Wuhan: Halep vs. Keys
Simona Halep takes on Madison Keys in the quarterfinals of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
Simona Halep takes on Madison Keys in the quarterfinals of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
¡Bienvenido a Miami!
Known for the weather, Art Deco architecture, pristine beaches, all-night parties on South Beach and cigar shops on Calle Ocho, Miami is a leading destination for travelers from all over the world.
The stars of the WTA leave the desert and head towards the beach for the second Premier Mandatory of the year and to compete for the chance to be crowned champion of the 2016 Miami Open.
Miami-resident Monica Puig has joined in on the fun for this edition of the WTA Travel Guide: Miami and gives you her recommendations for must-sees and must-dos in the Magic City.
WATCH THE MATCHES
Within the bright lights and big city of Miami, nestled on the island town of Key Biscayne, the Miami Open offers the perfect combination of world-class tennis and a premier entertainment experience.
New to this year’s event is the Taste of the Miami Open, where fans can sample a variety of dishes from celebrity chefs and local restaurants. If you’re looking to hop aboard the food truck trend, check out one of the three food trucks on site providing a variety of culinary offerings. Click here for all of the delicious dining options for you to sample during your visit.
Qualifying runs March 21 – 22, with matches beginning at 10:00am. Main draw is March 22 – April 3, with day sessions beginning at 11:00am. Night sessions begin March 23 and start at 7:00pm. Looking for tickets? Click here.
WHERE TO STAY
One of the most visited cities in the world, there is no shortage of first-class hotel accommodations for you to choose from when visiting Miami.
For a true luxury beach escape with convenient access to the Miami Open, the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne is the place to stay. With a 20,000 square-foot spa, four restaurants, access to water activities on Biscayne Bay and the largest tennis facility of any Ritz Carlton property in the Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center, there is no shortage of ways to entertain people of all ages.
If you’re looking to venture off Key Biscayne, the Four Seasons Miami offers 221 deco-inspired rooms in the heart of the sophisticated neighborhood of Brickell. With two pools, and free access to Equinox gym and more than 100 fitness classes offered each week, the Four Seasons can ensure you stay active after a day of watching the world’s best athletes.
The JW Marriott Marquis not only provides guests with the opportunity to eat at celebrity Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurant db Bistro Moderne, but also a chance to explore two floors worth of entertainment including the indoor Mariano Bartolome Indoor Golf School with a simulator, a virtual bowling alley and a NBA-approved basketball court.
Included on Travel + Leisure’s “500 World’s Best Hotels 2015” the Epic Hotel, guests can enjoy boutique-style accommodations but with big-city luxury. Relax by the pool or enjoy Miami nightlife at Lit Lounge.
The Conrad Hotel offers beautiful minimalist designed rooms, with a bar on the 25th floor to give guests a panoramic view of the city. Rooftop tennis courts and a pool, as well as a 24-hour fitness center are all excellent options if you’re looking to be active during your stay.
WHERE TO EAT
Miami offers seemingly unending culinary options, but here are a few of our favorite for your dining pleasure.
For a true taste of Latin America, head to Coya Restaurant for traditional Peruvian food and bespoke pisco cocktails.
If you’re looking to experience the informal Japanese dining style called izakaya, visit Zuma Restaurant in the heart of downtown, for modern Japanese flavors.
In the beautiful neighborhood of Coconut Grove, Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar and Latam Grill is known for their fresh Ceviche Spoon Bar, as well as their take on modern Mexican food. They also offer a well curated selection of South American wines and a signature cocktail list.
Voted OpenTable’s Diners Choice Award for Most Vibrant Bar Scene in Miami, Bulla Gastrobar specializes in Spanish and Catalan dishes. The casual dining experience stays true to providing diners with the chance to sample the most popular tapas in Spain without leaving Coral Gables.
Named Ocean Magazine’s “Best Place to Brunch in Midtown,” Apeiro Kitchen & Bar features Mediterranean cuisine gives diners the opportunity to enjoy lunch, brunch, happy hour or dinner both in a rustic indoor and outdoor setting.
