Ranking Movers: Barty Soars Into Top 100
Ashleigh Barty has rocketed herself into the Top 100 after her win at the Alya Malaysian Open but she was not the only one who had a good week.
Ashleigh Barty has rocketed herself into the Top 100 after her win at the Alya Malaysian Open but she was not the only one who had a good week.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland – The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced Monday that a ruling on Maria Sharapova’s appeal of her two-year suspension for a failed drug test has been postponed.
Both parties had agreed to an expedited track for the appeal case, which would have seen a decision issued no later than July 18, 2016. Now, the Associated Press reports that CAS and the International Tennis Federation have agreed to defer the decision for another two months.
According to a statement from CAS, “Due to the parties requiring additional time to complete and respond to their respective evidentiary submissions, and several scheduling conflicts, the parties have agreed not to expedite the appeal.”
A ruling is expected no later than September 19, 2016.
How have Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep and the rest of the Indian Wells contenders fared in the past?
BUCHAREST, Romania – It was more complicated than she should have liked, but No.1 seed Simona Halep sealed her return to Romania with a win in three sets over Barbora Krejcikova, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the BRD Bucharest Open.
Halep was a champion here in Romania in 2014, when she sealed her breakthrough run to the French Open final with a hometown win at the Bucharest Open’s first staging. This year she’s put her Wimbledon quarterfinal loss behind her to seek another victory on familiar soil, although she admitted the transition between surfaces gave her trouble.
“It was not easy because the game on grass is so different. The rhythm is different,” she said after the match. “So I had just to adapt a little bit, to adjust my game a little bit to this clay court. But finally it was a great chance to feel the rhythm and comeback to win this match.”
Despite the vocal partisan support, Romania’s favorite daughter started out sluggish in the opening set. She looked to be in trouble early on as one of her usually-reliable forehands drifted wide to give Krejcikova an opening break of serve and quickly go up 3-0.
The 20-year-old Krejcikova showed her nerves while serving for the opening set at 5-3, a pair of back to back double faults from the Czech keeping Halep alive before a wide forehand gave her break point. Krejcikova fought her off and finally took the opening set on her fourth try.
Halep found her rhythm in the second set, though, and once she got going it was hard to stop her. She finally scored her first break of the match and roared ahead to a 2-0 lead. Although Krejcikova managed to get a break back, it wasn’t enough to stem the tide.
Halep reeled off the next ten of eleven games to seal the comeback, much to her adoring fans’ delight.
“It’s not easy to play in Romania again,” Halep admitted. “At home it’s the most difficult place to play for me. The pressure is very big because you always want to show that you play a good tennis.
“But it was nice as well because everyone was supporting me today. I tried just to forget that I’m home and just play my game.”
Halep is set to face the Bulgarian qualifier Isabella Shiniakova, who also had to battle through in three sets to defeat Kateryna Kozlova 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
No.2 Seed Errani Books Schiavone Battle
Although all eyes were on Halep in her home country, Bucharest’s No.2 seed Sara Errani also served up an emphatic opening round win of her own. She cruised against Aleksandra Krunic, 6-3, 6-2.
A finalist here last year, Errani relished being back playing on her favorite surface. Her strong baseline game gave the No.134-ranked Krunic plenty of trouble as the Italian broke her four times during the match.
Up next for Errani is fellow Italian Francesca Schiavone. Schiavone backed up her Bucharest wildcard against Bulgarian qualifier Elitsa Kostova, although she needed a couple of tries to close out the final set in their almost-two-hour encounter.
After easing through the first set 6-2, Schiavone found herself facing the possibility of going the distance as Kostova held set points at 6-5 on the Italian’s serve. But Schiavone battled back to send the set into a tiebreak before advancing 6-2, 7-6(3).
Unbothered by their impending second round clash, the Italians – longtime friends and Fed Cup teammates – found time to enjoy a few drinks together after a long day of tennis:
Una birra alla faccia tua!! ???? @RobArrivabene @federtennis @SuperTennisTv @Schiavone_Fra @BucharestOpen pic.twitter.com/GZT1w0bV9c
— Sara Errani (@SaraErrani) July 12, 2016
Niculescu, Tig Lead Romanian Charge
All six of the Romanians in the Bucharest Open took to Center Court today, and by the end only three of them advanced. By an unlucky turn of the draw, four of the Romanians ended up facing each other with No.5 seed Monica Niculescu taking on Andreea Mitu and Patricia Maria Tig up against wildcard Ioana Minca.
