St. Petersburg champ Kristina Mladenovic is within striking distance of the Top 30 while Russian teenager Natalia Vikhlyantseva made her Top 100 debut; who else moved up the WTA rankings?
Lucie Safarova went from famine to feast thanks to some much needed home cooking. The Czech veteran went into the J&T Banka Prague Open without a match win under her belt in 2016, going 0-5 after a delayed start to the season due to complications from a bacterial infection that derailed her career-best season last fall.
But it just takes one week to turn your season around in tennis, and Safarova earned her first win of the year over Mariana Duque-Mariño. With each match her level improved and she saved her best for last, rallying from a set down to beat Samantha Stosur, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to win her first title since the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last spring.
After a rush to the airport to get to Madrid on Saturday night, Safarova went on to beat CoCo Vandeweghe in the first round of the Mutua Madrid Open. It adds up to a much-needed boost of confidence for Safarova, who is hoping to round into form before the French Open, where she the finalist last year.
WTA Insider spoke to Lucie on Saturday after her feel-good week at home playing in front of family and friends.
WTA Insider: Congratulations on an incredible and, I have to believe, a relieving run for you to the title in Prague. How are you feeling right now?
Safarova: I feel amazing. It’s really so nice to win a title at home, in front of the home crowd. The attendance was amazing. They pushed me forward and after being such a long time away with the sickness, it’s a really nice feeling to play such great tennis again. I’m feeling strong.
WTA Insider: When you arrived in Prague, you hadn’t yet won a match this year, and obviously your health concerns played a big part in that. How worried were you about your form when you arrived?
Safarova: Actually, I felt better and better each week. In Stuttgart, we had a really tough match with Kaja [Pliskova], with really close points. My performance was really good again and I felt like my old self.
When I arrived in Prague, I was just positive that sooner or later, it has to come. It’s incredible that after winning the first match, my performance was better each match and then in the final, I played great tennis.
WTA Insider: At what point this season were you able to feel like you were able to practice 100% without being too concerned with fitness issues?
Safarova: I started to practice two weeks before the tournament in Doha. I was doing two days practice, one day recovery. It’s not easy to say which day I managed to play 100%, but even in spaces I got some good practices in. As I say, it just takes time for the body to gain back the fitness.
WTA Insider: Were you able to stay positive throughout that time? Obviously the losses had to be frustrating at times, and I would think it would be difficult to stay positive the whole time.
Safarova: It wasn’t easy, definitely, but I could still see that I was able to last longer in each match I was playing, and the overall performance was better. So, I was trying to be patient and keep a positive approach, which only led to this amazing event.
WTA Insider: Am I right that your coach Rob Steckley is not with you in Prague?
Safarova: He had some health issues and had to go back home. I don’t know how long he’s going to be away, but he’s definitely not coming to Madrid and Rome.
WTA Insider: Have you been in contact this week?
Safarova: We’ve been in contact a little bit.
WTA Insider: Did you have somebody there serving as a coach?
Safarova: I had plenty of people around me, obviously. It’s my home town, and home country for me, so there was plenty of people – family and friends – so I was never alone, definitely!
WTA Insider: We saw the photos and videos in Prague. The stands were full, very lively. You’ve played in Grand Slam finals and other big tournaments. What was it like playing it Prague?
Safarova: It was amazing. It was really cold the first few days, but the people still came to support. It was sold out every day in the club. The atmosphere was just incredible, so it’s really nice how many people love tennis in the Czech Republic, and how they are coming to support us. I really appreciate it. I have such great fans.
WTA Insider: Looking at this past week and the matches you were able to rack up, was there a certain match where you were able to think you were back and all of the struggles were behind you? Was there a singular moment where you felt that way this week?
Safarova: With each match I played, I gained some confidence, and my tennis was better and better. But definitely after the semifinals and finals today, I definitely felt my level was back.
WTA Insider: You have a pretty good record against Sam. Did that factor into your ability to turn today’s match around?