MONICA PUIG‘S FAVORITE SPOTS
Although she was born in Puerto Rico, Monica Puig calls Miami home and is one of the few players who has the opportunity to play an event in front of her hometown crowd. When she isn’t on court, here are a few of her favorite must-see spots in Miami:
The beach is my happy place. There are so many beautiful beaches in Miami. Click here for a great list of all sandy spots you can visit.
My favorite activity when I’m at home is to go out to eat with my family. For traditional Cuban food, I love Sergio’s for a healthy and fast breakfast. For a great meal in Coral Gables, my go-to spot is Hillstone. They have amazing spinach dip and ahi tuna tartare and then after dinner you can walk the famous Miracle Mile for more shopping and bars. If you’re craving an awesome steak dinner, I love Morton’s, located in the Financial District.
Miami has no shortage of amazing shopping. When I’m not at the beach or on court, I love going to the Miami Design District to check out the high-end stores. For great outlet shopping, Dolphin Mall is the place to go, with stores like Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus all at discount prices.
And finally, don’t forget to come out and cheer me on during my matches at the Miami Open. See you there!
What did the top seeds have to say before play began at the Miami Open? The WTA stars told all at the pre-tournament Media Day…
Serena Williams
On her New York Times Op-Ed on keeping the Miami Open in Miami…
This is the tournament that I’ve grown up coming to. Being a local, it’s so easy for me to go home, come here and it’s also been just so great to tennis for decades. So it’s just been a wonderful place to have this event.
Watch live action from Miami this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
On “friendly rival” Victoria Azarenka’s return to the Top 10…
It’s really impressive. She’s been through a lot, a lot of disappointments, and obviously so many injuries. But she’s always been a really good player, and she’s just continued to prove that. She’s always been a big fighter as well. For me, I’m always excited to see the success of someone else, just to do well. It motivates me to do better, and I think we just have to always motivate each other. I think that’s exciting.
On equal prize money…
Women’s tennis is the biggest sport for women, period, stop, end all, done. Men’s tennis is probably not the biggest sport for men, but it’s still a huge sport. But you do have football, soccer, basketball. Every athlete, men and women, work extremely hard. I think it just boils down to, if I had two kids, I would never tell my son or my daughter that one deserves more because of their sex.
Simona Halep
On whether it’s harder to get to the Top 5 or stay there…
To get there is tough because first you have to win many matches, many tournaments in a row to get to the top. But to stay there, you have to repeat what you have done already. It’s tough, both of them, but that’s why it’s special to be in the Top 5, and that’s what I’m working hard for, to stay there.
On the Romanian fans who attend her matches…
Not only Romanians, also others! I want to thank them for their support. It’s amazing that they are coming always to support me, everywhere I go. I want to thank all the fans, actually, because it’s nice when I go out, they want my autograph or a picture with me. It’s nice. I’m enjoying this moment; I think it’s one of the best and I’m trying to be ok all the time but sometimes it’s tough. When you lose, it’s tough to smile. I’m trying to do it, stay close to them with Instagram and Facebook. But I’m not very good in that way. I’m trying just to stay relaxed, to thank them by playing my best when they come to see me.
Petra Kvitova
On how she plans to explore Miami…
I’ve been on the beach before I started practicing here; it was great. I’m planning some shopping as well. Of course, we are most of the time on the court, and on site, but if I find any time, it’s great to do something else.
On preparing for the Rio Olympics…
I just feel that the Olympic Games is just one more Grand Slam coming up. It’s as big a goal for me, definitely, and I will do my best over there as well. I’m not pretty sure what I can do there. I’m going to focus on tennis, definitely, and if I have time afterwards, I will watch some other sports probably.
Angelique Kerber
On the resurgence of tennis’ popularity in Germany…
It feels good because now I am seeing that tennis is going up again in Germany. Football is the biggest sport there, and I love to watch it; I’m a big football fan. It’s great to see, after Steffi Graf and Boris Becker, that now again the people are watching tennis and the focus is getting bigger on tennis again. This feels good and I’m proud that I am the person that makes tennis so popular again.
