Rome: Muguruza Interview
An interview with Garbiñe Muguruza after her win in the third round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
An interview with Garbiñe Muguruza after her win in the third round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
BRISBANE, Australia – Dominika Cibulkova starts the 2017 season at a career-high ranking following her year-end triumph at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Still, the Slovak found time to assist the efforts of the newly formed WTA Charities before kicking off her campaign at the Brisbane International.
Partnering with the Ronald McDonald House South East Queensland and the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, Cibulkova met a group of sick children who came prepared to ask the World No.5 questions about her life and career in Brisbane.
“They were really nice kids, asking good questions,” Cibulkova said after the event. “It was nice to meet them and I’m happy I can do this kind of thing.”
Asked what other sports she played, the former Australian Open finalist talked about the gymnastics she did as a child, but now enjoys skiing when she’s not on the tennis court. She also issued a challenge to Andre Agassi when asked which player she’d like to play.
“It’s cool that kids can get to know us a bit more, and I think they’ll follow tennis more intensely now, because when you know one of the players, you get more involved and more emotional. I think that’s really nice.”
Launched at the start of 2017, the mission of WTA Charities is to be a social responsibility vehicle built on the WTA’s values to empower and provide for a better future. WTA Charities is dedicated to combining, strengthening and enhancing the community and charitable efforts of the WTA through its members (players, alumnae and tournaments), along with its partners.
Cibulkova is the No.2 seed in Brisbane and will play her opening round match against Zhang Shuai.
Thanks to @Cibulkova for taking time out to meet these special kids from @RMHSEQ and Lady Cilento Children's Hospital ? #BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/S68SoVCv9j
— #BrisbaneTennis (@BrisbaneTennis) January 1, 2017
AUCKLAND, New Zealand – World No.2 Serena Williams is back in action for the first time in five months at the ASB Classic, playing her first ever match in Auckland. She’s not the only big name hitting the court, though, with Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki also starting out 2017 in New Zealand.
Click here for the complete Auckland singles and doubles draws.
POSSIBLE QUARTERFINALS:
[1] Serena Williams vs [7] Jelena Ostapenko
‘NEW EXPERIENCES’ KEY FOR SERENA:
It’s been over five months since Serena played a tour-level tennis match, after falling to Karolina Pliskova at the US Open semifinals. She ended her season rehabbing a troublesome shoulder injury that kept her out of the WTA Finals in Singapore.
Now that she’s back in action, No.1 seed Serena admits to relishing new experiences – on and off the court.
“I’ve never been in Auckland and so I’ve never had an opportunity to be first in the world to welcome in this New Year,” she said at a charity event ahead of her opening match.
“This is a new experience for me and the fact that I’m still having new experiences this deep into my career makes me feel really good.”
Competing at the ASB Classic for the first time, the newly-engaged Serena will have the chance to collect her first win in Auckland as she opens the day session on Tuesday against France’s Pauline Parmentier for the pair’s first tour-level match.
Later tonight, No.2 seed Venus is set to take on local wildcard Jade Lewis, while No.3 seed Wozniacki will close out the night session against Nicole Gibbs.
– Photos courtesy of Tennis Auckland
WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen | In the latest WTA Insider Podcast, hear from famed coach David Kotyza on his work with Karolina Pliskova to start the 2017 season in Brisbane.
BRISBANE, Australia – For the second time in as many days, Garbiñe Muguruza came back from the brink to keep her hopes alive at the Brisbane International.
Muguruza entertained a record crowd at the Queensland Tennis Centre on Tuesday night, coming from match point down for to defeat the courageous Daria Kasatkina, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(7), in one minute shy of three hours.
“What a match! It was terrible, I was suffering until last moment, but I think we were both playing amazing,” Muguruza said in her on-court interview. “The tie break is just a few points where it will be decided. I don’t know how I won but I’m glad I did it.
Another huge moment!@DKasatkina breaks back after this phenomenal challenge! pic.twitter.com/wWC8Oa8tNG
— WTA (@WTA) January 3, 2017
In a match that ebbed and flowed until the last, Kasatkina came roaring back from 4-1 down in the deciding set only to stumble when she was then presented with the opportunity to serve for it. Muguruza, somehow maintained her composure in the subsequent tie-break, wiping out a match point at 6-7 with a pin-point forehand before eventually making her weary limbs across the finishing line.
