Tennis News

DUBAI, UAE – Top seed Angelique Kerber came out on top of a much-anticipated Olympic rematch against Monica Puig, dispatching the Puerto Rican star, 6-2, 6-3 to reach her first quarterfinal at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

“It’s tough to play against Monica,” she said during her on-court interview. “I know we we played a very good match in Rio and she deserved to win in the end; she played an unbelievable match. Today I was really happy with my performance; I was trying to stay focused and play my game. I’m happy to be in the next round here!”

“I was really not thinking too much about our final in Rio, because it was a completely totally different match than today,” she later elaborated in press.

“Tonight it was a new match, new challenge for me. So I was focusing more on the day today than looking back to the last match.”

Amazing court coverage from @AngeliqueKerber! ? #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/QVoUiO8QDr

— WTA (@WTA) February 22, 2017

Puig is in the midst of playing her best tennis since capturing Puerto Rico’s first gold medal, having reached the semifinals of the Qatar Total Open just last week. But Kerber made the best of a difficult draw to pull off some of her own best on Wednesday night, hitting 14 winners to just 12 unforced errors in the 65 minute match.

.@AngeliqueKerber smashes it past Puig! ?? pic.twitter.com/mcVBksNXVF

— WTA (@WTA) February 22, 2017

“I was trying to keep focusing on the next point, serve and move as well as I could.”

The unseeded Puig nonetheless acquitted herself well on the center court, hitting 20 winners, but a combination of 25 unforced errors and a zero for five break point conversion rate proved her undoing. Kerber, by contrast, broke serve four times, including on match point in the last game.

How did @AngeliqueKerber do this?! ? #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/xyg4vRezPT

— WTA (@WTA) February 22, 2017

“I never played so well here, so I think things have changed a little bit this year. I feel really good on the court and I’m looking forward to playing my first quarterfinal.”

It’s been a tough start to the season for Kerber, who fell in her opening match in Doha last week to Daria Kasatkina – her second loss to the young Russian this season – but admitted to feeling under the weather during the tour’s stormy week in Qatar.

“I was a little bit sick last week. So that’s why I’m happy that I found my rhythm again. Yeah, I’m enjoying the tennis on court again.

“I was not sure how I was feeling on court because of the last week, and that’s why that was a little bit different.

“I was trying to just go out here, to make the transition from like I was practicing to the match, because I was practicing good in the last few weeks and also in the last few months.”

Up next for the former World No.1 is Croatian teen Ana Konjuh, who recovered from a set and a break down to upset No.8 seed Elena Vesnina, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4); Kerber won their only previous meeting back in 2015 at the Bank of the West Classic.

“She plays well; we’ve played a few matches in the past and I know it’ll be another tough one, but I think I’m ready to go out and win my next match.”

.@AngeliqueKerber advances to @DDFTennis Quarterfinals!

Cruises past Puig 6-2, 6-3! pic.twitter.com/UndZ60qinu

— WTA (@WTA) February 22, 2017

Into the last eight in Dubai, Kerber is just three wins away from wresting hte top spot back from Australian Open champion Serena Williams, but you won’t catch Kerber thinking too much about that prospect.

“I’m taking things match by match. I’m just trying to focus on playing good tennis and enjoying this week.”

GSTAAD, Switzerland – World No.797 Rebeka Masarova’s dream run at the Ladies Championship Gstaad continued on Saturday with a straight set win over No.5 seed Annika Beck.

Delivering another performance to belie her tender years – and lowly ranking – Masarova prevailed 7-5, 6-2 to set up an all-Swiss semifinal with Viktorija Golubic.

Earlier this summer, Masarova tripped up a couple of highly touted rivals to lift the junior French Open title. It was a performance that earned her a wildcard for the WTA’s return to Swiss soil, a chance she grabbed with both hands by knocking out first former No.1 Jelena Jankovic then Anett Kontaveit in the opening two rounds.

Beck had her chances, but despite serving for the opening set she was unable to avoid becoming the 16-year-old’s third Top 100 victim.

