Tennis News

FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil – No.3 seed Monica Puig powered into the Brasil Tennis Cup semifinals after a commanding win over 18-year-old Naomi Osaka, 6-3, 6-4.

Watch live action from Florianopolis this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Osaka came out swinging from the first point, displaying all the signs of her giant-killing form that has seen her reaching the third round at back to back Grand Slams this year.

“She started off very strong,” Puig said. “I just tried to keep myself there in the match the whole time. I served really well and played well on the long points, too.”

Osaka opened the match by breaking Puig’s serve, but the Puerto Rican has been in strong form all week long and was able to grab the break right back. Puig broke once more for a 3-1 lead, which she backed up with her strong service games to take the opening set. She earned another break in the first game of the second, and closed out the match after an hour and fifteen minutes.

After the match, the Puerto Rican had nothing but praise for her young opponent.

“Obviously, Osaka is super young, and I think she has an incredible potential,” Puig said after the match. “She’s a player who has many strong weapons and a great game. Of course, she’s only 18 years old, so you need to give her more time, because if she stays playing like this she’ll go very, very far.”

Puig is set to face the No.2 seeded Irina-Camelia Begu for a spot in the Brasil Tennis Cup final. The Romanian came through against No.7 seed Nao Hibino 6-2, 6-4.

“I played with Puig earlier this year in Charleston,” Begu said. “That was a really tough match, really close third set. I know it’s going to be a difficult match, but it’s the semifinals of a WTA event – I’m expecting that.”

Begu is one of two Romanians into the semifinals along with Ana Bogdan, who’s set to compete against the No.6 seed Timea Babos in the next round. Much like Puig expressed yesterday, Begu has her own reasons for feeling right at home in Florianopolis.

“Romanians are Latin, so we are very similar,” she said. “We feel good here in Brazil, we feel like home and that’s probably why we play so good here.”

Semis baby! ?? #UnoAUno pic.twitter.com/CiRAdEBoWZ

— Monica Puig (@MonicaAce93) August 3, 2016

Venus Williams

2016 Quick Hits
Week 1 Ranking: No.7
Year-End Ranking: No.17
Season Highlights: Title at Kaohsiung
Best Major Result: SF (Wimbledon)

17 Days left until the 2017 #WTA season! ? pic.twitter.com/azf4fQh5zW

— WTA (@WTA) December 15, 2016

2017 Outlook

Despite turning 36 last summer, Venus Williams continues to challenge for tennis’ biggest honors. She proved this at Wimbledon, where she saw off several of the game’s brightest young talents to became the oldest Grand Slam semifinalist in 22 years.

It was not the only high point of the campaign either; in Kaohsiung she collected a 49th career title, reaching another final at Stanford before teaming up with Rajeev Ram to win mixed doubles silver at the Rio Olympics – her fifth medal at the Games.

There had been whispers that Brazil could be the curtain call on Williams’ wonderful career. However, the American has quashed such talk, outlining her plans to stay on tour until 2018, and even entertaining the possibility of playing until Tokyo 2020.

“I’ve been working hard in the gym and getting back on the court,” Williams said recently. “I just love the game, I really do. I love the challenge. It’s been such a part of my life that it’s hard to imagine life without it.

“I’m just gearing up for 2017 like I’m sure everybody else is.”

Her season opener will come in Auckland, where she will be joined by sister Serena and another thirtysomething still going strong, Svetlana Kuznetsova. Understandably, Williams, who lifted the title in 2015 and reached the final in 2013, is excited about her upcoming visit to the North Island.

“I am so excited to come back to Auckland, which is one of my favorite stops on the circuit,” Williams said. “It will be nice to have Serena there as well this year. “Being in Auckland will be a fantastic way to start 2017 and I am really looking forward to it!”

RIO DE JANIERO, Brazil – Friday saw the curtain raised on the XXXI Olympiad with a colorful opening ceremony at the magnificent Maracana stadium.

Broadcast to an audience of over three billion, it celebrated Brazil’s culture, history and nature, before former marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima lit the Olympic cauldron. The WTA was well represented on the night, with Caroline Wozniacki carrying in the flag for Denmark.

But what were Wozniacki and company up to before, during and after the show?

Tennis flag bearers!! ???? #Olympics #rio @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/H0g1qe7aG6

— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) August 6, 2016

Almost time to walk ?????????? pic.twitter.com/t5W89w7gVW

— Heather Watson (@HeatherWatson92) 5 August 2016

WOW! What a rush!!! Let's go @TeamUSA @serenawilliams @CoCoVandey @Madison_Keys @SloaneStephens #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/hz3YQ81udg

— Bethanie MattekSands (@BMATTEK) August 6, 2016

Tonight was a night to remember! Officially an olympian! ?? pic.twitter.com/y8izZiRLg5

— Monica Puig (@MonicaAce93) August 6, 2016

What a feeling to be part of this evening,so grateful and humble for being here #czechteam #OpeningCeremony #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/UCX0JBRZle

— Andrea Hlavackova (@AndreaHlavackov) August 6, 2016

Some of the best snaps from the #OpeningCeremony at #Rio2016!

