Brisbane: Suárez Navarro Interview
An interview with Carla Suárez Navarro after her quarterfinal win at the Brisbane International.
An interview with Carla Suárez Navarro after her quarterfinal win at the Brisbane International.
SHENZHEN, China – Agnieszka Radwanska kept her fantastic last few months going Friday, beating Anna-Lena Friedsam for a spot in the Shenzhen Open final – and in the Top 4 on the WTA Rankings.
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After jumping out to a 6-2, 2-0 lead, the No.1-seeded Radwanska faced some resistance from Friedsam, the unseeded German breaking back to even the second set, 2-2. But Radwanska got right back on the horse, breaking one last time for 3-2 then holding the rest of the way to win, 6-2, 6-4.
“I’ve been feeling good from the beginning of the year,” Radwanska said. “I’ve been playing some good tennis, especially here in Shenzhen this week, and now I have one more match to go to win here.”
Radwanska has now won 21 of her last 25 matches, a stretch that started right after the US Open and has brought her titles at Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Tianjin and the WTA Finals, and now a final here.
Radwanska is now into the 25th WTA final of her career – she’s 17-7 in her first 24 WTA finals.
And by reaching this final, Radwanska is projected to pass Maria Sharapova on the WTA Rankings come Monday, going from No.5 to No.4 – a move that has major, major implications, as it’s Monday’s WTA Rankings that will determine the seeds for the Australian Open, and a Top 4 seed is massive.
“Reaching the final here is great preparation for the Australian Open, and that’s a good projection too,” Radwanska, a former World No.2, said after being told of the ranking news. “First I’ll focus on winning here in Shenzhen, and then I’ll just try to play the same tennis in Sydney and in Melbourne.”
But back to Shenzhen, and waiting for Radwanska in the final will be Alison Riske, who won an all-unseeded semifinal against Timea Babos earlier in the day by the exact same scoreline, 6-2, 6-4.
“It was definitely a tough match for me,” Riske said. “Babos is a great competitor and a great player, so I had to be there on every point, and I’m excited that the match came out in my favor in the end.
“I’m also excited to be in the final – it’s a great start to a season to reach a final.”
Radwanska beat Riske in their only previous meeting, in her opening match at Indian Wells last year.
.@ARadwanska books a spot in her 25th #WTA final! Beats Friedsam 6-2, 6-4 at the #ShenzhenOpen! pic.twitter.com/Z83poGRtgI
— WTA (@WTA) January 8, 2016
British No.1 Johanna Konta overcame Daria Kasatkina at the Apia International Sydney to move through to her second semifinals of 2017 without dropping a set.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The Women’s Tennis Association and Cambridge Global Payments have entered into a three-year partnership whereby Cambridge will serve as the Official and Exclusive International Payments Provider of the WTA, responsible for fulfillment of prize money and corporate foreign exchange services for the WTA and its members.
“Cambridge’s in-depth knowledge and expertise in managing many international, and often complicated, financial transactions set them apart – especially when time sensitive payments and on-demand delivery are a must,” said WTA CEO and Chairman Steve Simon. “Their commitment to excellence reflect the high standards we expect at the WTA and we look forward to this partnership.”
Cambridge is one of the largest bank-independent providers of international payments, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia. Their award winning online platform and expertise in the business space has earned them global recognition, specifically for time sensitive payments.
Cambridge will provide the foreign exchange platform for facilitation of the payment of prize money between the WTA’s members – from tournaments to players. The WTA will oversee the handling of the program in conjunction with Cambridge. The WTA itself will also utilize Cambridge Global for all corporate foreign exchange services.
“We are extremely honored and excited to be selected as the Official and Exclusive International Payments Provider for the WTA and their members. As a global leader and specialist in international payments, Cambridge looks forward to working with such a prestigious association and their group of talented players,” said Anil Sawrup, Chief Commercial Officer, Cambridge Global Payments.
No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska earned a seventh straight win over Barbora Strycova to reach the Apia International Sydney final.
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