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Serena Reigns In Rome

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

ROME, Italy – Serena Williams emerged victorious in the first all-American final since 2012 – the first on red clay since 2002 – defeating countrywoman Madison Keys, 7-6(5), 6-3, to snap a nine-month title drought and win the Internazionali BNL d’Italia for the fourth time in her illustrious career.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Rome right here on wtatennis.com!

“I feel like it was important for me to just go out there like usual,” she said in her post-match press conference. “It’s a totally new match, it’s a different week, you know, and hopefully just win one. If not, hope for next time, next week.”

Playing in her third final of 2016, Williams had spent the season in search of her first title since the Western & Southern Open last summer, and was the heavy favorite to break that duck against Keys, who was playing the biggest final of her career on what had hitherto been her least favorite surface.

“I think no matter how many times you play Serena, you always go in and you can just feel her presence,” Keys said after the match. “That’s always an extra thing that you have to be worried about during the match.

“But for me today it really wasn’t so much about how big the tournament was or anything like that. It was really just wanting to go out and do my best and give my best performance.”

None of that seemed to matter from the outset as Keys unlocked the early break, leading 3-1 in the first set. Williams steadied from there, winning the next three games and later grabbing the opening set in a tie-break.

“I think she’s such a powerful player,” Williams said, backing up her praise of Keys at net, when she predicted her opponent could be a future World No.1. “Obviously going in, I knew that, but I was just trying. I think I was pretty much able to just get back what I could, you know, and that’s all I was trying to do was just to go out there and be consistent, and, yeah, make my shots.”

Serving for the match in the second, there would be one final momentum shift as the 21-time Grand Slam champion was broken one game from the win, but the break was swiftly repaid in kind and Williams was the winner of a 70th career title – the fifth woman to achieve such a total in singles after Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, and Margaret Court. In all, she hit four fewer winners than Keys (13 to 17), but also eight fewer errors (24 to 32), and converted all but one of her six break point chances to seal the match in just under 90 minutes. 

Missing the Mutua Madrid Open due to illness, Williams was playing her first red clay event of the season; the win in Rome sets her up in good stead to defend her French Open title as she attempts to win her fourth crown there, as well.

“I have tried to defend there once, twice, three times before. Didn’t quite work so well. But this year is different. I’m going to definitely go in there and I feel more calm and I don’t feel stress to, like, have to win. You know, I feel like I just am happy to be out here.”

For Keys, it was a breakthrough run; recently pairing with new coach Thomas Hogstedt, the 21-year-old is set to re-enter the Top 20 at No.17 – not too far from her career-high of No.16.

“I think having a couple of Top 10 wins this week was really big for me and playing people who have done very well in Roland Garros and just on clay in general. But I think the biggest thing is just how calm I have stayed on court and really, even in tough situations, stayed calm and collected and just really focused on my game, and I feel like I’m just playing much smarter tennis.”

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RTS Update: Serena On The Climb

RTS Update: Serena On The Climb

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Serena Williams’ fourth Internazionali BNL d’Italia title provided an emphatic riposte to any doubting Thomases heading into the defense of her French Open crown

A series of sure-footed showings on the clay, particularly a semifinal dismantling of Svetlana Kuznetsova, underlined her status as the woman to beat at the year’s second major. The 900 points collected from her week in the Eternal City also saw Williams leapfrog Agnieszka Radwanska into third place on the Road To Singapore leaderboard.

By her own very high standards, Williams arrived in Rome on the back of a disappointing start to 2016, failing to collect silverware from her outings in Melbourne, Indian Wells or Miami. Nevertheless, she remained in the thick of the hunt for a place at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, a position she has consolidated with her 70th career title.

The American, a five-time WTA Finals winner, is now within striking distance of the leaderboard’s early pacesetters, Angelique Kerber and Victoria Azarenka, and with 2,000 points up for grabs in Paris, there is remains the likelihood for further shuffling at the top of the pack.

Last week also provided the platform for a couple of other players to lay claim to a place in Singapore. The aforementioned Kuznetsova built on her Miami run with another encouraging showing that promoted her to the No.7 spot on the leaderboard, while Timea Bacsinszky’s is up to No.10 after reaching the quarterfinals

The week’s biggest mover, though, was eventual runner-up Madison Keys, whose wins over Petra Kvitova and Garbiñe Muguruza helped propel her from No.38 to No.12.