?–> https://t.co/ok9z42ySeS #Olympics pic.twitter.com/4xoKIvQIUY

— WTA (@WTA) August 6, 2016

However, with many in the singles and doubles draws beginning their tournament the following morning, not everyone could enjoy the festivities…

When you're not at the #OpeningCeremony ???? #swissteam #Rio2016 ??? pic.twitter.com/dfSu4hj5AO

— Timea Bacsinszky (@TimeaOfficial) August 5, 2016

Petra Kvitova

2016 Quick Hits
Week 1 Ranking: No.6
Year-End Ranking: No.11
Season Highlights: Wuhan, Zhuhai Champion, Luxembourg RU
Best Major Result: 4R (US Open)

2017 Outlook

Kvitova had plenty of reasons to feel optimistic after a heady finish to 2016, winning the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open and the Huajin Securities Elite Trophy Zhuhai to finish the year just outside the Top 10 at No.11. A difficult first half of the season saw her ranking take a tumble and split with longtime coach, David Kotyza.

An emotional medal-winning performance at the Olympic tennis event – where she won Bronze in Rio de Janeiro – reignited her on-court precision, and helped her reach the second week of a major tournament for the first time all year. Losing a close match to eventual champion Angelique Kerber in Flushing, Kvitova took the momentum to Asia, where she avenged the loss to the World No.1 en route to the title in Wuhan, and roared to the win in Zhuhai without dropping a set.

“I’ve always loved to play tennis, but it can get tough when I’m not feeling confident, and not playing as well as I should,” she told WTA Insider after winning her final match of the season. “These couple of matches that I’ve won in the last couple of weeks have really helped my confidence. I did find myself, and that means I’ve found my game again. I’m not afraid to go for my shots, even if I miss them sometimes. I’m still trying to go for it, serve better, and put pressure on my opponent. That’s something I don’t think I was really doing at the start of the season. Of course, there were other small things also happening in my life, as well.

“But sometimes it’s just important to go through all of these things to find yourself.”

A lingering foot injury looked to derail some of her off-season preparation, but nothing like the shocking events that unfolded on Tuesday. Kvitova fought off a knife-wielding would-be robber in her home in Prostejov, but not without sustaining major injuries to her left and dominant hand.

The two-time Wimbledon winner underwent a nearly four hour surgery to repair lacerations and nerve damage, and is now in a cast for the next six to eight weeks; she won’t be able to bear weight on her left hand for at least three months.

It’s unclear if or when Kvitova will be back on the court, and the start of 2017 won’t be the same without her unique power and competitive spirit.

World No.1 Serena Williams has taken a wildcard into next week’s Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, a Premier 5 event.

The two-time defending champion has a 10-match win streak in Cincinnati and will be making her eighth appearance at the tournament where she holds a 21-4 match record. Serena enters the event looking to rebound from a disappointing early exit from the Olympics in Rio, where she lost in the third round to Elina Svitolina.

Having played only three matches since winning Wimbledon in July, Serena will look to return to form as she continues to prepare for the US Open, where she has a chance to break the Open Era record for Slam singles titles by winning her 23rd major.

Also on the line for Serena next week: The No.1 ranking.

Current World No.2 Angelique Kerber has a chance to end Serena’s 183-week reign at No.1 at Cincinnati, however, it will not be an easy task. Kerber, who is still in Rio de Janiero at the Olympic tennis event, would need to win the title at the Western & Southern Open in order to do so.

With Serena accepting the wildcard, she can extend her stay at No.1 through US Open if she makes the quarterfinals, regardless what Kerber does.

Kerber is trying to become the first German to reach No.1 since her idol Stefanie Graf and would be the third left-handed player to hold the No.1 ranking (along with Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles).

Main draw play at the Western & Southern Open begins on Monday, with the top 16 seeds receiving a bye into the second round. The draw ceremony will be held on Friday, August 12, at 5:30pm local time.

SHE'S BACK.

2-time defending champ @serenawilliams returns to #CincyTennis after receiving a WC into the main draw. pic.twitter.com/1rNIEvHaok

— W&S Open (@CincyTennis) August 11, 2016

KEY INFORMATION:
Tournament Level: Premier 5
Prize Money: $2,804,000
Draw Size: 48 main draw (16 byes)/48 qualifying
Main Draw Ceremony: Friday, August 12, 5.30pm EDT
Qualifying Dates: Saturday, August 13 – Sunday, August 14 
First Day of Main Draw: Monday, August 15
Singles Final: Sunday, August 21, 2pm EDT
Doubles Final: TBC – Sunday, August 21, 12.15pm EDT on Grandstand

MUST FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:
@WTA
@WTA_Insider – WTA Insider, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen
@CinyTennis – official tournament handle
Get involved in conversations with the official hashtags, #CincyTennis and #WTA.

