Cincinnati: Pliskova vs. Ostapenko
Karolina Pliskova takes on Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the Western & Southern Open.
Karolina Pliskova takes on Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the Western & Southern Open.
Chinese New Year is Monday, February 8, and in the spirit of the holidays we’re looking at the Chinese Zodiac, where each of the 12 years in the cycle is represented by an animal sign and thus their reputed attributes: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
2016 is the Year of the Monkey, which makes it an extra special Chinese New Year for former No.1 Venus Williams and Fed Cup heroine Karolina Pliskova, who led the Czech Republic to a 3-2 victory over Romania this weekend with three wins in singles and doubles. Most auspiciously, Williams and Pliskova ended the 2015 season by reaching the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai final, which the American won to finish the year ranked inside the Top 10 for the first time in five years.
Which animals are the Top 50 players on the WTA? The birth years range from 1980 to 1997…
Monkey (1980, 1992)
Venus Williams
Karolina Pliskova
Rooster (1981, 1993)
Serena Williams
Garbiñe Muguruza
Caroline Garcia
Sloane Stephens
Kristina Mladenovic
Monica Puig
Dog (1982, 1994)
Flavia Pennetta
Elina Svitolina
Annika Beck
Daria Gavrilova
Alison Van Uytvanck
Margarita Gasparyan
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
Danka Kovinic
Pig (1983, 1995)
Roberta Vinci
Madison Keys
Rat (1984, 1996)
Samantha Stosur
Ox (1985, 1997)
Jelena Jankovic
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Belinda Bencic
Tiger (1986)
Barbora Strycova
Varvara Lepchenko
Rabbit (1987)
Lucie Safarova
Maria Sharapova
Sara Errani
Andrea Petkovic
Monica Niculescu
Ana Ivanovic
Dragon (1988)
Ekaterina Makarova
Angelique Kerber
Carla Suárez Navarro
Snake (1989)
Agnieszka Radwanska
Lesia Tsurenko
Sabine Lisicki
Timea Bacsinszky
Victoria Azarenka
Horse (1990)
Petra Kvitova
Caroline Wozniacki
Alizé Cornet
Irina-Camelia Begu
Mona Barthel
Sheep (1991)
Johanna Konta
Simona Halep
Camila Giorgi
CoCo Vandeweghe
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Go behind the scenes with the hardworking team of Rogers Cup ball kids on this episode of WTA Behind The Tour.
Monica Niculescu takes on Natalia Vikhlyantseva in the first round of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
CINCINNATI, OH, USA – Five years ago, Germany’s top-ranked woman was asked to handicap her countrywoman at the Western & Southern Open. Having recently made her Top 10 debut, Andrea Petkovic told members of the media to keep an eye out for one player in particular.
“She’s going to come back,” Petkovic said of Angelique Kerber. “I called her and I asked her to come to my academy where I train, and she came there for four weeks and practiced really, really hard.”
Kerber had been ranked as high as No.45 to start the 2011 season, but briefly dropped out of the Top 100 that summer. At the time of Petkovic’s press conference, she had lost 15 of her last 18 WTA main draw matches.
“I promise you she’s going to be at least Top 30 like in six months, because she worked really, really hard and she’s a great player and she’s definitely going to come back.”
To say that Petkovic proved prescient would be the understatement of the decade. Within a week, Kerber reached the semifinals of a WTA International event in Dallas, Texas as a qualifier. Two weeks after that, the then-World No.90 was in the final four of the US Open, upsetting Agnieszka Radwanska and Flavia Pennetta along the way.
“She was helping me in practice,” she said of Petkovic’s advice after her win over Pennetta. “She told me, ‘You can do it. You play very well. You need to play consistent your tennis and not think about something or not think that you can win or you can lose. Just go on the court, play your tennis.’ Yeah, she helps me a lot.”
Kerber ultimately fell to eventual champion Samantha Stosur, but nonetheless beat Petkovic’s prediction by well over three months, cracking the Top 30 for the first time on October 2, 2011.
