Indian Wells: Halep Interview
An interview with Simona Halep before the start of the BNP Paribas Open.
An interview with Simona Halep before the start of the BNP Paribas Open.
With Serena Williams and fiancé Alexis Ohanian expecting their first child, stars from the tennis world and beyond have been congratulating the 23-time Grand Slam winner.
@serenawilliams ?❤ ?!! You will be such an amazing mother and I wish your family health and happiness for the best journey in the world ?
— Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) April 20, 2017
“Auntie Caro” sounds pretty good to me☺️? Everyone around me getting pregnant! What a beautiful time ??❤️??????
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) April 20, 2017
There's gonna be a baby GOAT ….. We are so happy, and we know @serenawilliams will be a great mother
— andyroddick (@andyroddick) April 20, 2017
A baby and a wedding? A VERY special year ahead for @serenawilliams So happy for her new journey…
— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) April 19, 2017
Serena Williams is a GODDESS https://t.co/B5wlHFNIud –
SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!!!— ROSIE (@Rosie) April 19, 2017
Me upon hearing @serenawilliams is preggers! ❤?????❤ CONGRATUFREAKINGLATIONS!!!! pic.twitter.com/EuvOIAuKKG
— Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) April 20, 2017
Serena Williams
On how living with Venus led her to attempt a raw vegan diet…
My sister went through a lot of illnesses, and in living with her – I finally moved, but across the street! Got my freedom across the street – but she was really able to introduce me to a really kind of vegan and raw and really vegetable-heavy diet. It was just kind of a whole raw world that I really enjoyed. I was able to see a lot of benefits in my game and my body in general from that.
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On playing a tournament with a raw vegan diet…
I did it when I was at the French Open 2013. I wasn’t tired, it was good, really good. I don’t know why I don’t do that more often. Maybe this year, I need to get back on that!
On whether she’s kept up with veganism…
Unfortunately no. I really want to get there, I really do. For a minute I was, but I couldn’t quite give up the chicken and the tacos! It kind of crept back into my life. But there’s a lot of things, like I don’t eat red meat, and I don’t eat a lot of other stuff. I was educating myself through Venus on a lot of things to remain healthy. It’s very interesting.
Simona Halep
On a hypothetical match-up between Serena and Steffi Graf in their prime…
It would be interesting. They are very different in my opinion. Serena is very strong, a lot of power in her serve. Steffi has a good, flat forehand and a very good slice. I never saw this on the women’s tour. Serena has her game, a strong game with lots of power. I don’t want to say who would win, but it’d be very interesting and very nice to watch. I would go to watch if they played!
On whether practicing with Graf has inspired her to incorporate more slice…
I didn’t play much slices when I was younger, when I was a kid, and now to put it in the matches is tough. You have no confidence and it’s like you don’t remember that you have to play slice. It’s tough to put them in practical during the matches. I will try; I do more in the practices than before. I hope to improve this way of playing as well.
On meeting Ilie Nastase…
I met him. We didn’t speak on many thing about tennis, but I liked him a lot, how he was on court. I watched some videos on Youtube. I can say I admired him a lot, but it’s a bit too much for me to do some crazy things on court, but I can appreciate him a lot for what he did on court and he remains the best player in Romania.
Garbiñe Muguruza
On locker room dynamic and her earlier comments about friendships on tour…
I heard a lot of things about that comment, which I think were a little bit wrong. I didn’t mean it in a bad way. This is a sport, and at the end of the day, we’re playing the same girls the whole year, which is difficult sometimes. A lot of people misunderstood my saying that we kind of hate each other, and that’s not true because I also have friends on tour and I get along good with people. It’s just this competitive environment, and when you’re young sometimes it’s difficult because you’re playing against older people, but with time you kind of know where you have to be.
Angelique Kerber
On adjusting to becoming the hunted instead of the hunter…
It’s a new situation for me and I know every player who will play against me will give everything to beat me. But this is also the situation you’re dreaming for, you’re working your whole life to be like, for me, No.2 at the moment. This is something you’re working for.
Agniezka Radwanska
On changes she’s made over the course of her career…
I think of anything I can think of, it’s the schedule, not playing every week. When I was 18, I could do that and it was no problem: singles, doubles, every week, no problem. I was ok, but not any more! Time changes, but 10 years makes a huge difference on the tour. You really have to think a lot about the schedule to be on the same shape in February as in Asia at the end of the year. Sometimes even when you feel good, and you want to play more and more, it’s not going to be good later, in a couple of months. Then you’ll feel you did too much at the beginning of the year.
Belinda Bencic
On the secret to Swiss success…
Chocolate, maybe, in the water! I don’t know what it is; we’re doing well.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Friday at the BNP Paribas Open sees the seeds enter the fold, with Simona Halep commencing her title defense against the in-form Vania King.
Friday, Second Round
Stadium 1
[5] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. Vania King (USA #202)
Head-to-head: King leads 1-0
One hundred ninety-seven spots separate Simona Halep and Vania King in the rankings, but if recent form is anything to go by their second-round encounter could be a closely contested affair. While Halep has been struggling for form and fitness in the opening months of 2016, King has been quietly racking up the wins.
After missing much of last year with back problems, King arrives in Indian Wells fresh from a couple of deep runs on the ITF Circuit. Halep on the other hand, has won just three of her eight matches this campaign, most recently losing to another player on the comeback trail, Elena Vesnina, in Doha. Despite her recent travails, Halep cut a relaxed figure during Wednesday’s All Access Hour, and with a clean bill of health is relishing the start of her title defense.
Stadium 3
[3] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #3) vs. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK #57)
Head-to-head: Radwanska leads 6-3
Agnieszka Radwanska may have the edge in her rivalry with Dominika Cibulkova, but tasted a chastening defeat in their most high-profile encounter. Two years ago, the mercurial Cibulkova triumphed in the most one-sided of Australian Open semifinals to leave Radwanska’s major dreams in tatters once more.
Since then both players have had their ups and downs; Cibulkova spending lengthy periods on the treatment table, while Radwanska recovered from a slide down the rankings to record her greatest triumph. The Pole has carried this form into 2016, reaching the semifinals or better on all three of her outings thus far. Cibulkova, meanwhile, has blown hot and cold since her return from a serious Achilles injury, but in arguably the most open section of the draw will relish the opportunity to showcase her abilities on the big stage.
Around the grounds…
Serena Williams begins her attempt to win a third Indian Wells title when she takes on Laura Sigemund. Preceding Serena on court is Venus Williams, who in her first match at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in 15 years faces Kurumi Nara. Petra Kvitova, Madison Keys and 2010 champion Jelena Jankovic also get their challenges underway.
Highlights from first round action at the BNP Paribas Open.
TOKYO, Japan – Japanese wildcard Naomi Osaka scored her first win at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in emphatic fashion, knocking out Japan’s No.1 Misaki Doi in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Following her first round win at last week’s Japan Women’s Open Tennis, Osaka entered the Premier-level event on a career-high ranking of No.69, making her Japan’s No.2-ranked player. But across the net stood the Japanese No.1, who was looking to rebound from last week’s opening round loss.
Osaka blasted seven aces in her stellar performance against Doi. Both players were evenly matched throughout the one and a half hour encounter, but it was Osaka who dominated the big points, bringing up five break chances and converting two – one early in each set.
For her part, Doi did her best to stay within touching distance of the 18-year-old, but couldn’t find the weapons to put her under pressure. She brought up her first – and only – break opportunity late in the second set with Osaka serving for a 5-3 lead. Osaka batted it away with a zinging forehand down the line to stay on course.
A final ace sealed Osaka’s passage into the second round, where she awaits the winner between Lucie Safarova and No.6 seed Dominika Cibulkova.
More to come…
Daniela Hantuchova had Thursday’s shot of the day at the BNP Paribas Open.
An interview with Simona Halep after her win in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.
An interview with Eugenie Bouchard after her second round win at the BNP Paribas Open.
The SAP Analytics for Coaches App has quickly become an essential tool for coaches and players through all three stages of a tennis match. Before the players even hit the court, the analytic insight gives teams an insider perspective on how to strategize for any given match.
“I look at the SAP app to see how the opponent is serving, how she’s placing the ball, and what she’s doing at crucial times,” said Torben Beltz, coach to World No.1 Angelique Kerber. “We try to focus on that to get Angie ready for the match.”
“We sit down together before the match to discuss the tactics against the next opponent,” Kerber added. “He’s able to explain with the technology where I can have more chances to go for it, and see how my opponents have been playing their matches that week.”
Watch the video above to hear how Kerber, Lucie Safarova, and Daria Gavrilova – in concert with their coaching teams – use SAP Tennis Analytics prepare for a match.