Cagla Buyukakcay's Shot Of The Day
Cagla Buyukakcay has Monday’s shot of the day at the Alya WTA Malaysian Open.
Cagla Buyukakcay has Monday’s shot of the day at the Alya WTA Malaysian Open.
ACAPULCO, Mexico – No.2 seed Kristina Mladenovic made a winning start to her campaign at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, racing past Varvara Lepchenko in straight sets.
Kicking off the opening day action on Cancha Central, the Frenchwoman needed just an hour an fifteen minutes to complete the 6-2, 6-3 victory.
“It felt great to play the first match on Central,” Mladenovic said after the victory. “I was actually really surprised at the schedule, you know, to open up the tournament on the center court.
“It was difficult for me, too, because I arrived just two days ago from Dubai. I’m still a bit jetlagged and it’s totally different conditions here, but I’m just very happy with the win.”
Mladenovic got off to a quick start against the No.91-ranked American, jumping ahead to a 3-0 lead in both sets. Mladenovic played aggressive, positive tennis to keep Lepchenko out of the rallies, hitting a serve out wide and following it up with a booming forehand. She closed out the set with a second break to the Lepchenko serve.
Well-executed drop shot from @KiKiMladenovic! #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/9hXnzArzMf
— WTA (@WTA) February 27, 2017
But the American stood her ground heading into the second, mixing up her game plan to play more aggressively and earn a break back and level the score at 3-3.
Mladenovic stayed positive, and peppered her game with dropshots to grab another break and serve out the match, sealing it with another ace out wide – her fifth ace of the match.
“I was trying to stay tough in my head, just trying to work for every single point, every game. I was just trying to go for it, and Varvara is a tough player as well. Very happy with this first win.”
Up next in the second round Mladenovic will face Heather Watson, who edged past American wildcard Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 7-5, 6-3.
.@HeatherWatson92 beats Mattek-Sands 7-5, 6-3!
Sets @AbiertoTelcel Second round vs @KikiMladenovic! #AMT2017 pic.twitter.com/VbnOMMb5xA
— WTA (@WTA) February 28, 2017
Also through in Acapulco, No.8 Andrea Petkovic faced a tough battle against American qualifier Jamie Loeb, needing to come back from a set down in her 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory.
“I’ve been here for a week already so I’ve been practicing for a long time,” Petkovic said. “I don’t remember the last time I waited this long for a match. So at the beginning I was a bit tight, because also she had been through qualifying here”
“She was playing really fast, and I needed some time to get used to it. In the second and third set – after some rough patches – I think it was pretty good.”
Joining them in the second round will be Shelby Rogers, who moved past her American compatriot Louisa Chirico 6-2, 6-2, and Pauline Parmentier who survived a rollercoaster against Nicole Gibbs to advance 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-2.
An interview with Eugenie Bouchard before the start of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.
No.5 seed Duan Ying-Ying moved into the second round with a hard-fought victory over Zarina Diyas on day one at the Alya WTA Malaysian Open.
An interview with Monica Puig before the start of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.
Sania Mirza, India’s most successful female tennis player, has revealed that she is in discussions over a Bollywood movie based on her life following the publication of her autobiography, Aces Against Odds, last year.
“There are some talks going on, but there’s nothing concrete right now,” the 30-year-old told Al Jazeera in an interview. “I’m a private person, so it is a difficult ask of me to open up completely.”
The 41-time WTA doubles champion also said she was aiming to return to the top of the WTA doubles rankings, a position she last held in at the start of 2017.
“We’re trying to win every tournament, whether it’s a Grand Slam or a regular tournament,” she said. “It would be great to get back to number one in the world, but I was there for almost two years. I feel like I just want to keep working hard and playing as long as I enjoy the pressure of competing.”
Mirza, who won the Brisbane International this year with WTA World No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands, also has six Grand Slam doubles titles to her name. She won the Australian Open last year to go with her 2015 victories at Wimbledon and the US Open, while in mixed doubles she won the Australian Open in 2009, the French Open in 2012 and the US Open in 2014.
