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Giorgi Battles Into Katowice Quarters

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

KATOWICE, Poland – She needed six match points and more than two hours but No.5 seed Camila Giorgi is through to the quarterfinals of the Katowice Open with a win over Russian qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

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The big-hitting Italian was under pressure from the word go, dropping her opening service game and letting slip five break back opportunities in the next game to allow Alexandrova an early lead. History repeated itself, but this this time in favor of Giorgi – the Italian broke Alexandrova’s serve then saved four break points to even up the score at 3-3. Aided by her huge first serves – she hit nine aces during the match – the Russian took the first set 6-4.

But Alexandrova, who was playing in her career first WTA main draw, couldn’t keep up the intensity against the two-time Katowice finalist. Giorgi quickly took back the second set, and the two traded breaks early in the deciding set. Alexandrova showed plenty of fight while serving to stay in the match – she relied on her heavy first serves to keep her in as Giorgi brought up match point after match point. In the end, the Italian converted on her sixth opportunity, booking her spot into the Katowice quarterfinals with a hard-fought win.

“I’m really happy for this win today,” Giorgi said. “It wasn’t easy in the third set and I really want to say thank you to the fans for all the support. I hope everyone can come back on Friday [for my quarterfinal] and I can keep going in the tournament.”

Giorgi is set to play No.9 seed Kirsten Flipkens, who also made her way to the quarterfinals today with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Andreea Mitu, in the next round.

Things were more difficult for No.2 seed Anna Karolina Schmiedlova after Pauline Parmentier dealt her the biggest upset of the day. The Frenchwoman defeated her soundly 6-2, 6-0 and sent the defending Katowice champion crashing out in the first round in less than an hour.

“I was very focused from the beginning of the match,” Parmentier said. “After breaking straight away in the first game, I was really feeling good in my game. I served good, was really aggressive, and obviously it worked perfect today.”

The rest of the seeds at the Katowice Open advanced with ease, with Dominika Cibulkova, Jelena Ostapenko and Timea Babos notching straight sets wins.

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Madison Keys Qualifies For Her First WTA Finals

Madison Keys Qualifies For Her First WTA Finals

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SINGAPORE – Madison Keys is set to make her debut appearance at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. As a result of her stellar performance throughout the Asian Swing, the American becomes the seventh player to qualify, joining Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep, Agnieszka Radwanska, Karolina Pliskova, Garbiñe Muguruza and Dominika Cibulkova in the star-studded singles field.

“I couldn’t be more excited to qualify for my first WTA Finals,” said Madison Keys. “I’ve worked harder than ever this year both on and off the court and I am happy that the hard work is paying off. I look forward to finishing my season strong in Singapore.”

Madison Keys

Keys is enjoying a career-best season, breaking into the WTA Top 10 in June, and becoming the first American to enter the elite ranking bracket since Serena Williams in 1999. By advancing to the semifinals at the China Open, Keys reached a new career-high ranking of No.7 on Monday, October 10. The American won her second WTA title this year at the Aegon Classic Birmingham, as well as finishing runner-up at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, and Rogers Cup.

Other season highlights for the American include competing in her first Olympic Games, where she advanced to the semifinals, narrowly missing out on the bronze medal. She was one of just four players to reach the round of 16 at all of the Grand Slams this year, and advanced to the quarterfinals at the Miami Open and Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.

The current Road to Singapore Leaderboard as follows (as of October 10, 2016):

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MIAMI, FL, USA – No.3 seed Simona Halep barreled into the fourth round of the Miami Open, conquering Estonian qualifier Anett Kontaveit, 6-3, 6-0.

“I think I played my best match of the year,” Halep told WTA Insider after the match. “I was confident, and knew what I had to do: push and make her run. I hit some winners, which was very good for me. I was moving well, so I think everything went pretty well for me tonight.”

The Romanian has been plagued by knee issues throughout the 2017 season, forced to pull out of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy and the Middle East Swing to heal the injury.

Coming into Miami, the former French Open finalist had yet to win back-to-back matches this year, but struck down that stat in decisive fashion on Sunday night, rolling past Kontaveit in 55 minutes.

“I felt good when I came to site, and was sure that it was going to come together because I work every day. At one point, it has to come.

“I felt the best that I have this year. I can move without pain or anything, and I’m confident, which is the most important thing.”

Kontaveit is a talented youngster in her own right, a former junior Slam finalist who knocked out No.32 seed Ekaterina Makarova en route to the third round, but had no answers to her opponent’s unstoppable form, her 17 winnes undone by 24 errors in total.

