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Muguruza Shines Under Madrid Spotlight

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MADRID, Spain – No.3 seed Garbiñe Muguruza closed out a decisive 6-2, 7-5 win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, winning her first round match at the Mutua Madrid Open in just over 90 minutes on Court Manolo Santana.

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

“Of course I was a little bit nervous and tense because the first matches are always complicated,” Muguruza told press after the match.

:In Madrid we have this extra pressure because I’m here at home. Perhaps you’re a little bit more nervous because of that. But my first feeling is that I’m satisfied for winning the match, fighting, as I fought a lot.”

Coming off of another successful Fed Cup outing and a run to the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Muguruza is quite comfortable on clay – despite her breakout Wimbledon fortnight less than a year ago – and used that experience to take the ascendency on Schmiedlova, who has only won one WTA main draw match thus far in 2016.

Hitting 22 winners to the Slovak’s five, Muguruza closed off more than her fair share of points at the net, venturing forward 12 times and converting eight of those advances. Schmiedlova, by contrast, hit 28 unforced errors and seven double faults, though she pushed the former World No.3 to play her best tennis in the second set.

Still in her first full season as a top ranked player, the Spanish youngster admitted she is still navigating the waters of the big leagues, but feels she is acquitting herself well.

“I think it’s difficult. It’s something that requires you to play very well, not only tennistically talking, but in everything you do. You have to put everything in.

“I’m very happy to be up there and very fortunate to be there. I’m discovering how to handle it the best possible way. To feel more confident, comfortable.

“Right now I’m feeling well.”

Up next for the two-time French Open quarterfinalist is Irina-Camelia Begu, who outlasted Eugenie Bouchard, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 late on Sunday evening.

“Every time I go out there and play a game I’m very competitive and I want to win. It doesn’t matter if I defend points or not.”

Around the grounds, Daria Kasatkina fought valiantly through injury concerns and an inspired opponent in qualifier Patricia Maria Tig, but ultimately fell to the Romanian, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Sabine Lisicki made short work of another qualifier, Monica Puig, as the German emerged in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. On the bubble to qualify for the Rio Olympics, Lisicki saw herself get bumped from her country’s Top 4 when Laura Siegemund reached the final of Stuttgart two weeks ago, and will need to put together some solid results of her own to reassert her presence on the national team. Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova set up a second round encounter with Camila Giorgi when she defeated Lesia Tsurenko, 6-2, 6-1 – Tsurenko herself was playing with a heavily strapped right thigh.

American qualifier Louisa Chirico turned heads with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Monica Niculescu; the Romanian veteran had pushed Petra Kvitova to the brink in Stuttgart, but Chirico had all the answers in the one hour, 35 minute match. Winning 70% of her first serve points and breaking serve six times, the 19-year-old New York native could next play 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic in the second round. Get to know the young American in a new interview from WTA Insider.

Volvo Car Open finalist and qualifier Elena Vesnina began her red clay campaign with a 7-5, 6-0 win over Jelena Ostapenko, who was hoping to build on her run to the semifinals of the Katowice Open after a runner-up finish in Doha. Vesnina will next play defending champion Kvitova, who eased past Lara Arruabarrena, 6-3, 6-2, in just over an hour. A two-time winner in Madrid, Kvitova reached the semifinals of Stuttgart continued looking comfortable on clay on Sunday, striking 29 winners to 27 unforced errors against the Spaniard, who pushed Angelique Kerber to a third set tie-break a few weeks ago in Charleston.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DUBAI, UAE – Last week, historic rainfall wreaked havoc on the Qatar Total Open schedule, where former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki reached the final.

Now it’s looking like the bad weather has followed her across the Gulf all the way to Dubai, where it delayed the start of her quarterfinal against CiCi Bellis.

Wozniacki, whose nickname is “Sunshine,” has figured out the culprit behind all of Dubai’s weather woes:

“At this point, I was just, it’s me. I’m bringing the rain,” she laughed in her post-match press conference.

“You know, even in Doha and in Dubai, I come and it’s raining. I step on the court and it’s raining. I was, like, this is deja vu from Doha last week!”

But Wozniacki probably doesn’t mind the rain too much. After all, it’s bringing out some of her best tennis.

“I have a winning record with this rain. Just bring it on. I’m ready for it.”

