Tennis News

BRISBANE, Australia – The first Premier-level event of the season starts in earnest at the Brisbane International, with five of the WTA Finals’ Elite Eight headlining the field.

The draw is out and here’s a rundown of how Angelique Kerber, Dominika Cibulkova and more are starting the first tournament of the 2017 season.

Click here for the complete Brisbane singles and doubles draws.

POSSIBLE QUARTERFINALS:

EARLY MATCHES TO WATCH:

Monica Puig vs [6] Elina Svitolina: Two of the fastest rising stars on the tour will meet in the first round as Olympic gold medalist Puig takes on Zhuhai finalist Svitolina. Their head-to-head record is split at one apiece.

Samantha Stosur vs [4] Garbiñe Muguruza: Brisbane’s own Stosur’s first opponent at her home tournament will be Muguruza. Their head-to-head record is split at one win apiece, with the Spaniard defeating Stosur en route to her French Open title.

As the top two seeds, Kerber and Cibulkova received a bye into the second round. Kerber awaits the winner between Australian wildcard Ashleigh Barty and a qualifier, while Cibulkova will face either Laura Siegemund or Zhang Shuai.

Key information, where to watch and more: everything you need to know about Brisbane.

KERBER AND CIBULKOVA’S ROAD TO THE FINAL:

Should last year’s finalist Kerber advance to the quarterfinals, she could be looking at an early taste of revenge, with a potential encounter against Monica Puig – who defeated her in the final at the Olympic tennis event in Rio – or Elina Svitolina – who ousted her from the China Open.

It doesn’t get any easier from there, with her 2016 nemesis Karolina Pliskova or Roberta Vinci drawn as potential semifinal opponents.

For Cibulkova, a handful of dangerous floaters stand between her and the final. Elena Vesnina, who starts against the tricky Alizé Cornet, is a potential quarterfinal opponent, while the semifinals could hold Garbiñe Muguruza and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

BRISBANE, Australia – Alizé Cornet scored her first win of 2017 in dramatic fashion, coming back the brink of defeat to upset Elena Vesnina at the Brisbane International.

The No.7 seeded Russian, who enjoyed her first Top 20 season last year, got a rude awakening in the New Year in the form of a determined Cornet, who was two games away from defeat before mounting her comeback to advance 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5).

“It feels really great to win the first match of 2017, on the first of January, after a thriller match against Elena,” Cornet said after the victory.

“It was the worst scenario ever, 7-6 in the third, almost three hours of match. It was a big fight and I’m happy I’m through. I feel ready for the rest of the tournament.”

Vesnina took advantage of a shaky start from the Frenchwoman to build her momentum early on, quickly taking the opening set and building up a daunting 4-1 lead in the second. But the match turned on a dime as Cornet put the pressure on, drawing out the unforced errors from Vesnina’s racquet and rattling off five straight games to level the match.

.@AlizeCornet battles past Vesnina 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5)!

Advances to @BrisbaneTennis Second round! pic.twitter.com/dnwV6rAOIC

— WTA (@WTA) January 1, 2017

With the heat rule in effect, the pair were back on court for a tense final set, staying even blow for blow and heading into a tiebreak. After two hours and thirty-seven minutes, an ill-timed drop shot from Vesnina – on her 65 unforced errors – didn’t make it over the net and gave Cornet match point and sent her into the second round.

Up next for Cornet is Christina McHale, who had a smoother road into the second round after cruising past Sara Errani in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.

“First I have to think about recovering from this match, that’s the most important,” Cornet said. “Then I can think about the second round.

“I play against McHale, who is a very good player and had an easy first round win. I’m expecting a tough battle, but you know, this match really got me in the rhythm! I’m just ready to keep going.”

1st of january ✔
1st match of the season ✔
1st thriller ✔
1st win ✔ ??? !
Welcome to the 2017 season ? #BrisbaneInternational #lookingtired pic.twitter.com/mR3dTxdKsd

— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) January 1, 2017

SHENZHEN, China – Johanna Konta began her first season as a Top 10 player in imperious form, dispatching Caga Buyukakcay, 6-2, 6-0, to advance into the second round of the Shenzhen Open.

“I’m really happy to have started the year again, and I’m really enjoying my time in Shenzhen,” Konta said after the match.

Konta finished 2016 the first British player ranked in the Top 10 in 33 years, when namesake Jo Durie ended the 1983 season ranked No.6.

Check out those wheels! ??@JoKonta91 is everywhere! #ShenzhenOpen pic.twitter.com/Y14uwUVgem

— WTA (@WTA) January 2, 2017

Joining a trio of Top 10 players that includes defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska and 2015 winner Simona Halep, Konta acquitted herself well as the No.3 seed, needing just 56 minutes to defeat Buyukakcay, herself coming off a career-best season.

