Barty sets up a semifinal showdown with Han Xinyun, who came out on top of the battle of the Chinese, beating Wang Qiang 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4.
With the match evenly balanced at a set apiece, Wang recovered from a break down in the decider, winning three games on the spin to level at 4-4 before Han took the final two games to secure victory.
“The first set was really hot and the sun almost killed me!” said Han afterwards. “Into the second set I tried to stay aggressive and positive and could feel that she tired and in the third set we both tried really hard but I really played my tennis in the last two games. I made a really good winner and put a lot of pressure on her. I was 0-40 in the last game but I never gave up.”
“I like her so much because she is so talented,” said Han of her semifinal opponent. “She’s played really good tennis this week and I’m so excited to play her tomorrow so I hope it’s going to be a good match.”
Han is yet to win a WTA title and, like Barty, this run for the world no.139 represents her best to date .
MIAMI, FL, USA – Looking to become the first woman since Kim Clijsters in 2005 to win the Indian Wells-Miami “Sunshine” Double, Victoria had few issues on Easter Sunday as she breezed past Magda Linette, 6-3, 6-0.
Watch live action from Miami this fortnight on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Azarenka enjoyed her big breakthrough in Miami back in 2009, upsetting World No.1 Serena Williams in the final for the first of four victories in her rivalry with the 21-time Grand Slam champion. Linette reached the third round after a right shoulder injury forced former No.1 Jelena Jankovic to retire from their match just five points into the contest, and struggled to combat the Belarusian’s firepower in difficult conditions – hitting only nine winners to 14 from the No.13 seed.
As a cool breeze swept through Crandon Park late in the second set, so too did Azarenka, who raced through the ultimate stages of the match without losing a game, wraping up the victory in 70 minutes.
“It was only in the last two games, but it feels much better with a little bit of wind and breeze,” she told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview. “I hope you guys are enjoying the tennis; I know it’s really hot but stay hydrated!”
In the midst of a career renaissance, Azarenka has already captured two titles in 2016 en route to a much-anticipated return to the Top 10; with another win over Williams at the BNP Paribas Open – her first since 2013 – to capture her first Premier Mandatory title since 2012 (Beijing), Azarenka is eligible to become the third different woman to capture the elusive “Sunshine Double” by winning both Indian Wells and Miami in succession.
But from her post-match comments, it’s clear she is taking things one match at a time, refusing to underestimate any player across the net.
“She’s a grinder and whenever she has opportunity, she will take it; she has a lot of great hands and showed a lot of variety. She’s a young player with such a bright future, but I’m glad that I took advantage and I stayed on top of her.
“Playing in a tournament like Miami, you don’t expect players to give up and not try, whatever the scoreline is,” she added after the match in her press conference.
“I just wanted to stay aggressive, keep going for all my shots, and also not give her an opportunity to come back. Because once you do that, anybody can come back. I’m happy that I stayed focused. I took my opportunities and kept applying pressure.”
Up next for Azarenka is No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza who raced past American Nicole Gibbs, 6-1, 6-0. Azarenka has yet to play the Spaniad on the WTA circuit.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be watching the match,” she told members of the media. “Maybe a little bit. I’m sure my coach will. That’s more important for him to watch for me.
“We’ll see. I don’t like to predict who I want to play. I don’t care. But I don’t know, whoever wins, I’m going to play.”
First set ? @Vika7 Azarenka!
Grabs the opening set vs Linette 6-3! #WTA https://t.co/Jkcx8hCpu7
— WTA (@WTA) March 27, 2016
An interview with Karolina Pliskova after her win in the second round of the China Open.
Australia’s Ashleigh Barty took on Japan’s Nao Hibino in the final of the ALYA Malaysian Open.
MIAMI, FL, USA – Who is the lowest-ranked player left in Miami? Whose famous footsteps is Serena Williams looking to follow? And how many hours has the indefatigable Irina-Camelia Begu spent on court?
With the field at the Miami Open now whittled down to 16, wtatennis.com and SAP thought it time to go looking for answers…
381 – Irina-Camelia Begu has spent 381 minutes on court thus far, more than any other player in the tournament.
69 – World No.69 Heather Watson is the only player left in the draw ranked outside the Top 50.
21 – At 21 years old, Madison Keys is the youngest player left in the draw. It is the first time in the tournament’s 32-year history a teenager has failed to make it to the fourth round.
20 – Serena Williams is on a 20-match winning streak going into her encounter with Svetlana Kuznetsova; her last loss came to Caroline Wozniacki in the 2012 quarterfinals.
