Doha: Ostapenko vs. Zheng
Jelena Ostapenko takes on Zheng Saisai in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open.
Jelena Ostapenko takes on Zheng Saisai in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open.
Elina Svitolina wins the Rose Group after her straight sets victory over Elena Vesnina to return to the semifinals at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
ZHUHAI, China – Asked what she would take with her from 2016, Petra Kvitova gave a sleepy smile.
“I would like to take myself,” she told WTA Insider after advancing into the semifinals of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
“I think, somehow, I found myself this season. Maybe being without a coach was important to help me do that.”
Kvitova kicked off her season by splitting with David Kotyza, her coach of seven years. She turned around a tough year at the Olympic tennis event, winning a Bronze medal that foreshadowed a fantastic fall swing.
“I have so many great memories of the Olympics, not only from tennis, but also from getting to meet new friends, athletes, and people in the Village and Czech House. They’ll stay forever in my heart, and it was great to be part of it.
“I played good in the second half of the season without a coach. I think that’s very interesting. I think I’m more relaxed right now and that’s how I’ll also try to be next season.”
The two-time Wimbledon winner does plan to take on a new coach before the end of the off-season, having parted with Frantisek Cermak following the US Open. For Kvitova, chemistry is key.
“To be honest, it’s hasn’t been really easy,” she said of her search. “For me, personality is important. I’m probably a little bit of a different player; I just need someone who is relaxed, who knows how to have fun and has a similar sense of humor.
“He has to understand me, but he also has to be a good tennis coach. It’s really not easy to find someone like this, but I’m really looking hard. We’ll see; we still have a little bit of time. I need to find one soon!”
Kvitova is looking to form a bond much like the one she finds within the Czech Fed Cup team, which plays France in next week’s final.
“We’re not only good players, but also good people. We’re never fighting with each other; we act as a team, and I think that’s very important. None of us make trouble, and we all work well together.
.@Petra_Kvitova gets through to the #semifinals of 2016 #WTAEliteTrophy , tops #Strycova in 6-1,6-4!?✨??#PeonyGroup pic.twitter.com/FJzC9bQ2Bk
— WTA Elite Trophy (@WTAEliteTrophy) November 4, 2016
“For example, if one of us needs to schedule a massage, we talk all talk and decide who gets to go first; it’s the same with practice schedules. Communication is very important for a team.”
The four-time Fed Cup champion went head-to-head with teammate Barbora Strycova – winning, 6-1, 6-4 – on Friday, and next plays Chinese No.1 Zhang Shuai for a spot in the Zhuhai final.
“It’s never easy to play someone like Barbora; she’s a great player, and playing a teammate is always extra difficult – especially when we’re playing together next week.
“I came to China with the goal of qualifying for Zhuhai. It has been a kind of funny season for me; after a not so great first half, I started to play well. Having this tournament is great; with the Fed Cup final next week, I was happy to qualify and play more matches before that.
“It will be a nice end of the season.”
.@Petra_Kvitova feeling good ahead of the @WTAEliteTrophy semifinals pic.twitter.com/beI5y6W7Qf
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) November 4, 2016
All photos courtesy of WTA Elite Trophy.
MONTERREY, Mexico – Francesca Schiavone and Johanna Konta – two of the Abierto Monterrey Afirme’s top seeds – went to downtown Monterrey to play street tennis right outside the Palacio Municipal. They put on an exhibition match for the crowd and gave the fans a taste what’s to come this week in Monterey.
See the best photos – including some trick shots from Schiavone – right here, courtesy of the Abierto Monterrey Afirme.
Highlights from on and off court on the finals day of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
LOS ANGELES, CA, USA – Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are legends on the court and megastars off of it and on Sunday night they took a break from their Indian Wells preparations, stepping out for the star-studded 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Los Angeles.
