Birmingham: Monday Highlights
Highlights from first round action at the Aegon International Birmingham.
Highlights from first round action at the Aegon International Birmingham.
Get to know rising Belgian star Elise Mertens in an interview at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Angelique Kerber has Tuesday’s shot of the day at the Aegon International Birmingham.
DUBAI, UAE – Fresh from shocking Kristina Mladenovic at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Wang Qiang confessed that WTA World No. 6 Agnieszka Radwanska is her current tennis idol.
“Now Radwanska is my idol,” she admitted in her post-match press conference. “Yes, I really like she play tennis.”
Wang was speaking to the media after brushing aside the Frenchwoman in the third round, 6-1, 6-4, and she wondered whether her opponent’s heroics yesterday against Karolina Pliskova had taken their toll.
Another upset!
Wang moves past @KiKiMladenovic 6-1, 6-4 in @DDFTennis Round of 16! pic.twitter.com/Sku0NhnLmw
— WTA (@WTA) February 22, 2017
“I saw her play last night and she play really well against Pliskova,” said Wang. “Yes, today first set she miss so much, and I think she’s a little bit tired of last night, yes.”
Wang will now play either Anastasija Sevastova or Peng Shuai in the quarterfinals.
Irina-Camelia Begu takes on Belinda Bencic in the first round of the Aegon Classic.
DUBAI, UAE – 17-year-old Catherine Bellis earned the biggest win of her career over Agnieszka Radwanska, ousting the No.4 seed in three sets to reach the quarterfinals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.
“It’s one of the best feelings in my life, for sure,” Bellis enthused in her post-match press conference. “I’m really happy about the outcome tonight. I work so hard for it and I think my work is paying off.
“I’m definitely playing some of my best tennis right now.”
The American teenager is the youngest player in the Dubai draw – and the youngest member of the WTA Top 100. Bellis made a name for herself last season, backing up a run to the Bank of the West Classic quarterfinals with a third-round appearance at the US Open and a title at the Hawaii Open WTA 125K event.
First Top 10 Win!
17 year old @CiciBellis99 knocks out 2012 champ Radwanska 6-4, 2-6, 6-2! #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/ggGOaQUEDO
— WTA (@WTA) February 22, 2017
A slow start to the 2017 season saw her miss the Australian swing with a hip injury and fall in qualifying at the Qatar Total Open, but the 17-year-old is back with a vengeance after her first Top 10 victory over Radwanska.
Bellis imposed her big-hitting game early on, leaving Radwanska with few answers to the American’s heavy pace. Her confidence only grew after shaking off an early Radwanska break opportunity, drawing the 2012 champion into making more unforced errors than her normally neat and tidy game would allow. Bellis grabbed the lone break a few games later for a 4-3 lead before taking the opening set.
But the teenager couldn’t keep up the high level as Radwanska changed tactics in the second set, coming up more frequently and taking time away from Bellis. She was rewarded with an early break, and four unforced errors in a row from the American gave Radwanska a 4-1 lead before going on to level the match with a second break of serve.
“I think in the second set she started playing a little bit better,” Bellis reflected. “I went off a little bit. I think I was going for a little bit too much.
“I just told myself stay calm and go back to my game and what I was doing in the first set.”
“I really can't believe it! This is the biggest win of my life!” ? @CiciBellis99 #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/fM5a9jKZmv
— WTA (@WTA) February 22, 2017
Bellis did just that and, after trading breaks with Radwanska at the start of the set, she reeled off the last four games in a row with a flurry of winners to clinch the biggest victory of her career after just under two hours.
“I have had kind of a dream couple of months since I have turned pro, but obviously it’s not always going to be always happy-go-lucky, but I have been really lucky so far,” Bellis said.
“I’m really just enjoying it more just thinking about how much fun I’m having and what an experience it’s been for me so far.”
With the victory, Bellis is projected to rise into the WTA Top 60, and can move into the Top 50 if she advances to the semifinals. She’ll take on the winner between Kateryna Bondarenko and Caroline Wozniacki for a spot in her career first WTA Premier-level semifinals.
Johanna Konta and Petra Kvitova took one of Birmingham’s canals by storm during one of the Aegon Classic’s many rain delays.
Kvitova takes to one end of the Birmingham canal to engage in a light-hearted rally with the Brit on the other side.