Agnieszka Radwanska
On the balancing her schedule with the Olympic experience…
I’m always trying to see other sports when I’m there, but sometimes it’s very tough with the schedule. You just go there and try to prepare as best you can. It’s not that easy to go somewhere, and when you’re done, you’re going to some other tournament, it’s not like any other sport where you’re done for a year. Next week, we have another tournament and three weeks later we have a Grand Slam. It’s never over for us, so it’s sometimes hard.
Belinda Bencic
On her adjustment to the WTA from juniors…
I don’t think it went really fast. At the start, I played a couple of tournaments, and then I went back to juniors, and then came back. It was like I already knew what was coming to me. I think you get used to it, and obviously, it’s great to be around all these champions and great players, and it was very inspiring for me. That’s why I felt quite good here, and I’m starting to really feel like I’m a part of this whole thing.
On her social media presence…
I think it’s nice to let the fans know what you’re doing off the court. When I was younger, I would also like to know what my idols were doing off the court, not always on.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
SINGAPORE – There’s squad goals, and then there’s the WTA Legends, who were out in full force on Thursday morning to take in the incredible view from the top of the Marina Bay Sands before Day 5 action began at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
WTA Finals Ambassadors Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Monica Seles Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Iva Majoli, and Mary Pierce took to the highest peak of the world-famous hotel to pose for a series of photos at the Marina Bay Sands’ SkyPark, offering sprawling views of the city; they later enjoyed some Singapore delicacies at Spago, hosted by Chef Joshua Brown.
“We have a clear day today, so I’ve never seen this far away,” noted Navratilova to WTA Insider. “It’s an amazing, bustling city. I drove around yesterday, went shopping at the Mustafa Centre that’s open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day; it was amazing. There’s so much energy here.”
#WTA Legends were introduced to Singaporean delicacy chicken rice by Chef Joshua Brown @marinabaysands when they're in town for #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/4nP2mPkcPr
— WTA Finals Singapore (@WTAFinalsSG) October 27, 2016
Navratilova has been on hand for much of the week, looking forward to the start of the doubles event, where eight teams will compete for a trophy named in her honor.
“It’ll be interesting because Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia had the best year, but mostly because Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis stopped playing together. They had a bit of a falling-out, but they’re playing here. That dynamic between Sania and Martina, how they get along, will be crucial.
“If they can put whatever happened between them behind and play good tennis – because doubles is a team sport, and you really need to play together – I’m looking forward to that more than anything.
“At their best, Hingis and Mirza are the favorites because they have the biggest weapons and know-how, how to play the points. But Mladenovic and Garcia would be a close second favorite.”
The WTA Legends convene for a Skypark photoshoot: pic.twitter.com/PwmqfQcqSv
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) October 27, 2016
Evert arrived on Wednesday night, but is in familiar territory, having visited Singapore three times before.
“Oh my god, it’s beautiful!” she enthused. “The tough thing is getting here; it’s a long way from Florida – 21 hours – but once you get here, it’s breathtakingly beautiful, especially the Marina Bay Sands.”
A longtime commentator for ESPN, the 18-time Grand Slam champion tagged Angelique Kerber as her Player of the Year, and the one most likely to lift the Billie Jean King Trophy at week’s end:
“Angelique Kerber’s impressed me, winning two Grand Slams. No one’s done that in so many years besides Serena Williams, really.
“She’s been playing some really great tennis, more aggressively. She’s really stepped it up with her game. Mentally, she’s gotten tougher, and she’s looking tough here too.”
.@28dolfan #AskWTALegends pic.twitter.com/PXToIho17v
— WTA (@WTA) October 27, 2016
Navratilova echoed her old rival’s sentiments on Kerber, but gave an honorable mention to No.8 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, the first of Singapore’s semifinalists following her three-set win over Karolina Pliskova.
“It’s great to see because a couple of years ago, we all thought she was probably done, that she was going to fade away and retire. She kept coming back and, lo and behold, played some of her best tennis this year.
“It’s really good to see her out there, still fighting, still enjoying it and competing so well, emotionally, mentally, and most of all, physically.”