On the tennis court, white dresses are typically reserved for the lawns of Wimbledon, but the players changed things up for the world-famous after-party. Sharapova turned heads in her Preen By Thornton Bregazzi dress and Williams sported a dramatic Galia Lahav lace gown, along with a sleek new haircut.
Check out the night’s best pictures as Sharapova and Williams rubbed elbows with Caitlyn Jenner, Kate Upton, Kerry Washington and more, courtesy of Getty Images and Vanity Fair:
The Oscars also played out on social media, too, with everyone weighing in and showing plenty of love for the night’s biggest winners.
Check out what WTA players had to say about Leonardo DiCaprio, who took home his first Academy Award for Best Actor:
Congrats @LeoDiCaprio for your Oscar last night! #Oscars2016 #deserved
— Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) February 29, 2016
So happy for @LeoDiCaprio !!? After waiting this long, he can speak for as long as he wants! #celebritycrush
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) February 29, 2016
Life made. @LeoDiCaprio has won an Oscar and gives the speech of the evening. Good night.
— Johanna Konta (@JoKonta91) February 29, 2016
Leo with that speech. Drop the mic!!! Yes
— victoria azarenka (@vika7) February 29, 2016
What a great #Oscar acceptance speach from @LeoDiCaprio! ????#SpreadAwareness #climatechange #startwithonething
— Tsvetana Pironkova (@TPironkova) February 29, 2016
The best speech from the whole night Leonardo Dicaprio well-deserved!!! #oscars2016
— Varvara Lepchenko (@Varunchik1) February 29, 2016
Congratulations to @LeoDiCaprio for his Oscar last night! Well deserved and well overdue! #Oscars2016
— Ana Ivanovic (@AnaIvanovic) February 29, 2016
? pic.twitter.com/WBXC5O11qC
— Daria Gavrilova (@Daria_gav) February 29, 2016
No more photoshop memes for #LeonardoDiCaprio #Oscars2016 pic.twitter.com/oxLkeqsqFg
— Elina Svitolina (@ElinaSvitolina) February 29, 2016
Leo FINALLY got it… I don't think there would have a better moment to literally drop the mike… #LeonardoDiCaprio #Oscars
— Bethanie MattekSands (@BMATTEK) February 29, 2016
NEW YORK, NY, USA – A journey which began waiting around at the tournament supervisor’s office ended with Laura Siegemund and Mate Pavic hoisting aloft their first Grand Slam trophy on tennis’ grandest stage.
In front of an unashamedly partisan Arthur Ashe crowd, Siegemund and Pavic spoiled the party by upsetting No.7 seeds CoCo Vandeweghe and Rajeev Ram, 6-4, 6-4.
“I’m just stunned a little bit at this point. I’m very happy. I think we played a great match today, Siegemund said. “We did play a great tournament. All the other matches were, yeah, very solid also in the important situations, although we never played together.
“So it’s just amazing that even in the finals we could just play the same, you know, stay focused and stick to the system that was working the whole week. He was, as the British say, cool as a cucumber. He was cooler than me maybe at times. I was very glad about that.”
Despite both teams carving out several chances, the first set went on serve until 4-4, before a mistake at the net from Vandeweghe leading to the ultimately decisive break. The unseeded duo continued to exert the pressure in the second set breaking Vandeweghe to secure a milestone victory.
“In all the matches that we played, we broke the guy’s serve a lot of times,” Pavic said. “Like even today Rajeev was serving big and we broke his serve twice.
“We were putting the balls back, returning good, makes the them feel pressure and then it’s not easy to make the point. So I think that make a huge difference in all the matches that we played so far.”
They had never met before.
They didn't know who one another was.
But now Siegemund-Pavic are in Mixed Dubs Final. pic.twitter.com/Kw6W3yjXCp— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) September 9, 2016
More to follow…
ZHUHAI, China – Petra Kvitova concluded a stellar Asian Swing with yet another title, taking home the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai crown after a 6-4, 6-2. The former World No.2 and Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open winner moved up to No.11 on the WTA rankings, and is eager to make up for lost ground at the start of next season.
