Tennis News

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – On Wednesday afternoon Sara Errani and Oksana Kalashnikova claimed the latest upset of their fledgling partnership, ousting Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open.

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

Playing only their third match together, Errani and Kalashnikova took a while to find their feet against the No.4 seeds, dropping a one-sided opening set. However, their turned the match on its head in spectacular fashion to take the second set and then outplay the Czechs in the decisive match tie-break.

Errani and Kalashnikova’s 3-6, 6-3, 10-5 victory means that only one of the eight seeded teams – No.3 seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova – has made it through to the semifinals in Indian Wells.

We did it again ???? Forza ?@SaraErrani @BNPPARIBASOPEN

— Oksana Kalashnikova (@OksKalashnikova) March 17, 2016

Meeting them for a place in the final will be Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova, 6-4, 6-3 winners over Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva.

In the previous round, King and Kudryavtseva sent shockwaves through the draw by knocking out top seeds Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza, and against Goerges and Pliskova they carried on from where they left off, surging into a 4-1 lead.

This proved to be a false dawn, though, as Goerges and Pliskova pegged back then overhauled them to make it through to the last four of a WTA event together for just the second time.

On the other side of the draw, Babos and Shvedova will take on the all-American team of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe. 

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Hours after Karolina Pliskova reached the singles semifinal at the BNP Paribas Open, the Czech powerhouse went one round better in doubles as she and fellow Australian Open semifinalist Julia Goerges eased past former No.1 Sara Errani and Oksana Kalashnikova, 6-4, 6-3.

“I think we played a pretty solid match, and they are both pretty good players,” Goerges said after the match. “Sara has been No.1 in the world for a reason in doubles. We just tried to go with our strengths with the serves, being aggressive, hitting big from the baseline and trying to get some volleys catching our way.

“I think we did a pretty good job overall.”

Pliskova and Goerges are playing just their fourth-ever event together, starting the season with a run to the semifinals in Melbourne, but still have big goals despite an intentionally limited schedule.

“We played two tournaments last year in China and we got along pretty good, and we said we want to play the big ones next year but want to focus mainly on singles.

“That’s why we’re only playing a few tournaments, but we’re trying to do as well as we can to go to Singapore. So far we’re doing a pretty good job.”

Up next for the Czech/German pair are two Americans in Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe; the former survived an ankle turn at the start of the match tie-break to help her partner advance over No.3 seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova, 2-6, 6-4, 10-4.

Mattek-Sands and Vandeweghe first paired up during a dead-rubber doubles match in Fed Cup, but have showed excellent potential as an Olympic pair this week in Indian Wells, dropping just one set en route to the final and taking out two mono-country teams who played at last year’s BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global in No.2 seeds Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching and No.8 seeds, fellow Americans Raquel Atawo and Abigail Spears.

Goerges and Pliskova began their tournament with an upset over No.7 seeds Carla Suárez Navarro and Garbiñe Muguruza, going on to score quality wins against the only two teams to take out Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza since August of last year in Daria Kasatkina and Elena Vesnina and Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva. Goerges hopes this kind of momentum can see them qualify for Singapore come season’s end.

“I think it doesn’t have to be Singapore; it’s the WTA Finals in general. Of course, we only heard really good things about Singapore, that it’s a big city and they always do a really good job with everything. They do everything big! It’s one of our goals, it doesn’t matter where it is city-wise, but it’s a big goal for every player to achieve the masters at the end of the year.”

Winning feels this good ??? ??@CoCoVandey @BMATTEK #BNPPO16 pic.twitter.com/shpW5XXzKn

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 18, 2016

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – 2012 champion Victoria Azarenka needed just 67 minutes to overcome an ailing Magdalena Rybarikova in a complete shutout to advance to the semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open.

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

Ahead of day’s last quarterfinal, Azarenka delivered a  warning message to her opponents at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

“I don’t think I am close to fulfilling my potential,” she said in last round’s post-match press conference. “Just to see what I can do on practice court and physically what I can improve, I’m far from that. That’s what I’m looking forward to improve.”

If that’s really the case, her opponents will have much to worry about after Azarenka’s 6-0, 6-0 win over Magdalena Rybarikova.