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Champion's Corner: Safarova

Champion's Corner: Safarova

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Lucie Safarova went from famine to feast thanks to some much needed home cooking. The Czech veteran went into the J&T Banka Prague Open without a match win under her belt in 2016, going 0-5 after a delayed start to the season due to complications from a bacterial infection that derailed her career-best season last fall.

But it just takes one week to turn your season around in tennis, and Safarova earned her first win of the year over Mariana Duque-Mariño. With each match her level improved and she saved her best for last, rallying from a set down to beat Samantha Stosur, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to win her first title since the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last spring.

After a rush to the airport to get to Madrid on Saturday night, Safarova went on to beat CoCo Vandeweghe in the first round of the Mutua Madrid Open. It adds up to a much-needed boost of confidence for Safarova, who is hoping to round into form before the French Open, where she the finalist last year.

WTA Insider spoke to Lucie on Saturday after her feel-good week at home playing in front of family and friends.

Lucie Safarova

WTA Insider: Congratulations on an incredible and, I have to believe, a relieving run for you to the title in Prague. How are you feeling right now?
Safarova: I feel amazing. It’s really so nice to win a title at home, in front of the home crowd. The attendance was amazing. They pushed me forward and after being such a long time away with the sickness, it’s a really nice feeling to play such great tennis again. I’m feeling strong.

WTA Insider: When you arrived in Prague, you hadn’t yet won a match this year, and obviously your health concerns played a big part in that. How worried were you about your form when you arrived?
Safarova: Actually, I felt better and better each week. In Stuttgart, we had a really tough match with Kaja [Pliskova], with really close points. My performance was really good again and I felt like my old self.

When I arrived in Prague, I was just positive that sooner or later, it has to come. It’s incredible that after winning the first match, my performance was better each match and then in the final, I played great tennis.

WTA Insider: At what point this season were you able to feel like you were able to practice 100% without being too concerned with fitness issues?
Safarova: I started to practice two weeks before the tournament in Doha. I was doing two days practice, one day recovery. It’s not easy to say which day I managed to play 100%, but even in spaces I got some good practices in. As I say, it just takes time for the body to gain back the fitness.

Lucie Safarova

WTA Insider: Were you able to stay positive throughout that time? Obviously the losses had to be frustrating at times, and I would think it would be difficult to stay positive the whole time.
Safarova: It wasn’t easy, definitely, but I could still see that I was able to last longer in each match I was playing, and the overall performance was better. So, I was trying to be patient and keep a positive approach, which only led to this amazing event.

WTA Insider: Am I right that your coach Rob Steckley is not with you in Prague?
Safarova: He had some health issues and had to go back home. I don’t know how long he’s going to be away, but he’s definitely not coming to Madrid and Rome.

WTA Insider: Have you been in contact this week?
Safarova: We’ve been in contact a little bit.

Lucie Safarova

WTA Insider: Did you have somebody there serving as a coach?
Safarova: I had plenty of people around me, obviously. It’s my home town, and home country for me, so there was plenty of people – family and friends – so I was never alone, definitely!

WTA Insider: We saw the photos and videos in Prague. The stands were full, very lively. You’ve played in Grand Slam finals and other big tournaments. What was it like playing it Prague?
Safarova: It was amazing. It was really cold the first few days, but the people still came to support. It was sold out every day in the club. The atmosphere was just incredible, so it’s really nice how many people love tennis in the Czech Republic, and how they are coming to support us. I really appreciate it. I have such great fans.

WTA Insider: Looking at this past week and the matches you were able to rack up, was there a certain match where you were able to think you were back and all of the struggles were behind you? Was there a singular moment where you felt that way this week?
Safarova: With each match I played, I gained some confidence, and my tennis was better and better. But definitely after the semifinals and finals today, I definitely felt my level was back.

Lucie Safarova

WTA Insider: You have a pretty good record against Sam. Did that factor into your ability to turn today’s match around?
Safarova: I don’t know if I would say so because Sam on clay is playing really well, and she was pressuring me from the beginning. The whole first set I was more defensive; then finally, I was able to turn it around. I really pushed myself to the limit to win that match.

WTA Insider: How did you feel you recovered from match to match?
Safarova: Of course, I’m very exhausted because I had long matches here throughout the week, but so far no injuries and recovering pretty ok. I think that’s the best news after this week, that my health is holding on.

