Tennis News

PARIS, France – No.10 seed Lucie Safarova made the most of an interrupted schedule on Sunday to defeat the recently returning Vitalia Diatchenko, 6-0, 6-2, to reach the second round of the French Open. Not long after the 2015 finalist’s win, play was canceled due to rain.

Safarova was one of only five women to complete their first round matches, joining Petra Kvitova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Viktorija Golubic and Hsieh Su-Wei before stormy weather held serve and kept top seeds like Simona Halep and Garbiñe Muguruza from making their 2015 French Open debuts.

“It’s nice to have the match finished,” said Safarova, who won the first seven games of the match before the first wave of inclement weather covered the clay courts. “Obviously now I have two days off, which I can train, hopefully, and get back to my routine.

“But I don’t think it does a huge impact in the draw results. I mean, obviously today it’s tough conditions because of the rain and delays and the balls are quite heavy, but it’s same for everyone.”

Diatchenko was playing her first major tournament since having to retire in the first round of the US Open due to an Achilles injury; the Russian returned last week to win a Challenger doubles title with Galina Voskoboeva, but was still struggling with her rhythm on Sunday, hitting 27 unforced errors and nine double faults.

“It’s really nice to be back,” the defending doubles champion with Bethanie Mattek-Sands remarked in her post-match press conference. “I’m excited. Obviously a lot of great memories from last year. To be back here on-site, playing on the same courts, brings a lot of nice feelings.”

Playing a clean match with 11 winners and 12 unforced errors, Safarova enjoyed her second win since food poisoning forced her to pull out of the Mutua Madrid Open; her season had already gotten off to a late start due to injuries and a bacterial infection causing a bout with reactive arthritis.

“I had a lot of health issues last half year, so I’m just really happy to be playing and to be here. Each match I face, I will try to win and we will see.”

Safarova advanced under the wire on Court Suzanne Lenglen, as a drizzle threatened to send her off court a second time, but the former World No.5 duly served out the match and booked a second round meeting with Golubic, who needed three sets to take out Alison Riske, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2.

Play is set to resume on Monday and will feature No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska as she takes on Bojana Jovanovski, Muguruza and Halep, and the completion of three matches which were rained out, including Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nicole Gibbs, and Aliaksandra Sasnovich, who lead Yaroslava Shvedova, Heather Watson, and Cagla Buyukakcay, respectively.

All remaining matches cancelled until tomorrow ☔ #RG16 pic.twitter.com/x5jbAyYT3A

— WTA (@WTA) May 22, 2016

The final day of April’s Fed Cup weekend is underway, and Australia and Italy were among the first teams to clinch victories over Serbia and Chinese Taipei, respectively, keeping their spots in World Group II. 

Check out more highlights from Sunday’s action after a topsy turvy opener.

Romania d. Great Britain, 3-2  – World Group II Play-Offs, Constanta, Romania

Simona Halep restored order after a chaotic opening day in her hometown, avenging a Miami Open loss to Johanna Konta, 6-1, 6-3. Halep’s win put Romania on course for Irina-Camelia Begu to clinch the tie over Heather Watson, 6-4, 7-5, and remain in World Group II in 2018.

Halep was a mere points from victory over Konta in Crandon Park – the Brit went on to claim her maiden Premier Mandatory title two rounds later – and picked up where she left off yesterday at the Tenis Club IDU, hitting 17 winners and breaking serve five times to earn the win in one hour and 11 minutes.

“I expected on clay [for the match] to be like this,” Halep said after the match. “I did everything: I stayed focused and I was very motivated after yesterday. I’m really motivated to win this tie. I feel we’re dominating now.”

Begu was similarly solid in the finals singles rubber, and though Great Britain nabbed an entertaining doubles win over Halep and Monica Niculescu, Romania edged through in the end.

ROMANIA WINS!!! ?? @irina_begu defeats ?? Watson 64 75 and Romania defeats Great Britain 3-1 to maintain its place in World Group II pic.twitter.com/I3foTDmxMt

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 23, 2017

Germany d. Ukraine, 3-2 – World Group I Play-Offs, Stuttgart, Germany

Elina Svitolina kept up her flawless form against World No.1 Angelique Kerber, but it wasn’t enough for Team Ukraine, who fell in the face of an unstoppable Julia Goerges at the Porsche Arena.

After Goerges recovered from a set down to oust the reigning Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships winner on Saturday, the former Stuttgart champion edged past Lesia Tsurenko in straight sets to help clinch their place in World Group I next year.

GERMANY WINS!!! ?? @juliagoerges defeats ?? Lesia Tsurenko 64 64 to give Germany a 3-1 win over Ukraine! pic.twitter.com/Ok9yHJBrN7

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 23, 2017

Still, it was a solid week for Svitolina, who has now won her last four matches against the US Open champion.

“Kerber struggled to find any rhythm against an opponent who took her chances with greater success, particularly from the baseline,” noted FedCup.com’s Jeff Kavanagh. “Svitolina also committed less than half of the unforced errors of her opponent in the second set – 6-16 – and will feel mightily satisfied at a job well done against a player ranked 12 places above her in the world.”

More to come…

PARIS, France – World No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska fought off Caroline Garcia and a voracious French crowd to advance into the third round of the French Open, 6-2, 6-4.

