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Madrid Tuesday: Hola Halep

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID, Spain –  Simona Halep leads the pack on the last day of second round action at the Mutua Madrid Open.

Tuesday, Second Round

[6] Simona Halep (ROU #7) vs Karin Knapp (ITA #75)
Head-to-head: Halep leads 1-0
Key Stat: Knapp (122 minutes) has spent twice as long on court as Halep (58 minutes) in Madrid

The 2014 Madrid finalist’s season has so far unfolded in fits and starts: Halep posted solid quarterfinal appearances at Indian Wells and Miami, as well as second round exits at Doha and Stuttgart. She’s nonetheless adjusted well to the altitude and conditions in Madrid and dropped just three games in her opening match.

“It was a good match, a good start for me,” Halep said. “I had a good start because I was confident, and practicing very well the last few days here.”

By contrast, Halep’s opponent has spent much of her season dealing with a right knee injury, and has only played three matches so far this year. Though each one ended in a first round loss, Knapp has showed her grit in the last two, taking her opponents to three sets. But Halep is the first Top 20 player Knapp has had to face, and she might be too much for the recovering Italian.

The matchup could ultimately come down to Halep’s health, which has been a source of woe for the Romanian in 2016. Though she’s still recovering from the breathing difficulties and ankle injury that sent her crashing out of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, she showed none of those symptoms during her 58-minute demolition of Misaki Doi in the last round. A repeat performance against Knapp would see her advance comfortably to the round of 16.

Samantha Stosur (AUS #23) vs [11] Lucie Safarova (CZE #13)
Head-to-head: Safarova leads 11-3
Key Stat: Safarova has won all three of their encounters on clay

Lucie Safarova and Samantha Stosur are two players familiar with each other: they’ve played 14 times previously, and their latest encounter is probably still fresh in their memory. They played a few days ago in the final of the J&T Banka Prague Open – Safarova came back from a set down run away with the match and the title, her first on clay since 2005.

Both of them made the change from Prague to Madrid with ease, despite the less than ideal turnaround time: after their Saturday final in Prague, the two shared the same flight to the Spanish capital and played their opening matches at the Mutua Madrid Open on Sunday.

“It’s gonna be a late night tonight, and I know Lucie and I are on the same flight,” Stosur said after their final. “We’ll both be in the same boat but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

“It’s not ideal preparation, but to be in a final – you’d take that any day.”

With both of them fighting fatigue, Stosur is eager to grab a chance at redemption against her Czech nemesis. She had Safarova under pressure in their Prague final, and without the effect of the partisan home crowd she could seal the victory.

Also in action: Laura Siegemund made headlines at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix when she made a run from the qualifying rounds all the way to her career-first Premier-level final. She already looks set to repeat the streak: the German qualifier knocked out No.9 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in her first main draw match. Standing in the way of her next fairytale run is Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Meanwhile, No.8 seed Carla Suárez Navarro – the only Spaniard left in the draw – will have to hold her nerve in front of the home crowd as she takes on Sabine Lisicki on Court Manolo Santana. Ekaterina Makarova and No.10 seed Timea Bacsinszky open the day session at Pista 4.

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The Gibbs Of Gab: Go to College

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Based on feedback I’ve received on Twitter, a lot of you have been wondering what my experience playing college was like and whether I’d recommend it to elite junior players as a pit-stop before professional tennis.

The short answer is yes – always yes – consider college tennis.

College tennis, if used correctly, can be a great tool for player development and preparation for the “next step.” I’m not going to pretend that every facet of college life was well suited to transitioning my level of tennis from junior to professional – see: sleep schedule, academic workload, occasional weekend indiscretions – however, I think that the experience as a whole helped to shape me into a more well-rounded person who was capable of taking on life on tour.

