Elena Vesnina On Confidence And Focusing On Every Point
Elena Vesnina discusses her competitive mindset in her BNP Paribas Open semifinal press conference.
Elena Vesnina discusses her competitive mindset in her BNP Paribas Open semifinal press conference.
An interview with Sara Errani after her win in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Elena Vesnina has Friday’s shot of the day at the BNP Paribas Open.
ACAPULCO, Mexico – Great Britain’s Johanna Konta is no stranger to making British tennis history – she did plenty of that during her historic run to the Australian Open semifinals earlier in the year. This time, though, she did it without even having to lift a racquet.
Over the weekend, the 24-year-old reached a career-high ranking of No.26, the highest ranking for a Brit since Jo Durie held the spot in 1987. But as always, the milestones and accolades don’t faze the always-cool Konta.
“It looks pretty cool on paper,” Konta told wtatennis.com after being informed of the achievement. “Obviously I’m really happy to be where I am but I’m also very much focused on the process of things and just really giving my best in every match that I play.
“If do that where I’m ranked 26 or if I do that where I’m ranked 150, the objective stays the same.”
The objective was clear when Konta took the court at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel. The No.4 seed took on Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit in her first match since Melbourne.
The Brit quickly took a commanding 5-0 lead in the first set but struggled to close it out, Kontaveit winning three games in a row before Konta sealed the set 6-3. But after being given an inch, the Estonian took a mile when she came back to win the second set 6-3 and level the match. Konta’s woes continued in the third set – her serve was broken in the very first game for 0-1. Konta stayed calm, though, and got the break back and finished the match winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
“It was a tough one,” Konta said after the match. “But it was a good match, she played really well. I really had to stick in there and keep fighting every single point and really just work hard for my opportunities.”
The drama continued in Acapulco when No.8 seed Yanina Wickmayer defeated Mexican wildcard Victoria Rodriguez 6-7(5), 6-0, 7-6(2). Rodriguez – nicknamed “Chely” by her fans – was making her WTA main draw debut against Wickmayer, and she certainly did it in style too, taking Wickmayer to three sets and two points away from defeat.
No.3 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had an unexpectedly easier road to the second round, going up 6-0, 2-3 against qualifier Urszula Radwanska before a nasty-looking left ankle injury forced the Pole to retire.
“I’m actually really happy with the way I started the match and how I was playing, especially in the first set,” Pavlyuchenkova said afterwards. “I think everything was working and that’s why the score was 6-0.”
Though the match ended in a retirement, the Russian – who is coming off of a quarterfinals run in St. Petersburg – relished the chance to get in some match play and adjust to the conditions in Mexico.
“I’m still a little bit jetlagged from traveling a long time so I’m pretty happy with the way it went. Just really unlucky and feel sorry for Urzsula for hurting her ankle.”
Also in action, wildcard Naomi Osaka and No.6 seed Johanna Larsson cruised in their opening round matches while Mariana Duque-Mariño dealt an upset to Alison Van Uytvanck, sending the No.5 seed out in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat.
BNP Paribas Open champion Elena Vesnina was in the middle of post-win press when her trophy was swiped – so it may be presented to men’s winner, Roger Federer.
The WTA’s biggest stars took a break from their preparations to join the Qatar Tennis Federation and Total E&P Qatar at the Qatar Total Open players’ party.
Daria Gavrilova is hoping to follow up her incredible run at the Australian Open.
Swiss player Timea Bacsinszky is the No.11 seed.
Simona Halep – the 2014 champion here in Doha – is the No.2 seed.
Lucie Safarova, Barbora Strycova and Andrea Hlavackova had some fun checking out the props.
The Qatar Total Open player party festivities kicked off in style at the Al Gassar Ballroom in the St. Regis Doha.
The players were treated to the best of Qatari hospitality… from a banquet to a magic show!
Agnieszka Radwanska – known to her peers as “the Ninja” – had a few tricks up her sleeves, too.
Kerber came up to the stage for a magical demonstration.
Halep looked a little skeptical…
…which Radwanska found to be hilarious.
After the show and the speeches, Kristina Mladenovic and Elena Vesnina were ready for some food.
Mladenovic kept a watchful eye over Belinda Bencic and Caroline Garcia, too.
