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Graf Hosts Charity Clinic At WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai

Graf Hosts Charity Clinic At WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

ZHUHAI, China – After visiting one of the city’s most impressive landmarks, tennis legend and WTA Elite Trophy ambassador Steffi Graf continued her whirlwind tour of Zhuhai at the Huafa Tennis Center for a charity clinic.

Click here for a photo gallery of all of Steffi’s activities in Zhuhai!

Graf was joined by over thirty talented youngsters from primary and junior high schools in the area, including 19 from Macao as well as from Huajin Securities, tournament ball kids, selected staff and one lucky iQYI SuperFan.

Yang Yanling, who was selected from the iQIYI iSuperFan campaign, got an extra treat; he enjoyed a special one-on-one conversation up close with the former World No.1. Yang was thrilled by Graf’s encouragement to continue playing tennis, and more importantly, to enjoy what tennis will bring to his life and future.

Check out all the best photos from the event right here, courtesy of the WTA Elite Trophy!

Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf

 

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Kerber Survives Babos Scare

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MIAMI, FL, USA – No.2 seed Angelique Kerber needed three sets, but dispatched young Hungarian Timea Babos in emphatic style, striking a screaming forehand passing shot to win, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, and complete the quarterfinal line-up at the Miami Open.

Watch live action from Miami this fortnight on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Kerber appeared well in control of the contest as she took the opening set, but Babos, buoyed by a strong on-court coaching session with Thomas Drouet, leveled the match and led by a break in the third before the reigning Australian Open champion recovered the plot – capturing five of the final six games to reach the last eight in Miami and reclaim the No.2 ranking from Agnieszka Radwanska.

“Timea was playing very well,” the German told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview. “I started the match good and I played a good first set but she came back stronger.

“I was trying to fight until the last point; I was down in the third set and I was just believing in myself that I could turn it around.”

The two hour and eight minute match bled into Tuesday, but Kerber is no stranger to the lateness of the hour, once battling to 3:10am to outlast Daria Gavrilova at last year’s Apia International Sydney. 

“I won it and to be in the next round is just a great feeling – after midnight, but it’s good to be still in the tournament.”

With Radwanska and World No.1 Serena Williams bowing out in the fourth round, Kerber is the highest-ranked woman left in the draw, and is looking close to the level that took her to the title in Melbourne just two months ago – hitting 20 winners and converting seven of eight break point opportunities.

“I wasn’t thinking about this on court,” she said when asked about the upsets. “I’m just trying to play my game and focus on me, improve my tennis playing round to round. It’s good to be back here in Miami; it’s amazing you guys stayed here until this time, thank you so much!”

Up next for Kerber is No.22 seed Madison Keys, who strolled into the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Irina-Camelia Begu. The two last played in the finals of the Volvo Car Open, which the German narrowly won in three tight sets.

“Madison is a great young player; she plays great matches against me and we’ve had tough battles in the past. I’m looking forward; she’s at home here, and I will just try to take the challenge against her and play a good match.”

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Beijing Thursday: Radwanska, Wozniacki Renew Rivalry, Halep Gets Zhang Rematch

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Agnieszka Radwanska and Caroline Wozniacki’s third meeting in as many weeks will highlight an exciting sextet of Round of 16 tilts on Thursday in Beijing. We preview the action, courtesy of WTATennis.com contributor Chris Oddo.

Thursday

Round of 16

[3] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #3) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN #22)
Head-to-head: Wozniacki leads, 9-5
Key Stat: Wozniacki has won 14 of her last 16 matches.

