WTA Stars Make Their Oscar Picks
Check out the top seeds making their Oscar picks at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Check out the top seeds making their Oscar picks at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
With her win at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Elina Svitolina is set to reach a new career-high ranking on Monday, and make a bit of Ukrainian tennis history, too.
DUBAI, UAE – After securing the biggest title of her career at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday night, Elina Svitolina is set to receive an even bigger reward come Monday.
Svitolina will rise from World No.13 to a career-high No.10, making her the first Ukrainian player ever to break the WTA Top 10.
“I’ve dreamed for all my life to be in Top 10,” Svitolina said after the final, where she defeated Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets. “It’s a very amazing feeling to enter Top 10, and do it by winning the tournament! I’m very excited for the season and very excited I could win this tournament.”
The Ukrainian came into the final in Dubai knowing a victory would clinch her Top 10 debut – and the 22-year-old didn’t let the pressure of the occasion overwhelm her.
“It’s big relief that I could win this match, because I knew that if I win this match, I’m gonna be Top 10,” Svitolina told press after the match.
“There was extra pressure. When I was warming up, added even more pressure because they announce it. It didn’t help!”
Svitolina’s milestone comes as no surprise for fans who’ve followed her career: she’s fresh off a title at the Taiwan Open earlier in the season, and with back-to-back Fed Cup wins Svitolina is in the midst of a 12-match winning streak. Last season, Svitolina took home a title at Kuala Lumpur and reached the final at New Haven and the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Svitolina is the 120th player to make her Top 10 debut since the WTA Rankings were introduced on November 3, 1975.
Elina Svitolina had Saturday’s shot of the day at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
DUBAI, UAE – No.7 seed Elina Svitolina took home her second title of 2017 – and the biggest one of her career – at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after defeating 2011 champion Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets.
Playing in her first Premier 5 final, Svitolina showed no sign of nerves as she outhit the former World No.1 to claim the victory 6-4, 6-2 after an hour and 10 minutes.
“It’s very special for me [to win such a big tournament],” Svitolina said in her on-court interview. “I’ve played very amazing tennis this week and I’m happy it happened in Dubai.
“It’s the first trophy for me at such a big tournament, so it’s very special for me.”
“I dreamed for all my life to be in the Top 10” -@ElinaSvitolina pic.twitter.com/T4CooJ6Nw3
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2017
With the title, Svitolina will rise from WTA No.13 to No.10, making her the 120th player to make her Top 10 debut since the WTA Rankings were introduced on November 3, 1975.
“I’ve dreamed for all my life to be in Top 10. It’s a very amazing feeling to enter Top 10, and do it by winning the tournament! I’m very excited for the season and very excited I could win this tournament.”
The 22-year-old Ukrainian entered the matchup against Wozniacki with a 1-0 lead in the pair’s head-to-head record, with their only meeting coming last year in Miami where Svitolina came within two points of defeat before winning 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(1).
This time in Dubai, it was a more comprehensive affair, with Svitolina injecting pace into her groundstrokes to break down Wozniacki’s rock-solid defense.
.@ElinaSvitolina captures @DDFTennis Title!
Defeats Wozniacki 6-4, 6-2! pic.twitter.com/TA3LibF8zn
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2017
A pair of inch-perfect passing shots left Wozniacki wrong-footed and gave Svitolina the lone break in the first set at 3-2. But the Dane refused to fade away, batting away a pair of Svitolina set points at 5-4 with some bold tennis – including a second-serve ace – to force the Ukrainian to serve it out.
Wozniacki let three break points slip by that would have leveled the score, and instead Svitolina held serve from 0-40 down to take the opening set.
Svitolina continued her momentum into the final set; after trading breaks to start, Svitolina played more aggressive to chip away at Wozniacki’s defense as the Dane’s unforced error count continued to build. Svitolina rattled off the last five games in a row to close out the match and biggest title of her career.
“It’s been a good two weeks, @DDFTennis is a special tournament for me.” -@CaroWozniacki pic.twitter.com/xVVyG0fmXK
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2017
Despite the disappointing loss, Wozniacki is taking away positive signs from her Middle East fortnight, which saw her reach back-to-back finals.
“It’s been a good two weeks for me – two finals, lots of matches,” Wozniacki said in her on-court interview. “Making another final here [in Dubai] is definitely great, and I’m already excited to be back.”
Another piece of good news for Wozniacki? The Dane is inching closer to her return to the WTA Top 10: with her run to the final she’ll move to No.14, and is defending just 145 points until the US Open.
