Miami: Azarenka vs. Kerber
Victoria Azarenka takes on Angelique Kerber in the semifinals of the Miami Open.
Victoria Azarenka takes on Angelique Kerber in the semifinals of the Miami Open.
Svetlana Kuznetsova has Saturday’s shot of the day in the final of the Miami Open.
An interview with Andrea Petkovic before her opening round match at the Volvo Car Open.
MELBOURNE, Australia – The clock hasn’t struck midnight on Mirjana Lucic-Baroni yet; in fact, the night may have only just begun for the 34-year-old Croat, who stunned No.5 seed Karolina Pliskova at the Australian Open, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal in 18 years.
Lucic-Baroni was 17 years old when she blasted past the likes of Monica Seles and Nathalie Tauziat to push Stefanie Graf to three sets at the All England Club in 1999, but has had to overcome much since then, sidelined due to personal and financial issues for much of the ensuing decade.
She started from scratch and was back in the Top 100 by 2010, earning big wins over Simona Halep at two of three consecutive major tournaments in 2014 and 2015. Still, the upper echelons of the game that had once seemed assured eluded her until she arrived in Melbourne last week, blasting past No.3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska after winning her first Australian Open main draw match since 1998.
In Pliskova, she played a younger version of herself, whose big serve and groundstrokes helped her start the season by winning the Brisbane International and earn a career-high ranking of No.5 in the world.
None of that mattered on Wednesday, as Lucic-Baroni recovered from an early deficit to roar thorugh the opening set hitting 12 winners and dropping just four points behind her first serve.
Pliskova appeared on the brink of elimination as she fell behind a break to start the second set, but pulled off a comeback reminiscent of her match against Jelena Ostapaneko in the third round to level the match and take necessary momentum into the decider.
Mirjana #LucicBaroni is through to the SF #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/ywsCOXuXpz
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2017
Lucic-Baroni proved undaunted, however, and despite a medical timeout after the seventh game, she emerged stronger than ever to win 12 of the final 13 points of the match to book her second major semifinal after an hour and 47 minutes on the court.
By match’s end, the veteran hit a spellbinding nine aces and 45 winners to 35 unforced errors, finishing with a positive differential for the third time in five matches – a testament to just how cleanly the big-hitter has been playing in Melbourne.
Standing between Lucic-Baroni and a maiden Grand Slam final is either No.9 seed Johanna Konta or 22-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.
“This has truly made my life…it has made it okay.” #LucicBaroni #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/SeE9ePoqOo
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2017
More to come…
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – No.15 seed Sabine Lisicki returned to the the Volvo Car Open – the site of her first career breakthrough – on Monday; the 2009 champion faced few problems against American Irina Falconi, winning, 6-4, 6-3, to reach the second round.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Charleston right here on wtatennis.com!
Facing off for the first time since 2011, Lisicki and Falconi took the court on the first day of main draw play at the newly-renamed Volvo Car Open; Lisicki had burst onto the WTA scene on this very court six years ago with three big wins over Venus Williams, Marion Bartoli, and Caroline Wozniacki for her first career title. Against Falconi, she hit seven double faults but nonetheless managed to win 70% of her first serve points and convert all four of her break point chances to reach the second round.
Up next for the former Wimbledon finalist is the winner of the first round between Kurumi Nara and Yulia Putintseva.
Joining Lisicki in the second round is No.11 seed Kristina Mladenovic, who snapped a four-match losing streak with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Tatjana Maria. Mladenovic booked what promises to be a big-hitting second round against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who defeated Peng Shuai, 6-2, 6-1. Peng was playing just her third WTA singles tournament since a back injury ended her 2015 season at the French Open.
Mladenovic’s doubles partner, Caroline Garcia, didn’t have the same luck in Charleston; splitting sets with Irina-Camelia Begu, Garcia traded 12 straight service holds before ultimately falling in a third set tie-break, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(3).
