Cincinnati: Strycova Interview
An interview with Barbora Strycova after her win in the first round of the Western & Southern Open.
An interview with Barbora Strycova after her win in the first round of the Western & Southern Open.
Earlier this week, Vania King and Lauren Davis took a break from the Western & Southern Open to pay a visit to two Cincinnati-area hospitals.
WTA Insider | In the latest WTA Insider Live Blog, keep up with the action as Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber, and Agnieszka Radwanska all fight for quarterfinal spots in Cincinnati.
WTA Insider | The latest live blog takes you inside the semifinals of the Western & Southen Open as three of the Top 4 seeds face off for spots in the final.
Courtney Nguyen, Point: World No.2 Angelique Kerber is in the midst of the most solid stretch of play in a year that has already included so many emotional and career-defining highs. Winning the Australian Open, defending her title in Stuttgart, making her first Wimbledon final, winning Olympic silver for Germany, the milestones have been there to check off.
Heading into Sunday’s Western & Southern Open final, she’s won 21 of her last 25 matches and has made the semifinals or better at four of her last five events.
Kerber has spent the last eight months proving to everyone that she is more than capable of conquering the challenges placed in front of her. The next challenge is simple: Beat World No.17 Karolina Pliskova to win her first title in Cincinnati and become the new World No.1 on Monday.
“I think now I’m showing that I’m really one of the best tennis players,” Kerber said after beating No.3 seed Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-4, in the semifinals. A win on Sunday would make her the first German to hold the No.1 ranking since Stefanie Graf in 1997. “It’s still one match away, but it’s still a match. I will not think about this yet. Let’s see what’s happening tomorrow.
“It’s a new opponent, a new day, and after that we will see what happened, it’s not over yet. Still one match to go.”
Throughout the week, Kerber has met the flurry of questions about the prospect of becoming the 22nd WTA No.1 with a shrug. When she says she isn’t thinking about it, that she’s focused only on the match in front of her, I believe her. This is a woman who has played 10 matches in 13 days across two continents.
During a press conference earlier in the week, she could not remember what day it was. She admits she is tired but her non-stop play over the last few weeks has helped her keep things remarkably simple: Wake up. Warm up. Play a match. Win the match. Recover. Go to sleep. Do it again. It has worked well.
“I came here without any expectation,” Kerber said. “I came here after Rio, after a lot of emotions what I have there. I mean, I had a great week in Rio. I won my medal which I will take home, what was always a dream.
“To come here, I was just trying to play match by match. Not thinking about my draws, my opponents, about nothing. Just going out there trying to win every match, because every match was different here. That’s why I’m really happy.
“I’m not surprised [I’m in the final], but I’m happy to go through it and be in another final.”
Kerber knows Pliskova well. They have not played in over a year but the two battled hard in two finals in 2015, both of which Kerber won in a narrow three sets. Despite her fatigue, Kerber has worked through a tough draw, beating Kristina Mladenovic, Barbora Strycova, Carla Suárez Navarro, and Halep, losing just one set all week. Her win over Halep was her tour-leading 47th win of the year and brought her season record against Top 20 players to 17-5.
“For me, there are no favorites,” Kerber said. “It’s 50/50 always when you go out there. You have to play your best, especially when you’re in the final. So that will be my goal. It’s step by step, and still one more step to go.”
David Kane, Counterpoint: Standing between Kerber and her accession to the top of the WTA rankings is Karolina Pliskova, a player who shrugs off suggestions that hers has been a sophomore slump of a season.
“Everyone is saying I didn’t have that good of a year as last year, but I didn’t have as many big matches, semifinals in Indian Wells and now this final,” she said after a comprehensive win over French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza. “I would say it’s maybe better than what I played last year, where I made a few finals at small tournaments.”
Pliskova played Kerber on two of those relatively smaller stages, twice losing in the finals of tough three-setters in Birmingham and Stanford.
Both matches came in the midst of a busy summer for the big-hitting Czech, who peaked at a career-high of No.7 after winning the Emirates Airlines US Open Series last August, but began feeling the fatigue from heavy scheduling soon after her aforementioned run to the last four of the BNP Paribas Open.
“I was thinking about whether to go to Rio or not, and there were more reasons why I decided to not go, but I think it was a good step for me.
“Last year I played a lot of tournaments, and at the end of the US Open I felt really tired. I just want to prepare for the big tournaments better than I did last year.”
Looking fresher through a winning week at the Western & Southern Open, Pliskova has dropped just one set in four matches, her high-octane game holding up even through the windier conditions that featured heavily in her semifinal encounter with Muguruza.
“With the wind, it wasn’t really easy. I didn’t play how I would love to play. I think yesterday I played little bit better, but the conditions are always different.
“But I was happy with how I played, and so happy with the way how I closed the match.”
Her thoughts on closing out a surging Kerber from reaching No.1 were more complex than most might think, but ultimately showed the steely resolve for which she’s best known.
“I would love to have her as a No. 1 after few years. But I’ll do anything for her to not getting there.”
Photos courtesy of Getty Images.
The story of the tournament from the Western & Southern Open.
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Elina Svitolina takes on Elena Vesnina in the quarterfinals of the Connecticut Open.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Garbiñe Muguruza has had a season already defined by a breakthrough victory at the French Open, but inconsistencies elsewhere make the No.3 seed seem like something of an enigmatic factor – especially at the US Open, where she has won just one main draw match.
But the Spaniard cheerfully preached optimism at her pre-tournament press conference, emphasizing the importance of leaving last week’s disappointments behind her as she heads into the final Grand Slam of the season.
