Stuttgart: Vinci Interview
An interview with Roberta Vinci after her win in the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
An interview with Roberta Vinci after her win in the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Tennis apparel companies are ready for the 2017 Australian Open, and Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will show us the latest performance wear that will help WTA players bring their A-game to the sunny courts in Melbourne.
Angelique Kerber will defend her title in a stunning blue and orange outfit inspired by the tournament’s environment: the mystery blue reflects the Australian Open courts, the layers of the adidas Melbourne Tank symbolize depth of the ocean and sky combined with sun-washed graphic, while pops of bright orange represent the ever-present Australian heat.
The super-lightweight performance clothes combats the scorching heat with ClimaLite materials, which encourage quick evaporation of sweat, and Climacool technology, which enhances the body’s ability to regulate its temperature.
The adidas Melbourne Skirt, featuring printed compression shorts and wrap design, nicely matches the top’s spaghetti straps, as well as orange adidas adizero Ubersonic shoes that the world number one Kerber is set to launch at the first Grand Slam of 2017.
Garbine Muguruza will wear the new slim-fit adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade Dress in hypergreen and white. The item combats extreme heat with Clima™ technologies and seamless structures with mesh cutout details. The reigning Roland Garros champion will complete the look with the flexible and supportive adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade footwear.
Switching from dresses to separates, Caroline Wozniacki will sport the form-fitting seamless adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade Tank in vibrant hypergreen and bold blue alongside the matching skirt that features the designer’s signature laser-cut holes. The Dane’s adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade Boost 2017 shoe is crafted from premium materials and features BOOST technology, about which the former world number one says: “BOOST is something you need to feel to believe; my game is more energised and I’m lighter and faster on my feet.”
After dominating last year’s Australian Open with her yellow crop top and pleated skirt, Serena Williams is ready to once again blow us off our feet with her Nike Spring Serena Premier Power Dress, whose outstanding features are the striking print that resembles piano keys at the extended bottom hem, stylish thin vertical slits at upper back and solid panels at the bust and upper back that contrast the slightly sheer body of the dress.
Eugenie Bouchard will also rock a black and white look, debuting the Nike Spring Premier Crop Top, featuring half-length raglan sleeves and rounded side vents, and the Nike Power Spin Premier Skirt, which stretches as you move, but then recovers its shape for supreme support.
Venus Williams will sport the Competitor Dress from the EleVen Thika collection.
The print’s hues resemble a tropical sunset, with the blurred crossing lines representing the last sunrays of the day.
Lotto’s Agnieszka Radwanska will showcase the Nixia III Dress, which we have already seen during the Pole’s first two tournaments of the season, the Shenzhen Open and the Apia International Sydney. Lotto Stratosphere II shoes will be Radwanska’s choice for the Australian Open, created for players who cover the entire court, therefore requiring a shoe that is stable while providing advanced mobility and reactivity during fast movements.
Fila’s athletes will present not one but two outstanding collections.
Karolina Pliskova and Jelena Jankovic are set to wear pieces from the new Heritage collection, which reflects the brand’s rich history in the game with its clean color palette and a variety of timeless designs. Paying homage to Fila’s original Italian aesthetic, the range offers three silhouettes of tops that can be paired with two skort styles, while the highlight piece is the Heritage Polo Dress.
The Sleek Streak collection, to be worn by Yaroslava Shvedova, Timea Babos and Irina-Camelia Begu, takes a bold approach to on-court styling, complete with vibrant hues, eye-catching graphic prints, and standout finishes.
New Balance’s Heather Watson will rock the printed Yarra Tank, an athletic racerback piece featuring stylish slit openings along armholes, and the Tournament Skort in color firefly, featuring an engineered elastic waistband with cutouts and printed built-in compression short. The shoes that complement this look are New Balance 996v3, equipped with ProBank technology that keeps your foot stable and in optimal position during fast lateral movements.
Nicole Gibbs is set to promote the same kit, only her ensemble is pink and white.
Judging by the Australian Open designs, we can look forward to another stylish year on the WTA circuit.
Angelique Kerber takes on Annika Beck in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic talk before the start of the doubles competition at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
An interview with Shelby Rogers after her first round upset victory over No.4 seed Simona Halep at the Australian Open.
An interview with Roberta Vinci after win in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova takes on Chuang Chia-Jung and Nicole Gibbs in the first round of the Australian Open.
Roberta Vinci takes on Julia Goerges in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
MELBOURNE, Australia – World No.2 Serena Williams kicked off her quest for a seventh Australian Open crown with a decisive 6-4, 6-3 victory over Belinda Bencic to ease into the second round.
“I think it was pretty good,” Serena said of the match in her post-match press conference. I mean, she’s a really good player. So I think I was able to start out well.”
Serena came to Melbourne with an outside shot of reclaiming the No.1 ranking from defending champion Angelique Kerber – the American must reach the final to remain in contention – but first had to take care of Bencic, a former World No.7 who had beaten her in their last encounter at the 2015 Rogers Cup.
“I feel like she definitely has a lot more power. Obviously she beat me in Canada the last time we played, but I really don’t remember much about that match.”
