Giorgi Shows Heart In Seoul Opener
Camila Giorgi made quick work of local wildcard Han Na-Lae to reach the second round of the Korea Open in straight sets; No.8 seed Louisa Chirico also advanced.
Camila Giorgi made quick work of local wildcard Han Na-Lae to reach the second round of the Korea Open in straight sets; No.8 seed Louisa Chirico also advanced.
Caroline Wozniacki takes on CiCi Bellis in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Highlights from first round action at the BNP Paribas Open.
DUBAI, UAE – 2011 champion Caroline Wozniacki put an end to CiCi Bellis’ dream run at the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, notching commanding 6-3, 6-2 win over the 17-year-old American.
Bellis announced herself to the Dubai draw in a big way with her stunning upset over World No.6 Agnieszka Radwanska in the last round to reach her first Premier 5 quarterfinals, but she had no answers against her childhood idol Wozniacki.
“I have been there myself, so I know what it’s like,” Wozniacki said of her young opponent. “I just try to put myself in her shoes.
“For me, it was just very important to stay strong and not show any negative emotions but just stay positive all the time, show that I have the presence on court and really make her play those extra balls and points.
“She would really have to play on a really high level to beat me, because I was going to give that extra ball back. I wasn’t going to just give it to her.”
.@cicibellis99 is ?! #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/SrQdj4TNOl
— WTA (@WTA) February 23, 2017
The American’s tricky disguised groundstrokes – which troubled Radwanska time and again in the third round – kept Wozniacki second-guessing as the teenager dictated the early rallies. She calmly took the break at 3-1, but it would be the only lead of the match for Bellis as the former World No.1 came roaring back.
Wozniacki kept to her game plan, tracking down every shot and making Bellis play an extra ball to draw out unforced errors. The American’s game plan crumbled, rewarding Wozniacki with the break back to level the match 3-3.
The Dane took full command from there, reeling off nine straight games to grab the opening set and take a daunting 4-0 lead in the second, and she went on to serve out a spot in her sixth straight Dubai semifinals.
The unforced errors count marked the difference between Wozniacki and Bellis: while they were almost evenly matched in winners (12 for Wozniacki to 14), Bellis struck more than twice as many unforced errors with 33 against Wozniacki’s 15.
.@CaroWozniacki advances to @DDFTennis Semifinals!
Cruises past Bellis 6-3, 6-2! pic.twitter.com/GRnNkCy797
— WTA (@WTA) February 23, 2017
“She’s just really solid, really solid off the ground and serving well,” Bellis explained after the match. “[She was] more consistent than me today. Moved me a lot. I think all that combined.
“She’s such a great player. It was really fun for me to see what the highest level is.”
Up next the 2011 champion will take on Anastasija Sevastova for a spot in the final. The pair last met in the quarterfinals of the 2016 US Open, with Wozniacki emerging victorious in a comfortable straight sets.
“She’s a player that mixes the pace up quite a bit,” Wozniacki said. “She’s definitely going to try and get me out of my own rhythm. I’m just excited to play and be in the semifinals once again.”
An interview with Serena Williams after her win in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Elina Svitolina takes on Angelique Kerber in the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
An interview with Ana Ivanovic after her second round win at the BNP Paribas Open.
Last year, Agnieszka Radwanska capped off a red-hot Asian Swing by winning the WTA’s crown jewel event, the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Radwanska’s 2015 streak was impressive, but how does her overall Asian Swing haul compare to other late-season records in the past five years?
Get all the insights into the Asian Swing as SAP takes you Behind The Numbers.
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Former World No.1 Monica Seles paid a visit to the Hungarian Ladies Open in Budapest to reconnect with her roots and inspire the next generation of Hungarian tennis stars.
Seles arrived in Budapest for the Hungarian Day of Tennis, which celebrates the past, present and future of Hungarian tennis. She was joined by other Hungarian former players, like former World No.7 Andre Temesvari and Katerina Marosi.
Together they hosted a tennis clinic for Budapest’s youngest tennis hopefuls, and afterwards Seles signed autographs for her myriad fans and met the press.
“It’s been fantastic to be invited by the Hungarian Tennis Federation to be a part of the WTA tournament here in Budapest, and also to participate in the Hungarian Day of Tennis kid’s clinic,” Seles told wtatennis.com.
“I hope we can spread the love of tennis and inspire a lot of young kids to pick up a racquet, and hopefully one day see them on center court.”
A few hours later, Seles was back on site to watch Hungary’s current No.1 in action as Timea Babos took on Julia Goerges in the semifinals. Tomorrow she’ll present the trophy to the winner.
Seles will also donate a signed tennis racquet to be auctioned during the two weeks after the tournament – all proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House.
Check out the photos of Seles’ visit, courtesy of Hungarian Ladies Open!
Camila Giorgi had Saturday’s shot of the day at the BNP Paribas Open.