Rybarikova, who at No.97 is the lowest-ranked player to reach the quarterfinals at Indian Wells since 2012, found herself struggling with her serve early on. Only 41 percent of her first serves found their mark in the opening set, giving Azarenka many opportunities to come up into the court and attack Rybarkiova’s weaker second serve. The Belarusian threw everything at her opponent – even attempting a tweener – and Rybarikova couldn’t come up with a reply, quickly dropping the first set after only 34 minutes.

The Slovak’s troubles would only get worse from there; she called the trainer during the changeover to treat an injury to her right leg.

Azarenka continued to steamroll in the second set as Rybarikova’s movement became increasingly hampered. Despite struggling a bit with her serve – Azarenka served two double faults in one game to give Rybarikova break point at 2-0, and again at 4-0 to give her three more break chances – she stayed perfect until the end, blasting her third ace of the match to secure the victory and her spot in the semifinals.

“I think the key today was the start,” Azarenka said after the win. “I really started aggressive, taking opportunities and I felt like I was in full control.”

“I think in the second set she wasn’t feeling really well, but it was important for me to stay in the moment and keep dictating. It’s easy to lose focus and pay too much attention to your opponent.”

Azarenka opponent in the semifinals will be the big-hitting Czech Karolina Pliskova, who ended Daria Kasatkina’s breakthrough run in Indian Wells with a 6-3, 6-2 victory.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, USA – Anna-Lena Friedsam closed in on the second WTA 125K Series title of her career with a hard-fought victory over Alison Riske at the San Antonio Open on Friday.

After breezing through the first set and opening up an early lead in the second, Friedsam briefly looked like she might let Riske back into the semifinal before regrouping to close out a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory.

Friedsam saved a set point while serving to stay in the second set and credited Riske for bringing out her best tennis.

“I’m really happy with my game today. I played a really good set – really aggressive and consistent,” Friedsam said. “The second was not so good. She had a little more confidence, she pushed me from corner to corner and it was a little bit harder for me to put pressure on her.”

Eighteen months ago, Friedsam won the WTA 125K Series tournament in Suzhou, an achievement she has used as a springboard in her bid to reach the Top 50. Standing between her and a second title at this level will be Misaki Doi, a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 winner over Tsvetana Pironkova in the day’s second semifinal.

In the doubles final, there was a popular winner as America’s Nicole Melichar teamed up with Anna-Lena Groenefeld to defeat Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Anastasia Rodionova, 6-1, 6-3.

First @SanAntonioOpen doubles championship goes to Groenefeld/Melichar! A hometown champ!! #SAOpen #tennis pic.twitter.com/RtBnGOHggJ

— HY Lai (@HY_Lai) March 18, 2016

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Serena Williams withstood a spirited challenge from Agnieszka Radwanska to reach the final of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday evening.

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

In stark contrast to their meeting at the same stage of this January’s Australian Open, Williams found herself In a real dogfight, responding magnificently by rattling off 11 of the final 12 points to complete a 6-4, 7-6(1) victory.

“I love tie-breakers and my whole aim is just to win the first seven points – if you do that you can’t lose,” Serena told Andrew Krasny immediately after the match.

No player has ever won three titles in Indian Wells, and 15 years after picking up her second Williams will go in search of the hat-trick when she takes on Victoria Azarenka in the final.

“What a career. I never expected to be here again in Indian Wells, let alone the final. It’s really unbelievable,” she added.

Perhaps inspired by her imminent rise to No.2 in the rankings, Radwanska committed to attacking Williams from the outset. The decision made for an entertaining spectacle and it was immediately apparent that there would be no repeat of the Melbourne whitewash, a smart backhand winner helping the Pole to a break in the opening game.

Radwanska continued to pile on the pressure as the set wore on, only for Williams to bail herself out of trouble with a series of pin-point serves. The failure to secure the insurance of a second break proved costly, as Williams’ own return game belatedly spluttered into life.

A vicious backhand proved the catalyst as the American converted her first break point to draw level at 4-4 before completing the turnaround a few games later some more ferocious returning.

At the start of the second set, Radwanska looked in danger of getting blown away, Williams moving through the gears to open up a 3-0 lead. To her credit, Radwanska did not let her head drop, pulling back the break and even threatening to force a decider. However, there was to be no comeback, the World No.1’s grandstand finish sending her would-be rival back the drawing board.

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe couldn’t have asked for a more perfect WTA debut to their newly-minted doubles partnership – the Americans rallied back from a set down to defeat Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova and claim the doubles title at the BNP Paribas Open.

