Charleston: Laura Siegemund vs Venus Williams
Laura Siegemund takes on Venus Williams in the second round of the Volvo Car Open.
Laura Siegemund takes on Venus Williams in the second round of the Volvo Car Open.
While some stars are still working hard on the tennis court, others are enjoying a well-deserved break…and some amazing gifts.
Defending champion Heather Watson is using her time off at the Abierto GNP Seguros wisely – by sitting in the stands and recording the performance of her friend and Great Britain Fed Cup teammate Naomi Broady.
Ace ace baby ? Thanks to bae @heatherwatson92 for the video
Alizé Cornet is having fun in Mexico.
Thanks to those who came out in the heat yesterday to support me ? ! Always a thrill to play in Mexico ! Next match tomorrow vamos ?? pic.twitter.com/8JqNOPLzia
— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) April 5, 2017
Elsewhere, thrillseeker CoCo Vandeweghe is in deep water.
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And new World No.7 Johanna Konta is ready for a very special delivery…of her favorite food.
I can't wait for my present!! #anxiouslywaiting https://t.co/nJFwY5PCvt
— Johanna Konta (@JoKonta91) April 6, 2017
Shelby Rogers takes on Naomi Osaka at the Volvo Car Open.
Friendship was the theme of the day at a very hectic Volvo Car Open.
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Few can claim to be a more voracious reader than Andrea Petkovic, and the German sat down with Joel Drucker of Tennis Channel at the Volvo Car Open this week to put her skills to the ultimate test.
Petkovic, who is as much a Renaissance woman as she is a professional athlete, has a well-rounded range of interests that span from art and music to literature, which she called her escape in the sit-down with Drucker following her first round victory in Charleston.
“Some people escape with drugs and alcohol. For me, it’s literature,” the 29-year-old said.
The 2014 Volvo Car Open champion often gives followers and fans a glimpse into her eclectic world off the court on social media, whether it be by documenting visits to museums in her world travels, quoting Robert Frost on her Twitter account — or taking a book into the ice bath at the US Open.
Four of the German’s favorites authors — Ernest Hemingway, Saul Bellow, Friedrich Nietzsche and Leo Tolstoy — span generations and have few peers in the realm of literature, but just who would they be like if they picked up a racquet?
On Hemingway…
“He plays short points – really likes to go to net. Definitely would chip-charge. He’s tall, handsome – much like Patrick Rafter.”
On Bellow…
“He hits big, powerful shots – like Alexander Zverev. He’s a spectacular, hard-hitting player who loves the big sentence and brings lots of philosophical insight.”
On Nietzsche…
“He’s like Ivan Lendl. He’ll grind it out. He likes to suffer.”
On Tolstoy…
“A percentage player. He always plays the right shot – a baseliner, sort of like Caroline Wozniacki. Just a terrific all-around player.”
Stay tuned for part two from Tennis Channel, coming soon as the former World No.9 compares some of tennis’ greats, along with her peers and compatriots, to some of history’s best authors.
Eugenie Bouchard, Francesca Schiavone and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova are the stars of a great video from the Abierto GNP Seguros.
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Laura Siegemund outlasted an in-form Venus Williams, 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-5, to win her second three-setter in three days and sail into the third round of the Volvo Car Open.
“I have no idea!” she said during her on-court interview when asked how she pulled off the win over the 2004 champion. “It was a really good match; it was going up and down. I just tried to believe in my game, and if I was down, I told myself I was going to get more chances.”
Siegemund reached the quarterfinals last year in Charleston, kicking off an impressive clay court campaign that led her into the finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix at home in Stuttgart.
Against Venus, the German veteran was hardly overawed by the five-time Wimbledon winner, who was coming off strong results at the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open, where she reached the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively.
.@LauraSiegemund levels the final set in style!
Four all! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/WTOsyT8Bm8
— WTA (@WTA) April 5, 2017
Down match point in the second set, Venus fought back and broke Siegemund as she served for the match, eventually powering through the ensuing tiebreak to level the match.
“I had a hard time finding an aggressive game at the beginning of the third set, playing really short, and she plays really well when she can put pressure on you. It was an amazing performance from her as well,” said Siegemund.
What a rally from @LauraSiegemund to save a second match point! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/Lzy5XPmfgr
— WTA (@WTA) April 5, 2017
Siegemund twice pulled back from a break in the third, and saved two match points of her own as Venus served for the match at 5-4, reeling off the final three games to reach the round of 16.
“I tried my best to think this could be the best match she’ll ever play in her life, honestly,” Venus said in her post-match press conference. “I basically won the match but still lost.
“I really played the best game I could. I pretty much hit winners, but she hit winners back on me, and I just didn’t have any answers for that. I don’t know much more that I could do. I mean, there were some errors I made in the beginning, but when push came to shove, I feel like I did the right things, but somehow inexplicably came up empty.”
In all, the two played phenomenal offense throughout, each hitting more winners than errors, with Siegemund leading Venus 52 to 45, and hitting 41 unforced errors to Venus’ 39.
Unreal tennis from @LauraSiegemund! ? #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/IiKImzXwcy
— WTA (@WTA) April 5, 2017
“It gives me a lot of confidence, because I was pretty unlucky this year,” Siegemund said. “I’ve had a lot of these kinds of matches, but I was losing them, and you start to doubt.
“Now, I feel very confident on clay, and I think I showed I still have some good tennis in my hands.”
Up next for Siegemund will be the winner of the match between doubles partners Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
First Top 10 win of 2017!@LauraSiegemund saves TWO MATCH POINTS to beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-5 at @VolvoCarOpen! pic.twitter.com/PjMR97mdW7
— WTA (@WTA) April 5, 2017
Charleston local Shelby Rogers stunned the No.1 seed Madison Keys in three sets to move into the Volvo Car Open round of 16 for the first time.
Shelby Rogers is the talk of the town as she returns to her home, Charleston – catch up with all the social media buzz.
MONTERREY, Mexico – Angelique Kerber cut the ribbon as the Abierto GNP Seguros officially unveiled its brand-new stadium court: Estadio GNP Seguros.
The World No.1 was one of the guests of honour as the crowds were treated to a real show in Monterrey – culminating in a stunning fireworks display.
Kerber opened her campaign on court by beating Francesca Schiavone in three sets, 4-6, 6-0, 6-4.
– All photos courtesy of Abierto GNP Seguros