Tennis News

In less than a week, reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber will take to the courts at Flushing Meadows to begin her bid for her second Grand Slam title of the year. Also at play? A chance to become WTA World No.1.

The 28-year-old is having the best year of her career, and she admits that she owes much of her late renaissance to her improved fitness.

“Right now I’m one of the fittest players in the world,” Kerber told CNN. “It’s strange, but it helps you really reach your goals at the end.”

CNN Open Court went inside the gym with Kerber to discuss how she gets Grand Slam fit, just in time for the final Slam of the year.

On this episode, WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen recaps last week’s action at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy and Taiwan Open, where two veterans put their stamp on a week that was supposed to be all about the youth. You’ll hear from St. Petersburg champion Roberta Vinci, who crashed Belinda Bencic’s Top 10 debut party, beating the teenager in straight sets to win her first title since 2013.

We’ll also preview the upcoming week’s tournaments at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and the Rio Open. Brazil’s No.1 Teliana Pereira joins the podcast to discuss the current state of Brazilian tennis. Currently ranked No.43, Pereira became the first Brazlian woman to win a WTA title in 27 years last year when she won the Claro Open in Bogota, and picked up her second title later in they year on home soil in Florianopolis.

Pereira opens up about the unique experience of being a Brazilian tennis player, what it’s like playing in the immense shadow of Gustavo Kuerten, and her Rio Olympic hopes, which are still clouded in uncertainty.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or any podcast app of your choice. Follow WTA Insider at @WTA_Insider.

NEW HAVEN, CT, USA – Lucky loser Johanna Larsson is through to her first WTA Premier-level semifinal at the Connecticut Open after a big upset over No.2 seed Roberta Vinci. She sets up a battle against No.10 seed Elina Svitolina, who powered past Elena Vesnina in straight sets.

Watch live action from New Haven this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

At this tournament last year Larsson fell in the qualifying rounds, but today she got her revenge against the same player who ousted her, defeating Vinci, 7-6(9), 6-1.

“Last year I had a tough loss against her in the finals of qualifying,” Larsson recalled after the match. “And I actually remember I was serving for the set in that match as well. I was in the same position today, and I messed it up a little bit, but I was lucky to win today in the tiebreak.”

Larsson was a point away from comfortably taking the opening set 6-4; she had just broken Vinci’s serve with a pair of aggressive forehand returns, and brought up two set points on serve in the next game. But Vinci rallied to break back and keep them level, sending the set into a tiebreaker. The momentum swung back and forth between the two – both of them held set points during the tiebreaker – but Larsson’s dogged defense eventually forced the critical error from Vinci.

The Swede took flight in the second set, breaking Vinci four times to reel off five consecutive games against the Italian, taking the match and a spot in her first Connecticut Open semifinal on her main draw debut.

After the match Vinci, who looked considerably more sluggish in the second set, admitted that a lingering injury played a role in the defeat.

“I’m injured a little bit. I have a little bit of pain of my tendon on left foot,” Vinci explained in press. “On the second set, I was not tired. But I thinking always about my pain, and I lost. But now I have two or three days off before New York to try to recover and stay better for the US Open.”

Larsson’s opponent in the semifinal will be No.10 seed Svitolina, who had all the answers against Vesnina and cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 victory.

Lucky Loser Johanna Larsson is first through to @ConnecticutOpen Semifinals!

Knocks out Vinci 7-6(9), 6-1! #CTOpen pic.twitter.com/rPw5aT8rOA

— WTA (@WTA) August 25, 2016

DUBAI, UAE – Roberta Vinci caps a spectacular six months that saw her reach the US Open final, qualify for the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, and capture the biggest title of her career at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy with one incredible 33rd birthday present. Next Monday, Vinci will become the oldest woman (at 33 years, four days old) and fourth Italian in WTA history to debut in the World’s Top 10.

“Yes, well, it was an incredible month for me, incredible end of the season, and incredible ranking right now,” Vinci said after reacing the semifinals in Zhuhai, which helped her finish 2015 ranked No.15.

A former No.1 in doubles, Vinci completes a quartet of a most impressive generation of Italians that includes Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone, and Sara Errani – all of whom have reached the Top 10 and the finals or better at a Grand Slam in singles. Vinci paired with Errani to form one of the most dominant doubles pairs of the decade, winning five major titles together and completing a career Grand Slam at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships.