Bencic used that winning week in Canada as a springboard towards becoming the youngest Top 10 debutante since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009, but injuries almost immediately stunted her progress and caused her to be unseeded ahead of the Australian Open.
#Serena: “Right now I have nothing to lose. I get to travel the world and do what I do best.”
??❤️#ausopen pic.twitter.com/Sf0oOofSRe
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2017
Knowing this wasn’t a typical first round, Serena put on a solid display throughout the one hour, 21 minute match, though the affair was hardly without its hiccups. The 22-time Grand Slam champion drew first blood to earn a 3-1 lead, only to see Bencic fight back and hold onto level terms until the all-important tenth game, when Serena surged ahead to beak for the set.
The second appeared to be a foregone conclusion as the No.2 seed rode the wave of momentum out to 5-0, but Bencic had one last comeback in store, narrowing the lead to 5-3 before Serena sealed the deal on her second match point.
“I just wasn’t as aggressive as I was during those games. She started playing better. I made a few errors on some key points, but for the most part, I still was going for everything and I was able to close it out.”
Keeping her side of the stat sheet as clean as she could, the former World No.1 hit exactly 30 winners to 30 unforced errors; she looked especially strong on serve with eight aces to four double faults.
Up next for the six-time Australian Open champion is another former rival in Lucie Safarova, who saved a whopping nine match points to defeat Yanina Wickmayer, 3-6, 7-6(9), 6-1 to book a rematch of the 2015 French Open final.
“I knew I had to be really strong.” #Serena through to 2R #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Z70iPL2JpH
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2017
STUTTGART, Germany – The giant-slaying run continued for Germany’s Laura Siegemund; the qualifier took out World No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4, 6-2, to reach her first career WTA final at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
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The qualifier won her seventh match of the week – and her 14th straight set since coming to Stuttgart – and had all the answers against the top seed, who lost five games in a row from a 3-1 advantage in the opening set.
“Maybe I’m a similar type like her to other players,” Siegemund said after the match. “I didn’t focus on beating her with her own weapon or anything like that. I was focussing on my game which has been working well the whole week and didn’t find the switch to play aggressive that well. I was playing a little bit short at the beginning which gave her a lot of options but managed to fix the problem and found my game, a little bit later than the other matches but I found it.”
Serving at a stunning 90% off her first serve, Siegemund played a near-perfect match against Radwanska, hitting 34 winners to just 17 unforced errors – racing past the Pole’s own stats of 13 winners and 15 unforced. Converting a double break lead on her fifth break point opportunity of the fifth game of the second set, all looked clear for Siegemund when Radwanska enjoyed a brief resurgence, breaking back and making the veteran fight for the finish line.
“I felt like I’m in the flow and I don’t need to think, I’m going to make the right decisions. Sometimes you feel you’re not in the flow and then it’s good to have a good strategy every single point. But today I stood up of the break and I knew I had to trust my intuition and it worked well. Sometimes you get up from the bench differently. It’s very individual in that situation. But I was very focussed, I was very calm. If it was 5-5, I had a plan as well. So, I felt good.”
In the midst of a breakthrough season that has already seen her reach the third round of the Australian Open and quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open, Siegemund dutifully broke serve one last time and served out her spot in the final after one hour and 23 minutes.
“My tennis was not good enough, that’s for sure today,” Radwanska told press after the match. “Well, I think with that kind of game she is playing, the first shot is very important. And she was playing pretty much all in and every time she got the ball I think she had nothing to lose, so she just took the risk.
“I can’t complain; I had a really good start of the year, a couple of good results as you said, a couple of semi-finals and so far so good. Well, I hope I can keep going that way.”
Siegemund defeated three Top 10 players this week – Simona Halep and Roberta Vinci in addition to Radwanska – and her stellar run could have major implications on the German Olympic team; tentatively up to a new career-high ranking just outside the Top 40, Siegemund has leapfrogged countrywomen Sabine Lisicki, Anna-Lena Friedsam, Julia Goerges, and Mona Barthel to become the No.4 German behind Angelique Kerber (who she plays in the Stuttgart final), Andrea Petkovic, and Annika Beck. Kerber and Siegemund will be meeting for the first time, but the reigning Australian Open champion will be keen to defend the title she won for the first time in 2015.
In doubles, co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza appear to have gotten their groove back; Santina had struggled through early exits in Indian Wells and Miami, but are back in their first final since winning the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. Against Lisicki and Lucie Safarova, the reigning Wimbledon, US Open, and Australian Open champions made a solid case for completing the Santina Slam at the French Open with a 6-4, 7-5 win in the semifinals.
No.2 seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic won their first title of 2016 in Charleston, and got past former No.1 Kveta Peschke – who is playing her first tournament in over a year – and Anna-Lena Groenefeld in the second semifinal later on Saturday, 7-5, 5-7, 10-4. They will play Santina for a second straight title to bookend their Fed Cup heroics.
Siegemund’s Stuttgart run, punctuated by her 64 62 win over Radwanska today. 7 wins. pic.twitter.com/qmZ4Ed7adH
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) April 23, 2016
