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Can Azarenka Regain Aussie Ascendancy?

Can Azarenka Regain Aussie Ascendancy?

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2015

At the start of 2015, former No.1 Victoria Azarenka began her comeback from injuries at the site of some of her career’s greatest successes. Besides rival Serena Williams, Azarenka is the only active woman to have won the Australian Open more than once, both titles coming in back-to-back years (2012, 2013) – defeating former (and future) champions Maria Sharapova and Li Na in each final.

“I love the energy of people here,” she said after winning her second round match in Melbourne. “I think the whole country is like sport nation. They really love sport.

“It’s also the first Grand Slam of the year. What the tournament has been doing to improve is very, very impressive. I think you feel very excited every time you come here to play.”

How far does her love for Australia go?

“I don’t know,” she said, addding, “I guess like I’m going to adopt an Aussie kid or something like that.”

Her return to the Happy Slam was a mixed bag in 2015; beginning the tournament with a bang, she took out a trio of dangerous opposition in Sloane Stephens, then-World No.8 Caroline Wozniacki, and Barbora Strycova before losing a thrilling fourth round encounter with Dominika Cibulkova, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

“I think there are a lot of the positive things to take from here,” she told press after her loss. “It’s a good start. There was some good quality of tennis today, even though the result is not the one that I wanted and not what I was looking for.

“But I need to be realistic a little bit and keep working hard and try to sharpen my game. I need to be more consistent and I need to be able to take my opportunities when I have them.

“Overall, I can be pretty happy. But I’m such a perfectionist that I don’t want to be satisfied.”

That drive for perfection took her through some dramatic matches with Williams at the Mutua Madrid Open – where she held multiple match points – and the next two major tournaments at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Azarenka finally reached a major quarterfinal at the US Open, only to come out on the losing end yet again, this time to World No.2 Simona Halep, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

“I don’t usually get [the best players] when they are in the bad form,” she said in Flushing. “Usually they play really well against me.”

Still, Azarenka plays quite well herself, and should she remain healthy, she will certainly be one to watch heading into her favorite major tournament.

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Watson splits with coach Veronelli

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2015

British number two Heather Watson has parted company with her Argentine coach Diego Veronelli.

The 23-year-old from Guernsey appointed Veronelli in December 2013, but he is no longer able to commit to spending up to 40 weeks a year on the road.

Veronelli, 36, moved from Florida back to Buenos Aires earlier this year to be with his young family.

Watson, the world number 55, won her second WTA tour title at the Hobart International in January.

Veronelli, a former world number 150, had notable success in guiding Watson back inside the world’s top 50 for a time, after she had slipped down the rankings following a bout of glandular fever in 2013.

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How Many Majors Will Serena Win In 2016?

How Many Majors Will Serena Win In 2016?

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2015

It’s been an historic 2015 season for Serena Williams, highlighted by another three Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, bringing her career haul to an impressive 21.

It’s the third-most all-time, male or female, after Margaret Court’s 24 and Steffi Graf’s 22.

And as we keep moving through the off-season, Williams keeps piling on the accolades – not only did she secure the WTA Year-End World No.1 Singles Ranking presented by Dubai Duty Free for the fifth time, and not only was she voted WTA Player Of The Year for the seventh time, but this week she became the first woman this millennium to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson Of The Year.

“This year was spectacular for me,” she Instagrammed Monday. “For Sports Illustrated to recognize my hard work, my dedication, and my sheer determination gives me hope to continue on and do better. As I always say, it takes a village – it’s not just one person. This is not just an accomplishment for me, but for my whole team. I am beyond honored. I love you guys! 2016? #letsdoit.”

And once the WTA stars hit the tennis courts in the Asia-Pacific again in a few weeks, Williams will have her eyes back on the biggest prizes – the Grand Slams, beginning with the Australian Open.

Can Williams catch Graf and Court in 2016? Tell us what you think – cast your vote below!

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No plans to retire yet, says Federer

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2015

Roger Federer, the 17-time Grand Slam singles champion, does not intend to retire after next year’s Olympics.

The Swiss will turn 35 during the Rio Games, where he will play in the singles and mixed doubles, although he has not decided on the doubles.

“I’ve planned all of 2016, you know all the way through the Rio Olympics and beyond,” he said.

“No plans to retire yet. I don’t have a definite date even though that would help to make things easier to plan.”

Federer, who has been competing in the International Premier Tennis League in India, added: “I’m looking forward to next year.

“The Australian Open is obviously a big goal for me. And after that it’s going to be a long, tough year.

“So I’m happy I’m feeling fine physically and in good shape and of course, like I say so many times I hope I’m still on tour for a while.”

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Celebs Are Praising Serena Williams

Celebs Are Praising Serena Williams

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2015

Serena Williams is the fourth tennis player ever to be named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson Of The Year, after Billie Jean King, Chris Evert and Arthur Ashe. It’s an historic moment to say the least.