WTA Insider caught up with Kvitova after her emphatic win over Svitolina to talk about the Wuhan-Zhuhai double, what it means to find herself on the tennis court, and why she’ll key in on improving her serve and return during the off-season.
WTA Insider: On a scale from 1-10, how tired are you feeling right now?
Kvitova: I don’t think I’m that tired. I just feel my entire body is sore, so I’ll need to take a few days off to get ready for the Fed Cup tie. I’m really looking forward, but it’s a little bit difficult. I’m a little bit tired, but winning always helps me recover faster.
WTA Insider: You managed to win Wuhan and Zhuhai this year, much like Venus Williams in 2015. What is it about these courts that go hand-in-hand for players?
Kvitova: I’m not really sure, but it’s kind of funny that both of us won the same tournaments at the end of the season. I’m not sure, but maybe the courts are a little bit faster for our games. We both play aggressive, and have good serves. I think that pays off for us.
WTA Insider: You talked a lot about finding yourself in our last interview; I’m curious what that means to you. Is it about finding yourself personally, or professionally? You mentioned in press that you felt you’d rediscovered your game.
Kvitova: I think it’s both, personal and tennis things. I’ve always loved to play tennis, but it can get tough when I’m not feeling confident, and not playing as well as I should. These couple of matches that I’ve won in the last couple of weeks have really helped my confidence. I did find myself, and that means I’ve found my game again. I’m not afraid to go for my shots, even if I miss them sometimes. I’m still trying to go for it, serve better, and put pressure on my opponent. That’s something I don’t think I was really doing at the start of the season. Of course, there were other small things also happening in my life, as well. But sometimes it’s just important to go through all of these things to find yourself.
WTA Insider: You’ve also mentioned that potentially not having a coach helped you find yourself. What you’re trying to find yourself – be it your game, or personally – did it help to not have too many extra voices around, and just to focus on you and what you’re thinking and feeling?
Kvitova: Personally, I’m always trying to look at things more positively than negatively. I do have David, who is my fitness coach. He’s traveling a lot with me right now, and he’s helping a lot. He’s not a tennis coach, so I’m doing tactics and practicing by myself. It’s a little bit funny and it’s all a learning process for me. It’s nice to have this experience, and I’m just glad that I’ve had it. It’ll be good for the future for me to have had these sorts of things happen. Everything new can be good for you if you take it positively. Not having a tennis coach is a little bit tricky; I’m glad I played more matches so I didn’t really have to practice that much. That was helpful!
WTA Insider: What does a Petra Kvitova practice session look like? If and when you do add a coach to your team, will you then expect to collaborate with him? Now that you’ve had this independence, how tough will it be to give it up?
Kvitova: I think everything is about compromise and communication. I hope that when I find a good coach, we’ll be able to sit and talk about how everything looks with my game and schedule. I’m not sure that I’ll tell him about this experience, for sure. I’m not really a person that needs to practice five hours a day. Of course, preparation is a different story, but at tournaments, I really need to focus on the game and have good energy for the matches. That’s one thing I’ve learned, and I hope it’ll work.
WTA Insider: Briefly going back to the final today, and having five straight wins over Svitolina coming into the match. What is it about her ball that makes you comfortable on the court, especially with all the improvements she’s made?
Kvitova: Those wins helped me with my confidence. In the last match, I was also a break down in the beginning of the match, and I was still able to turn it around. That helped me today when I was on the court, having that in mind. I can’t say she plays a comfortable game, but I just know I need to play aggressively. She likes to play aggressively too, so I just need to be the first one who is putting pressure on her and play what I can. Sometimes, it ends up being a longer rally than I’d like, but that’s the game. She’s doing what she has to do to beat me. She’s thinking as well, so fair enough. I think my serve helped me a lot and I need to return well, which I was doing pretty good today. In the rallies, she’s really going for it, so it’s just about the few points, and what turned the match on my side.