A normal weekday at Stanford for me went as follows:

7:30 AM Alarm. Minimum 2 snoozes before rolling out of bed.
7:58 AM Bike to class as fast as I can. Curse self for snoozing twice.
8:07 – 9:00 AM Lecture.
9:00 – 10:00 AM Break consisting of Jamba Juice and finishing homework for section. I’m known to procrastinate.
10:00 – 11:00 AM Section. This is awkward. Didn’t finish the reading. Must raise hand for questions I know the answer to in order to avoid cold calls.
11:00 AM – 12:15 PM Lecture.
12:15 – 1:00 PM Lunch. Possible power nap.
1:00 – 2:00 PM Section.
2:00 – 2:30 PM Bike to practice. Call boyfriend. Tell him I’m too tired to function, that I can’t possibly make it through the rest of the day. Boyfriend tells me I’ll be fine, that he’s busy. I remind him that I’m more important than anything else he’s doing. He says ‘OK.’ I still hang up angrily.
2:30 – 5:00 PM Team Practice.
5:15 – 6:15 PM Team Workout.
6:15 – 6:30 PM Bike to Training Table. Still alive despite earlier concern.
6:30 – 7:30 PM Training Table. Special athlete food in special athlete section of dining hall – with the team (definite highlight within my day).
7:30 – 7:45 PM Bike to professor’s office hours. Stress that I am late. Know that I am doomed if I can’t finish math problem set during office hours because it is entirely impossible to complete on my own. Curse myself for being lowly athlete instead of math genius.
7:45 – 9:00 PM Office hours.
9:00 – 9:15 PM Bike back to dorm. Call boyfriend. Tell him that I can’t possibly write this essay tonight that’s due in section tomorrow. He suggests I procrastinate less. I suggest he learns how to give empathy rather than advice. He says ‘OK.’I still hang up angrily.
9:15 – 11:30 PM

Alternate between writing essay, browsing Facebook, and telling the football players across the hall that ‘No, I cannot have a beer with them’ despite their pleading with me to honor ‘Thirsty Thursday.’
11:30 PM – 12:30 AM Boyfriend who thinks I’m mad at him but doesn’t understand why comes over. I assure him I am not mad at him: “Long day.” Essay is not done but I am too tired to write any more words. Episode of Friday Night Lights with boyfriend then bed. Set alarm for 6:48AM following day to finish essay before section.

In summary, my life at school was incredibly hectic. For a lot of tennis parents – or junior players themselves – this brings up a big red flag. If my kid is spread so thin, how will they be able to dedicate themselves to tennis? How will they get better?

Speaking completely honestly, there were weeks during which this crazy grind wore me down to the point of no return. My practices were poor, my workouts more lethargic than inspired, and sometimes I got sick. On those weeks, all I could do was survive until the weekend and then catch up on sleep (I only slept five-six hours on weekdays) and reset.

But there are two reasons why I don’t think that that should deter parents from pushing their kids down the college path. First, not every week was like this. I got to be a master-level prioritizer at school, so I almost always found a way to allow my tennis to take center stage when it was most important. This meant more sleep, harder practice, and less academic work in the days and weeks leading up to the NCAA tournament and other big events.

Second and, I think, more importantly, my crazy schedule taught me the balance that is necessary to performing well on tour. As a junior player who suffered from a lot of pre-match anxiety and self-applied pressure, I discovered that the ‘distractions’ that school provided were a welcome change. I learned so much about what it meant to put myself in a position to perform well on the court, and it didn’t always mean subscribing to the crazy tennis-above-everything mindset that I had been taught prior to school. I began to realize that spending the evening before a match with my non-tennis friends or even finishing a problem set the night before a big match (and thus taking my mind entirely off of tennis) was great – even relaxing – preparation.

Beyond balance alone, college offered me camaraderie with teammates – an opportunity not often provided to tennis players – excellent coaching from a tour veteran, Lele Forood and her associate head coach Frankie Brennan, state of the art fitness facilities, training rooms, and staff, the stability of home base eight months out of the year. Last, but not least, it provided the security of a someday-to-be-finished Stanford education in my back pocket. I don’t think that tennis parents and junior players always realize just how important that last facet is: a college education and the network of alumni that comes with it are an incredible safety net.

In response to this argument for choosing college, people always seem to come back with, ‘But doesn’t a safety net make you less desperate to make it on tour? More likely to tap out if things get tough?’ I’m sure every player’s experience is different, but I would venture to guess that most players considering a jump straight to the pros are incredibly intrinsically motivated, special beings. I have never once thought to myself, “This is really hard, I should just go back and finish college so that I can bail out of the grind.”