Lara Arruabarrena will be top seed Angelique Kerber’s second round opponent; the Spaniard needed three sets to dispatch American wildcard and Rio Open runner-up Shelby Rogers, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Kateryna Bondarenko recovered from a set down to upset No.16 seed Misaki Doi, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. No.12 seed Daria Gavrilova suffered a second set let down against Zarina Diyas, but the Aussie overcame the Kazakh, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3. Danka Kovinic set up a second round encounter with No.7 seed Sloane Stephens when she took out qualifier Cagla Buyukakacay, 6-1, 6-3. Qualifier Elena Vesnina continued her solid start to 2016 with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Cindy Burger; Vesnina will next play No.2 seed Belinda Bencic in the second round.
MELBOURNE, Australia – For the first time in eight years, there will be two Williamses in a major final. One was expected. The other wasn’t even sure she’d be able to get past the first round.
The first time Serena Williams and Venus Williams faced off on tour was here, in Melbourne in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open. That was 19 years ago. Venus won that day, 7-6(4), 6-1, but that match would kickstart a 27-match rivalry that would define both of their careers. On Saturday they will face off for the first time since the 2015 US Open quarterfinals, and it’s a match that few ever thought they’d see again in a major final.
“This probably is the moment of our careers so far,” Serena said, after her 50 minute win over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the semifinals. “For me, I can definitely say for me. I never lost hope of us being able to play each other in a final.”
Serena has now made seven finals in her last 10 majors, and she’s a win away from breaking Stefanie Graf’s record of 22 major titles and returning to No.1. The World No.2 has not dropped a set all tournament and has navigated a difficult draw with ease. Gone are the signs of stress and anxiety that seemed to plague her at the Slams the last year.
“I think just going through that made me this way now, to be honest,” Serena said of her new relaxed attitude. “I think sometimes when you’re stressed out, you have to go through those moments. Everything creates a better you.”
“This opponent is your sister and she's super awesome so it's wonderful.” -#Venus on #Serena#AORadio #AusOpenhttps://t.co/czVY4Irm1c
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
So while Serena’s presence in Saturday’s final was to be expected – she is, after all, a six-time champion at Melbourne Park – big sister Venus has been the surprise. Earlier in the tournament, the seven-time major champion admitted that she was anxious before the start of the Australian Open given injury concerns. In her first tournament of the season at the ASB Classic, she was forced to withdraw after the first round due to right arm pain.
“I mean, honestly, all the signs didn’t look that way in Auckland,” Venus said of her successful run. “Of course, I dreamed of it because I definitely worked hard in the off-season. It was not a great start, I’ll just say that.
“But still I know I can play. You just have to try to figure it out if you can get it to line up all at the same time. That’s why you get out and you try. As long as you continue to try, you have an opportunity. That’s why I’m here.”
To make her first Australian Open final in 14 years, Venus had to dig deep to fend off the overwhelming firepower from CoCo Vandeweghe. In blasting winner after winner in the first set, the younger American was able to bully Venus around the court with her heavy hitting. Venus couldn’t stand toe-to-toe, power for power. And so she adjusted. She dug in. And used her brain and her speed to unwind Vandeweghe, who was playing in the biggest match of her young career.
“I would love more than anything to see her across the net from me on Saturday.” #Venus on possibly facing #Serena in the final #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/LBgBcTPqBq
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
“It felt very weird because I never do that,” Venus said, referring to her defense. “Also, at the same time, I’m versatile. I can adjust. I can do what I need to do to win a match. I feel comfortable when I’m uncomfortable at the same time. Even if I’m in a position where I don’t want to be at, it’s not going to throw me off.
“I want to dictate, but the way she was playing, it was almost impossible to do so. So it was just about trying to control the point in whichever way that was. If that meant that defensively I controlled the point, or I was able to get a little offense, whatever it was. I mean, just be the one winning the point at the end somehow.”
