Charleston: Petkovic Interview
An interview with Andrea Petkovic before her opening round match at the Volvo Car Open.
An interview with Andrea Petkovic before her opening round match at the Volvo Car Open.
KATOWICE, POLAND – Kristyna Pliskova and No.9 seed Kirsten Flipkens kicked off their Katowice Open campaigns and battled into the second round of the International event on Monday.
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Pliskova was the first of the pair to advance in Katowice, the last hardcourt tournament before the tour completes the shift to the clay and grass seasons. She faced a stern first-round test in the form of 23-year-old Brit Heather Watson, who’s been on the rise having already won a title in Monterrey earlier this year.
“It was a really tough first round for me today,” Pliskova said afterwards.
“The surface is very different – quite slow – so it took me some time to get used to it.”
The No.88 Czech put pressure on Watson right away, unleashing her powerful lefty serve and letting lose a couple of her record-holding aces. She went up 4-1, break serve twice and grabbing the first set off Watson. But before Pliskova could run away with it, Watson turned things around to take the second set.
Into a deciding set, Pliskova ran ahead to a 3-0 lead, breaking Watson’s serve twice – Watson saved four break points in the third game alone but gave up the fourth on a mishit backhand. Watson grabbed a break back, but Pliskova’s lead was too great to surmount and the Czech took the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
“I played well and Heather also played well too,” Pliskova said. “So I was pleased to come through a tough third set.”
The No.9 seed Kirsten Flipkens had a much more straightforward road into the second round at Katowice, beating Donna Vekic in an emphatic straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. She only faced one break point all match, and wrapped up the encounter in less than an hour.
Stefanie Voegele, Andreea Mitu, and Elizaveta Kulichkova also advanced.
On Tuesday, 2014 champion Alize Cornet and two-time finalist Camila Giorgi are set to make their Katowice debut.
KATOWICE, Poland – Kirsten Flipkens has only been in Katowice a few days but it has already been a highly productive stay.
At Sunday’s player party she took home the much-coveted Katowice Open frame juggling title, before getting back to the business in hand the following evening, booking a second-round spot with a brisk win over Donna Vekic.
However, not content, the Belgian spent her day off in search of another prize: the Ricoh camera on offer for the player who could hit the most ‘tweeners’ in 30 seconds.
After completing seven in the allotted time, Flipkens found herself tied for first place with Demi Schuurs. In the subsequent tie-break, things did not go entirely to plan…
Now you all know why they call me Flipper (the flippin' dolphin!) ???? https://t.co/k7pjYZ9f0e
— Kirsten Flipkens (@FlipperKF) April 5, 2016
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Charleston loves Patty Schnyder and Patty Schnyder loves Charleston. It was 10 years ago that the former Swiss No.1 made her second final in Charleston in 2006. Seeded No.3, Schnyder put together an inspired run that included a though three set win over top seed Justine Henin before losing to No.2 seed Nadia Petrova 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. The run came four years after her first romp to the final, where she beat Amelie Mauresmo, Mary Pierce, Serena Williams, and Jennifer Capriati before losing to Iva Majoli in the final.
Those seed-thrashing runs like endeared Schnyder to the Charleston crowd. The Swiss reached a career-high No.7 and won 11 titles in her career before hanging up her racquet after the 2011 French Open. Then came the announcement last year that she was embarking on a tentative comeback, entering a $25K ITF tournament in Darmstadt, Germany in July.
Schnyder remained on the ITF circuit until this week. Now 37 years old and ranked No.455, Schnyder returned to Daniel Island for the first time since 2011 after receiving a wildcard into qualifying at the Volvo Car Open. She lost in three sets to Samantha Crawford, but her return was more about relationships than results. She came back to see all the familiar faces who she befriended over her many visits to Charleston, from volunteers, to tournament staff, and of course tournament director Bob Moran.
“Patty Schnyder has been playing in our tournament since before we relocated from Hilton Head Island,” Moran said. “She’s a part of our family, and we are thrilled to welcome her back to our tournament.”
Patty Schnyder, who plays her first match at the WTA level since 2011, is a double break up in set 2. Lost set 1. pic.twitter.com/M7p2uz4U1W
— Volvo Car Open (@VolvoCarOpen) April 2, 2016
WTA Insider spoke to Schyder by phone this week.
WTA Insider: You have such a long-standing relationship with this tournament in Charleston. What has it been like coming back?
Schnyder: It’s very special, and it was just great. Getting to see people again after five years and so many volunteers, even Eleanor Adams, the tournament manager. We’re really close and spent so many years together, but it’s been emotional and lots of fun to be around them again.
