Tennis News

GSTAAD, Switzerland – Patty Schnyder was set to play first WTA main draw match since 2011 before a rain storm held serve, canceling her scheduled first round encounter with Katerina Siniakova on Tuesday. Nonetheless, the former World No.7 was optimistic about taking her comeback to the next level.

“It all depends,” she told press when asked what she would consider a good week. “If I play a great match in the first round, and my opponent plays an even better one – because they can all say – why couldn’t I call that a good week? But obviously I feel ready and I want to win the match once I step on the court. I’d feel the same way with a quarterfinal.”

Schnyder made a tentative return to tennis last summer by playing a series of ITF Challenger tournaments, and was offered a wildcard to play qualifying at the Volvo Car Open, a tournament she’d twice finished runner-up in 2002 and 2006.

“There’ve been challenges everywhere, every week I go, I find challenges. I’m not really watching the rankings too much, and most of the girls, I don’t even know, so I’m just trying to adapt, see how they play and feel good with myself and my tennis.”

Awarded a main draw wild card at the inaugural Ladies Championship Gstaad alongside young countrywoman and junior French Open champion Rebeka Masarova, Schnyder won’t handicap the field too much, opting for a full immersion before analyzing just how much has changed since she was a fixture in the Top 10.

“It’s really hard to tell because I think you can only judge it once you play the girls. It’s not so easy to watch on TV and make a comment. Like I said, I was able to play in the German league, several matches against Top 100 players. I played one that was really physical with Friedsam, and I think it’s going in that direction, with the serve and return really improving.

“The constants, playing the rallies, that feels the same. Maybe I’m missing a bit more than before, but I have to play a few more of these girls to really say something.”

All photos courtesy of Ladies Championship Gstaad.

BUCHAREST, Romania – It was more complicated than she should have liked, but No.1 seed Simona Halep sealed her return to Romania with a win in three sets over Barbora Krejcikova, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the BRD Bucharest Open.

Halep was a champion here in Romania in 2014, when she sealed her breakthrough run to the French Open final with a hometown win at the Bucharest Open’s first staging. This year she’s put her Wimbledon quarterfinal loss behind her to seek another victory on familiar soil, although she admitted the transition between surfaces gave her trouble.

“It was not easy because the game on grass is so different. The rhythm is different,” she said after the match. “So I had just to adapt a little bit, to adjust my game a little bit to this clay court. But finally it was a great chance to feel the rhythm and comeback to win this match.”

Despite the vocal partisan support, Romania’s favorite daughter started out sluggish in the opening set. She looked to be in trouble early on as one of her usually-reliable forehands drifted wide to give Krejcikova an opening break of serve and quickly go up 3-0.

The 20-year-old Krejcikova showed her nerves while serving for the opening set at 5-3, a pair of back to back double faults from the Czech keeping Halep alive before a wide forehand gave her break point. Krejcikova fought her off and finally took the opening set on her fourth try.

Halep found her rhythm in the second set, though, and once she got going it was hard to stop her. She finally scored her first break of the match and roared ahead to a 2-0 lead. Although Krejcikova managed to get a break back, it wasn’t enough to stem the tide.

Halep reeled off the next ten of eleven games to seal the comeback, much to her adoring fans’ delight.

“It’s not easy to play in Romania again,” Halep admitted. “At home it’s the most difficult place to play for me. The pressure is very big because you always want to show that you play a good tennis.

“But it was nice as well because everyone was supporting me today. I tried just to forget that I’m home and just play my game.”

Halep is set to face the Bulgarian qualifier Isabella Shiniakova, who also had to battle through in three sets to defeat Kateryna Kozlova 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

No.2 Seed Errani Books Schiavone Battle

Although all eyes were on Halep in her home country, Bucharest’s No.2 seed Sara Errani also served up an emphatic opening round win of her own. She cruised against Aleksandra Krunic, 6-3, 6-2.

A finalist here last year, Errani relished being back playing on her favorite surface. Her strong baseline game gave the No.134-ranked Krunic plenty of trouble as the Italian broke her four times during the match.