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

“It’s pretty special for me. It’s my first doubles title, and to win it on home soil with an American is very special,” Vandeweghe said during the trophy ceremony. The title vaults the native Californian to No.25 in doubles, while Mattek-Sands will return to her career high ranking of No.3.

Both teams in the final were unseeded, the first time since 2009 that two unseeded teams faced off for the BNP Paribas Open doubles trophy.

Doubles debutantes Mattek-Sands and Vandeweghe, who are bidding for an Olympic spot later in the year, were up against another relatively new team in Goerges-Pliskova. Though the 2016 BNP Paribas Open marks their fourth outing as a team, the Czech-German partnership has been quite successful. They’ve always reached at least the quarterfinal stage in all the events they’ve played together.

Goerges and Pliskova drew first blood against the Americans, breaking Vandeweghe’s serve to start the match. The big-hitting Vandeweghe’s serves can rarely be called vulnerable – in fact she’s known for having one of the strongest serves on tour – but Goerges’ backhands were deadly, beating her for pace and breaking her twice in the first set.

With Goerges serving for the set at 5-3, the German thought she’d hit an ace to take the set. But after a half-hearted challenge from the Americans revealed it was out, a Mattek-Sand’s swing volley wove up the middle of Goerges-Pliskova and gave them the game. With the momentum behind the Americans, Vandeweghe was able to hold serve for the first time to keep them in the set, but Pliskova’s powerful groundstrokes erased any ideas of a comeback and the Czech-German duo took the first set.

With the Indian Wells crowd firmly cheering for the locals, the Americans kept toe-to-toe with their opponents throughout the next set and keep the pressure on. Eventually it was Goerges and Pliskova who blinked first, a Pliskova forehand sailing long bringing up 2 set points for the Americans and a double fault from Goerges giving them the second set.

Mattek-Sands and Vandeweghe grabbed an early mini-break in the final tiebreak, and though Pliskova and Goerges through everything they had at the Americans but they didn’t give up their lead. When it came time for her to serve for the match, Vandeweghe’s serve didn’t falter and a punishing smash from Mattek-Sands sealed the victory and the pair’s first doubles title.

Afterwards, the Americans gave a lot of credit to the crowd for keeping them in the match.

“All week long we’ve had great fan support, which is so cool,” Mattek-Sands said afterwards. “As two Americans together, the support was awesome.

“It’s always special coming back here to Indian Wells, it’s kind of like our home tournament. We’ll be back next year for sure.”

Your 2016 womens doubles champions! ?????? @BMATTEK @CoCoVandey #BNPPO16 pic.twitter.com/OqebaFap7O

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 20, 2016

It’s time for the sweet 16 at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open! Four of the top five seeds will be in action, and eight Top 10 players will take the court in total. Chris Oddo previews the action right here at wtatennis.com.

Wednesday
Round of 16

[1] Angelique Kerber (GER #1) vs. [14] Petra Kvitova (CZE #16)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 5-4
Key Stat: Kerber is one of four players to have won three titles this season (also Azarenka, Halep and Stephens).

Angelique Kerber stretched her current winning streak to eight matches on Tuesday with a three-set win over Kristina Mladenovic, and the German has won 20 of her last 23 since playing her first hardcourt match of the summer. It’s autumn now, but the World No.1 has shown no sign of slowing down. On Wednesday she’ll face Petra Kvitova for the tenth time, and Kerber won’t need to think too hard to remember their last meeting. Kerber defeated Kvitova for the third consecutive time in the round of 16 at the US Open. From there the 28-year-old went on to win her second major title and became the WTA’s 22^nd World No.1, while Kvitova has parted ways with coach Frantisek Cermak and continued to search for the missing ingredients in her game. Though she has not achieved the results she wanted in 2016 (she’s yet to reach a final), Kvitova did win the Bronze medal in Rio and has won 14 of her last 18 matches. Kvitova is a very dangerous player at the moment and she has proven that by trouncing Jelena Ostapenko and Elina Svitolina in back-to-back matches in Wuhan. Kerber will likely have to summon her best tennis to win on Wednesday, but it’s something the German has been able to do pretty much without fail in 2016.

Pick: Kerber in three

[3] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #4) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN #22)
Head-to-head: Wozniacki leads, 9-4
Key Stat: Wozniacki has won 12 of her last 13 matches.