Caroline Wozniacki stopped for a chat with Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of the Qatar Tennis Federation.
Garbiñe Muguruza was all smiles by the end of the night.
MIAMI, FL, USA – The second Premier Mandatory event of the season is set to kick off at the Miami Open. Qualifying starts on Monday and main draw matches will begin in earnest on Tuesday.
The draw was conducted on Sunday at the Miami Beach Lacoste store; reigning BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champion Dominika Cibulkova and American Christina McHale were both on hand to help assist placing the seeds. Here’s what you need to know:
Main draw is out for @MiamiOpen. pic.twitter.com/9RDR0VWDhx
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) March 20, 2017
Top 8 seeds: Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep, Dominika Cibulkova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Garbiñe Muguruza, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Madison Keys. NOTE: No.1 Serena Williams withdrew from the tournament on Tuesday.
Top half: Kerber, Halep, Kuznetsova, Keys.
Bottom half: Pliskova, Cibulkova, Radwanska, Muguruza
Projected quarterfinals: Kerber vs. Kuznetsova, Halep vs. Keys, Muguruza vs. Cibulkova, Radwanska vs. Pliskova.
Last year’s final: Victoria Azarenka d. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-3, 6-2.
? on the ? for @AngeliqueKerber pic.twitter.com/gQJX9WzfEX
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 19, 2017
Angelique Kerber plays her first tournament since reclaiming the No.1 ranking; nemesis Kasatkina looms.
Kerber was set to chase 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, who wrested the top spot from the German after winning her record-breaking Australian Open title, at the BNP Paribas Open before the American withdrew from both Indian Wells and Miami due to a left knee injury. As the de facto No.1 in the California desert, she was on fire against countrywoman Andrea Petkovic, and struggled to defeat Pauline Parmentier before running into an in-form Elena Vesnina, who went on to win the title.
Hoping to rebound in Miami, Kerber will have to hit the ground running should she face her projected third round opponent, No.31 seed Daria Kasatkina. The young Russian has beaten Kerber in both of their 2017 meetings, including a three-set tussle at the Qatar Total Open. Should she make it out of that section, she’s almost gauranteed a tough quarterfinal opponent as she could face one of No.11 seed Venus Williams, No.22 seed Kristina Mladenovic, or Indian Wells runner-up and No.7 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Well that was fun ? thanks for the always amazing tournament @BNPPARIBASOPEN and thanks for all the support. Love you guys ? pic.twitter.com/YdUxxHH9cU
— Madison Keys (@Madison_Keys) March 15, 2017
Time for Keys to shine in Miami?
The second quarter is anchored by a pair of players coming back from injury. No.3 seed Simona Halep had a solid start in the California desert before getting outplayed eventual semifinalist Mladenovic in straight sets. She could face further French resistence in the fourth round against No.21 seed Caroline Garcia.
No.8 Madison Keys has played just three matches in 2017, but answered many questions about her form in her relatively brief Indian Wells return. Crushing Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka, the American acquitted herself well against former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, and could be primed to blow through her section, provided she makes it past No.10 seed Johanna Konta.
First #WTA Premier Mandatory title!@EVesnina001 battles past Kuznetsova 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-4 to win @BNPParibasOpen! pic.twitter.com/4sVJAMKkN1
— WTA (@WTA) March 19, 2017
Vesnina shoots for Sunshine Double in tough third quarter.
Elena Vesnina surprised the world when she stormed to her biggest career title at the BNP Paribas Open; should she replicate the form that helped her beat Kerber, Williams, Mladenovic, and Kuznetsova in succession, the Russian will absolutely be one to watch in Crandon Park.
Her projected fourth round opponent is Cibulkova, the highest seed in the quarter. The Slovak showed signs of promise in Indian Wells, pulling out a pair of tight three-setters that appeared to give her the kind of big-match confidence she took through her stellar 2016 season.
Hello Key Biscayne!! ??
Happy with my double practice today…
Doble sesión de entrenooo…@MiamiOpen @WTA pic.twitter.com/41JE7kZqEw— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) March 19, 2017
Muguruza to hit the (Danish) wall?
The third big name to watch is No.6 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, who comes to Miami after a narrow loss to Karolina Pliskova last week. The Spaniard snapped Elina Svitolina’s 15-match winning streak en route to the quarterfinals, and will likely face more surging opposition in the fourth round in the form of No.12 seed Caroline Wozniacki.
