Miami: Bethanie Mattek-Sands Vs Katerina Siniakova
The highlights from the first-round matchup between Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Katerina Siniakova.
The highlights from the first-round matchup between Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Katerina Siniakova.
MIAMI, FL, USA – South Florida’s own Monica Puig took to Crandon Park to have fun with the next generation of tennis stars at the Miami Open Kid’s Day.
The Olympic Gold medalist was joined by ASB Classic champion Lauren Davis and ATP stars Jack Sock and Grigor Dimitrov, as well as legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri. Hundreds of kids got the chance to learn tennis from the professionals with interactive drills across eight different stations.
“If you do everything you can and give everything you have, then you’re a winner,” Bollettieri told the kids. “That’s the attitude. No matter the result, you’re a winner.”
Check out the best photos from Miami Open Kids’ Day right here!
– Photos courtesy of the Miami Open
Find out what Madison Keys had to say before the start of her campaign at the Miami Open.
Eugenie Bouchard and Monica Puig will bid for first-round victories on Wednesday at the Crandon Park Tennis Center. We preview the must-see Miami Open matchups right here at wtatennis.com.
Wednesday
First round
Monica Puig (PUR #40) vs. Sorana Cirstea (ROU #65)
Head-to-head: Cirstea leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Puig is bidding for her 10th tour-level win of the season on Wednesday.
Monica Puig will have the chance to take her solid 2017 to the next level at the Miami Open, and that challenge begins with a first-round matchup with Romania’s Sorana Cirstea. It will not be an easy task as Cirstea has defeated Puig in their lone meeting, but the Romanian has now lost five straight since reaching the round of 16 at the Australian Open and she has gone 3-8 lifetime at Miami with losses in her last three matches.
Puig has a semifinal (Doha) and a quarterfinal (Acapulco) to her name this season, but the Puerto Rican is still searching for a follow-through to her breakout Gold Medal performance at last year’s Olympics. Could it happen this year in Miami, where Puig has only won two previous matches but will no doubt receive a warm reception from her fans?
Pick: Puig in three
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN #56) vs. [WC] Ashleigh Barty (AUS #91)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Ashleigh Barty is the only player in 2017 to win the singles and doubles title at the same event, doing so at Kuala Lumpur.
Eugenie Bouchard had a relatively promising start to 2017 that saw her reach a semifinal at Sydney and advance to the third round at the Australian Open. But since then the Canadian has lost three straight. She’ll look to get her season on track again when she meets one of the surprising stories of 2017 in Australia’s Ashleigh Barty.
Barty has already doubled her 2016 tour-level win total and she claimed her first career title at Kuala Lumpur where she qualified before reeling off five straight victories. Bouchard will have her hands full with the upwardly mobile Aussie and she’ll have to be sharp with her passing game, as she’ll be contending with frequent forays to the net from Barty.
Pick: Bouchard in three
Ajla Tomjlanovic (CRO #594) vs. CiCi Bellis (USA #55)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Bellis reached the third round on her Miami Open debut in 2015.
Ajla Tomljanovic made her inspiring return to tennis after a year on the sidelines due to a shoulder injury by defeating Eugenie Bouchard in her first match in over a year at Acapulco. Since then she has lost two in a row but the good news for the powerful 23-year-old is that she’s finally in good health again and ready to start improving her ranking and fulfilling her vast potential on tour. But Tomjlanovic will have to contend with one of the feistiest young players in the game to get a win in Miami when she faces 17-year-old CiCi Bellis, who reached the third round as a 15-year-old Wildcard here in 2015.
Bellis started her season late due to a lower body injury but the California native reached the quarterfinals at Dubai in her first event, notching her first career Top 10 win over Agnieszka Radwanska in the process. Is Tomljanovic ready to contend with the all-out intensity of Bellis, or will it be Bellis who notches another impressive win in this young season?
Pick: Bellis in three
Lucie Safarova (CZE #36) vs. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL #67)
Head-to-head: Safarova leads, 2-1
Key Stat: Safarova has gone 4-4 against players ranked outside the Top 50 at Miami.
Lucie Safarova will look to continue her climb back up the WTA rankings in a place that has given her significant trouble in recent years. The Czech has lost six of her last seven matches at the Miami Open and has never been beyond the third round in eleven career main draw appearances.
On Wednesday she’ll look to exact some revenge on the woman that knocked her out of last year’s draw, Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer. Safarova has already slipped by the Belgian once this year, defeating her in three sets at the Australian Open, but Wickmayer is a former quarterfinalist at Miami that also owns win over Kim Clijsters and Timea Bacsinszky at the event.
Pick: Safarova in two
By the Numbers:
1-4 – Eugenie’s lifetime record at Miami. The Canadian has lost four straight decisions here.
2016 – Though she fell in her first match last year, Lucie Safarova did claim the doubles title with Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
5 – Ashleigh Barty is one of five WTA players to have claimed a maiden title in 2017. Lauren Davis (Auckland), Katerina Siniakova (Shenzhen), Elise Mertens (Hobart) and Kristina Mladenovic (St. Petersburg) are the other four.
Check out Eugenie Bouchard’s attempts to play virtual tennis!
MIAMI, FL, USA – Simona Halep comes to the Miami Open ready to get back on the treadmill. And that’s not just a metaphor for the tour’s non-stop grind.
“Yesterday was the first day after two months that I was on the treadmill, so I’m really happy,” a spirited Halep told press during All-Access Hour. “I can train hard; I already played two hours today with no pain.
“I’m happy about that and I’m much better than last week.”
The Romanian has struggled with health issues at the start of her last two seasons, and feels the experience will ultimately prove beneficial – especially as the year wears on.
“I’ve learned that I have to protect my body more to prevent injuries, and do certain exercises for that. After having to do them every day, I’m already sick of them, but I have to keep doing them. It’s a routine, and routine is hard to maintain at this level, but if it helps me, I won’t stop.”
The former No.2 is nonetheless eager to get into her Miami routine; the former semifinalist has good memories of the last big hardcourt event before the clay swing starts.
“I don’t remember my first time in Miami, maybe five-six years ago. I like the weather; it’s perfect here. I like to be here; it’s a great tournament. Everyone is here, boys and girls, so it’s good that it’s mixed.
“I enjoy my time, and I’m enjoying it even more because I’m healthy and I can play. I’m just trying my best every moment.”
Halep is set to rejoin a tour that has already seen some seismic shifts, and has tried to keep up with the latest impact players during her time off.
“I’m watching matches when I’m in the room and have nothing to do, when I’ve finished my work on the courts. I like watching tennis, but I can’t say I get into it too much; I just watch for fun.”
Most striking for the Romanian has been Elena Vesnina’s stunning run to the BNP Paribas Open title, an achievement that has helped her reassess her own opinions on how long she plans to keep playing.
“Elena played really good and she’s a great player. She’s won Grand Slams in doubles, so she’s right there. She’s also over 30, so the players at that age are playing much better than before. So I still have some time, no?
“For the last year, I’ve started to think that I have many years ahead. That makes me feel more relaxed, but I’m trying to take it easy. At the beginning of my career, I’d say 28, last year I said 30. Now I’m thinking more like 32.”
Halep may be putting off a drive into the sunset, but she’s already settled on her vehicle of choice, becoming the new Romanian ambassador for Mercedes Benz
“I have weird passions. I love watches and cars. Maybe that’s a little bit weird, but I love cars, and I’m really happy with this partnership.”
She begins her tournament against Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka; the pair last played at the French Open, where the No.3 seed won in three sets.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Check out Kirsten Flipkens’ shot of the day at the Miami Open!
MIAMI, FL, USA – Newly-minted World No.1 Angelique Kerber has officially reclaimed her spot at the top of the WTA rankings on Monday, a day before the Miami Open kicks off and where she’ll also be the No.1 seed for the first time.
But the big question for former World No.1 Chrissie Evert is how Kerber will cope with the pressures of having the target on her back once again.
Kerber is still searching for her first title of 2017 after falling in the fourth round of Indian Wells to eventual champion Elena Vesnina. The German went into the match leading 4-1 in their head-to-head record, but started off flat and allowed Vesnina to dictate the rallies, a contrast to the game she showed during her run to two Grand Slam titles last year.
She’s also yet to defeat a Top 20 player in 2017, falling to Elina Svitolina twice (Brisbane, No.14; Dubai, No.13) and later Vesnina (No.15).
“For me it’s nothing really to do with the physicality of her game,” Evert said in an ESPN phone call. “It’s not that the game is not there, the same game that she won the Australian Open with and the US Open with.
“I think it’s all in her head, and it is a big adjustment to have that No.1 bullseye on your back and to continue to play with the fearlessness that it took for her to get there. She went out of the box in big matches that she won last year; she took more chances. She played more fearless tennis. She went for more shots. She went for bigger serves. She went for bigger second serves.
“She really, to me, this year has gone back into the type of tennis she played two years ago when she was Top 5 in the world, but not No.1.”
Evert drew a comparison between Kerber and the resurgent Caroline Wozniacki – who’s added a bit more aggression to her counterpunching game to help her climb back on top following an injury-riddled 2016 season and consecutive slide down the rankings.
“She has to do what Wozniacki is trying to do now: taking a few more risks and being a little more aggressive,” Evert explained. “Those two, I see their games similar as far as their unbelievable defense and counterpunching, and it goes against their nature to really wind up and to attack right from the start. But they’ve got to learn to do that a little bit more.”
