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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Reigning French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza brought No.10 seed Elina Svitolina’s 15 match winning streak to an emphatic end with a 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-0 victory at the BNP Paribas Open to book an intruiging match-up with No.3 seed Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals.

“I think it was a very difficult match today,” she said in her post-match press conference. “It was like a test, because she has been winning, like, 15 matches in a row, and she just getting to Top 10, as well.

“I was, like, okay, it’s going to be a tough match and she has a very difficult game, as well. I’m pretty happy about my match. It wasn’t easy at all.”

Svitolina has quickly become the player to beat after back-to-back titles at the Taiwan Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships – with wins in Fed Cup in between – helping her become the first Ukrainian women to crack the Top 10.

Muguruza, by contrast, came to the California desert with question marks after a left achilles injury forced her to retire from her opening round in Dubai, and was a set from defeat against 17-year-old wildcard Kayla Day on Sunday.

Still, the Spaniard raced out to a 5-2 lead to start and survived a late surge to hold off Svitolina in the ensuing tie-break.

“I felt like I almost had to control the match. Not really the second set. I think she played very good in the second set. But in that first set, I started very well, and I knew that that match can turn around so easily, you know. It’s going to be a battle.

“I accept it that she came back. Then I kept fighting until the tie-break, and it was, like, two points’ difference!”

Undeterred, the Ukrainian youngster took the momentum from the end of the first set into the second, roaring to a decider, dropping just five points on her first serve and converting all three break points to level the match.

“Today was a bit of a mental struggle,” Svitolina told WTA Insider. “When I woke up this morning, I was feeling tired, and I needed to fight through the fatigue. It was up and down, but I needed to fight through it and I was feeling like I did the right things, and that I had my chances throughout the match.

“But there are a lot of positives I can take from a match like this, and I can be proud of myself that I’d been able to fight through so many days like today. I’ve had some incredible matches and I can be proud of those and move forward.”

The first three games of the final sent would go to deuce, but Muguruza would win each one and never looked back, converting the bagel on her second match point.

“I think I can play in a number of different ways. And today I knew it was going to be difficult, because even though you try different things, you are playing against a Top 10 player and you can, you know, not win.

“I was just trying to do my game today, basically, because I think that was the way to win.”

Up next for Muguruza is Czech nemesis Pliskova, who has won their last five matches of their head-to-head after losing their first meeting at the 2013 French Open.

The pair most recently played ta Fed Cup, where the No.3 seed triumphed in straight sets, though Muguruza pushed Plisova to three sets in their round robin match at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“I think it’s one of the toughest matches I can have now. I think she’s playing very good. She has been very consistent, and I have been watching her.

She has her game, which is very aggressive with good serve. So I’m just going to go out there and try to do my game, try to be concentrate. I know it’s a tough match.

“I cannot do more than give it all there.”

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Insider Notebook: Serena On Course

Insider Notebook: Serena On Course

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MELBOURNE, Australia – On Day 9 at the Australian Open, Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska won through to set up a semifinal clash, their first match since 2013.

Serena has her game face on: Make that 18 consecutive wins over Maria Sharapova. Serena continued her solid form through the tournament with a 6-4, 6-1 win over the No.5 seed to advance to the semifinals. The first set remained tight after Serena overcame a slow start – she’s been struggling with food poisoning – and Sharapova lost a game point serving at 4-5 in the first set on a tough-luck netcord. But Sharapova just couldn’t capitalize on her small window of opportunities and Serena ran away with it in the end.

Full match recap here.

Agnieszka Radwanska continues her Slam streak: With a 6-1, 6-3 win over Carla Suárez Navarro, Radwanska advanced to the semifinals or better at a Slam for the fifth consecutive year. Radwanska goes into the semifinal against Serena having lost just one set all season and riding a win-streak of 12 matches, dating back to her run to the title at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“Well, in hindsight, yes, especially that you playing there only against top players, and that give me always more confidence,” Radwanska said, when asked whether the WTA Finals boosted her confidence.

“But I was saying before, this is new season, new Grand Slam; you’re starting over again. So it’s not like you winning Champs so you have easier draw or easy way to the semis.”

Serena’s perfect record: Serena has made the Australian Open semifinals six previous times. She has gone on to win the title every time. An omen?

Back to the drawing board for Sharapova: Sharapova served a career-high 21 aces in the fourth round against Belinda Bencic but tallied just 3 aces, compounded with 7 double-faults on Tuesday. Without getting any free points on her serve, Sharapova’s margin of error grew smaller. It’s a tough problem to solve.

Maria Sharapova

“I think if you’re serving maybe 180kph against somebody else compared to Serena, that’s an ace. Against Serena, as we all know, the return is one of her great strengths. She’s very explosive. She stays quite close to the baseline. She cuts the ball early. She doesn’t give you many angles. That’s the reason I can’t get so many free points against her.”

