Tennis News

CINCINNATI, OH, USA – The quicker conditions at the Western & Southern Open tripped up a few of the returning Olympians arriving from Rio de Janeiro, but women’s doubles Bronze medalist Barbora Strycova had no such problems, overcoming a maddening number of rain delays – and a most dangerous qualifier in former World No.5 Eugenie Bouchard – to advance into the second round in straight sets.

Karolina Pliskova missed the Olympic tennis event, opting to spend the time gearing up for the final stretch of the season, one that had been particularly successful for her in 2015 when she won the Emirates Airlines US Open Series.

WTA Insider caught up with both Czech starlets in the second Daily Dispatch from Cincinnati:

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21-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has hardly taken a vacation after making a run to her seventh Australian Open final. Following a three-set defeat to Angelique Kerber, Williams joined Billie Jean King and Condoleezza Rice at last weekend’s NFL Women’s Summit.

Speaking with Robin Roberts, the American spoke of the pressure of being one of the top female athletes in the world, but ultimate how she hoped to use her influence to impact the greater good.

“I don’t play tennis for recognition; being recognized is not important,” she said. “What matters is how I can help people.”

True to her word, Williams is helping people in a big way this week, flying down to Jamaica to help build the Salt Marsh Primary School. With the aid of Helping Hands Jamaica and her own foundation, the World No.1got her hands dirty along with volunteers, proving that “with great power indeed comes great responsibility” – to borrow a Spiderman reference Williams herself used in her conversation with Roberts.

DOHA, Qatar – World No.6 and two-time Doha champion Maria Sharapova announced her withdrawal from the Qatar Total Open due to the left forearm injury she has struggled with since the beginning of the season,

“Unfortunately, I will not be able to play the Qatar Total Open because of my left forearm injury,” Sharapova said in a statement. “I would like to wish the tournament and all the great fans in Doha a great week of tennis and I hope to see them next year.”

The Russian was forced to pull out of the Brisbane International back in January due to this same injury, but appeared to rebound in Melbourne, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open before falling to World No.1, Serena Williams.

“I’m going to go and take care of my forearm first,” Sharapova said after the loss, aware of the importance this season – being an Olympic year – presents. “I think that’s really important. I think this will be a time to just get myself ready for a long year.

“I don’t see myself playing anything before Indian Wells.”