Ashleigh Barty grabbed her place in the quarterfinals of the Alya Malaysian Open, brushing aside fellow qualifier Miyu Kato, and then with Casey Dellacqua booked a semifinal spot in the doubles.
ACAPULCO, Mexico – No.2 seed Kristina Mladenovic suffered no letdown after her three hour thriller against Heather Watson, dispatching Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens, 6-4, 6-3, to reach the final four at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.
“I’m very happy,” the French star said after the match. “I had great sensations when I woke up this morning; I was very satisfied with my effort last night because the work is paying off for me to win a three and a half hour battle and wake up pretty fine. My physio did a good job as well.
“We finished very late, but the advantage of playing here in Acapulco is getting to have most of the next day to work and rest. I came out very strong and didn’t even warm-up today – just fitness after three and a half hours of tennis.”
Mladenovic recovered well from playing the second longest match of the season, hitting 21 winners to just 13 unforced errors in the 82 minute match.
Solid slice from @KiKiMladenovic ? #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/dssgWkzPzp
— WTA (@WTA) March 3, 2017
“It was similar conditions today, and I think I played really good. I fixed the big problem I had on my serve yesterday, when I hit 20 double faults! Only five today! I think overall it was a great match; I had to be very consistent but also aggressive because Kirsten has a lot of variety, and it’s not easy to control her slices here.
“The ball is flying here, but I think I did a good job playing aggressive but also being patient with her tricky game. I’m just very happy to come back after yesterday’s tough win.”
The St. Petersburg champion earned big leads to start each set, winning the first three games of the match and racing out to a quick 4-0 lead to start the second set, but Flipkens – a 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist – gave Mladenovic all she could as the match headed to a dramatic conclusion.
Powerful backhand shot from @KiKiMladenovic ? #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/cywlI0Zhc3
— WTA (@WTA) March 3, 2017
“The first was very close, and I continued on the same path. She might have wanted to change her game at the start of the second, so she tried going for more and ended up giving me a few more unforced errors that made the difference.
“It gave me a big lead, but she kept fighting until the end, and came up with some incredible shots at the end. I had to really dig deep there, especially at 4-2 on my serve. I was in danger most of the game, but I survived and held, which was very important because had I lost serve, it would have been a different match.
JUST clips the line! ?
Impressive stuff from @FlipperKF! #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/H19v2cohLX
— WTA (@WTA) March 3, 2017
“The last game wasn’t easy to close out either; I could feel like she was playing freely at that point and she was going for her shots. It’s obviously a great feeling to be in the semifinals here, especially after such an epic match. It feels like I’ve been in the office all day long.”
.@KiKiMladenovic defeats Flipkens 6-4, 6-3!
Sets @AbiertoTelcel Semifinal vs @ChristinaMcHale! #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/nNfA4kVQzP
— WTA (@WTA) March 3, 2017
Up next for Mladenovic is Christina McHale, a 2014 finalist in Acapulco who ousted reigning Olympic Gold medalist Monica Puig in straight sets in the first quarterfinal. The pair last played at this very tournament, with McHale winning en route to the final.
? & a ? from @KiKiMladenovic! #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/JccEXKygn9
— WTA (@WTA) March 3, 2017
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Magda Linette will play Nao Hibino for a place in the Alya Malaysian Open final after seeing off Duan Ying-Ying in three sets, winning 7-6, 4-6, 6-1.
An extremely tight opening set saw not a single break point against the serve and it was no surprise to see it decided by a tiebreak. And it was the Pole who grabbed the opening mini-break before a piece of extraordinary luck saw her shot, going well wide, grip the net cord and divert back in court.
First Semifinal since 2015!@MagdaLinette edges Duan 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-1 for a spot in @alyawtamo Semifinals! pic.twitter.com/lkq9ZXIDYp
— WTA (@WTA) March 3, 2017
Despite her first serve percentage teetering at around 50%, Linette made the most of her good fortune to take the breaker 7-3 and with it the set as Duan fired long.
