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Spotted: Serena & Venus Hit Stanford

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

STANFORD, CA, USA – World No.1 Serena Williams might not be in the draw at the Bank Of The West Classic, but she’s never too far away from the action. Eagle-eyed fans who turned up to top seed Venus Williams’ practice session got a treat as she was joined on court by her younger sister.

Venus started out the day the way she normally does at a new tournament: hitting the practice courts. The No.1 seed hit a few balls as she warmed up on center court ahead of her opening match tomorrow.

But who was there on the sidelines, keeping a close eye on her older sister’s practice session and dance break?

After a quick warmup of her own, Serena decided to join in on the action and hit the tennis court herself as the Williams sisters tuned up their doubles.

You can watch every minute of Venus and Serena’s impromptu training session in Stanford right here. Check out the full live stream courtesy of Stanford and Tennis On Facebook:

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Notes & Netcords: July 18, 2016

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

THE WINNERS

Top seed Simona Halep was nearly flawless in the final of the BRD Bucharest Open, putting on a clay court masterclass in her 6-0, 6-0 win against Anastasija Sevastova to claim her second hometown title in three years.

“I am very happy, especially because I won like this,” Halep said. “I was very strong, I was confident and I can also say I was determined from the very beginning.

“It was a beautiful final and it’s also my 13th title. I will never forget this day.”

Read the match recap here.

Over in the Swiss Alps, local favorite Viktorija Golubic capped off a dream week by winning her first WTA title at the inaugural Ladies Championship Gstaad. Golubic defeated Kiki Bertens 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after a two-hour battle to claim the title in her home country.

Earlier in the year, Golubic’s performance at the Ricoh Open turned heads when she reached her first ever WTA-level quarterfinals. Now just over a month later, the 23-year-old has claimed her first WTA title.

“Yeah, it’s really amazing,” Golubic reflected on her meteoric rise. “In March, I qualified for Katowice and won one round – that was the first time in more than a year that I qualify for a WTA event. In ‘s-Hertogenbosch, I played quarterfinals. That was such a new experience too.

“From that point on I improved even more, and to be here now as a winner is really incredible and amazing feeling.”

Read the match recap here.

RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of July 18, 2016.

Viktorija Golubic (SUI) +33 (No.105 to 72): Golubic’s performance at the Ladies Championship Gstaad earned her a maiden WTA title in front of her home crowd, as well as this week’s biggest ranking jump. The 23-year-old now sits at a career-high of No.72.

Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) +17 (No.66 to 49): Despite the lopsided score line in the Bucharest final,

Kiki Bertens (NED) +5 (No.26 to 21): Golubic’s opponent in the Gstaad final also notched a big ranking jump this week. Bertens continues her steady climb with a new career-high of No.21, a hair away from breaking into the Top 20 for the first time.

Timea Bacsinszky (SUI), +2 (No.17 to 15): Another deep run – this time to the semifinals at her home tournament in Gstaad – bumps up Bacsinszky two spots to No.15.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

Bank Of The West Classic
Standford, USA
Premier | $687,900 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, July 18 – Sunday, July 24

Citi Open
Washington DC, USA
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, July 18 – Sunday, July 24

Ericsson Open
Bastad, Sweden
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, July 18 – Sunday, July 24

Rogers Cup
Montreal, Canada
Premier | $2,413,663 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, July 25 – Sunday, July 31

Brasil Tennis Cup
Florianopolis, Brazil
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoor
Sunday, July 31 – Friday, August 5

Jiangxi Women’s Tennis Open
Nanchang, China
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoor
Monday, August 1 – August 7

TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Serena Williams – Montreal
2. Angelique Kerber – Bastad, Montreal
3. Garbiñe Muguruza – Montreal
4. Agnieszka Radwanska – Montreal
5. Simona Halep – Montreal
6. Victoria Azarenka
7. Venus Williams – Stanford, Montreal
8. Roberta Vinci – Montreal
9. Carla Suárez Navarro – Montreal
10. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Montreal
11. Madison Keys – Montreal
12. Dominika Cibulkova – Stanford, Montreal
13. Petra Kvitova – Montreal
14. Samantha Stosur – Washington DC, Montreal
15. Timea Bacsinszky –
16. Belinda Bencic – Montreal
17. Karolina Pliskova – Montreal
18. Johanna Konta – Stanford – Montreal
19. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – Stanford, Montreal
20. Elina Svitolina – Montreal

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:

Teliana Pereira (BRA) – July 20, 1988
Luksika Kumkhum (THA) – July 21, 1993

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Schmiedlova Returns To Winning Ways

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BASTAD, Sweden – A relieved Anna Karolina Schmiedlova returned to winning ways with a straight set victory over Susanne Celik in the first round of the Ericsson Open on Monday afternoon.