.@JoKonta91 starting ?!

Grabs opening set off Buyukakcay 6-2! #ShenzhenOpen pic.twitter.com/SKH3RMnSsB

— WTA (@WTA) January 2, 2017

Buyukakcay became the first Turkish woman to win a title in WTA history at home last year in Istanbul, but had no answers to Konta’s big serving display, winning just nine points on the Brit’s first serve and losing serve six times in two sets.

“I felt I did a good job of staying present and enjoying every point I got to compete out there today. I’m looking forward to my next match!”

Up next for Konta is American veteran Vania King, who spent 2016 rebuilding her ranking after a back injury. King survived Green youngster Maria Sakkari, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, on Sunday.

.@JoKonta91 moves into #ShenzhenOpen second round after 6-2, 6-0 win over Buyukakcay! pic.twitter.com/Y187ReVeBq

— WTA (@WTA) January 2, 2017

Earlier in the day, No.4 seed Timea Bacsinszky announced her withdrawal from Shenzhen due to an abdominal injury.

“I’m pretty sad about withdrawing today. I was looking forward to playing here again in Shenzhen because I have really good memories at this tournament. But for my own health and the beginning of the year, sometimes you have to be wise and think long term.”

Three-time Roland Garros champion Serena Williams leads the top half of the draw into the second round on Thursday in Paris. We preview all the action here at WTATennis.com.

Thursday, Second Round

[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. Teliana Pereira (BRA #81)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Serena Williams improved to 62-1 in first-round matches at Grand Slams with her win on Tuesday.

Serena Williams’ potential road to the Roland Garros title got easier on paper when No.5 seed Victoria Azarenka, her rival and potential quarterfinal opponent, was knocked out of the draw on Day 3 by Karin Knapp of Italy. But the 21-time major champion was more concerned about working her way through the draw than monitoring other results on Tuesday. “In order to get the warm weather you have to last to the second week,” Williams joked after her 42-minute victory over Magdalena Rybarikova on a chilly afternoon in Paris. On Thursday the American will bid for her 56th career Roland Garros win against a very talented clay-courter in Brazil’s Teliana Pereira. The 27-year-old world No.81 has amassed 16 wins and two titles on clay over the last two years, but she’s gone 0-4 in that span against players in the Top 25. She’ll face the challenge of a lifetime when she faces the game’s greatest player on the world’s biggest showcourt. How will she respond?

Pick: Williams in two

[26] Kristina Mladenovic (FRA #30) vs. Timea Babos (HUN #45)
Head-to-head: Mladenovic leads, 3-1
Key Stat: Mladenovic and Babos won three doubles titles together in 2015 and qualified for the WTA Finals.

A pair great friends and former doubles partners will duke it out in a no-holds-barred battle for supremacy on the singles court on Thursday. 23-year-old Timea Babos is blossoming as a singles player in 2016, winning 21 matches to best her previous career high by nine, and reaching semifinals in Shenzhen and Rabat. Mladenovic has struggled to live up to expectations at times this season, but the Frenchwoman has demonstrated the ability to put bad patches behind her at Grand Slams in the recent past. She has been to at least the third round at the last four majors, a feat that Babos has never accomplished in her own budding career. Can rising Babos pull an upset and knock off her good friend on her home soil on Thursday? Or will it be big-match Mladenovic who seizes the energy of the moment to prevail?

Pick: Mladenovic in three

[8] Timea Bacsinszky (SUI #9) vs. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN #47)
Head-to-head: Bascinszky leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Bacsinszky is 11-2 on clay this season and has not lost to a player ranked outside the Top-10 on the surface.

Eugenie Bouchard snapped a long losing streak against the WTA’s elite in Rome when she knocked off Angelique Kerber to register her first Top 10 win on clay since the 2014 French Open. Will Bouchard’s renaissance continue in Paris against red-hot Bacsinszky on Day 5? Already having registered seven more wins in 2016 than she did in all of last season, the 22-year-old Canadian believes she is on the right track. “I feel like it’s kind of my first year on tour again,” Bouchard said on Tuesday after defeating Germany’s Laura Siegemund in straight sets. “I try to see it as a positive thing, like I’m going to try to prove to myself how well I can play and prove that I do belong at the top. Nobody’s going to hand it to you.” Bacsinszky, a semifinalist in Paris last year, will look to wear Bouchard down like she did when the pair met for the first time at Indian Wells this spring. Her world-class defense, variety on the clay and fighter’s mentality should give her chances to repeat that result.

Pick: Bacsinszky in three

[29] Daria Kasatkina (RUS #32) vs. Virginie Razzano (FRA #184)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Razzano is the lowest-ranked player left in the draw.

