Singapore: Story Of The Tournament
The story of the tournament from the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
The story of the tournament from the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – World No.2 Angelique Kerber expertly dealt with windy conditions to breeze past qualifier Kristina Kucova, 6-2, 6-3, to reach the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Charleston right here on wtatennis.com!
Kerber had been taken to the brink in her opening round match against Lara Arruabarrena, but appeared far more comfortable opening play against Kucova on Thursday, hitting 35 winners to 33 unforced errors and converting seven of her 10 break point opportunities. Still, the defending champion felt there was room for improvement heading into the last eight for the second year in a row.
“It was a really tricky match,” she told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview. “It was really windy and it was a completely different condition than before. I played two days ago in the night session, and it was windy, cold.
“I’m really happy to win the match because she’s a tough opponent who had great matches in Charleston. I’m happy to be back here.”
Playing in her first clay court event of 2016, Kerber has good memories of this tournament, one that truly kickstarted her 2015 season and led her to begin this year with Grand Slam glory at the Australian Open. The French Open remains the only major tournament where she is yet to reach the semifinals, however, and is keen to adjust her counterpunching game to a surface as gritty as the German herself.
“I think the feeling is coming back from last year because right now I’m feeling much better on clay again,” she said in her post-match press conference. “Moving feels better; also, when I hit the balls, I’m feeling the ball. I’m feeling the Court, and of course, playing again on the great center court with all the fans.
“It’s just, again, a great feeling like what I had last year.”
Up next for Kerber will be another unseeded opponent in the winner of Irina-Camelia Begu, who saved a match point to defeat Monica Puig, 1-6, 6-2, 7-6(4). Begu and Kerber have split their previous four meetings; though the Romanian won their most recent encounter at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Kerber won their match last year at this very tournament – en route to winning the title.
Can't stop me now. @irina_begu saves a MP to defeat Puig 1-6, 6-2, 7-6(4). Makes 2nd QF in a row in #CHS. #VCO2016 pic.twitter.com/flJ1ltAdop
— Volvo Car Open (@VolvoCarOpen) April 8, 2016
Also reaching the quarterfinals in the top half of the draw is 18-year-old Russian Daria Kasatkina. Making her WTA debut on green clay, Kasatkina had been the model of efficiency through her first two matches, and looked on course for more of the same against American Louisa Chirico.
Bageling the wildcard in the opening set, Kasatkina was in for a far greater fight in the second, winning a titanic final game in which she saved four break points and needed six match points of her own to clinch her second career Premier quarterfinal – the first coming just three weeks ago at the BNP Paribas Open.
“I knew it wouldn’t be an easy second set, but especially – whew!” the youngster said, trying to catch her breath before continuing in her on-court interview, “at the end of the second set it was very difficult, but I’m happy right now.”
Kasatkina won her 100th career match earlier this week and is currently at a career-high ranking of No.35 – heading into what should be a great part of the season for the former French Open junior champion.
“I’m trying to play solid. I don’t want to make stupid mistakes; I’m trying to play smarter with the brain, so it helps me a lot!”
Standing between Kasatkina and the semifinals is American Sloane Stephens, who took out former junior rival Daria Gavrilova, 6-4, 6-3, during Charleston’s night match. Stephens has already won two titles in 2016, starting the season with the ASB Classic and most recently outlasting 2014 Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova to win the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.
First set goes to @SloaneStephens!
Grabs the opening set over Gavrilova 6-4! #VCO2016 https://t.co/eWFW3IAUlw
— WTA (@WTA) April 8, 2016
MOSCOW, Russia – No.8 seed Daria Kasatkina gave fans at the Kremlin Cup a lot to cheer about after her straight sets victory over Belinda Bencic.
Watch live action from Moscow this week at WTA Live Powered By TennisTV!