.@Venuseswilliams is through to the women's final #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/3Jdo8Zlag9
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
Indeed, after trying to outblast Vandeweghe in the first set, Venus began to go for less on her shots, using width and depth to get Vandeweghe uncomfortable. She cleaned up her errors. And most importantly, she had her best serving day of the tournament. Venus smartly handcuffed Vandeweghe with well-timed body-serves, and after seeing her second serve attacked in the first set, she decided to step it up.
“In the first set I served more conservatively,” Venus said. “In the second, I just decided I was going to go for more. It was just really a mentality at that point. I know she’s looking for a second serve. It’s important to try not to give your opponent what they want.
“As the match went longer, the bigger I went on the second. Thankfully I was comfortable doing that and executing it and just going in. It worked.”
In the end, the match was far more tense than the 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3 scoreline might indicate. Vandeweghe earned 13 break points but was only able to convert once.
Venus’ reaction on match point will go down as one of the most memorable, joyous, and redempting displays for the ages. One can only imagine what was flashing in her mind as the reality set in, that she was, for the first time since she was diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, back into a major final.
.@Venuseswilliams is through to the women's final #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/3Jdo8Zlag9
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
“I think why people love sport so much, is because you see everything in a line,” Venus said. “In that moment there is no do-over, there’s no retake, there is no voice-over. It’s triumph and disaster witnessed in real-time. This is why people live and die for sport, because you can’t fake it. You can’t. It’s either you do it or you don’t.
“People relate to the champion. They also relate to the person also who didn’t win because we all have those moments in our life.”
Venus’s ebullient celebration could serve as a Rohrschach test for any tennis fan. Do you see the 36-year-old champion, a woman who burst on the scene as a teenager over 20 years ago, showing her tenacity and quality to make a Slam final almost 20 years after making her first at the 1997 US Open?
Or do you see the player who fell out of the Top 100 after being diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder in 2011, who had every right to walk away from the game to pursue her other worldly pursuits, but battled back up to the top of the game by, seemingly, sheer force of will?
“For us both to be in the final is the biggest dream come true for us.” #Serena on playing #Venus in the final #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/C8aSHSsxE0
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
“I was always stressed out and worried if she would be okay and be able to play,” Serena said. “I would see her practice, she’d practice so well, do so well. I always felt like when she lost, I was almost surprised, kind of like, How did you lose, because you’re doing so well.
“At the same time I was like, Wow, it’s amazing that you’re even out here. I just really feel fortunate to have been there for the highs and the lows and everything.”
Serena is the favorite heading into the final. As Venus said, her younger sister doesn’t have many weaknesses to her game. While the match-up may look awkward from the outside — No.23 and the No.1 ranking on the line and you have to go through…your own sister? — Serena and Venus shrug it off. They’ve gone through this dance too many times to be distracted by the emotional resonance of their matches, whatever the stakes may be.
SERENA.
VENUS.
THE DREAM.#ausopen pic.twitter.com/zWfxtgxvzn
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
“After everything that Venus has been through with her illness and stuff, I just can’t help but feel like it’s a win-win situation for me,” Serena said. “I was there for the whole time. We lived together. I know what she went through. It’s the one time that I really genuinely feel like no matter what happens, I can’t lose, she can’t lose. It’s going to be a great situation.”
For Venus, it’s just about the tennis. “When I’m playing on the court with her, I think I’m playing, like, the best competitor in the game,” Venus said. “I don’t think I’m chump change either. I can compete against any odds. No matter what, I get out there and I compete.
“So it’s like two players who really, really can compete, then also they can play tennis. Then, okay, won’t be an easy match. It’s like I know that it won’t be easy. You have to control yourself, then you also have to hopefully put your opponent in a box. This opponent is your sister, and she’s super awesome.
“It’s wonderful.”
KATOWICE, POLAND – Kristyna Pliskova and No.9 seed Kirsten Flipkens kicked off their Katowice Open campaigns and battled into the second round of the International event on Monday.