WTA Insider: Why did you make the decision to retire back in 2011?
Schnyder: Everything was frustrating me and I was stressed too much. You need a switch. It was really frustration; I didn’t want to be around anything anymore. I didn’t want to travel, be on the court, compete. The stress made it all enough. It’s not that it was an easy decision but I just couldn’t handle it anymore.
WTA Insider: What brought you back to tennis?
Schnyder: I was kind of having fun playing matches [in the Swiss league], enjoying the competition. I was also working hard and I was on court again, so I thought – because I was winning those league matches and I wanted to try to get some real competition. So that was the thought, and I was having fun, and I was in the sport but not traveling, and I just love to travel. It’s a great combination and that’s always been the lifestyle I like, so why not try it?
WTA Insider: Your last tour-level tournament before this week was the 2011 French Open. What did you do during your time away from the sport?
Schnyder: I really wanted to be away from tennis. I didn’t play for one and a half years. I really needed a rest from everything.
I did some studying with animals. I was an acupuncturist for dogs. I was spending more time at home with that. Then, I started being in tennis, with some juniors again. I was coaching a bit, and I started to really enjoy being around tennis again. Those are some of the things I was doing until they wanted me back for the club team and I was hesitant. I wasn’t sure, but it was nice to be competing again.
WTA Insider: Are you in a position to be thinking about goals right now?
Schynder: No, not yet. Maybe now, I’m thinking more about goals but not really setting goals. Now, these thoughts are coming back of maybe setting something, but so far I was just trying to get my game back. It hasn’t been so easy to get the concentration back.
For so many years I wasn’t on the court and to have to focus and concentrate for over two hours is not easy and I’m realizing that’s one of the hardest parts. I also have a few injuries. Nothing bad; some players who play 15 years like me wake up with pain everywhere. I’m not like that, but I have a few injuries, which keep me off the court and from working out.
The whole thing is really about being healthy, getting the concentration and the mental stuff, but it’s fun to try to get it back at this stage of your life. It’s a challenge and I just like it.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Top seed Angelique Kerber eased into the Volvo Car Open semifinal with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Irina-Camelia Begu.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Charleston right here on wtatennis.com!
Kerber had lost two of her three encounters with the big-hitting Romanian in 2015, but Begu had a much tougher road to reach the quarterfinals, saving a match point to defeat Monica Puig in a third set tie-break on Thursday night.
“I think I was mentally there,” the Australian Open champion told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview. “I was trying to focus on myself because it’s always tough to play against her. Sometimes you lose your rhythm against her, so that’s what I was focusing on: just trying to go for it, move good on clay and just win the match because I remember the last match against her, I lost! So I was trying my best to win the match.
“I feel the love. The people here are so nice, so I’m just feeling welcome here. You have the best food here and I have so many great memories from last year, so it gives me confidence to play good tennis.”
Begu tried her best to force in the issue in the second set, hitting 23 winners to 18 from Kerber overall, but 35 unforced errors proved her undoing as Kerber hit only nine through the 72 minute match – four in the second set alone.
“I’m feeling better and better on clay. I think I’m getting used to it and it’s just so great to be back in the semis. I love Charleston and I’ve had a great week so far, so I’m just enjoying it here and hoping to have two more matches!”
What an angle from @AngeliqueKerber ?? #VCO2016 https://t.co/iJfpIzPAwX
— WTA (@WTA) April 8, 2016
Kerber needs to defeat Sloane Stephens to hold onto the No.2 ranking – which she briefly lost to WTA Finals champion Agnieszka Radwanska after Indian Wells – but the win over Begu has already guaranteed her return to the top of the Road To Singapore leaderboard, ousting Sunshine Double winner Victoria Azarenka.
“Sloane, she’s a great player, I know, and I played a few times against her already,” she said after the match. “I will just try to go out against her and try to take the challenge, playing a good match. So just enjoy it against her.”
Stephens won a marathon encounter with Kasatkina, who was in her first Premier level quarterfinal on clay courts. Rolling through the opening set, things were tight in the second as Kasatkina snuck away with a late break of serve to level the match. Down a match point, the young American caught fire once more, winning the final 11 points to book an ecounter with Kerber on her 37th winner.
“You guys were awesome,” she said after the match, addressing the crowd. “I’m so excited to be in the semis. it’s my best result in six years, so it’s about time I won some matches here!
“I was just fighting for every point. Obviously the conditions were really tough and I was playing a really good player. She’s had some really good results, so I knew from the beginning that it was going to be a battle. The wind and we’re on clay court were a lot of factors, so I’m happy I stayed calm and played my game.”