They’ve always been good friends off the court and intense rivals on, but never before have Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska played three times in the same tennis season – let alone three weeks in a row. That will change on Thursday in Beijing when the pair meet for the third time in three weeks with a spot in the China Open quarterfinals on the line. Wozniacki has turned around her season with an electrifying run that included a win over Radwanska in the semifinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open, but the Pole hit back last week at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, ending Wozniacki’s seven-match winning streak with a 6-4, 6-2 decision over the Dane in the round of 16. 2011 Beijing champion Radwanska improved her career record at the China Open to 23-7 with a straight-sets win over Ekaterina Makarova in the second round, but she’ll face a tougher challenge in Wozniacki. The Dane owns a 7-5 lifetime record against Radwanska on hard courts, and she has won four of the last five against Radwanska overall.

Pick: Radwanska in three

[1] Angelique Kerber (GER #1) vs. [16] Elina Svitolina (UKR #18)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 5-2
Key Stat: Kerber owns 20 Top 20 wins in 2016.

22-year-old Elina Svitolina notched two consecutive victories over Angelique Kerber two years ago at Wuhan and Brisbane, but since then the German has taken the power back, winning three straight over the World No.16. But Svitolina has played Kerber tough, taking her to three sets in each of their last two contests. In fact, Svitolina has always played the Top 10 tough. The Ukrainian owns three Top 10 wins in 2016, including a massive upset of then World No.1 Serena Williams at the Olympic tennis event. Can she produce a similar shock against the current No.1? Kerber comes in confident and ready for battle, having won 22 of her last 26 matches including her second Grand Slam title at the US Open, so the onus will be on Svitolina to produce inspired tennis. That’s what it takes to defeat Kerber these days. Svitolina has the capability to produce it but she’ll need to ratchet up her aggression and take her chances, because Kerber is as stingy as they come – and opportunistic, too.

Pick: Kerber in three

[4] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. Zhang Shuai (CHN #36)
Head-to-head: Tied, 1-1
Key Stat: Zhang stunned Halep in the first round of this year’s Australian Open for her first career Grand Slam win.

Zhang Shuai’s fairy tale 2016 kicked into high gear with a first-round upset of Simona Halep at the Australian Open that left the Chinese in tears at Margaret Court Arena. It was her long awaited maiden Grand Slam main draw victory and it marked the beginning of a stunning turn in fortunes for Zhang. Nearly ten months later the Chinese No.1 is 100 spots higher in the rankings and has seven Grand Slam wins under her belt. Zhang, making her first appearance in the round of 16 at Beijing in seven years, will look to produce another epic upset against Halep on Thursday, but this time the Romanian will be gunning for a shot of revenge. Halep had nothing but kind words to say after the loss in Melbourne, but she also felt she could have played with more gusto against Zhang. “She didn’t have fear,” Halep told reporters after the match. “She hit all the balls… but I think I let her play her best tennis. I didn’t hit very strong and I didn’t hit with good strength. So, yeah, it happened and she was better today.” Halep has been one of the best players on tour since Wimbledon, and one of the most consistent. She has gone 26-4 since Wimbledon and reached at least the quarterfinals of every event she has played in that span. Can Zhang shake Halep’s tree again on home soil in Beijing, or is it Simona’s turn to spoil the party?

Pick: Halep in three

[5] Karolina Pliskova (CZE #6) vs. [11] Johanna Konta (GBR #14)
Head-to-head: Pliskova leads, 5-0
Key Stat: Konta has won four of her last six against Top 10 opposition.

With slim Singapore hopes still alive, Great Britain’s Johanna Konta will bid for another Top 10 upset on Thursday in Beijing when she faces Karolina Pliskova. The Czech is playing with house money after saving match point and surviving an epic battle with Russia’s Daria Kasatkina on Wednesday. That type of cliff-hanging win for the powerful yet poised Czech doesn’t come as a surprise. Pliskova has been a pillar of belief since late this summer. It started with her first Premier title in Cincinnati and continued when she finally reached the second week of a major at the U.S. Open. Pliskova raced all the way to the final at New York and though she didn’t win a hard-fought final with Angelique Kerber, she has clearly hit her stride as a big-match player. Will she continue her fine form with a sixth consecutive victory over Konta? The pair’s lifetime head-to-head might appear lopsided to the casual observer but Konta has forced Pliskova to a deciding set in each of their last four meetings. Will Thursday be the day she finally conquers the Czech?

