Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

Pliskova Stuns Serena To Reach Final

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.10 seed Karolina Pliskova reached her first Grand Slam final in style, shocking top seed Serena Williams, 6-2, 7-6(5) in the semifinals of the US Open.

“It was always a dream to, you know, get a title, get to the semifinal, get to the final,” Pliskova said in her post-match press conference. “So, I mean, it’s a big result for me. I hope I didn’t stop yet, that there is still one more step to go. I’ll do anything for getting the title.

“Even if I don’t get it, it’s a big result. I’m really happy to be there and even have the chance to play in the final here. It doesn’t happen often that you’re playing a semifinal against Serena on center court here in New York. It doesn’t happen often that you’re in the final of Grand Slams.”

Pliskova came into her first major semifinal having won her last 10 matches, dating back to a title run at the Western & Southern Open; the 2016 WTA ace leader was in ruthless form on serve against Serena, striking seven aces and winning 84% of first serve points.

“I was pretty calm today. Before the match I felt a little bit like pressure, nervous. But when I stepped on the court I didn’t feel anything. I just wanted to win. Not just enjoy but to win.

“I knew I’m going to have my chances even if she’s playing her best. There is always a chance in those two sets. I was calm during the whole match. Even in the second set there was some complications. I was up a break.

“But it never can be so easy to play No.1 in the world. You cannot win, 6-2, 6-1, so I wasn’t expecting a match like this. I was prepared for anything, even if I would have lose the second set I would be ready for the third.”

Serena, by contrast, had just won an epic match over No.5 seed Simona Halep less than 24 hours ago, and appeared to struggle with a left leg injury that was later confirmed by coach Patrick Mourataglou. Pushing Pliskova into a second set tie-break, the World No.1 threw in a sixth double fault to end the contest after just 85 minutes.

“I have been having some serious left knee problems,” Serena said after the match. “I wasn’t tired. Fatigue had absolutely nothing to do with it. If I was tired I should definitely get into a new career.

“I think she’s been on tour for numerous years and she’s had some good wins. She was doing so well last year, was so close in so many finals, and I think maybe this was her year to really do well, at least here at the Open.”

Still, it was a banner day for the Czech powerhouse, who played flawless tennis throughout and showed off her improved mobility to hit 19 winners to just 25 unforced errors. Serena hit one more winner but six more errors and only managed to engineer one break point on the Pliskova serve. Pliskova became the eighth woman ever to defeat both Williams sisters in the same tournament, and the fourth to do it at a major tournament.

“There is not more than to beat both sisters in one tournament in New York,” Pkiskova said. “I’m really excited about those two wins.

“For the crowd, it’s not probably the best that I beat both of them in their country, but for me it’s really something special. Obviously the match with Venus helped me, not only with the game, but also with the crowd, also. It was my first match on center court, so I knew I was to play center court one of the Williams sisters against all the people there. I was prepared for it. I was prepared for a fast game, for great serving, and probably it helped me.

“That’s maybe why I won the match today.”

Up next for the 24-year-old is either No.2 seed Angelique Kerber – the new World No.1 after Serena’s loss – or former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki. Pliskova beat Kerber in the final of Cincinnati just two weeks ago, ironically preventing the German from hitting No.1 earlier.

“If I play Kerber tomorrow I’ll know her very well. We played a lot of times. I lost to her; I won. So I will be ready for anything. That’s a final of a Grand Slam, so anything is possible. Of course, probably nerves from both sides. We both have a good chance to win.

“But I will just do anything to win the title here.”

Source link

News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MELBOURNE, Australia – Former No.1 Venus Williams continued her progress at the Australian Open, moving into the third round in Melbourne for the 13th time in her career after a comfortable win over Stefanie Voegele.

In contrast to her grueling first-round battle against Kateryna Kozlova, Venus never really looked under pressure against Voegele, easing through in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.

“Today was a good day, a little less hot first thing in the morning, so it was good to get it in, you know, and have a win early,” Venus told press after her victory.

The Swiss qualifier, ranked No.112 in the world, looked decidedly out of her depth on Rod Laver Arena against the former No.1. A tentative start from Voegele allowed the American to open with a double break of serve and rocket to a 3-0 lead.

Venus Williams

With the early nerves out of the way, Voegele managed to grab one of the breaks back with a crisp backhand passing shot, but she wasn’t able to wrench the advantage out of Venus’ grasp. Venus stayed aggressive to wrap up the first set with ease, and continued her form into the second, breaking twice to seal the match in barely over 80 minutes.

The No.13 seed will face either Duan Ying-Ying in the third round after the Chinese player outlasted Varvara Lepchenko 6-1, 3-6, 10-8.

“I don’t know anything about her,” Venus admitted. “I have never seen her play. Zero, like zero. So I’m going to have to see how it goes.

“Like, maybe get a scouting report in the warm-up when we hit the five minutes and kind of see how it feels.”

This is Venus’ 17th appearance at the Australian Open – joint-most among active players, tied with her sister Serena Williams – and with No.4 seed Simona Halep out of the tournament in a first round stunner, Venus’ side of the draw gives her ample opportunity to continue on and make a deep run.  

Source link

Venus Discusses Indian Wells Return

Venus Discusses Indian Wells Return

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

One month after she officially announced her intent to return to the BNP Paribas Open for the first time since 2001, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams wrote at length about her decision and close bond with her sister, World No.1 Serena Williams, in the Players Tribune.

“Being the big sister,” she said, “I didn’t take that responsibility lightly. I knew what she was going through – debuting as a professional tennis player, growing up in front of a camera, entering public life as a young black teenager – and I knew how hard that could be. And I knew how much I would have loved to have had a big sister on tour during my first year, and how much pride I took in the knowledge that my little sister had me. Serena always has me.”

