Tennis News

Four countries fight for two spots in the 2017 Fed Cup Final this weekend as Belarus hosts Switzerland, which looks to make its first final in nearly two decades. Half a world away in Florida, the United States finds itself heavily favored against a Czech Republic squad. wtatennis.com previews the semifinals, and all the playoff action as nations look to seal up their positions for 2018.

The #FedCup semifinals are just 2️⃣ days away! Time to get excited! pic.twitter.com/YsLasbpAfb

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 20, 2017

Belarus vs. Switzerland

Venue: Chizhovka Arena, Minsk, Belarus

Surface: Hard, Indoor

A Swiss squad at full strength will take on the Cinderella story of this year’s Fed Cup in Minsk for a place in November’s Fed Cup final.

Belarus, without the services of Victoria Azarenka, pulled off a stunning victory against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in February, as Aliaksandra Sasnovich and teenager Aryna Sabalenka led the red and green to a 4-1 victory. Those two will be tasked with singles action once again, as Sasnovich is slated to play Viktorija Golubic for the second time in three weeks first up on Saturday, while Sabalenka will face Timea Bacsinszky.

?? Belarus and ?? Switzerland meet in this weekend's semifinal, but who will advance to the #FedCupFinal? pic.twitter.com/Sq10xgC1M5

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 20, 2017

Should the tie come down to the deciding doubles, Olga Govortsova and 2016 Australian Open girls’ champion Vera Lapko have been tabbed to face Martina Hingis and Belinda Bencic. With a victory, Hingis would appear in a Fed Cup Final for the second time in her career, as she played three rubbers in Switzerland’s 3-2 defeat to Spain in 1998.

Thank you @belarustennis for this beautiful evening! #official #evening @FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/6nIR3VBG5D

— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) April 20, 2017

Belarus and Switzerland last faced off in the World Group II Play-offs in 2012, as Bacsinszky won the deciding rubber against Sasnovich in her team’s 4-1 win.

R1: Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) v Viktorija Golubic (SUI)

R2: Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)

R3: Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) v Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)

R4: Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v Viktorija Golubic (SUI)

R5: Olga Govortsova/Vera Lapko (BLR) v Belinda Bencic/Martina Hingis (SUI)

Though she’s not on the court for her country in this tie, Azarenka has been present at the Chizhovka Arena during practice in support of the team, and will be on hand for the weekend’s action.

Former #1 in @FedCup team of Belarus @vika7 and acting #1 @_Sasnovich 🙂 Наша гордость – наши спортсменки!#tennisby #FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/9BnQeNjMV1

— BY.TENNIS (@belarustennis) April 20, 2017

Happy to see each other again? @BelindaBencic @TimeaOfficial @vika7 @belarustennis @FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/bHJSOnJn2X

— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) April 20, 2017

Czech Republic vs. USA

Venue: Saddlebrook Resort, Florida, USA

Surface: Clay, Outdoor

It’s not often that the Czech Republic and “underdogs” can be used in the same sentence regarding Fed Cup this decade,

While the Czech Republic has won five of the last five six Fed Cups, the team that’ll face the United States in Florida with a trip to a fourth straight final at stake is a young one. Leading the charge for the Czech Republic is World No.38 Katerina Siniakova, joined by Denisa Allertova alongside debutants Kristyna Pliskova and Marketa Vondrousova.

The best nation in #FedCup history takes on the best nation in the last decade when ?? USA and ?? Czech Republic face off in the semifinal! pic.twitter.com/7pTyv70HX5

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 21, 2017

Both Siniakova and Allertova have been named to Czech Fed Cup squads before, while Pliskova and Vondrousova have Fed Cup experience of a different sort. The 17-year-old, who made a stunning run to the title at the Ladies Open Biel Bienne earlier this month, was a member of the team that won the Junior Fed Cup in 2015, while Kristyna called up a team stalwart for a little advice — twin sister and World No.3 Karolina, who’s played in six ties for their country.

“Of course, she told me a lot and I asked a lot of questions,” Kristyna told fedcup.com’s Sandra Harwitt in Florida. “I asked about everything – clothes, the matches, and how is the team.”

For the United States, Australian Open semifinalist Coco Vandeweghe will lead the Americans at home for the second straight tie alongside Shelby Rogers, while World No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands will hold down the fort in doubles alongside Lauren Davis for the stars and stripes should the tie feature a live fifth rubber.

How well do the ?? USA #FedCup team know each other?? ? pic.twitter.com/VgEpgCiD3F

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 21, 2017

R1: CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) v Marketa Vondrusova (CZE)

R2: Shelby Rogers (USA) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

R3: CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

R4: Shelby Rogers (USA) v Marketa Vondrusova (CZE)

R5: Lauren Davis and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) v Denisa Allertova and Kristyna Pliskova (CZE)

In the World Group Play-offs, Angelique Kerber returns to Fed Cup after missing February’s tie against the United States to lead Germany against Ukraine in what could be the most evenly-poised tie of the weekend. Kerber and Julia Goerges have been tabbed in singles against Elina Svitolina and Lesia Tsurenko in Stuttgart in a tie that could come down to the deciding doubles rubber of Laura Siegemund and Carina Witthoeft against Olga Savchuk and Nadiia Kichenok.