Pick: Pliskova in three

Around the Grounds: A pair of Frenchwomen – Caroline Garcia and Alizé Cornet – will bid for quarterfinal slots on Thursday in Beijing. Cornet will bid to reach her first quarterfinal since she won the Hobart title in January when she takes on Yaroslava Shvedova for the third time. Garcia will look to win for the first time in three tries against Aussie Daria Gavrilova.

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Russians Underline Strength On Tour

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MIAMI, FL, USA – It is hard to recall a tennis season in recent memory that has thrown up quite so many surprises as the opening months of 2016.

Showcasing the unprecedented strength and depth of the women’s game, 15 tournaments have witnessed 13 different players lifting silverware. More remarkable still is World No.1 Serena Williams’s failure to enter the winner’s circle, a barren run that will now stretch into May following her fourth-round exit to Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Miami Open.

While it is arguable whether defeat to a two-time Grand Slam champion and former World No.2 should classify as a shock, there is no doubt the result underlines the current competitiveness on tour.

“I just think that overall the level is quite equal of other players,” Kuznetsova said in her press conference following the match. “You know, like some players out of like Top 30, they can beat anybody on good day.

“The thing is they cannot keep playing this good game. You can see some surprise wins in first two rounds. Everybody plays good and goes for their shots and everybody is really strong. But not everybody can keep doing this during the whole tournament. I think this is a bit frustrating. But overall, I think every round is extremely tough now.”

The 30-year-old’s next test comes in the shape of compatriot Ekaterina Makarova, herself no stranger to upsetting the apple cart.

Twice a Grand Slam semifinalist, Makarova has quietly been building up a head of steam at Crandon Park, following up a battling win over Lesia Tsurenko with dominant displays against Petra Kvitova and then Elina Svitolina.

Makarova had yet to make her WTA main draw debut when Kuznetsova was crowned Miami champion in 2006. “I’m too old! It was 10 years ago,” Kuznetsova joked. “I’ve been on this court many times. I love playing on this stage; the fans in my Miami are great. I love being back here and I’m really happy with my performance.”

Despite dominating her encounters with Makarova to date, Kuznetsova is wary of looking too far ahead: “I mean, it’s too early to say. You know, I have so many people saying congratulations I feel like I won the title already. It’s not real.

“Now these days the tennis is extremely tough and each opponent is really difficult to play. I’m just focusing for tomorrow’s match. I don’t have too much time to rest. Really looking forward to give my best another day tomorrow.”

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WTA Player Of The Month: Kvitova

WTA Player Of The Month: Kvitova

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova arrived at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open not having reached a final since finishing runner-up at last year’s BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. By the end of the week, the two-time Wimbledon winner had not only won her first title in over a year, but also put herself in position to make a sixth straight Singapore appearance.

“The beginning of the season wasn’t really great,” she said after winning her second Wuhan title in three years. “I don’t think that I changed anything, like, special. I mean, I was trying to feel better on the court since Montréal.

“I think the turning point was during the Olympic Games when I won the bronze medal and it was kind of a boost. I did feel much relaxed, and with the confidence it’s always nicer to play. I’m kind of the player who needs the confidence to play the best game.”

After defeating young American Madison Keys in the Bronze Medal match at the Olympic tennis event, Kvitova brought that form into the second week of the US Open, where she lost to eventual champion and future No.1 Angelique Kerber to start the month.

Less than four weeks later, Kvitova turned the tables on Kerber in what many considered to be the best match of the year, and dropped five more games in her next two matches against Simona Halep and Dominika Cibulkova to win the title.

“The second part of the season, for sure it’s better. It’s not the best, but it’s still better. So I’m really satisfied how everything is going. I’m healthy. I love to play tennis. I do have motivation.”

