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From around the world

Bouchard Aces Olympic Style In Vogue

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Canada’s No.1 Eugenie Bouchard definitely shows her own style on the tennis court, but now it’s her off-court style that caught Vogue’s eye. The American fashion magazine named her as one of the five most stylish Olympic athletes to watch in Rio, and it’s no surprise why.

Here’s how the magazine described Genie’s famous street-style:

“With her all-Nike wardrobe, tennis ace Eugenie Bouchard displays plenty of style on the court, but during her off days she ditches the sporty gear for streetwise fashions. Often showing up in the kinds of limited-edition items that fashion insiders covet, Bouchard’s accessories game is on point. With a collection that includes Nike x Liberty trainers and straight-off-the-runway Chanel clutches, Bouchard understands the value of a statement piece.”

Click here for the full list of Vogue’s most stylish Olympians, and while you’re at it check out a couple of Genie’s best style moments, courtesy of her Instagram account:

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Bouchard Revival Continues Into Final

Bouchard Revival Continues Into Final

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

HOBART, Australia – Eugenie Bouchard battled past fellow former Top 10 player Dominika Cibulkova on Friday to reach the final of the Hobart International, her first WTA final since Wuhan in 2014.

The unseeded Bouchard, who had already taken out No.8 seed Alison Van Uytvanck and No.2 seed Camila Giorgi in the last two rounds, won the first set in just 22 minutes and was up a break four times in the second but ended up having to go to a third to edge the No.3-seeded Cibulkova, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

“I’m just happy I got through today,” Bouchard said. “The first set was a great level for me – I can’t remember the last time I played that well. Now the important thing is to keep that consistency. It was hard to keep it up – it’s another lesson I’ve learned, to control my emotions a little bit better.

“I don’t think I held serve in the second set, which is absolutely disgusting – I’m so disappointed in myself for that. But she was really putting pressure on me with her returns out there today.”

The 2014 Wimbledon finalist and former World No.5 has now won six of seven matches to start 2016.

She knew she was feeling good coming into Hobart – she spoke about it in her pre-tournament presser.

“I’m feeling pretty good. I wouldn’t want to play if I was somewhat prepared, so I worked really hard in the off-season to catch up a little bit,” Bouchard said. “I’m just so happy to be back on the court. That’s the most important thing – I’m so grateful and excited to be back playing on the tour again.

“I just love the feeling of playing tennis,” she added. “When you’re forced not to do something you really love, you realize you truly love it, and, for me, I realized how much I truly missed it.”

The other semifinal took place later in the afternoon and lasted 53 minutes, as No.7 seed Alizé Cornet held all seven of her service games and broke five times to beat Johanna Larsson, 6-1, 6-1.

Though Cornet is the higher-ranked of the two, No.42 to No.47, Bouchard leads the Frenchwoman in their head-to-head series, 2-1, winning their last two meetings in a row in straight sets, as well.

Cornet does have more experience in WTA finals though, going 4-5, while Bouchard is 1-3 lifetime.

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WTA Player Of The Month: Halep

WTA Player Of The Month: Halep

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Simona Halep completed her best month of the 2016 season with a second title in three weeks at the Rogers Cup – knocking out the likes of Svetlana Kuznetsova, Angelique Kerber, and Madison Keys en route to her third title of the season.

“I mean, I’m tired. It’s normal,” she told press after the final. “I had so many matches here, tough matches, also emotional. Was not easy.”

Coming to Montréal after a winning week at home in Bucharest, Halep did double duty in Canada, playing singles and doubles with partner Monica Niculescu – reaching the final of both events with a win over reigning French Open champions Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic in the latter.

“I had a lot of confidence coming here that I won five matches in a row in Bucharest.

“It was tough to come from the clay court to the hardcourt. But if I have confidence, I can play my game easy and I can win matches.

“Here I won matches with top players. That makes me more, like, happy and relaxed that I have a good level of tennis in this moment.”

Here more from Halep in the latest WTA Insider Podcast:

A good level might be an understatement for the young Romanian, who will ride a 10-match winning streak into the Western & Southern Open, a tournament where she reached the final in 2015. By her side will be coach Darren Cahill, whom she credits with her steady return to the form that took her as high as No.2 in the world.

“It helps me when he’s more relaxed than me; he just shows me that I have a good game and it’s good if I practice everything for the future, not just for the tournament.”

Back into the Top 3 for the first time since February, Halep did more than enough to earn her the mantle of July’s WTA Player of the Month!

