Serena Catches Up With US Olympians
Serena Williams caught up with two of Team USA’s brightest stars, Olympic medalists Ibtihaj Muhammad and Simone Manuel, at the US Open.
Serena Williams caught up with two of Team USA’s brightest stars, Olympic medalists Ibtihaj Muhammad and Simone Manuel, at the US Open.
Six-time US Open champion Serena Williams leads the top half of the draw into the second round on Day Four at Flushing Meadows. Preview the key matchups here at wtatennis.com.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska survived a roller encounter against Great Britain’s Naomi Broady to move into the third round at the US Open, 7-6(9), 6-3.
“I was just couple points better today,” Radwanska said after the match. “Definitely she pushed me 100% today.”
It took Radwanska a few games to get used to the Brit’s powerful serves and unconventional groundstrokes, and by the time Radwanska found her footing in the match Broady had her down 1-4, then 2-5. The No.4 seed reeled in Broady’s big game, pulling her into the net time and time again to draw out the errors.
She took the set into a tiebreak, where Radwanska blew a big 5-2 lead and misfired a routine backhand passing shot to allow Broady to claw her way back. The Brit fired off a timely ace to rattle off five of the next six points, bringing up two set points in the process. Radwanska wrestled both away, playing tug of war until the No.4 seed broke the big Broady serve to squeeze through in the opening set.
She was pushed all the way, but @ARadwanska takes the opener vs. #Broady in marathon tiebreak, 11-9. @chase #usopen https://t.co/2iT295faEC
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2016
“I think I was just too slow and didn’t really come in,” Radwanska explained the dramatic tiebreak. “You know, I pay the price, a couple set points down, it’s not fun. Especially, you know, she was serving unbelievable.
“So every point mattered in that tiebreak, especially when I could break her at least at one point.”
Broady didn’t give Radwanska any time to catch her breath, though, breaking her serve in the first game and immediately putting her in a 0-2 deficit to start off the second set. But after last’ set’s comeback, Radwanska was feeling much more comfortable against Broady’s style of play and quickly broke back to leave them even. Another late break sealed the match for Radwanska after a tense hour and 49 minutes.
Radwanska will play Caroline Garcia for a spot in the fourth round. The Pole is looking for her first quarterfinal berth, having never been past the fourth round in 11 appearances.
“Playing her is never easy,” Radwanska assessed the Frenchwoman’s game. “She’s very solid player, really hitting the ball hard, coming in. Just hitting really fast from the bounce. She’s not giving you much time.
“I think I will need to focus on the first ball, first shot, just not make her put everything in the middle because then I’ll be in trouble.”
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Two summers ago a 15-year-old CiCi Bellis captured the imagination of the New York public by becoming the youngest player in nearly two decades to win a match at the US Open.
Back at Flushing Meadows, she is once again the talk of the town, producing some fearless tennis to make her way through to the third round. The prize money for reaching this juncture – where she will face No.2 seed Angelique Kerber on Friday evening – is $140,000. However, the American, who has verbally agreed to accept a tennis scholarship to Stanford University, must forfeit these winnings if she is to maintain her college eligibility.
NCAA rules do permit money for travel expenses, providing the Californian with some welcome perks: “I just moved up to a regular suite,” she said after her second-round win over Shelby Rogers. “Maybe the presidential suite this time.”
Bellis is sure to receive overwhelming crowd support when she steps on Arthur Ashe to face Kerber. Among their number will be one particularly vocal contingent, who have followed the 17-year-old every step of the way since her run began in last week’s qualifying competition.
“They came out to first-round qualifying and have been to every single one of my matches since,” Bellis added. “One of them messaged me on Instagram and asked for tickets, and so I got them into my box today. Oh, my God, they call themselves Team CiCi, so it was fun.
“I think [the support] puts me in a different world. I feel like I’m not even here when I hear people like that group we are talking about. It’s surreal to me.”
Game, Set, Match @cicibellis99
The 17-year-old is through to R3 with 2-6 6-2 6-2 win over fellow American Rogers. pic.twitter.com/iN9HRXZEjZ
— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) 1 September 2016
NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.5 seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina were all smiles after a thrilling three-set win over Sam Stosur and Zhang Shuai; the Olympic Gold medalists and 2014 US Open champions saved five match points – four on the infamous Stosur serve – to advance into the third round.
Vesnina spent the fall and early spring playing with young compatriot Daria Kasatkina as Makarova healed a lower leg injury; the pair captured last year’s Kremlin Cup title and ended the 41-match winning streak of then-Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza.
“She’s a very cool girl, and a very talented player,” Vesnina told WTA Insider. “She has a great future, and it was fun when we played together. I was teaching her what to do because she had no experience in doubles, and before every point she was asking me, ‘What should I do? Where can I serve? What do I do with volley?’
“I felt like a coach on the court!”
Team Russia got her Olympic Games gear?????Экипировались все??? @katemakarova1 @DKasatkina pic.twitter.com/2tcs4LHJTc
— Elena Vesnina (@EVesnina001) July 12, 2016
Asked whether she saw herself as a future Fed Cup Captain – a position currently held by 2004 French Open champion Anastasia Myskina – Vesnina and Makarova debated the idea amongst themselves:
Vesnina: Me as the Fed Cup Captain? Oh, I never even thought about that! We have some time. It would be great, of course.
Makarova: But I think Elena could be a good captain.
Vesnina: You see? I didn’t know everyone thought this!
Makarova: I never thought about it either, but now I see it.
Vesnina: I’ve always loved to play for Fed Cup; Katya and I have had so many good matches, winning so many important matches in singles and doubles. It’s always a pleasure to play for your country, and for me, it’s important. So if I ever had the chance to be Fed Cup captain, I’d be happy to take on that honor, and I would try to do my best for the girls because I played and I know how important and tough it was at the same time.