Venus and Serena had stayed away from Indian Wells for nearly 15 years following an ugly incident that left both sisters, who were still in the nascent stages of their careers at the time, feeling profoundly unwelcome in a sport they loved.

Venus Williams, Serena Williams

“I remember the pain of my knee injury, and how badly I wanted to play in the semis against Serena – before finally accepting that I wouldn’t be able to. I remember the accusations toward me and my sister and our father. I remember the crowd’s reaction, as I walked to my seat, during Serena’s match in the final. And I remember how I couldn’t understand why thousands of people would be acting this way – to a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old, trying their best.

“There are certain things where, if you go through them at a certain age, you simply don’t forget them.”

Serena’s decision to come back last year led Venus, who has long fought against injustice – as evidenced by her work in engineering equal prize money at Wimbledon – to do some soul-searching of her own, inspired by her younger sister’s choice to not only forgive, but to return to a place that had caused them both such pain.

“It was in that moment, seeing Serena welcomed with open arms last year at Indian Wells, that I think I fully and truly realized what being the big sister means. It means that, for all of the things I did first, and all of the times when I paved the way for Serena, the thing I can be most proud of is this time.

“When Serena paved the way for me.”

Read more about Venus’ thoughts at the Players Tribune.

Source link

Roddick Previews US Open Final

Roddick Previews US Open Final

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Andy Roddick has had a lot to say throughout the 2016 US Open.

The former ATP No.1 and 2017 International Tennis Hall Of Fame Nominee – alongside Kim Clijsters – partnered with Chase to launch the #MasterTheOpen series on Periscope, where he broadcasts his signature mix of incisive and humorous commentary live each day at the Open.

Weighing in on the upcoming women’s final between new World No.1 Angelique Kerber and Western & Southern Open champion Karolina Pliskova, the 2003 US Open champion had this to say:

Stay tuned for the Saturday’s final at 4pm EST / 9pm BST!

US Open

Source link

Sharapova Out Of Indian Wells

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA, USA – Former World No.1 Maria Sharapova announced that she would be unable to participate in the upcoming BNP Paribas Open due to an ongoing left forearm injury that saw her miss the Middle East Swing.

“I am extremely disappointed that I am unable to compete in this year’s BNP Paribas Open,” she said. “I have been focused on healing my left forearm injury and tried to get my body to be 100% ready to play this event, as it is one of my favorites on the WTA and so close to my home in LA. I know the tournament will be a great success this year and I will be anxious to return next year and hopefully many years after.”

A two-time winner in Indian Wells (2006, 2013), Sharapova pulled out of the Brisbane International to start the season due to pain in her left forearm, and though she reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the Russian has not played a match since.

With her withdrawal, Mariana Duque-Mariño moves into the main draw.

Source link

US Open Sunday: Doubles Championship

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

The singles champion has been crowned in New York. Now it’s time for the doubles hardware to be handed out! Chris Oddo previews Sunday’s doubles final right here at wtatennis.com.

Day 14
Doubles Final

[1] Caroline Garcia (FRA #3) / Kristina Mladenovic (FRA #4) vs. [12] Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA #16) / Lucie Safarova (CZE #42)
Head-to-head: Garcia and Mladenovic lead, 1-0
Key Stat: Mladenovic and Garcia snapped Mattek-Sands and Safarova’s 8-match winning streak in this year’s Charleston final.

France’s dynamic duo of Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic will seek its second Grand Slam title of the year while Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova will look to claim their third major title of the last two seasons in Sunday’s US Open Women’s Doubles final. Garcia and Mladenovic are currently No.3 and No.4 respectively in the WTA’s double rankings, but they are playing like they have their eyes on the No.1 ranking here in the Big Apple. In their first season as a full-time team the pair are in the midst of a career season that has seen them go on a 16-match winning streak and earn four trophies, including an emotional run to the Roland Garros title where they became the first French team to win in Paris since 1971. The Frenchwomen became the second team to qualify for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global earlier this week and they have not skipped a beat since. Garcia and Mladenovic have defeated the WTA’s No.1 and No.2 ranked doubles players in the last two rounds, notching wins over No.7-seeded Sania Mirza and Barbora Strycova in the quarterfinals before taking out No.6-seeded Martina Hingis and CoCo Vandeweghe in the semifinals. And they’ve yet to drop a set all fortnight.

Their opponents should be their toughest test to date, however. Two-time major champions Mattek-Sands and Safarova have finally located their missing mojo in New York. After falling in the first round at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, they have snapped a four-match losing streak as a team en route to their third Grand Slam final and first at the US Open. They defeated 2014 US Open champions Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the semifinals, and have gone 5-1 in finals as a team overall. Can Mattek-Sands and Safarova, reunited after a long hiatus due to Safarova’s health concerns and individual Olympic preparations, ride the emotional wave to a third major title? Or will Les Bleus have another crowning moment on the Grand Slam stage?

Pick: Mattek-Sands and Safarova in three

By the Numbers:
1 – Only one all-French duo has reached the final at Flushing Meadows (Chanfreau/Durr were runners-up in 1970). Garcia and Mladenovic are bidding to be the first all-French champions.
5-1 – Safarova and Mattek-Sands’ record in finals as a team. They won their first five finals before falling to Garcia and Mladenovic in the Charleston final.
19 – Mattek-Sands owns more doubles than any of the other three finalists. She’s bidding for her 20th title today. Mladenovic owns 16 titles, Safarova owns 9 and Garcia has won 6.

Source link