15 – Fifteen of the 16 remaining in the draw have won a WTA singles title. The odd one out is Johanna Konta, who, at No.24, is also the highest-ranked player on tour not to have reached the winner’s circle.
11 – The number of different nationalities represented in the fourth round – Romania leads the way with three players.
10 – Ten of the remaining players have never reached the quarterfinals in Miami (Timea Babos, Timea Bacsinszky, Begu, Keys, Konta, Ekaterina Makarova, Garbiñe Muguruza, Monica Niculescu, Elina Svitolina, Watson)
9 – Eight-time Miami champion Serena Williams remains on course to become only the third player to lift the same WTA even nine times or more, after Martina Navratilova (Chicago, Eastbourne, Wimbledon, Washington, Dallas) and Steffi Graf (Berlin).
8 – Eight of the of leading 16 seeds reached their appointed fourth-round slots.
7 – Of the players left in the draw, seven have been ranked either No.1 or No.2.
5 – The No.1 seed has reached the quarterfinals (or better) in each of the past five years – Caroline Wozniacki was the last to fail, losing to Andrea Petkovic in the fourth round in 2011. The top seed has lifted the title on 13 occasions.
4 – Four former champions are still in contention: Williams (2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015), Kuznetsova (2006), Victoria Azarenka (2009, 2011) and Agnieszka Radwanska (2012).
3 – For the third straight year, three unseeded players have made it through to the last 16: Babos, Begu and Watson.
2 – Azarenka remains on course to complete the Indian Wells-Miami double. Graf (1994, 1996) and Kim Clijsters (2005) are the only players to achieve the feat.
1 – Watson received one of the tournament’s eight wildcards; only once in the past five years has a wildcard failed to reach the last 16 in Miami.
0 – Konta and Watson are bidding to become the first British player to reach the quarterfinals in Miami. Jo Durie (1988) also reached the fourth round.
BEIJING, China – No.8 seed Madison Keys completed a spectacular comeback against Svetlana Kuznetsova to become the first to advance to the quarterfinals of the China Open.
Watch live action from Beijing on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Down 2-5 in the first set and facing set point, Keys rallied to turn the match around and win 7-6(2), 6-2 in an hour and thirty-six minutes.
Keys is one of several players on the Singapore bubble, wrestling for a spot in her first BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. She even can qualify this week as long as she reaches the final in Beijing; she took one step closer tonight against Kuznetsova.
“Some days I use it as my motivation to try harder, but sometimes it makes me more nervous and puts pressure on me,” Keys told WTA Insider of her potential to qualify for Singapore.
“I’m that close, I want to put myself in the best position possible and be able to walk away, whether I qualify or not, knowing that I did everything I could to get there.”
But Singapore looked a long ways away when Kuznetsova broke Keys’ serve to start out the match, keeping the American on the run and returning deep into the court to leave her opponent scrambling. Some loose forehands have Kuznetsova a second break for a 5-2 lead, and suddenly Kuznetsova was serving for the set.
The Russian held a set point and looked set to close it out, but a pair of double faults put Keys right back in it and the American ripped a backhand down the line to begin her comeback.
“I was 5-2 up and serving for the set two times, but then in a couple games Madison went for her shots and she made them,” Kuznetsova said after the match. “There was a couple of netcords unlucky, too, and then the game was equal.”
“She got her game on, and I lost mine, a little bit. That’s basically what changed.”
Keys broke back once more to level the match at 5-5 and the pair held firm to send the match into a tiebreak, where Keys allowed Kuznetsova just two points on her way to clinching the opening set.
“It just seemed like I was trying to figure out her serve and how she was playing, but I wasn’t executing well,” Keys explained to WTA Insider. “I was maybe just going for too much on my shots.”
“I just – well, I just told myself a bad word and said, ‘Get it together!’ And after that I played a good game and got some confidence back.”
The American broke Kuznetsova three more times in the second set to complete her comeback, taking the first spot in the quarterfinals.
Keys’ road to the Beijing final won’t get any easier, though; she will face Wuhan champion Petra Kvitova for a shot at the China Open semifinals after the Czech swept past defending champion Garbiñe Muguruza later in the day.
Lesia Tsurenko came to the Abierto Mexicano Telcel on a mission after a tough loss at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The No.7 seed ended up rolling to her third career title in Acapulco, dismissing February favorite Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets to return to the Top 50 ahead of the BNP Paribas Open, one of her favorite tournaments.
WTA Insider caught up with the Ukrainian after her on-court fiesta to discuss the key to her confidence, her work with a new fitness coach, and how she hopes to hold onto that sombrero given to her during the trophy ceremony.