Semifinal for @SloaneStephens! Saves a match point to defeat Kasatkina, 6-1, 5-7, 7-5. #VCO2016 https://t.co/kXUmZidHaJ
— WTA (@WTA) April 8, 2016
Relive the exciting Player’s Party featuring some of your favorite WTA stars from the Volvo Car Open.
Sloane Stephens had Sunday’s shot of the day at the Volvo Car Open.
BOGOTA, Colombia – No.5 seed Irina Falconi captured her first WTA title in historic fashion, becoming the first American woman to win the Claro Open Colsanitas as she recovered from a break down in the final set to defeat Sílvia Soler-Espinosa, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
Playing in her first career WTA final, Falconi had already earned the biggest win over the week when she took out No.4 seed Lara Arruabarrena in the semifinals, and looked on course for a seamless victory when she took the first set. But Soler-Espinosa, who had only won one WTA main draw match before Bogota, wouldn’t go down without a fight, leveling the match with a 6-2 set of her own and engineering an early break in the decider.
Six points from defeat down 3-4, 0-30, Falconi earned the break back and broke serve to win the title on her third championship point.
Starting the week at No.92, Falconi is tentatively set to return to the Top 70, close to her career-high ranking of No.64.
More to come…
ISTANBUL, Turkey – The children of the British International School and the Robert College in Istanbul were in for a treat at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup on Tuesday, where they joined Sara Tomic for a tennis clinic.
Tomic, who was playing in the qualifying rounds, hit the Garanti Koza Arena to hit some balls with the students. She coached them through baseline drills, then teamed up for a quick doubles match. After the clinic, Tomic signed some balls and took photos with the students.
Check out the best photos below, courtesy of the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup.
STUTTGART, Germany – 2015 US Open finalist Roberta Vinci served out a tense first round encounter with former Top 10 player Ekaterina Makarova on Wednesday, dispatching the Russian, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4.
Watch live action from Stuttgart & Istanbul this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Vinci and Makarova had played five times before, with the latter winning their most recent encounter at last year’s Australian Open, but it was Vinci who took the early initiative following three straight service breaks to start the match, racing out to a 5-2 lead in the first set tie-break and converting her first set point shortly thereafter.
“It was a tough match; Makarova is a great player, a difficult player with the left hand,” Vinci said after the match.
The second set featured six service breaks as Makarova recovered from losing serve to start to take a 5-3 lead in the hopes of leveling the match, ultimately breaking the No.6 seed to even out the contest.
“The court is fast, and I was a set and 3-1 with a lot of chances to go 4-2, but I lost the second set. The beginning of the third, I stayed focused, didn’t think about the second set, played aggressively because the court is fast, and it’s not easy to defend.”
Undaunted, Vinci promptly took an early lead in the decider and never looked back, clinching the win on her ifrst match point. In all, the match was quite high-quality affair, with each woman hitting over 40 winners and just around 30 unforced errors; the Italian veteran provided the cleaner hitting of the two with 44 winners to 31 unforced while Makarova struck 40 winners and 33 errors of her own.
Vinci also struck six aces to her unseeded opponent, who couldn’t find any aces in her arsenal on Wednesday, striking three double faults instead.
Cheeky cross-court backhand winner from @Roberta_Vinci! #PTGP https://t.co/93BoP5nmUg
— WTA (@WTA) April 20, 2016
“I’m happy because I played two bad matches in Fed Cup, so now here it’s nice to come and win this match.”
Vinci next plays 2011 champion Julia Goerges; the ASB Classic finalist outfoxed Alizé Cornet, 6-4, 6-0, to reach the second round in one hour and 16 minutes.
Karolina Pliskova won a more topsy-turvy firts round on Court 1; playing last year’s French Open finalist Lucie Safarovs, Pliskova edged past her countrywoman, 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-5, in well over two and a half hours.
The big-serving Czech dynamo snuck off with an opening set of 12 straight service holds, and held off a late surge from Safarova, who won her first set of 2016 and recovered from a 5-3 deficit in the final set.
In the last match of the day session, Andrea Petkovic outsteadied Kristina Mladenovic to win a fourth straight encounter agains the French youngster, 6-2, 6-4. Completing the round of 16 line-up, Petkovic will next take on top seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
First set ? @JuliaGoerges
Wins the opening set vs Cornet 6-4! #PTGP https://t.co/9HvNtA26Hi
— WTA (@WTA) April 20, 2016