Tennis News

WINNERS

Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska survived a late challenge from No.10 seed Elina Svitolina on route to claiming her first Connecticut Open title, 6-1, 7-6(2).

The World No.4 Radwanska took a wildcard into the New Haven event looking for some last-minute tune up ahead of the US Open. She’ll now leave the tournament having claimed the 19^th WTA title of her career, and her second title of 2016 after opening the season with a win at Shenzhen.

“Yeah, it’s been a great week for me, great preparation,” Radwanska said. “A couple of great matches. In the semi, in the final. It was a very strong tournament, no easy matches. I was pushing myself 100% from the first round, working hard here.

“I’m just trying to keep it up and play the same level in New York.”

Click here for match recap and highlights.

In the doubles draw, Sania Mirza cemented her place at the top of the doubles ranking. Mirza and temporary partner Monica Niculescu capped off their newly rekindled doubles partnership with their first title together at the Connecticut Open, edging past Kateryna Bondarenko and Chuang Chia-Jung 7-5, 6-4.

“It’s always nice to have the week before a Grand Slam where you’re able to ease up,” Mirza explained in post-match press. “We go to New York and there’s so much happening there. Here you have nice restaurants and even though we’re in the city, you feel quite quiet around here.

“I was actually not planning on completely playing this week. But when Monica asked me, I thought we could obviously win together.”

Click here for match recap.

RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of August 29, 2016.

Johanna Larsson (SWE), +15 (No.62 to 47): Lucky loser Larsson made the best of her second shot at the Connecticut Open main draw, reaching her first Premier-level semifinal. She also jumps up to No.47, sitting one spot away from equaling her previous career high ranking of No.46.

Kirsten Flipkens (BEL), +12 (No.68 to 56): Another New Haven lucky loser, Flipkens played some of her best tennis to upset Belinda Bencic and Caroline Garcia and inch her way back up toward the Top 50.

Elina Svitolina (UKR), +4 (No.23 to 19): Having reached her career first Premier-level final at New Haven last week, Svitolina jumps up four spots to land back inside the Top 20.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

US Open
New York, USA
Grand Slam | $ TBA | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, August 29 – Sunday, September 11

Dalian Women’s Tennis Open
Dalian, China
125K | $115,000 | Hard, Outdoor
Tuesday, September 6 – Sunday, September 11

Coupe Banque Nationale
Quebec City, Canada
International | $226,750 | Carpet
Monday, September 12 – Sunday, September 18

Japan Women’s Open Tennis
Tokyo, Japan
International | $226,750 | Hard
Monday, September 12 – Sunday, September 18

TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Serena Williams – US Open
2. Angelique Kerber – US Open
3. Garbiñe Muguruza – US Open
4. Agnieszka Radwanska – US Open
5. Simona Halep – US Open
6. Venus Williams – US Open
7. Victoria Azarenka
8. Roberta Vinci – US Open
9. Madison Keys – US Open
10. Svetlana Kuznetsova – US Open
11. Karolina Pliskova – US Open
12. Carla Suárez Navarro – US Open
13. Dominika Cibulkova – US Open
14. Johanna Konta – US Open
15. Timea Bacsinszky – US Open
16. Petra Kvitova – US Open
17. Samantha Stosur – US Open
18. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – US Open
19. Elina Svitolina – US Open
20. Elena Vesnina – US Open

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:

Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) – September 1, 1994
Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) – September 3, 1988

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Earlier today, No.26 seed Ana Ivanovic was stunned in straight sets by Czech player Denisa Allertova 7-6(4), 6-1 in her opening match at the US Open.

It was Ivanovic’s fourth first-round loss in a row in a season marked by early exits and a drop in ranking.

After a fantastic couple of seasons in 2014 and 2015 – which saw Ivanovic get back into the Top 10 following a spate of injuries and return to the French Open semifinals – the former No.1 is down to No.31, and the last semifinal she’s reached came in February at St. Petersburg.

Following the latest in a string of disappointing results, Ivanovic was asked directly in her post-match press conference if she had any plans to retire.

Here’s what she answered:

“No, not at all. I just need to really see why is this happening, you know. Because, I mean, I had struggles throughout my career; I had some tough times. This is not the first time I’m going through this.

“It just hurts because I know what I invested.”

Earlier in the week, Ivanovic told WTA Insider of her frustrating 2016 season and what she considers one of her lowest moments: losing in straight sets to qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round of Wimbledon after weeks of putting in hard work at the gym and on the courts.