The veteran had previously peaked at No.11 for ten weeks in 2013 after reaching back-to-back quarterfinals at the US Open, but it was her most recent fortnight in Flushing – six weeks after being ranked as low as No.58 – that will prove unforgettable. Playing her first Grand Slam semifinal, she halted World No.1 Serena Williams’ own history-making bid to become the first to achieve the Calendar Year Grand Slam in 1988. Eliminating the American in three arduous sets, she then took part in the first-ever all-Italian final against eventual champion and childhood friend, Flavia Pennetta.

“I won a lot of matches,” Vinci told WTA Insider in Wuhan. “I reached one final in a Grand Slam for the first time, I beat Serena, I beat Petra. So of course now is my time, no? I’m close to the Top 10, so now I have to push more, I think.”

She began 2016 with a career-best Australian swing – reaching the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International and the third round at the Australian Open for the fourth time in her career – and a clear goal in mind for what she initially considered to be her last season.

“Well, of course I’m confident right now,” she said in Brisbane. “I’m 15 in the world right now and will try my best to reach the Top 10. This is my goal. I know it’s not easy, but I would like to enjoy this year, no pressure, try my best, improve every single day, every single tournament everything.”

Vinci all but clinched that goal a month later when she won her first Premier-level title at the inaugural event in St. Petersburg, defeating another Top 10 debutante Belinda Bencic in the final.

“It’s a lot for me. It’s an amazing moment. I’m not young,” she said on the WTA Insider Podcast. “I’m almost done. I’m really happy. I always tried to my best. It’s not easy to practice every single day. For me this tournament was a fantastic moment.”

Here is a look at the oldest players to make their Top 10 debut after the rankings made its debut in November 1975:

NEW HAVEN, CT, USA – Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska dropped just two games in a clinical 6-1, 6-1 defeat of defending champion Petra Kvitova at the Connecticut Open. She’s set to play against No.10 seed Elina Svitolina for a chance at the title. The Ukrainian youngster powered past lucky loser Johanna Larsson 6-4, 6-2 on her way to her first Premier-level final.

Watch live action from New Haven this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

“I didn’t really expect that quick matches, for sure,” Radwanska said in her post-match press conference. “Everything was working for me tonight. I was really playing great, solid tennis from the beginning till the end.

“I think I was just feeling very good on court, very confident, very loose. I was serving much better than the other days.

“Well, what can I say? I’m just so glad I could win a match in that kind of style.”

Kvitova had led Radwanska 6-4 in their overall head-to-head heading into the final four, and was looking to reach a fifth straight final in New Haven (winning three of the last four years).

But the Czech star had been dealing with a cold, which appeared to catch up with her against the World No.4, who has now won their last three meetings. Playing in her first semifinal since Stuttgart, Radwanska blitzed Kvitova in cool 79 minutes to reach her second final of the season.

Kvitova took the defeat in stride, but now faces a race against the clock to be healthy in time for the US Open.

“It’s a long time since I’ve sat here as the defeated player, right?” she joked in press. “It’s not the best, but I think that I played good tournament here. I was in the semifinal. After a tough season for me so far, it’s always great result to play good tennis.

“I’m really glad how I played here, even today. I got everything back. I was just running out with my steam. It’s been a tough three weeks for me with Rio and week off between Rio and here. So I’m really glad that I played good.

“I’m still sick. I don’t know how long it’s going to take. I’m playing Monday on US Open. I hope I will be better at that time.” 

Radwanska will play Svitolina for a first New Haven title; the Ukrainian youngster began the afternoon with a decisive win over Johanna Larsson.

“It’s a great feeling to be in the final again,” she said after the match. “It’s the first in a premier event for me, so it’s special one. I’m looking forward to this challenge.

Svitolina began the season by taking on former No.1 and Class of 2016 International Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee Justine Henin as a coaching consultant, and though she trails Radwanska 0-2 in their previous two meetings, the first was a grueling three-set affair at the Miami Open back in 2014.

Too good tonight @ARadwanska – see you tomorrow @usopen ✌ pic.twitter.com/9KFZtv8Pre

— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) August 27, 2016

Semifinal Day Down Under

January 27, 2016

It’s semifinal day Down Under, and Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, Angelique Kerber and Johanna Konta are in action seeking a spot in the year’s first Grand Slam final. wtatennis.com contributor Chris Oddo makes his picks.