Niculescu needed exactly one hour and a half to dispatch Mitu in a straightforward 6-2, 6-4 victory that sets up a second round matchup against Turkish trailblazer Cagla Buyukakcay, the No.8 seed.
On the other hand, Tig advanced in a rollercoaster match against Minca, surviving nine breaks of serve and an opening set tiebreak to move on in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-3. She’ll go up against the No.7 seed Anastasija Sevastova, who spoiled the Bucharest crowd’s party when she took out local wildcard Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-4.
Also through to the second round are No.4 seed Laura Siegemund, who dispatched Teliana Pereira 6-2, 6-2, and No.6 seed Danka Kovinic, who cruised against Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska 6-1, 6-0.
– All photos courtesy of BRD Bucharest Open
Dominika Cibulkova’s boldest decision has a touch of romance to it.
She and her then-boyfriend, Miso Navara, had been dating for a year when they decided that he would leave his job to travel on the tour with her.
“It was after one year, and we didn’t know how it was going to turn out,” she recalls in an exclusive WTA interview.
As she points out, it turned out pretty well: “We are together for seven years, we got married last year and we are one happy couple,” she beamed.
Marriage proved a good omen for the 27-year-old, as she finished the year as the WTA World No.5, her highest year-end ranking. It capped a brilliant run of form for Cibulkova: her four WTA titles in 2016 were more than any other player and she picked up her 400th career WTA win in the quarterfinals at 2017 Doha. And last season, she ended the year in spectacular style, winning the biggest title of her career so far at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
Cibulkova was marking International Women’s Day, which has ‘Be Bold For Change’ as its 2017 theme.
International Women’s Day falls on March 8 every year, and celebrates women’s contributions to culture, the economy, politics and society.
The WTA is excited to Smile With Strength™ with the help of new sponsor, Colgate® Enamel Health™ Toothpaste.
An exclusive partnership in the US and Canada, Colgate® Enamel Health™ has already joined forces with former World No.5 Eugenie Bouchard, who will serve as Brand Ambassador for the Smile With Strength™ campaign. The 2014 Wimbledon runner-up will be participating in retail promotions and the brand’s social media campaign.
Check out Bouchard’s tweet announcing this exciting new venture:
#ad Excited to announce my new “teammate” @Colgate #ColgateEnamelHealth Toothpaste! Now I #SmileWithStrength daily pic.twitter.com/QzWyQ6sPUM
— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) July 11, 2016
Karolina Pliskova talks about her feelings and expectations before the BNP Paribas Open.
GSTAAD, Switzerland – 16-year-old Rebeka Masarova brought the sunshine to a rainy week at the Ladies Championship Gstaad, recovering from a set down to defeat former World No.1 and No.2 seed Jelena Jankovic, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, to capture a win in her WTA main draw debut.
“I feel amazing,” she said after the match. “I prepared so well mentally and physically for this. I was so happy to play this match; I knew it’d be a good experience, but I wanted to win, and I’m glad I did!”
Masarova first turned heads a few weeks ago in Paris when she knocked out the top two junior seeds to win the junior French Open title. The feat earned her a wildcard into her debut WTA main draw appearance, one that was delayed thanks to multiple rain delays but finally got underway on Thursday.
“I resolved not to make too many mistakes, and was focused on what I had to do. I realized what she was doing to me; she was playing a lot to my backhand, and I had to play to her forehand. It wasn’t about winning the point anymore, it was about not missing. But when I had the opportunity to make a point, I did.”
The Swiss youngster will have the chance to go one better against Anett Kontaveit, who was among the event’s earliest winners with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Maria Sakkari all the way back on Monday.
Former World No.7 Patty Schnyder was Gstaad’s other wildcard entrant into Gstaad, but the veteran’s first WTA main draw appearance since 2011 didn’t go as planned as she fell to Katerina Siniakova, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.
“A couple points, and it could have gone either way. I wasn’t the luckiest, either,” Schnyder said after the match. “But we also have to talk about how tough it was to wait with the rain and to play in that wet and cold weather. It was a struggle for both, I know, but for my game, it’s helpful when the ball bounces high and it’s not too heavy. Normally I’d find these conditions in Gstaad, but not with the rain!”
