Tennis News

TOKYO, Japan – Agnieszka Radwanska kickstarted last season’s Asian Swing with a win at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, taking the momentum all the way to Singapore to capture the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

Seeded No.2 in Japan’s Premier event, Radwanska is hoping for a little bit of history repeating in Tokyo. Check out her thoughts on her bid to make a Singapore return in her pre-tournament interview.

Radwanska plays her opening round match on Wednesday night against Barbora Strycova.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Ashleigh Barty continued her impressive progress through the draw at the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger with a straight-set win over fellow qualifier Junri Namigata on Wednesday.

Fifty-four minutes was all it took for Barty to wrap up a 6-2, 6-3 victory and set up a quarterfinal against No.6 seed Evgeniya Rodina.

Despite only turning 20 earlier this year, Barty is embarking on her second ascent of the tennis ladder. After a glittering junior career, she enjoyed instant success in the senior ranks, reaching three major doubles finals alongside fellow Australian Casey Dellacqua.

However, the stresses of life on tour soon took its toll on her teenage mind and body, prompting a 17-month hiatus. She has played sparingly since returning – a bone stress injury disrupted the momentum from an encouraging grass court campaign – but looked in fine form against Namigata, two breaks in the opening three games setting her on course for a comfortable victory.

Rodina overcame a slow start against Dalila Jakupovic, eventually triumphing, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. Also advancing to the last eight in Taiwan were Olga Govortsova and Vitalia Diatchenko. Govortsova saved two match points to defeat Julia Boserup, 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-5, while 2014 champion Diatchenko saw off Miyu Kato, 7-5, 6-4.

Elina Svitolina has announced a coaching shake-up, parting ways with coach Iain Hughes:

The 22-year-old Ukrainian has also been working with former No.1 Justine Henin since February, bringing the Hall of Famer on as a coaching consultant. Neither have confirmed whether that relationship will continue in 2017.

Svitolina’s announcement comes on the heels of her career-best season, after making the final of the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai to finish the season at her career-high ranking of No.14 and winning a fourth career title in Kuala Lumpur.

This season she became the only woman to beat both reigning No.1s this year, beating Serena Williams at the Olympics and Angelique Kerber at the China Open.

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Top seed Serena Williams endured a few frustrating moments against a resurgent Kateryna Bondarenko, easing past the qualifier, 6-2, 6-2 at the BNP Paribas Open.

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

Bondarenko came back to tennis just over 18 months ago after giving birth to a daughter, but has been playing some of the best tennis of either of her two careers in 2016, reaching the Australian Open third round as she slowly creeps back to her former career-high of No.29.

“It definitely wasn’t an easy match,” Williams told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview. “She’s obviously been a good player in the past, and she knows how to play on big courts against big players. So, it was a good match for me.”

In complete control through the first six games, the American lost serve a game from the opening set, and battled through windy conditions and some evident angst through the 72 minute match. In the end, she hit 26 impressive winners to only 22 errors, while Bondarenko hit 13 winners to 21 unforced.

“Regardless of whether it’s windy, not windy, and you just have to be able to adjust. I always think things can be worse!”

Up next for the 21-time Grand Slam champion is No.5 seed and defending BNP Paribas Open champion Simona Halep; Williams triumphed in both of their 2015 encounters – including a tight two-set win in the finals of the Western & Southern Open.

Back at Indian Wells for only the second time since 2001, Williams said she’s feeling the love from fans in the California desert, and hopes to be the crowd favorite come the quarterfinals.

“I want to scream back that I love you too – I’m not sure if that’s appropriate – but I do; I love you guys, and thanks for your support.”

SAN ANTONIO, TX, USA – Daria Gavrilova snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Maria Sakkari on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the San Antonio Open.

After a rocky start to the tournament, top seed Gavrilova continued to live dangerously, coming within two points of defeat against Sakkari before eventually prevailing, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3.

This January, Sakkari qualified for and then reached the second round of the Australian Open, where she lost in three sets to current World No.6 Carla Suárez Navarro.

Against Gavrilova, she once again proved herself capable of competing with the WTA’s very best. However, the Greek was unable to capitalize on her opportunities – she twice came within a game of victory and held a 5-3 lead in the second set tie-break – as Gavrilova finished strongly to dash hopes of a maiden Top 50 win.

“I think the match was pretty even and in the beginning I was just missing a few more balls than her and even sometimes I was a bit too passive,” Gavrilova said. “But I was just trying really hard and wanted to prove to myself that I could come back and win that match.

“I was fighting very hard. She’s playing well and probably having the best year of her life so I knew it was going to be pretty tough and I’m happy with the result.”

Up next for Gavrilova is Alison Riske after she overcame an erratic start to knock out No.7 seed Kirsten Flipkens, 7-5, 6-1.

“I got off to a bit of a rough start and I felt like I was spraying balls kind of everywhere,” Riske said. “So I knew when I could settle down a bit and start putting balls in the court, whether that be in the first or second [set], I felt like things could turn around to my advantage. I was very happy with the way I fought and obviously how it turned out!”

In the bottom half of the draw there were wins for Samantha Crawford, Donna Vekic and Misaki Doi.

Crawford followed up her first-round upset of No.2 seed Irina-Camelia Begu with an equally impressive 6-1, 6-3 victory over Carina Witthoeft. No.6 seed Doi was pushed rather harder, edging past Han Xinyun, 7-6(5), 7-6(4), while Vekic defeated Kiki Bertens, 7-6(3), 6-3.