Simona Halep

Final Results for July’s WTA Player Of The Month

1. Simona Halep (84%)
2. Venus Williams (9%)
3. Johanna Konta (5%)
4. Madison Keys (2%)

2016 WTA Player of the Month Winners

January: Angelique Kerber
February: Carla Suárez Navarro
March: Victoria Azarenka
April: Angelique Kerber
May: Garbiñe Muguruza
June: Serena Williams


How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com
 

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Johanna Konta made a successful comeback from the left foot injury that kept her out of the Middle East Swing with a 6-4, 6-4 win over fellow Brit Heather Watson at the BNP Paribas Open.

“I think it’s definitely challenging to adapt to these conditions,” she said  the air is a bit drier and the ball travels a bit quicker. When the wind picks up, that can also complicate things. But it’s a beautiful center court to play on, so I hope to extend my stay here as long as possible!”

Konta had been forced to sit out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships due to what she described as an “irritated nerve” after a strong start to the season – winning her second career title at the Apia International Sydney and reaching a second straight Australian Open quarterfinal – and had to shake off the rust early on against Watson, who earned a hard-fought win over Nicole Gibbs earlier in the week.

“I think there is definitely an adjustment period,” she added in her post-match press conference. “I hadn’t played a tour match since the Australian Open and Fed Cup was about three weeks ago. It’s not that long of a time, but in terms of the tour, it’s a bit of time.

“I think there were definitely some moments there I will definitely try to get better and better at as the tournament goes on, and hopefully I will get more opportunities to get more and more match fit.”

The countrywoman recently paired up to lead Great Britain into Fed Cup’s World Group II Play-Offs in February, but were all business in the California desert on Friday, trading blows from the back of the court throughout the 94 minute affair.

“We get along great off court. We actually recently spent quite a bit of time together because of Fed Cup. We had a great Fed Cup in Estonia. We had a little bit great experiences quite recently together.

“I think both of us went with the intention of giving our best and trying to do what we can to come through in the end. I was fortunate enough to come out on top today.”

The typically aggressive Konta maintained a fairly clean stat sheet – 20 winners to 21 unforced errors – and held on for a tense ending after Watson threatened to come back from 5-1 in the second set.

Up next for the British No.1 is No.21 seed Caroline Garcia, who ende the run of lucky loser Evgeniya Rodina, 6-3, 6-3.

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WTA Stars Headline USANA Celebration

WTA Stars Headline USANA Celebration

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

MELBOURNE, Australia – On Friday, USANA & the WTA “celebrated” in Melbourne to a crowd of over 1,100 Associates – up a few hundred Associates from last year – at USANA Australia Celebration. Hometown favorite and 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur was joined by fellow USANA players Sloane Stephens and Zheng Saisai.

As part of a three-day event taking place at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Stosur participated in an autograph session with the Associates, while Stephens and Zheng were on stage to speak about their career, motivations, and how USANA supplements have aided them in their athletic endeavors.

USANA is the Official Vitamin & Supplement Supplier of the WTA, and over 170 Athletes – including 8 out of the Top 10 and 15 out of the Top 20 use USANA products. Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, Genie Bouchard, and Madison Keys are among several USANA ambassadors, and 2016 marks the 10th Anniversary of the USANA-WTA partnership.

Check out some photos from the celebratory event:

Sam Stosur

Zheng Saisai, Sloane Stephens

Sam Stosur

All photos courtesy of USANA.

 

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Flipkens Downs Venus In Late Thriller

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Kirsten Flipkens saved her best tennis for the end of the day, taking out four-time Olympic gold medalist Venus Williams in a three hour marathon, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) to close out the opening day of the Olympic tennis event in Rio.

“My dream was to come to Rio, but to beat one of the greatest champions, that’s a second dream coming true,” Flipkens said after the match.

The unseeded Belgian, a first-time Olympian, split sets with Williams as the American took the opening set by imposing her powerful baseline game, but Flipkens battled back aggressive on the return and broke Williams’ serve four times to take the second.

In the deciding set, Flipkens surrendered the first break in the fourth game as Williams built up a 4-2 lead. But just as Williams was serving for the match at 5-3, weariness began to take its toll as the match neared the three-hour mark. Flipkens fought back and the match went to a tiebreak, where Williams’ errors at the net ended up costing her the match.

“I was already thinking in the third set that it was one of the most epic matches I’ve ever played,” Flipkens said. “I said to myself before the match that I would just enjoy the match and give 200% on each point.”

“I felt like I could win the match but at the same time I was enjoying it so much it was hard to keep focused. You’re playing Venus Williams, not some junior.”

Earlier in the day, another American was knocked out of the competition as Eugenie Bouchard defeated Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-3.

“I felt good out there, I was just trying to be very solid and I think I did that well,” Bouchard said. “I don’t think I gave her too many chances. I was there on every one of the return games. I was pushing her and I was close to breaking her a couple of times, so I am happy mentally. I was very focused.”

Bouchard grabbed the decisive break early on in both sets, and backed them up with aggressive play to book her spot in round two after an hour and fifteen minutes.

