Brisbane: Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Destanee Aiava
Svetlana Kuznetsova takes on Destanee Aiava in the second round at the Brisbane International.
Svetlana Kuznetsova takes on Destanee Aiava in the second round at the Brisbane International.
Elina Svitolina takes on Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals at the Brisbane International.
BUCHAREST, Romania – Aliaksandra Sasnovich snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova at the Bucharest Open on Monday.
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A contest lasting nearly two-and-a-half hours eventually went the way of Sasnovich, who fended off a match point to knock out the defending champion, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
After a bright start, the match looked to be slipping away from Sasnovich when Schmiedlova romped through the second then opened up a 5-2 lead in the decider. However, the No.3 seed was unable to deliver the knockout blow, coming within a point of victory when serving for the match.
Liberated by the apparent hopelessness of the situation, Sasnovich threw off the shackles, unleashing a courageous forehand winner to reach the sanctuary of deuce, then breaking back when Schmiedlova sent a nervous second serve into the net. A few games later she had a match point of her own, firing an ace out wide to complete the escape.
“It was tough today because I had 5-2 in third set and I had a match point so it’s disappointing and really sad I didn’t win,” Schmiedlova said. “I need to win some matches and I just need to go from first round to second round, to do as many matches as I can.
“I was hoping to get back to it but it didn’t happen today but I hope it’s going to be better next time.”
Also advancing to the second round were Cagla Buyukakcay, who beat Kristina Kucova, 6-0, 7-5, and Vania King, a 7-6(4), 6-0 winner over Paula Kania.
BRISBANE, Australia – Alizé Cornet played an inspired match to oust the reigning WTA Finals champion Dominika Cibulkova and secure her spot in the semifinals of the Brisbane International.
The No.2 seed Cibulkova had to mount a major comeback in her previous match when Zhang Shuai had her a set and a break down, but she couldn’t come up with enough to pull it off again as she fell to Cornet 6-3, 7-5.
Cornet, the only non-seed through to the quarterfinals, reached just one semifinal all of last year; now she’s knocked out the World No.5 to do so in her very first tournament of 2017.
What a rally! ?@AlizeCornet holds 5-2 in the opening set vs Cibulkova! #BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/tdAuyaETot
— WTA (@WTA) January 5, 2017
“What a start of the year! It’s the first week and I think my game is not so bad!” Cornet enthused after the match. “Beating a player like Dominika takes an amazing performance, everybody knows how much she fights and hits hard the ball. I’m just very, very, very happy.”
Cibulkova will likely rue her missed opportunities – she had ample chances to take the lead in the first set, with four break points coming in the first three games alone. But every time she was against the wall, the Frenchwoman found a first serve to bail her out of trouble as she did throughout the match.
A pair of daring back-to-back dropshots gave Cornet the first break of the match, which she quickly consolidated for a 4-1 lead after edging Cibulkova in a monumental effort. The pair were neck and neck throughout the first set, but as the match progressed it was Cornet that won the big points and close games.
Into a second set, Cornet continued to claim the scrappy points, changing up the pace and keeping the ball in play to force Cibulkova to make the error. The Slovak was visibly frustrated like many of Cornet’s opponents as the Frenchwoman went to the dropshot time and time again to build a 4-1 lead.
.@Cibulkova is back in it!
Levels the score 5-5 in the second set! #BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/CDP6N3gW40
— WTA (@WTA) January 5, 2017
Despite her vital first serves, Cornet struggled with double faults giving up 10 during the course of the match, including two in the same game to give Cibulkova a lifeline down 5-3. The World No.5 consolidated, finding ways to maneuver Cornet into the corners of the court to hit past her, finally breaking to level the set 5-5. But the Frenchwoman would not be denied and broke straight back, holding her nerve to serve it out after a two hour and three minute battle.
Cornet credited the good vibes in Australia for bringing out her best tennis, after all last year she won the title at the Hobart International.
“I always say Australia is a lucky charm for me, I always play good here! And Brisbane is a bigger tournament than Hobart, so being in the semifinal means a lot to me. I hope I’ll be ready and fit for the next match.”
Through to the Brisbane semifinals for the first time, Frenchwoman awaits the winner between No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza and No.5 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova to play for a spot in the final.
GSTAAD, Switzerland – UNAIDS has appointed Timea Bacsinszky, top seed at the Ladies Championship Gstaad, as a Global Advocate for Young People.
Bacsinszky will work to ensure that young people have access to the information and services needed to protect themselves from becoming infected with HIV and will encourage young people to get tested for the virus and seek immediate treatment if necessary to keep them alive and well.
“My generation has never known a world without HIV, but we have the power to change this for future generations,” said Bacsinszky. “Ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 will require commitment and perseverance to get the job done and this will only happen if we break down the stigma that still surrounds HIV.
“In tennis we are all equal on court – no matter what our nationality, gender, religion, or sexual orientation is. It is just you and your opponent. The rules of the game are the same for both players. Working with UNAIDS made me realize that in many countries, young people living with HIV/AIDS do not have equal rights and opportunities.
“Oftentimes, young people do not have access to relevant HIV prevention services, voluntary HIV testing, affordable treatment, and high quality care and support services. Or else, the fear of stigma and discrimination discourages them from disclosing their HIV status, which undermines their ability and willingness to access and adhere to treatment.
“If we want to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 we need to change this and I want to be part of that change – by lending my voice to spread the word about the needs of young people most affected by HIV, promoting HIV testing via social media channels and engaging young people in the AIDS response.”
Bacsinszky is supporting the UNAIDS #ProTESTHIV campaign, which encourages young people to become actively involved in promoting HIV testing and linkage to care and treatment services. People can find more information at protesthiv.org.
“Timea Bacsinszky’s energy and dedication on the tennis court are very clear,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “These are valuable qualities that will help to mobilize young people to join the global movement in response to HIV and become the generation to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.”
There are 36.7 million people living with HIV globally, 3.9 million of whom are young people aged 15 to 24. Young people are especially vulnerable to HIV infection. In 2015, there were an estimated 670 000 new HIV infections worldwide among young people aged 15 to 24, with young women accounting for 58% of new infections among this age group.
UNAIDS is the main charitable beneficiary of the Women’s Tennis Association Ladies Championship Gstaad in 2016.
All photos courtesy of the Ladies Championship Gstaad.
On this episode of Behind The Tour we take you inside the daily routine of our groundskeepers at Birmingham as they make sure the courts stay in top shape.
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Karolina Pliskova talks through her semifinal win over Elina Svitolina at the Brisbane International.
Karolina Pliskova had Saturday’s shot of the day at the Brisbane International.
An interview with Karolina Pliskova after she announced her withdrawal from the Apia International Sydney.