.@greensolo9 #AskWTALegends pic.twitter.com/eSFMcxjh1V
— WTA (@WTA) October 27, 2016
Qualifying on the last day of the regular season, Kuznetsova’s effort completed the closest Road to Singapore leaderboard in WTA history. Evert believes the photo finish presented a strong case for just how tough the tour has become.
“It just shows the depth at the top. In previous years, you’d have Serena, and then a gap between her and the other women.
“Now, there’s no gap; the Top 8 are all relevant, and are all capable of winning this WTA Finals. I’m really happy to see that the depth is finally there again at the top of the game.”
.@kvittycat53 #AskWTALegends pic.twitter.com/LuKfXceawd
— WTA (@WTA) October 27, 2016
With this season nearly in the books, Evert is already looking ahead to what promises to be an exciting 2017.
“Let’s put it this way. Victoria Azarenka is going to have a baby in December and she’s thinking about coming back; that’ll be interesting. Serena’s always interesting; can she break Stefanie Graf’s record? They’re both at 22 right now, and how much longer is Serena going to be at the top of her game? Maria Sharapova’s coming back in April or May.
“There’s going to be a lot of big stories.”
Eight-time champion Serena Williams will open accounts at the Miami Open on Thursday, as the seeds on the top half of the draw play their first matches of the week. Here’s a preview of what to watch.
Thursday, Second Round
[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. Christina McHale (USA #56)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Williams owns a 64-5 record at Miami.
Though she’s been in dazzling form in 2016, Serena Williams has yet to hold a trophy aloft this season. After dropping finals at the Australian Open (Kerber) and Indian Wells (Azarenka) Williams has now lost back-to-back finals for the first time since 2004. Will a return to the scene of so many breathtaking triumphs provide Williams with the inspiration to claim her fourth consecutive title (ninth overall) at Crandon Park? Williams will open against compatriot and Fed Cup teammate Christina McHale in second-round action on Thursday. The 23-year-old New Jersey native knocked off Japan’s Misaki Doi in first-round action on Wednesday.
Pick: Williams in two
[3] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #2) vs. Alizé Cornet (FRA #42)
Head-to-head: Radwanska leads, 6-1
Key Stat: Radwanska is one of five former champions in the Miami draw, along with Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Venus Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Off the tour with a back injury for nearly two months, Alizé Cornet won her first tour-level match since the Australian Open on Wednesday when she defeated Galina Voskoboeva in straight sets. Before her injury, Cornet was making big strides against the WTA’s elite, and she’ll be tasked with picking up where she left off on Thursday. Though she enters Miami with a 9-38 lifetime record against the Top 10, Cornet has won seven of her last 13, and also owns four Top 2 victories. But the match-up could prove too difficult for the talented Frenchwoman on Thursday when she faces 2012 champion and current World No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska. The Pole has been in scintillating form all season. She leads the WTA in wins with 17 and has reached at least the semifinal of all four events she has played in 2016.
Pick: Radwanska in two
[5] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. Daria Kasatkina (RUS #36)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Kasatkina is playing with a Top 40 ranking for the first time.
One of the more heavily anticipated match-ups of the second round pits fifth-seeded Simona Halep against rising Russian Daria Kasatkina. Both players are coming off quarterfinal appearances at Indian Wells, and though Halep will come in as the heavy favorite, all eyes will be on 18-year-old Kasatkina for two reasons: one, to see how the Russian will handle the challenge of backing up her breakout performance at Indian Wells, and two, to discover how Kasatkina matches up against one of the elite forces of the game in Halep. The Romanian was in good form at Indian Wells before falling to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, and she has told reporters that she is feeling 100 percent healthy for the first time all season. Will her improving health mean another bump up in form for the Romanian?
Pick: Halep in two
[12] Elina Svitolina (UKR #16) vs. Zhang Shuai (CHN #68)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Zhang has already doubled her 2015 tour-level win total in 2016.