The pair had met just once previously, Linette coming out on top in straight sets in the 2015 Wuhan Open. But this was a much tighter affair and it was the fifth seed who grabbed the opening break of the match, sufficient for the Chinese to take it all the way.
Although the momentum was seemingly turning towards Duan, it was Linette who took the initiative in the decider, breaking twice in the final set to make only her second WTA final and perhaps even go one better than in the 2014 Tokyo Open.
During the match, Linette appeared to be irritated by a series of close calls that seemed to go against her and after the match she apologised for not reacting in the way she should have.
“It was difficult to stay focused, it was very late,” said Linette after the rain-interrupted tussle. “You go onto the court and then you go off the court. You think maybe you’re not going to play the match. It’s never easy like this and you could see I was very nervous and I was not behaving well but I’m glad that after the second set I could start from the beginning and actually show my best tennis at the end and make up a little bit for my bad behaviour.”
She next faces the challenge of Japan’s Hibino, a 7-6, 6-3 victor over qualifier Lesley Kerkhove.
“I haven’t played her before so I don’t know how she plays,” said Hibino. “I will talk with my coach and figure out a game plan.”
No.3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska moved serenely into the second round of Wimbledon with a straight set win over Kateryna Kozlova.
Check out the best shots from the week’s action at the ALYA Malaysian Open.
LONDON, Great Britain – Serena Williams and Venus Williams imposed their doubles dominance against the No.11 seeded team of Andreja Klepac and Katarina Srebotnik in their Wimbledon doubles opener to advance 7-5, 6-3.
The sisters started out sluggish in the first set as Venus, who finished her two hour and twenty-four minute marathon singles match against Maria Sakkari about two hours earlier, was broken twice to allow the Slovaks to build up a hefty 4-1 lead in the first set.
After trading breaks for 5-2, the Williams sisters broke again after Klepac couldn’t get out of the way of a Serena volley fast enough. Venus held serve for the first time just as the two started to kick it into high gear.
With Srebotnik serving for the set at 5-4, Venus fired a forehand long to give the Slovakian team three set points but immediately redeemed herself by saving one with a lunging volley on the stretch. She ripped a backhand passing shot up the middle of the court to clinch the break and level the score 5-5.
Finally fired up, the Williams sisters dropped just one point in the next two games to take the first set 7-5. They continued their romp into the second set, where they broke twice to get ahead 4-0. Klepac and Srebotnik stopped the streak of nine games in a row by getting one of the breaks back, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide as Serena and Venus took the match for their first Wimbledon doubles win in two years.
Up next for the sibling duo are the Belgian team of Elise Mertens and An-Sophie Mestach, who took out the all-American team of Nicole Gibbs and Irina Falconi, 7-6(3), 6-1.
Another sibling duo moves on as the No.3 seeded sisters Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching battled past Ashleigh Barty and Laura Robson in a comfortable straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.
They’re joined in the second round by the No.13 seeds Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva after the Birmingham finalists came back to dispatch Nao Hibino and Alicija Rosolska 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, and by Darija Jurak and Anastasia Rodionova, who are fresh off of a title win at the Aegon International Eastbourne and downed the No.9 seeds Yifan Xu and Saisai Zheng 7-6(6), 2-6, 7-5.
5 sets today. 2 of them with my favorite tennis player @serenawilliams #sucess #wimbeldon https://t.co/MWPw4ZPhlu
— Venus Williams (@Venuseswilliams) June 30, 2016
No you are MY FAVORITE player. I love u so much ❤️❤️? #Repost @venuseswilliams with repostapp… https://t.co/kc8pTg92sY
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 30, 2016
More to come…
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – USANA Health Sciences and the WTA tour have kicked off the fourth annual Aces for Humanity campaign in support of the USANA True Health Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide immediate and long-term assistance to suffering populations worldwide. USANA is a global nutritional company and has been a longstanding partner of the WTA since 2006.
Beginning with the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California this week, every ace served at a Premier-level WTA event will translate into a donation for the Foundation. For every ace served by the four USANA Brand Ambassadors (Caroline Wozniacki, Eugenie Bouchard, Monica Puig and Zheng Saisai), the WTA will contribute $20 toward the campaign, while every ace served by any other WTA player will translate into a $5 donation.