WTA Insider: You’ve talked about the serve a lot this week. When people think of you and your game, they think of the forehand, the power and precision behind that shot. How important do you feel focusing on the serve will be heading into 2017?
Kvitova: I think that’s the key point, for sure. The serve and return are the beginning of the rallies, and those are very important for putting pressure on your opponent right away. I need to improve my second serve next season. Of course, my forehand is a big one, but I need to work on that, as well. I still miss too many shots over there, but I think overall, it’s pretty good. The power is still the key for me to play well. I just need to keep it there.
WTA Insider: Finally, you’re heading home tonight. Will you be flying home or straight to France ahead of the Fed Cup final?
Kvitova: I’ll be flying to Prague, and then taking a car to go to Strasbourg, so that’ll be fun. I’m looking forward to seeing the team. We have a great team, so I can’t wait to be with them over there. It’ll be the last week of the season, so it’s great to have it then, as well.
WTA Insider: One last ride with the Czech Fed Cup team?
Kvitova: Exactly!
All photos courtesy of WTA Elite Trophy.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – World No.153 Chang Kai-Chen provided further evidence of the current strength in depth on tour by knocking out Roberta Vinci in the first round of the BMW Malaysian Open.
Watch live action from Monterrey & Kuala Lumpur this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Following a succession of surprise results during the WTA’s recent double-header in Dubai and Doha, Chang became the latest underdog to have her day, producing a rousing early evening comeback to defeat top seed Vinci, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.
The result, though, is by no means an isolated one. In fact, Chang has made a habit of defeating Top 10 players, Vinci joining a list that also includes Dinara Safina, Marion Bartoli and Samantha Stosur.
“It’s always an honor to play a Top 10 player and I really enjoyed the whole match,” Chang said. “I told myself after the first set to be more patient, so I slowed everything down, kept more balls in and just played with her. The result came out well!
“She’s very difficult to play because she slices and spins it, and I’m very happy I could win this match.”
No.2 seed Elina Svitolina fared better rather better in her first-round outing, requiring only 47 minutes to defeat qualifier Miyu Kato.
There were mixed fortunes for Svitolina in the Middle East, as a semifinal in Dubai was followed by a surprise first-round loss to Denisa Allertova in Doha. And Svitolina took out her frustration on qualifier Kato, breaking five times, whilst giving up just seven points on her own serve, en route to a 6-1, 6-1 victory.
Equally impressive was Svitolina’s next opponent, Risa Ozaki, who defeated Elizaveta Kulichkova, 6-0, 6-2.
“I’ll try and do the same thing – play the ball and not the opponent, which is the most important thing to me,” Svitolina said. “I think she’s playing well. She had a good win today and it’s always tough to play a qualifier, because they’ve had a couple of matches and it’s completely different conditions here than to Doha and Dubai.”
A fixture inside the Top 20 for the best part of a year now, Svitolina is flying the flag for Ukrainian tennis and this summer will have the opportunity to represent her motherland on the greatest sporting stage of all.
“The Olympics is a big event. It’s the first time for me so it’s going to be a really different experience and it’s amazing that I’m going to represent my country and play for Ukraine. It’s just a great thing.”
After last year’s French Open, Svitolina overtook Alona Bondarenko as Ukraine’s highest-ranked player of all time, a status that is a source of great pride: “It feels really great since I am the highest ever Ukrainian woman. So for me it was a big thing after Roland Garros when I became one of the highest.”
Elsewhere there were wins for Naomi Broady, Zarina Diyas and Yang Zhaoxuan.
Diyas caused the day’s biggest upset, knocking out No.4 seed Annika Beck, 7-5, 6-3. Broady, meanwhile, fired down 17 aces to win a see-saw encounter with Klara Koukalova, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, and Zhaoxuan fought back to defeat No.8 seed Zheng Saisai, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.