Evert, who was the year-ending World No.1 singles player in 1974-1978 and 1980-1981 and held on to the ranking for a total of 260 weeks, had some words of advice for what it would take for the German to regain her fearlessness.
“[Kerber] has to get back that aggressive mentality, and she’s got to really force it on herself because she’s not going to be No. 1 until she plays like she did at the US Open and like she did in Australia.
“The tennis is there, but she’s got to get back into that frame of mind, and she’s got to work on that. Only she can do it. You can listen to a thousand people or the best coaches in the world, but only she has to come to terms with that.”
– Photos courtesy of Getty Images
Find out who the highest WTA rankings mover is after the BNP Paribas Open.
MIAMI, FL, USA – It was a personal milestone for Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella on Tuesday, as the 31-year-old won her first-ever main draw match at a Premier Mandatory event, defeating Kristyna Pliskova, 7-6(4), 5-7, 7-5 in the first round at the Miami Open.
“I knew it was going to be a tough match,” she told WTA Insider after the match. “I’ve played her once or twice before, and I knew she serves really well. She goes for her shots, and I struggled to return her first serve. It was a tough match and big battle. I’m really happy I won it in the end.”
Playing in her first-ever main draw in Miami in her fourth career appearance, Minella showed few signs of nerves in the early going. The World No.74 broke Pliskova at her first opportunity in the second game, taking a 3-0 lead at the first change of ends, later extending her lead to 5-2 with a pair of holds without allowing Pliskova a break point chance.
Outrageous way to save match point from @KrisPliskova! ? #MiamiOPen pic.twitter.com/I5Lk2RtPzX
— WTA (@WTA) March 21, 2017
However, the Czech staged a late comeback, breaking Minella as she served for the set and delivering an emphatic love hold to knot the set at 5-5. She held to love once more to force a first-set tiebreak, but Minella proved more effective on return as the tiebreak wore on. Neutralizing the left-hander’s delivery and winning four points on Pliskova’s serve in the tiebreak, Minella secured the 59-minute opener as one final Pliskova backhand went long.
“I’ve been really good physically lately. I’m in good shape and can last for long matches. That’s a good point in my favor. I struggled a little bit today because it was quite hot and there was a lot of running. The balls are quite heavy, so that means there’ll be a lot of rallies. It was definitely tough out there today.”
After managing to win just two points on Minella’s serve to begin the second set, Pliskova secured the break in a sixth game which saw her dig in at deuce to move ahead 4-2. However, Minella hit right back in the next, passing Pliskova twice at the net en route to an emphatic break that got the set back on serve. Neither player had a look at a break point again until the final game of the set, in which Pliskova took advantage of a trio of Minella double faults to square the match at one set all.
.@MandyMinella battles past Kristyna Pliskova 7-6(4), 5-7, 7-5!
Sets @MiamiOpen Second round vs @SvetlanaK27! pic.twitter.com/AQpf69rGBM
— WTA (@WTA) March 21, 2017
Playing a deciding set for the first time in three meetings, the duo traded breaks twice in the final set before Minella secured her third game off the Pliskova serve to put her in position to serve for the match. As the contest hit the two-hour, 30-minute mark, Minella brought up three match points on serve, only to see the Czech storm back and win the next five to level the match at 5-5, courtesy of some brilliant shot-making.
However, Minella kept her cool in the midday sun, breaking for a fourth time in the set and sealing the match on her fourth match point, closing out the two-hour, 38-minute victory as Pliskova’s final backhand return found the net.
“It’s good to start the season in this positive way; it gives you confidence for upcoming tournaments. I think I’m still on a roll, enjoying my tennis. I’m enjoying my matches and the traveling. I think that’s the reason I’ve been playing good, and because I love my sport.”
Minella, who improves to 3-0 lifetime against the left-handed Pliskova, advances to the second round where she’ll face No. 7 seed and BNP Paribas Open runner-up, Svetlana Kuznetsova.
“I think it’ll be really hard because she’s in great shape. She was in the Indian Wells final last week, and so I think she’s going to be ready. I’ll try my best to play as good as I can; I will fight, and will just try to do my best.”
The veteran has enjoyed a strong start to her season, reaching the semifinals of the Taiwan Open, but credits a career turn around by winning her first WTA 125K title in Bol, Croatia.
“Bol was where everything changed for me. I’d had some really miserable results up to that point, and I was about to stop my career at Wimbledon. I think I just relaxed and enjoyed being there. The city was fantastic; they had a nice hotel with a spa, and the sea was quiet. I really enjoyed it there, and it helped me play good enough to win my first title over there. It’ll always be in my memories for a long time.”