The previous evening, the Spaniard had been involved in an equally dramatic contest against home favorite Samantha Stosur. By her own admission, it is an atmosphere she revels in.
“I love to play in this type of court when the crowd is so into the match. I like to make them enjoy and suffer like me!”
This match?? @BrisbaneTennis
— Elena Vesnina (@EVesnina001) January 3, 2017
In the quarterfinals, Muguruza will face either Svetlana Kuznetsova or Destanee Aiava.
Another seed put through the ringer was Elina Svitolina, who eventually saw off Shelby Rogers, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5.
With the French Open just days away, the WTA Insider team got to wondering: Is there really such a thing as a clay court specialist anymore?
Not since Francesca Schiavone’s French Open triumph in 2010 has a player won the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen with what would be considered a traditional clay court style. The slicing, the dicing, the grinding, have all given way to more powerful players, ones who already excel on other surfaces. The last four French Opens have been won by either Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova, with Sharapova in particular redefining what a clay court specialist looked like.
We sought to isolate the clay court results over the last three years to see who the best clay court players have been recently. To do that we looked at a player’s results at Premier-level events or higher over the last three seasons, using 100% of their points earned in 2016, 75% earned in 2015, and 50% earned in 2014.
Taking into consideration the players currently entered in the French Open, here are the Clay Court Power Rankings:
Takeaways:
– Serena reigns supreme: When you’ve won two of the last three French Opens, it’s hard to argue that you’re not the best. We did not include Sharapova because she is not entered in Paris, but she was behind Serena at No.2 by a little more than 400 points.
– Halep jumps to No.2: The former French Open junior champion benefits from her fantastic 2014 clay season, where she made the final of Madrid and the French Open, as well as her title-run in Madrid this year. If she can handle any changing expectations after Madrid, she’ll be in good form in Paris.
– Kerber holds firm: Kerber’s clay court power ranking at No.3 is slightly misleading. She has been a steady force early in the clay season in Charleston and Stuttgart, but her results have tended to taper off afterwards. She has made the French Open quarterfinals just once. But there’s no reason the Australian Open champion can’t flip the script this year.
– Radwanska and Azarenka slip: Two of the Top 5 women barely crack the Top 20 of our power rankings. Agnieszka Radwanska, who will be seeded No.2 in Paris, is down at No.20, while No.5 Victoria Azarenka, the most dominant player on hardcourts this season, is down at No.28.
Neither result is particularly surprising given their recent results on clay, which saw Radwanska lose in the opening round in Madrid and skip Rome, while Azarenka’s back injury hampered her clay preparation this year. Radwanska has been to the quarterfinals just once at the French Open, in 2013, while Azarenka’s best result was a semifinal in 2013.
– The Top 10 looks markedly different: Six of the women ranked in the Top 10 of our power rankings will be seeded outside the Top 10 in Paris: Petra Kvitova, last year’s French Open finalist Lucie Safarova, Carla Suárez Navarro, Sara Errani, Ana Ivanovic, and Madison Keys.
– Notable clay court darkhorses: In the Open Era, the French Open has been won by 15 first-time Grand Slam champions – the most of the four majors – something that encourages an extra-critical eye on the tournament’s underdogs. Irina-Camelia Begu, for example, has had a tremendous clay season, making the quarterfinals in Charleston, Madrid, and the semifinals in Rome. She’s up to No.11 in our power rankings, from a ranking of No.28. Daria Gavrilova is another name to keep an eye on, as she surges to No.19 in our power ranking. Elena Vesnina, Laura Siegemund, Christina McHale, and Louisa Chirico also earned big bumps.
Keep up with WTA Insider’s RG Contenders series by clicking here.
Check out the best photos from the opening party for the 2016 French Open at Le Petit Palais here on wtatennis.com!
Stefanie Graf, former WTA World No.1 and 22-time Grand Slam champion, will serve as the Tournament Ambassador for the 2016 WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai. The tournament is entering its second year on the WTA and is the final event of the 2016 season.
The WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, established in 2015, features 11 of the top ranked singles players along with one wild card and four of the top ranked doubles teams, along with two team wild cards. Held November 1-6 at the Hengqin International Tennis Center, the $USD 2.21 million event with 700 ranking points awarded to the winner, will feature some of the top players in the world, with Venus Williams serving as the defending champion.
“I am so pleased to be the ambassador for the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai in 2016,” said Graf. “Such a prestigious event in the beautiful city of Zhuhai will go a long way towards supporting the expansion of women’s tennis. I have heard great reports from the players and through the press about the 2015 event and I can’t wait to visit and be a part of the event this year.”
“It’s exciting to see Stefanie Graf as the official ambassador of WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai,” said WTA CEO Steve Simon. “Stefanie continues to be one of the greatest and most respected players on the WTA with so many players viewing her as their role model. Getting Stefanie’s endorsement is another solid testament to Zhuhai’s prestigious status. We are confident that WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai will achieve a bigger step forward in 2016 based on their success in the inaugural event last year.”
Graf is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. During her career, she won 107 WTA singles titles, including 22 Grand Slam singles titles, the record for most major wins by a tennis player (male or female) in the Open Era. Graf was the No.1 player on the WTA for a record 377 weeks – the highest total for any player since the WTA (and ATP) began issuing rankings. In 1988, she became the first player to achieve the Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year. Furthermore, she is the only tennis player to have won each Grand Slam event at least four times. Because of her great achievements and her contributions to the sport of tennis, she was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004.
“We are absolutely delighted that Stefanie has agreed to become the Global Ambassador for the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai for 2016,” said Tournament Director Peter Johnston. “Throughout her life, Stefanie has displayed the qualities both on and off the court that make her one of the greatest and most respected athletes of all time. As the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai continues to grow and its global profile increases, it is another important milestone to have the endorsement of such a great champion. We look forward to working with her in lead up promotions and welcoming her during the event week.”
Due to its special qualification rules, the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai is a competition mixed with established and rising stars. At its inaugural year in 2015, the event featured three former WTA World No.1 players of Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, and Jelena Jankovic, along with next generation players of Karolina Pliskova, Madison Keys, and Elina Svitolina. The WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai is managed by the renowned Huafa Group in conjunction with APG.
PARIS, France – Next week at Roland Garros, Serena Williams resumes her relentless march towards tennis history. But before she embarks on her bid for a 22nd Grand Slam crown, here are some noteworthy numbers on the WTA’s indomitable World No.1.
Serena & Grand Slams
~ Serena has the second-most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era with 21 (Graf 22)
~ Serena has the third-most Grand Slam singles titles all-time with 21 (Court 24, Graf 22)
~ Serena has the third-most Grand Slam match wins in Open Era with 291 (Navratilova 306, Evert 299)
~ Serena is trying to win her fourth Roland Garros title (won it in 2002, 2013 and 2015); a fourth title would tie her with Justine Henin and Helen Wills-Moody on the all-time leaderboard
~ This is Serena’s 21st time being the No.1 seed at a Grand Slam (she’s won 11 of the first 20)
~ Serena is 61-1 in Grand Slam first round matches (only loss: Razzano at 2012 Roland Garros)
Serena & Finals
~ Serena is 21-5 in Grand Slam singles finals, the second-best winning percentage Open Era (Court was 11-1)
~ Serena won eight straight Grand Slam singles finals between 2012 Wimbledon and 2015 Wimbledon; losses on each side were 2011 US Open (l. Stosur) and 2016 Australian Open (l. Kerber)
~ Serena has won 31 of her last 35 finals (only losses: Azarenka at 2013 Doha, 2013 Cincinnati, 2016 Indian Wells & Kerber at 2016 Australian Open)