“Serena’s on a different level.”: Sharapova: “It’s motivating because she’s at a different level. She makes you go back to the drawing board, not just for me, but for many other players. She makes you work. That’s inspiring.”

Sluggish Suárez Navarro can’t lock in: The Spaniard said she had trouble sleeping the last two nights and the fatigue showed on Tuesday. Her game lacked conviction and she looked a step slow on the court. She did not confirm whether the knee injury she sustained against against Daria Gavrilova had an effect.

“I didn’t rest good,” Suárez Navarro said. “I feel tired. But when you are on court you have to fight, you have to run, you have to be there, and today I don’t have the good feeling to play good tennis, the good mentality to play more aggressive or try to play a little bit better than I play.

“But I have to learn about these situations, this match, this experience. I need to learn.”

Despite the disappointment, this was a good tournament for Suárez Navarro, who lost in the first round of three of the four Slams last year (she made the third round at the French Open).

Martina Hingis, Sania Mirza

Doubles semifinals are set: No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza will play No.13 seed Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova, and No.7 seed Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka play No.15 seeds Xu Yi-Fan and Zheng Saisai.

Sharapova plans for a light February: Nothing is set in stone, but Sharapova said she plans on dedicating the month to getting her forearm healthy. She’ll travel to Moscow for Fed Cup but does not intend to play, and then, “I don’t see myself playing anything before Indian Wells.”

No, Serena hasn’t thought about the “R” word: Odd timing to ask the World No.1 this question mid-tournament after she just made the semifinals without losing a set, but Serena handled it well:

Q. Is there a chance we’re seeing you in Australia for the last time?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don’t think so. Hopefully not. Unless you know something I don’t know.

Q. It’s a big year ahead. You have the Olympics. You’ve won four gold medals, going for your fifth. Has it entered your mind yet?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It’s entered yours, but not mine.

WTA Ranking Watch

By reaching the semifinals, Agnieszka Radwanska will move to No.3 in the rankings and can equal her career-high ranking of No.2 if she defeats Serena Williams and advances to the final in Melbourne. Williams owns an 8-0 advantage in their first eight meetings, dropping only one set.

As a result of Radwanska’s jump, Garbiñe Muguruza will dip to No.4 in the rankings and could fall to No.5 if Angelique Kerber advances to the Australian Open final.

Victoria Azarenka has a chance to return to the Top 10 for the first time since August 2014, but will need to reach the final in order to do so. Azarenka is projected to move to No.14 by reaching the quarterfinals, No.11 with a semifinal finish, No. 6 by reaching the final and can climb as high as No.5 if she wins the title; the last time Azarenka was ranked in the Top 5 was at the 2014 French Open.

By advancing to the quarterfinals, Johanna Konta is projected to jump to a career-high No.32 in the rankings after the Australian Open; her previous high was No.46 (reached October 19, 2015). If she wins her quarterfinal match against Zhang Shuai, Konta will move into the Top 30 (No.28), the first British woman to be ranked in the Top 30 since Laura Robson in July 2013, who climbed to No.27.

As a result of Zhang Shuai’s storybook run to the quarterfinals in Melbourne, she will overtake Zheng Saisai as the new Chinese No.1 on Monday. Zhang is projected to rise to No.64 and could move into the Top 40 should she reach the semifinals.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

And then there were eight! It’s quarterfinal time at the BNP Paribas Open and the top half of the draw will get things started. We preview all of today’s action right here at wtatennis.com.

Wednesday, Quarterfinals

[3] Karolina Pliskova (CZE #3) vs. [7] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP #7)
Head-to-head: Pliskova leads, 5-1
Key Stat: Muguruza ended Elina Svitolina’s 15-match winning streak with a three-set victory over the Ukrainian on Tuesday.

It was a typically hot sunny day in the California desert two years ago when Garbiñe Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova met in the third round at the BNP Paribas Open. There was an air of what could be surrounding the two rising talents as they slugged serves and pounded groundstrokes while a relatively small crowd looked on. Two years on, both players are stars that are firmly entrenched in the Top 10. Muguruza is a Grand Slam champion and has played in two major finals and Pliskova was last year’s US Open runner-up. Everything we thought these fantastic young ball strikers could be, they are becoming, and they will go toe-to-toe on Wednesday in a match that is sure to be very important for both. But likely more so for Muguruza, who lost to Pliskova on that day in 2015 and has lost to the Czech five times consecutively, and in total. They have had a few close battles, and Pliskova has dominated the Spaniard a few times, but Pliskova does seem to be inside Muguruza’s head a bit at this point in time.