That motivation appears to be paying off as she remains in contention to return to the WTA Finals, and it certainly helped her earn her the mantle of September’s WTA Player of the Month!

Final Results for September’s WTA Player Of The Month

1. Petra Kvitova (55%)
2. Caroline Wozniacki (34%)
3. Naomi Osaka (11%)

2016 WTA Player of the Month Winners

January: Angelique Kerber
February: Carla Suárez Navarro
March: Victoria Azarenka
April: Angelique Kerber
May: Garbiñe Muguruza
June: Serena Williams
July: Simona Halep
August: Monica Puig


How it works:

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

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Bacsinszky Blitzes Past Halep

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MIAMI, FL, USA – No.19 seed Timea Bacsinszky roared into the final four of the Miami Open for the first time in her career with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over No.5 seed Simona Halep.

Watch live action from Miami this fortnight on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Bacsinszky had to battle from behind after dropping the opening set and was undaunted by a gloomy forecast – one that even briefly halted proceedings right when the 2015 French Open semifinalist began to find her rhythm. 

“I came back from a long road,” she told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview. “The first set was really tough. She’s an awesome player and a great fighter.

“For the last year, she has also been an inspiration for me because I believe in hard work and she’s one of the players who work really hard, so to be able to play that well against her and to catch the win is really amazing.

“I’m really happy with the win.”

Using her backhand with deadly accuracy, Bacsinszky rolled through the first four games of the final set, eventually serving out the upset with her 20th winner of the match. Watching from the stands was friend and top skiier Lara Gut, who extended her vacation to continue playing “good luck charm” and watch her countrywoman win another day.

“She’s still here! The Swiss are super happy about it; it was even in the news,” she said, then addressing Gut, “Thanks so much for your support; you’re also a huge inspiration for me.”

Narrowly missing out on the chance to qualify for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, Bacsinszky had just cracked the Top 10 for the first time in her career when a knee injury suffered in Luxembourg and an viral illness after Fed Cup disrupted her start to 2016.

Now back to playing some of her best tennis, she heads into her first Miami Open semifinal with wins over Ana Ivanovic, Agnieszka Radwanska – her first career Top 3 win – and Halep, with the winner of No.15 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and No.30 seed Ekaterina Makarova waiting in the other quarterfinal.

For a young woman who had once left the sport to pursue a career in hotel management, Bacsinszky takes her continued success in stride, even courting support from Halep’s disappointed fans.

“I know there are a lot of Romanians; I know a few words because my grandparents are from Satu Mare, so I’ll just say mulțumesc [thank you] and see you next time!”

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Keys Ends Kvitova Hopes, Two Wins From Singapore

Keys Ends Kvitova Hopes, Two Wins From Singapore

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Madison Keys produced one of the most impressive performances of her young career to defuse Petra Kvitova in a thrilling quarterfinal shoot-out in Beijing. The result ends Kvitova’s slim chances of reaching the season-ending showpiece, but what does it mean for Keys and the other contenders? 

Matches to Watch in Beijing

Konta vs Keys (SF, Saturday): Keys moved up to No.7 on the RTS leaderboard by overcoming Kvitova and is now just two wins away from securing qualification for her first WTA Finals. If Keys lifts the title in the Chinese capital, she qualifies for Singapore.*

There is plenty on the line for her opponent, too. By reaching the last four, Konta moved into the first alternate position (RTS No.9). If she advances to the final, then Konta will move into the Top 8, 10 points ahead of Dominika Cibulkova.

Should Konta defeat Keys, then she will also make her Top 10 debut, becoming the first Briton to achieve this feat since Jo Durie in 1984.

* Keys had previously only needed to reach the final to qualify for Singapore. However, Karolina Pliskova’s withdrawal from Linz on Friday saw Garbiñe Muguruza take her place as a direct entry as a result of the Top 10 replacement rule. Keys and Dominika Cibulkova also accepted wildcards into the tournament, thus creating a possible scenario where Keys could be overtaken even if she reached the final in Beijing.

