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Wimbledon: The Last 20 Champions

Wimbledon: The Last 20 Champions

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970
Steffi Graf won her second straight Wimbledon final against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1996.

Steffi Graf won her second straight Wimbledon final against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1996.

16-year-old Martina Hingis became the youngest Wimbledon winner since Lottie Dodd in 1887, but did so at the expense of good friend and doubles partner Jana Novotna, who was playing her first major final since her heartbreaking loss to Steffi Graf in 1993 at the All England Club.

16-year-old Martina Hingis became the youngest Wimbledon winner since Lottie Dodd in 1887, but did so at the expense of good friend and doubles partner Jana Novotna, who was playing her first major final since her heartbreaking loss to Steffi Graf in 1993 at the All England Club.

But Novotna finally won her Wimbledon trophy one year later in 1998, upsetting Hingis in the semifinals and defeating Nathalie Tauziat in the championship match.

But Novotna finally won her Wimbledon trophy one year later in 1998, upsetting Hingis in the semifinals and defeating Nathalie Tauziat in the championship match.

Lindsay Davenport ended Steffi Graf's hopes for a 23rd Grand Slam title by winning her second major in under a year and defeating the German in her final Wimbledon appearance.

Lindsay Davenport ended Steffi Graf’s hopes for a 23rd Grand Slam title by winning her second major in under a year and defeating the German in her final Wimbledon appearance.

Venus won the first of her five Wimbledon titles to kick off the new millennium, knocking out Hingis, sister Serena, and defending champion Davenport for her long-awaited first Grand Slam title.

Venus won the first of her five Wimbledon titles to kick off the new millennium, knocking out Hingis, sister Serena, and defending champion Davenport for her long-awaited first Grand Slam title.

Venus repeated the feat in 2001, becoming the first woman to win two Wimbledons in a row since Graf in 1996, defeating a young Justine Henin, who was playing her first major final, in three sets.

Venus repeated the feat in 2001, becoming the first woman to win two Wimbledons in a row since Graf in 1996, defeating a young Justine Henin, who was playing her first major final, in three sets.

Venus and Serena played the first of four all-Williams Wimbledon finals in 2002, with younger sister coming out on top for her first victory at the All England Club, which became the second leg of her 2002-2003 Serena Slam.

Venus and Serena played the first of four all-Williams Wimbledon finals in 2002, with younger sister coming out on top for her first victory at the All England Club, which became the second leg of her 2002-2003 Serena Slam.

The sisters met again in 2003 for an epic three-set final that saw Serena capture her fifth Grand Slam title in six appearances.

The sisters met again in 2003 for an epic three-set final that saw Serena capture her fifth Grand Slam title in six appearances.

Wimbledon at 17: Maria Sharapova toppled Serena Williams in straight sets to capture her first major title, catapulting her to the top of the women's game in 2004.

Wimbledon at 17: Maria Sharapova toppled Serena Williams in straight sets to capture her first major title, catapulting her to the top of the women’s game in 2004.

Seeded No.14, Venus Williams overcame all kinds of adversity to up-end Davenport for her first major title since 2001, saving a match point and winning the longest women's final in Wimbledon history back in 2005.

Seeded No.14, Venus Williams overcame all kinds of adversity to up-end Davenport for her first major title since 2001, saving a match point and winning the longest women’s final in Wimbledon history back in 2005.

Less than six months after her first major title, Amélie Mauresmo struck gold at Wimbledon, denying Henin of the Career Grand Slam to clinch her first Wimbledon title in 2006.

Less than six months after her first major title, Amélie Mauresmo struck gold at Wimbledon, denying Henin of the Career Grand Slam to clinch her first Wimbledon title in 2006.

Ranked outside the Top 30, Venus became the lowest ranked and lowest seeded woman in Wimbledon history to capture the Venus Rosewater dish, taking out surprise finalist Marion Bartoli for her fourth title at the All England Club.

Ranked outside the Top 30, Venus became the lowest ranked and lowest seeded woman in Wimbledon history to capture the Venus Rosewater dish, taking out surprise finalist Marion Bartoli for her fourth title at the All England Club.

