Indian Wells: Suárez Navarro Interview
An interview with Carla Suárez Navarro before the start of the BNP Paribas Open.
An interview with Carla Suárez Navarro before the start of the BNP Paribas Open.
Day 8’s stat of the day from the Miami Open, presented with SAP.
CoCo Vandeweghe had the shot of the match in the first round at the BNP Paribas Open.
MIAMI, FL, USA – Former World No.1 Venus Williams played stellar tennis from start to finish to upset top-ranked Angelique Kerber, 7-5, 6-3, to reach the semifinals of the Miami Open.
“It was an interesting match,” she said in her press conference. “I was controlling it. I had more errors than I like and lower first serve percentage than I would like. For me, I’m looking at it from a standpoint of how can I get better.
“I have to play well against the No. 1 in the world. She’s on top of her game and she played well, so I had to find a way to play a little better.”
.@VenusesWilliams is just unstoppable right now! ? #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/Yluxlg2vED
— WTA (@WTA) March 30, 2017
Williams and Kerber last played in the semifinals of Wimbledon last summer, where the German won in straight sets, and appeared on course for a similar decision at the start as she broke to open the match.
But Venus employed a hyper-aggressive gameplan throughout the one hour and 39 minute match, striking crisp groundstrokes and finishing quite a few points at the net to stay ahead of last year’s Australian Open and US Open champion.
Kerber tried to find her way back in the second set, staying within one break and saving four match points – three with searing forehand winners – but Venus ultimately proved too strong, striking 32 winners to 27 from the German.
.@VenusesWilliams defeats World No.1 Kerber 7-5, 6-3!
Secures the last spot in @MiamiOpen Semifinals! pic.twitter.com/gm9m6iBZy5
— WTA (@WTA) March 30, 2017
“She was really aggressive from the beginning, and was hitting the balls really hard,” Kerber said after the match. “I think I didn’t move too well today, and made a lot of mistakes, which isn’t normal for my game. It wasn’t my best game, but she deserved to win because she played really well tonight.
“This wasn’t the best start I would have wished for,” she added of her season, “but it’s not a drama because I’m still playing good and winning matches. I’m looking forward to playing again.”
Up next for the American is British No.1 Johanna Konta, who enjoyed a comeback win over No.3 seed Simona Halep earlier on Wednesday.
“It's an amazing feeling to be better than the World No.1!” -@VenusesWilliams #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/bi6JxrA7ts
— WTA (@WTA) March 30, 2017
“She played well, served well,” Venus said of their last meeting, which Konta won in the Bank of the West Classic final. “Tomorrow is an opportunity for me to come out and play hopefully better than today. There are a few things I would like to work on. Outside of that, just come out fresh eyes, fresh feet, and big shots.
“That’s my plan.”
Someone particularly proud of Venus tweeted her support after the match; it was none other than little sister and 23-time Grand Slam champion, Serena Williams:
@Venuseswilliams yea great job! I knew you would do it. ❤❤❤
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) March 30, 2017
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – The seeds in the lower half of the draw will make their 2016 BNP Paribas debut on Saturday at Indian Wells, including 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber.
Saturday, Second Round
[2] Angelique Kerber (GER #2) vs. Denisa Allertova (CZE #64)
Head-to-head: first meeting
Key Stat: Allertova won her only previous match against a player in the Top 2, defeating Simona Halep in straight sets in the Guanghzhou quarterfinals last year.
Angelique Kerber is still flying high after winning her maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne this winter, but is the feisty German ready to become one with the perpetual grind of the WTA tour again? As many first-time major winners have proved in the past, it’s not an easy task.
“The life changed of course a little bit, I had so many things to do when I went back to Germany,” Kerber told media during All-Access Hour on Wednesday. “A lot more people recognize me right now. But I think at the end I’m the same as I was before Australia. It’s still a great feeling but I need also time to prepare and go on court to practice and work hard like I did the last few months and years.”
Kerber’s opening challenge will be a first-time meeting with 23-year-old Czech Denisa Allertova. Though she’s only played 37 WTA-level matches, Allertova has impressively won two of her three contests against Top-10 opponents.
Pick: Kerber in three
[4] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP #4) vs. Christina McHale (USA # 62)
Head-to-head: Muguruza leads,1-0
Key Stat: Muguruza has a 20-10 win-loss record since reaching the Wimbledon final last year.
There have been ups and downs for the Spaniard since she reached the Wimbledon final last season, but it would be wrong to say that Garbiñe Muguruza has been plagued by inconsistency. If anything, she’s been slowed by physical ailments. After a nagging foot injury slowed her start to 2016, the hard-hitting World No.4 would like nothing more than to assert herself with a career-best run at Indian Wells.
