Belarus, USA Triumph in Thrilling Fed Cup Semifinals
A pair of 3-2 victories were on the cards for both Belarus and the United States on Sunday, as the two nations advance to the 2017 Fed Cup Final.
A pair of 3-2 victories were on the cards for both Belarus and the United States on Sunday, as the two nations advance to the 2017 Fed Cup Final.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – As Caroline Wozniacki hurtled to all corners of the court before unleashing an unerringly accurate winner to close out her upset win over Svetlana Kuznetsova on Wednesday afternoon, it felt as if someone had wound back the clock.
The manner of the comeback drew instant parallels with two displays from the Dane’s pomp against the same player at the same venue. The first of these, during the a fourth round tussle seven years ago, came from a particularly perilous position, Wozniacki trailing the Russian 6-2, 4-1 only to somehow resuscitate her ailing challenge.
“Definitely I was a much different player back then. I love playing here at the Open. I have great memories here,” Wozniacki said. “I have had matches against Sveta so many times before here where she’s been killing literally on court 6-1, 4-1, and then I have managed to come back and win the match in three sets.
“It’s like, You know what? Just keep going, wait for your opportunity and your chance, and I did that today.”
In both 2009 and 2011, Wozniacki went on to reach the latter stages of the tournament; indeed, in 2009 she would come within one win of that elusive Grand Slam title, only to be denied by Kim Clijsters own fairytale run.
Two years ago, Wozniacki returned to the final once more, this time losing out to the imperious Serena Williams. Since then success has been rather thin on the ground, injuries sending her ranking tumbling down to No.74. However, the former World No.1 is not contemplating hanging up the racquets just yet.
“I think, you know, when you’re home for a big amount of time you realize that, you know, life goes on and you kind of get a rhythm at home. I was actually enjoying my time, making the most of the time that I had,” Wozniacki said about her time away from the tour this spring recovering from an ankle injury.
“I haven’t been able to be home for three months in a row for the last probably over 10 years. So, you know, if I have to look at the positive of things, that was a positive. But I always had in my head that I just have to keep working hard and I’ll come back and hopefully play strong and play well. I knew that it’s not easy to come back, and especially, you know, you are going to get tough draws. I’m a player that needs matches to kind of get into the tournament.
“But I wasn’t thinking about quitting. I mean, I know that I have a lot of opportunities, I have a lot of other interests, and my life is going to be good regardless. But, you know, I’m still young. Hopefully I have a few more years in me.”
UPSET ?: Out goes No. 9 Kuznetsova. Two-time #usopen finalist #Wozniacki is into the third round! @Chase https://t.co/WubDV9q2aI
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) 31 August 2016
WTA Insider | In the latest WTA Insider Live Blog, Simona Halep leads Thursday’s order of play, likely under the roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Petra Kvitova has cut a relaxed figure so far at the US Open. So relaxed, in fact, that she is trialing an unconventional approach to practice.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Samantha Stosur is widely regarded as one of the most popular players on tour. And it is easy to understand why; magnanimous in defeat, honest to the press and generous with her time for other players, Stosur is not one for airs and graces.
One player who will testify to the above is Zhang Shuai. A regular practice partner of the Australian, Zhang sought her counsel at a particularly low ebb. In fact it was Stosur that talked the Chinese player out of hanging up the racquets for good, during a meal in Beijing last year.
The sisterly pep talk seemed to do the trick as just a few months later Zhang ended her long-running Grand Slam hoodoo by making it all the way through qualifying and into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
The 27-year-old looks capable of replicating this success at the US Open where she is through to the third round following a bittersweet upset of Stosur.
“She helped me a lot last year when I thought about retiring. She told me to keep going and not give up. She tried to help me by playing doubles,” Zhang said.
“It’s a tough feeling playing her and I feel sad for Sam. She always tries her best, she loves the game. I hope that next time we will meet later in the tournament.”
Zhang had lost her only previous meeting with Stosur, at Roland Garros this May, and admitted afterwards that it was a result she believed beyond her: “Before the match I didn’t think I could beat her because she was a champion of the US Open and she has very good serve and very good spinning forehand. It’s very tough to play her. She beat me in the French Open so this gives me a lot of confidence.”
Next up is another fearsome ball-striker, Yaroslava Shvedova, as Zhang attempts to follow in the footsteps of compatriots Peng Shuai and Li Na by reaching the second week in New York.