“My first match here was close,” she said of her opener against Naomi Osaka. “I had some trouble in the first match. After that, I saw that I could resist and stay strong. Today, everything was flowing. I didn’t plan anything, and I won’t plan anything else. I just want to go there and give my best.”

Incredibly aggressive under the lights, Halep struck 19 winners to just 13 unforced errors and broke serve five times to book a round of 16 match-up with 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur.

“It’s going to be a tough match, for sure. I know how I have to play, because she’s very dangerous. Her forehand is strong, and so is her serve. I’m here to do my job, and to try to win because that’s what I want.

“Nothing special. I just expect a tough one and I’ll go there to fight.”

Halep and Stosur last played at Roland Garros 10 months ago, when the Aussie won on a wet and rainy day in Paris, locking up their head-to-head at four wins apiece.

The former World No.2 has won their last four hardcourt matches, though two of those three required a third set. But Halep might have a secret weapon.

“Something is waiting for me already, a Nutella crepe. I’ve eaten one every day, and maybe that’s why I’m winning!”

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Putintseva Stuns Venus In Charleston

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Unseeded at the Volvo Car Open, Yulia Putintseva earned one of the biggest wins of her young career – and her second Top 20 win of 2016 – by taking out former No.1 Venus Williams, 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-4, to reach the quarterfinals in Charleston.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Charleston right here on wtatennis.com!

Putintseva had played the elder of the Williams sisters thrice before in her career – most recently in the semifinals of Kaohsiung – but the two-time junior Grand Slam finalist had never won a set against the five-time Wimbledon winner. Saving some of her best tennis for the first set tie-break, Putintseva broke the duck off of a stunning lob and moved one set to the good.

Williams has been sporting a wrap on her left leg throughout her week in Charleston, but hardly looked hindered in the second set, winning six games in a row to level the match and break serve to start the decider.

“In the second set, Venus really played great tennis and I didn’t think that I had a chance to win or make it close,” Putintseva said after the match. “I had some chances but in the end she was making winners. In the third set, I just told myself, ‘Try not to make any errors, and if you have an opportunity, try to move her from side to side.'”

Ever undaunted, Putintseva survived several long games to break back twice in succession and, despite losing a 4-2 lead of her own, clinched the upset on her first match point, putting her into the last eight in Charleston in what is only her third main draw appearance. Hitting 26 winners and 30 unforced errors, the Kazakh kept her side of the stat sheet far cleaner compared to Williams, who hit 64 unforced errors and 50 winners.

The typically demonstrative youngster was speechless during her on-court interview with Andrew Krasny.

“I don’t know!” she said when asked how she pulled off the win. “Just believing in myself, keep pushing and saying that I can do it.”

“I tried and she always seemed to have an answer,” Venus said after the match, adding, “and you know a lot of shots were just too tough. So what can you do?”

Using her drop shot to good effect on the green clay courts, Putintseva will need all of her guile against Sara Errani, who converted all eight of her break point opportunities to defeat 2010 champion Samantha Stosur, 6-4, 7-6(5).

“It’s another great chance to see how I’m improving and try to make something happen and play my best tennis.”

Russian qualifier Elena Vesnina backed up her emphatic win over No.2 seed Belinda Bencic on Thursday with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Lourdes Domínguez Lino. The Spanish veteran took out an ailing Eugenie Bouchard in the second round, and though she pushed Vesnina through multiple deuce games in the second set, the 2011 runner-up held her nerve to reach her fifth quarterfinal on green clay – including back-to-back semifinal appearances at the former WTA tournament in Ponta Vedra Beach.

“I love green clay!” she told Nick McCarvel during her on-court interview. “It’s too bad we only play on it once a year.”

Vesnina will next play German veteran Laura Siegemund, who won a battle of unseeded opposition by taking out Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, 7-5, 6-2. Lucic-Baroni had just won a marathon match over No.11 seed Kristina Mladenovic, but still had her opponent on the ropes in the final game, holding four break points before Siegemund closed it out on her second match point.

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Svitolina: I thought beating Serena was impossible

Svitolina: I thought beating Serena was impossible

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Moscow, Russia – Elina Svitolina has admitted that she did not believe that her triumph over Serena Williams at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics was possible.

The Ukrainian knocked out the 22-time Grand Slam winner in the third round of the games, beating her 6-4, 6-3 before being beaten 6-2, 6-0 by Petra Kvitova.

However, the 22-year-old, who has enjoyed her most successful year on the WTA tour to date, said the full extent of her achievements did not sink in until afterwards.