That being said, I also have somewhere to go if I’m ever fraught with injuries or am no longer enjoying the game. So sue me.

I acknowledge that college is not the path for everyone. Those who are capable of making a considerable living on tour right out of high school and/or lack passion in the classroom are viable candidates for going straight to the pros. However, I do think that every single player should at least consider college, particularly given that the average age in the WTA Top 100 is pushing 26 (28 on the men’s side).

I maintain, unequivocally, that I became a much better player at Stanford under Lele’s tutelage – and with the help of Stanford’s first-class training staff. Beyond that, I believe that I came out of college better equipped for the challenges of professional tennis and the balancing act that is life on tour.

I wouldn’t have rambled on nearly this long if I weren’t really passionate about this, so please, please, please at least consider college with your junior player.

Catch up on Nicole’s past blogs for WTA Insider here, and follow Nicole on Twitter @Gibbsyyyy!

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Madrid Wednesday: Bacsinszky’s Battle

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID, Spain – Revenge is the theme of the day as the round of 16 kicks off with Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova seeking to avenge some painful losses earlier this season and grab a spot in the Mutua Madrid Open quarterfinals. Preview the day’s action right here on wtatennis.com

Wednesday, Round of 16

[6] Simona Halep (ROU #7) vs [10] Timea Bacsinszky (SUI #15)
Head-to-head: Halep leads 2-1
Key Stat: Bacsinszky has spent 4 hours and 55 minutes on court compared to Halep’s 2 hours and 2 minutes

No.10 seed Timea Bacsinszky is feeling the effects of her busy schedule – fresh off of her title in Rabat, she came straight to the Spanish capital and was back at it again.

Despite her resilient effort, the cracks are showing in the Swiss’ game – she’s spent five hours on court in two matches and struggled to close out Ekaterina Makarova in the last round.

“It’s my seventh match in eight days, so if I have a lack of energy sometimes, I think it’s kind of normal,” Bacsinszky explained in press after the match. “I’m really happy that I won, whether it was in two, three sets… Even if it were in five I would be happy as well. I’m just happy that I won my match.”

The Swiss will have to channel all of her energy into her next matchup: she’s set to face No.6 seed Simona Halep on Court Manolo Santana. The on-fire Romanian only dropped two games in her demolition of Karin Knapp.

Halep has won two of their three meetings on tour, although did taste defeat earlier this year in Miami.

“Bacsinszky is revenge!” Halep said. “It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be difficult, a tough match for sure. I just want to go on court relaxed and play my game. It’s a good tournament, good people around me, so I am in a good place mentally and physically.”

Daria Gavrilova (AUS #39) vs [5] Petra Kvitova (CZE #6)
Head-to-head: Tied 1-1
Key Stat: Kvitova has yet to drop a service game in Madrid

Another rematch will be taking place on Court Arantxa Sanchez as Daria Gavrilova takes on the No.5 seed Petra Kvitova in the first match of the day.

Despite their head to head record being tied at 1-1, Kvitova will go into the matchup with revenge on the mind: the last time these two played each other was at this year’s Australian Open where the unseeded Gavrilova upset Kvitova in the second round.

But this time around the Czech is working with a new team and is back to putting together deep runs – she’s reached the quarterfinals or better at two of her last three events.

“I’m happy with my performance right now,” Kvitova said in second-round press conference. “I think I played great matches in Stuttgart, and especially two weeks before the Stuttgart I had a good preparation on the clay.

“I have a new coach. That’s always great to have someone who’s helping you and finding a good way of your game and plan. I feel okay and I hope that this will kind of continue.”

This all spells bad news for the big hitting Gavrilova, who has struggled to back up her fairytale run to the Australian Open round of 16. The Australian’s best result came in the green clay of Charleston, where she reached the round of 16 before falling to eventual champion Sloane Stephens.

Around the grounds: No.8 seed Carla Suárez Navarro closes out the women’s action on Court Manolo Santana against Samantha Stosur. The last remaining Spaniard, Suárez Navarro will face a tough test: she’s up against a well-rested opponent as Stosur received a walkover into the round of 16, and Suárez Navarro is also battling an upper respiratory illness. Meanwhile, No.4 seed Victoria Azarenka continues her steady march through Madrid: she has yet to drop a set and is up against Louisa Chirico, the American qualifier who ousted Ana Ivanovic to reach this stage. Qualifier Patricia Maria Tig – one of four Romanians left in the draw – closes out the night session against Madison Keys.