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Australian Open Outfits Unveiled

Australian Open Outfits Unveiled

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will show us the collections that major tennis clothing companies created for the Australian Open to ensure that the WTA stars look stylish, embody the uplifting spirit of the sunny sky above the courts and the glamorous Grand Slam status of the tournament, while at the same time cooling the players down with cutting-edge fabrics in scorching temperatures Down Under.

NikeCourt_Serena_Williams_4_native_600

With Nike creating a crop top for Serena Williams’ Australian Open campaign, we can say that this shirt style is entering the world of women’s tennis fashion in a big way. The 21-time Grand Slam winner, defending champion in Melbourne, will wear this bold yellow NikeCourt Premier Crop Top, equipped with mesh sections for increased breathability, and the mesh NikeCourt Victory Premier Skirt with all-around pleats.

 Nike-Court-Premier-Top-and-Skirt-Serena-Williams-Australian-Open-2016

The queen will be clad in yellow from head to toe, completing the bold look with these Nike Flare Shoes, which keep the feet locked in, ensuring that aggressive movers feel comfortable during intense matches.

Sharapova-AO-dress

Maria Sharapova is launching 2016 in a very sporty look, a fresh silhouette for the super glamorous Russian. The orange NikeCourt Maria Premier Dress features a higher cut neckline, mesh racerback with contrast zipper and skirt with inverted pleats for better movement. Tennis fans are excited to see how Masha will pull off this classic athletic design and, judging by the promotional image, all sports fashion enthusiasts will be more than pleased.

PREMIER-SLAM-DRESS-744954_100_A

Eugenie Bouchard will wear this ultra lightweight NikeCourt Premier Slam Dress, made of perforated Dri-Fit mesh fabric focused on keeping players cool during grueling matches. The gradient stripes add to the dress’ summery and youthful feel, while dropped skirt back ensures that players do not have to worry about their behinds being exposed in demanding rallies.

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Ana Ivanovic’s adidas Spring adizero Dress is part of a collection inspired by German Bauhaus art style, displaying unique stacked graphic, with letters subliminally spelling ‘TENNIS’. The 3-in-1 dress comes together with sports bra and shorts.

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Simona Halep will debut the alternative pleated skirt and tank outfit.

 Caroline-Wozniacki-Stella-McCartney-Adidas-dress-for-Australian-Open-2016

Caroline Wozniacki’s adidas Spring Stella McCartney Tour Dress combines coral pink and power rose pink in figure-flattering colorblocks celebrating female curves. At closer look you would see mesh at the neckline, racerback and sides, which are not only functional in terms of breathability, but they also give a nice visual touch as textural elements.

Garbine Muguruza's Australian Open 2016 outfit

Garbiñe Muguruza’s Australian Open separates remind of a sunset with their orange, red and pink tones, especially because of the quarter-circle colorblock at the adidas Spring Stella McCartney Tour Tank. The ventilated climacool® design and its open mesh inserts in crucial heat zones help wick sweat away and channel cool air in.

Ellesse SS16 outfit -A2

Ellesse also introduced touches of orange in their design, nicely matching the company’s logo and flirting with sunny colors just enough to add a vibrant pop of color on the light background perfect for summer days. Monica Puig will have the pleasure of rocking this look at Melbourne Park.

Brushstroke_Print_NYC_Inspire_Dress_grande

Venus Williams will wear the printed EleVen Brushstrokes NYC Inspire Dress, featuring a V-neck, raglan sleeves, thin vertical keyhole cutout at upper back and contrast double criss-crossed stripes at bodice for a slimming effect.

Agnieszka-Radwanska-Lotto-tennis-dress-for-Australian-Open-2016

Agnieszka Radwanska will be a lady in pink. The Lotto Spring Nixia Dress looks cute with its dropped waist and pleated skirt, while the back gives the edge, with dominant mesh that makes the back bold and attractive, whilst providing increased ventilation.

Jelena Jankovic's Fila Australian Open 2016 dress

Jelena Jankovic will wear the Fila Platinum Dress, from the brand’s luxe Platinum collection that includes black, white and safety yellow hues, bold colorblocking and a print that echoes the energy of a tennis ball in motion. The item is made of body-temperature-regulating THERMOCOOL™ fabric, so that players can stay comfortable and focused on the game.

Tennis fashion enthusiasts have many reasons to look forward to the upcoming fortnight in Melbourne!

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Ask The Olympians: Rio Anticipation

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

“It’s a tournament everyone wants to play, but it’s all about the medal,” says two-time Wimbledon winner and 2012 Olympian Petra Kvitova.

What are her fellow players looking forward to most ahead of the Olympic tennis event in Rio de Janeiro? Watch the video above to find out!

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