She’ll start her quest in the desert with a second-round match-up with American Christina McHale. Muguruza took their first meeting in straight sets, but the New Jersey native, who defeated Caroline Garcia on Thursday, always proves to be a tough out on home soil.
Pick: Muguruza in two
[13] Victoria Azarenka (BLR #15) vs. Zarina Diyas (KAZ #87)
Head-to-head: first meeting
Key Stat: 2012 champion Azarenka is one of seven previous champions in this year’s draw.
It is still shocking when one considers that, before Brisbane this year, Victoria Azarenka had not won a WTA title in nearly three years. Injuries have reared their ugly head, curtailing the momentum of the two-time major champion on many occasions. And yet, there’s something so magical about Azarenka’s game when in full flight that it’s difficult not to expect her to step up, turn back the clock and roll through a tournament like she did in 2012 and 2013, when she won nine titles, including two majors.
Could March be the month that Azarenka proves to the world she’s top-notch again? The world No.13 will open her seventh appearance at the BNP Paribas Open with a second-round tilt versus Zarina Diyas. Once thought to be a rising star, Diyas has struggled to find her form, going 4-7 thus far in 2016.
Pick: Azarenka in two
[14] Ana Ivanovic (SRB #18) vs. Camila Giorgi (ITA #45)
Head-to-head: Ivanovic leads 1-0
Key Stat: 2008 champion Ivanovic has not been past the third round here since 2012.
In her tenth appearance at Indian Wells, former champion Ana Ivanovic will face a stern second-round challenge in the pugnacious Camila Giorgi of Italy. Ivanovic took the pair’s first meeting handily last autumn in Tokyo, but Giorgi has done some damage in her brief but entertaining Indian Wells career.
She took out Maria Sharapova in her debut in 2014 en route to the fourth round. Giorgi is always one of the most dangerous floaters in a draw, and Ivanovic will surely have her hands full with a player that has earned 16 wins in 37 against members of the Top 20.
Pick: Ivanovic in three
Around the grounds: Seventh-seeded Belinda Bencic will square off with American Lauren Davis for the second time. The Swiss won their first meeting in 2013 in straight sets. Surging Zhang Shuai, who has risen over 100 spots in the rankings since the end of last season, will meet 20th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki. Russians Daria Kasatkina and Margarita Gasparyan each won their Indian Wells debuts on Thursday and will look to reach the third round today. Eugenie Bouchard and Sloane Stephens will meet for the fourth time, and the first time since 2013 – Stephens holds the 2-1 lifetime edge.
Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams have already booked their spots in the upcoming BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, and while Karolina Pliskova can’t assure herself of a spot this week, her results at the Toray Pan Pacific Open could make her road to qualification even easier as the Asian Swing kicks into high gear.
Seeded No.3 in Tokyo, the US Open runner-up is the highest-ranked woman on the Road to Singapore leaderboard playing this week. RTS No.3 Simona Halep was forced to withdraw due to a left hamstring injury, but is still in pole position to reach Singapore for a third straight year. Set to return to the court in time for the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, the Mutua Madrid Open and Rogers Cup champion could book her ticket by reaching the final, possibly the semifinal based on other results.
As it stands now, Pliskova would have to win Wuhan to guarantee her WTA Finals debut, having narrowly missed out on qualification in 2015 – but a good run in Tokyo will likely take the pressure off as the race heats up.
The same goes for defending WTA Finals winner Agnieszka Radwanska, who is seeded No.2 in Tokyo and last year’s champion. Ranked No.5 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard, the Pole can lessen her Wuhan load with a strong swing through the Japanese capital.
Further back from Radwanska is French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza, who reached the semifinals last year in her debut with a perfect 3-0 round robin record. Muguruza is the top seed in Tokyo, and has a 500 point lead over No.7 Dominika Cibulkova. Her chances of a second straight Singapore appearance are strong, but replicating last year’s stellar fall swing would doubly assure her chances of a return.
In doubles, Sania Mirza appears to be aiming for a second qualification spot, despite already assuring herself of a return to Singapore with former partner Martina Hingis. Pairing up with Barbora Strycova at the Western & Southern Open, Mirza is ranked No.19 with her new partner, but is set to play the Toray Pan Pacific Open this week and could narrow the 500 point gap between her and the Top 8 with a title in Tokyo.
Click here to learn more about the doubles storylines and qualification scenarios in the latest Insider Doubles Take.
Check out the Top 8 and click here for the full Road to Singapore leaderboard:
The sun is shining and the stars are loving it – but they’re also working hard in the gym and on court. Check out the best of their social media.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – A year ago, Venus Williams sat at home in Florida, never thinking that in 12 months time she would be walking back out onto Stadium Court at the BNP Paribas Open. But there she was on Friday afternoon, being greeted by a raucous standing ovation as the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” blasted from the stadium speakers.