Elina Svitolina takes on Caroline Wozniacki in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
DUBAI, UAE – No.2 seeds and Olympic Gold medalists Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina came through multiple rain delays and a thrilling match tie-break to knock out Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai – next week’s top-ranked team on the Road to Singapore leaderboard – 6-2, 4-6, 10-7 to each win their first title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
“Winning the trophy like here in Dubai, it’s very prestigious,” Vesnina said after the match. “It’s the first time we played final here. We were just passing by the corridor, and we saw the trophy. We were just really pleased with the result, because winning such a big title, it’s always giving us some confidence, some positive emotions.”
The Russians reunited last spring after nearly a year apart due to Makarova’s lower leg injury, and quickly resumed being one of the game’s top teams, not only taking home gold at the Olympic tennis event but also winning the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
The players are back off court following another shower ☔️ #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/C3CoXRcS0l
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2017
Playing their second final of the season after finishing runner-up at the Brisbane International to eventual No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sania Mirza, Makarova and Vesnina enjoyed a bright start to what became a stormy day in Dubai, racing through the opening set behind three breaks of serve.
“At the beginning of the match we felt really good rhythm. We felt we were kind of controlling the game, even knowing that they’re really good players.”
.@KateMakarova1 lets unleashes the forehand! #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/U5SIGY1Qwp
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2017
The first set and a half featured intermittent rain delays, but a heavier pattern set in at 3-3, sending the two teams off court for over an hour. Hlavackova and Peng emerged much stronger after the break – tapping into the form that helped them reach the Australian Open final – and twice broke serve to level the match.
“After these rain delays, it was too much of the rain delays, to be honest. I think everyone would lose their rhythm. Even Roger [Federer], I think, would lose his rhythm after this kind of on-and-off, on-and-off!
“And they came back to the game, you know. They had pretty good games on their serves. Then we were just a little bit tight. On one game after the rain delay, I think I didn’t hit one ball with the center of my racquet. I was just missing the volleys. I felt like I don’t see the ball. I need the glasses.”
.@EVesnina001 /@KateMakarova1 are on top in the super tiebreak! #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/4IRzoauw5k
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2017
A tense sudden death followed; even as the No.2 seeds forged ahead, the Czech/Chinese duo were never far behind, saving a pair of championship points before ultimately succumbing after two hours and 13 minutes.
What a lob from @EVesnina001 to bring up championship point! #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/a6q0Xdcff0
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2017
The Russians played with imperious aggression throughout, hitting 27 winners – including a stunning lob from Vesnina to set up their slew of match points – to just 13 from the No.6 seeds, who were ultimately undone by their second serve, off which they won three of 22 points.
.@EVesnina001 /@KateMakarova1 win @DDFTennis Doubles title!
Defeat Hlavackova / Peng 6-2, 4-6, [7]-[10]! pic.twitter.com/PHk7xoMoWw
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2017
The title in Dubai is Makarova and Vesnina’s ninth as a pair, including two Grand Slam trophies at the French Open and US Open in 2013 and 2014.
“Well, it’s a good start, and we are playing good tennis in doubles, especially this tournament,” Makarova said. “Every match was pretty good doubles tennis, you know, and we were really enjoying how we play, and even it was a deciding tiebreak before. But we will play, of course, big tournaments and hope it will go well.”
Elina Svitolina talks through her win in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
An interview with Caroline Woznaicki after her loss in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
BUDAPEST, Hungary – No.1 seed Timea Babos has seen her best tennis flourish in front of her home crowd in Budapest at the Hungarian Ladies Open, and during her semifinal clash against Julia Goerges there was a special guest sitting front row to take it all in – former World No.1 Monica Seles.
“It was a really big moment for me and I was very honored,” Babos told wtatennis.com after the match.
“It’s amazing, you know we don’t have very many huge Hungarian tennis players, and Monica has a Hungarian background – for her to be here today, on the Hungarian National Day of Tennis, watching us, it was really great.”
Seles, who won nine Grand Slam titles during her storied career, liked what she saw from the 23-year-old Hungarian No.1.
“I think ‘Timi’ has got a bright future ahead of her,” she said. “She played very well under very tough conditions today, there’s so much pressure on her and so many expectations.
“She hasn’t played well coming into this tournament, so for her to break through and really play the best tennis so far of the year here in her hometown of Budapest, is just really huge.”
It’s been four years since a WTA tournament was contested in Hungary, and this year’s edition will see the No.1 seed Babos take on the No.2 seed Lucie Safarova in the final.
“This is really a dream final for the tournament, and for it to happen in its first year just shows how much strength the WTA has,” Seles said. “I always enjoy coming back here [to Hungary] and I’m very excited there’s a WTA event now here. And that we have Timi in the final, it’s great for the first year of the tournament.”
“I hope the crowds can keep coming here to support her even more and make tennis very popular here so the tournament can keep growing.”
– Photos courtesy of Hungarian Ladies Open