Safarova: I don’t know if I would say so because Sam on clay is playing really well, and she was pressuring me from the beginning. The whole first set I was more defensive; then finally, I was able to turn it around. I really pushed myself to the limit to win that match.
WTA Insider: How did you feel you recovered from match to match?
Safarova: Of course, I’m very exhausted because I had long matches here throughout the week, but so far no injuries and recovering pretty ok. I think that’s the best news after this week, that my health is holding on.
WTA Insider: You’ve won the title in Prague, you’ve got some matches under your belt. You’re on clay, which you obviously love. The French Open is pretty close and a place where you’ve had good results; how do you feel this tournament win sets you up for the rest of the clay court season?
Safarova: I see this as a great start for me. Now I see I’m back; my level is back. I’m just going to keep working, keep building up on my game. Obviously there are two big tournaments ahead in Madrid and Rome, and then I have a week off before Paris. Of course, I will try to peak in Paris, but I would love to continue my streak in the other two tournaments coming up.
All photos courtesy of J&T Banka Prague Open.
Kristina Mladenovic talks about the significance of winning the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
MADRID, Spain – Simona Halep leads the pack on the last day of second round action at the Mutua Madrid Open.
Tuesday, Second Round
[6] Simona Halep (ROU #7) vs Karin Knapp (ITA #75)
Head-to-head: Halep leads 1-0
Key Stat: Knapp (122 minutes) has spent twice as long on court as Halep (58 minutes) in Madrid
The 2014 Madrid finalist’s season has so far unfolded in fits and starts: Halep posted solid quarterfinal appearances at Indian Wells and Miami, as well as second round exits at Doha and Stuttgart. She’s nonetheless adjusted well to the altitude and conditions in Madrid and dropped just three games in her opening match.
“It was a good match, a good start for me,” Halep said. “I had a good start because I was confident, and practicing very well the last few days here.”
By contrast, Halep’s opponent has spent much of her season dealing with a right knee injury, and has only played three matches so far this year. Though each one ended in a first round loss, Knapp has showed her grit in the last two, taking her opponents to three sets. But Halep is the first Top 20 player Knapp has had to face, and she might be too much for the recovering Italian.
The matchup could ultimately come down to Halep’s health, which has been a source of woe for the Romanian in 2016. Though she’s still recovering from the breathing difficulties and ankle injury that sent her crashing out of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, she showed none of those symptoms during her 58-minute demolition of Misaki Doi in the last round. A repeat performance against Knapp would see her advance comfortably to the round of 16.
Samantha Stosur (AUS #23) vs [11] Lucie Safarova (CZE #13)
Head-to-head: Safarova leads 11-3
Key Stat: Safarova has won all three of their encounters on clay
Lucie Safarova and Samantha Stosur are two players familiar with each other: they’ve played 14 times previously, and their latest encounter is probably still fresh in their memory. They played a few days ago in the final of the J&T Banka Prague Open – Safarova came back from a set down run away with the match and the title, her first on clay since 2005.
Both of them made the change from Prague to Madrid with ease, despite the less than ideal turnaround time: after their Saturday final in Prague, the two shared the same flight to the Spanish capital and played their opening matches at the Mutua Madrid Open on Sunday.
“It’s gonna be a late night tonight, and I know Lucie and I are on the same flight,” Stosur said after their final. “We’ll both be in the same boat but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
“It’s not ideal preparation, but to be in a final – you’d take that any day.”
With both of them fighting fatigue, Stosur is eager to grab a chance at redemption against her Czech nemesis. She had Safarova under pressure in their Prague final, and without the effect of the partisan home crowd she could seal the victory.
Also in action: Laura Siegemund made headlines at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix when she made a run from the qualifying rounds all the way to her career-first Premier-level final. She already looks set to repeat the streak: the German qualifier knocked out No.9 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in her first main draw match. Standing in the way of her next fairytale run is Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Meanwhile, No.8 seed Carla Suárez Navarro – the only Spaniard left in the draw – will have to hold her nerve in front of the home crowd as she takes on Sabine Lisicki on Court Manolo Santana. Ekaterina Makarova and No.10 seed Timea Bacsinszky open the day session at Pista 4.