It’s been an incredible, emotional year for China’s Zhang Shuai, and the season isn’t even three months old. After qualifying for the Australian Open in January, Zhang went on a magical run to the quarterfinals, snapping her 0-for-14 streak at the majors by upsetting Halep in the first round. Zhang took a wild card into Indian Wells after winning a Challenger title in February and upset Caroline Wozniacki in the WTA’s longest match of the season (3:24) before falling to eventual champion Victoria Azarenka in the third round. China’s No.2 player will face a tough second-round test in No.12 seed Elina Svitolina on Thursday in Miami. The Ukrainian No.1, who recently hired seven-time major champion Justine Henin as a special consultant to her team, is seeking to reach the third round for the third consecutive year in Miami with a win.
Pick: Svitolina in three
[19] Timea Bacsinszky (SUI #20) vs. Margarita Gasparyan (RUS #41)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Gasparyan is making her main draw debut in Miami.
One of the bigger breakout performers of 2015 is in the process of rebuilding her game – and health – in 2016. Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky had to spend seven weeks without picking up a racquet this off-season after suffering a knee injury in her last event of the season in Luxembourg. Cheated out of a crucial training block during the winter, the 26-year-old has elected to build her fitness while playing events this season. The results have been mixed, but after a big win over Eugenie Bouchard last week at Indian Wells it appears that the Swiss is rounding into form. But she’ll be tested early in Miami when she faces Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan. The 21-year-old reached the second week at the Australian Open this winter, and has already notched eight wins on the season. She comes into Miami carrying a career-best ranking of No.41.
Pick: Bacsinszky in three
-Chris Oddo, wtatennis.com contributor
SINGAPORE – Agnieszka Radwanska’s strong return of serve was key to her win over Karolina Pliskova 7-5 6-3 in the final round robin match of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The victory earned Radwanska a spot in the event’s semifinals.
One of the best returners in the game, Radwanska was facing one of the best servers in the game in Friday’s match.
Through this season, Radwanska is among the Top 3 on the WTA for return points won (49%), return games won (49%) and break points converted (54%).
She was facing an opponent in Pliskova who led the WTA in aces (530) and was second for first serve points won (74%) in 2016.
The SAP Coaches View shows that it was Pliskova’s second serve that was vulnerable to Radwanska’s return, with the Pole winning 61% of those points.
The “Return of Serve” tracking with Coaches View shows that a key to Radwanska’s success was her aggressive approach in taking those Pliskova second serves. Radwanska returned 78% of Pliskova’s second serves from inside the baseline.
During the first two round robin matches of the tournament, Pliskova won 47% of second serve points, compared to 36% against Radwanska. Neither of her first two opponents, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Garbiñe Muguruza, were as aggressive as Radwanska in taking the ball early. Kuznetsova returned 57% of Pliskova’s second serves inside the baseline, while Muguruza did so just 10% of the time.
The SAP Coaches View combines scoring information direct from the chair umpire with tracking data from HawkEye to allow for an in depth look at five different aspects of a match. Each tracking option can be filtered to narrow the focus to specific situations within a match, such as break points.This information is available directly to coaches in real-time during a match on their SAP tablet and also available to them online after matches.
“Return of serve” tracking shows where each service return was struck, differentiating between first and second serves, with an emphasis on how many serves are returned from inside the baseline. This data can be filtered by a particular score.
Radwanska broke Pliskova five times in 10 games during Friday’s match, giving the defending champion a berth in the semifinals as she aims for a second straight WTA Finals title.
MIAMI, FL, USA – No.3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska sailed into the third round of the Miami Open with a straight set win over Alizé Cornet on Thursday afternoon.
Watch live action from Miami this fortnight on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
In a typically polished display, Radwanska pulled out all the usual party pieces to wrap up a 6-0, 6-1 victory in 68 minutes.
“I’m just very happy with that win, maybe the score was not showing everything that was happening on the court,” Radwanska said. “But I think it was a great start and a couple of tight games at the beginning of both sets was the key.”
Cornet’s appearance at Crandon Park came as a surprise to most, having announced only last month that she was set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. And Radwanska certainly gave the Frenchwoman’s fitness a thorough examination, pulling her to all corners of the court.
By the start of the second set, Cornet cut a beleaguered figure. When she ballooned a forehand long to drop serve early on, it was a case of damage limitation. Radwanska was in no mood for charity, racing through the final four games to register her 18th win of the season.