Madison Keys

Heading To Zhuhai

While Kvitova is no longer is in contention of for a spot in Singapore – neither as a qualifier nor as an alternate – her late-season form has guaranteed her a place at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

SINGLES:

Qualified: Angelique Kerber, Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Agnieszka Radwanska, Karolina Pliskova

Next In Line (Current Top 8):

Johanna Konta

Still in Contention – Currently No.9 to No.13 with points behind current projected cut-off (3352)

WHO IS PLAYING WHERE?
Muguruza: Linz
Cibulkova: Linz, Moscow
Keys: Linz
Suárez Navarro: Linz, Moscow
Konta: Hong Kong
Kuznetsova: Tianjin [will need to play Moscow to stay in contention, possible WC]

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Kvitova, Pliskova Lead Czech Quartet Into Fed Cup Finale Against France

Kvitova, Pliskova Lead Czech Quartet Into Fed Cup Finale Against France

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

A long-awaited off-season is on hold for an elite squad from the Czech Republic, who fly to France in the hopes of winning a fifth Fed Cup title in the last six years. Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova lead the team through what will be one last ride following a full fall schedule in Asia.

“It’s the last two matches of the year. There is no other choice,” Pliskova said after playing her last round robin match at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. “I’ll just get ready. There is one week between, so I’ll just rest a little bit and forget about tennis for few days.

“Then back to the work for that last week of tennis this season.”

It was even less of a break for Kvitova, who captured her second title of the season at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

“I don’t think I’m that tired,” she told WTA Insider in the latest edition of Champions Corner. “I just feel my entire body is sore, so I’ll need to take a few days off to get ready for the Fed Cup tie. I’m really looking forward, but it’s a little bit difficult. I’m a little bit tired, but winning always helps me recover faster.

“I’ll be flying to Prague, and then taking a car to go to Strasbourg, so that’ll be fun. I’m looking forward to seeing the team. We have a great team, so I can’t wait to be with them over there. It’ll be the last week of the season, so it’s great to have it then, as well.”

Petra Kvitova

Kvitova was in Zhuhai alongside countrywoman Barbora Strycova, and both discussed that special bond the team has forged throughout the week.

“All the Czech players, we know how to be teammates in the week where there is Fed Cup,” Strycova said. “Three weeks a year we are so close together. I can’t describe it because it’s like a routine for us that we do everything together in those weeks.”

Coached by Petr Pala, the Czechs have won 15 of 16 ties dating back to 2011, when the team won their country’s first Fed Cup trophy since 1988.

“I’m looking forward to the final,” Kvitova said. “I love playing Fed Cup and playing for my country. The final is always special; we’re playing away, which isn’t great for us, since France will have the home crowd advantage. We know how to play, and that the fans will support them. It’ll be about us, and whichever team is better prepared will win.

“I think we’re only small favorites to win the tie; they have a great doubles team, and even the singles players, Kiki and Caro, are playing well. It’ll be a difficult tie, but we do have a more experienced team, from all the finals we’ve played. The motivation is always there.”

The teams have faced off just twice in the last ten years, with the Czechs winning the most recent encounter in 2015. Caroline Garcia leads a French contingent captained by former World No.1 Amélie Mauresmo, and is well-aware of just how formidable the Czechs can be in this format, joking that the country could easily field two teams based on its strong roster.

Barbora Strycova, Karolina Pliskova

“Caro is funny! I never really thought like that,” Kvitova said with a smile, before breaking down their secret to success.

“I think we’re not only good players, but also good people. We’re never fighting with each other; we act as a team, and I think that’s very important. None of us make trouble, and we all work well together. If one of us needs to schedule a massage, we talk all talk and decide who gets to go first; it’s the same with practice schedules.