“I think I play really good two matches. Especially this one. I think this was really a tough one,” Radwanska said in her post-match press conference.

“I’m just very pleased that I could close that match in two sets, that’s for sure.”

All three of Radwanska’s previous encounters with Garcia had gone the distance, but the reigning BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champion recovered from an early break to race out to a set and 4-1 lead before Garcia began sinking her teeth into the match.

Breaking serve twice to get within a game of leveling the set, Garcia threw in back-to-back double faults to throw a lifeline to Radwanska, who gladly took it to advance in 95 minutes.

“I’m very sorry,” a despondent Garcia said after the match. “I’m very sorry that I couldn’t really play the way I wish I would have played. I was able to play a few balls, but most of the match I just wasn’t there. Not enough. I wasn’t able to hit the ball. I wanted to hit it, and, well, just not the right game.

“I’m disappointed. I can play better. But it was a wonderful moment. It was very emotional. The public supporting me helped me coming back in the match when I thought it was over.

“I think they believed more in me than I believed in myself.”

Love watching Aga play even tho she says she doesn't like clay she sure can weave a web round her opponents still. Good fight back by Garcia

— Jo Durie (@Jodurie) May 25, 2016

Up next for the No.2 seed is No.30 seed Barbora Strycova. The Czech veteran is in the midst of a career year, having already reached the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Despite losing her last nine main draw matches at Roland Garros – dating back to 2004 – Strycova edged out clay court specialist Polona Hercog 6-4, 6-4 to reach the third round on the terre battue for the first time in her career.

Radwanska has yet to drop a set against Strycova, though all four of their matches were on hardcourts, and the last was a little under two years ago at the Rogers Cup.

“I think I’m not really thinking about expectations or second week,” Radwanska said when asked about looking ahead to her next match. “I think taking match by match, and I’m just very happy to be in the third round.

“Of course now it’s not going to be easier. She’s playing great tennis, especially on clay. For sure another tough match.

“I’m healthy, in one piece, and I’m just ready for the next one.”

Aga Radwanska éteint les espoirs de Caroline Garcia dans ce Roland Garros ?. Elle bat la française 6-2 6-4 #RG16 pic.twitter.com/5qINfW0Ua0

— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2016

PARIS, France – Defending champion and top seed Serena Williams was on the ropes for much of her quarterfinal encounter with Yulia Putintseva, but the American found a way to outgut the inspired young Kazakh, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, to reach the last four at the French Open.

Putintseva was playing her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, but the 21-year-old proved more that ready for primetime on Court Philippe Chatrier, winning three games in a row to capture her first set over Serena in three previous meetings.

Undaunted, the American appeared on course to quickly level the contest when she recovered from an early break to race out to a 4-1 lead in the second, but Putintseva dug deep to earn two break points in the ninth game, which would have given her the chance to serve for a spot in the semifinals.

“I just kept hitting balls out,” Serena told press, assessing her performance. “I just wasn’t firing the way I wanted to. I definitely knew I needed to do something different if I was going to stay in the tournament.

“I always try to have a plan B and C and go from there. But I felt like in the beginning of the second set, I started playing better, but then I let her come back.

“I also think she’s an incredible fighter, so she kind of came back through her will and making shots.

“Then after that I was like, I have to do something better and different if I’m going to stick around.”

23-shot rally between Putintseva & Williams = ??? #RG16 https://t.co/b0tQw0fxb5

— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 2, 2016

Williams ultimately held firm and weathered one last surge late in the decider from the youngster – who saved three match points in a row in that final game – to advance in just over two hours, hitting 36 winners to 43 unforced errors.

“I think the match was very close and very far from being on my side,” Putintseva told press after the match. “I was trying to do everything what I can, to run, to cover, to attack when I can, to go forward. But it just was unlucky situation end of the second set for me.

“But it’s okay. I mean, still have some years to play Grand Slams.”

In all, Putintseva can be pleased with a clean score sheet, hitting 18 winners to 16 unforced, but wasn’t able to dicate play in the key moments against the World No.1 and 21-time Grand Slam champion.

“I had some great wins here. I win some really good matches in straight sets. I’m really happy with that. I’m really happy with the level that I was playing during all of this tournament.

“I got a lot of experience now. I played on center court here in Roland Garros, which is great. I just hope to come back stronger and next time to play better in important moments.”

Set to play Kiki Bertens – who upset No.8 seed Timea Bacsinszky on Court Suzanne Lenglen – in the semifinals, Serena stands just two wins away from tying Steffi Graf’s Grand Slam haul of 22 titles.

“I remember her being just really tough, and, you know, giving a good, tough performance,” Serena said about when she last played Bertens at the US Open. “I was happy to get through that match. Just, you know, every match counts and every match, you know, leads to a new one.

“I know she won the week before and she’s been playing really well. I saw a little bit of her match. We kind of finished around the same time so I didn’t get to see all of it, but I saw some of the highlights.

“She’s a really sweet girl. It’s always good to see someone like that do well.”

Serena slams the door on Putintseva, closes out the 21-year-old 6-1 in the 3rd. She's back in the SFs for 5th time. pic.twitter.com/XkEtAvrKq0

— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 2, 2016