Kristina Mladenovic & Heather Watson Try Footgolf In Acapulco
Watch Kristina Mladenovic and Heather Watson try a few rounds of footgolf in Acapulco!
Watch Kristina Mladenovic and Heather Watson try a few rounds of footgolf in Acapulco!
The three-time Internazionali BNL D’Italia champion Maria Sharapova has received a wildcard entry into the main draw of the tournament in Rome this year.
The 29-year-old will attempt to reclaim the title she last won in 2015 as she continues her return to the WTA circuit. The tournament, which takes place from May 15-21, will be her third this year after she picked up wildcards for Stuttgart and Madrid this spring.
We officially announce the Wild Card for the 3 times Rome's Champion @MariaSharapova into the main draw of #ibi17! #tennis #WTA #Sharapova pic.twitter.com/bxrPrjI6fJ
— Internazionali Bnl (@InteBNLdItalia) March 1, 2017
Sharapova beat Spain’s Carla Suárez Navarro, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, in the final on her last appearance two years ago, to win her most recent WTA title.
Lesia Tsurenko overcame an impressive effort from Jelena Ostapenko, who suffered a bee sting during the warm-up of their quarterfinal encounter at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.
ACAPULCO, Mexico – Australian Open semifinalist Mirjana Lucic-Baroni closed out quarterfinals night at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, dispatching French veteran Pauline Parmentier, 6-2, 6-3, to advance into her second straight semifinal in what has been a stunning start to her season.
“I feel great,” the top seed said after the match. “I played a solid match and that was good enough to win. I’m very excited to be in the semifinals, for sure.”
Playing her first tournament since earning a pair of Top 5 wins over Agnieszka Radwanska and Karolina Pliskova en route to her first Grand Slam semifinal since 1999, the Croatian veteran was also enjoying her first WTA event as a No.1 seed – even trying her hand at traditional guacamole.
Top seed at a WTA event for the first time in her career, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni is playing some great tennis @AbiertoTelcel pic.twitter.com/Lo1QEgo64i
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) March 3, 2017
Into the semifinals without dropping a set, she showed off her signaure firepower to knock out Parmentier in just over an hour behind 22 winners to just nine unforced errors. Nonetheless, Lucic-Baroni insisted she got a good test ahead of her next match against No.7 seed Lesia Tsurenko.
“It was very close; it was closer than the score. The points were tough. I think this court suited her. It took off with her spin and she made me work hard. I feel good right now and I’m glad I’m through.
“I’m just going to recover, do the same as every day and try to feel as good as possible for tomorrow. Then I’ll be back to give it another go!”
Hoping to reach her first final since last spring’s Internationax de Strasbourg – and win her first title since the 2014 Coupe Banque Nationale – Lucic-Baroni could also earn another career-high ranking should she reach the final on Friday.
Two straight semifinals for Lucic-Baroni; No.7 seed Tsurenko next @AbiertoTelcel pic.twitter.com/G8T6MqWMC9
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) March 3, 2017
ACAPULCO, Mexico – No.2 seed Kristina Mladenovic is through to her second final of the year at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel after withstanding a tough challenge from Christina McHale.
Just a month after clinching her maiden WTA title at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, Mladenovic is set to battle for another title after her 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 victory over the American.
“It’s a very tough tournament, great players and every single round is difficult – everyone wants to win and stay as long as possible in this beautiful place Acapulco,” Mladenovic said after the match.
“I’ve been fighting through all matches, and conditions are very difficult here because it’s hot and humid, but I’m enjoying my time here in Acapulco and I’m excited to be in a final.”
She's everywhere! ?
Incredible play from @KiKiMladenovic! #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/1WqNWPuaDA
— WTA (@WTA) March 3, 2017
The pair’s only previous meeting came right here in Acapulco back in 2014, where McHale emerged victorious in straight sets over the Frenchwoman and made a run to the final.
The story unfolded differently on Friday night as Mladenovic employed her high-risk, high-reward game. She broke early at 3-2 to establish a foothold, but struggled to serve out the set in the blustery Acapulco conditions.