“I’ve really felt, always, that if you put the hard work in, it will give results,” she told the WTA Insider Podcast. “But now, I feel like I’ve been putting in so much hard work in, but the results just haven’t been coming in the matches.

“It’s always a process, but also a Catch-22. Because, to win matches you need confidence, but to get confidence you need to win matches. So that’s a little bit where I’m at.”

Despite the disappointments she’s suffered this year, Ivanovic embraces the tough moments and bad luck, viewing them as just another facet in her long career.

Another Ivanovic trait? Finding her way back.

“I really haven’t been lucky in my career,” Ivanovic said. “I always felt like I had to go through hard work, and I had to do it all myself.

“And in a way, I’m proud of it. Because I know that I actually deserve whatever I’ve achieved. Because everything was a product of hard work, nothing was just given to me.”

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NEW YORK, NY, USA – Two summers ago a 15-year-old CiCi Bellis captured the imagination of the New York public by becoming the youngest player in nearly two decades to win a match at the US Open.

Back at Flushing Meadows, she is once again the talk of the town, producing some fearless tennis to make her way through to the third round. The prize money for reaching this juncture – where she will face No.2 seed Angelique Kerber on Friday evening – is $140,000. However, the American, who has verbally agreed to accept a tennis scholarship to Stanford University, must forfeit these winnings if she is to maintain her college eligibility.

NCAA rules do permit money for travel expenses, providing the Californian with some welcome perks: “I just moved up to a regular suite,” she said after her second-round win over Shelby Rogers. “Maybe the presidential suite this time.”

Bellis is sure to receive overwhelming crowd support when she steps on Arthur Ashe to face Kerber. Among their number will be one particularly vocal contingent, who have followed the 17-year-old every step of the way since her run began in last week’s qualifying competition.

“They came out to first-round qualifying and have been to every single one of my matches since,” Bellis added. “One of them messaged me on Instagram and asked for tickets, and so I got them into my box today. Oh, my God, they call themselves Team CiCi, so it was fun.

“I think [the support] puts me in a different world. I feel like I’m not even here when I hear people like that group we are talking about. It’s surreal to me.”

Game, Set, Match @cicibellis99

The 17-year-old is through to R3 with 2-6 6-2 6-2 win over fellow American Rogers. pic.twitter.com/iN9HRXZEjZ

— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) 1 September 2016

DALIAN, China – Jana Cepelova ended Peng Shuai’s campaign at the Dalian Women’s Tennis Open at the first hurdle after a three-set win on Wednesday.

Watch live streaming from Dalian all week right here.

In a closely fought encounter, No.6 seed Cepelova held her nerve during a tense conclusion to close out a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory in a fraction over two hours.

Exactly two years ago, Peng produced some of the best tennis of her career to reach the semifinals of the US Open. However, since then success has been thin on the ground after a debilitating back problem forced her to miss nearly all of 2015.

Progress since her return has been slow, struggling for wins away from the ITF Circuit. Against Cepelova she had her chances, threatening to get edge ahead in the deciding set only to surrender the solitary break in the seventh game.

Elsewhere, there were wins for Cepelova’s fellow seeds, Wang Qiang, Duan Ying-Ying and Tamira Paszek. Top seed Wang withstood a late rally to defeat Nigina Abduraimova, 6-4, 7-6(4), while Duan, the No.3 seed, provided further home cheer with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Sara Sorribes Tormo.

No.4 seed Paszek was pushed even harder, but finished strongly to see off You Xiaodi, 7-5, 5-7, 6-1.

After a long illness, Australian tennis journalist Alan Trengove passed away on Thursday night aged 87.

Trengove’s career began in 1945 as a Fleet Street copy boy, soon graduating to become a reporter at one of the city’s many local papers before accompanying his parents back to their native Australia in 1949.

Over the next 60 years, Trengove established himself as one of Australia’s most respected sports journalists, covering the tennis beat with particular distinction – attending over 130 Grand Slam tournaments. He was the founder of Australian Tennis Magazine and the author of 16 non-fiction books including half a dozen about tennis, among their number The Story of Australia and the Davis Cup and The Art of Tennis.

And his talents were not restricted to the field of sport, either. Indeed, the man known as ‘The White Knight’ of journalism’s subjects ranged from political leaders and business moguls to light entertainers.