Caroline Wozniacki keeps winning. And winning. The Dane notched her 500^th career WTA win on Tuesday, defeating Katerina Siniakova to make it 12 victories in her last 13 matches. Wozniacki’s run of form has been remarkable, but when one considers that she carried a 13-14 record into the US Open, it’s even more mind-boggling. Confidence breeds confidence and with each passing win Wozniacki becomes even tougher to defeat. “It’s been clicking for me, probably for about a month and a half now,” Wozniacki said in her post-match press conference on Tuesday. “Even before the US Open, for about a month, I felt really good during practice. It just took me a little bit to get that out when I was playing matches.” On Wednesday Wozniacki will battle it out with Agnieszka Radwanska for the second consecutive week. The Dane eked out a 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 win against Radwanska in the Tokyo semifinals, and she says there are no secrets when these two friends get together on court. “We’ve known each other for 15 years or something, so I’m pretty sure we know each other’s game by now,” she said. “If we don’t, then we have a problem. I think we know what to expect. It’s just who can execute best tomorrow.” Can Wozniacki keep this remarkable run going, or is it time for Radwanska to exact a little friendly revenge?

Pick: Radwanska in three

[6] Venus Williams (USA #7) vs. [9] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS #10)
Head-to-head: Tied, 4-4
Key Stat: Venus Williams has won 21 of her last 30 tiebreaks.

They last met nearly six years ago at the WTA Finals. Since then, Venus Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova have had their ups and downs, but in 2016 it has been up, up, up, as is indicated by the pair’s current Top 10 rankings. That said, both Williams and Kuznetsova have their work cut out if they want to claim a coveted Singapore slot. Kuznetsova currently stands at 11^th in the Road to Singapore leaderboard standings and Williams is tied for 13^th. With very little wiggle room and precious points on the line, a victory today is crucial. Both players breezed through their second-round tilts in straight sets on Tuesday, so they should have plenty of energy left to let the fur fly when they meet for the ninth time in a matchup that promises to be intense from start to finish. The margins should be very thin—Williams and Kuznetsova have split their previous eight meetings and their previous two hardcourt meetings

Pick: Kuznetsova in three

[8] Madison Keys (USA #9) vs. [Q] Daria Kasatkina (RUS #28)
Head-to-head: Keys leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Keys is just one point behind No.8 Carla Suárez Navarro in the Road to Singapore standings.

One of the more intriguing battles of the round of 16 in Wuhan pits the two youngest players remaining in the draw against one another. But don’t let the age fool you—Madison Keys and Daria Kasatkina can compete at the elite level. Keys, 21, is the more accomplished player with the bigger game, but Kasatkina is a tremendous athlete that plays a refreshingly diverse brand of tennis and possesses an impressive on-court demeanor. Keys rattled the cage of Kasatkina at this year’s Olympics, dropping just four games against the rising Russian, and it will be interesting to see what Kasatkina learned from the experience of dealing with Keys’ jaw-dropping power. Did the 19-year-old discover a way to more effectively attack the American? Or will it be more of the same on Wednesday in Wuhan?

Pick: Keys in three

Around the Grounds: With so much attention on World No.1 Angelique Kerber, not much is being said about No.5-seeded Karolina Pliskova.The US Open runner-up fell in her first match at Tokyo but recovered nicely by defeating Lucie Safarova in straight sets on Monday in Wuhan. As one of the biggest breakout stories of the summer, all eyes will be on Pliskova on Wednesday to see if she can handle the feisty attack of Dominika Cibulkova. Also slightly under the radar this week is No.4-seeded Simona Halep. The Romanian will bid to reach the quarterfinals at Wuhan for the first time when she meets the ever dangerous Yaroslava Shvedova in Wednesday’s first match on Centre Court.

Also in Action: Great Britain’s Johanna Konta will continue her push for the Top 10 when she takes on No.7-seeded Carla Suárez Navarro in a first-time meeting, and Jelena Jankovic will look to back up her upset of Garbiñe Muguruza when she faces the crafty Barbora Strycova for the first time since 2011.

Every week wtatennis.com brings you 10 Things To Know about the week – who is playing, where and much more. This week the Road To Singapore heads to the Miami Open in Miami, Florida…

1) Serena Williams aims for a ninth Miami Open title.
Despite narrowly losing the BNP Paribas Open final to rival Victoria Azarenka, Williams still heads to one of her favorite tournaments as the top seed and in search of a historic ninth victory in Miami. The American will play one of Misaki Doi or Christina McHale in her opening round match, with No.31 seed Daria Gavrilova, No.15 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, No.8 seed Petra Kvitova, and No.3 seed Angieszka Radwanska her projected opponents en route to the final.