Here’s the announcement tweet from Sports Illustrated that started it all on Monday morning…

Williams, who won three of the four Grand Slams this year, shared her thoughts shortly afterwards:

And the rest of the Twittersphere – including the First Lady Of The United States – was thrilled:

Here are some reactions from Williams’ fellow professional tennis players, past and present…

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Daily Insider: A Bumpy Ride

Daily Insider: A Bumpy Ride

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2015

Sports Illustrated names Serena Williams their 2015 Sportsperson of the Year: Read all about it here.

Twitter reacts to Serena’s big award: You know it’s a big deal with the First Lady of the United States weighs in.

Serena Williams career retrospective: SI Longform put together a great look back at Serena’s illustrious career.

A rare achievement: Why is it such a big deal that Serena took home the SI Sportsperson of the Year? Because it’s a rare, rare feat.

Serena is human: She may be Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year, but Serena needed a little help to finish her charity run on Sunday: she took a cab to the finish line.

Fun times in Los Angeles: Looks like Maria Sharapova, Madison Keys, and Laura Robson had a fun time at the Maria Sharapova and Friends exhibition in Los Angeles this weekend.

Laura Robson’s bumpy ride: Things got awkward on Robson’s flight from Los Angeles to Florida.

2015 Awards: The esteemed Steve Flink hands out accolades over at TennisChannel.com.

Back on the grind: Andrea Petkovic and Sabine Lisicki snapped a pic from their training session.

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Biggest Slam Comebacks Of 2015: Part 2

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2015

Biggest Slam Comebacks Of 2015: Part 2

Dec142015

ATP World Tour Season In Review: Slam Comebacks

Continuing our Season In Review Series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the biggest Grand Slam comebacks of 2015. In today’s countdown we feature Nos. 2-1:

Novak Djokovic d. Kevin Anderson 6-7(6), 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4, 7-5/R16/Wimbledon

World No. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic had ample reason to be confident heading into the fourth-round at Wimbledon. After all, he held a 4-1 FedEx ATP Head2Head advantage against his Round-of-16 opponent, 6-foot-8 South African Kevin Anderson, including a straight-sets win on the lawns of the All England Club in 2011.

But Anderson was unconcerned about such historical trends, holding serve with impunity and pushing the Serb to five nail-biting sets. It marked the first time Anderson crossed the 40-ace barrier in a single match, and only the fourth time Djokovic had rallied from two sets down to win, reaching his 25th quarter-final appearance at a major.

Djokovic would call it “one of the most difficult in my Wimbledon career, that’s for sure. I thought Kevin played exceptionally well throughout the entire match. He was serving very efficiently, very powerfully on serve. It was very difficult for me to read because he has a same toss for every direction. So with that kind of serve and the aggressive groundstrokes, he’s a very, very tough opponent on any surface — especially on grass.”

The three-hour, 47-minute affair on Court No. 1, which spanned two days, saw Anderson come up just short in his quest for his first Grand Slam quarter-final 6-7(6), 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4, 7-5.

The 14th-seeded Anderson rallied from a 2-5 deficit in the second set tiebreak to secure a two-set advantage. After dropping nine consecutive sets against his opponent in the past six years, Anderson had won two straight and was closing in on the biggest upset of the fortnight.

With his back against the wall, Djokovic responded with his best tennis in a 6-1 third-set win, breaking Anderson twice in 27 minutes of play. The onslaught continued in the fourth set, as Djokovic found his range both on serve and at the baseline. The Serb didn’t allow Anderson a sniff at a break point and won the set 6-4 when play was suspended due to poor light.

Things didn’t get any easier for the Serb when play resumed the following afternoon. But knotted at 5-5 in the fifth, Djokovic broke his opponent with a stunning low forehand return. He then closed out his 45th victory of the season.

“Until the last moment, until the last point, I didn’t know if I was going to win or not,” he reflected.

Fabio Fognini d. Rafael Nadal 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4/R32/US Open

Some switched off the TV and headed to bed. Others opted to beat the New York traffic, opting for early departures toward the Triborough, the Whitestone, the Holland Tunnel or No. 7 train. With Rafael Nadal looking as sharp as ever and in possession of a commanding two-sets-to-love lead, the outcome seemed all but inevitable. So why stick around?

Only those who stuck it out until 1:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time were in the know around the water cooler the next day. Flamboyant Italian Fabio Fognini had produced a stunning comeback win laced with 70 winners to reach the fourth round of the US Open. In a pulsating late-night/early-morning match, Fognini’s dazzling shot-making officially ended Nadal’s streak of winning at least one Grand Slam title a year for 10 straight years after three hours and 46 minutes of battle.

Nadal had been a perfect 151-0 at Grand Slam level after winning the first two sets, while Fognini’s record of winning from two sets down at the majors was 4-19. It was a remarkable turnaround from Fognini. Though he had twice defeated Nadal on clay earlier in the year, he had never beaten a Top-10 opponent on a hard court.

After dropping the first two sets, Fognini turned in one of the most breathtaking shot-making displays of the year. He clubbed forehand and backhand winners from all parts of the court with exquisite timing that belied the amount of effort behind them. He also attacked the net regularly, winning 39 of 52 approaches.

“If you want to play against him and if you want to do something different, you have to take risks,” said Fognini. “That’s the only thing. I probably made a lot of unforced errors, but it doesn’t matter. You have to do that with a great player who runs a lot on the baseline.”