WTA Insider: I have to start with this: was this your first time wearing a sombrero?
Tsurenko: It was, but that’s because it was my first time winning a title in Mexico! Wearing a sombrero will always be something special for me and I’m glad this was the first time.
WTA Insider: In such a tense second set, what was going through your mind at 4-5 when you were serving to stay in it after all those breaks?
Tsurenko: I think I played really well in the first set, and I felt very confident. In the second, she changed her game a little bit and she started to play more aggressively. I was also getting more nervous because I felt this title was getting closer to me. The most important game was definitely on my serve at 4-5, and I was really happy to hold on. I felt like I could finish that match there.
WTA Insider: Kiki’s had such a good couple of weeks, but you’d beaten her three times before; what is your mindset going in against that type of player?
Tsurenko: I’ve beaten her before, but I also lost to her in Dubai last year. I know how she plays pretty well; she’s got a good serve and forehand. I was trying to focus on the way that I play and on my shots. I think that works well for me because it’s just you on your side of the court, and it makes me more nervous to start thinking about the opponent. Just hit the ball and do your shots; that’s the key, and then just fight for every point.
WTA Insider: You’ve had some tough draws to start the season – playing Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open and Peng Shuai in Dubai. How were you feeling at the start of the week and is this title something of a surprise?
Tsurenko: I was quite disappointed with my disappointment in Dubai, so I was really concentrating here. I really wanted to play well here to show some good tennis after disappointing results in Dubai. That worked really well for me; I was concentrating on each point in every match and it worked well. I’m really happy to get the title.
WTA Insider: You’re a player whose struggled with injuries; when we last spoke, you were dragging around a big ice bag for your knee at the US Open. This week, it was some of your opponents who were having some injury and illness issues. How were you feeling to be on the other end, to be the fitter and healthier player?
Tsurenko: I’ve had quite a few injuries, but I try not to think about those. That’s just how it is and I’m getting fitter and fitter. I’ve been working on my body, and that’s been working well for me, just to feel balanced in every angle of tennis. The beginning of the year was strange for me; I had a virus in Brisbane, and still feeling unwell in Hobart. Everything’s in the past, and I hope to get a lot of confidence from this win.
WTA Insider: You played Acapulco for the first time just a few years ago, and you’ve gone from qualies to being a seed, winning the title. What do you make of how fast some of your improvements have been, winning three titles in the last 18 months?
Tsurenko: I’ve improved my fitness, and I also feel more confident on court, especially with my serve and my groundstrokes. I’m not afraid to make winners and be aggressive. I also feel like I’ve improved my defense; I’m moving well around the court and that gives me some good results.
WTA Insider: Are you a player who feels like they need confidence to be aggressive on the court?
Tsurenko: Fitness is the most important thing for me, because then I feel like I can play without mistakes, and stay on court for a long time. I’m able to stay concentrated in final sets – when I have to play those. For me, fitness is the biggest difference, but I’ve also become more aggressive on my serve and return. These two things are essential in women’s tennis.
.@LTsurenko thanks the @AbiertoTelcel fans for the great support ? #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/h6lpwtuf4u
— WTA (@WTA) March 5, 2017
WTA Insider: Speaking of fitness, talk a bit about your team; what kind of changes have you made in terms of recovery?
Tsurenko: I’m still working with the same tennis coach for the last four years now. I’m very happy with the results we’ve had together. But I do have a new fitness coach, Denis Vaschuk, who is helping to make my body stronger and more balanced. I think that’s the big advantage for me now, having him on my team. We work when I’m in Ukraine, and I also get some exercises from him even when we’re not traveling together. We keep in touch and that makes me feel even more confident in my fitness and movement.
WTA Insider: Up next for you is the BNP Paribas Open, where you’ve played some pretty epic matches over the last couple years. What do you like about that tournament and what are you looking forward to most over the next two weeks?
Tsurenko: First of all, I like hardcourts in general, and I really enjoy the tournament in Indian Wells. I like the atmosphere there, and I think the surface suits me well; it’s not too fast, so I can show everything that I can do on the court. I like the conditions, and the improvements they make every year; they make the tournament so comfortable for players. I’m really excited to go there now because I know they’ve been making even more renovations. I hope to get there Sunday so I can see everything.
WTA Insider: What is the one big memory or big moment you’ll take away from this week?
Tsurenko: The sombrero! I don’t know if they’ll let me keep it, but for sure, I’m going to get some nice photos and some good memories.
Love the Sombrero!
Congrats @LTsurenko, lift that @AbiertoTelcel trophy ? pic.twitter.com/JEGRbw7xAW
— WTA (@WTA) March 5, 2017