RTS Ranking Movers

Madison Keys: No.38 to No.12 (+26)
Irina-Camelia Begu: No.52 to No.26 (+26)
Misaki Doi: No.54 to No.35 (+19)
Garbiñe Muguruza: No.35 to No.17 (+18)

Click here to see the full Road To Singapore leaderboard standings heading into Paris.

Road To Singapore leaderboard

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WTA Breakthrough Of The Month: Peng

WTA Breakthrough Of The Month: Peng

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Peng Shuai

Peng Shuai was a few months removed from a US Open semifinal appearance when a back injury took her out of the game for almost a year.

“For me, two years ago, I was at a peak level,” Peng said at the China Open. “I could choose whether I would like to play or not. Actually, my friends and family did not agree with my surgery, because it’s too risky. Now I’m near 30 years old.”

The former Chinese No.1 agreed to have surgery, and was determined to get back to playing her best tennis.

“After the surgery, no one could guarantee I could come back to the court. What if I have more injuries if I come back to the court? I’d like to thank them for their support and care. I was a little bit stubborn to have the surgery. My friends and family supported me to undergo this surgery. It was quite a challenge for me.”

Peng began showing flashes of brilliance at home, upsetting former World No.1 Venus Williams in Beijing before finally adding a WTA title to her illustrious resume, winning the Tianjin Open.

Just shy of the Top 100 heading into 2017 (from a low of No.768), Peng is your Breakthrough Player of the Month!

Final Results for October’s WTA Breakthrough Performance Of The Month

1. Peng Shuai (70%)
2. Johanna Konta (23%)
3. Daria Gavrilova (8%)

2016 Breakthrough Performance Of The Month Winners

January: Zhang Shuai
February: Jelena Ostapenko
March: Nicole Gibbs
April: Cagla Buyukakcay
May: Kiki Bertens
June: Elena Vesnina
July: Kristina Kucova
August: Karolina Pliskova
September: Naomi Osaka

How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com

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Puig Pulls Off Errani Upset

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

STRASBOURG, France – Monica Puig recovered from a one-set deficit to upend top seed Sara Errani, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, to advance to the second round of the Internationaux de Strasbourg.

Puig had never lost to the 2012 French Open finalist in their two previous encounters, and though their first match-up on clay looked to give the Italian an advantage, the ultimate result wasn’t any different as the Puerto Rican star and 2014 champion hit six aces en route to a one hour and 45 minute victory.

“I’m really pleased to get the win here in Strasbourg, and it’s nice coming back as a former Champion,” she said after the match. “Errani is a really tough competitor, and after the first set, my head could have gone down, but I kept fighting and was really pleased with the victory, especially the third set score.”

For Errani, it marks the end of a difficult red clay swing; after a promising start and a run to the semifinals of the Volvo Car Open, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship winner went 0-3 in Madrid, Rome, and Strasbourg.

“I tried my best today but sometimes it just doesn’t go your way,” Errani said. “I felt strong after the first set but my game was a little off and I found the conditions tough.

“There was a time in the second set when it went 4-2 and I knew I was struggling. Then the third set happened. It’s never nice to go out in the first round but that’s tennis.”

Undaunted, the No.1 seed tried to find a silver lining in her early defeat.

“I haven’t had time to see the city yet but maybe before I go to Paris.”

Puig will next play lucky loser and former World No.16 Virginie Razzano, who defeated 2010 French Open quarterfinalist Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-3, 6-3.

Earlier in the day, No.3 seed Samantha Stosur continued her successful clay court season with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over American qualifier Lauren Davis, while No.8 seed Timea Babos went through Olga Govortsova 6-4, 6-1. No.10 seed Caroline Garcia was imperious in a 6-1, 6-2 win over Kirsten Flipkens, while qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni won a see-sawing 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 match against Qiang Wang.

No.2 seed Sloane Stephens had just leveled her first round match with Donna Vekic at one set apiece before the match was suspended, first due to rain, then darkness at 7-5, 2-6.

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Learn To Make Genie Bouchard's Favorite Shake

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Earlier this year, Canada’s No.1 Eugenie Bouchard showed us how to make the perfect parfait, and now she’s back to shake things up with her favorite USANA MySmart Shake.

Watch to find out how to make a great on-the-go snack or a quick, nutritious breakfast with just five ingredients – and a packet of USANA MySmart Shake Whey Protein.

USANA is the Official Vitamin & Supplement Supplier of the WTA, and over 170 Athletes – including 8 out of the Top 10 and 15 out of the Top 20 use USANA products. Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, Samantha Stosur, Eugenie Bouchard, and Madison Keys are among several USANA ambassadors, and 2016 marks the 10th Anniversary of the USANA-WTA partnership.

