Google Play App Download

Tennis News

From around the world

Konta Swats Aside Stosur In Zhuhai Opener, Secures Top 10 Spot

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

ZHUHAI, China – Top seed Johanna Konta made a confident start to the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai by brushing aside Samantha Stosur in straight sets on Wednesday.

Watch live action from Zhuhai this week at WTA Live Powered By TennisTV!

Flying starts to both sets laid the foundations for an impressive 6-4, 6-2 victory over former US Open champion Stosur.

“Against a player like Sam, who plays such a big ball and has such a big game, I really had to do my best to stay there for every single point and take my chances whenever they came,” Konta said in her on-court interview.

Konta had not played since withdrawing from the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open with an abdominal strain, but she showed no sign of rustiness early on, darting across the net to break serve in the opening game.

At a time of year when the bodies and minds of many players are hankering for a holiday, the Briton looked sharp, maneuvering Stosur around the court with ease to stretch this lead to 4-0. And while the Australian eventually found some success, reducing her arrears to 4-3, Konta steadied the ship, firing down a couple of aces to calmly close out the set.

The second set was even more emphatic, the World No.10 taking the first four games once again as she hurtled towards the finishing line and top spot in the Azalea Group.

Konta, the WTA’s Most Improved Player of the year, narrowly missed out on qualifying for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, but still has plenty to play for on her Zhuhai debut; victory over Stosur confirmed Konta will become the first Briton since Jo Durie in 1983 to finish the year inside the Top 10.

“It doesn’t matter what group you’re in here, every single player is so tough – the elite! – so that I know going into every single match that I get to play this week I have to be 100%.”

Earlier on in Camellia Group, Timea Bacsinszky saw off Timea Babos, 6-4, 6-2.

Source link

WTA Elite Trophy Ambassador Steffi Graf Lands In Zhuhai

WTA Elite Trophy Ambassador Steffi Graf Lands In Zhuhai

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970
Steffi Graf has landed in Zhuhai, China for the second edition of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

Steffi Graf has landed in Zhuhai, China for the second edition of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

The former No.1 has fans all around the world, and in Zhuhai it’s no different!

The former No.1 has fans all around the world, and in Zhuhai it’s no different!

She received a warm greeting from her fan club, which received her with posters, artwork and more!

She received a warm greeting from her fan club, which received her with posters, artwork and more!

The tennis legend stopped for a photo with the group.

The tennis legend stopped for a photo with the group.

Graf headed to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge for a different kind of tennis match.

Graf headed to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge for a different kind of tennis match.

Joined by Caroline Garcia, Graf took part in a fun match on the bridge which connects Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China.

Joined by Caroline Garcia, Graf took part in a fun match on the bridge which connects Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China.

The bridge is one of the city’s most impressive landmarks.

The bridge is one of the city’s most impressive landmarks.

Graf showed off her 22-time Grand Slam winning skills on the bridge against Garcia.

Graf showed off her 22-time Grand Slam winning skills on the bridge against Garcia.

After the match they grabbed a photo with some special guests: Mezle Chung, Vice General Manger of Zhuhai Huafa Group Co.,Ltd., Micky Lawler, President of WTA and dozens of the bridge’s workers.

After the match they grabbed a photo with some special guests: Mezle Chung, Vice General Manger of Zhuhai Huafa Group Co.,Ltd., Micky Lawler, President of WTA and dozens of the bridge’s workers.

When it’s completed, the bridge will be the longest sea-spanning bridge in the world, the worker explained to Graf.

When it’s completed, the bridge will be the longest sea-spanning bridge in the world, the worker explained to Graf.

After the bridge visit, she headed back to the Zhuhai Hengquin International Tennis Center, where the WTA Elite Trophy is contested, for another fun activity.

After the bridge visit, she headed back to the Zhuhai Hengquin International Tennis Center, where the WTA Elite Trophy is contested, for another fun activity.

The former No.1 hosted a charity clinic outside of the Haufa Center Court.

The former No.1 hosted a charity clinic outside of the Haufa Center Court.

Graf ran through the basics with 29 students from primary schools and high schools, including 19 from Macau.

Graf ran through the basics with 29 students from primary schools and high schools, including 19 from Macau.

She had words of wisdom for even the smallest tennis fans!

She had words of wisdom for even the smallest tennis fans!

After the clinic, Graf had time for all her fans, signing autograph after autograph.

After the clinic, Graf had time for all her fans, signing autograph after autograph.

Source link

Konta Races Into Zhuhai Semifinals, Kvitova Also Advances

Konta Races Into Zhuhai Semifinals, Kvitova Also Advances

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

ZHUHAI, China – Top seed Johanna Konta produced a clinical display to brush aside Caroline Garcia and take her place in the knockout stage of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

Watch live action from Zhuhai this week at WTA Live Powered By TennisTV!

One hour was all it took for Konta to wrap up a 6-2, 6-2 victory and set up a semifinal against Elina Svitolina. Earlier in the day, No.2 seed Petra Kvitova also advanced, topping her round-robin group after a 6-1, 6-4 win over Barbora Strycova.