Russian players have always thrived at the year’s last Premier-level event in Moscow, with at least one Russian reaching the semifinals or better at nine of the last 10 editions of the tournament. Kasatkina looked set to add her name to that list as she needed just 61 minutes to dispatch Bencic 6-4, 6-1.
“It was a great win, especially in front of the home fans here,” Kasatkina said after the match. “Belinda is a tough opponent, a former Top 10 player, so it’s nice to get the victory and start the week here in Moscow playing well.
“I just want to keep putting in performances like this and finish the season strongly.”
Bencic got off to a roaring start early in the match, dragging Kasatkina from alley to alley and ripping a 150 kph overhead winner to bring up the first break for a 4-2 lead in the opening set. But Kasatkina clawed her way back as the unforced errors began to fly from Bencic’s raquet, with a wild forehand drifting wide to hand the break back to the Russian and level the match.
Kasatkina reeled off seven straight games to take the opening set and go up a break in the second. A double fault from Bencic – her fifth of the match – gave Kasatkina the final break and the Russian player closed out the match 6-4, 6-1.
No.9 seed Timea Babos will join Kasatkina in the second round after she took out 2014 finalist Irina-Camelia Begu in a two-and-a-half hour battle to advance 6-2, 6-7(2), 7-5.
Also in action today, Kremlin Cup qualifying wrapped up with Lesia Tsurenko, Katerina Siniakova, Anna Blinkova and Nicole Gibbs earning main draw berths.
Barbora Strycova got her campaign to a winning start at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, defeating Roberta Vinci in straight sets.
An interview with Caroline Garcia after her win in the group stage at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Monica Puig shook up tennis’ pecking order this summer by winning an historic gold medal at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Now the Puerto Rican is shaking things up off the court. Watch to find out how to make a great on-the-go snack or a quick, nutritious breakfast with just five ingredients – and a packet of USANA MySmart Shake Whey Protein.
USANA is the Official Vitamin & Supplement Supplier of the WTA, and over 170 Athletes – including 8 out of the Top 10 and 15 out of the Top 20 use USANA products. Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, Samantha Stosur, Eugenie Bouchard, and Madison Keys are among several USANA ambassadors, and 2016 marks the 10th Anniversary of the USANA-WTA partnership.
Elena Vesnina has Friday’s shot of the day at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Keys answered both questions decisively in 2016: Yes, she can.
My story began in Rock Island where I dreamed of playing on the big stage. Now I want to win it all @Nike #justdoit pic.twitter.com/PlaXuSIm1j
— Madison Keys (@Madison_Keys) July 21, 2016
Keys capped off an achievement-laden season by becoming the seventh player to qualify for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. While her two breakout results last year, where she made the Australian Open semifinals and Wimbledon quarterfinals, grabbed bigger headlines, Keys’ 2016 campaign was a truer encapsulation of her talent and potential. Starting the season at No.18, Keys proceeded to make the second week of all four Slams, becoming one of just four women to pull off the feat this season. Outside of the Slams she made the quarterfinals or better at eight of 12 events, highlighted by finals at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome and the Rogers Cup in Montréal. By comparison, Keys made just two quarterfinals last year.
Keys also picked up another title on grass by winning the Aegon Classic. With the Birmingham title, Keys became the first American woman to make her Top 10 debut since Serena Williams in 1999. When the dust settled, Keys finished the regular season with a 46-15 record, an impressive improvement over her 31-18 tally in 2015 and 27-22 in 2014.
“Sometimes it just takes a little bit of time for things to click and sink in,” Keys said. “Sometimes it’s just how someone words something one time, then it just makes sense to you. I definitely think working with Thomas [Hogstedt] has been a huge benefit for me.” Keys hired Hogstedt, who previously coached the likes of Li Na, Maria Sharapova, and Caroline Wozniacki, earlier this spring.
“But I also think it’s a process. It’s being ready to handle the situation has been a big thing for me. I think I’m putting myself in those positions and handling them a lot better. That just gives me more confidence. The more I’m in those tough situations, the better I feel about them.”
