Tennis News

The Qatar Total Open draw is out and next week’s Premier 5 tournament sees the return of Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, defending champion Lucie Safarova, and one of the hottest players of the last five months, Agnieszka Radwanska.

Kerber gets back to work: Since her maiden win at the Australian Open, Kerber has been back in Germany, where she played two Fed Cup singles matches in Leipzig and then hit the local media circuit — nice shot, Angie — before pulling out of last week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships due to a right thigh injury.

Now the World No.2 returns to the tour as the top seed in Doha, a tournament that has been a mixed bag through her career. As the only player this year to make two finals, Doha offers a solid test for Kerber’s consistency. She reached the final in 2014 – falling to Simona Halep – but has won just one match in five other appearances.

Kerber has a bye in the first round and will open against either Varvara Lepchenko or Zheng Saisai. Petra Kvitova, Garbiñe Muguruza, and Belinda Bencic are the top eight seeds in her half of the draw.

Doha draw, where Kerber, Halep, Radwanska, and Muguruza are the Top 4 seeds. pic.twitter.com/UyrLvDLXY4

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) February 19, 2016

Lucie Safarova returns from illness: After an incredible season that saw her win the biggest title of her career here in Doha last year – and go on to make her first major final at the French Open – Safarova’s season ended with a whimper. Diagnosed with a bacterial infection that left her hospitalized after the US Open, Safarova skipped Australia to continue healing. Doha will be her first tournament of the season.

Safarova will drop out of the Top 10 on Monday but she’s seeded No.7 in Doha. Drawn into the bottom half opposite No.2 seed Simona Halep, she has a first round bye and will play either Lucie Hradecka or Cagla Buyakakay. That’s as nice an opener as she could hope for in this loaded draw.

Radwanska hopes to pick up where she left off: Up to No.3 on Monday, Radwanska took some time off after the Australian Open, where she did well to make the semifinals before losing to Serena Williams. That 6-0, 6-4 loss was a tough one to take, but it doesn’t change the fact that no one has been on a hotter streak over the last six months than Radwanska. Since the US Open she’s won four titles – including the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global – and has just one loss so far this season.

Last week’s withdrawal from Dubai due to a lower leg injury was surprising, but it’s also encouraging to see Radwanska manage her schedule to protect her body. After an opening round bye she’ll face either Annika Beck or a qualifier.

Bencic puts her consistency on the line: Given how many events she’s played in 2016, there’s a fair argument to be made that Belinda Bencic has been the most consistent player on tour this year. Set aside a surprise second round loss to Samantha Crawford at the Brisbane International and a loss last week to Jelena Jankovic following a brutal turnaround from St. Petersburg, and Bencic has been the WTA’s most reliable performer.

Bencic has already played six events this season (including Fed Cup) and goes into Doha with 12 wins already under her belt, just one short of Kerber’s tour-leading 13 wins. Her run to the St. Petersburg final propelled her into the Top 10 for the first time and she’s a clear title contender this week. She’ll open against CoCo Vandeweghe or a qualifier in the second round.

Looking for a kickstart: After the 0 for 8 run of the seeds last week in Dubai, quite a number of players turn to Dubai still searching for a kickstart to their seasons. No.2 seed Halep, No.4 seed Muguruza, and No.5 seed Kvitova. All three have played three tour events each this year and have won five matches between them (Halep – 2, Muguruza – 2, Kvitova – 1).

Kvitova has the toughest opening draw. She plays either Kristina Mladenovic or Dubai finalist Barbora Strycova. Halep plays either Dubai semifinalist Caroline Garcia or a qualifier. Muguruza opens against either Nao Hibino or Yaroslava Shvedova.

From a rankings perspective, Halep in particular is under fire. She failed to defend her title last week in Doha and will need to defend Indian Wells and a semifinal in Miami when the tour turns to the North American hard courts next month. A good run in Doha would pick up some much needed points while also giving her a boost of confidence for her upcoming events.

Eugenie Bouchard takes a wildcard: The Canadian, currently ranked No.61, had an encouraging start to the season. She made the Shenzhen Open quarterfinals and her first final in over a year at the Hobart International. A tough draw saw her bow out early at the Australian Open, with a straight set loss to Radwanska in the second round.

She pulled out of the Rio Open last week citing a change of schedule – she played the NBA Celebrity All-Star game last Friday – took a wildcard into Doha, where she will make her main draw debut. She is entered in Kuala Lumpur next week. She opens against a qualifier and could play Elina Svitolina in the second round and Kerber in the third round.

Projected quarterfinals: Kerber vs. Kvitova, Muguruza vs. Bencic, Radwanska vs. Safarova, Halep vs. Suárez Navarro.

First round matches to watch: Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Julia Goerges (a rematch of last week’s rout in Dubai), Karolina Pliskova vs. Margarita Gasparyan, Andrea Petkovic vs. Ekaterina Makarova, and Timea Bacsinszky vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

The US Open is the most fashion-forward Grand Slam, as its host city inspires tennis apparel companies to experiment with vibrant colors and prints. References to NYC’s bright lights and architecture can be recognized in this season’s aesthetic, while advanced temperature-regulating technologies are there to help WTA players perform their best. Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will give us a closer look at the styles we’ll see at Flushing Meadows.

Simona Halep, Ana Ivanovic and Angelique Kerber will sport the adidas adizero collection whose striking, triangular print is inspired by the landscape and environment of New York. The lightweight collection, built for speed, comes in a variety of bold color combinations.