Watch live action from Bastad, Stanford and Washington DC this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Schmiedlova’s 6-1, 6-3 win was her first at a WTA event since January and sets up a second-round meeting with either Katerina Siniakova and Jana Cepelova.

“I’m really happy that I won because I lost, I don’t know how many – I didn’t count – maybe 15 matches in a row, so it’s a special feeling and I’m very happy,” Schmiedlova said.

“It was a good match. She played well – I didn’t know her very well as I hadn’t played her – and I think she can be a good player. But I’m really happy that I won, even thought I was a little bit nervous at the end.”

If Schmiedlova was feeling pressure at the end, she masked it well, reeling off the final three games to close out a morale-boosting victory. Having lost so matches – many from commanding positions – the overriding feeling after finally making it across the line was of relief.

“I’ve been playing better the past weeks. I also played well at Roland Garros – I lost against Muguruza, but it was three sets and I really felt good. Also last week [in Bucharest] I lost from match point up, so I’ve already played tough matches and maybe today I was a little bit more experienced than her at this level,” she added.

Elsewhere in the top half of the draw, Karina Knapp defeated Denisa Allertova, 6-2, 6-4. Meanwhile, in the final round of qualifying, there were wins for Katerina Siniakova, Kateryna Kozlova, Lucie Hradecka, Jana Cepelova and Sara Sorribes Tormo.

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10 Things: Stanford, Washington DC, Bastad

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Every week on wtatennis.com we bring you 10 Things To Know about the week – who is playing, where and much more. This week the Road To Singapore goes through Stanford, Washington DC and Bastad…

1. Vintage Venus Williams is Stanford top seed.
No.1 seed Venus Williams, two-time champion (2000, 2002) and five-time runner-up (1998-1999, 2004-2005, 2009) at Stanford is back in action after coming off a semifinal finish at Wimbledon.

2. Newlywed Dominika Cibulkova seeks a second crown…
2013 Champion and No.2 seed Dominika Cibulkova is back to earth after her fairytale fortnight at Wimbledon. She’s looking to make another deep run in Stanford, following a nine-match winning streak by clinching the title at Eastbourne and reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

3. …while British No.1 Johanna Konta makes her Stanford debut.
At this time last year, Britain’s Johanna Konta was ranked in the 120s and playing ITF events leading up to her big breakthrough later in the fall. Now, she sits at a career-high ranking of No.18 and is making her Stanford debut.

4. Kerber makes her Bastad comeback…
World No.2 Angelique Kerber returns to Bastad for the first time in five years. The German is coming off her second Grand Slam final appearance at Wimbledon. She gets Swedish wildcard Cornelia Lister in the first round.

5. … but three former champions are also back in the hunt.
Three former Bastad finalists are back in this year’s main draw: Mona Barthel (2014 champion, 2015 runner-up), Polona Hercog (2011, 2012 champion), Johanna Larsson (2011, 2013 runner-up, 2015 champion).

6. And Kiki Bertens is still red hot.
No.3 seed Kiki Bertens will be looking to continue her clay-court success in Bastad, as the 24-year-old Dutch woman won her second WTA title at Nurnberg before reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros. She’s also fresh off a run to the final in Gstaad.

7. Cagla Buyukakcay looks to make her mark.
Turkey’s No.1 Buyukakcay is one to watch in Bastad: she won her first WTA career singles title at her home tournament in Istanbul this year, also qualifying her for her first Grand Slam main draw at Roland Garros, reaching the second round

8. Can Sloane Stephens make it four?
Defending champion and No.2 seed Sloane Stephens returns to Washington DC where she captured her first WTA title in 2015. Now, the American has won three more titles – Auckland, Acapulco and Charleston – all this year. Can Stephens defend her title and make it four titles in 2016?

9. Another young American looms in the draw…
Unseeded Shelby Rogers is sitting at a career-high ranking of No.59 after reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Roland Garros, where she took out three seeds (No.17 Pliskova, No.10 Kvitova, No.25 Begu).

10) Find out where you can watch live action this week.

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Fearless Golubic Grabs Gstaad

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

GSTAAD, Switzerland – Local favorite Victorija Golubic capped off a dream week by winning her first WTA title at the inaugural Ladies Championship Gstaad. Golubic defeated Kiki Bertens 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after a two-hour battle to claim the title in her home country.