Muguruza leads their head-to-head 3-1, but the pair haven’t played since 2015, when the former No.2 stunned the Dane on the way to her first Grand Slam final. Wozniacki picked up from where she left off at the end of 2016, reaching back-to-back finals in Doha and Dubai, and lost a close three-setter to Mladenovic in Indian Wells.
Still, the former No.1 will need to watch out for Olympic champion Monica Puig or rising American star Lauren Davis, two of the most dangerous floaters in the draw; both are in her section.
Hola Miami!!! First hit on center court today was ?Cant wait to get started ? pic.twitter.com/Q6BvuRVIQS
— Monica Puig (@MonicaAce93) March 18, 2017
Aussie Open rematches abound in Quarter No.4.
Before Svitolina got on a roll and won two straight titles in Chinese Taipei and Dubai, she took a tough three-set loss to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the Australian Open. The Ukrainian will have a shot at avenging that defeat in Miami, as the No.9 seed is slated to face the No.17 seed in the third round.
Pavlyuchenkova has since backed up her run to the quarterfinals in Melbourne, reaching the last eight in Indian Wells with a win over Cibulkova along the way.
Speaking of big wins Down Under, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni’s fairytale fortnight started in the second round when she slid past Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round. Radwanska is projected to face the Croat once again provided she gets past a qualifier or Wang Qiang, who’s had a stealthy rise up the rankings in 2017 after reaching the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Thank you Indian Wells!?☀️ Miami next✈️ pic.twitter.com/GQZqzfSD1c
— Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) March 18, 2017
Pliskova vs. Ostapenko, Part II.
We didn’t get to see how Karolina Pliskova would fare against young hotshot Jelena Ostapenko in Indian Wells after the draw was reshuffled. The Latvian went on to push Dominika Cibulkova to three sets while Pliskova edged past Monica Puig after moving into the top half of the draw.
The pair played a dramatic match in Melbourne, and the stage seems set for it to happen again should Ostapenko make it past her qualifier in the first round.
From there, things ease up for Pliskova, who is projected to play some of the first quarter’s struggling prospects in No.27 seed Yulia Putintseva and either No.15 seed Barbora Strycova or No.18 seed CoCo Vandeweghe, all three have lacked that extra spark since earning impressive results to start the season.
https://t.co/rWPukzFOod: Miami Open Wild Cards for Anisimova, Gibbs and Mmoh; Day, Kirkov Receive Qualifying Wild… https://t.co/cFrNt2bDrH pic.twitter.com/eobIWigSbR
— Colette Lewis (@zootennis) March 10, 2017
Next Gen names to watch.
The Miami Open draw boasts a diverse set of main draw and qualifying wildcards, including Kuala Lumpur champion Ashleigh Barty and St. Petersburg semifinalist Natalia Vikhlyantseva. Another wildcard to watch out for is 15-year-old American Amanda Anisimova. A junior standout, Anisimova reached the final of last year’s French Open and nearly qualified for the senior-level main draw at the US Open.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of colleague and countrywoman Kayla Day, Anisimova opens against a qualifier with a possible upset opportunity against No.25 seed Roberta Vinci.
.@ChristinaMcHale and @Cibulkova are on hand for the @MiamiOpen draw ceremony! pic.twitter.com/osb7ezfPgU
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) March 19, 2017
Notable first round matches:
Julia Goerges vs. Alison Riske
Mandy Minella vs. Kristyna Pliskova
Eugenie Bouchard vs. Ashleigh Barty
Christina McHale vs. Annika Beck
Belinda Bencic vs. Sara Errani
CiCi Bellis vs. Ajla Tomljanovic
Yanina Wickmayer vs. Lucie Safarova
Jelena Jankovic vs. Yaroslava Shvedova
Bethanie Mattek-Sands vs. Katerina Siniakova
Notable second round matches:
Angelique Kerber vs. Laura Siegemund
Shelby Rogers vs. Daria Kasatkina
Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Kristyna Pliskova
Caroline Garcia vs. Peng Shuai
Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Wang Qiang
Barbora Strycova vs. Monica Niculescu
Andrea Petkovic vs. CoCo Vandeweghe
Jelena Ostapenko vs. Karolina Pliskova
DOHA, Qatar – No.3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska moved safely into the third round of the Qatar Total Open on Tuesday with a straight set win over qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko.