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Gavrilova Sends Champion Kvitova Packing

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID, Spain – Daria Gavrilova caused the latest upset at the Mutua Madrid Open draw, knocking out defending champion Petra Kvitova in the third round.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Madrid right here on wtatennis.com!

Kvitova is the 12th seed to bite the Madrid dust in just five days, leaving Simona Halep as the only Top 10 player left standing. Gavrilova, who faces Louisa Chirico in the last eight, impressed throughout, breaking three times en route to a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

While Gavrilova’s game never wavered, Kvitova’s failure to find her range was the source of increasing frustration. In the penultimate game of the opening set, a backhand into the net capped off a string of unforced errors that gift wrapped the decisive break.

It prompted the Czech to fling her hands skywards, and another break at the start of the second did little to lift her mood. Meanwhile, Gavrilova’s neat and tidy approach – she made 18 unforced errors to Kvitova’s 30 – continued to pay dividends, helping her out of couple of close games and safely across the finishing line.

Kvitova went into the tournament with an abdomen strain, an injury that affected not only her serve during the match but also her preparation beforehand.

“I think Daria really played a solid match. I couldn’t put everything together out there – I was still dealing with the pain from Stuttgart” Kvitova said. “I couldn’t really practice for a week. I’m glad that I won two matches and I’m glad that it feels like it’s getting better, so hopefully I can start to do more fitness and tennis practice.”

A run to the semifinals in Rome 12 months ago announced Gavrilova to the tennis world. Standing between her and a repeat performance at one of the spring’s other big events is qualifier Chirico, the beneficiary of Victoria Azarenka’s last-minute injury withdrawal.

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Hingis & Mirza Coast Into Last Four

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID, Spain – Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza continued their serene progress at the Mutua Madrid Open, dispatching quarterfinal foes Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in little over an hour.

Since seeing their 41-match winning streak ended in Doha, Hingis and Mirza have endured a relative barren patch, going four tournaments without silverware. However, inside the Caja Mágica they are casting a spell over their opponents once again, bewitching No.6 seeds Hlavackova and Hradecka, 6-3, 6-2.

This masterclass set up a semifinal clash with a resurgent Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva, winners of a far closer encounter in the preceding match on court. Taking on No.4 seeds Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan, King and Kudryavtseva recovered from a slow start to prevail, 2-6, 6-4, 11-9.

On the other side of the draw, Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic continued their fine clay court campaign with victory over No.3 seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova.

Garcia and Mladenovic arrived in the Spanish capital having won their opening two clay court events, Charleston and Stuttgart, and a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Babos and Shvedova extends their unbeaten streak on the surface to 11 matches.

Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina are the next team tasked with ending this run. French Open champions in 2013, Makarova and Vesnina advanced without striking a ball after Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova withdrew when the latter failed to recover sufficiently from a thigh strain.

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Halep Holds Off Begu For Semifinal Spot

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID, Spain – 2014 Madrid runner up Simona Halep held off an inspired performance from Romanian qualifier Irina-Camelia Begu and secured her spot in the Mutua Madrid Open semifinals, 6-3, 0-6, 6-1.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Madrid right here on wtatennis.com!

No.6 seed Halep – the only seed still standing in Madrid – leads the pack of four Romanians who’ve reached the quarterfinal stage here. It’s a historic showing for the small Latin country in Eastern Europe.

“I think it’s a big thing for our country,” Halep said. “It’s a small country, and four girls to be in the quarterfinals of such a big tournament, it means a lot.

“I am in the semifinals. Maybe the other two is going to be going in the semis. It’s going to be a good thing.”

Plenty of chances went Begu’s way in the first set: she built up 30-0 leads twice in Halep’s service games, and despite creating three break chances in the set she couldn’t convert any of them. On paper they were drawn very evenly in the first set – seven winners apiece and 12 unforced errors from Halep to Begu’s 15, but in the key moments Begu’s usually reliable forehand misfired leaving Halep in command.