The flash red version of the adidas Fall Pro Tank, as seen here on Halep, stands out with its stylish tech steel contrast racerback and keyholes. The eye-catching pattern of the adidas Fall Pro Skirt harnesses the good vibes of Big Apple, energizing players to perform their best.

Besides the recognizable geometric sublimated print at straps and bottom, Ivanovic’s adidas Fall Pro Dress features stylish V-shaped mesh color-block at back, which has a ventilating purpose.

The entire collection is focused on keeping athletes dry through Climacool moisture management.

Nike’s collection for the 2016 US Open is inspired by chromatic shift of the lights in New York City, reflecting it through pops of vibrant colors, while comfort in humid summer days is ensured by engineered knit construction.

Serena Williams will go for the NikeCourt Power Dress, which promises to be one of the best outfits of the tournament with its mock neck, that the world number one altered for the promo photo shoot, mesh back ventilation and energizing pleats on the woven skirt. The item comes in black and in white with hyper pink.

Madison Keys will rock a striking black and volt combination in the NikeCourt Dry Slam Tank and NikeCourt Flex Victory Skirt.

Garbiñe Muguruza and Caroline Wozniacki will showcase key looks from the adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade Fall/Winter 2016 apparel made of advanced Climalite fabric that keeps players cool. The collection includes innovative shoe designs intended for the fast and hard surface at the US Open.

The Spaniard’s Adidas Stella Barricade New York Tank and the Adidas Stella Barricade New York Skirt play with white, oyster grey and flash red through color-blocking and marble print.

Clean lines and side color-blocks of Wozniacki’s Adidas Stella Barricade New York Dress have a figure-slimming effect, while bonded no-sew seams at arm holes and hem provide a modern feel.

Muguruza’s Barricade shoe (left) is engineered for maneuverability, while supreme ventilation is ensured by its full mesh knit upper. Wozniacki’s Barricade BOOST footwear (right) and its BOOST™ energy-returning cushioning give players an extra edge on abrasive hard surfaces.

As Venus Williams herself said, the EleVen Prism collection takes colors and prints to a whole new level. Besides the appealing print, the American’s EleVen Prism Chela Dress features lightweight color-blocking mesh at back and a nice wrap design. Moisture-wicking properties, superior breathability and EleVen Ozone for UVA and UVB protection are performance features of this stylish dress.

Agnieszka Radwanska will play in a rose neon version of the Lotto Nixia Dress, unique for its dramatic use of mesh at back and drop-waisted skirt with several pleats.

Heather Watson will sport the lightweight and breathable New Balance Fall Yarra Tank, whose burnout stretch mesh along the back, together with a poly/Spandex knit with NB DRY, will help the Brit feel comfortable. The tank’s match is the 40 Degree Skort which includes laser perforations, engineered waistband, as well as NB DRY and NB FRESH for breathability.

Fila-sponsored stars will wear the Heritage collection, a fusion of Fila’s time-honored silhouettes with contemporary elements. The clothes combine red, white and black, either in color-blocks or modern blurred stripes.

Karolina Pliskova is pictured wearing the Fila Heritage Stripe Dress, while Jelena Jankovic‘s promo image showcases the Fila Heritage Racerback Dress.

Tennis fashion fans can definitely look forward to the 2016 US Open!

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Venus Williams began her record-breaking 72nd Grand Slam campaign with an eventful win over Kateryna Kozlova on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Father time remains undefeated, or so the saying goes. However, a couple of months on from her 36th birthday, Williams continues to defy the aging process, taking the best part of three hours to defeat Kozlova, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.

The tennis landscape is much changed since a teenage Williams – accompanied by beads and garish outfit – made her Grand Slam bow against Naoko Sawamatsu at the 1997 French Open. Remarkably, the American, now an iconic figure in the sport, remains a threat at its four flagship events.

Last year, quarterfinal appearances at both the Australian and US Opens – backed up by no little success elsewhere – propelled Williams back into the Top 10. And this campaign she has maintained the momentum, reaching the semifinals at the site of her greatest triumphs, the All England Club.

At Wimbledon, Williams matched Amy Frazier’s Open Era record of 71 Grand Slam appearances, marking the occasion with rollercoaster victories over several of the game’s brightest young talents. Against Kozlova – who was just three years old when Williams made her US Open debut – she was once against forced to draw on her wealth of experience.

Venus Williams: Improves to 18-0 in US Open 1st round. Only Chris Evert (19-0) has a better record in the 1st round at US Open (Open Era)

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) 30 August 2016

The 2000 and 2001 champion has never lost an opening round match at Flushing Meadows, a statistic that looked in little danger when she pocketed the first set and moved 4-2 ahead in the second.

Kozlova, though, had other ideas, silencing the partisan crowd by rattling off five of the next six games to take the match the distance. A similar story looked to be unfolding in the decider, the Ukrainian falling 5-2 behind only to produce an unerring down-the-line backhand to break back in the ninth game. This time she was unable to complete the comeback, erring on the backhand to succumb the following game.

Despite a messy afternoon the No.6 seed, who finished with 63 unforced errors, was characteristically upbeat afterwards. “The errors told the story today,” Williams said. “Once you’re at this level everyone can play. Today I had to hit a lot of balls and I think that will help me going into the rest of the tournament.”