Kristina Mladenovic talks through her win in the final of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
Based on feedback I’ve received on Twitter, a lot of you have been wondering what my experience playing college was like and whether I’d recommend it to elite junior players as a pit-stop before professional tennis.
The short answer is yes – always yes – consider college tennis.
College tennis, if used correctly, can be a great tool for player development and preparation for the “next step.” I’m not going to pretend that every facet of college life was well suited to transitioning my level of tennis from junior to professional – see: sleep schedule, academic workload, occasional weekend indiscretions – however, I think that the experience as a whole helped to shape me into a more well-rounded person who was capable of taking on life on tour.
A normal weekday at Stanford for me went as follows:
| 7:30 AM | Alarm. Minimum 2 snoozes before rolling out of bed. |
| 7:58 AM | Bike to class as fast as I can. Curse self for snoozing twice. |
| 8:07 – 9:00 AM | Lecture. |
| 9:00 – 10:00 AM | Break consisting of Jamba Juice and finishing homework for section. I’m known to procrastinate. |
| 10:00 – 11:00 AM | Section. This is awkward. Didn’t finish the reading. Must raise hand for questions I know the answer to in order to avoid cold calls. |
| 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM | Lecture. |
| 12:15 – 1:00 PM | Lunch. Possible power nap. |
| 1:00 – 2:00 PM | Section. |
| 2:00 – 2:30 PM | Bike to practice. Call boyfriend. Tell him I’m too tired to function, that I can’t possibly make it through the rest of the day. Boyfriend tells me I’ll be fine, that he’s busy. I remind him that I’m more important than anything else he’s doing. He says ‘OK.’ I still hang up angrily. |
| 2:30 – 5:00 PM | Team Practice. |
| 5:15 – 6:15 PM | Team Workout. |
| 6:15 – 6:30 PM | Bike to Training Table. Still alive despite earlier concern. |
| 6:30 – 7:30 PM | Training Table. Special athlete food in special athlete section of dining hall – with the team (definite highlight within my day). |
| 7:30 – 7:45 PM | Bike to professor’s office hours. Stress that I am late. Know that I am doomed if I can’t finish math problem set during office hours because it is entirely impossible to complete on my own. Curse myself for being lowly athlete instead of math genius. |
| 7:45 – 9:00 PM | Office hours. |
| 9:00 – 9:15 PM | Bike back to dorm. Call boyfriend. Tell him that I can’t possibly write this essay tonight that’s due in section tomorrow. He suggests I procrastinate less. I suggest he learns how to give empathy rather than advice. He says ‘OK.’I still hang up angrily. |
| 9:15 – 11:30 PM |
Alternate between writing essay, browsing Facebook, and telling the football players across the hall that ‘No, I cannot have a beer with them’ despite their pleading with me to honor ‘Thirsty Thursday.’ |
| 11:30 PM – 12:30 AM | Boyfriend who thinks I’m mad at him but doesn’t understand why comes over. I assure him I am not mad at him: “Long day.” Essay is not done but I am too tired to write any more words. Episode of Friday Night Lights with boyfriend then bed. Set alarm for 6:48AM following day to finish essay before section. |
In summary, my life at school was incredibly hectic. For a lot of tennis parents – or junior players themselves – this brings up a big red flag. If my kid is spread so thin, how will they be able to dedicate themselves to tennis? How will they get better?
Speaking completely honestly, there were weeks during which this crazy grind wore me down to the point of no return. My practices were poor, my workouts more lethargic than inspired, and sometimes I got sick. On those weeks, all I could do was survive until the weekend and then catch up on sleep (I only slept five-six hours on weekdays) and reset.
But there are two reasons why I don’t think that that should deter parents from pushing their kids down the college path. First, not every week was like this. I got to be a master-level prioritizer at school, so I almost always found a way to allow my tennis to take center stage when it was most important. This meant more sleep, harder practice, and less academic work in the days and weeks leading up to the NCAA tournament and other big events.