McHale took advantage of a Mladenovic double fault and pounced on some vulnerable second serves to finally get the break back. But No.2 seed didn’t panic, wrenching a break right back and serving out the set to love.
McHale imposed her game more in the second set; she cut down on her unforced errors and started to dictate rallies with her forehand as Mladenovic’s net game, usually a strong part of her strategy, began to break down.
.@KiKiMladenovic makes @AbiertoTelcel Final!
Edges McHale 7-5, 4-6, 6-2! #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/v70Pt7SDcE
— WTA (@WTA) March 4, 2017
The American grabbed the break in the final game to take the set and send the match to a decider.
After trading breaks to start the final set, Mladenovic took command once again, backing up her strong serve with a booming forehand to keep McHale on the back foot during the Frenchwoman’s service games. She rattled off three games in a row to close out the match and book her spot into her first Acapulco final.
She’ll face No.7 seed Lesia Tsurenko for the title after Mirjana Lucic-Baroni was forced to retire in the first set citing gastrointestinal illness.
“I just have to focus on myself tomorrow,” Mladenovic said. “I’m going to just enjoy today’s win, recover and do work with my physio.
“That’s the most important part for me, because today I hung in there a lot. I gave a lot of energy in another long match with tough conditions, so my first goal is to try to recover and be 100% tomorrow. I’m sure it’ll be a great final.”
An interview with Ashleigh Barty after she won the ALYA Malaysian Open.
We all love colorful prints and vibrant colors in tennis outfits, but isn’t it nice to get back to basics from time to time? Let’s hand it over to Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog and see the pure whites that tennis apparel companies prepared for Wimbledon 2016.
Serena Williams will try to defend her title in the NikeCourt Premier Dress, whose mock neck is a new aesthetic in the world number one’s tennis fashion. The skirt design is the continuation of Williams’ looks from the previous 2016 Grand Slams, while two tiers of pleats in the back add a special flash of style.
Eugenie Bouchard and other NikeCourt team athletes will wear the NikeCourt Premier Slam Dress, which means that skirt-top combinations are taking a back seat. Stunning power pleats that stretch all the way from the chest of this simple swing silhouette make this a truly unique piece that has daringly departed quite a bit from a classic tennis dress. When it comes to the much-talked-about length of the dress, Bouchard says that it’s perfect.
adidas’ Climachill collection is equipped with a trio of advanced technologies that provide an instant chilling sensation and lower the body temperature, an ideal choice for high temperatures.
Industry-first 3D aluminium-cooling spheres on the back and neck, the warmest parts of the body, have an immediate cooling effect on contact, mesh-like micro fibres take moisture away from the skin, and SubZero flat yarns containing titanium maximize surface contact with the skin, thus transferring the heat away from the body.
Stella McCartney’s adidas line stands out with the abundance of laser-cut holes that serve both as fashionable elements and as functional features that improve breathability. The collection’s supreme performance is supported by Climacool and Climalite heat regulation.
Caroline Wozniacki has the adidas Fall Stella Barricade Primeknit Dress ready for her Wimbledon campaign. Besides the stylish abundance of holes in the skirt, the dress is specific for its scoop neck and back and engineered mesh fabric in targeted breathability zones. Last year’s runner-up Garbiñe Muguruza is expected to wear one of the top-skirt ensembles from the London collection. One possible combination includes the adidas Stella McCartney Core Tank, which features a large mesh section at upper back, and the adidas Fall Stella McCartney Skirt, that includes exposed elastic waistband.
Venus Williams’ EleVen Game Day Dress is a classy cap-sleeve item with very subtle details: a boomerang-shaped contrast binding at waistband and light silver company logo at center chest.
Agnieszka Radwanska’s clean white Lotto look consists of the Nixia Dress made from lightweight fabrics that even the most demanding players feel comfortable in. The clean and elegant style combines technical and breathable materials with a large mesh back panel for added heat control and touch of femininity. The Stratosphere W shoes are designed to take your footwork to new heights, owing to their advanced cushioning and responsiveness, as well as maximum transpiration.
New Balance’s WTA players, led by Heather Watson, will wear the white version of the popular Spring Tournament Dress, which captivates with its sleek strappy racerback and subtle functional details such as the “N” houndstooth burnout mesh back panel. The 996v2 tennis shoes are made for players that want a stable shoe which rises up to the challenge during sharp lateral movements.