“I am very excited. I love New York. Now I want to focus on my tennis and not on the fact that I am the last Chinese woman left in the competition.”
Zhang Shuai floored to be in the 3R @usopen. “Usually when other people start the tournament I’m already in China,” referring to 1R history.
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) 2 September 2016
WTA Insider | On the first WTA Insider Live Blog of the second week, can World No.2 Angelique Kerber defeat Petra Kvitova to reach the US Open quarterfinal?
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Sunday saw the identity of the first four quarterfinalists at this year’s US Open revealed. Among their number is the evergreen Roberta Vinci, her victory over Lesia Tsurenko ensuring Italy has a representative at this stage for the ninth year in succession.
Joining the WTA Insider team on the latest podcast is Italian journalist Luca Baldissera to discuss his compatriot’s chances against World No.2 Angelique Kerber in the last eight.
In the latest Daily Dispatch hear from Anastasija Sevastova’s entertaining and insightful press conference, Madison Keys, Petra Kvitova and a preview of the remaining fourth-round clashes:
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Angelique Kerber is closing in on the No.1 ranking but her work is far from done in New York. It’s quarterfinal time at the US Open! Chris Oddo previews Tuesday’s action for wtatennis.com.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Caroline Wozniacki’s fairytale in New York continued with a 6-0, 6-2 quarterfinal win over Anastasija Sevastova at the US Open.
“It feels great,” she told press when asked about returning to the semifinals. “It’s a tournament that I love. I love being here. I love playing in this incredible stadium.”
Wozniacki had spent most of the spring struggling with an ankle injury that ruled her out of the clay court season, but it was Sevastova who had her own ankle issues on Tuesday night. Rolling it just two games into the match, the Latvian stuggled to win games after getting injured.
“For sure it was affecting my play, but I’m not a person that likes to retire during a match, so I just tried my best,” Sevastova said after the match.
“But the movement was different. It was harder to move. And also on serve it was harder to get out of the serve.”
Sevastova managed to get on the board late in the second set, forcing the Dane to serve out her first Grand Slam semifinal in exactly two years.
“I think I was just extra focused, because I saw her fall in that second game,” Wozniacki said. “She stood up, and I knew if she can still walk and still put weight on it and stuff then she’s going to go obviously more for her shots and stuff like that.
“But I thought, cool. I kept serving well and made her run. I’m pleased with how I managed to keep composed.”
“I'm going to make the most of the opportunity that I get here.” – @CaroWozniacki #usopen https://t.co/j7vdaqWiYu pic.twitter.com/Qbv3iENCTO
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2016
Starting the tournament down at No.74, Wozniacki has looked stronger with each performance, taking out two Top 10 players in Svetlana Kuznetsova and Madison Keys, and will face an old foe in No.2 seed Angelique Kerber, who is aiming to earn the No.1 ranking Wozniacki herself held for 67 weeks.
“I think when you’re a little kid and you don’t know what anything really means, everybody knows what it means to be the best in the world and everybody knows what it means to be No. 1.
“Obviously being No. 1 in the world is extremely special, and I’m sure Angie is feeling it, too. I’m sure that she is going to do everything to get that ranking. She’s been playing really well this year.
“It’s something that very few people in the world has ever achieved. I mean, how crazy is it to say that you’re the best in the world at something? Doesn’t matter if tennis, football, being a lawyer, whatever it is. It’s really special.
“Right now, for me, being 70-something, it doesn’t really mean much to me. I still believe and feel like I’m one of the top players and grinding my way back, so that’s why I’m saying for me the ranking is just a number right now, because I’m not No. 1 and there is a long way for me right now to get back to No. 1.
“But I’m doing my best to just play my best tennis and have fun with it. It’s really all that I can do right now.”
Kerber advanced earlier in the day after a tricky opening set against 2015 finalist Roberta Vinci, winning, 7-5, 6-0, to reach her second career US Open semifinal.
“I have seen the results and she’s been doing great. I’m really happy for her. She’s a hard worker.
“But to be honest, when I was injured I didn’t watch one match. I don’t know. I have to watch tapes. Obviously I have had tough matches against her in the past. She’s a great competitor. She looks fit, so it’s going to be a tough one.”
A great tournament for #Sevastova ends at the hands of @CaroWozniacki. 6-0 6-2. Onto the Semis! #usopen @chase https://t.co/5or0rih41f
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2016
Agnieszka Radwanska had the shot of the match in the quarterfinals at the Qatar Total Open.