Attempting 2enjoy meal. Post root canal ache on left side of mouth. Canker sore on right. Life is hard rn, send help pic.twitter.com/qcDNi07esc
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) April 27, 2016
Second and, I think, more importantly, my crazy schedule taught me the balance that is necessary to performing well on tour. As a junior player who suffered from a lot of pre-match anxiety and self-applied pressure, I discovered that the ‘distractions’ that school provided were a welcome change. I learned so much about what it meant to put myself in a position to perform well on the court, and it didn’t always mean subscribing to the crazy tennis-above-everything mindset that I had been taught prior to school. I began to realize that spending the evening before a match with my non-tennis friends or even finishing a problem set the night before a big match (and thus taking my mind entirely off of tennis) was great – even relaxing – preparation.
Beyond balance alone, college offered me camaraderie with teammates – an opportunity not often provided to tennis players – excellent coaching from a tour veteran, Lele Forood and her associate head coach Frankie Brennan, state of the art fitness facilities, training rooms, and staff, the stability of home base eight months out of the year. Last, but not least, it provided the security of a someday-to-be-finished Stanford education in my back pocket. I don’t think that tennis parents and junior players always realize just how important that last facet is: a college education and the network of alumni that comes with it are an incredible safety net.
Court 3 @MutuaMadridOpen campaigning to be one of my favorite courts on @wta tour ? #backbaby #isitfridayyet?? pic.twitter.com/tr9Yz4lq8G
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) April 26, 2016
In response to this argument for choosing college, people always seem to come back with, ‘But doesn’t a safety net make you less desperate to make it on tour? More likely to tap out if things get tough?’ I’m sure every player’s experience is different, but I would venture to guess that most players considering a jump straight to the pros are incredibly intrinsically motivated, special beings. I have never once thought to myself, “This is really hard, I should just go back and finish college so that I can bail out of the grind.”
That being said, I also have somewhere to go if I’m ever fraught with injuries or am no longer enjoying the game. So sue me.
I acknowledge that college is not the path for everyone. Those who are capable of making a considerable living on tour right out of high school and/or lack passion in the classroom are viable candidates for going straight to the pros. However, I do think that every single player should at least consider college, particularly given that the average age in the WTA Top 100 is pushing 26 (28 on the men’s side).
I maintain, unequivocally, that I became a much better player at Stanford under Lele’s tutelage – and with the help of Stanford’s first-class training staff. Beyond that, I believe that I came out of college better equipped for the challenges of professional tennis and the balancing act that is life on tour.
I wouldn’t have rambled on nearly this long if I weren’t really passionate about this, so please, please, please at least consider college with your junior player.
As expected, Pac-12 All-Century Team with @StanfordWTennis presence. Only ? was how many: https://t.co/l5T4seUMdr pic.twitter.com/WRobp1IWv8
— Brian Risso (@brian_risso) April 12, 2016
Catch up on Nicole’s past blogs for WTA Insider here, and follow Nicole on Twitter @Gibbsyyyy!
TALLINN, Estonia: Heather Watson soared to a straight-sets win to give Great Britain the best possible start in the Fed Cup opener against Portugal.
Under the watchful eye of new captain Anne Keothavong, Watson made an impressive start to her country’s campaign, beating Ines Murta 6-1, 6-1.
? Boom! @HeatherWatson92 gives Aegon GB @FedCup Team a 1-0 lead after beating Murta 6-1, 6-1 #BackTheBrits ??? pic.twitter.com/L3nkghe6QZ
— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) February 8, 2017
The 2016 Wimbledon mixed doubles champion then assumed her role as “chief supporter”, ready to cheer on her teammates – first Johanna Konta in the singles, then Jocelyn Rae and Laura Robson in the doubles. “I’ll get the pom-poms, and the tambourines!” she joked.
A smiling @HeatherWatson92 ready to cheer on @JossRae91 & @laurarobson5 in the doubles! #BackTheBrits ?????? pic.twitter.com/zl53deFe9G
— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) February 8, 2017
Her cheerleading obviously worked – Konta cruised through her singles rubber 6-2, 6-4 against Michelle Larcher de Brito, giving Great Britain an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie. It was good preparation for the British No.1, who will be seen in WTA Tour action next in Dubai from February 19.
