Singapore: Kerber Interview
An interview with Angelique Kerber after her final defeat at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
An interview with Angelique Kerber after her final defeat at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
The grass court season has been a time of respite and opportunity for Agnieszka Radwanska. This year she comes into Wimbledon with less pause and more purpose. The World No.3 limited her clay court schedule this year, an aggressive signal that the 27-year-old is more about quality than quantity these days. Her focus now is to take advantage of the surface that has always been good to her.
The 2012 Wimbledon finalist has made the semifinals or better at two of her last three trips to the All England Club. While she grew up playing on fake grass back home in Poland, she did not step foot on the real thing until 2005. That year she would go on to win Junior Wimbledon.
“I was really comfortable on that from the first day,” Radwanska said. “Since then I had this feeling I feel really good on the surface. I feel really comfortable and I can do whatever I want there. It hasn’t changed since then.”
Heading into Wimbledon, Radwanska has played 10 events this year (including Fed Cup), four fewer than in each of her last two seasons and her fewest since 2011. And yet she’s in the midst of one of her strongest 12-month runs, winning four tournaments, including the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, and making the Australian Open semifinals.
“If you ask me five years ago I would say, Yeah, it’s very scary [to play less] and I would feel weird not to play hundred matches,” Radwanska said. “Here it’s a different story.
“Every year you have a different experience and now when you’re older then you really have to think [about] it twice. So I really feel much better. It’s still not over, it’s just half the season. There’s still a few months to go with the Olympics and two Grand Slams so you you really need to think about the whole season.”
As a result, Radwanska has been the healthiest she’s ever been at this point of the season. As she joked in Paris, she’s not being held together by tape and she’s been able to play freely without much concern. This week she’s already into the quarterfinals at the Aegon International, where she was finalist last year, and will go into Wimbledon with a few quality matches under her belt. Regardless of whether she wins the title in Eastbourne, Radwanska has rediscovered her comfort level on grass.
“Sometimes I lost in the first round at Eastbourne and then I made the finals and semifinals at Wimbledon, not once but three times,” she said. “But I really want to take advantage of the fact that I really like grass. It’s good to have a couple matches before the Grand Slams.”
Click here to read more about this year’s Wimbledon Contenders, courtesy of WTA Insider.
Dominika Cibulkova has Sunday’s shot of the day at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
EASTBOURNE, England – Dominika Cibulkova rounded off a busy afternoon at the Aegon International Eastbourne by brushing aside Monica Puig to book her place in the final.
Watch live action from Eastbourne this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Having begun the day with a stirring comeback win over top seed Agnieszka Radwanska, Cibulkova could have been forgiven for showing a few signs of physical and mental fatigue when she stepped back on court just a few hours later.
However, if the Slovak was feeling the effects of the backed-up scheduling, she hid it well, easing to a 6-2, 6-1 victory in little over an hour on court.
Peppering Puig’s baseline with her flat groundstrokes, Cibulkova threatened to break on a couple of occasions before finally striking in the sixth game, following up a well-disguised drop shot with a thumping forehand winner.
Desperately searching for a response to her opponent’s brilliance, Puig was forced out of her comfort zone, surrendering the set on the back of a couple of uncharacteristically errant backhands.
The second set was even more one-sided, Cibulkova rattling off the final three games to reach her first grass court final. “I would say this is my best day on a grass court,” Cibulkova said afterwards. “I’m extremely happy – I’m playing so well. She was really tough to play against because she’s playing completely different tennis to Radwanska, she played well today but I was just better.”
On court, Cibulkova’s fiery style starved Puig the opportunity to find any rhythm. And a similarly frenetic approach served her well in dealing with the quick turnaround: “I stretched, went to the ice bath and then I had to warm up again. It was a really quick one!”
In the final, she will face Karolina Pliskova after she defeated home favorite Johanna Konta, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3.
And this is how I feel at @AegonTennisEB!!! ?????????????? ?????????? the best feeling!! pic.twitter.com/ghKKhCod2b
— Dominika Cibulkova (@Cibulkova) June 24, 2016
The Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai is the final event of the season, and the completed draw revealed four exciting groups, with the winner of each advancing into the semifinals. World No.10 Johanna Konta leading a stacked field of 12 that includes two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova and Australian Open quarterfinalist Zhang Shuai, the latter two presiding over Monday’s draw ceremony.
WTA Insider broke down the four round robin groups; click here to check out the full singles draw.
.@WTAEliteTrophy Azalea Group! @bambamsam30 @JoKonta91 @CaroGarcia pic.twitter.com/mdzAU2XWaI
— WTA (@WTA) October 31, 2016
Azalea Group: (1) Johanna Konta, Samantha Stosur, Caroline Garcia
Both Konta and Garcia head to Zhuhai direct from the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Konta served a first alternate while Garcia, top seed in alongside Kristina Mladenovic, earned a semifinal finish in doubles.