Venus made it two in a row once more in 2008, earning her first win over sister Serena in a Grand Slam final since 2001 for her fifth Wimbledon title.

Venus made it two in a row once more in 2008, earning her first win over sister Serena in a Grand Slam final since 2001 for her fifth Wimbledon title.

Serena got her revenge in 2009, defeating Venus in straight sets for her second major title of the season.

Serena got her revenge in 2009, defeating Venus in straight sets for her second major title of the season.

Serena defended her Wimbledon title for the second time in her illustrious career, defeating Vera Zvonareva in straight sets.

Serena defended her Wimbledon title for the second time in her illustrious career, defeating Vera Zvonareva in straight sets.

Petra Kvitova became the first woman born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam, surprising Maria Sharapova to win her first of two Wimbledon titles in 2011.

Petra Kvitova became the first woman born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam, surprising Maria Sharapova to win her first of two Wimbledon titles in 2011.

After a harrowing two-year odyssey dealing with injuries and illness, Serena won her first major title since 2010, surviving a second-set fightback from Agnieszka Radwanska in the final. Serena came back to the All England Club three weeks later to win a pair of Olympic Gold medals.

After a harrowing two-year odyssey dealing with injuries and illness, Serena won her first major title since 2010, surviving a second-set fightback from Agnieszka Radwanska in the final. Serena came back to the All England Club three weeks later to win a pair of Olympic Gold medals.

Marion Bartoli made her Grand Slam dream come true in 2013, stunning Sabine Lisicki in straight sets as the Frenchwoman won her first major title before retiring a few weeks later.

Marion Bartoli made her Grand Slam dream come true in 2013, stunning Sabine Lisicki in straight sets as the Frenchwoman won her first major title before retiring a few weeks later.

Kvitova won her second Wimbledon title in 2014, playing emphatic tennis over the fortnight leading up to a brilliant display in the championship match against Eugenie Bouchard.

Kvitova won her second Wimbledon title in 2014, playing emphatic tennis over the fortnight leading up to a brilliant display in the championship match against Eugenie Bouchard.

Serena's sixth Wimbledon title may have been her most special, as it helped her clinch her second Serena Slam. The World No.1 will nonetheless be in the hunt for title No.7 next week at the All England Club.

Serena’s sixth Wimbledon title may have been her most special, as it helped her clinch her second Serena Slam. The World No.1 will nonetheless be in the hunt for title No.7 next week at the All England Club.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – No.3 seed Karolina Pliskova roared back from a set down to dispatch Olympic Gold medalist Monica Puig, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, to complete the top half’s third round line up at the BNP Paribas Open.

“I’m definitely happy I had my serve today; it was working with me, especially in the third set when I was 0-3 down,” she noted during her on-court interview. “I’m happy with the win. It wasn’t easy; she was playing really well, hitting the balls really fast and deep, making it tough for me to play my game. But I’m happy.

“It was far from what my plan was to play, and how my game should be,” she added to WTA Insider. “I don’t think I deserved to win tonight, but it happened.”

Puig had never taken a set from her Czech rival, but nonetheless began the night session in the sort of form that helped her win the Olympic tennis event in Rio de Janeiro, breaking Pliskova four times to sweep the opening set.

“The whole match was more about her; the one thing on my side was my serve, which is definitely better than hers. The baseline game was off for me and she was hitting so well. I couldn’t play aggressive, or play my game. When I put in a second serve she was being aggressive.

“I wasn’t feeling this bad in a long time!”

Undaunted, the Brisbane International and Qatar Total Open champion dug in her heels from there, earning several service breaks of her own and serving out the second set to level the match.

“I was just waiting for my chances; I know she can miss some shots when things get closer, and that’s what she did. But then I started terrible in the third set; at least it was just one break there.”

The Puerto Rican No.1 took another quick lead to start the decider, racing out to 3-0 as the upset appeared inevitable. But Pliskova fought through a long sixth game to help turn the tide once and for all, winning six of the last seven games to book her spot in the third round.

“First rounds are always tough, especially for the seeds because of the pressure. She’d had a match already, so that helped her. I was also practicing during the day, so the conditions were definitely different. Hopefully I got something from this and I can learn and move on.

