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Gavrilova Sends Champion Kvitova Packing

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID, Spain – Daria Gavrilova caused the latest upset at the Mutua Madrid Open draw, knocking out defending champion Petra Kvitova in the third round.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Madrid right here on wtatennis.com!

Kvitova is the 12th seed to bite the Madrid dust in just five days, leaving Simona Halep as the only Top 10 player left standing. Gavrilova, who faces Louisa Chirico in the last eight, impressed throughout, breaking three times en route to a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

While Gavrilova’s game never wavered, Kvitova’s failure to find her range was the source of increasing frustration. In the penultimate game of the opening set, a backhand into the net capped off a string of unforced errors that gift wrapped the decisive break.

It prompted the Czech to fling her hands skywards, and another break at the start of the second did little to lift her mood. Meanwhile, Gavrilova’s neat and tidy approach – she made 18 unforced errors to Kvitova’s 30 – continued to pay dividends, helping her out of couple of close games and safely across the finishing line.

Kvitova went into the tournament with an abdomen strain, an injury that affected not only her serve during the match but also her preparation beforehand.

“I think Daria really played a solid match. I couldn’t put everything together out there – I was still dealing with the pain from Stuttgart” Kvitova said. “I couldn’t really practice for a week. I’m glad that I won two matches and I’m glad that it feels like it’s getting better, so hopefully I can start to do more fitness and tennis practice.”

A run to the semifinals in Rome 12 months ago announced Gavrilova to the tennis world. Standing between her and a repeat performance at one of the spring’s other big events is qualifier Chirico, the beneficiary of Victoria Azarenka’s last-minute injury withdrawal.

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Hingis & Mirza Coast Into Last Four

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID, Spain – Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza continued their serene progress at the Mutua Madrid Open, dispatching quarterfinal foes Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in little over an hour.

Since seeing their 41-match winning streak ended in Doha, Hingis and Mirza have endured a relative barren patch, going four tournaments without silverware. However, inside the Caja Mágica they are casting a spell over their opponents once again, bewitching No.6 seeds Hlavackova and Hradecka, 6-3, 6-2.

This masterclass set up a semifinal clash with a resurgent Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva, winners of a far closer encounter in the preceding match on court. Taking on No.4 seeds Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan, King and Kudryavtseva recovered from a slow start to prevail, 2-6, 6-4, 11-9.

On the other side of the draw, Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic continued their fine clay court campaign with victory over No.3 seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova.

Garcia and Mladenovic arrived in the Spanish capital having won their opening two clay court events, Charleston and Stuttgart, and a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Babos and Shvedova extends their unbeaten streak on the surface to 11 matches.

Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina are the next team tasked with ending this run. French Open champions in 2013, Makarova and Vesnina advanced without striking a ball after Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova withdrew when the latter failed to recover sufficiently from a thigh strain.

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Watson Gets ELLE-mentary In Exclusive Interview

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

LONDON, Great Britain – Heather Watson is coming off a career year that saw her earn hometown glory at the Wimbledon Championships in mixed doubles and win another WTA title in Monterrey.

Sitting down with Elle Magazine UK, the Brit had a no holds barred discussion about the differences between singles and doubles, getting into the right pre-match mindset, and how she injects her personal style into her on-court kits.

“In terms of mixed doubles, it’s a whole other ball game,” she said of her Wimbledon win with Henri Kontenin. “Personally, it’s just fun and I think that’s down to having had some incredible partners, which makes a big difference.

“I think I need to bring more of the mindset of ‘it doesn’t matter what the outcome is I’m just going to do what I need to do’, into my singles more.”

Watson also played mixed doubles with countryman Andy Murray, who went on to clinch the ATP World No.1 ranking earlier this fall.

“Andy is an incredible athlete. He’s so competitive, hardworking and so nice to be around. He’s not what people think he is. I find him quieter, very chilled and more relaxed off the court.”

Check out the full interview with Watson right here at ElleUK.com.

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Halep Holds Off Begu For Semifinal Spot

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID, Spain – 2014 Madrid runner up Simona Halep held off an inspired performance from Romanian qualifier Irina-Camelia Begu and secured her spot in the Mutua Madrid Open semifinals, 6-3, 0-6, 6-1.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Madrid right here on wtatennis.com!

No.6 seed Halep – the only seed still standing in Madrid – leads the pack of four Romanians who’ve reached the quarterfinal stage here. It’s a historic showing for the small Latin country in Eastern Europe.

“I think it’s a big thing for our country,” Halep said. “It’s a small country, and four girls to be in the quarterfinals of such a big tournament, it means a lot.

“I am in the semifinals. Maybe the other two is going to be going in the semis. It’s going to be a good thing.”

Plenty of chances went Begu’s way in the first set: she built up 30-0 leads twice in Halep’s service games, and despite creating three break chances in the set she couldn’t convert any of them. On paper they were drawn very evenly in the first set – seven winners apiece and 12 unforced errors from Halep to Begu’s 15, but in the key moments Begu’s usually reliable forehand misfired leaving Halep in command.

Begu learned from her first set mistakes, though, and went into the second looking like she couldn’t miss – only making one error all set long. She drew Halep out of her comfort zone and left her feeling rushed, striking nine errors and suffering her first bagel set of 2016. Halep righted the ship right away though, breaking Begu early on allowing her just one game in the final set.

As good as having four Romanians in the quarterfinals was for her country, it was at times a source of distraction for Halep, who admitted afterwards that she could overhear Begu’s coaching breaks.

“Yeah, affected me a little bit, but I was stronger in the third set and I didn’t care anymore,” Halep said. “It wasn’t my best day. Anyway, if I won means that I played good tennis. I’m confident it was a good match for me.

“I take it like a positive one, even if I gave that second set easy. I was there until the end, and I’m glad that I could control myself until the end.”

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WTA Player Of The Month: Kerber

WTA Player Of The Month: Kerber

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Undaunted by home pressure, Angelique Kerber could find no better place to win her first title since clinching her maiden major title in Melbourne than the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.

Kerber was coming off an abrupt semifinal finish at the Volvo Car Open, where she came within four sets of defending that title before a viral illness halted her progress. Emerging victorious in three sets over countrywoman Annika Beck in her opening round, the German never looked back, capturing a second straight title in Stuttgart.

“It’s really important for me because it is always a special week, a special tournament for me and to defend a title is like much more special for me,” Kerber told press after defending a title for the first time in her career.

Taking part in the first all-German final in Stuttgart’s history, Kerber dismissed Laura Siegemund in straight sets for her ninth career title and third on clay.

“I think for me it’s really the best season I have played so far. I mean to win my first Grand Slam and then winning here in front of my home crowd that is the best start ever.

“It’s so special to win after a Grand Slam also the tournament here at home because everybody is here, I know all the faces and playing in front of this crowd is always amazing.

“That’s why it’s much more special this year to win this tournament.”

With a second title of 2016 already under her belt, Kerber will certainly be one to watch through the clay court season as April’s WTA Player Of The Month!

Final Results for April’s WTA Player Of The Month

1. Angelique Kerber (54%)
2. Laura Siegemund (27%)
3. Sloane Stephens (19%)

 Angelique Kerber

2016 WTA Player of the Month Winners

January: Angelique Kerber
February: Carla Suárez Navarro
March: Victoria Azarenka

How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com 

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Garcia & Mladenovic Into Madrid Final

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID, Spain – Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic extended their perfect start to the clay court season with victory over Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the Mutua Madrid Open semifinals.

Arriving in the Spanish capital brimming with confidence after back-to-back titles in Charleston and Stuttgart, Garcia and Mladenovic have looked untouchable. After cruising through the rounds, the No.5 seeds put down a marker with their showing against former French Open champions Makarova and Vesnina, wrapping up a 6-2, 6-3 victory in little over an hour.

“It was a tough match and we fought really well,” Mladenovic said. “We’re on a great run but whoever we face in the final won’t be easy, so we’ll play our own game regardless. Clay is being great to us this season and me and Caroline are really playing great as a pair.”

A shot at Olympic glory prompted the union between Garcia and Mladenovic, who had previously been in successful partnerships with Katarina Srebotnik and Timea Babos, respectively. And while the Frenchwomen took a few tournaments to fully gel, they have now well and truly found their feet on the terre battue.

Victory over Makarova and Vesnina extends their unbeaten streak to 12 matches and sets up a rematch against the world’s leading pair: Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza.

The teams met a fortnight ago in the Stuttgart final, Garcia and Mladenovic overcoming a disastrous start to pinch it on a match tie-break. Hingis and Mirza secured their final berth thanks to an even more impressive showing, dismantling Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-2, 6-0, in 51 minutes.

“It’s obviously awesome – our second consecutive final of the clay court season. I don’t think either of us had ever made it to the final in Madrid before, so it’s a good feeling to already be doing better than last year and we’re looking forward to playing Garcia and Mladenovic again,” Hingis said.

Despite their dominance atop the rankings, Hingis insists they are the underdogs going into the final: “They are definitely the team to beat on clay, so if we want to be competitive at the French Open we know we’ll have to test ourselves against them.”

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WTA Stars Unwind: Cibulkova, Wozniacki & Serena In The Sun

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

After a busy 2016 season which saw Dominika Cibulkova rack up the most titles of anyone on tour – capped off by the biggest one of her career at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global – the World No.5 is taking some time off to unwind.

But she’s not the only WTA star hitting the beach – check out how Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Garbiñe Muguruza and more are spending their off season!

Cibulkova’s booked herself a well-deserved break in a private island in the Maldives…

But she didn’t stay away from the tennis court for long, taking a break from her vacation to head back to her hometown of Bratislava for an exhibition match against Belinda Bencic.

And she wasn’t the only one to run into a fellow WTA star during the offseason, either…

Caroline Wozniacki and Nicole Gibbs have been snapping away in the scenic Virgin Islands. The pair are in town for the Necker Cup, held on Richard Branson’s private Necker Island.

Serena Williams – and the whole Williams family, sans Venus – took to the beach in the Bahamas, before returning to Compton to inaugurate refurbished tennis courts in her old hometown.

The tireless Svetlana Kuznetsova finally took a break and took her whole family with her to the beach as well.

Garbiñe Muguruza had some fun in the sun too, but it was a slightly different kind of sand and sun.

Instead of hitting the beach, the Spaniard hit the desert and visited the pyramids in Egypt.

Ana Ivanovic also decided to forgo the beach during the off season, trading the sun and warmth for chilly London.

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