Indian Wells: Elena Vesnina's Shot Of The Day
Check out Elena Vesnina’s shot of the day from Day 9 of the BNP Paribas Open.
Check out Elena Vesnina’s shot of the day from Day 9 of the BNP Paribas Open.
Ever wonder what Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki and Petra Kvitova carry with them on court inside their racquet bags? Find out right here!
NEW YORK, NY, USA – This season has provided plenty of ups and downs for World No.5 Simona Halep. To coin an overused sports-writing cliché, it could even be described as a roller coaster.
Over the coming fortnight in Flushing Meadows, Halep hopes to scale the highest peak by lifting her maiden Grand Slam title. Her next obstacle comes in the shape of former Roland Garros finalist Lucie Safarova, but before then the Romanian took a break from the tennis talk to discuss a recent trip to Cincinnati’s Kings Island theme park with the US Open press corps…
“[In]Cincinnati. I tried a roller coaster. First time in my life and never again!
“I felt that I’m dying. Darren [Cahill] said he was going on all the machines, and I said I’m not going to do that. But he said it was a white one, and I didn’t see completely. Like I just saw the end, and the end was straight. He said, Come on. It’s pretty easy. It’s the lightest one.
“I said about what is that? He said, just the speed, but straight. I said, Oh, I love speed, so I can go. When I went there and that machine was going down, I felt that I’m dying. I said, Darren, never again. He was laughing when I said. It was tough, but it was nice. Good experience.”
So how did Halep respond to her white-knuckle experience?
“I did nothing. I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t breathe. No, I didn’t scream.”
Elena Vesnina discusses her sports psychology background and how she has been influenced by past champions in her BNP Paribas Open semifinal press conference.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.5 seed Simona Halep moved safely into the third round of the US Open with a straight set win over Lucie Safarova .
In the first ever women’s match under Arthur Ashe’s new roof, Halep recovered from a break down in the second set to complete a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
“It was not an easy match. It was difficult. At one point I lost the rhythm a little bit because she’s left handed, not easy to play against,” Halep said. “I knew that she’s very tough. She’s fighting till the end.
“I played many times against her, and all the matches were very close. So I expected that. I’m not the happiest with my game today, but I’m really – you know, I have the good mood that I could win the match in two sets and I could finish in the important moments.”
Since the start of the summer, Halep has lost only to Angelique Kerber, winning 19 matches and two titles during this period. Her latest triumph was by no means a formality, however, Safarova’s inability to convert the odd purple patch into scoreboard dominance ultimately proved costly.
Halep overcame the frustration of surrendering an early lead by reeling off three games on the trot, pocketing a see-saw opening set with a brilliant backhand winner. Her joy did not last long, the Romanian soon finding herself in something of a hole in the second set.
Yet with Safarova looking well placed to force a deciding set her hitherto secure groundstrokes went walkabout, a trio of unforced errors handing back the break in the sixth game. This swung the momentum irretrievably away from the Czech, who erred again when serving to stay in the match, her fifth double fault of the afternoon sending Halep through.
While Halep was unable to replicate her flawless first-round display against Kirsten Flipkens, offsetting her nine winners with 20 unforced errors, she will be pleased to have dodged a potential banana skin on her journey through the Flushing Meadows draw. A semifinalist 12 months ago, Halep will continue her bid for a maiden Grand Slam title against Timea Babos after she saw off Richel Hogenkamp, 6-2, 6-4.
A W for @Simona_Halep ✔️ First Women's match under the roof ✔️ #usopen @MBUSA https://t.co/rvZoLYkmyN
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2016
WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen | Relive Elena Vesnina’s BNP Paribas Open win over Svetlana Kuznetsova.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.2 seed Angelique Kerber closed out a drama-free Friday night with a 6-1, 6-1 win over American qualifier Catherine Bellis to reach the second week of the US Open in 55 minutes.
“It was a great atmosphere,” she said after the match. “I mean, the fans and the crowd, it’s just amazing. Of course, to playing against an American, it was really special.
“I was enjoying playing tonight out there.”
In pole position to become the first German to become No.1 in the world since Stefanie Graf in 1997, the reigning Australian Open champion put on a masterclass for Bellis, the tournament’s most impressive young talent.
Bellis backed up her breakthrough week in 2014, where she became the youngest woman to win a match at the US Open in 18 years, by making it through qualifying and notching solid wins over Viktorija Golubic and Shelby Rogers to earn her best-ever Grand Slam finish.
“She’s a great young, really talented player. For sure she will have a great future. I’m really sure it will be a good one.”
What champions are made of: No. 2 @AngeliqueKerber grounds 17-yo CiCi #Bellis, 6-1, 6-1 to move into R16. #usopen pic.twitter.com/FWSlVQbWSi
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 3, 2016
But Kerber proved a bridge too far for Bellis as the German hit 17 winners to 18 unforced errors, not only dictating play but also playing the cleaner match compared to Bellis, who hit 11 winners and 21 unforced errors.
“I think it’s important to my game, being aggressive, but also being defensive. Your opponent’s playing sometimes really aggressive, so there are different ways to win. You have to play your own game. This is what I’m trying.”
Up next for the World No.2 is a former No.2 in Petra Kvitova, as the No.14 seed survived a second set surge to dispatch No.22 seed Elina Svitolina, 6-3, 6-4, earlier in the day on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“Petra with a three, it’s not working so far, which is good,” the Czech said after the match, jokingly referring to her P3tra nickname derived from her tendency to play three-setters. “I’m saving some energy.