Begu learned from her first set mistakes, though, and went into the second looking like she couldn’t miss – only making one error all set long. She drew Halep out of her comfort zone and left her feeling rushed, striking nine errors and suffering her first bagel set of 2016. Halep righted the ship right away though, breaking Begu early on allowing her just one game in the final set.

As good as having four Romanians in the quarterfinals was for her country, it was at times a source of distraction for Halep, who admitted afterwards that she could overhear Begu’s coaching breaks.

“Yeah, affected me a little bit, but I was stronger in the third set and I didn’t care anymore,” Halep said. “It wasn’t my best day. Anyway, if I won means that I played good tennis. I’m confident it was a good match for me.

“I take it like a positive one, even if I gave that second set easy. I was there until the end, and I’m glad that I could control myself until the end.”

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WTA Player Of The Month: Kerber

WTA Player Of The Month: Kerber

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Undaunted by home pressure, Angelique Kerber could find no better place to win her first title since clinching her maiden major title in Melbourne than the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.

Kerber was coming off an abrupt semifinal finish at the Volvo Car Open, where she came within four sets of defending that title before a viral illness halted her progress. Emerging victorious in three sets over countrywoman Annika Beck in her opening round, the German never looked back, capturing a second straight title in Stuttgart.

“It’s really important for me because it is always a special week, a special tournament for me and to defend a title is like much more special for me,” Kerber told press after defending a title for the first time in her career.

Taking part in the first all-German final in Stuttgart’s history, Kerber dismissed Laura Siegemund in straight sets for her ninth career title and third on clay.

“I think for me it’s really the best season I have played so far. I mean to win my first Grand Slam and then winning here in front of my home crowd that is the best start ever.

“It’s so special to win after a Grand Slam also the tournament here at home because everybody is here, I know all the faces and playing in front of this crowd is always amazing.

“That’s why it’s much more special this year to win this tournament.”

With a second title of 2016 already under her belt, Kerber will certainly be one to watch through the clay court season as April’s WTA Player Of The Month!

Final Results for April’s WTA Player Of The Month

1. Angelique Kerber (54%)
2. Laura Siegemund (27%)
3. Sloane Stephens (19%)

 Angelique Kerber

2016 WTA Player of the Month Winners

January: Angelique Kerber
February: Carla Suárez Navarro
March: Victoria Azarenka

How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com 

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Garcia & Mladenovic Into Madrid Final

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID, Spain – Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic extended their perfect start to the clay court season with victory over Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the Mutua Madrid Open semifinals.

Arriving in the Spanish capital brimming with confidence after back-to-back titles in Charleston and Stuttgart, Garcia and Mladenovic have looked untouchable. After cruising through the rounds, the No.5 seeds put down a marker with their showing against former French Open champions Makarova and Vesnina, wrapping up a 6-2, 6-3 victory in little over an hour.

“It was a tough match and we fought really well,” Mladenovic said. “We’re on a great run but whoever we face in the final won’t be easy, so we’ll play our own game regardless. Clay is being great to us this season and me and Caroline are really playing great as a pair.”

A shot at Olympic glory prompted the union between Garcia and Mladenovic, who had previously been in successful partnerships with Katarina Srebotnik and Timea Babos, respectively. And while the Frenchwomen took a few tournaments to fully gel, they have now well and truly found their feet on the terre battue.

Victory over Makarova and Vesnina extends their unbeaten streak to 12 matches and sets up a rematch against the world’s leading pair: Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza.

The teams met a fortnight ago in the Stuttgart final, Garcia and Mladenovic overcoming a disastrous start to pinch it on a match tie-break. Hingis and Mirza secured their final berth thanks to an even more impressive showing, dismantling Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-2, 6-0, in 51 minutes.

“It’s obviously awesome – our second consecutive final of the clay court season. I don’t think either of us had ever made it to the final in Madrid before, so it’s a good feeling to already be doing better than last year and we’re looking forward to playing Garcia and Mladenovic again,” Hingis said.

Despite their dominance atop the rankings, Hingis insists they are the underdogs going into the final: “They are definitely the team to beat on clay, so if we want to be competitive at the French Open we know we’ll have to test ourselves against them.”

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