WTA Insider: You’ve won the title in Prague, you’ve got some matches under your belt. You’re on clay, which you obviously love. The French Open is pretty close and a place where you’ve had good results; how do you feel this tournament win sets you up for the rest of the clay court season?
Safarova: I see this as a great start for me. Now I see I’m back; my level is back. I’m just going to keep working, keep building up on my game. Obviously there are two big tournaments ahead in Madrid and Rome, and then I have a week off before Paris. Of course, I will try to peak in Paris, but I would love to continue my streak in the other two tournaments coming up.

All photos courtesy of J&T Banka Prague Open.

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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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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DUBAI, UAE – No.10 seed Caroline Wozniacki willed her way past surprise semifinalist Anastasija Sevastova, dispatching the Latvian, 6-3, 6-4, to reach her first final at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships since winning the event in 2011.

“I really love coming back here and playing on this court,” she said on court after earning a 22nd career match win in Dubai – the most of any at this event. “It’s amazing. The crowd is always supporting me; you guys are amazing and make this tournament special.

“Being an ambassador for Dubai Duty Free just makes it all the more sweet, playing well here every year. I’m just thrilled to be in another final.”

Coming off a run to the final of a particularly rainy Qatar Total Open, Wozniacki dealt with a few more delays in her semifinal to advance into back-to-back finals for the first time since 2014, when she finished runner-up at both the US Open and the Toray Pan Pacific Open.

“I’m kind of used to the rain by now; for the last two weeks it’s been on and off, but I thought we played good quality tennis so I’m extremely happy to be through.

“It’s been a good couple of weeks for me,” she later explained in her post-match press conference. “Very happy with how I have been playing. Very happy how I have managed to get through these two weeks, because it’s been very tiring mentally. The fact that I have just been staying in there and keep grinding, I’m kind of proud of that.”

Wozniacki and Sevastova last met in the quarterfinals of the US Open, where Sevastova earned a career-best Grand Slam result but twisted her ankle early on, allowing the Dane to ease into her first major semifinal in exactly two years. Sevastova was far fitter on Friday night, pushing the former World No.1 through two tough sets, each of which came down to the wire.

“She definitely was a tricky opponent. I knew going into it that she was going to be difficult. She mixes the pace up. She really tries to break your rhythm.

“I was really pleased with how I was playing. I tried to stay aggressive and tried to mix it up, as well.”

By match’s end, the Dane had struck 17 winners to 20 from the resurgent Latvian, but almost half as many unforced errors – 17 to 31 – and maintained an impressive 70% first serve percentage to clinch victory after one hour and 26 minutes on court.

Up next for Wozniacki is the winner of the second semifinal between top seed Angelique Kerber and her nemesis, No.7 seed Elina Svitolina.

“I’m just happy to play against either. They’re both great competitors and great opponents. I lost to both of them the last time we’ve played so it’s not going to be easy but I’m just thrilled to be in the final and I’m going to give it a good battle.”

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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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Dubai: Final Preview

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

A preview of the final between Caroline Wozniacki and Elina Svitolina at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DUBAI, UAE – After securing the biggest title of her career at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday night, Elina Svitolina is set to receive an even bigger reward come Monday.

Svitolina will rise from World No.13 to a career-high No.10, making her the first Ukrainian player ever to break the WTA Top 10.

“I’ve dreamed for all my life to be in Top 10,” Svitolina said after the final, where she defeated Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets. “It’s a very amazing feeling to enter Top 10, and do it by winning the tournament! I’m very excited for the season and very excited I could win this tournament.”

The Ukrainian came into the final in Dubai knowing a victory would clinch her Top 10 debut – and the 22-year-old didn’t let the pressure of the occasion overwhelm her.

Elina Svitolina

“It’s big relief that I could win this match, because I knew that if I win this match, I’m gonna be Top 10,” Svitolina told press after the match.

“There was extra pressure. When I was warming up, added even more pressure because they announce it. It didn’t help!”

Svitolina’s milestone comes as no surprise for fans who’ve followed her career: she’s fresh off a title at the Taiwan Open earlier in the season, and with back-to-back Fed Cup wins Svitolina is in the midst of a 12-match winning streak. Last season, Svitolina took home a title at Kuala Lumpur and reached the final at New Haven and the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

Svitolina is the 120th player to make her Top 10 debut since the WTA Rankings were introduced on November 3, 1975.

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