Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Good friends and doubles partners Daria Kasatkina and No.9 seed Daria Gavrilova did battle for well over two hours at the Volvo Car Open, with Kasatkina emerging victorious, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 to reach her second straight quarterfinal in Charleston.

“Today was very tough to play,” she said in her post-match press conference. “You go on court, you are tossing the ball for the serve and it goes in the tribune, you know. It was very difficult, and I was playing against my very good friend, so it was like double portion of toughness, but it was I think a good match, so I’m happy that I won.”

The pair’s last singles match came at the 2015 US Open, which Kasatkina won as a lucky loser in her Grand Slam main draw debut. Since then, the two have become fast friends and nearly upset Sania Mirza and Andrea Hlavackova earlier this week in doubles.

“Every tournament we are talking like, ‘Ah, imagine we play against each other.’ When the draws come out, we’re like, ‘For sure we play against each other first round,; and it never happens. And today we’ll go for dinner.”

On the singles court, it was the Russian who made the better start on a windy Thursday on stadium court, taking the opening set and breaking serve at the start of the second.

Gavrilova is three spots shy of the career-high ranking she first earned last fall, and battled through the blustery conditions to win four straight games to put the match nearly on level terms.

Kasatkina regained her rhythm from there, breaking the Aussie as she served for a decider, and engaged Gavrilova in a lengthy tenth game on her own serve before the No.9 seed took it on her fifth set point.

Still, the unseeded Russian took momentum into the third, breaking serve in the opening game and raced to a 5-0 lead, winning one last epic battle and converting the two hour, 17 minute victory of a service winner.

“In the second set my coach came on the court. He told me I was start to play quite soft, and I stopped moving. He was right, because in the third set I pushed myself to play more aggressive, to start to move with the legs, and I did the job.”

There were no hard feelings at net for the two combatants, showing off a choereographed handshake after a tough match.

“She was like, ‘Okay, let’s do the weird handshake. And I said, ‘Let’s go like fake handshake!’ So we just were trying to make some fun.”

“I had a few tough months. I couldn’t win a match,” she added, discussing a tough season that nonetheless saw her earn two wins over World No.1 Angelique Kerber. “So I came here with not a lot of expectations for sure. I was just happy that I came back on the clay so I can play my favorite tennis, and I’m happy that I’m moving on and I’m in the quarters here.”

Up next for Kasatkina is No.10 seed Irina-Camelia Begu, another 2016 quarterfinalist who stunned 2010 champion Samantha Stosur to start the day in Charleston.

“She will be very motivated because she lost our last two matches. For sure she will try to do her best, and she’s better on the clay for sure. All her best results are on the clay. And I lose our only clay court match in Rome last year. “So for sure I have to prepare well to show my best tennis tomorrow.”

Source link

News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Injury kept Risa Ozaki from making her Miami Open debut in 2016, but the Japanese youngster made it count this spring, earning her career-best result at a Premier Mandatory tournament.

Qualifying for the main draw with a win over Julia Boserup, her tournament began with a win over Mutua Madrid Open semifinalist Louisa Chirico, and took a dramatic turn in a second round thriller against No.16 seed Kiki Bertens.

Playing well into the night thanks to rain delays, Ozaki outlasted Bertens in three tough sets to reach the third round. Keeping up that momentum, she pulled off one last upset against Julia Goerges, this time in straight sets.

Those wins earned her the right to battle World No.1 Angelique Kerber in the round of 16, where she ultimately fell in two.

Still, it was a banner week for the the 23-year-old, and looking to build on her new career-high ranking of No.72, Ozaki is your Breakthrough Player of the Month!

Risa Ozaki

Final Results for March’s WTA Breakthrough Performance Of The Month

1. Risa Ozaki (55%)
2. Kayla Day (45%)

2017 Breakthrough Performance Of The Month Winners

January: CoCo Vandeweghe
February: Kristina Mladenovic

How it works:

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

Source link

Halep Safely Into Montréal QFs

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MONTRÉAL, Canada – Simona Halep moved impressively into the last eight of the Rogers Cup with a straight set win over Karolina Pliskova on Thursday.

Watch live action from Montréal this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Sixty-eight minutes was all it took for Halep, the runner-up 12 months ago, to defuse the big-serving Pliskova and complete a 6-3, 6-3 win.

“I’m happy that I won today. It’s nice to be in the quarterfinals again, a second year in a row,” Halep said during her on-court interview. “I enjoy my time here and I’m looking forward to the next round already.”

That match will pit her against Daria Kasatkina after she upset No.7 seed Roberta Vinci, 7-5, 6-3.

If Halep reproduces the level of tennis that dispatched Pliskova she will prove hard to beat; the Romanian barely put a foot out of place, hitting 22 winners and just nine unforced errors to extend her post-Wimbledon unbeaten streak.

As early as the second game, Halep’s agility and movement was putting her in the ascendency, instinctively darting right to flash a forehand past Pliskova. A couple of points later she had the break, the same wing once again outmaneuvering the Czech.

While Halep was unable to hang onto this advantage she was soon back in front, dragging Pliskova all over the court to open up a 4-2 lead. This time she made Pliskova pay, wrapping up the set with another fizzing forehand a few games later.

Her dominance was even more apparent in the second set, the No.5 seed taking four of the last five games to secure her passage through.

“She’s a good player, I knew that well – I’ve played her a couple of times already this year, so I knew she was going to be very strong,” Halep added. “But I played some good tennis, a high level, and I moved very well.”

Following victory on home soil in Bucharest, Halep has now won seven straight matches, and 20 of her past 23: “I can say that I’m confident, I have a few matches in a row that I won. I’m coming here without expectation, just to enjoy the tennis and to do my best always.”

Source link