Tennis News

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – World No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska was nearly out of the BNP Paribas Open less that 48 hours ago, but the Pole rebounded in spectacular style on Sunday, dismissing Monica Niculescu, 6-2, 6-1, behind a barrage of her signature trick shots.

Down a match point to Dominika Cibulkova in the second round, Radwanska faced an opponent almost as wily as herself in Niculescu, splitting their last two encounters in the last year.

“I played her just two weeks ago in Doha, so that also helped,” Radwanska told the media in her post-match press conference. “I really know what to expect there. Of course she’s little bit different player than the others. Never easy. Always tricky opponent.

“I knew I would have to be patient. I think that’s the most important thing in that kind of matches. And really try to play my game. She can be really tough. Just very happy to win that match actually in those two quick sets.”

As quickly as the 87 minute match went, Radwanska still had time for some impressive play, leaving fans, media, and even Belinda Bencic begging for more:

“It’s just pretty much the reaction and things that I do on court. I think is the way I play,” the Pole said of her trick shots.

“I definitely have a couple of favorite ones. Also a couple of ones I play against Vinci in Doha; couple of ones as well from Singapore.

“Everything is just happening so fast and I always have like couple of them each tournament, so I am even forgetting what happen in last few months,” she said with a smile. “That would be good to have actually those highlights on internet that I can watch again and see what I did.”

Ask, believe, receive: check out some of those hot shots below:

Got it! ✋ #WTA https://t.co/BG7LdnR0Ra

— WTA (@WTA) March 13, 2016

Oh you know, just a typical day at the office for @ARadwanska. What a shot! ? #WTA https://t.co/600w9Wz7BR

— WTA (@WTA) March 13, 2016

#SCTop10 anyone? @ARadwanska was on FIRE! ? https://t.co/ctucReiGbc

— WTA (@WTA) March 13, 2016

Why dont we just give @ARadwanska the “Hotshot Award” already?? #ridicilous

— Belinda Bencic (@BelindaBencic) March 13, 2016

Check out more of Radwanska’s shots here and here.

A first time gold medalist, a new US Open winner, and – after three years – a brand new WTA World No.1. It’s been a hectic summer of tennis and CNN’s Pat Cash will catch up with the authors of the season’s biggest storylines: Angelique Kerber and Monica Puig.

Tune in on September 22 to catch the newest episode of CNN Open Court!

SAN ANTONIO, TX, USA – Ana Konjuh marked the opening day of the inaugural San Antonio Open by upsetting No.3 seed Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets.

Having fallen at the first hurdle in qualifying for Indian Wells, Konjuh made the five-hour journey to Texas with plenty to ponder. However, against Ostapenko she was full of positive intent, coming from behind in both sets to run out a 7-5, 6-4 winner.

Konjuh, like Ostapenko, was an outstanding junior, lifting the Australian and US Open trophies at 15. And the Croatian’s rise up the senior ranks has been swift, breaking the Top 100 by the end of 2014, before lifting her maiden WTA title the following summer, in Nottingham.

While progress has stalled somewhat in the opening months of 2016, she showed no shortage of fighting spirit against Ostapenko; in the first set she fended off a set point at 5-3 down and then overcame a 3-0 deficit in the second.

Ostapenko was not the only first-round casualty either. In the bottom half of the draw, Samantha Crawford recovered from match point down to defeat No.2 seed Irina-Camelia Begu, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5.

Elsewhere, there were rather more straightforward wins for Kirsten Flipkens and Tsvetana Pironkova. No.7 seed Flipkens survived a late scare to defeat Mariana Duque-Mariño, 6-3, 7-6(4), while Pironkova raced past Dellacqua, 6-1, 6-0, in just 43 minutes.

This week’s tournament is the first WTA event in San Antonio since the US Women’s Hardcourt Championships in the early 1990s. Also appearing at the recently renovated McFarlin Tennis Center are Daria Gavrilova and Yanina Wickmayer, both of whom begin their challenges on Tuesday.