“It wasn’t really a dream but a big challenge,” she said. 

“Maybe subconsciously I thought it to be impossible. When Serena plays at her best level, it’s impossible to beat her. I didn’t really think about it. The fact that it happened during the Olympics… I played very well that day, it was unexpected.

“Maybe she didn’t expect me to play that well, and she said she was very surprised and congratulated me. For a player it’s important to defeat your opponent but also to play well. I didn’t make many unforced errors and attacked every ball. I think that’s what she meant.

“I tried not to think about it because I had to play a match the next day but it was cancelled due to rain. Maybe after the tournament I tried not to be upset because defeating her was quite a big achievement.

“I understood that I made something for my country. Playing for the country is always a pleasure because your country supports you. But I couldn’t win a medal.”

Elina Svitolina

After Angelique Kerber usurped Williams as World No.1, Svitolina also defeated her but she says she has no tips for beating the best players in the world.

“I don’t have any secrets. We had some tough matches. I won the first set pretty easily and served twice for the match. It was an important match for me because if I play at my best, we play with her at a quite same level.

“That win was not a win against the No.1 but against Angelique Kerber. If she gives an opportunity, I can beat her. She had an amazing year winning two Grand Slams, it’s unbelievable. In the beginning of the year not a lot of people thought she could manage it.

“But she did and became No.1. It’s an unbelievable achievement.”

Svitolina also believes that her game has come on a lot since the start of 2016, when she knocked out in the second round of the Australian Open by Naomi Osaka.

“The beginning was not so well. In Australia I lost a match to Osaka and it was painful and then I got injured. I couldn’t play at 100 per cent. Then it was better. I felt better, both health- and game-wise. I came back to a stable level and the results followed. It was a transitional season. I changed my game and I think in the end of the year played well. I still have to play here and in Zhuhai.”

Svitolina believes that some of her success has come as a result of the close working relationship she has with Justine Henin.

“It’s a priceless experience for me. I guess what we achieved was over my expectations. It’s good that she shares her moments on court,” she explained.

“She shared what she felt when she played the finals of Grand Slams. I am not here yet. But it very interesting. And she could tell me what were the mistakes she made back then so that I don’t repeat them. We changed some moments in the preparations and practices. I guess it became more professional.”

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Suárez Navarro Out Of Moscow To End Singapore Hopes

Suárez Navarro Out Of Moscow To End Singapore Hopes

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MOSCOW, Russia – Carla Suárez Navarro’s hopes of a place of a place at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global were ended after she was forced to retire from her second round Kremlin Cup clash with Daria Gavrilova due to a wrist injury.

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The World No.12 knew she had to win the tournament, which is also being contested by Singapore rival Svetlana Kuznetsova, to reach the finals, but was trailing the Australian, 6-3, 3-0, when she pulled out.  

It was Suárez Navarro who made the brighter start, finding her range in rallies from the off and breaking after Gavrilova sent a forehand long. The Australian had a chance to get back on terms immediately but squandered three break points and the Spaniard recovered to hold.

The No.3 seed missed an opportunity to extend her lead in the third game of the match but both players settled after the frantic opening and became more comfortable on serve.

With Suárez Navarro serving at 4-3, Gavrilova rallied, producing some stunning winners to finally draw level after a marathon game. The World No.37 ground out a hold and soon found herself with two set points on the Suárez Navarro serve; she took the second thanks a forehand into the tramlines.

Suárez Navarro, who had to undergo treatment between sets, had the chance to get on the front foot at the start of the second but sent a routine backhand wide on break point. A string of unforced errors then handed Gavrilova a break to love and the Australian soon had a clear lead.

After Suárez Navarro missed a further chance to break the Gavrilova serve and slumped to a 3-0 deficit in the second set, she announced to the umpires that she was retiring, ending her chances of reaching Singapore.

“I thought I played pretty well, it was a tough battle, I’ve practised with her a lot of times,” Gavrilova said after the match.

“[There were] a few pretty tough games, I think we played the first four games for like 40 minutes, and then I found momentum.

“I lost my serve at the very beginning, but I felt like I was still in it and I had a lot of chances and then finally it all worked out.

“I feel very different to how I felt last year; I was really tired last year. This year, I had a few days off after the US Open and regrouped and had my training in Melbourne and now I’m just enjoying the last few tournaments.”

Suárez Navarro’s withdrawal means that only Kuznetsova can prevent Johanna Konta from filling the final spot in Singapore.

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