Oh baby, give me one more chance (To show you that I love you)
Won’t you please let me back in your heart
And as the message became clear – yes, this crowd very much wanted her back – an impossibly wide, genuine, unbreakable smile spread wide across Venus’ face.
“I’m a person that’s not into the spotlight so much, so I guess such a warm welcome I actually felt a little shy,” Venus said after the match. “It’s been a wonderful moment. Fifteen years later to have such a joyous return is more than I could have ever. It’s such a blessing.”
Venus’ return to Indian Wells for the first time in 15 years was in stark contrast to Serena’s last year. While Serena kept her head down as the thunderous applause came, Venus looked up to the rafters and waved. Serena struggled (and failed) to hold back tears as she tried to settle into her chair. Venus beamed and sat triumphantly in her chair and took a moment to let it all wash over her.
She leaned back, smiled, and let out a huge sigh of relief as she soaked in the moment she never thought would come.
Welcome back! ? ? ?@VenusesWilliams returns to the @BNPParibasOpen after 15 years! #WTA https://t.co/wr7FU9gZ9X
— WTA (@WTA) March 12, 2016
“It was wonderful to be able to enjoy a moment. As an athlete you’re so focused that you don’t really realize the circumstances and how awesome it is to play in big stadiums like this until it’s all done because you’re just so focused. To have the moment and be able to enjoy it even for a few moments is worth a lifetime of memories.”
Venus’ return was a tag-team effort. When Serena told her last year she was thinking of returning to the desert after 14 years away, Venus did not actually believe her. She knew her sister was thinking about it, but Venus confessed on Friday that she never thought her kid sister would go through with it.
“Obviously I saw Serena come back last year, so that was really a wonderful moment,” Venus said. “Then just being here, just being on the practice court and on-site has been so positive and such a great experience.
“It just shows that you can always come back home, I guess. You can always go home.
“I did get emotional. When we were doing the coin toss I got a little watery eyed. Your opponent, you don’t want to give them any more encouragement. It was wonderful. I think I smiled the whole warm-up. I had to get my game face on. It was tough to do.”
Venus was unable to get the result she wanted, losing 6-4, 6-3 to Kurumi Nara in the second round. The match was played in cold and windy conditions, interrupted once by a lengthy rain delay. Nara played a smart, consistent match, while Venus struggled to get her big serve going in the wind.
“I think it wasn’t about winning,” Serena said after beating Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the third round. “When I come here, even to this day it’s not about winning. It’s just about closing that chapter in my life and her life and our lives and try to move on with our heads up, as we always had our heads up. But just continue to do that.”
“Not everything can end in a fairy tale,” Venus said. “It’s enough of a fairy tale to be here. Sometimes there’s a little bit of a glitch. Doesn’t mean that I can’t come back next year and try to do even better.”
In a thoughtful press conference after the match, Venus elaborated on what kept her away from the tournament since 2001.
“I’m definitely not an angry person, so I wouldn’t characterize it as anger, but I would characterize it as, you know, if you feel like there is a place where you don’t feel that welcome, then you can choose not to go somewhere where you don’t feel comfortable being,” she said. “At the time I didn’t feel comfortable. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable coming back through those doors. The very next year would have just been too overwhelming.
“So at the time it was just about being able to play in circumstances that are – and we’re not even talking about favorable, but just normal circumstances. You try to put yourself in a position where you’re not facing any adverse circumstances. So that’s really what it was at the time.
“I wasn’t angry,” she repeated. “I’m not an angry person. I definitely probably hold on to stuff like anybody normal.
“I have watched the tournament on TV. Enjoyed the matches and thought it was a great tournament. It just didn’t seem like a tournament for me. That’s more or less what it was. I didn’t dwell on or boycott or not watch it and all those things. It wasn’t like that at all.”
Venus reiterated the theme of forgiveness that drove Serena’s decision to return last year. “I think it’s a two-way street,” she said. “We could have come back here and everyone could have picked up where they left off.
“But everyone was welcoming, and also for us, we could have never come back. But we came back. You know, change your attitude and those sort of things. The change of attitudes on both ends isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely was a two-way street. For it to work, both parties involved, both us and the fans and the city had to have a positive attitude towards toward it. That’s how it worked.
“I think after Serena came back last year and she had such a warm welcome, I definitely thought to myself, I’ve got no reason not to go anymore. It was time to be able to just move on and let the past be the past.”
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Highlights from the semifinal clash between Johanna Konta and Venus Williams.
The last of the third round encounters take place on Monday; can Belinda Bencic and Eugenie Bouchard continue their solid starts to 2016, or will veteran Roberta Vinci take center stage?