2) Victoria Azarenka two weeks away from a rare Sunshine Double.
Former No.1 Victoria Azarenka clinched her return to the Top 10 by beating Williams in straight sets on Sunday and is eligible for the elusive Indian Wells-Miami double for the first time in her career. Her career breakthrough came in Miami back in 2009, when she defeated Williams in the final. All four of her career victories over the 21-time Grand Slam champion have come in finals, and being in the opposite half of the draw, can’t play Williams before that stage.

3) Angelique Kerber on course for a post-Aussie rebound?
Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber is the No.2 seed in Miami despite dropping to No.3 in the WTA rankings following Radwanska’s run to the semifinals in Miami. The German hasn’t won a WTA match since Melbourne, where she defeated both Azarenka and Williams en route to the title. Kerber will pen against either Anna-Lena Friedsam – who reached the final of the inaugrual WTA 125K Series tournament in San Antonio – or Barbora Strycova, who is in the midst of a career-best season, but was forced out of Indian Wells due to an upper respiratory illness.

4) Redemption for Radwanska or Halep?
Agnieszka Radwanska played one of her most competitive matches against Serena Williams in the semifinals of Indian Wells, but still fell in straight sets. The Pole is slated for another semifinal rematch with the American in Miami, but may first have to surpass No.5 seed Simona Halep, who played her best tennis since last summer before she, too, bowed out to the World No.1 in the quarters. Halep has a potential second round against rising Russian Daria Kasatkina, who also reached the quarterfinals in her California desert debut.

5) Full circle for Spain?
Garbiñe Muguruza first captured international attention in Miami, reaching the fourth round as a wildcard back in 2012. Carla Suárez Navarro went even farther in 2015, reaching the final before falling to Williams. As Muguruza’s shown steady improvement, Suárez Navarro had been one of the most consistent forces of the 2016 season, but a right ankle injury took her out of Indian Wells before her opening match. She will open against a qualifier or Indian Wells doubles champion CoCo Vandeweghe, while Muguruza will play either Dominika Cibulkova or Johanna Larsson – with Azarenka, still seeded No.12, looming in the fourth round.

6) Venus Williams and Johanna Konta on-course for a rematch.
Venus Williams’ return to Indian Wells ended earlier than expected with a second round loss to Kurumi Nara, but has the chance to go deeper in Miami; as the No.10 seed, she is set to play the winner of a pair of qualifiers. Seeded in her section is No.24 Johanna Konta, who will become the highest ranked Brit since 1987 (Jo Durie). Her year began with a big win over Venus in Australia, taking her all the way to a maiden Grand Slam semifinal. The elder Williams sister has vastly improved since then with an efficient title run in Taiwan; what can be expected of a potential rematch?

7) More momentum for Karolina Pliskova?
The right-handed half of the Pliskova twins struggled through the Middle East swing, citing a sudden on-set of exhaustion following the Australian Summer. Pliskova returned to her training base in Monaco for a brief rest and looked refreshed en route to the semifinals in Indian Wells, where she narrowly lost to eventual champion Azarenka in three sets. She could face Kerber by the fourth round, but not before a projected third round encounter with No.14 seed and Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships winner Sara Errani.

8) Youth is served.
The WTA’s veterans largely held court in Indian Wells, but might we see a reversal in Miami? No.12 seed Elina Svitolina is projected to face former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, seeded No.23 and coming off a heartbreaking loss to Zhang Shuai in the Calirfornia desert. No.20 seed Sloane Stephens could play wildcard Heather Watson in the second round, with No.11 seed Lucie Safarova still looking to find her form following multiple bouts with illness and injury. Then there is No.7 seed Belinda Bencic, who admitted to feeling uncomfortable on the Indian Wells courts and might prefer the change of pace offered in Miami – though No.9 seed Roberta Vinci looms in the fourth round.

9) Santina in the Sunshine.
Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza saw their 41-match winning streak end at the Qatar Total Open, and a second early loss at Indian Wells leaves them reeling heading into Miami, which they won last year to capture the Sunshine Double. The Co-No.1s will be top seeds in the doubles draw, but will undoubtedly face a further embolded field, one that has only gotten stronger with the Olympics only a few months away.