More to come…

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Halep Battles Into Bucharest Final

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

BUCHAREST, Romania – Simona Halep reached her first final since early May with a hard-fought three set win over Vania King at the BRD Bucharest Open.

Watch live action from Bucharest this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Two years ago, Halep triumphed at the inaugural staging of the tournament, and she stayed on course for a second title on home soil with a 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3 victory.

“I felt the audience’s support, they were wonderful, keeping in mind that I lost the first set, they were more and more energetic. It was good, they motivated me and I fought every ball, and that helped me win tonight,” Halep said.

Competing in the semifinals of a WTA event for the first time in two years, King recovered from a slow start to take the first set and stun the partisan crowd. Things went from bad to worse for the Romanian at the start of the second set, King rifling a backhand down the line to earn two chances for an immediate break. She only needed one, this time the forehand wing doing the damage.

The American followed this up with a gutsy hold, but could not hold onto the initiative, Halep forcing the match the distance by taking the final three games of the set.

Now bossing the baseline exchanges for the first time, Halep turned the screw at the start of the third set, duly building a 4-1 lead. King battled gamely to the end, reducing her arrears to 4-3, before Halep made it across the finishing line thanks to one final push.

“I think I was a little stronger mentally, more powerful in the game, I was more focused in the important balls and I won the important ones,” Halep added. “I started dominating the game close to the end, I lost two games when I had 4-1, and that was my fault. But I am happy that I resisted and that I won the following two.

“I was expecting her game to be good, fast and aggressive. I played well and I think it was a beautiful match for everyone.”

In the first semifinal, Anastasija Sevastova saw off No.4 seed Laura Siegemund, 6-3, 6-2, to continue her recent resurgence. Sevastova, who recently reached the final in Mallorca, actually holds a winning record over Halep, although with the most recent of these coming almost five years ago it is unlikely to have too much bearing on Sunday’s showdown.

“I don’t recall those matches, but I know I played against her,” Halep said when asked about her three defeats at the hands of Sevastova. “It’s going to be a tough match – every final is difficult – but I will try to enjoy it as much as possible.

“I’m in another final here in Bucharest and that makes me feel very good. I hope I win, I’m looking forward to it but I expect a difficult match. She has a different game, but I will try not to give up any point, just like today.”

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Henin, Mauresmo Celebrated At ITHF

Henin, Mauresmo Celebrated At ITHF

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEWPORT, RI, USA – The International Tennis Hall of Fame officially welcomed two more WTA legends into the Hall of Fame family as seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin was joined by Class of ’15’s Amélie Mauresmo were honored on Saturday’s Enshrinement Ceremony. Former No.1 Dinara Safina was also on hand to celebrate brother Marat’s own induction into the ITHF.

An Australian Open and Wimbledon champion – both in 2006 – Mauresmo was voted into the Hall of Fame last year, but was unable to attend the ceremony due to the birth of her son, Aaron.

The official enshrinement proved more than worth the wait for the Frenchwoman, who was introduced by former manager and WTA President, Micky Lawler.

“My heart is beating faster than it was on championship point for Amélie’s legendary 2006 Wimbledon title,” she began.

“Amélie’s superior game at the net, her elegance, and ease of movement are greatly missed. Among her unique qualities are her intelligence, her continuous drive for excellence, and her passion for a happy life. She is an extraordinary mom, armed with great compassion and an unmatched sense of humor. Amélie is the Queen of Hearts.

“For those of you who don’t know Amélie: when you call her, you are 100% certain of getting her voicemail with a recording that says, ‘If you’d like to leave a message, fine. But I will never call you back!’ – with great emphasis on ‘jamais.’

“Many who think they know her mistake her so-called ‘nerves’ or ‘uncertain trepidation,’ when in reality, she is first, incredibly respectful of her opponent, and second, as courageous as a lion, and as strong as her beloved little Aaron over there.”

Lawler went on to tell the story of helping align Mauresmo’s unique appeal with Reebok.

“As the No.1 player in the world in 2005, she was playing without a footwear or apparel contract, which is unheard of in our industry – especially if I am the manager. Sitting on that grassy area, I could feel Amélie’s disappointment and sadness by a certain lack of acceptance that was completely unjust. She had done everything right, but felt that the industry didn’t really believe in her.

“Reebok had just launched the campaign, ‘I Am What I Am,’ and that campaign was made for Amélie Mauresmo. With the help and unwavering support of the Reebok team, led by our extraordinary Dianne Hayes, we had Amélie’s beaming face on thousands of buses in Paris. Her smile said to millions of kids, ‘Live your life honestly. Live it fully, and live it with passion. Play to win, work hard, and never give up.'”