A lot has changed since then. The reigning Australian Open champion, Wimbledon runner-up, and Olympic Silver medalist is now in pole position to end Serena Williams’ 183 straight weeks atop the WTA rankings. Should she take home the trophy at the very tournament where Petkovic first made her bold prediction, Kerber would become the oldest woman to debut at World No.1 since a 25-year-old Jennifer Capriati in 2001.
She spoke about the pressure of having to back up her Melbourne run, and how it was familiar to her feelings following her 2011 breakthrough, after her opening round win over Kristina Mladenovic:
Angelique Kerber is done proving to people that she belongs. Now she plays for herself. #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/39eyX49kfJ
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 18, 2016
With dangerous veteran Barbora Strycova looming in the third round, Kerber still has a tough road to reach the top spot, but it’s proving tougher and tougher to bet against the German, especially with the Cincinnati breeze at her back.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – It is fair to say that Ana Ivanovic has not enjoyed an easy ride so far in 2016.
Early exits in Auckland and Sydney were followed by emotional third-round defeat to Madison Keys at the Australian Open. In this final match, Ivanovic’s coach, Nigel Sears, was rushed to hospital after collapsing in the stands on Rod Laver.
“It was obviously very hard. It was a serious moment, he went to the hospital, it was difficult to me to keep playing the same way, because I was really worried,” Ivanovic said. “I knew he was in the hospital, but I didn’t know the details.
“After the match I had some mixed messages. Now he feels good, he is here with me. He took some weeks to recover. He is fine.”
Last week, Sears was back on the practice court, preparing his charge for her return at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. Staged at the Sibur Arena, the tournament is one of a dwindling number of indoor events on the WTA calendar.
After her travails Down Under, Ivanovic for one is looking forward to moving indoors. “I think it’s similar to a lot of indoor events. I feel really good, I have had a couple of practices, though on the training courts only.
“I find the surface is very effective, and it suits my game well, you need to hit through the ball well and it’s nice.”
There will be no easing back into competitive action, though; Ivanovic – the recipient of a first-round bye, will open her campaign against the in-form Margarita Gasparyan on Wednesday evening.
“I think especially for the women it’s very important to play match by match. Honestly, I saw the draw and I thought the first match is tough,” Ivanovic, who is looking to end a 13-month title drought, said.
“If I could win a title here, it would be my dream. It’s a tough draw, a lot of good players, I’m going to fight and work hard.”
CINCINNATI, OH, USA – Last year’s finalist Simona Halep raced into her third consecutive quarterfinal at the Western & Southern Open after needing just 53 minutes to dispatch Australian qualifier Daria Gavrilova 6-1, 6-2.
Watch live action from Cincinnati this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
After days of rain and storms, the sun finally shined at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, bringing with it the blistering conditions for which Cincinnati in August is known.
“Yes, it’s very hot here,” Halep said after the match. “After the first set the sun hit me very strong so I didn’t have too much energy. I’m really happy that I could finish.”
Gavrilova is fast becoming a familiar face across the net for Halep – this is the third time they’ve faced off this year. Their first 2016 match up came in Rome, where Gavrilova pulled off the upset to take the match in straight sets, but their most recent tilt was in Montréal, where Halep mowed over the Australian in straight sets en route to the title.
“I knew that I had to be aggressive, not letting her come at me because she can play with the forehand very well,” she explained. “I opened the court, served pretty well and returned hard the second serve to force the return.”
First set ? @Simona_Halep!
Up 6-1 on Gavrilova @CincyTennis! https://t.co/155ikbtoDq
— WTA (@WTA) August 18, 2016
The Romanian employed her strategy in perfect fashion in a dominant first set. She quickly broke twice to put together a 4-0 lead. Gavrilova pounced on some loose points and surged to a 40-0 lead in the next game with a chance to get a break back, but Halep wrestled the momentum away with a couple of laser backhands down the line.