“The first match [of the tournament] is always tricky and it doesn’t matter who you’re playing, that’s why I’m very happy to have such a good first match. Here today the conditions were really hot and humid. We all have to prepare for that and it’s not going to be easy in the next few days,” Radwanska added.
In the third round the Pole will face Madison Brengle, after she upset No.28 seed Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 7-5, 6-4. “I think we’ve never played before so that’s always a challenge. I saw a bit of her matches this year and last year – a couple of good results for her.”
Also advancing in their section were Ana Ivanovic, who eased past Teliana Pereira, 6-3, 6-0, and Timea Bacsinszky, a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Margarita Gasparyan.
SINGAPORE – Garbiñe Muguruza ended her breakout season with one last win at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, ousting an on-fire Svetlana Kuznetsova and blitzing the Russian in the final two sets of a 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 victory.
Read how the match unfolded in the WTA Insider Live Blog.
– Muguruza wanted this win.
For a player who won their first Grand Slam and ascended to a career-high ranking of No.2 just four months ago, few eyes were on Muguruza heading into Singapore.
“I suffered a lot in the last month,” she said in her post-match press conference. “I was wondering if I’m going to qualify, if I’m not going to qualify. I really wanted to qualify.
“I had the opportunity to go to Linz to play, and then I twisted my ankle and it was drama for me.”
The drama continued at the WTA Finals; down a set to Karolina Pliskova in her first round robin match, the Spaniard roared back and got perilously close to victory, only to lose the last five games.
“It was a very tough tournament. I had a match point in my first match; then the second match [against Agnieszka Radwanska] was tough.”
Mathematically out of contention to advance into the semifinals, there was little more pressure on Muguruza than the amount she put on herself.
“I have to be honest. Going into this match, it was extremely hard for me. Minutes before I was like, ‘This is going to be is difficult one for me.’
“At the end it was about my desire of wanting to be here and competing against the best. It became a challenge for me today, to see how I was going to react.”
Losing a decisive first set to Kuznetsova, who already qualified first in their round robin group, the reigning Roland Garros winner reacted well, dropping just one more game and hitting 31 winners to end her week with a 1-2 record.
“For sure a victory like today’s is going to keep me a little bit happier. I felt I took my opportunities in this one. Well, it was too late, but I still did it!”
A season of ups and downs put extra emphasis on an ostensibly low-stakes match; from her emotional reaction on court and in press, it was clear how much the win meant to her.
A relieved @GarbiMuguruza gets a win at 2016 @WTAFinalsSG. And nice words from @AndrewKrasny. #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/zJYNXmfJwE
— WTA (@WTA) October 28, 2016
– Fatigue finally caught up with Kuznetsova.
The Russian had already advanced into the semifinals. For the first time in two weeks, she didn’t need to win a match to keep her season alive. Kuznetsova pointed to that inherent lack of intensity as being crucial to the loss on Friday.
“I’ve done the most important job in the past matches,” she said after the match. “You definitely don’t want to lose a match. You try to fight.
“Sometimes the lack of energy just won’t let you do that.”
Still, she noted her superb level of tennis in the first set, and how it only took a few tight games in the second set to turn things towards the Spaniard.
“I want to give credit to Garbine because I think she played way better in the second and third set.
“I don’t feel exhausted like that or something. But of course, to push yourself to the limit, you got to really go hard. I just want to do it tomorrow, try to do my best.”
She’ll have her opportunity tomorrow in the semifinal, where she takes on another surprise semifinalist in Dominika Cibulkova. Trailing 3-5 in their head-to-head, Kuznetsova’s lost her last five matches with the Slovak, including a three-set thriller at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
“I do remember quite a bit of that match. I know I will try to make the changes on what I think didn’t work for me in that match.
“Of course, obviously, I’m not going to tell it now,” she added with a smile.
Garbine on the scene. @GarbiMuguruza takes a near 13 minute game. 2-0 in set 3 #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/llIXns86bZ
— WTA (@WTA) October 28, 2016
– Muguruza is looking towards 2017.
It may be too soon for any player to sum up their season right after their last match, but Muguruza had a clear picture of what went right and wrong in 2016.
