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Fun & Games In Shenzhen

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

A stellar cast has once again assembled for the season-opening Shenzhen Open. Find out what the players have been up to away from the court…

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Kerber Passes Barty Test In 2017 Opener, Faces Svitolina In Brisbane QFs

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BRISBANE, Australia – World No.1 Angelique Kerber came through a testing opening outing of 2017, seeing off Ashleigh Barty in three sets to reach the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International.

While the home crowd gave reigning Australian Open champion Kerber’s a warm welcome, World No.271 Barty did not follow suit, making a mockery of her lowly ranking to push Kerber all the way. In the end, though, Kerber’s class shone through, closing out a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 victory to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Elina Svitolina.

“It’s always tough to play a match after such a long break, and Ashleigh was playing very well from the first point,” Kerber said. “It’s always different starting the year, and the first matches are always tough.

“You have to get again into the rhythm and play a lot of matches to feel your game.”

Barty, who will not turn 21 until April, is already embarking on her second ascent of the tennis ladder. After a glittering junior career, she enjoyed instant success in the senior ranks, reaching three major doubles finals alongside fellow Australian Casey Dellacqua.

However, the stresses of life on tour soon took its toll on her teenage mind and body, prompting a 17-month hiatus. She has played sparingly since returning but reveled in the atmosphere created by another packed Pat Rafter Arena, playing some sparkling tennis to extend her esteemed opponent. Ultimately, her lack of match sharpness told, Kerber praying on the rising number of unforced errors to establish a decisive third set lead.

“I’m really, really pleased with the form, a bit disappointed we didn’t win but very good things came out of it,” Barty said. “It’s the start of good things to come hopefully. I’m a more developed player this time around.”

Kerber was full of praise for her opponent, whom she expects to only improve: “Working hard and playing like she did tonight I’m sure she will have great results.

“She played so well straight from the first point tonight.”

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SYDNEY, Australia – Former champion Agnieszka Radwanska eased past qualifier Duan Ying-Ying and into the semifinals of the Apia International Sydney on Wednesday evening.

At last week’s Shenzhen Open, Radwanska saved three match points to defeat Duan in a tougher-than-expected season opener. This time around it was a far more straightforward outing, the No.2 seed completing a 6-3, 6-2 victory in an hour and 20 minutes.

“Sometimes you play people two or three weeks in a row, like Caroline and I had last year in Asia, but I’m definitely more happy with this performance than in Shenzhen,” Radwanska said in her on-court interview. “It’s another semifinal here, so I’m very happy with that.

“I was warming up at 4pm and it was still very hot, so I was a little bit lucky to play this evening. I was watching the first match here and it was unbelievably hot – the guys were playing amazingly.”

Despite the more hospitable conditions, both players made heavy weather of holding onto their serve early on. But after a succession of breaks, Radwanska finally put some daylight between the two, opening up a 5-3 lead before calmly serving out the set.

Unlike in Shenzhen, there was to be no Duan comeback, Radwanska rattling off the first four games of the second set to ease her way into the last four.

Radwanska lifted the title in 2012, and standing between her and a return to the final is marathon woman Barbora Strycova. Earlier in the day, Strycova withstood the worst of the midday sun to win an epic encounter against Caroline Wozniacki. “Like I said, she was playing unbelievable tennis and she’s really on fire. Last year she also played amazing tennis. I’m just expecting a good match and we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SYDNEY, Australia – Timea Babos and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova hit through top seeds Sania Mirza and Barbora Strycova, 6-4, 6-4, to win their first title as a pair at the Apia International Sydney.

Babos and Pavlyuchenkova were playing just their second event together, playing just once at the end of last season in Moscow. Babos ended her seven-month partnership with Yaroslava Shvedova after the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“I think at least we found a good balance on this,” Babos said after the match. “It was definitely a great week. We beat some really good teams, the best teams, the last two, three rounds.

“To start like this, our partnership together is important and promising.”

Pavlyuchenkova, by contrast, had opted to focus on singles for most of 2016, though the former Singapore alternate is more than capable on the doubles court.

“It’s amazing, because Timea, she’s more experienced in doubles,” said the Russian. “She has a lot more titles and done great in the Grand Slams, as well.

“I’m really happy, because it’s also nice to win a title in doubles. I feel like we had also been playing really good together.”

Mirza teamed up with Strycova last summer, and the duo were playing their first event of 2017 together after the former No.1 paired with Bethanie Mattek-Sands to win the Brisbane International, passing the top spot to her good friend after 91 weeks leading the WTA rankings. 

The first set came down to just one break of serve, whereas the second featured four.

“We just went out there and tried to do our game, tried to dictate and play how we always played before and tried, like Timea said, to enjoy and not put too much pressure,” added Pavlyuchenkova.

Babos and Pavlyuchenkova raced out to a 3-0 double break lead in the second set, and though Mirza and Strycova twice clawed the deficit down to one, the unseeded team emerged victorious after one hour and 14 minutes of play. For the fast-rising Hungarian youngster, it was her second title in Sydney.

“This was actually my first year when I played singles here,” said Babos. “Last year I only played doubles. It’s a great tournament. In general, Australia [is] one of my favorite countries if not the favorite. So I really enjoy being here. It’s great atmosphere.”

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