The Australian finally found her first serves and was able to get her name on the scoreboard at 5-1, but Halep’s speed and agility was in full flight to tamp down any hope of a comeback, easily putting away a backhand deep in the cross court to ease through the first set.
Gavrilova opened the second set with a confidence-boosting hold of serve, but as Halep continued to chip away with her all-court coverage, her high octane game began to wilt and she surrendered another break. Gavrilova broke back at 2-2, but Halep continuing to bully her around the court, dragging her from line to line and pocketing the point with a forehand winner, catching the Australian out of position time and time again.
Halep sealed the straight sets victory with an ace and moved into the quarterfinals after just 53 minutes, extending her winning streak to 12 consecutive matches. She hit 18 winners to 14 unforced errors, compared to 7 winners and 19 unforced for Gavrilova.
She will play the winner of the match between No.5 seed Agnieszka Radwanska and No.10 seed Johanna Konta.
.@Simona_Halep gives @CincyTennis fans a shoutout! ??? https://t.co/fktLL7qK5k
— WTA (@WTA) August 18, 2016
– Maria Sharapova pulls out of the Qatar Total Open: The two-time champion has withdrawn citing the ongoing left forearm injury that has plagued her since the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open. The withdrawal is not much of a surprise if you’ve been paying attention. Sharapova told me in December that she had an eye on February as being a good time for a break.
“I’m going to go and take care of my forearm first,” Sharapova told reporters after losing in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. “I think that’s really important. I’m going to go to Moscow [for Fed Cup], be part of the team. I don’t think I’ll be playing. Then I’m not sure.
“But I think this will be a time to just get myself ready for a long year. I don’t see myself playing anything before Indian Wells.”
– Other entry/withdrawal news: Agnieszka Radwanska has withdrawn from the Dubai Duty Free Championships citing the left leg injury she carried through the Australian Open. Lucie Safarova is also out of Dubai due to ongoing illness, though it looks like she’s already in Doha training for her return there. Safarova is the defending champion.
The team is back together! #training #start #in #doha @robsteckley ????? pic.twitter.com/4JgMBGusXt
— lucie safarova (@luciesafarova) February 9, 2016
In their stead, No.3 Simona Halep and No.9 Petra Kvitova have taken wildcards into Dubai.
– Justine Henin jumps into the coaching pool: Ukrainian press are reporting that Henin will join Elina Svitolina’s team as a coaching consultant at the Slams.
– Tale of two juniors: Belinda Bencic and Daria Kasatkina are both 18-years-old and competed alongside each other on the junior ranks. Bencic made her jump to the senior tour first and is the top seed at this week’s St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. Kasatkina is just starting her first full season on the tour. Both have been incredibly complimentary of each other’s games. Good to see their friendship endures:
Friends???✌?️?? pic.twitter.com/lekYgZY5o7
— FormulaTX (@Formula_TX) February 10, 2016
– Injury sidelines Victoria Duval: Already in the early stages of her comeback from Hodgkins lymphoma, Duval underwent knee surgery this week for a torn meniscus.
⚠️ Earlier today, I underwent an arthroscopy on my knee to remove a tear in my meniscus. The onset of pain began several months ago
— Vicky Duval (@vicky_duval95) February 8, 2016
– The hottest Olympic qualifying races: Last week I put together an explainer on the qualifying rules for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. One notable rule: No country can send more than four singles players and two doubles teams. If a country has more than four players who meet all the eligibility criteria, the top four ranked get the nod.
This rule has little impact on countries that lack depth in the Top 100. Those players will be aiming for a Top 56 ranking on June 8th. But for four major nations — the United States, Germany, Russia, and Czech Republic — it creates a race within the race to qualify. Being Top 56 may not be enough. You also need to be one of the top four women from your country.