Konta enjoyed a strong finish to her breakout season with a run to the China Open final, and is playing her second tournament since becoming the first British woman to crack the Top 10 since Jo Durie in 1984.
Stosur had her best Grand Slam finish in four years when she upset 2015 finalist Lucie Safarova and 2014 runner-up Simona Halep en route to the French Open semifinals, falling to eventual champion Garbiñe Muguruza.
Garcia not only came within one match of finishing Co-No.1 in doubles, but the youngster also continued to build on her burgeoning singles career, winning two titles on two different surfaces in Strasbourg and Mallorca.
.@WTAEliteTrophy Camellia Group! @CarlaSuarezNava @TimeaOfficial @zhangshuai121 pic.twitter.com/jMp5WI6rvN
— WTA (@WTA) October 31, 2016
Camellia Group: (2) Carla Suárez Navarro, Timea Bacsinszky, Zhang Shuai
Second alternate in Singapore, Suárez Navarro came perilously close to the WTA Finals for a second straight season, and will look to make her first semifinal in Zhuhai after falling in the round robin stage in 2015.
A knee injury kept Bacsinszky out of Zhuhai last year, but the Swiss star put on a stunning performance to start 2016, winning another title in Rabat and winning back-to-back matches against Agnieszka Radwanska and Halep to roar into the semifinals at the Miami Open.
Rounding out the Camellia Group is one of the most compelling stories of the season in Chinese wildcard Zhang Shuai. Close to retirement, the veteran won her first-ever Grand Slam main draw match in emphatic style, knocking out then-World No.2 Halep as a qualifier before her run ended in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. Zhang continued to play high-level tennis throughout the year, beating Halep again to roll into the last eight in Beijing.
Peony Group: (3) Petra Kvitova, Roberta Vinci, Barbora Strycova
One of the game’s biggest hitters goes head-to-head with a pair who rely on guile and cunning in the Peony Group as Petra Kvitova takes on Roberta Vinci and Barbora Strycova in her Zhuhai debut.
Kvitova began showing signs of her best tennis at the height of the Asian Swing. The Olympic Bonze medalist decimated an impressive field to win the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open. In Beijing, she defeated Muguruza in straight sets before taking a narrow loss in the last eight.
.@WTAEliteTrophy Peony Group! @BaraStrycova @roberta_vinci @Petra_Kvitova pic.twitter.com/vg9ZAGH4cH
— WTA (@WTA) October 31, 2016
Her countrywoman, Barbora Strycova, had a breakthrough season of her own, moving up to a career-high ranking of No.19 and a pair of Premier finals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and Aegon Classic. Kvitova and Strycova will meet again in a few weeks for the upcoming Fed Cup final against France.
Vinci became the oldest woman to make her Top 10 debut four days after her 33rd birthday, and bookended her season with solid results, winning the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy and returned to the second week of the US Open a year after stunning then-World No.1 Serena Williams to reach the final.
.@WTAEliteTrophy Rose Group! @EVesnina001 @kikibertens @ElinaSvitolina pic.twitter.com/43qXzdFkVE
— WTA (@WTA) October 31, 2016
Rose Group: (4) Elina Svitolina, Elena Vesnina, Kiki Bertens
Svitolina headlines the final round robin group in Zhuhai alongside a pair of comeback kids in Elena Vesnina and Kiki Bertens.
The rising Ukrainian star qualified for the WTA Elite Trophy for the second year in a row; pairing up with 2016 International Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee and former No.1 Justine Henin, she kicked off her season with a title run in Kuala Lumper – surviving a thriller against Eugenie Bouchard. But her best results have come at the end of the season, making the semifinals or better at four of her last six tournaments, including the Toray Pan Pacific Open and China Open.
Vesnina was ranked outside the Top 100 a short nine months ago, but rebounded spectacularly from a low of No.122 to a career-high of No.19. Claiming wins over the likes of Halep, Venus Williams, and Caroline Wozniacki, she qualified into the final of the Volvo Car Open before taking her best major result by dismantling Dominika Cibulkova on her way to the Wimbledon semifinal.
A cancer scare nearly took Kiki Bertens out of the game, but the Dutch powerhouse showed off some of her obvious potential in Paris, upsetting Bacsinszky to find herself in her first Grand Slam semifinal. The run also helped her clinch a berth on the Olympic team.
The doubles teams were split into two groups before the singles draw was made with help of Kvitova and Zhang:
Orchid Group @WTAEliteTrophy:
Soylu/Xu
Savchuk/Rodionova
Wang/Liang— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) October 31, 2016
Lotus Group @WTAEliteTrophy:
Klepac/Parra Santonja
Maria/Kalashnikova
You/Yang— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) October 31, 2016
All photos courtesy of Getty Images and WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Already during the tournaments opening the grass-court season we had an opportunity to see some nice new designs ready for the upcoming Wimbledon, but before tennis fashion completely switches to pure whites let’s have a look at the colorful clothes that graced the WTA courts in the period leading to the most traditional Grand Slam.
Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog gives us an overview of the best outfits we’ve had this June.
We had missed Belinda Bencic on tennis courts since Charleston, with the Swiss nurturing a back injury, but the 19-year-old made a stylish comeback this month at the Ricoh Open, wearing this ice grey and orange color-block dress, another refreshingly youthful and sporty Yonex design. The thick orange stripe below chest provides a figure-slimming effect and Yonex made sure to match it with Belinda’s visor, wristbands and company logo.
Besides nice subtle colors, the dress stands out with its wide supportive criss-crossed tank straps. Moreover, a coordinating ball short is included in the design.
Czech Barbora Strycova progressed all the way to the Aegon Classic Birmingham final in singles and to the champion’s trophy in doubles, feeling comfortable in her Sergio Tacchini Phoenix Dress. A dotted pattern adorns the chest and racerback area, matching a solid red side panel at right hip.
Agnieszka Radwanska brought a lot of color to the grey Eastbourne weather with the flowers of the Lotto Twice Dress. What makes this piece of clothing special is that it’s actually reversible, so when you don’t feel like wearing an eye-catching print, you can easily opt for the solid blue marine side. Other features of the dress include moisture management, spaghetti straps and ruffled hem.
For her grasscourt campaign in Birmingham, where she had played the finals back in 2008, Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer opted for the Lotto Moonride Tank from the company’s running range. This is not the first time that Lotto-sponsored athletes are putting aside their tennis clothes — the floral fitness and training Ursula line worn by Carla Suarez Navarro made my February’s fashion favorites.
Wickmayer cheered up the rainy British environment with the colorful tank top dominated by purple tones. Strategically-placed side color-blocks nicely accentuate the waist, while back keyhole cutout allows a sports bra to stylishly peek through. Being a running tank, the item also features a reflective bar down the back that provides visibility in low-light conditions.
Timea Bacsinszky, Daria Gavrilova and Johanna Konta have been sporting the pool blue Asics Club Dress this June, whose mesh panels and moisture-wicking fabric are keeping players cool and comfortable, while built-in sprinter tights ensure the necessary support. Just like most tennis apparel companies, Asics opted for a racerback design, providing players with ultimate mobility that allows them to hit the ball harder and faster.
– Photos courtesy of Getty Images and Jimmie48 Photography
An interview with Elina Svitolina after her win in the group stage at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Elina Svitolina takes on Elena Vesnina in the group stage at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
ST PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The WTA has announced a newly established WTA Coach Program which will launch January 2017 as the new season begins.
WTA coaches will be recognized as a WTA Registered Coach under a formalized WTA Coach Program. The WTA Coach Program is designed to professionalize, standardize, and recognize the important role of coaching on the WTA, signifying that coaches are a key element of the WTA business.
This newly formed program will allow world class coaches, whether working with top players or emerging talent, access to benefits at WTA tournaments, professional development programs, and will provide more opportunities to broaden the product and the WTA audience, becoming a marketable asset for women’s professional tennis. It will also allow fans the ability to get closer to the game and the on court action through coaches.
Steve Simon, WTA CEO, stated, “I am pleased to introduce this new program which will professionalize and raise the standards associated with being a coach on the WTA. Coaches are an integral part of the players’ achievements and performance on the court. We recognize the value of coaches and their overall contribution to the game and to the WTA.”
Coaches who wish to participate in the program must be currently working with a WTA Tour level player and meet defined criteria (including professional certification or licensure from a coaching governing body), uphold professional obligations and be recommended by a WTA player.
A Coach Program Advisory Committee has been formed of six coaches representing each global region and this group will advise WTA staff on the administration and governance of the program, acceptance of applicants, and will provide continual feedback from the coaching body.
Former WTA player and current coach of Australia’s Daria Gavrilova, Nicole Pratt, is one such member of the Coach Program Advisory Committee. Pratt commented, “The establishment of the WTA Coaches Program is a leap forward for validating the expertise of many of the coaches on the WTA. We are looking forward to working together and feel confident there will be tremendous benefits for all stakeholders.”
Additionally, Craig Kardon, a member of the Coach Program Advisory Committee who is a longtime WTA coach and current coach of CoCo Vandeweghe stated, “I am very excited about the new WTA Coach Program. This program will give professional tennis coaches a platform for promotion and professionalism while coaching on the pro tour.”
As part of their registration, coaches will participate in weekly activities to help promote WTA tournaments, the WTA and women’s tennis, including media opportunities, clinics, and coach symposiums. Additionally, coaches will be made available immediately following matches for international media opportunities, allowing coach insight and perspective on the match.
Petra Kvitova takes on Zhang Shuai in the semifinals at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.