Collectively, 493 aces were recorded by USANA Brand Ambassadors during the 2016 campaign, and through this program and other charitable efforts, the WTA has contributed over $140,000 to the USANA True Health Foundation since 2011.
“We are thankful to be partnering with the WTA and our Brand Ambassadors for another year of Aces for Humanity,” said Brian Paul, the Foundation’s Executive Director of Communications.
“One hundred percent of every dollar donated to the Foundation goes directly toward charitable purposes, and the money raised through this campaign has allowed us to aid thousands of lives each year. We look forward to continuing our efforts alongside the WTA and doing our part to make the world a happier and healthier place.”
In 2016, money raised through several fundraising projects, including Aces for Humanity, allowed the Foundation to do the following:
• Provide over 6.2 million meals through its partnership with the Children’s Hunger Fund.
• Supply over $180,000 to support health education programs, food and home construction.
• Give $738,722 in Usanimals children’s multivitamins to orphanages, clinics and mercy networks throughout the world.
• Donate $180,234 in additional relief to New Zealand, Philippines, Hong Kong, France, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Mexico.
“I’m proud to be a USANA Brand Ambassador not only because I believe in the products but because USANA is committed to making a difference in the lives of those suffering and in need,” said Olympic Gold Medalist Monica Puig. “USANA is all about health and wellness, and through the USANA True Health Foundation, it’s for all people. I’m honored to help raise awareness for this worthwhile cause.”
This year the program will also involve regular social giveaways, including autographed tennis balls and USANA products. For official rules, head to wtatennis.com.
“The WTA is proud to continue its support of the remarkable efforts of the USANA True Health Foundation,” said Steve Simon, WTA CEO and Chairman. “Through our longstanding partnership with USANA and the Aces for Humanity campaign, we are able to provide meaningful assistance to those in need, which is something we greatly value.”
#AcesForHumanity Fan Giveaway
It’s simple: before each WTA Premier tournament guess how many total aces will be hit.
First up is the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Last year there was a total of 489 aces hit. It’s now your turn, take your best guess of how many will be hit this year.
How To Enter:
• Follow @WTA and @USANAFoundation on Twitter and before each WTA Premier tournament tweet the number of aces you predict will be hit during the whole tournament (Singles, Main Draw)
• Include the hashtag #AcesForHumanity
• Indian Wells deadline is Thursday, March 9 at 11:59pm ET.
• The winner will be announced Monday, March 20.
Aces For Humanity is a joint WTA and USANA initiative that benefits the USANA True Health Foundation, which provides critical human necessities to those in suffering or in need around the globe.
For full rules on how to enter, click here.
LONDON, Great Britain – Svetlana Kuznetsova is a good mood these days. And why shouldn’t she be?
At 31 years old the two-time Slam champion is playing some of her best tennis in years. Currently at No.14, Kuznetsova’s seen her ranking peak this year at No.12, her highest since 2011. She has a title under her belt, winning the Apia International Sydney in January, and made the final of the Miami Open, beating defending champion and World No.1 Serena Williams en route.
After all the ups and downs of her career, Kuznetsova was outspoken last year about wanting to just enjoy her tennis, knowing that if she did the results would come. The change in mindset has led to a more positive mindset and it has freed up her game and led to a level of consistency she has not seen in years.
She’s even holding impromptu Q&As with fans on Twitter. And no matter what’s going on in her life or on the court, Sveta just can’t help being Sveta:
I sat down with Kuznetsova at Wimbledon after her strong first round win over Caroline Wozniacki for a fun discussion about the state of her game, the hilarious circumstances surrounding her first round draw against Caroline, and why she considers herself “an artist” on the court.
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Despite the degrees of separation, Elena Vesnina proved most prescient prior to the Wimbledon fortnight when expecting a boost in form thanks to Ivan Lendl.
Simona Halep looks ahead to her prospects at the BNP Paribas Open.