TOURNAMENT NOTES:
· Serena Williams bids to win a third straight Cincinnati title after accepting a late wildcard. She is the only player in the Open Era to win multiple times at the event.
· Since the tournament’s return to the tour in 2004, there have been 11 different winners of the tournament, although Serena is the only returning champion in the field this year. There are a couple of former runner-ups – Simona Halep (2015), Ana Ivanovic (2014) and Angelique Kerber (2012).
· The WTA’s current Top 5-ranked players are all in attendance: Serena, Kerber, Halep, Garbiñe Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska.
· Halep arrives on a 10-match winning streak, having won her past two tournaments, in Bucharest and Montréal.
· Lucie Safarova and Andrea Petkovic could both register their 400th career win by reaching the second round and quarterfinals, respectively.
· For the full draw click here.

WILDCARDS:
Serena Williams (USA), Christina McHale (USA), Louisa Chirico (SVK)

WITHDRAWALS:
Sloane Stephens (right foot), Jelena Jankovic (right shoulder)

A tennis career plays out on a myriad of stages. One minute, American Christina McHale is headlining Margaret Court Arena and battling Agnieszka Radwanska, the reigning WTA Finals champion, in the first round of the Australian Open.

The next, she finds herself far from Melbourne’s spotlight and bringing new meaning to the word “battle” in an ITF 50K Challenger tournament in Maui.

“I felt like I needed more match play, because I didn’t get enough matches in Australia,” McHale told WTA Insider on Sunday.

A former World No.24, McHale went 1-3 in her first three events of the season, but rather than retreat to the practice courts – and the cold New Jersey winter – she made the rare decision to enter an ITF event during the second week of the Australian Open.

“I’d just had a really long off-season and I was doing a lot of practicing. I saw there were a bunch of tournaments, and Maui seemed like a good place because it’s on the way home; it seemed like a good place to stop. Luckily, I got a wildcard at the last minute, so everything worked out.”

Top seed at an event that featured Brisbane International semifinalist Samantha Crawford and ASB Classic quarterfinalist Naomi Broady, McHale hardly cruised through a Valley Isle vacation at her first ITF event since 2013.

“It’s definitely different. The nice part of it was that it was in Hawaii, and the hotel was right at the courts, so it was easy to walk to.

“The first day I was waiting for the schedule to be emailed to me, because that’s how it normally is at WTA tournaments, and then I remembered that’s not how it works in ITFs! We didn’t have ball kids, and we didn’t have a full set of line judges on some of the courts.

“It took some getting used to.”

Sand sprints in paradise. Hello from Hawaii ? pic.twitter.com/VmUFCcXmv7

— Christina McHale (@ChristinaMcHale) January 26, 2016

After fighting through a tricky opening round against former World No.7 Nicole Vaidisova, she needed three sets in the semifinals against the big-serving Broady and American teenager Raveena Kingsley, who had taken out Crawford and Jessica Pegula to reach the final.

“I had some really tough matches here; my semifinal was really difficult and so was my match today. The level of play was quite high. In terms of getting good match play in, it was tough.”

The American had started her 2016 season with a first career WTA doubles title in Hobart, but Maui was her first title of any kind in singles, having reached one WTA final in 2014 and two ITF finals at the very start of her career in 2007 and 2009.

Ranked solidly in the Top 70, McHale considers herself lucky to be able to play an ITF knowing the doors to the most prestigious tournaments remain open to her.

“It definitely makes you appreciate a lot of the things I take for granted when playing WTA tournaments. It might have even been a little bit of a wake up call. But everyone here was really nice, and all of the volunteers that helped put this tournament together did a good job. I don’t want to take away from that.”

Indeed, McHale takes away only positives from her winning week in Maui, getting some much-needed match play, all with a tropical backdrop at her disposal.

“My fitness trainer Rodney Marshall is a USTA fitness coach; he was here and so I kind of used it as a training week, as well. I was able to do some work outs on the beach; it’s really cold back home so it was nice to be in this warmer weather for the week. It was good to have a men and women’s tournament, so there were a lot of players here to practice with.

“Just being in Hawaii was really nice.”

Heading home before resuming a full slate of WTA events in Rio, Acapulco, Monterrey, and Indian Wells, a confident McHale hopes to have kick-started her season with the wind at her back and a sunkissed trophy in her hand.

“It’s definitely very motivating. This week served its purpose, because I came here trying to get matches and work on my fitness. In that regard, it was really good.

“It does make you appreciate all of the Slams and the other big tournaments that we go to.”

Thanks for a great week Maui! ? @TCofM pic.twitter.com/h6gh8Y7YG4

— Christina McHale (@ChristinaMcHale) January 31, 2016

Follow Christina on Twitter @ChristinaMcHale!