Miami: Madison Keys Pre-Tournament Interview
Find out what Madison Keys had to say before the start of her campaign at the Miami Open.
Find out what Madison Keys had to say before the start of her campaign at the Miami Open.
Karolina Pliskova takes on Ana Ivanovic in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.
An interview with Magdalena Rybarikova after her win in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Find out what the BNP Paribas Open runner-up had to say before the start of her campaign in Miami.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – On Wednesday afternoon Sara Errani and Oksana Kalashnikova claimed the latest upset of their fledgling partnership, ousting Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!
Playing only their third match together, Errani and Kalashnikova took a while to find their feet against the No.4 seeds, dropping a one-sided opening set. However, their turned the match on its head in spectacular fashion to take the second set and then outplay the Czechs in the decisive match tie-break.
Errani and Kalashnikova’s 3-6, 6-3, 10-5 victory means that only one of the eight seeded teams – No.3 seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova – has made it through to the semifinals in Indian Wells.
We did it again ???? Forza ?@SaraErrani @BNPPARIBASOPEN
— Oksana Kalashnikova (@OksKalashnikova) March 17, 2016
Meeting them for a place in the final will be Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova, 6-4, 6-3 winners over Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva.
In the previous round, King and Kudryavtseva sent shockwaves through the draw by knocking out top seeds Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza, and against Goerges and Pliskova they carried on from where they left off, surging into a 4-1 lead.
This proved to be a false dawn, though, as Goerges and Pliskova pegged back then overhauled them to make it through to the last four of a WTA event together for just the second time.
On the other side of the draw, Babos and Shvedova will take on the all-American team of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe.
Highlights from the Day 3 clash between Karolina Pliskova and Madison Brengle.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Hours after Karolina Pliskova reached the singles semifinal at the BNP Paribas Open, the Czech powerhouse went one round better in doubles as she and fellow Australian Open semifinalist Julia Goerges eased past former No.1 Sara Errani and Oksana Kalashnikova, 6-4, 6-3.
“I think we played a pretty solid match, and they are both pretty good players,” Goerges said after the match. “Sara has been No.1 in the world for a reason in doubles. We just tried to go with our strengths with the serves, being aggressive, hitting big from the baseline and trying to get some volleys catching our way.
“I think we did a pretty good job overall.”
Pliskova and Goerges are playing just their fourth-ever event together, starting the season with a run to the semifinals in Melbourne, but still have big goals despite an intentionally limited schedule.
“We played two tournaments last year in China and we got along pretty good, and we said we want to play the big ones next year but want to focus mainly on singles.
“That’s why we’re only playing a few tournaments, but we’re trying to do as well as we can to go to Singapore. So far we’re doing a pretty good job.”
Up next for the Czech/German pair are two Americans in Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe; the former survived an ankle turn at the start of the match tie-break to help her partner advance over No.3 seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova, 2-6, 6-4, 10-4.
Mattek-Sands and Vandeweghe first paired up during a dead-rubber doubles match in Fed Cup, but have showed excellent potential as an Olympic pair this week in Indian Wells, dropping just one set en route to the final and taking out two mono-country teams who played at last year’s BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global in No.2 seeds Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching and No.8 seeds, fellow Americans Raquel Atawo and Abigail Spears.
Goerges and Pliskova began their tournament with an upset over No.7 seeds Carla Suárez Navarro and Garbiñe Muguruza, going on to score quality wins against the only two teams to take out Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza since August of last year in Daria Kasatkina and Elena Vesnina and Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva. Goerges hopes this kind of momentum can see them qualify for Singapore come season’s end.
“I think it doesn’t have to be Singapore; it’s the WTA Finals in general. Of course, we only heard really good things about Singapore, that it’s a big city and they always do a really good job with everything. They do everything big! It’s one of our goals, it doesn’t matter where it is city-wise, but it’s a big goal for every player to achieve the masters at the end of the year.”
Winning feels this good ??? ??@CoCoVandey @BMATTEK #BNPPO16 pic.twitter.com/shpW5XXzKn
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 18, 2016
Karolina Pliskova reflects on her performance at the Miami Open.
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – 2012 champion Victoria Azarenka needed just 67 minutes to overcome an ailing Magdalena Rybarikova in a complete shutout to advance to the semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!
Ahead of day’s last quarterfinal, Azarenka delivered a warning message to her opponents at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
“I don’t think I am close to fulfilling my potential,” she said in last round’s post-match press conference. “Just to see what I can do on practice court and physically what I can improve, I’m far from that. That’s what I’m looking forward to improve.”
If that’s really the case, her opponents will have much to worry about after Azarenka’s 6-0, 6-0 win over Magdalena Rybarikova.
Rybarikova, who at No.97 is the lowest-ranked player to reach the quarterfinals at Indian Wells since 2012, found herself struggling with her serve early on. Only 41 percent of her first serves found their mark in the opening set, giving Azarenka many opportunities to come up into the court and attack Rybarkiova’s weaker second serve. The Belarusian threw everything at her opponent – even attempting a tweener – and Rybarikova couldn’t come up with a reply, quickly dropping the first set after only 34 minutes.
The Slovak’s troubles would only get worse from there; she called the trainer during the changeover to treat an injury to her right leg.
Azarenka continued to steamroll in the second set as Rybarikova’s movement became increasingly hampered. Despite struggling a bit with her serve – Azarenka served two double faults in one game to give Rybarikova break point at 2-0, and again at 4-0 to give her three more break chances – she stayed perfect until the end, blasting her third ace of the match to secure the victory and her spot in the semifinals.
“I think the key today was the start,” Azarenka said after the win. “I really started aggressive, taking opportunities and I felt like I was in full control.”
“I think in the second set she wasn’t feeling really well, but it was important for me to stay in the moment and keep dictating. It’s easy to lose focus and pay too much attention to your opponent.”
Azarenka opponent in the semifinals will be the big-hitting Czech Karolina Pliskova, who ended Daria Kasatkina’s breakthrough run in Indian Wells with a 6-3, 6-2 victory.