Konta confirmed she would finish the year ranked inside the Top 10 following an impressive win against Samantha Stosur in her opening match, and she underlined her status with an even more dominant display second time out.

It did not take long for the Briton to get her nose in front, hooking a passing shot beyond Garcia’s reach to break in the third game. A few games later it was the backhand doing the damage, the World No.10 finding the line to stretch her lead further, before wrapping up the set soon after.

Konta handily won the pair’s previous meeting, at this summer’s Rio Olympics and a run of five straight games in the second set sent her hurtling past the finishing post.

“I really felt I played a very consistent match. I didn’t give he many windows [of opportunity] and I’m very happy I managed to do that today,” Konta said during her on-court interview. ” She has such a big game so I really needed to apply myself on every point.”

“Right now, it’s just one more match tomorrow. I’m not looking any further than that. I’m going to have a very tough one and looking to compete as best I can.”

Petra Kvitova

While Konta takes on Svitolina, in the other semifinal Kvitova meets Chinese No.1 Zhang Shuai.

Kvitova made a flying start against fellow Czech Strycova before encountering some late resistance. However, just as she has so often in her recent resurgence, she found her best tennis when it mattered most, withstanding some late service jitters – and a couple of break points – to take the final three games of the match.

“The second set was a little bit tight. It was really important to serve well in that game, 4-3. I was facing two break points and it was really the key point,” Kvitova said in her press conference.

“And I think that from the time that I started to play more aggressive than I did before, the beginning of the second set, so it helped me actually, to face the two break points to get back on the track and play little bit better and to return better as well. But, I mean, overall it was a good match. I think it was – the serve was really good today; helped me a lot as well. I’m happy that I’m in the semifinal for sure.”

Source link

Venus, Serena Serve Up Doubles Victory

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

LONDON, Great Britain – Serena Williams and Venus Williams imposed their doubles dominance against the No.11 seeded team of Andreja Klepac and Katarina Srebotnik in their Wimbledon doubles opener to advance 7-5, 6-3.

The sisters started out sluggish in the first set as Venus, who finished her two hour and twenty-four minute marathon singles match against Maria Sakkari about two hours earlier, was broken twice to allow the Slovaks to build up a hefty 4-1 lead in the first set.

After trading breaks for 5-2, the Williams sisters broke again after Klepac couldn’t get out of the way of a Serena volley fast enough. Venus held serve for the first time just as the two started to kick it into high gear.

With Srebotnik serving for the set at 5-4, Venus fired a forehand long to give the Slovakian team three set points but immediately redeemed herself by saving one with a lunging volley on the stretch. She ripped a backhand passing shot up the middle of the court to clinch the break and level the score 5-5.

Finally fired up, the Williams sisters dropped just one point in the next two games to take the first set 7-5. They continued their romp into the second set, where they broke twice to get ahead 4-0. Klepac and Srebotnik stopped the streak of nine games in a row by getting one of the breaks back, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide as Serena and Venus took the match for their first Wimbledon doubles win in two years.

Up next for the sibling duo are the Belgian team of Elise Mertens and An-Sophie Mestach, who took out the all-American team of Nicole Gibbs and Irina Falconi, 7-6(3), 6-1.

Another sibling duo moves on as the No.3 seeded sisters Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching battled past Ashleigh Barty and Laura Robson in a comfortable straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.

They’re joined in the second round by the No.13 seeds Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva after the Birmingham finalists came back to dispatch Nao Hibino and Alicija Rosolska 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, and by Darija Jurak and Anastasia Rodionova, who are fresh off of a title win at the Aegon International Eastbourne and downed the No.9 seeds Yifan Xu and Saisai Zheng 7-6(6), 2-6, 7-5.

More to come…

Source link

Insider Podcast: Kuznetsova, The Artist

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

LONDON, Great Britain – Svetlana Kuznetsova is a good mood these days. And why shouldn’t she be?

At 31 years old the two-time Slam champion is playing some of her best tennis in years. Currently at No.14, Kuznetsova’s seen her ranking peak this year at No.12, her highest since 2011. She has a title under her belt, winning the Apia International Sydney in January, and made the final of the Miami Open, beating defending champion and World No.1 Serena Williams en route.

After all the ups and downs of her career, Kuznetsova was outspoken last year about wanting to just enjoy her tennis, knowing that if she did the results would come. The change in mindset has led to a more positive mindset and it has freed up her game and led to a level of consistency she has not seen in years.

She’s even holding impromptu Q&As with fans on Twitter. And no matter what’s going on in her life or on the court, Sveta just can’t help being Sveta:

I sat down with Kuznetsova at Wimbledon after her strong first round win over Caroline Wozniacki for a fun discussion about the state of her game, the hilarious circumstances surrounding her first round draw against Caroline, and why she considers herself “an artist” on the court.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn or on any podcast app of your choice to ensure you never miss an episode when they go live. Reviews are always helpful, so if you like what you’ve heard so far, leave us one. You can also get new episode alerts by following us on Twitter @WTA_Insider.

Source link