“Communication is very important for a team. We also have great people around us; they’re all boys, so there’s always a lot of fun throughout the week. Our stringer is DJ, and they’re all doing what they can to keep things relaex. The practices are very easy and never too stressful.

“Everything is working when you’re playing well, and everything is easier than when you’re not. We’re on a good way right now and I hope we continue like that.”

When that off-season finally does come, Kvitova plans to spend a vacation with none other than teammate Lucie Hradecka, who will likely be on hand for a potentially decisive doubles rubber against France.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

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Timea's Gut Luck Charm

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MIAMI, FL, USA – Everyone needs a little bit of luck sometimes. For No.20 Timea Bacsinszky, she’s had one of the best athletes in the world cheering her on in Miami and it’s paid dividends.

Bacsinszky backed up her big win over No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska with another stunner just 24 hours later, beating No.5 Simona Halep, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, to advance to the semifinals of the Miami Open on Tuesday. In the stands supporting her all week was Switzerland’s Lara Gut, the No.1 Alpine skier in the world, who just two weeks ago won the Alpine Skiing World Cup. The 24-year-old became the first Swiss woman since 1995 to win.

“She wrote me the Friday before, so it wasn’t official that she was going to be in Miami,” Bacsinszky told WTA Insider. “But she finished her competition on Sunday for the Crystal Globes, and she wrote me on Friday like, ‘Hey, it would be fun if I could come watch you in Miami,’ so I knew she was coming to Miami anyway. It was actually a big thing in Switzerland; no one knew where she was, and I was reading Swiss news headlines that were asking, ‘Where Has Lara Gone For Holidays?'”

“I finished my season last Sunday and it was important for me to have a break,” Gut told WTA Insider after Bacsinszky’s quarterfinal win. “I decided to come to Miami and I found out there was a tennis tournament. So I contacted Timea and she got me a badge. I started coming the first day and I got interested and she was playing so well that I came the second day and she was still winning. I was supposed to fly home yesterday but since she won I tried to stay here for one more day. She’s playing awesome and it’s really fun to watch.”

Bacsinszky and Gut first met in 2009 but have become closer recently after Gut began working with Bacsinszky’s manager. Gut was scheduled to leave for Switzerland after Bacsinszky’s win over Radwanska but she knew she couldn’t leave her friend out in the cold.

“Yesterday after Timea’s win I had to call Swiss Air to see if they could change my flight,” Gut said. “I could stay here one day longer because I’m supposed to leave tomorrow for training. So it’s going to be a bit stressful when I come home but it was more important to stay here and cheer on Timea than have more time to pack.”

“In Switzerland it’s a small country. We have a chance to meet other athletes. We have such strong athletes like Timea, Roger, Stan, and Belinda. We were still kids when we first met. It’s cool to see what she has done all these years and that she’s still improving.”

Getting the credential for Gut proved slightly more difficult than Bacsinszky expected. Switzerland may be a skiing-mad country, but trying to explain the situation in Miami proved a little tricky.

“In Switzerland, she can’t walk around, everyone knows her,” Bacsinszky said. “Here too, she didn’t want to attract attention. I know Lindsey Vonn is well-known, but the No.1 [skier] is at your tournament and no one knows it.

“When I asked for a badge for her at accreditation I said, ‘You know Lindsey Vonn?’ and they said, ‘Yeah, yeah,’ and I said, ‘Well, the girl who’s just in front of her in the rankings and just won the Crystal Globe is coming, so provide it now,” she said laughing. “Just Google her name.”

Bacsinszky will play Svetlana Kuznetsova on Thursday for a spot in the Miami Open final. After a slow start to the season after rehabbing from a bad knee injury, Bacsinszky has played herself into form, reaching her best result since the China Open final last fall. A title in Miami would boost her back in the Top 10. It’s all clicking for Bacsinszky and having a great champion in her box this week certainly hasn’t hurt.