Vesnina and Makarova next face No.10 seeds Vania King and Monica Niculescu for a spot in the quarterfinals.
WTA Insider | World No.1 Serena Williams trades spots with sister Venus, who headlines her first night session of the US Open; keep up with the action on the latest WTA Insider Live Blog.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – World No.2 Angelique Kerber maintained her imperious form with a 6-3, 7-5 win over No.14 seed Petra Kvitova to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open.
Kvitova had held the early edge in their head-to-head, but Kerber had won their last two meetings to even the score, both this spring in Stuttgart and last fall at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Playing textbook counterpuncher tennis throughout the evening, the German kept her stats clean with eight winners and just eight unforced errors.
Kvitova, by contrast, was far more aggressive, but her 32 winners couldn’t make up for the 43 unforced errors hit over two sets – 27 coming off her forehand side alone.
Giving it all you've got under the ??? of Ashe. #usopen pic.twitter.com/tBJOpp17t4
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2016
After trading breaks to start the contest, the match largely went with serve, including the first 11 games of the second set. Serving to force a tie-break, Kvitova ultimately succumbed on a double fault – her seventh of the night – allowing Kerber to wrap up th ematch in one hour and 28 minutes.
Up next for the reigning Australian Open champion is No.7 seed and 2015 US Open runner-up Roberta Vinci, who fought through a tough first set to defeat Lesia Tsurenko, 7-6(5), 6-2.
By reaching the quarterfinals, Kerber has put herself in even stronger position to leave the final major tournament of the season as World No.1 – the first from Germany since Stefanie Graf in 1997 – and prevent Serena Williams from breaking Graf’s record of consecutive weeks at the top spot. Serena is set to tie Graf’s record at 186, but now needs to do no worse than reach the final to have a chance of retaining World No.1.
Should Serena and Kerber meet in the final, the winner walks away with No.1.
She's looking for her third slam final this year and @AngeliqueKerber moves closer with a 6-3, 7-5 win over #Kvitova pic.twitter.com/5npAv1DWet
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2016
Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic have become the second doubles team to qualify for the 2016 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
What fashion weeks are in haute couture, Grand Slams are in tennis fashion, and NYC’s US Open is unarguably the most stylish major, inspiring designers to create edgy and vibrant outfits that reflect the energy of the host city. Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will show us the best tennis apparel we’ve seen on the courts this fortnight at Flushing Meadows.
Venus Williams‘ prints topped our fashion lists many times, but the EleVen Prism Chela Dress takes colors and patterns to a whole new level, just as the 2000 and 2001 US Open champion announced prior to launching the Prism collection, which includes bright and vibrant summer colors, as well as cooler and calmer fall tones.
The American’s dress at the final Grand Slam of the year stands out not only with its appealing print, but also with the stylish purple color-blocking at back, a nice wrap element and feminine flowy skirt, while performance features include EleVen Pro-Dri, managing moisture and breathability, and EleVen Ozone, fighting off harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Serena Williams‘ legendary career has been highlighted by dozens of outfits that pushed the boundaries in women’s tennis fashion and this time the world number one again made sure to stand out, accessorizing her NikeCourt Power Dress with “Wonder Woman” sleeves. Both the night and day version of the dress feature hyper pink pleat details, mock neck and ribbed shoulder panels.
The American also has two versions of her lightweight, quick and aggressive Nike Flare shoes, the black and white option with volt and pink touches. The footwear is ideal for explosive movements, as its extended stretch collar keeps the feet locked-in.
Completing the glamorous look are long almond-shaped nails and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore watch.
Madison Keys‘and Roberta Vinci‘s eye-catching fluorescent kit consists of the highly breathable and seamless constructed NikeCourt Dry Slam Tank and the pleated NikeCourt Flex Victory Skirt with a contoured power mesh waistband.
Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep are showcasing adidas’ spectacular fall collection, whose geometric print is inspired by New York City’s spectacular architecture.
The adidas Fall Pro Tank is equipped with ventilating Climacool material, while extra breathability is provided by keyholes at back, stylishly accompanied by a contrast mesh racerback.
While Kerber paired her flash red tank with the bold triangular print of the adidas Fall Pro Skirt, Halep went a step further and opted for the collection’s boldest piece, the adidas Fall Pro Short, whose colorful pattern is peeking through a white woven mesh layer.
Caroline Wozniacki, Garbiñe Muguruza and Andrea Petkovic picked color-blocking items that feature marble graphic elements engineered with ClimaLite® to wick sweat away from the skin.
Wozniacki’s adidas Stella Barricade New York Dress in collegiate navy/white/flash red pays tribute to the Grand Slam’s American home ground. The Dane’s neat flash red manicure accessorizes bold shades and figure-flattering lines that create a feminine hourglass illusion.
Muguruza’s and Petkovic’s ensemble includes the high-neck adidas Stella Barricade New York Tank and the adidas Stella Barricade New York Skirt, which is available in two lengths.
Fila is one of those brands that never goes far from good old retro. The Heritage collection for the 2016 US Open, as seen here on Yaroslava Shvedova and Jelena Jankovic, brings Fila’s time-honored silhouettes and colorways enhanced by modern elements.
Classic red head ties perfectly match contemporary blurred stripes, creating a wonderful balance between traditional and modern aesthetic led by the Fila Heritage Stripe Dress.
Karolina Pliskova opted for simple separates consisting of the Fila Heritage Racerback Tank and the Fila Heritage Skirt, in which the Czech won the Western & Southern Open title ahead of the US Open.
Which WTA player’s on-court fashion aced the US Open? Tell us now!
Agnieszka Radwanska had a second shot of the match in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open.