“He played great,” said a gracious Nadal. “It was not a match that I lost, even if I had opportunities. It’s a match that he won. So accept it. I’m not happy that he played better than me, but that’s what happened.”

Biggest Grand Slam Comebacks Of 2015: Part 1

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Radwanska, Mladenovic Sweep IPTL Singles

Radwanska, Mladenovic Sweep IPTL Singles

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2015

Agnieszka Radwanska continued her fine form as the International Premier Tennis League moved to the Dubai Duty Free Stadium in Dubai. The Pole needed only 19 minutes to defeat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, 6-1.

Radwanska came on court immediately following top-ranked doubles player Sania Mirza’s surprising 6-4 loss in mixed doubles with Rohan Bopanna to Kirsten Flipkens and Pierre Hugues Herbert. Radwanska’s efforts helped lead the Micromax Indian Aces to a 25-18 win over the Legendari Japan Warriors.

Later, Kristina Mladenovic’s OBI UAE Royals came up against the Philippine Mavericks. Though the Frenchwoman quickly captured her set of women’s singles, 6-2, against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, she was less successful in the following set of mixed doubles. Playing with 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, Mladenovic was edged out by Jarmila Gajdosova and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, 6-5(7-4). Playing at home for the first time this season, the Royals lost 26-24 when Roger Federer failed to close out the always dangerous Ivo Karlovic.

Check out some of the best tweets of the night:

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Maria Sharapova & Friends: Highlights

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2015

Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Madison Keys, Kei Nishikori, Laura Robson and friends lit up the UCLA Tennis Center on the weekend. Watch highlights right here on wtatennis.com!

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Smart Scheduling Key For Sharapova

Smart Scheduling Key For Sharapova

  • Posted: Dec 14, 2015

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA – Olympic fever is picking up steam in the tennis world. Speculation about qualification, representation, and doubles pairings has already begun. We’ve already seen France’s Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic announce their intention to pair up in 2016, presumably to prepare a run at a doubles medal in Rio. This week saw Roger Federer and Martina Hingis confirm their intention of representing Switzerland in the mixed doubles competition.

While much is up in the air, one thing is certain: the 2016 schedule will be a grueling one. With the Olympics sandwiched between the Rogers Cup and the Western & Southern Open this summer, one of the big storylines heading into the season is how players plan to adjust their schedules to build in necessary blocks for rest and training.

“[I’m] looking at building a bit more of a break after the Australian Open and seeing how things unfold,” Maria Sharapova told WTA Insider. “I’m not crazy on building a concrete schedule. I know we must plan in advance and sign up for tournaments and I’m usually pretty good at those commitments. But next year’s a little bit different, there’s no doubt about it.”

It’s no secret that Sharapova holds the Olympics close to her heart. “That’s all my grandfather talks about and it just becomes annoying,” she joked. “I just grew up with it. I grew up being surrounded by the Olympic culture.” She carried the flag for Russia the opening ceremonies at the 2012 Olympics in London where sent on to win a silver medal. She also worked with NBC during the 2014 Winter Olympics in her hometown of Sochi, Russia.

So with the Olympics looming, how will the game’s best balance their desire to build their tennis legacies on the tour while also going for gold? Sharapova’s 2016 scheduling is somewhat complicated by her injury-interrupted 2015 season and busy off-season. The World No.4 played just one match – which ended in her retirement – between Wimbledon and the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global due to injuries to her leg and arm. But she finished her season on a high note, scoring three Top 10 wins en route to the semifinals at the WTA Finals and winning both her singles matches in the Fed Cup final to end the season.

Sharapova’s off-season has been a busy one. She was able to squeeze in a short vacation with friends, but much of the time has been spent developing her Sugarpova chocolate line, playing the International Premier Tennis League in Japan, and preparing for this weekend’s eponymous exhibition, Maria Sharapova & Friends, presented by Porsche, on the campus of UCLA.

“I didn’t know in the middle of the year that I would be part of the Fed Cup final,” Sharapova told WTA Insider. “I didn’t know that I would be missing four months. When Fed Cup came on the schedule I knew my off-season was short. If I knew I would be playing Fed Cup I probably, most likely, would not have played IPTL but I made that commitment before the Fed Cup decision was made. When I’m healthy and committed it’s tough to get out of that. [Withdrawing] is not something that I’m a fan of or enjoyed doing.”

Sharapova said her training sessions have been going well and she’s happy to report her tough physical conditioning block went off without a hitch. So far she’s seen no signs of the annoying injuries that derailed her 2015 season.

“Probably the rest of the girls are more ahead of me in terms of preparation,” Sharapova said. “I just came off more physical training. Not as much time on the court yet as maybe if I started a few weeks before.” Despite that heavy load, Sharapova put on a solid show over the weekend, edging Madison Keys 6-7, 6-1, 11-9 in their exhibition match on Saturday.

Now it’s time to build towards the Australian start of the season, where Sharapova hopes to replicate the solid start she had down under last year, where she won the Brisbane International and advanced to her first Australian Open final since 2012.

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