For the second Grand Slam in a row Fila’s Jelena Jankovic will exhibit Marion Bartoli’s tennis designs. The all-white Trophee collection contains six pieces of clothing created by the 2013 Wimbledon champion: a dress, a tank, two skort styles, a blazer, and pants. Details such as mesh inserts and a feminine flounce adorn the collection.
Other representatives of Fila will wear the Lawn collection which boasts a selection of tops, dresses and two different lengths of skorts. These Wimbledon whites are focused on waist-accentuating cut lines stylized with details such as curved seam lines, princess seams, and pintuck accents. The promo image shows Yaroslava Shvedova in the Fila Lawn Full Coverage Tank, which brings all the attention to the waist by a strategic use of pintuck detail at sides and peplum-inspired curved hem.
Lacoste’s designs are never too far from tradition and their Wimbledon collection is along those lines as well, although in these promotional photos of Elena Vesnina, Dominika Cibulkova and Christina McHale we can see that quite a bit of color is included in the clothes prepared for the grass-court Grand Slam, as each item has a pop of blue and fluo yellow colorblocking.
As we can see, even within Wimbledon’s strict clothing rules, there are limitless possibilities for unique and breathtaking designs.
Former Great Britain Fed Cup captain Judy Murray has praised Johanna Konta for being a great role model – and has called for more women to get involved in tennis.
In an interview with the UK’s Daily Telegraph to mark International Women’s Day, Murray said it was important to encourage women into all levels of sport.
“Everyone looks at the sports stars, like Johanna Konta or [now-retired heptathlete] Jessica Ennis, and they are great role models,” she said, “but even more important, for me, is to have women in key decision-making positions. They will think and act much more on behalf of women, because they know how we tick.”
Hands up if you’re excited for #IWD2017!
And today we’re celebrating our @SheRallies program with @JudyMurray ?? pic.twitter.com/Xv36ezdeHH
— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) March 8, 2017
Murray is spearheading campaigns to get more girls playing tennis as well as calling for more women to take up coaching, which she says will increase female participation across all age groups.
“Our strongest pockets within the UK, in terms of numbers of girls coming through, tend to be in places where there is a strong female coach,” added Murray.
LONDON, England – There are fast starts and there are fast starts. And Sabine Lisicki’s opening game at this year’s Wimbledon certainly falls into the latter category.
Three aces and another booming serve down the T saw Lisicki wrap up the opening game of her first-round match with Shelby Rogers in just 52 seconds.
The German, a finalist at the All England Club in 2013, barely slowed down as the match progressed, living up to her ‘Boom Boom’ nickname by hitting 19 winners and wrapping up a 6-1, 6-3 victory after a minute shy of one hour on court.
In the second round she will face Samantha Stosur, a 7-5, 6-3 winner over Magda Linette.
Sabine Lisicki wastes no time.
She won her first #Wimbledon 2016 game in under a minute. https://t.co/6mq8IcASjj pic.twitter.com/rfpHZg2Gou
— BBC Tennis (@bbctennis) June 27, 2016
At this year’s Wimbledon, some of the most famous names in women’s tennis are once again lending their support to the StarCards charity auction, raising money for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London.
The WTA has been helping the charity since 2002, raising thousands of pounds. Among the lots at this year’s auction are items from Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki and StarCards’ official celebrity supporter Ana Ivanovic, who has signed and donated her 2016 French Open player accreditation.
“With the tremendous support of the WTA we have raised over £100,000 for the charity, tennis fans around the world each year contact us in advance of to make sure they don’t miss out on the new collection. We are extremely grateful to the WTA and our official supporter Ana Ivanovic who help us every year to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity,” StarCards founder Paul Bretta said
The auction, held on the StarCards website, started on June 30 and will finish on July 10.
@serenawilliams thanks for supporting #wta #Wimbledon charity auction for @GreatOrmondSt at https://t.co/9day5Ddgf4 pic.twitter.com/XumMa8kAlE
— StarCards (@STARCARDS4GOSH) 27 June 2016