“It’s just amazing that I’ve won another match. I can’t quite believe I’ve beaten three Top 100 players so far this week. I think I played a great match against Annika and I hope I can keep this going in the semis!”

Golubic was made to work far harder in her quarterfinal, eventually subduing Carina Witthoeft, 7-6(4), 7-6(4).

The other semifinal will also feature a Swiss player, after top seed Timea Bacsinszky raced past Johanna Larsson, 6-0, 6-1 in just 56 minutes. Her reward is a meeting with No.3 seed Kiki Bertens, a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Irina Khromacheva.

Three swisswomen in semifinal! WOW! HOPP Schwiiz! @TimeaOfficial #Golubic #Masarova ????? @WTA_Gstaad pic.twitter.com/fHuR4iJjrk

— Davide Valentini (@DavideLiberista) 16 July 2016

“I am very happy how I played the last game – it was great,” the Latvian told press after winning in an hour and 21 minutes.

Anastasija Sevastova is first through to @DDFTennis Semifinals!

Slides past Wang 6-4, 7-5! pic.twitter.com/Wh9AeknZ44

— WTA (@WTA) February 23, 2017

Currently ranked No.35, she will reach a career high on Monday after her campaign in Dubai.

Yet she had struggled to dominate this quarterfinal thanks to her opponent’s battling spirit, and it was Wang who struck first, breaking serve to take a 3-1 lead in the opening set.

The 26-year-old hit right back, though, and went on to take the first set – but Wang was not ready to give up. Even after falling behind by a break of serve in the second set, she clawed her way right back into it to level up at 5-5.

Despite the Chinese player’s determination, Sevastova eventually managed to serve it out on her third match point to secured herself a deserved semifinal berth against either CiCi Bellis or Caroline Wozniacki.

“I’m going to watch the match,” Sevastova added. “CiCi played an amazing match yesterday, Caroline has a perfect record against me…we’ll see how it is tomorrow.”

GSTAAD, Switzerland – Local favorite Victorija Golubic capped off a dream week by winning her first WTA title at the inaugural Ladies Championship Gstaad. Golubic defeated Kiki Bertens 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after a two-hour battle to claim the title in her home country.

More to come…

Geschafft!!!!! Viktorija Golubic gewinnt die Ladies Championship Gstaad!!!! #wtagstaad pic.twitter.com/M32RvfI4WI

— Ladies Open Gstaad (@WTA_Gstaad) July 17, 2016

BASTAD, Sweden – A relieved Anna Karolina Schmiedlova returned to winning ways with a straight set victory over Susanne Celik in the first round of the Ericsson Open on Monday afternoon.

Watch live action from Bastad, Stanford and Washington DC this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Schmiedlova’s 6-1, 6-3 win was her first at a WTA event since January and sets up a second-round meeting with either Katerina Siniakova and Jana Cepelova.

“I’m really happy that I won because I lost, I don’t know how many – I didn’t count – maybe 15 matches in a row, so it’s a special feeling and I’m very happy,” Schmiedlova said.

“It was a good match. She played well – I didn’t know her very well as I hadn’t played her – and I think she can be a good player. But I’m really happy that I won, even thought I was a little bit nervous at the end.”

If Schmiedlova was feeling pressure at the end, she masked it well, reeling off the final three games to close out a morale-boosting victory. Having lost so matches – many from commanding positions – the overriding feeling after finally making it across the line was of relief.

“I’ve been playing better the past weeks. I also played well at Roland Garros – I lost against Muguruza, but it was three sets and I really felt good. Also last week [in Bucharest] I lost from match point up, so I’ve already played tough matches and maybe today I was a little bit more experienced than her at this level,” she added.

Elsewhere in the top half of the draw, Karina Knapp defeated Denisa Allertova, 6-2, 6-4. Meanwhile, in the final round of qualifying, there were wins for Katerina Siniakova, Kateryna Kozlova, Lucie Hradecka, Jana Cepelova and Sara Sorribes Tormo.