FOREST HILLS, NY, USA – Led by WTA stars Shelby Rogers and Darija Jurak, the San Diego Aviators took home the Billie Jean King Trophy with a 25-14 (1-1 in Extended Play) win over Nicole Gibbs and Alla Kudryavtseva’s Orange County Breakers in the Mylan World TeamTennis Final.

Rogers and Jurak are in the midst of career-best seasons in singles and doubles, respectively, and helped the Aviators win three of the five sets played in women’s singles, doubles, and mixed to help their team clinch victory at the West Side Tennis Club on Friday.

A French Open quarterfinalist back in May, Rogers was set to make her Mylan WTT debut a year ago, but a debilitating knee injury not only kept that from happening, but essentially derailed her entire 2015 season. 

“Having this be my first full season of World TeamTennis, I couldn’t have asked for a better team,” Rogers told WTA Insider after the Final. “I couldn’t have asked for a better result. The memories and friends I’ve made will last forever. Everything was perfect; you get the nerves from your team and want to perform well for them. That was really cool tonight; I’m glad we could come through, and this is such a great moment for us.”

The young American will head into the US Open just shy of the career-high ranking of No.50 that she earned last week; defeating Gibbs 5-2 in women’s singles and partnered with Jurak to win the women’s doubles set by the same score, Rogers hopes to take some of the tactics she learned from Billie Jean King’s co-ed professional league into her WTA matches.

“World TeamTennis is great at helping you learn to play the big points well, and teaches you to not be so distracted by little things. You have to play through whatever, and the crowds are great. They really get into it and give us energy that helps us through the tough times. Our home matches in San Diego were the best; our fans were so loyal and it’s been a blast.”

Jurak joined the league as a substitute back in 2013, and credited new WTA partner Anastasia Rodionova – who helped the Kastles to many of their record-setting six straight Mylan WTT trophies – with inspiring her to new heights in her second season with the Aviators.

“Nastya said a lot of things about World TeamTennis,” the doubles specialist said of her co-winner in Eastbourne and co-finalist in Stanford. “She’s a four-time champion – and she set a good example; I learned from her a lot because she’s been playing this league and on the WTA tour for so long and I’m fortunate that I can play with her.

“I can’t explain how happy I am that we won today. This team effort is amazing, and I’m really happy that we have such good chemistry, which is almost everything here. Without that, it’s impossible to win, because we have to really be a team.”

The @WorldTeamTennis champs @SDAVIATORS pic.twitter.com/0sdAC1DXEd

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 26, 2016

Finishing a close second to the Aviators, Gibbs and Kudryavtseva had another season to remember in Mylan World TeamTennis, reaching their second straight final with two different teams. Rookie of the Year in 2015, Kudryavtseva paired Gibbs to become top women’s doubles team in the league and win seven straight matches to reach the championship match in New York City.

“It was really fun to have the chance to develop what we had done last year and progress as team,” said Gibbs, who was awarded Female MVP after combining her doubles prowess with the second highest winning percentage in women’s singles.

“I always give all the credit to Alla in the doubles. She’s the one telling me what to do and I’m just kind of occupying space out there, and letting her do her thing.”

“And that’s why I like to play with her, obviously,” Kudryavtseva added with a laugh. “She gives me all the credit; even when she’s over there hitting aces, she’ll say, ‘Well done! You gave me good direction!'”

The 41st season of Mylan World TeamTennis came to a close with the spirit of King’s vision of men and women working together in harmonious equality completely on display within both teams not only on display, but also standing in stark contrast to the increasingly polarized climate in which the league presently exists.

“It’s always a privilege to get to play in a league founded by Billie Jean King and really delivers her message,” Gibbs said. It’s really special for both of us, especially as individuals who are vocal about equality; we’re walking the talk by playing World TeamTennis and making ourselves available in this part of the year.

“We’re in the midst of a contentious election in the US, and so people are probably more vocal than normal about some of these topics. I just hope that equality is something pushed as an agenda item.”

.@Shelby_Rogers_ reacts to winning the King Trophy with @SDAVIATORS in the #MylanWTTFinals. Congrats, Shelbs! pic.twitter.com/ec2pcuYKev

— Mylan WTT (@WorldTeamTennis) August 27, 2016