Watch live action from Katowice this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Pliskova was the first of the pair to advance in Katowice, the last hardcourt tournament before the tour completes the shift to the clay and grass seasons. She faced a stern first-round test in the form of 23-year-old Brit Heather Watson, who’s been on the rise having already won a title in Monterrey earlier this year.
“It was a really tough first round for me today,” Pliskova said afterwards.
“The surface is very different – quite slow – so it took me some time to get used to it.”
The No.88 Czech put pressure on Watson right away, unleashing her powerful lefty serve and letting lose a couple of her record-holding aces. She went up 4-1, break serve twice and grabbing the first set off Watson. But before Pliskova could run away with it, Watson turned things around to take the second set.
Into a deciding set, Pliskova ran ahead to a 3-0 lead, breaking Watson’s serve twice – Watson saved four break points in the third game alone but gave up the fourth on a mishit backhand. Watson grabbed a break back, but Pliskova’s lead was too great to surmount and the Czech took the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
“I played well and Heather also played well too,” Pliskova said. “So I was pleased to come through a tough third set.”
The No.9 seed Kirsten Flipkens had a much more straightforward road into the second round at Katowice, beating Donna Vekic in an emphatic straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. She only faced one break point all match, and wrapped up the encounter in less than an hour.
Stefanie Voegele, Andreea Mitu, and Elizaveta Kulichkova also advanced.
On Tuesday, 2014 champion Alize Cornet and two-time finalist Camila Giorgi are set to make their Katowice debut.
MIAMI, FL, USA – Former No.1 Victoria Azarenka boasted a good luck charm en route her third Miami Open title, and his name was Manny.
A popular French bulldog, Manny took time away from being a full-time Twitter celebrity to hobnob with the tennis elite as the Sunshine Swing came to its dramatic conclusion.
Congrats to my new friend @vika7 for her win today! pic.twitter.com/zlKoWwD5k7
— Manny The Frenchie (@FrenchieManny) March 28, 2016
Not to be outdone, Timea Bacsinszky and Svetlana Kuznetsova showed off some impressive footwork as they won their way into an exciting semifinal encounter in Key Biscayne; be sure to check it all out in Episode 2 of Dubai Duty Free Full of Surprises!
KATOWICE, Poland – 2014 champion Alizé Cornet faced an unexpected challenge in the form of Bulgarian qualifier Isabella Shiniakova on her way to the second round of the Katowice Open, advancing after a 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 battle.
Watch live action from Katowice this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
“It was a very tough match,” Cornet said after the win. “Really happy I won as she played really good and moved so well.”
After quickly taking the first set, the Frenchwoman found herself unable to convert on any of the handful of break points that came her way. The match got even more complicated as Shinikova sent it to a tiebreaker and eventually took a set off the No.4 seed.
Cornet shook off the mid-match wobble and got back to work in the deciding set – she cruised to a quick win, despite a spell of dizziness at 4-2 up saw her have to call the trainer.
“In the third set I had trouble. I felt bad at that moment, but dug deep,” Cornet said of the mid-set scare. “I called the doctor just to double check it was nothing more serious. I don’t think it will be a big deal for rest of tournament.”
Earlier in the season, the Frenchwoman was facing up to six months out of action due to a back injury she sustained in the Australian Open. She ended up making her comeback to the tour in Miami after about two months off. Cornet appreciates these tough matches as a way to get back to her pre-layoff form.
“I’m not at the same level I was, so these sort of matches are good for me.”
Later in the day, No.8 seed Dominika Cibulkova came back from a set down to survive a tricky opening round challenge from Carina Witthoeft, prevailing 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) after a three-hour battle. Two-time Katowice finalist Camila Giorgi is also through, as well as Francesca Schiavone, Naomi Broady, and Jelena Ostapenko.