Watch live action from Doha & Acapulco this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
On a blustery afternoon, Radwanska had to withstand a spirited display from the World No.75, before eventually coming through, 6-4, 6-4.
As one of the game’s elite, Radwanska has played much of her tennis down the years at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex during the prime-time evening slot. It is an arrangement that has suited her well, the Pole reaching the semifinals on four occasions.
However, she began her latest title tilt in conditions not ideally suited to her eye-pleasing repertoire of strokes. “I think we all have to get used to different conditions. It was also windy. So it wasn’t the easiest time to play and maybe it wasn’t the prettiest match, but the most important thing is that I won and I’m very happy about that.”
It has been a fine start to 2016 for Radwanska, who has built on the momentum of her victory at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global by winning in Shenzhen and then reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open.
“I had a great start to the year, obviously, and I had a good rest after Australia. But I’ve been working hard since so I can play the same tennis here and do as well as in other years.”
Despite her lack of recent competitive action – she sat out Poland’s Fed Cup tie and withdrew from Dubai because of a leg injury – Radwanska delivered a typically tidy display – decorated by the odd touch of brilliance – hitting 17 winners and the same number of unforced errors.
Radwanska will next face either Monica Niculescu or former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic.
“They’re both very good, very solid opponents and it’s going to be another great challenge for me,” Radwanska said. “I’m going to watch the match, have some rest and be ready for tomorrow.”
Also coming through a tough second round assignment was Petra Kvitova, who defeated in-form compatriot Barbora Strycova, 7-6(2), 6-4.
Last week in Dubai, Strycova made it all the way to the final and she delivered another reputation-enhancing showing. Kvitova was an early casualty in Dubai, and must have feared the worst when Strycova served for the opening set. But the No.5 seed dug deep – fending off a couple of set points – to pinch it on a tie-break.
Despite an improved showing in the second set, Kvitova’s 18 winners were still offset by 30 unforced errors, leaving her with room to improve in the next round. “It was pretty close in the first set – she had a couple of set points – but I was just trying to take it point by point,” Kvitova said.
The result extends Kvitova’s unbeaten run against fellow Czech’s to 18 matches, her last defeat coming against Lucie Hradecka in Madrid nearly four years ago.
“It was a really important win for me today. Not just for the tournament but also the season – I hope this match will help me.”
Petra Kvitova says she’s “working really hard” on her recovery from a knife attack that took place in December. The two-time Wimbledon champion and former No.2 posted an update on her Instagram page on Tuesday.
“Hi guys! I wanted to say hello since time is flying by – three whole months already since the attack – and let you know that I’m working really hard on my recovery. I still can’t tell you when I will be back, but I can tell you that tennis is a huge motivation for me and I realised while I’ve been away how much I like challenges!
“My perspective on life has changed a lot and I am doing everything to give myself a second chance to be back on the court. I thank you for staying with me through this and I hope to see you all soon, love Petra.”
On December 20th of last year, Kvitova was attacked in her home in Prostejov by a knife-wielding assailant, suffering deep cuts to four fingers on her left hand that required immediately surgery.
The tennis community has rallied around the 26-year-old in her absence, most notably at the BNP Paribas Open last week, where fans turned a large support sign into a de facto get well card.
We miss you @Petra_Kvitova! ? pic.twitter.com/qilZNHGAVA
— WTA (@WTA) March 8, 2017
DOHA, Qatar – No.9 seed Roberta Vinci was in the midst of a tense opening set against Turkish wildcard Cagla Buyakakcay when a wild cat appeared.
On serve in the 12th game, the 2015 US Open finalist had just earned a set point, but play was interrupted by the sauntering feline, who had to be chased down by ballkids and on-court attendents before the beast was finally subdued.
In the end, the cat cameo may have helped the Italian over the finish line; Vinci only lost one more game to defeat Buyakakcay 7-5, 6-1 and reach the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open.
“I won the set, so it’s ok!”
Cat on the loose! ? ? pic.twitter.com/teFmr8CNJM
— WTA (@WTA) February 24, 2016