Dominika Cibulkova stared into the face of defeat against Caroline Garcia, but rallied back to advance to the round of 16 at the Mutua Madrid Open; Timea Bacsinszky also advanced.
MADRID, Spain – Revenge is the theme of the day as the round of 16 kicks off with Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova seeking to avenge some painful losses earlier this season and grab a spot in the Mutua Madrid Open quarterfinals. Preview the day’s action right here on wtatennis.com
Wednesday, Round of 16
[6] Simona Halep (ROU #7) vs [10] Timea Bacsinszky (SUI #15)
Head-to-head: Halep leads 2-1
Key Stat: Bacsinszky has spent 4 hours and 55 minutes on court compared to Halep’s 2 hours and 2 minutes
No.10 seed Timea Bacsinszky is feeling the effects of her busy schedule – fresh off of her title in Rabat, she came straight to the Spanish capital and was back at it again.
Despite her resilient effort, the cracks are showing in the Swiss’ game – she’s spent five hours on court in two matches and struggled to close out Ekaterina Makarova in the last round.
“It’s my seventh match in eight days, so if I have a lack of energy sometimes, I think it’s kind of normal,” Bacsinszky explained in press after the match. “I’m really happy that I won, whether it was in two, three sets… Even if it were in five I would be happy as well. I’m just happy that I won my match.”
The Swiss will have to channel all of her energy into her next matchup: she’s set to face No.6 seed Simona Halep on Court Manolo Santana. The on-fire Romanian only dropped two games in her demolition of Karin Knapp.
Halep has won two of their three meetings on tour, although did taste defeat earlier this year in Miami.
“Bacsinszky is revenge!” Halep said. “It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be difficult, a tough match for sure. I just want to go on court relaxed and play my game. It’s a good tournament, good people around me, so I am in a good place mentally and physically.”
Daria Gavrilova (AUS #39) vs [5] Petra Kvitova (CZE #6)
Head-to-head: Tied 1-1
Key Stat: Kvitova has yet to drop a service game in Madrid
Another rematch will be taking place on Court Arantxa Sanchez as Daria Gavrilova takes on the No.5 seed Petra Kvitova in the first match of the day.
Despite their head to head record being tied at 1-1, Kvitova will go into the matchup with revenge on the mind: the last time these two played each other was at this year’s Australian Open where the unseeded Gavrilova upset Kvitova in the second round.
But this time around the Czech is working with a new team and is back to putting together deep runs – she’s reached the quarterfinals or better at two of her last three events.
“I’m happy with my performance right now,” Kvitova said in second-round press conference. “I think I played great matches in Stuttgart, and especially two weeks before the Stuttgart I had a good preparation on the clay.
“I have a new coach. That’s always great to have someone who’s helping you and finding a good way of your game and plan. I feel okay and I hope that this will kind of continue.”
This all spells bad news for the big hitting Gavrilova, who has struggled to back up her fairytale run to the Australian Open round of 16. The Australian’s best result came in the green clay of Charleston, where she reached the round of 16 before falling to eventual champion Sloane Stephens.
Around the grounds: No.8 seed Carla Suárez Navarro closes out the women’s action on Court Manolo Santana against Samantha Stosur. The last remaining Spaniard, Suárez Navarro will face a tough test: she’s up against a well-rested opponent as Stosur received a walkover into the round of 16, and Suárez Navarro is also battling an upper respiratory illness. Meanwhile, No.4 seed Victoria Azarenka continues her steady march through Madrid: she has yet to drop a set and is up against Louisa Chirico, the American qualifier who ousted Ana Ivanovic to reach this stage. Qualifier Patricia Maria Tig – one of four Romanians left in the draw – closes out the night session against Madison Keys.
Shelby Rogers put a lyrical twist into the traditional Fed Cup rookie speech by performing her own version of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song.