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Charleston loves Patty Schnyder and Patty Schnyder loves Charleston. It was 10 years ago that the former Swiss No.1 made her second final in Charleston in 2006. Seeded No.3, Schnyder put together an inspired run that included a though three set win over top seed Justine Henin before losing to No.2 seed Nadia Petrova 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. The run came four years after her first romp to the final, where she beat Amelie Mauresmo, Mary Pierce, Serena Williams, and Jennifer Capriati before losing to Iva Majoli in the final.
Those seed-thrashing runs like endeared Schnyder to the Charleston crowd. The Swiss reached a career-high No.7 and won 11 titles in her career before hanging up her racquet after the 2011 French Open. Then came the announcement last year that she was embarking on a tentative comeback, entering a $25K ITF tournament in Darmstadt, Germany in July.
Schnyder remained on the ITF circuit until this week. Now 37 years old and ranked No.455, Schnyder returned to Daniel Island for the first time since 2011 after receiving a wildcard into qualifying at the Volvo Car Open. She lost in three sets to Samantha Crawford, but her return was more about relationships than results. She came back to see all the familiar faces who she befriended over her many visits to Charleston, from volunteers, to tournament staff, and of course tournament director Bob Moran.
“Patty Schnyder has been playing in our tournament since before we relocated from Hilton Head Island,” Moran said. “She’s a part of our family, and we are thrilled to welcome her back to our tournament.”
Patty Schnyder, who plays her first match at the WTA level since 2011, is a double break up in set 2. Lost set 1. pic.twitter.com/M7p2uz4U1W
— Volvo Car Open (@VolvoCarOpen) April 2, 2016
WTA Insider spoke to Schyder by phone this week.
WTA Insider: You have such a long-standing relationship with this tournament in Charleston. What has it been like coming back?
Schnyder: It’s very special, and it was just great. Getting to see people again after five years and so many volunteers, even Eleanor Adams, the tournament manager. We’re really close and spent so many years together, but it’s been emotional and lots of fun to be around them again.
WTA Insider: Why did you make the decision to retire back in 2011?
Schnyder: Everything was frustrating me and I was stressed too much. You need a switch. It was really frustration; I didn’t want to be around anything anymore. I didn’t want to travel, be on the court, compete. The stress made it all enough. It’s not that it was an easy decision but I just couldn’t handle it anymore.
WTA Insider: What brought you back to tennis?
Schnyder: I was kind of having fun playing matches [in the Swiss league], enjoying the competition. I was also working hard and I was on court again, so I thought – because I was winning those league matches and I wanted to try to get some real competition. So that was the thought, and I was having fun, and I was in the sport but not traveling, and I just love to travel. It’s a great combination and that’s always been the lifestyle I like, so why not try it?
WTA Insider: Your last tour-level tournament before this week was the 2011 French Open. What did you do during your time away from the sport?
Schnyder: I really wanted to be away from tennis. I didn’t play for one and a half years. I really needed a rest from everything.
I did some studying with animals. I was an acupuncturist for dogs. I was spending more time at home with that. Then, I started being in tennis, with some juniors again. I was coaching a bit, and I started to really enjoy being around tennis again. Those are some of the things I was doing until they wanted me back for the club team and I was hesitant. I wasn’t sure, but it was nice to be competing again.
WTA Insider: Are you in a position to be thinking about goals right now?
Schynder: No, not yet. Maybe now, I’m thinking more about goals but not really setting goals. Now, these thoughts are coming back of maybe setting something, but so far I was just trying to get my game back. It hasn’t been so easy to get the concentration back.
For so many years I wasn’t on the court and to have to focus and concentrate for over two hours is not easy and I’m realizing that’s one of the hardest parts. I also have a few injuries. Nothing bad; some players who play 15 years like me wake up with pain everywhere. I’m not like that, but I have a few injuries, which keep me off the court and from working out.
The whole thing is really about being healthy, getting the concentration and the mental stuff, but it’s fun to try to get it back at this stage of your life. It’s a challenge and I just like it.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.