Here’s where things stand right now:
United States
1. Serena Williams (No. 1)
2. Venus Williams (No. 12)
3. Madison Keys (No. 24)
4. Sloane Stephens (No. 25)
—
5. CoCo Vandeweghe (No. 46)
6. Varvara Lepchenko (No. 49)
7. Madison Brengle (No. 57)
8. Christina McHale (No. 62)
9. Irina Falconi (No. 75)
10. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (No. 77)
Germany
1. Angelique Kerber (No. 2)
2. Andrea Petkovic (No. 23)
3. Sabine Lisicki (No. 32)
4. Annika Beck (No. 39)
—
5. Mona Barthel (No. 45)
6. Anna-Lena Friedsam (No. 52)
7. Julia Goerges (No. 53)
Russia
1. Maria Sharapova (No. 6)
2. Svetlana Kuznetsova (No. 17)
3. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (No. 26)
4. Ekaterina Makarova (No. 31)
—
5. Margarita Gasparyan (No. 43)
6. Daria Kasatkina (No. 63)
7. Elizaveta Kulichkova (No. 95)
Czech Republic
1. Petra Kvitova (No. 9)
2. Lucie Safarova (No. 10)
3. Karolina Pliskova (No. 13)
4. Barbora Strycova (No. 41)
—
5. Denisa Allertova (No. 59)
6. Lucie Hradecka (No. 71)
– April’s Fed Cup ties are set: The Fed Cup semifinals will feature the Czech Republics vs. Switzerland in Switzerland, while the French will host the Netherlands.
The World Group Playoffs are more complicated. The United States will have to fly to Australia just as the European clay season is set to begin. In another blockbuster tie, Germany will go to Romania, Belarus will go to Russia and Italy will go to Spain. As a reminder, the losing teams will be relegated to World Group II in 2017.
Hot reads: A selection of great reads from around the web.
– In Jon Wertheim’s SI.com mailbag: Acclaimed director Peter Berg is involved in a Serena Williams documentary, plus more interesting tidbits.
– Is tennis’ unique scoring format fundamentally flawed? Gabe Allen at The Cauldron wants the six-game set replaced by a 24 point set.
– Steve Tignor on the evolution of Madison Keys.
– Another great Tignor read, this time on “Renaissance Woman,” Martina Hingis.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
WTA Insider | In Friday’s Live Blog, the last eight do battle at the Western & Southern Open; keep up with all the action as Angelique Kerber continues her quest for No.1.
21-year-old Elina Svitolina announced that seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin would join her coaching team on her website.
Justine rejoint la team Svitolina! Elle pourra transmettre son expérience et ses précieux conseils à la joueuse… https://t.co/Hm5S8xMApx
— Justine Henin (@Justine_Henin) February 11, 2016
Svitolina has enjoyed a rapid rise up the rankings in the last two seasons, earning four Top 10 wins – two over reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber – and making her Top 20 debut last spring, following a run to the quarterfinals of the French Open. Looking to make the next step in her career ascent, Svitolina has been after Henin’s expertise since the off-season.
Neither Svitolina nor Henin are the tallest to ever play the game – Svitolina stands at 5’9″ to Henin’s 5’5″ – but the Belgian unleashed a barrage of unbridled aggression combined with an unflappable competitive spirit to finish as the Year-End No.1 three times, win a hat-trick of French Open titles from 2005-2007 (four in total), along with an Olympic Gold Medal in 2004 – recovering from 1-5 in the final set of her semifinal against Anastasia Myskina to dispatch Amélie Mauresmo in the final.
Retiring in 2008, Henin returned to tennis two years later, reaching the Australian Open final in the first major appearance of her comeback, falling to World No.1 Serena Williams in three thrilling sets.
Svitolina already has strong competitive instincts, winning a majority of her three-set matches in 2015, but could certainly benefit from a dose of Henin’s aggressive tactics that may encourage her to step into the court and dictate play more often.
Whatever happens, Henin’s addition to the coaching community has certainly left the tennis world intrigued:
J Henin to start coaching Svitolina. Great news for WTA??. One of the legends!
— Magnus Norman (@normansweden) February 11, 2016
Interesting 1st coaching gig https://t.co/fejk4rnMDf
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) February 11, 2016