Kvitova and Konta learned a net isn’t necessary after all when playing canal tennis.
Meanwhile, doubles starlet Andrea Hlavackova took a tour of Cadbury World to learn the ins and outs of chocolate production.
Lucie Safarova shows off one of her delicious creations.
Hometown favorite Heather Watson tried her hand at sweet fashion by making a chocolate shoe.
The WTA stars showing off their finished products.
Hlavackova, Safarova, and Watson got to leave Cadbury World with quite the souvenir they helped make themselves.
Tara Moore and Andrea Petkovic took a trip to Villa Park, the local football stadium in Aston.
Petkovic showed off some of her fancy footwork with a powerful kick.
Not to be outdone, recent Nottingham quarterfinalist Moore tried her own kick of the ball.
Later on, Moore and Petkovic received signature jerseys in the colors of the Aston Villa Football Club.
Angelique Kerber talks through her win in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
MALLORCA, Spain – Former World No.1 Ana Ivanovic enjoyed one of her most emphatic wins of the season, dismantling Sara Sorribes Tormo, 6-1, 6-0, to reach the quarterfinals of the Mallorca Open.
Watch live action from Birmingham and Mallorca this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Playing against her childhood idol, the 19 year old was overawed on the Center Court in Mallorca, lasting just 51 minutes against the 2008 French Open champion, who was hoping to turn around a disappointing season with a second WTA quarterfinal appearance.
“Honestly, grass is not my favorite surface,” the Serb said in her post-match press-conference, “but I’ve loved playing in Mallorca. I really hope I can keep playing well to stay long. The courts and crowd are really nice, so it’s a good feeling.
“I remember the first time I played the Williams sisters; you’re a little bit overwhelmed playing someone you used to look up to. But she’s very young still, and had some good strokes. Hopefully she can get better and move into the top of the game.”
Dropping just seven points behind her first serve, Ivanovic convered five of nine break point opportunities to set up a match against No.6 seed Caroline Garcia.
“I think we’ve been lucky to have perfect weather here; I know they’ve been struggling in Birmingham. I’ve actually had fun playing here. Yesterday, we had fun in doubles too, with Kirsten Flipkens.
“Garcia won the last three times we played, but it’s a different surface, and I’ll have to be extra focused and low on my shots. I have to go into the match knowing it’s going to be close, and look for my opportunities.”
.@AnaIvanovic impone su ley en el #MallorcaOpen. ¡Sólida victoria ante @sara_sorribes 6-1, 6-0. ?? pic.twitter.com/IOP61qYPYQ
— MallorcaOpen (@MallorcaOpen) June 16, 2016
Garcia played earlier in the day and survived a nail-biter of a second set tie-break against unseeded German Anna-Lena Friedsam, advancing, 6-4, 7-6(4).
“It’s good weather and I like when it’s hot. It was two tight sets, but you need a lot of energy on grass and a lot of focus. So every point is very important; I’m happy to be through in two sets.
“Maybe I played the important points better, but it was very tight. That’s grass also, and why you have to stay focused on every point. It’s a very different game, but good to have it for a month – just a month though!”
The Frenchwoman has won her last three matches against Ivanovic – all of which occurred in the spring of 2015 – but the pair have never met on a grass court.
“It’s not very natural for me,” she told press of the surface. “I have to say that the grass here is drier than it usually is in England, so it’s a little bit more comfortable for me. I feel safer on the court and the ball is bouncing higher, especially on my second serve. For your first tournament on grass, you don’t expect much, but I hope to keep going.”
Playing in the inaugural Mallorca Open meant opting out of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, a tournament plagued by rain delays and poor weather.
“I’ve seen all the news on twitter about interruptions and suspensions. It’s frustrating because you can’t practice; you have to go indoors or the gym. When you want to go on grass, you want to at least be practicing. There’s a chance to do this here. Even when you’re done with a match, you can still practice. So I’m very happy with my choice!”
¡Accede a los cuartos de final del #MallorcaOpen @CaroGarcia! Victoria 6-4, 7-6 ante Friedsam. ?? pic.twitter.com/ZYtsnulUdt
— MallorcaOpen (@MallorcaOpen) June 16, 2016
More to come…
Elina Svitolina takes on Lauren Davis in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.