7 Things: Sunshine Reflections
WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen | As Victoria Azarenka and Bethanie Mattek-Sands bask in a Sunshine Sweep, one last look back on Miami as the tour turns to clay.
WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen | As Victoria Azarenka and Bethanie Mattek-Sands bask in a Sunshine Sweep, one last look back on Miami as the tour turns to clay.
Caroline Garcia had Monday’s shot of the day at the Volvo Car Open.
Agnieszka Radwanska talks through her quarterfinal win at the Apia International Sydney.
Before the start of play at the Volvo Car Open, Alison Riske was treated to a tour of the Joint Base Charleston.
Riske met with Staff Sgt. David McCubbin (left) and Capt. David Schunk (right), who showed her around the C-17 Globemaster III.
Riske on the C-17 Globemaster III.
Riske on the C-17 Globemaster III.
Riske on the C-17 Globemaster III.
Riske on the C-17 Globemaster III.
After the tour, Riske visited the on-base fitness center to hand out autographed tennis balls and meet the rest of Team Charleston.
Riske with Team Charleston.
An press conference with Agnieszka Radwanska after her semifinal win at the Apia International Sydney.
Elena Vesnina takes on Belinda Bencic in the second round of the Volvo Car Open.
Johanna Konta had Thursday’s shot of the day at the Apia International Sydney.
An press conference with Agnieszka Radwanska after her final defeat at the Apia International Sydney.
KATOWICE, Poland – Former World No.10 Dominika Cibulkova overcame a tight opening set and tricky opposition in 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone to reach the semifinals of the Katowice Open, 7-5, 6-1.
Watch live action from Katowice this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
The 2014 Australian Open finalist had never lost to Schiavone in three previous encounters, but the Italian veteran had enjoyed a solid week in Katowice, taking out Alizé Cornet in straight sets on Thursday. Schiavone edged ahead 4-2 in the first set but only won two more games from there. It was a particularly solid second set from Cibulkova, who converted all three of her break point chances and clinched her third WTA semfinal of 2016 in just over an hour and 15 minutes.
“I wasn’t as aggressive as I could be at the beginning, and I think this suited her,” Cibulkova said after the match. “My coach just told me to play my game and be much more aggressive, to go for my shots and I think this settled me down. It was a close first set and once I got this it changed the match.
“I lost the first game, but I knew that nothing bad was happening. I started to get going and then it was 3-1 to me and then we had a long game for I think 4-1. Then I think she started to get nervous a little bit and was going for her shots a lot more. This is a type of game that I like to play, so she was making it easier for me.”
Standing between Cibulkova and a second final of the season is Pauline Parmentier; the 30-year-old Frenchwoman dismantled hometown favorite Magda Linette, 6-2, 6-4 to improve her head-to-head to 3-0 against the Pole.
Earlier in the day, Qatar Total Open finalist and No.3 seed Jelena Ostapenko won a battle of big-hitters by taking out No.7 seed Timea Babos, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3. Surviving the opening set in a tie-break, Ostapenko lost serve three times to see her lead evaporate, but took better initative in the decider to earn her best result since her breakthrough week in Doha.
Camila Giorgi played the longest match of the day to reach a third straight Katowice semifinal, overcoming a second set hiccup to defeat 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, in two hours and nine minutes. Giorgi dropped just four points behind her first serve in the deciding set and aims to return to the Katowice final for a third straight year – finishing runner-up to Cornet in 2014 and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in 2015.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza and Simona Halep – Adidas brand ambassadors and top seeds at the Australian Open – chatted with media ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam.
Joined by Japanese rising star Naomi Osaka, the players took part in an Adidas event where they were put through their paces in a series of workouts at the National Tennis Centre.
After working up a sweat, Kerber, Muguruza and Halep discussed their chances at the Australian Open.
“Obviously I’m nervous, I mean it’s the first Grand Slam of the year,” Muguruza said. “I wanna do it so well, so I have to be calm sometimes. So hopefully I won’t get crazy.”
Watch the video above to hear from all the players, and check out the best photos of the event right here – courtesy of Fiona Hamilton and Tennis Australia:
