Rome: Kuznetsova vs. Gavrilova
Svetlana Kuznetsova takes on Daria Gavrilova in the third round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Svetlana Kuznetsova takes on Daria Gavrilova in the third round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
ROME, Italy – Svetlana Kuznetsova won a see-saw encounter against Daria Gavrilova on Thursday to return to the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Rome right here on wtatennis.com!
A two-time finalist at the Foro Italico, Kuznetsova kept alive her hopes of finally lifting the trophy with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 victory.
The result sets up a rematch with Serena Williams, whom Kuznetsova upset en route to the final in Miami. Williams came through a sterner than expected test against Christina McHale, eventually running out a 7-6(7), 6-1 winner.
Kuznetsova’s only previous encounter with Gavrilova came over three years ago, ending in a comfortable straight sets victory. Since then, much has changed – both on and off the court – for Gavrilova.
Now based out of Australia, and occupying a place inside the Top 50, Gavrilova is a threat to the game’s big names, something she illustrated by knocking out No.6 seed Simona Halep – her sixth win over a member of the Top 10 – in the previous round.
And after a rocky start against Kuznetsova on Pietrangeli, Gavrilova displayed her newfound maturity to steady the ship and force a decider. Playing the more purposeful tennis, the youngster had Kuznetsova slipping and sliding all over the place in the first game of the third set. Somehow, though, the former French Open champion managed to hang onto her serve, taking some of the wind out of the youngster’s sails in the process.
A game later Kuznetsova had the break, profiting from a heavy net cord. While she was unable to hold onto this advantage for long, she profited from a couple of tight forehands from Gavrilova to break decisively in the eighth game.
“I was a bit tense because I didn’t know what to expect, basically,” Kuznetsova said. “I was trying to figure out how I should play. I saw a couple games against Halep yesterday, but that was a weird match – not something to get ideas for today’s game.
“I played her before she went to Australia. I played her once in Dubai. She played totally different game. I know she’s a fighter and she brings lots of balls back, she changes the pace. Yeah, it was difficult match. But for her, it was different. I’m kind of the favorite, kind of, you know. She had no pressure almost. I just wanted to play my game basically and that’s it and try to dictate.”
An interview with Serena Williams after her win in the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Irina-Camelia Begu takes on Misaki Doi in the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
An interview with Serena Williams after her win in the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Madison Keys has Saturday’s shot of the day at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Serena Williams takes on Madison Keys in the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
NEWPORT, RI, USA – Former World No.1 and six-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters has been elected to receive induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
“I feel very, very honored to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame,” the Belgian said in a video statement that will play during a special ceremony at the Australian Open on Tuesday. “It is a huge honor to be amongst a list of so many great tennis players who I admired when I was growing up, and some great players who I played with in my tennis career as well.”
Joining Clijsters in the Hall of Fame Class of 2017 will be 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick, Monique Kalkman-van den Bosch, a 4-time Paralympic medalist in wheelchair tennis, being honored for her remarkable career.
Additionally, two individuals will be inducted in the Contributor Category. Steve Flink, a distinguished tennis historian and journalist has been elected for induction. Vic Braden, a groundbreaking tennis instructor who was among the first to apply sports science to his instructional tactics will be inducted posthumously.
“It’s a real pleasure to welcome these five remarkable individuals into the Hall of Fame. Kim, Andy, and Monique compiled outstanding careers, winning the game’s biggest titles and ascending to the world No. 1 ranking,” remarked International Tennis Hall of Fame President and 1987 Hall of Famer Stan Smith.
The Class of 2017 will be officially inducted on July 22, during Rolex Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Tickets for the Induction Ceremony will go on sale in early February. In addition, the class will be celebrated in a tribute exhibit opening in June in the Museum at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, which will be displayed for one year.
One of six women in tennis history to simultaneously top the world rankings in singles and doubles, Clijsters was the world No. 1 player for 19 weeks and was ranked within the World’s Top 5 for 250 weeks during her career. She is a three-time US Open champion (2005, 2009, 2010) and she was also the 2011 Australian Open champion. Clijsters won two major doubles titles, capturing both the French Open and Wimbledon titles in 2003.
Clijsters is a three-time champion at the WTA Finals (2002, 2003, 2010). She won 41 singles titles, and was a dedicated Belgian Fed Cup team member, leading the team to their first Fed Cup title in 2001 and into the finals again in 2006.
Clijsters retired from tennis in 2007, and then embarked on a second career in tennis with a comeback in 2009. That year, she went on to win the US Open, in what was just her third tournament back on the tour. She was unranked, unseeded, and a wild card entry to the event. Two years later, in 2011, she once again reached the world No. 1 ranking, five years after she had last been there.
Since retirement, Clijsters, now a mother of three, has been focused on her family. She remains engaged in tennis through Kim Clijsters Academy in Belgium, where many juniors train and through competing in Legends events at the Grand Slams.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
STRASBOURG, France – No.3 seed Samantha Stosur clinched a second set tie-break to sweep aside Hsieh Su-Wei, 6-3, 7-6(3), to join Alla Kudryavtseva in the quarterfinals of the Internationaux de Strasbourg.
Stosur recovered from an early break in the opening set, and the disappointment of missing the opportunity to end the match in the tenth game of the second.
“I served for it at 5-4 then lost serve,” she told wtatennis.com after the match. “You just need to knuckle down and keep focused, think about what had been working in the match and get back to those things.
“It would have been hard having been serving for the match then playing a third set, and I lost serve again at 6-5. Then it was all about a good start in the tie-break.”
Stosur had never dropped a set in her two previous matches against the former doubles No.1; the pattern held in the ensuing tie-break, which the 2011 US Open champion won to clinch the match in an hour and 37 minutes.
“I don’t remember the other encounters with Su-Wei. Just the scores. They were in different conditions. My coach had a look but two years is a pretty long time in tennis.
“It was another good match against a tricky opponent. It was closer than the score looked.”
Up next for the Aussie is No.10 seed Caroline Garcia, who eased past Jil Teichmann, 7-6(5), 6-3.
Kudryavtseva was the first into the final eight with a thrilling 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) win over Zarina Diyas. The Russian hadn’t reached a WTA quarterfinal since her run at last year’s Brisbane International as a lucky loser, and had to recover from a 5-3 final set deficit to defeat Diyas, and set up a match with either Alison Riske or No.4 seed Kristina Mladenovic, whose match was postponed due to darkness.
Elena Vesnina and Sloane Stephens were the last into the second round in Strasbourg on Tuesday; Vesnina was victorious in the fifth longest match of 2016, taking out Zheng Saisai, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(5), while Stephens captured a one-set shoot-out with Donna Vekic, completing a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 win.
Le soleil revient aux #IS2016 ! pic.twitter.com/SqFj1kB9Ig
— WTA Strasbourg (@WTA_Strasbourg) May 17, 2016