Mirza, whose husband is Pakistan international cricketer Shoaib Malik, also spoke about the impact Bollywood can have in giving other sports exposure in a country obsessed with her husband’s game.
“We try to act like we are a sporting nation two months before the Olympics, Asian Games or Commonwealth Games. Until then, nobody really cares. We need to remember that we have champions outside of cricket, as well.
“Most sports don’t get the kind of support, help or viewership that is given to cricket. But because of movies, the whole country realises who these people are. Bollywood is probably the biggest industry that we have. It’s one way to reach out to the masses and, actually, celebrate.”
The story of the tournament from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Months that follow Grand Slams typically don’t feature new tennis fashion releases, but that doesn’t prevent the WTA courts from being stylish.
This February we’ve enjoyed a range of outstanding outfits that had been launched at the Australian Open, but got the true attention they deserve at the tournaments following it.
Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog gives us an overview of the best outfits in February (photos courtesy of Getty Images):
Kristina Mladenovic enjoyed the comfort of the extra light and breathable adidas Melbourne Dress en route to her maiden singles title at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. The slit on the side of the magnificent blue design helped the Frenchwoman move freely during her astonishing 62 winners in the final.
The dress comes paired with coordinating print compression shorts, which match the sun-bleached print insets at the sides of the top, while pops of color are provided by sleek orange spaghetti straps and accessories.
The adidas Adizero Ubersonic 2 shoes supported Mladenovic’s feet as she eliminated Australian Open finalist Venus Williams and defending champion Roberta Vinci from the Premier-level tournament in Russia.
Elina Svitolina rocked both her tennis and her fashion game in the month of February! Wearing this striking black and white Nike outfit, the 22-year-old won two WTA titles and became the first Ukrainian to crack the Top 10.
The performance-packed Nike Spring Print Power Spin Skirt beats the competition with its graphic inspired by the shadows cast on a court. Elastic in Nike Power fabric stretched as Svitolina covered the court and then got back to its original shape to keep the new World No.10 supported, Dri-FIT Technology helped keep her dry and comfortable by wicking sweat away, while inner shorts confidently provided coverage.
A classic white Nike Spring Premier Slam Tank perfectly balanced out the look. Although the design is very simple, the top is made from a well-thought-out engineered mesh with a more open knit pattern in high heat areas.
With designer Stella McCartney keeping her style strong, Caroline Wozniacki could focus on her tennis, playing eleven matches in eleven days and making two WTA Premier finals in a row. The Dane’s adidas Spring Stella McCartney Tank in bold blue offers moisture-wicking performance and super soft feel. The form-fitting top nicely goes with an A-line adidas Spring Stella McCartney Skirt, equipped with Climalite technology, built-in compression shorts and laser-cut hem for increased breathability.
With top-level matches day in and day out, Wozniacki’s feet were helped by the revolutionary foam of the adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade Boost shoes that stored and unleashed energy every time the Dane’s foot hit the ground. With the weather in the desert being anything but favorable this year, Wozniacki also made good use of her aviator-style adidas Spring Stella McCartney Jacket.
Timea Babos came to the inaugural Hungarian Ladies Open without even one singles match win in 2017, but that all changed at her home tournament as the 23-year-old went all the way to the title, sporting Fila’s Sleek Streak collection designed for the urban-chic player.
The Hungarian made her way to the champion’s trophy in style, wearing the Fila Sleek Racerback Tank and the Fila Sleek Insert Skirt, unique for their black/white/ruby rose tie-dye print and color-blocking.
Even though Mona Barthel didn’t go far at February’s tournaments, her Bidi Badu Avril Tech Dress managed to steal my attention with its wonderfully refreshing yellow and pink hues. The ombre effect is executed beautifully, just as the feminine silhouette of the dress.
Vote for your favorite outfit in the poll below!
Check out all the best shots from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The top seeds tried to predict who would sweep Sunday’s Academy Awards to hilarious effect at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Check it out right here!