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Serena Outlasts Rain & Ousts Mladenovic

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

PARIS, France – Defending champion Serena Williams outlasted an inspired Kristina Mladenovic and weathered a two and a half hour rain delay to advance to the second week of Roland Garros, 6-4, 7-6(10).

After breezing through her first two matches here in less than one hour each, Williams faced her first big test of the tournament against French No.1 Mladenovic, who relishes playing on big stages in her country. In fact, of Mladenovic’s five career Top 10 wins, four have come here in Paris with two of those taking place right here in Roland Garros.

Mladenovic seemed comfortable as ever on Philippe Chatrier, the biggest stage of all, though ahead of the match she admitted to feeling the mixed emotions many players experience when playing against the World No.1.

“I have to take it very positively,” she said in her press conference. “This is an experience, something to do, it’s a dream. I grew up watching Serena play. Then I’m going to play against her.

“I’m extremely happy because this is a challenge. Well, this being said, it’s going to be very difficult.”

Mladenovic and Williams kept pace during a tense first set, which saw Williams brush away all four of Mladenovic’s break point chances while letting slip away two of her own. Mladenovic’s sneaky drop shots caught Williams wrong-footed on more than one occasion, and made for some spectacular rallies during the course of the contest.

But Williams turned up the heat when it counted. A drawn out battle at 4-4 saw Mladenovic bring up three break points, but the American blasted back to back aces to deny her. A lone break in the final game gave Williams the first set after almost an hour.

In the second set, Williams continued to keep the pressure on the Frenchwoman’s serve: Williams made her have to come back from 0-40 down to hold serve at 2-2, and then again in her next service game.

A Mladenovic ace sent the match into a tiebreak right as the rain, which had been threatening all match long, finally broke into a downpour.

Two and a half hours of rain delay later, the players were back on the court for the decisive battle. Mladenovic quickly built up a 3-0 lead, but it was short-lived as Williams broke back and rattled off four straight points to bring up her first of five match points.

Mladenovic rallied valiantly, saving match point after match point – including one with a gutsy drop shot, her go-to weapon in this match – but the World No.1 wouldn’t be denied a fifth time, and Williams took the match after a two-hour and thirteen minute thriller.

“I just made it a point to play my game,” Williams said of the tiebreak. “Up until that point I had not been playing my game. I was playing really defensive. It’s not me.

“So I just wanted to be Serena out there.”

The stats reveal just how evenly matched Mladenovic and Williams were throughout the match: both players hit three aces and struck 27 winners, though Williams hit 31 unforced errors to Mladenovic’s 35. The difference makers proved to be Mladenovic’s vulnerable serve – she hit seven double faults in total – and Williams’ dominance at the net, winning 15 of 25 net points.

“I think she played well,” Williams said afterwards. “I feel like I made a tremendous amount of errors. But, you know, I feel like she kind of forced me to. She forced me to go for it.”

With the win, Williams brings up a fourth round match against Elina Svitolina, who earlier in the day defeated former champion Ana Ivanovic.

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Halep Reflects On 2016 Improvements In Forbes Interview

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Simona Halep finished a third straight season as a Top 5 player, and credits some of her game’s biggest improvements to work done with coach Darren Cahill.

“I am more aggressive, but not crazy aggressive,” the Romanian told Forbes’ Danielle Rossingh during the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open. “More smart aggressive because I cannot stay all the time close to the baseline. I have to go out and back and come in many times.

“I think I improved in myself, my forehand is stronger. We worked on every shot and I think all my game is better now.”

Halep believes another key improvement has come on serve, specifically her ball toss.

“He told me to change it, to toss it lower, and I think it helps me. I feel like the timing is better.”

The results began to come in streams by spring, when she won her second Premier Mandatory title at the Mutua Madrid Open, owned by countryman and Romanian tennis legend Ion Tiriac.

“He helps me with advice, he talks with me,” she said. Tiriac gave her a wildcard into Madrid back in 2013, a move Halep says kickstarted her pro career.

“He’s into my tennis and always we have a good discussion, sometimes he’s coming to my practices.”

A lot of his advice centers around Halep’s ultimate goal of Grand Slam glory; the former World No.2 reached the French Open final in 2014, and will aim to take that career-best major finish one step further in 2017.

“He tells me that I have everything to win a Grand Slam, I have just to believe. It’s good to have such an important man in my life and in my career.”

Click here to read the full interview with Halep as she discusses her celebrity status in Romania and the rise of Year-End No.1 Angelique Kerber.

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