In 1990, Trengove was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. More recently, he was recognized for his contribution to the tennis at the 2005 Australian Sports Commission Media Awards, and at Wimbledon in 2008 collected the ATP’s Ron Bookman Award for Media Excellence.

He is survived by wife Joan, children Chris, Deborah and Kim, and his seven grandchildren, Eleanor, Megan, Laura, Anna, Jessy, Bede and Nathaniel.

DALIAN, China – Kristyna Pliskova took home the biggest trophy in her young career on Sunday, outlasting Misa Eguchi as the Japanesewoman was forced to retire with a left knee injury, 7-5, 4-6, 2-5, ret.

Watch free live streaming from Dalian 125K all week right here!

As Pliskova’s twin sister Karolina fought her way into her first Grand Slam final at the US Open, the big-serving Czech star made a final of her own at the WTA 125K Series event. Up against Eguchi, the No.7 seed, Pliskova was two points from defeat when Eguchi was stricken by a left knee injury.

Eguchi attempted to play on, but was later taken off court in a stretcher a few points later.

For Pliskova, the title is nonetheless a high point as it helps her re-enter the Top 100 with her first WTA singles title of any kind; she and Karolina previously partnered up to win three WTA doubles titles.

More to come…

Over the past month Karolina Pliskova has played a central role in one of the summer’s most fascinating storylines: the battle for No.1.

As she had in Cincinnati, Pliskova’s actions proved decisive at the US Open, a stunning upset of six-time champion Serena Williams confirming that Angelique Kerber would reach top spot for the first time.

Amidst all this, it should not be forgotten that Pliskova is also on the rise, playing the best tennis of her career. And she has the ranking to show for it.

While defeat in the final to Kerber denied the willowy Czech a Top 5 debut, it could not prevent her rising to a career-high No.6 in the rankings. And with several of those above her in the rankings having significant points to defend between now and the end of the season, a productive stay in Asia could well see Pliskova rise further.

Pliskova, though, was not the only one eagerly awaiting the release of the new rankings…

Carla Suárez Navarro (+4, No.12 to No.8): After cruising to the last 16, Suárez Navarro produced an unusually subdued showing in defeat against Simona Halep at Flushing Meadows, a setback that will be comforted somewhat by her return to the Top 10.

Caroline Garcia (+11, No.33 to No.24): For the second time in three majors, Garcia’s challenge was ended by the wiles of Agnieszka Radwanska, however, hard-fought wins in her first two matches were enough to reach a career-high No.24.

Timea Babos (+8, No.34 to No.26): Also performing well in New York was Babos, whose first third-round appearance at an event of this stature was rewarded with a career-high ranking.

Caroline Wozniacki (+25, No.74 to No.29): After a campaign hampered by injury, Wozniacki provided a timely reminder of her considerable talents, counterpunching masterclasses against Svetlana Kuznetsova and Madison Keys taking her back to the Flushing Meadows semifinals and the Top 30.

Anastasija Sevastova (+16, No.48 to No.32): Sevastova made a lot of friends in New York with her fearless performances on the court and candid words in the press room. Victories over Garbiñe Muguruza and Johanna Konta caught the eye as she reached a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal   

Ana Konjuh (+40, No.92 to No.52): Three years after lifting the junior US Open trophy, Konjuh made waves in the senior event, upsetting Radwanska to reach the quarterfinals. The result catapulted her back up the rankings and within touching distance of a Top 50 debut.

Naomi Osaka (+12, No.81 to No.69): Tempering the disappointment of a painful third-round exit to Madison Keys at Flushing Meadows was a career-high ranking as Osaka continues to close in on the Top 50.

Duan Ying-Ying (+11, No.103 to No.92): Although Duan’s homecoming at the WTA125K in Dalian ended earlier than expected, a run through qualifying to the second round in New York was enough to bring a Top 100 debut.

While in doubles…
The failure of Martina Hingis, one half of last year’s US Open winning team, to reach the final alongside new partner CoCo Vandeweghe ensured the other half, Sania Mirza, hung onto the doubles No.1 ranking. The US Open fortnight were her 71st and 72nd week on top – only Gigi Fernandez (80 weeks), Paola Suarez (87), Sara Errani (87), Roberta Vinci (110), Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario (111), Natasha Zvereva (124), Lisa Raymond (137), Cara Black (163), Liezel Huber (199) and Martina Navratilova (237) have been World No.1 for longer.

A little lower down the pecking order, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova victory in New York saw them rise to No.6 and No.16, respectively.