Schnyder appeared in control before the rain interrupted their first round encounter, and though the Swiss star moved ahead by a break upon the resumption, Siniakova proved too strong in the end, serving out a narrow victory in just under two and a half hours.
“I could play the rallies, but just missing out on some important points. She’s also one who can play, pick the corners, run and defend. So I really had to play and make the rallies. Maybe some other conditions might have helped my balls be more effective, but it was the same for both.”
Despite the defeat, the comeback kid was feeling optimistic about how she fared against a WTA field – having played almost exclusively on the ITF Circuit since her comeback began last summer – and is looking forward to improving and getting the chance to challenge herself again.
“I’m a little bit disappointed still because I was enjoying being here, and to lose two tight sets is tough. But I’ll go on; I’m still having fun and it’s not that I feel like I have to quit or have heaps to work on. It’s just small things I have to work on that’ll help me win these kinds of matches.”
INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Former World No.38 Heather Watson got off to a good start on the first day of main draw play at the BNP Paribas Open, surviving a strong challenge from Nicole Gibbs, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, to book an exciting second-round clash with countrywoman and No.11 seed Johanna Konta.
? on the backhand winner from @HeatherWatson92! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/ZVm80ZFAaF
— WTA (@WTA) March 8, 2017
“The first set was very close; I think I just made a few more errors than I usually do,” she said during her on-court interview. “I tried to go for bigger targets to have bigger margin; I think that worked!”
Watson and Gibbs split their last two encounters, with the Brit recovering from a set down in their most recent meeting at last year’s French Open.
AMAZING pass from @HeatherWatson92! ? #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/VJXe1wXpp9
— WTA (@WTA) March 8, 2017
“I’m good friends with Nicole off the court,” added Watson. “She’s a great player, and her strengths lie in her grit and fight on the court. I knew she’d be fighting her hardest no matter what today, so I just had to make sure that I was playing well and fighting back.”
Unseeded in Indian Wells, the 24-year-old had yet to win a WTA main draw match in 2017. She nonetheless roared back from a set down against Gibbs, hitting 26 winners to 15 from her American opponent to advance in one hour and 49 minutes.
Up next for Watson is a familiar face and Fed Cup teammate in Konta; the pair won a decisive doubles rubber just three weeks ago to clinch a spot in World Group II Play-Offs for Great Britain.
.@HeatherWatson92 finishes a great rally in style! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/klBqgXrUlq
— WTA (@WTA) March 8, 2017
“Jo’s another good friend of mine; we just played Fed Cup together,” said Watson. “She’s playing brilliantly; she’s really shot up in the last year and a half. I look forward to it, and look forward to the challenge.”
Konta hasn’t played a match since, withdrawing from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships due to a left foot injury.
Over on Stadium 2, Monica Niculescu also came back from a set down to knock out fellow Romanian Sorana Cirstea, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Niculescu next plays No.15 seed Timea Bacsinszky.
GSTAAD, Switzerland – World No.85 Lara Arruabarrena completed the outstanding first round matches at the Ladies Championship Gstaad with an upset of No.4 seed Caroline Garcia on Friday.
A contest originally scheduled for Tuesday afternoon was eventually completed nearly 72 hours later, Arruabarrena emerging with a hard-fought 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4 victory.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever played a first round on Friday before! I was a bit surprised but we can’t do anything because it’s been raining,” Arruabarrena said. “I’ve played in Bogotá before, which is like 2,500 meters [above sea level], so this is not bad – thought it was going to be more tough, let’s say, but it’s okay, I like it.”
Arruabarrena’s experience in Bogotá, where she won the title in 2012 and has reached three subsequent quarterfinals, served her well as the match progressed, taking advantage of the faster conditions to romp through the second set then break decisively at the start of the third. Later on, she is due back on court to take on Carina Witthoeft for a place in the quarterfinals.
“I was expecting a tough match, obviously, and I think I played really well, serving really well. I have to play again this afternoon but there’s not a lot you can do,” she added.
Elsewhere, there was better news for the other three seeds in early action, with Kiki Bertens, Annika Beck and Julia Goerges all registering first-round victories. Goerges, the No.8 seed, was the most impressive, swatting aside Jana Cepelova, 6-0, 6-3, while No.3 seed Bertens saw off Tamira Paszek, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, and No.5 seed Beck beat Marina Erakovic, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.