“Last year was a little bit tougher,” she said of her second round loss to future Top 10 contender Johanna Konta, “but I’m always positive when I go to a tournament. I always have, like, a new mindset. I’ve a new opportunity, and it’s a Grand Slam. I’m excited here. I love Grand Slams. I love New York. I’m looking forward to start and see what happens.”
It’s a mantra Muguruza has developed over time as she’s matured from the upstart youngster who stunned Serena Williams in the second round of Roland Garros to the seasoned champion two years later.
“More and more, it becomes clear that the Grand Slams are the tournaments where you have to kind of perform your best – or at least try. So when a Grand Slam is coming, you feel that you have to be more prepared. That’s the tournament.
“When you are younger, all the tournaments are like more equal or you’re more happy. Sometimes you really don’t know where you’re playing.
“Now over the years you realize, Hey, that’s the tournament I’ve got to be ready and hopefully win.”
Her two major finals have come on clay and grass, but the World No.3 is more than capable on hardcourts, taking impressive results from the Asian swing into a thunderous debut at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The next step for the Spaniard is to avoid the sort of lull in form seen at Wimbledon, where she fell in the second round to Jana Cepelova.
“When I went to play that match I felt, like, exhausted. Like I woke up that day like, ‘I have to play a match today. I feel tired.’ I think I learned more how to recover and concentrate my energy.
“Those matches are important ones, you know? Maybe I trained too much before or didn’t rest enough, or, I don’t know, there is something not balanced there that week.”
Balance will be key in dealing with the City That Never Sleeps, and the unrelenting traffic experienced by the players who opt to stay in the heart of the Big Apple.
“There is always traffic. There is always noise, people. I don’t know. Everything takes a lot of energy. It’s so crazy and they’ll say, ‘No, this is two blocks only!’
“I have to concentrate on time to rest, time for this, time for that – just schedule everything well. Priority is always to be rested so when you take a racquet, you know, you have energy to perform.”
The US Open is the most fashion-forward Grand Slam, as its host city inspires tennis apparel companies to experiment with vibrant colors and prints. References to NYC’s bright lights and architecture can be recognized in this season’s aesthetic, while advanced temperature-regulating technologies are there to help WTA players perform their best. Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will give us a closer look at the styles we’ll see at Flushing Meadows.
Simona Halep, Ana Ivanovic and Angelique Kerber will sport the adidas adizero collection whose striking, triangular print is inspired by the landscape and environment of New York. The lightweight collection, built for speed, comes in a variety of bold color combinations.
The flash red version of the adidas Fall Pro Tank, as seen here on Halep, stands out with its stylish tech steel contrast racerback and keyholes. The eye-catching pattern of the adidas Fall Pro Skirt harnesses the good vibes of Big Apple, energizing players to perform their best.
Besides the recognizable geometric sublimated print at straps and bottom, Ivanovic’s adidas Fall Pro Dress features stylish V-shaped mesh color-block at back, which has a ventilating purpose.
The entire collection is focused on keeping athletes dry through Climacool moisture management.
Nike’s collection for the 2016 US Open is inspired by chromatic shift of the lights in New York City, reflecting it through pops of vibrant colors, while comfort in humid summer days is ensured by engineered knit construction.
Serena Williams will go for the NikeCourt Power Dress, which promises to be one of the best outfits of the tournament with its mock neck, that the world number one altered for the promo photo shoot, mesh back ventilation and energizing pleats on the woven skirt. The item comes in black and in white with hyper pink.
Madison Keys will rock a striking black and volt combination in the NikeCourt Dry Slam Tank and NikeCourt Flex Victory Skirt.
Garbiñe Muguruza and Caroline Wozniacki will showcase key looks from the adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade Fall/Winter 2016 apparel made of advanced Climalite fabric that keeps players cool. The collection includes innovative shoe designs intended for the fast and hard surface at the US Open.
The Spaniard’s Adidas Stella Barricade New York Tank and the Adidas Stella Barricade New York Skirt play with white, oyster grey and flash red through color-blocking and marble print.
Clean lines and side color-blocks of Wozniacki’s Adidas Stella Barricade New York Dress have a figure-slimming effect, while bonded no-sew seams at arm holes and hem provide a modern feel.
Muguruza’s Barricade shoe (left) is engineered for maneuverability, while supreme ventilation is ensured by its full mesh knit upper. Wozniacki’s Barricade BOOST footwear (right) and its BOOST™ energy-returning cushioning give players an extra edge on abrasive hard surfaces.
As Venus Williams herself said, the EleVen Prism collection takes colors and prints to a whole new level. Besides the appealing print, the American’s EleVen Prism Chela Dress features lightweight color-blocking mesh at back and a nice wrap design. Moisture-wicking properties, superior breathability and EleVen Ozone for UVA and UVB protection are performance features of this stylish dress.
Agnieszka Radwanska will play in a rose neon version of the Lotto Nixia Dress, unique for its dramatic use of mesh at back and drop-waisted skirt with several pleats.
Heather Watson will sport the lightweight and breathable New Balance Fall Yarra Tank, whose burnout stretch mesh along the back, together with a poly/Spandex knit with NB DRY, will help the Brit feel comfortable. The tank’s match is the 40 Degree Skort which includes laser perforations, engineered waistband, as well as NB DRY and NB FRESH for breathability.
Fila-sponsored stars will wear the Heritage collection, a fusion of Fila’s time-honored silhouettes with contemporary elements. The clothes combine red, white and black, either in color-blocks or modern blurred stripes.
Karolina Pliskova is pictured wearing the Fila Heritage Stripe Dress, while Jelena Jankovic‘s promo image showcases the Fila Heritage Racerback Dress.
Tennis fashion fans can definitely look forward to the 2016 US Open!