Opportunity knocks in a tiny section of the top half of the draw, where not a single seeded player stands between rising Russian Daria Kasatkina and her first round of 16 appearance at a major. 19-year-old Kasatkina has turned heads all season with her athleticism, maturity and court sense, now maybe it’s time for her to turn the corner at a Grand Slam? Standing in her way on Thursday her will be a heart-and-soul veteran that is the only player in history to have ever defeated Serena Williams in the first-round of a major. Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano accomplished that tremendous feat right here in Paris in 2012. In her 18th appearance at the French Open, does the 33-year-old have more magic to summon?

Pick: Kasatkina in three

Around the Grounds: Other than defending champion Serena Williams,14th-seeded Ana Ivanovic is the highest-seeded player remaining in top quarter of the draw. She’ll meet Japan’s Kurumi Nara in the day’s first match on Court 1. No.9 seed Venus Williams will bid to reach the third round at Roland Garros for the first time since 2010 when she meets American qualifier Louisa Chirico on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

By The Numbers

3 – Number of former Grand Slam champions in action on Day 5 (Serena and Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic).

70 – Venus Williams is playing in her 70th Grand Slam draw at Roland Garros, most among active players and second only to Amy Frazier’s 71 all-time.

5 – Number of former Roland Garros Girls’ Singles champions in action today (Mladenovic, Razzano, Cornet, Svitolina and Kasatkina).

-Chris Oddo, wtatennis.com contributor

SHENZHEN, China – No.3 seed Johanna Konta recovered from a set and 1-3 down to defeat Vania King, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, to reach the last eight at the Shenzhen Open.

Konta had dropped just two games in her first match of the season, but endured the slowest of starts on Tuesday against King, who spent last year rebuilding her ranking following a back injury that sidelined her for most of 2015.

“Every match is difficult, regardless of the scoreline,” she said in her post-match press conference. “Yesterday had its own challenges; today had different challenges. I needed to adjust today and that took time, but I’m definitely happy with how I was able to get back into the match.

“I think I fought well and I kept myself very present and grounded, trying to create my own momentum and keep my bubble of focus. From there, it got closer and I was able to raise my level, and perhaps she dropped hers. It was a little bit of both.”

What a return! @Queen_V21 is a set and a break to the good! pic.twitter.com/jmHjAAxw4H

— WTA (@WTA) January 3, 2017

The upset bug that had taken out No.7 seed Monica Niculescu to start the day seemed poised to hit Konta from the start. King broke at love to kick off the opening set and never looked back, breaking once more to put herself one set away from victory.

“I think all credit to Vania. I think she played a very very good first set; throughout the whole match she played quite well, but especially in the first set she came out really strong and didn’t give me much of a chance to get much of a grip on the match. So I had to work incredibly hard, dig deep and really just try to create my own momentum in the second set.

“Once I did that, it became more of a competition.”

.@JoKonta91 lands the perfect lob! She's won four straight games and is serving for the set! pic.twitter.com/FceaaqYTZL

— WTA (@WTA) January 3, 2017

From a set and a break down, the British No.1 found herself three games from defeat, but nonetheless rallied, winning five straight games to level the match.

The decider was ultimately a more straightforward affair as Konta broke twice to seal victory in 96 minutes.

A brilliant passing shot from @JoKonta91! She breaks and is right back in this second set! pic.twitter.com/vJxchg3LPI

— WTA (@WTA) January 3, 2017

Up next for Konta is either Kristyna Pliskova or qualifier Chang Kai-Chen. Pliskova began the week with a thrilling win over No.6 seed Anastasija Sevastova, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(6), while Chang scored an upset over Viktorija Golubic in straight sets.

“I had a very good season last year with a lot of great memories to take from that,” she said when asked to reflect on her breakthrough 2016. “But most importantly I’m looking to keep myself healthy this year to play a full season as much as I can. Every time I go out on the court, I’m trying to apply the same mentality as last year; I want to leave it all out there, compete every single point and do my best, looking to improve every single day.

“I have no outcome goals. I always do my best to stay process-orientated; I may sound like a broken record, and it may sound boring, but it’s the way I am!”

.@JoKonta91 advances to #ShenzhenOpen Quarterfinals!

Knocks out King 1-6, 6-3, 6-2! pic.twitter.com/dFv2f1Dqiw

— WTA (@WTA) January 3, 2017

Earlier in the day, No.7 seed Niculescu lost a tense two-setter to Wang Qiang, 7-6(4), 6-4, and suffered from health issues that required a medical timeout.

“For some reason, I couldn’t breathe so well. I had no air, so I had to call the physio. I felt I gave all I had in the first set, and then it was tough for me. I’m disappointed, but I have to wait for Hobart and Australia.

“I had some problems starting from yesterday, but I don’t know why I didn’t feel my best today. It was important to take that first set, but every time I had to serve, I felt my arms were heavy and I had no power. I still have to play doubles [with Simona Halep] so I hope to play better there.”