Indeed, her ability to come through in tough matches has been the biggest improvement in her season. Keys is 17-5 in three-set matches this season, compared to a sub-.500 mark of 6-10 last year. She still struggles with her rhythm and decision-making in matches, but this year she’s been able to limit the dips to brief spells.
“You look at my scores and there’s lulls and stuff but I feel like before it would spiral really quickly,” Keys said. “Now I’m stopping it and getting better at that. I think it’s that confidence of knowing ‘Don’t panic, you can do this.’ I think the biggest thing is knowing that those thoughts of panic are probably going to go into your brain and just accepting it. So that’s been the biggest thing. Not fighting it and trying to think I’m going to have the perfect mentality the entire time. That’s not going to happen. So just knowing it and accepting it has been a huge thing for me.”
After starting the season with a left forearm injury, Keys has seen the hard work in the gym and on the practice court pay off. She is stronger and faster than she’s ever been and the body that would let her down has stood tall throughout the season. The ability to trust her body has freed her up to focus on her game, which continues to improve as she matures. There’s a self-assuredness about Keys this season, a swagger that wasn’t there before. Winning matches and winning them on a consistent clip breeds belief.
.@Madison_Keys joins @FearlesslyGirl as their new ambassador–> https://t.co/aJdHCUVWgv #IAmFearlesslyGIRL pic.twitter.com/x07qQZ0QUJ
— WTA (@WTA) August 24, 2016
“I feel like I’ve definitely gained confidence in myself,” Keys said. “I think especially that I’ve had a lot of matches this year where I wasn’t playing my best tennis, and I was in some bad spots, but being able to figure that out. I think that’s given me just a lot of personal confidence.”
Wildcard Zhang Shuai became the first to advance into the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy semifinal with a straight-set win over Timea Babos in the Camellia Group.
MOSCOW, Russia – Svetlana Kuznetsova survived a mid-match wobble to defeat Timea Babos in the Kremlin Cup quarterfinals and move one step closer to a return to the WTA Finals.
In a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout, top seed and defending champion Kuznetsova harnessed the home crowd support to eventually triumph, 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-2, after a fraction over two and half hours on court.
The result keeps alive the 31-year-old’s hopes of appearing at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The Russian, who was a fixture at the season-ending showpiece for much of her early 20s, has not qualified since 2009, but will return should she lift the title in Moscow. If she fails in her quest, Johanna Konta will take the final spot in the eight-player draw.
Babos’ battling performance ensured that the outcome remained in the balance until the last. In the second set, she displayed particular character to break twice with her opponent serving for the match. A flawless tie-break ensured the match went the distance, and despite falling behind in the decider, another comeback looked on the cards when she reduced her arrears to 3-2.
However, a thigh injury halted this revival – and the match – allowing Kuznetsova to regroup during a length injury timeout. On the resumption, the Russian took control rattling off the final three games to set up a semifinal with No.4 seed Elina Svitolina.
“Where to start? My coach and Nastia [Myskina] said in the locker room that the points were very short, from one to three rallies. I didn’t run much. I think I was good for me that I had a third set even when I felt a little bit tired,” Kuznetsova told the Russian press. “In the third set I let the situation go and played better.
“It has prepared me a base for tomorrow’s match because the way I played during last two matches, the last four sets: yesterday’s and the first two from today…It won’t get me far.”
Earlier in the day, Svitolina delivered a clinical display to swat aside lucky loser Ana Konjuh, 6-1, 6-1. Svitolina has been in terrific form during the second half of the season, reaching the semifinals or better in three of her past five tournaments.
“It was a good match for me, I was serving well and seeing the ball good. This was a good game and I’m really happy that it’s another semifinal for me,” Svitolina told wtatennis.com.
“After Beijing I had one week off and I was at home, just trying to recover fast. These last two tournaments – here and in Zhuhai – are very important and I’m just trying to stay focused.”