That said, Muguruza is eager for the challenge, knowing that Pliskova has become one of the game’s premier power brokers and understanding what a win against her could mean for her confidence. “I think it’s one of the toughest matches I can have now,” she said. “I think she’s playing very good. She has been very consistent, and, yeah, I have been watching her.”

Can the Spaniard finally shake free of the player that has become her nemesis and make a strong statement about her form in 2017? Or will it be Pliskova who again hands Muguruza another disappointing loss on a grand stage?

Pick: Pliskova in three

[19] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS #21) vs. [8] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS #8)
Head-to-head: Kuznetsova leads, 5-3
Key Stat: Pavlyuchenkova already has three Top 10 wins in 2017, two more than she had all of last season.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is hoping for the hat trick when she squares off with her compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova for the third time in three months on Wednesday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The 25-year-old took the first two meetings in straight sets, reversing run of dominance for Kuznetsova that saw her beat Pavlyuchenkova four times in their first five encounters. But the Pavlyuchenkova we see today is not the same player we have seen in previous years. The talent, yes it’s similar, but there is more seriousness about her craft, and this is what she believes has made the difference for her this week. “I’m 25. I’ll be 26 in July,” she told reporters after her three-set victory over No.5 seed Dominika Cibulkova on Tuesday. “The time is going quick, you know. Tennis life is kind of short. I feel like if it’s not now, then after it’s too late… I just am going to take my chances, try my best, work hard consistently, and see where it can bring me.”

But will Pavlyuchenkova’s newfound sense of purpose be enough to propel her past Kuznetsova for a third consecutive time? Kuznetsova too is a vastly improved player from where she was a few seasons ago. Last year she returned to the Top 10 for the first time in six years and thus far in 2017 she has shown no signs of slowing down. Expect Kuznetsova to come out determined to take the power back from Pavlyuchenkova.

Pick: Pavlyuchenkova in three

By the Numbers:

2009 – Pavlyuchenkova reached the semifinals at Indian Wells on her debut in 2009. This is her first trip back to the quarterfinals since.

2008 – After reaching back-to-back Indian Wells finals in 2007 and 2008, Kuznetsova had not returned to the quarterfinals until this season.

26 – Number of wins that Kuznetsova has earned at Indian Wells, against 13 losses.

152 – Karolina Pliskova’s ace total for 2017. She leads the tour and has 11 in three matches thus far at Indian Wells.

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Kerber Stuns Azarenka

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

No.7 seed Angelique Kerber pulled off the most stunning upset of the tournament to take out red-hot nemesis Victoria Azarenka in straight sets.

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Each year, WTA players vote for their favorite tournament in six different categories, and the BNP Paribas Open earned the disctinction of Premier Mandatory Tournament of the Year for the third successive season.

New Tournament Director and former ATP No.2 Tommy Haas accepted the award last week from WTA CEO Steve Simon, who was joined by Britain’s top-ranked talent, Johanna Konta.

Click here to check out the full list of winners.

Tommy Haas, Johanna Konta

Haas has been making the rounds in his new role at this year’s tournament, posting several photos on his official Instagram:

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

From Malaysia and Mexico, players have jetted into the States for the start of three US swing events.

And after the rain delays elsewhere, they have been basking in the Sunshine State. Indian Wells boasts stunning mountain views as well as wonderful weather – so it’s no wonder that WTA stars love their time in California.

Right in the heart of the state’s Desert Resort communities, Indian Wells is the ideal place for rest and relaxation as well as fun and frolics. It’s home to fabulous spas, perfect for a spot of indulgence, and excellent shopping, with everything from boutiques to busy malls – and if you’re lucky you may bump into Karolina Pliskova, who’s looking forward to grabbing some retail therapy.

“When I am playing, I try to stay focused on the tennis,” she says. “But after the tournament, I will make sure to go to the Cabazon Outlets.”

Karolina Pliskova Travel Tip

And when they’re not on court, players can also enjoy dining at one of the city’s award-winning restaurants – such as Nobu, one of Svetlana Kuznetsova’s favourites.

“My friend staying with me is a great chef, so he is cooking healthy meals,” says the Russian. “But when I want to splurge, the Nobu overlooking Stadium 2 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is amazing.”

Svetlana Kuznetsova Travel Tip

There’s plenty more on offer too – take a tip from California girl CoCo Vandeweghe and try cruising around the desert in a four-wheeler.

“I go four-wheeling pretty much every year I come out to Indian Wells,” she reveals. “I play tennis for a living, but try to do something else fun and adventurous wherever I go.”

CoCo Vandeweghe Travel Tip

If you want to join your favourite tennis stars and explore Indian Wells, make sure you note Cambridge Global Payments’ Travel Tip: When booking a flight to your favorite tennis tournament, try to book on a Tuesday afternoon. Research shows that is when fares are typically the most favorable!

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