“The important is the win. But of course, with saving energy it’s always better.”
Kvitova was two games from victory after racing out to a set and 4-0 lead, but Svitolina, a Connecticut Open finalist, won four games of her own to level the set.
“It was a little difficult at the end of the second set. It was a big fight, the last game.”
.@Petra_Kvitova puts up a strong finish to move into the fourth round. #usopen https://t.co/W2Cj4b1yx6 pic.twitter.com/ls5yP24MZH
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2016
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Elena Vesnina has the potential to make it into the singles Top 10, says Svetlana Kuznetsova – the woman she beat in an epic final at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.
“Why not? Of course, I mean, she did semis in Wimbledon last year. She won here now. She has to be much more consistent to be in the top 10, but she can make it, for sure,” said the defeated Russian of her compatriot.
.@SvetlanaK27 is moving up a gear! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/QO5bthevKE
— WTA (@WTA) March 19, 2017
Kuznetsova admitted that she had struggled with the daytime conditions, and felt rather frustrated that she had not played as well as she could.
“I didn’t feel comfortable at all today on the court,” said the 31-year-old. “I was trying to do the best I could, you know, but this is the type of day when you don’t play your best tennis and you’ve got to still give your best effort.
“I tried my best and she won because she was more aggressive than I did. I was too passive. That’s it. Too much behind and didn’t serve well, I think it was key points.”
Kuznetsova now moves on to Miami – and is confident that she can recover quickly from the loss to her countrywoman.
“I feel great,” she assured reporters in her post-match press conference. “I didn’t overwork. I think what really is difficult to handle, like, lots of stress. It’s, like, kind of waste you physically a little bit. But the rest matches didn’t get me so much tired. I feel great physically.
“I’m looking forward to have couple days off and hopefully get a good start in Miami.”
NEW YORK, NY, USA – After her colossal win over No.3 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, few appeared less impressed than Anastasija Sevastova herself.
“It feels great, but it’s still not like I won the tournament,” she told press after the match. “It’s only the second round.”
The Latvian had reached a career-high ranking of No.36 back in 2011 before a series of injuries led her into early retirement in 2013.
“Again?” a smirking Sevastova asked when encouraged to retell her inspiring origin story. “I stopped playing in 2013. I had many injuries, and I wasn’t happy with my tennis or where I stood on the tennis court. Something different was hurting all the time: back, arm, and legs. Then I decided to go out and retire.
“I did some studying. I coached some kids, but nothing serious. Just lessons, and lived a normal life. I studied management. It was strange,” she trailed off as a wry grin returned to her face. “I didn’t find it that difficult to study, but maybe it made me go back to tennis.”
For one playing the smallest of ITF Challenger tournaments just under two years ago, the gravity of the moment seems largely lost on Sevastova, at least until the perspective retirement gave her shines through.
“I’ve seen that there’s life after tennis, that if you lose a match, it’s not the end of the world. The world does not collapse.”
And yet it so often does for players who’ve pulled off massive upsets; the pressure to prove their win wasn’t a fluke can leave them frozen in place. From the night match on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Sevastova was sent out to Court 17 in broad daylight to take on Kateryna Bondarenko, a 2009 quarterfinalist who’d won all three of their previous matches in straight sets.
“It was different conditions, and a completely different match – the first match on,” she said in Friday’s post-match press conference, wearing a New York Yankees cap. “In the beginning, I didn’t manage it that well. The court was a bit faster, and it wasn’t night match, so it was different.
“In the warm-up, I felt good, but in the first games, I wasn’t putting anything in. Maybe it was the expectations, but I kept fighting, stayed positive, and made it through the tough games at 4-3 and 5-4. It was important to win the first set, for sure.”
Sevastova recovered from an early break to win 12 of the final 14 games to book a spot in the fourth round, her first anywhere since her 2011 breakthrough at the Australian Open, and her first in Flushing Meadows.
“They always say it’s tough after a big win to back it up. But I don’t know what happened in the beginning. I was a little too nervous. But it was strange.”
Strange, but not impossible as she prepares to play No.13 seed Johanna Konta for a spot in the quarterfinals.
“In women’s tennis, it’s possible; anyone can beat anyone on a good day. On a bad day, you can lose to anyone! But I think Jo has had a good year, very stable. She’s one of the best players, Top 15. She serves well and has no weaknesses.
“It’s not an easy match, but then, it’s the round of 16 at the US Open,” she clarified as a smile returned to her face. “It’s not the 10K in Sharm El-Sheikh.”
Far from where she kickstarted her career, Sevastova remains unfazed by fame, even as her star rises here and at home.
“There was one headline, where they posted something like, ‘Look Into Anastasija Sevastova’s Private Life,’ and they posted Instagram pictures. It’s funny. Maybe they don’t have anything else to write about in Latvia, but they need some positive news!
“Sometimes people know me in my hometown, but if I go to Riga, I don’t think they’ll know me. I’m probably D-list,” she deadpanned.
Just shy of matching that initial career-high rank, Sevastova will likely leave New York somewhere in between Kathy Griffin and Nicole Kidman, but with plenty of room to grow with the help of that mature mindset.
“Tomorrow is a new day. There are other matches. Nobody thinks about the previous match. You have to think forward. But tonight, I can enjoy.”
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Chris Oddo | Main draw action at the Miami Open begins on Tuesday and we’re previewing the key first-round matchups right here at wtatennis.com.