“I started the year thinking, ‘Okay, this is an important year for me. I finished well last year. Let’s try to keep doing well.’
“But the results weren’t there at the beginning, so I was like struggling. I was like, ‘Man, I’m practicing and doing everything and I am not winning matches.’ So it created a lot of frustration.
A top drop shot from @GarbiMuguruza. #WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/nxuEqkuomr
— WTA (@WTA) October 28, 2016
“I calmed down and then finally had the results, but then everything changed. All these responsibilities, all these emotions. It was hard for me to deal with this for the next tournaments. But I wouldn’t change anything, obviously.”
She’ll have to spend the off-season adjusting to what she cannot change, but after a heavily scheduled season, the former World No.2 will be looking to relax over the next few weeks.
“I didn’t really plan things because I didn’t know when I was going to finish here. Right now I’m just going to see how many days I have, see where can I go, who’s available.”
What she hopes will emerge will be the “dangerous opponent” she believes herself to be.
“I don’t really care who’s in front of me. Obviously the situation and the tournament, these can affect me, but I always think I have a chance to win.”
MIAMI, FL, USA – A former World No.21 and perennial doubles threat, Elena Vesnina needed to fight through qualifying just to reach the main draw of the Miami Open, but the veteran Russian caused one of the biggest shake-ups of the event thus far, outsteadying No.10 seed and former No.1 Venus Williams, 6-0, 6-7(5), 6-2.
Watch live action from Miami this fortnight on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
“That was a great match, great fight,” she told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview. “It’s always an honor to play against Venus. She’s a great champion. We played many times against each other and it’s always been a pleasure to play her and it’s always been a tough match-up.
“I’m really happy that I won today.”
Far from the typical underdog, Vesnina came into the match with a solid week at the Qatar Total Open – where she earned back-to-back wins over Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki and ended Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza’s 41-match winning streak in doubles – and an even head-to-head against the illustrious American. Landing 74% of her first serves to start, she took advantage of a flat opponent to race through the opening set without losing a game.
“I honestly was a little bit shocked after the first set, thinking, ‘Ok, what’s going on?'”
The second set was a more even affair; though Vesnina took what appeared to be a decisive break in the seventh game, Venus broke back at the eleventh hour, saving a match point on the Russian’s serve at 5-4.
“Even when I was up 5-3, I felt Venus was playing better and better and she raised her level up.”
Pushing the second set into a tie-break, the momentum swung back and forth before Venus swept the final two points, ensuring that the crowd would see a final set.
“She was serving incredibly; on the tie-break she played at a very high level of tennis.”
Undaunted – and perhaps aware that she won their only prior three-set match at the Western & Southern Open back in 2013 – Vesnina raced out to another 3-0 lead; though Venus pegged her back to within a game of level terms, the reigning Australian Open mixed doubles champion ultimately hit more winners (35 to 28) and fewer errors (35 to 39) to clinch the victory.
“Even though I lost the second set, I still believed in myself, and I knew everything could happen. It was a pleasure to play on this center court.”
Up next for Vesnina is No.24 seed and Australian Open semifinalist Johanna Konta, who defeated Danka Kovinic, 6-4, 6-2. With No.6 seed Carla Suárez Navarro out at the hands of American CoCo Vandeweghe, the highest seed left in this quarter of the draw is BNP Paribas Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who is ranked in the Top 10 but seeded No.13.
Vesnina is also in the doubles draw, set to play her first round with 18-year-old Daria Kasatkina, with whom she ended the Santina Streak. Kasatkina started the year with a win over the elder of the Williams sisters at the ASB Classic, and could be seen supporting her partner from the stands.
“She told me a couple of things before the match, but she said, ‘That’s Venus; you have to expect everything,'” Vesnina said when asked whether her countrywoman had given her any advice. “It was great to have her in my player box alongside my husband and my dad.
“The center court atmosphere was really amazing. Even though I felt like Venus was the favorite and everyone really wanted her to win, there will still some people cheering for me, so that was really nice. It’s great when you can have a big team behind you, supporting you and believing in you.”
Highlights from round-robin action at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.