Amelie Mauresmo

Mauresmo later took the stage and showed off that signature sense of humor with aplomb.

“You guys can call me; I’ll call you back, don’t worry!

“I’d to thank the Hall of Fame for postponing my induction and giving me the opportunity to be here with you today with my family. I’m a bit late, but it was worth it!

The Frenchwoman closed with an emotional plea for peace in the face of the Bastille Day attack in Nice.

“In Paris, Brussels, Tel Aviv. It has to stop. The only thing we can do to continue to be free, continue to be happy.”

Henin closed the ceremony after being introduced by Monica Seles, the only other woman to capture a hat trick of French Open titles, and the first big name to practice with a then-17-year-old Belgian back in 1999.

“As a fellow competitor of Justine,” Seles said, “what I always respected about her as I watched her rise from a junior to professional is that she never changed as a person. Justine’s journey reveals the power of a single person’s desire to achieve greatness in his or her own way.”

At 5’6″, Henin stood tall as she took the podium to tell her story of watching Seles win the third of her French Open titles, where she defeated Stefanie Graf in 1992.

“At six years old, I grew up in a small village in Belgium. I’d jump up and down on the bed like I won the French Open. But watching these two incredible women fighting with respect, passion, and dedication, it was a wonderful inspiration for me. I turned to my mom and told her that one day, I too would compete for this title.”

Just over a decade later, Henin fulfilled the promise she made to mother, Francoise – who had died of cancer when she was 12 – by defeating compatriot Kim Clijsters in the 2003 Roland Garros final.

“We were very lucky to be there at the same time,” she said earlier in the press conference. “I always say I wouldn’t have been the player I was without Kim. It was challenging being from a small country and being almost the same age. We traveled a lot together when we were young and were pretty close. When we became rivals on the tour, it became more competitive, but the respect was always there.

“Because of and with Kim, I was able to accomplish a lot of things. Seeing her succeed made me think I could do the same. Being No.1 and No.2 from a small country made the story different and made it more beautiful. She pushed me to get better and improve. It made us better players than we might have been.”

Justine Henin

Safina was sitting in the front row of that very press conference as Marat was asked which of the brother-sister tandem was the better tennis player.

“What a stupid question! Of course, sister! Unfortunately, we weren’t so close when we were younger, because when I left for Spain at 14, she was eight. We were seeing each other only at Grand Slams, and it was a real pity that we couldn’t spend so much time together. We didn’t know each other and after a while we didn’t feel like brother and sister at some point because we were separated.

“Now we’re having a great time and finally I get to know her. She had great potential. Too bad she couldn’t make a Grand Slam winner, but she understands tennis much more than me, and she’s a better person.”

All photos courtesy of Kate Whitney Lucey.

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Bertens Ends Bacsinszky's Gstaad Bid

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

GSTAAD, Switzerland – Kiki Bertens upset top seed Timea Bacsinszky on Saturday to end hopes of an all-Swiss final at the Ladies Championship Gstaad.

Two Swiss players have never met in the final of a WTA event, and Bertens ensured this statistic remained intact with a 7-5, 7-6(1) win.

Due to the torrential rain earlier in the week, the weekend began with the completion of the backlogged quarterfinals, Bertens living up to her No.3 seed status by making short work of Irina Khromacheva. However, against Bacsinszky she was made to work considerably harder, coming from a break down in both sets to edge into the third final of her career.

“I think the tournament would have loved two Swiss players in the final – so sorry for that! – but I’m really happy,” Bertens said afterwards. “I think we both played a lot of matches in the last few hours, so physically it’s really tough.”

On the other side of the draw, Viktorija Golubic finally halted the run of teenager Rebeka Masarova, keeping her cool to run out a 6-3, 6-2 winner. Along with the weather, Masarova, who was crowned junior champion in Roland Garros last month, has been the story of the tournament, becoming the first player in nearly four years to reach the semifinals on their WTA main draw debut.

Golubic was also appearing at this advanced stage for the first time and managed the occasion with aplomb, surging into an early lead and never looking back. After fending off the threat of a comeback to take the first set Golubic took a stranglehold of the contest with a break in the fourth game of the second before repeating the trick to close out victory.

“I feel great! It was great to play in an all-Swiss semifinal – and for the popularity of tennis in Switzerland it was also very helpful,” Golubic said. “I enjoyed today, I won two matches and feel amazing. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

“I really did a good job mentally this week because I had lots of moments where I felt my shots were not quite there. And at these moments it’s hard to perform and not lose yourself, so this is definitely the part of my game I managed best this week.”

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