“It’s funny to talk about sport and to like exchange what you feel during a race, what do I feel during a match,” Bacsinszky said. “We have so many things to talk about. It gives many, many new [perspectives], views on sports. It was really, really interesting for me. Yeah, lucky charm for sure.”

I am so happy and proud of you Timea Bacsinszky ! It was a pleasure to see you playing and I think my job as your lucky charm wasn't that bad either 😉 See you soon and have fun on that tennis court :*

Posted by Lara Gut on Tuesday, March 29, 2016

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Miami Thursday: Final Four

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Two former champions will look to return to the Miami Open final on Thursday. But Angelique Kerber and Timea Bacsinszky have other ideas. We preview today’s semifinal matchups here.

Thursday, Semifinals

[15] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS #19) vs. [19] Timea Bacsinszky (SUI #20)
Head-to-head: Kuznetsova leads, 2-0
Key Stat: Kuznetsova can break into the Top 10 for the first time since 2010 by winning the title in Miami this weekend.
Svetlana Kuznetsova and Timea Bacsinszky have combined to knock off three of the tournament’s top five seeds in Miami. On Thursday, they’ll set their sights on one another for a spot in the prestigious Miami final. Whether or not Bacsinszky emerges victorious, she wants the world to know that she intends to have many more chances at greatness. “I’m never satisfied,” Bacsinszky told press after her impressive takedown of No.5 seed Simona Halep on Tuesday. “You’re going to probably see me around in the next years as well because I love what I do. I’m just going to try to improve and to be better every week, every day, every month, every year.” The Swiss will try to overcome Kuznetsova with the same world-class defense and variety off of both wings that she used to deconstruct Halep’s game on Tuesday, while Kuznetsova will look to impose herself in the rallies with her athleticism, power and pace. The Russian, who backed up her win over World No.1 Serena Williams with a grueling three-set triumph in the quarterfinals against Ekaterina Makarova, told the crowd she just wanted to sleep after that match. After a few good nights of rest, will the 2006 Miami champion continue turning back the clock to her heyday? Or will the crafty Bacsinszky become the first Swiss player to reach the final here since Martina Hingis in 2001?

Pick: Bacsinszky in three

[13] Victoria Azarenka (BLR #8) vs. [2] Angelique Kerber (GER #3)
Head-to-head: Azarenka leads, 6-1
Key Stat: With her victory over Johanna Konta on Wednesday, Azarenka has assured a return to the Top 5 next week.
Scorching-hot Victoria Azarenka is now two matches away from becoming the first player to claim the elusive Indian Wells-Miami “Sunshine Double” since 2005. Standing in her way on Thursday is Angelique Kerber, the only player to have registered a victory over the Belarusian this season. On Wednesday Azarenka continued her torrid tennis by easing past Great Britain’s Johanna Konta to notch her eleventh consecutive win. In her victory, the two-time Miami Open champion continued to reap the benefits of a beefed-up service attack, saving all five break points she faced. It’s a trend Azarenka is very excited about. “If you compare to Australia it’s a big difference from Indian Wells and here,” Azarenka said of her serve. “I’m really trying to work on it and make adjustments to use it more as a weapon.” Azarenka is currently the WTA’s leader in percentage of service games won in 2016. She says she has her team to thank for that statistic. “I think that’s been missing for a long, long time to really take my game to next level,” she said of her newfound serving prowess. “I’m glad I have team around me to push me, to learn to trust myself, and really take that and improve it.”

Kerber needed some time to catch her breath after winning the Australian Open in January. But here in Miami she has snapped a three-match losing streak by reeling off four victories, including a straight-sets trouncing of No. 22 seed Madison Keys on Wednesday. Kerber broke a six-match winless streak against Azarenka in Australia when she defeated her in the quarterfinals en route to her maiden major title. She hopes the force will still be with her on Thursday when they meet again. “I will go out there and try to focus on my game, be aggressive and try to beat her,” Kerber said.

Pick: Azarenka in three

-Chris Oddo, wtatennis.com contributor

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