Up next for Errani is fellow Italian Francesca Schiavone. Schiavone backed up her Bucharest wildcard against Bulgarian qualifier Elitsa Kostova, although she needed a couple of tries to close out the final set in their almost-two-hour encounter.

After easing through the first set 6-2, Schiavone found herself facing the possibility of going the distance as Kostova held set points at 6-5 on the Italian’s serve. But Schiavone battled back to send the set into a tiebreak before advancing 6-2, 7-6(3).

Unbothered by their impending second round clash, the Italians – longtime friends and Fed Cup teammates – found time to enjoy a few drinks together after a long day of tennis:

Una birra alla faccia tua!! ???? @RobArrivabene @federtennis @SuperTennisTv @Schiavone_Fra @BucharestOpen pic.twitter.com/GZT1w0bV9c

— Sara Errani (@SaraErrani) July 12, 2016

Niculescu, Tig Lead Romanian Charge

All six of the Romanians in the Bucharest Open took to Center Court today, and by the end only three of them advanced. By an unlucky turn of the draw, four of the Romanians ended up facing each other with No.5 seed Monica Niculescu taking on Andreea Mitu and Patricia Maria Tig up against wildcard Ioana Minca.

Niculescu needed exactly one hour and a half to dispatch Mitu in a straightforward 6-2, 6-4 victory that sets up a second round matchup against Turkish trailblazer Cagla Buyukakcay, the No.8 seed.

On the other hand, Tig advanced in a rollercoaster match against Minca, surviving nine breaks of serve and an opening set tiebreak to move on in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-3. She’ll go up against the No.7 seed Anastasija Sevastova, who spoiled the Bucharest crowd’s party when she took out local wildcard Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-4.

Also through to the second round are No.4 seed Laura Siegemund, who dispatched Teliana Pereira 6-2, 6-2, and No.6 seed Danka Kovinic, who cruised against Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska 6-1, 6-0.

– All photos courtesy of BRD Bucharest Open

GSTAAD, Switzerland – UNAIDS has appointed Timea Bacsinszky, top seed at the Ladies Championship Gstaad, as a Global Advocate for Young People.

Bacsinszky will work to ensure that young people have access to the information and services needed to protect themselves from becoming infected with HIV and will encourage young people to get tested for the virus and seek immediate treatment if necessary to keep them alive and well.

“My generation has never known a world without HIV, but we have the power to change this for future generations,” said Bacsinszky. “Ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 will require commitment and perseverance to get the job done and this will only happen if we break down the stigma that still surrounds HIV.

“In tennis we are all equal on court – no matter what our nationality, gender, religion, or sexual orientation is. It is just you and your opponent. The rules of the game are the same for both players. Working with UNAIDS made me realize that in many countries, young people living with HIV/AIDS do not have equal rights and opportunities.

“Oftentimes, young people do not have access to relevant HIV prevention services, voluntary HIV testing, affordable treatment, and high quality care and support services. Or else, the fear of stigma and discrimination discourages them from disclosing their HIV status, which undermines their ability and willingness to access and adhere to treatment.

“If we want to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 we need to change this and I want to be part of that change – by lending my voice to spread the word about the needs of young people most affected by HIV, promoting HIV testing via social media channels and engaging young people in the AIDS response.”

Bacsinszky is supporting the UNAIDS #ProTESTHIV campaign, which encourages young people to become actively involved in promoting HIV testing and linkage to care and treatment services. People can find more information at protesthiv.org.

“Timea Bacsinszky’s energy and dedication on the tennis court are very clear,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “These are valuable qualities that will help to mobilize young people to join the global movement in response to HIV and become the generation to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.”

There are 36.7 million people living with HIV globally, 3.9 million of whom are young people aged 15 to 24. Young people are especially vulnerable to HIV infection. In 2015, there were an estimated 670 000 new HIV infections worldwide among young people aged 15 to 24, with young women accounting for 58% of new infections among this age group.

UNAIDS is the main charitable beneficiary of the Women’s Tennis Association Ladies Championship Gstaad in 2016.

All photos courtesy of the Ladies Championship Gstaad.