Serena & Age-Related Stats
~ Serena is the oldest woman to win a major in the Open Era (33y & 285d at 2015 Wimbledon)
~ Serena is the oldest No.1 in WTA history (set record when returned to No.1 on February 18, 2013)
~ Serena has the longest winning span between majors of any woman Open Era at 15 years and 10 months between 1999 US Open and 2015 Wimbledon (Evert, Navratilova and Graf had 12-year spans)
~ Serena has won eight majors since turning 30, the most after 30 by far in the Open Era (Court and Navratilova three each, King and Evert two each and Jones, Wade, Li and Pennetta one each)
Miscellaneous
~ Serena will spend her 171st & 172nd straight weeks at No.1 during the Roland Garros fortnight (second-longest streak at No.1 in WTA history after Graf’s 186)
~ Serena is spending her 294th & 295th career weeks at No.1 during the Roland Garros fortnight (second-most weeks at No.1 in WTA history after Graf’s 377)
~ Serena has the most career prize money in WTA history ($76.5M – next-most is Sharapova’s $36.8M)
~ Serena has the fifth-most WTA titles in Open Era with 70 (after Navratilova, Evert, Graf, Court)
Before & After Patrick Mouratoglou
Serena joined forces with Patrick Mouratoglou after falling first round at the 2012 French Open, and the dynamic duo’s numbers speak for themselves – here’s a comparison of before and after Mouratoglou:
Pre-Patrick Mouratoglou
win-loss: 523-107 (.830)
WTA titles: 41
Grand Slam titles: 13 out of 47 (.277)
vs Top 10: 111-59 (.653)
Post-Patrick Mouratoglou
win-loss: 232-19 (.924)
WTA titles: 29
Grand Slam titles: 8 out of 15 (.533)
vs Top 10: 56-6 (.903)
Since Regaining World No.1
Since returning to the top spot on the WTA Rankings on February 18, 2013, Serena’s been fantastic:
win-loss: 189-16
WTA titles: 23 of 33
Grand Slam titles: 6 of 12
vs Top 10: 41-4 (.911)
PARIS, France – No.10 seed Lucie Safarova made the most of an interrupted schedule on Sunday to defeat the recently returning Vitalia Diatchenko, 6-0, 6-2, to reach the second round of the French Open. Not long after the 2015 finalist’s win, play was canceled due to rain.
Safarova was one of only five women to complete their first round matches, joining Petra Kvitova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Viktorija Golubic and Hsieh Su-Wei before stormy weather held serve and kept top seeds like Simona Halep and Garbiñe Muguruza from making their 2015 French Open debuts.
“It’s nice to have the match finished,” said Safarova, who won the first seven games of the match before the first wave of inclement weather covered the clay courts. “Obviously now I have two days off, which I can train, hopefully, and get back to my routine.
“But I don’t think it does a huge impact in the draw results. I mean, obviously today it’s tough conditions because of the rain and delays and the balls are quite heavy, but it’s same for everyone.”
Diatchenko was playing her first major tournament since having to retire in the first round of the US Open due to an Achilles injury; the Russian returned last week to win a Challenger doubles title with Galina Voskoboeva, but was still struggling with her rhythm on Sunday, hitting 27 unforced errors and nine double faults.
“It’s really nice to be back,” the defending doubles champion with Bethanie Mattek-Sands remarked in her post-match press conference. “I’m excited. Obviously a lot of great memories from last year. To be back here on-site, playing on the same courts, brings a lot of nice feelings.”
Playing a clean match with 11 winners and 12 unforced errors, Safarova enjoyed her second win since food poisoning forced her to pull out of the Mutua Madrid Open; her season had already gotten off to a late start due to injuries and a bacterial infection causing a bout with reactive arthritis.
“I had a lot of health issues last half year, so I’m just really happy to be playing and to be here. Each match I face, I will try to win and we will see.”
Safarova advanced under the wire on Court Suzanne Lenglen, as a drizzle threatened to send her off court a second time, but the former World No.5 duly served out the match and booked a second round meeting with Golubic, who needed three sets to take out Alison Riske, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2.
Play is set to resume on Monday and will feature No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska as she takes on Bojana Jovanovski, Muguruza and Halep, and the completion of three matches which were rained out, including Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nicole Gibbs, and Aliaksandra Sasnovich, who lead Yaroslava Shvedova, Heather Watson, and Cagla Buyukakcay, respectively.
All remaining matches cancelled until tomorrow ☔ #RG16 pic.twitter.com/x5jbAyYT3A
— WTA (@WTA) May 22, 2016