Elsewhere, France hosts Spain as Kristina Mladenovic takes her place as France’s No.1 in her top 20 season, while Russia fields three WTA title-winners (Elena Vesnina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Daria Kasatkina) at home against Belgium. Wrapping up the World Group Play-offs, Slovakia and the Netherlands will meet for the second straight year, as the Slovaks will rely on the youth of Jana Cepelova and Rebecca Sramkova in singles play.

Eight countries will also compete in the World Group II Play-offs, as Sara Errani leads a young Italian team against Chinese Taipei; Australia travels to Serbia; Simona Halep and Romania hosts Johanna Konta and Great Britain in an anticipated tie; and Yulia Putintseva and Yaroslava Shvedova look to lead Kazakhstan to uncharted territory for 2018 in Canada.

STUTTGART, Germany — Defending champion Angelique Kerber is the top seed this week as the WTA’s elite slide into the red clay at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. A two-time winner in her home country, Kerber is joined in the top 8 seeds by fellow former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, as eight of the WTA top 10 are competing in Stuttgart.

Check out the Stuttgart stories of the top 8 seeds and others who’ll be unseeded and looming in the German city this week:

1. Angelique Kerber (GER)

6th appearance (13-3)

Best result: CHAMPION (2015, 2016)

2. Karolina Pliskova (CZE)

2nd appearance (2-1)

Best result: QF (2016)

3. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)

5th appearance (0-4)

Best result: R32 (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012)

4. Simona Halep (ROU)

4th appearance (2-3)

Best result: SF (2015)

5. Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP)

3rd appearance (2-2)

Best result: QF (2016)

6/WC. Johanna Konta (GBR)

3rd appearance (0-2)

Best result: R32 (2014, 2016)

7. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)

10th appearance (13-9)

Best result: SF (2011, 2012, 2016)

8. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)

8th appearance (14-6)

Best result: CHAMPION (2009)

More…

Samantha Stosur (AUS)

6th appearance (9-5)

Best result: F (2010)

Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP)

6th appearance (7-5)

Best result: QF (2014, 2015, 2016)

Maria Sharapova (RUS)

5th appearance (13-1)

Best result: CHAMPION (2012, 2013, 2014)

Andy Murray believes fellow Brit Johanna Konta can capitalise on Serena Williams’ absence and become World No.1.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner confirmed on Wednesday that she and fiancé Alexis Ohanian are expecting their first child and will not return until 2018.

Murray, the World No.1 in the men’s game late last year feels his compatriot can replicate his achievements over the coming year, having reached the Top 10 and narrowly missed out on qualification for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global in 2016.

“It’s been pretty much 18 months where she’s played at a level where she’s in the top seven or eight players in the world,” he said in The Guardian. 

“She was close to getting to Singapore last year and she’s in with a good shot of doing it this year.

“I’m sure for all of the women, with Serena out, it’s going to be tough to predict. If she steps up her game there’s no reason why she can’t get close to the top.”

Konta has enjoyed an excellent start to 2017, having won the Apia Sydney International in January before claiming the biggest title of her career at the Miami Open earlier this month.

With Serena Williams’ announcement that she is expecting her first child this fall and new mom Victoria Azarenka returning to action later this summer, here’s how the WTA’s Special Ranking Rule applies to both players and in all maternity cases:

To be eligible, a player must be out for a minimum of six months, maximum of two years and be ranked inside the Top 300 (or Top 200 in doubles) at time she stopped playing. The Special Ranking application and supporting medical documentation must be submitted within six months after the last professional tournament played.

For maternity cases, players must be ready to play their first tournament within 12 months of birth.

The Special Ranking will be the ranking earned immediately after the points of the last tournament she played have been added to the WTA Rankings:
-For Serena Williams, her Special Ranking would be No.1
-For Victoria Azarenka, her Special Ranking is No.6

Upon return, a player may use her WTA Special Ranking to gain entry (not for seeding) into eight tournaments within one year of her return date. The Special Ranking can be used at a maximum of two Premier Mandatory Tournaments (Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing) and two Grand Slams.

In addition, any player who is a past singles champion of a Grand Slam or WTA Finals will be allowed an unlimited number of Singles Main Draw Wild Card nominations.

The complete details can be found in the 2017 WTA Rulebook – Special Ranking Rule: pg. 218-225; Singles Main Draw Wildcards: pg.67

LONDON, United Kingdom – British No.1 Johanna Konta has set her sights on becoming the top player in the world.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed an extraordinary start to 2017, winning the Sydney International ahead of the Australian Open before claiming her first-ever Premier Mandatory title in Miami in March.

She currently sits third in the Road to Singapore, behind only Karolina Pliskova and Caroline Wozniacki, but is aiming for even more.

.@JoKonta91 captures the @MiamiOpen title!

Defeats Wozniacki 6-4, 6-3! pic.twitter.com/GVOF47SOVN

— WTA (@WTA) April 1, 2017

“My dream has always been to be No.1 in the world and to win titles and to really be at the top of the game,” she told the BBC.

“I’m doing everything in my power to make it come true. That’s been a dream of mine since I was a young girl and that continues to be my dream and I think will always be as long as I’m playing the sport. 

“I need to keep focusing on my work because I know that will bring the best out of me. I always wanted to be the best version of myself.”

Konta, who currently sits at a career-high ranking of WTA World No.7, returns to WTA action following her Miami triumph in Stuttgart next week.