“It can’t get any worse than today!”

In all, Pliskova hit 19 winners to 34 unforced errors and converted five of her seven break point opportunities. Puig proved the greater aggressor in the match, but 37 unforced errors canceled out her 32 impressive winners.

“All my practices were good, and nothing was close to this. I surprised myself with how I was playing. She was playing fast, plus the conditions, and I ended up framing so many shots.

“I’d beaten her three times before, but she can play really good tennis. She maybe gave me a few games and that’s why she lost, but otherwise she was playing great.”

Up next for the World No.3 is No.28 seed Irina-Camelia Begu, who defeated American Louisa Chirico, 6-1, 7-5.

“My sister played her in Australia. I know she can hit good shots; her backhand side is really good. I have to be more aggressive and bring more power; today was so bad!”

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Vesnina Vanquishes Watson In Eastbourne

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

EASTBOURNE, England – 2013 champion Elena Vesnina got her Aegon International Eastbourne campaign off to a winning start, storming past British No.2 Heather Watson in straight sets for a spot in the second round.

Watch live action from Eastbourne this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

The Russian needed just over an hour to oust the home favorite 6-2, 6-3, and grab her first grass court win of the season.

“It was really a nice atmosphere on the court because a lot of people came to watch our match,” the Russian said. “It was really tough conditions: windy, smoggy at the end. I’m really happy that I won this difficult match.”

Despite the conditions, Vesnina was in full flight against the Brit in the overcast Eastbourne. After starting out in a deadlock, Vesnina left Watson reeling when she rattled off four games in a row to snap up the first set 6-2. Watson continued to struggle in the second set before giving up a late break to hand Vesnina the match.

Vesnina won 71% of points behind her first serve and not facing a break point in the entire match. She struck 24 winners to 16 unforced errors, compared to Watson’s 13 and 17. Vesnina was especially dominating at the net, winning 12 of her 14 net points.

“I’m really happy to be back in Eastbourne,” Vesnina said after her win. “It’s bringing me some good memories from winning the title here in 2013. Of course, it’s tough to play Heather here in England again with everyone supporting her.”

Nevertheless, the win is a good omen for the Russian: in 2013, Vesnina beat out Watson in the second round on her way to the title.

After ousting the home favorite in commanding fashion, Vesnina will next look to thwart Belinda Bencic’s happy homecoming to Eastbourne. Bencic, the defending champion, kicked her 2015 season into high gear at the Aegon International last year and already has a semifinal appearance at the Ricoh Open under her belt.

Watson wasn’t the only local who took a tumble in the first round. Of the four Brits in the main draw, three lost today as Tara Moore and Naomi Broady were sent crashing out.

Monica Puig played through a thick fog in her 6-1, 6-1 against Broady, and admitted that the blustery conditions were difficult to adjust to.

“Just keeping my focus was the main key, Puig said. “I knew the points weren’t going to be long, so I just had to be very aware of what was going on.

“I’ve never played in a sea mist before. It was really something, it was tough to see the ball!”

Joining Vesnina and Puig in the second round are Eugenie Bouchard, Andrea Petkovic and Ekaterina Makarova.

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Kristyna Pliskova is ready to make her mark. As her twin sister No.3 Karolina Pliskova enjoyed a breakout season in 2016, Kristyna quietly carved her own path, grinding away on the ITF Circuit to break into the Top 100, capping off her season with her first title at the Tashkent Open.

Kristyna has continued to build on the momentum gained during her 2016 finish, having notched quality wins over the first three months of the season. She took Johanna Konta to three sets at the Shenzhen Open in January, beat Roberta Vinci in at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, and steamrolled Daria Kasatkina in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open, winning 6-0, 6-3.

Asked whether she was surprised by how easily she dispatched the No.33 seed, Kristyna spoke with the same candor and self-awareness as her sister.

“Not really because I know how I can play and this wasn’t even my best,” she said. “So I’m not that surprised. Of course, I’m happy because it was easy, by the score at least.”

“When I play fast (with power) it’s very difficult [for my opponents] to put everything in. Especially with [my] serve.”

Kristyna’s power game in built around that lefty serve. She holds the record for most aces fired in a match, hitting 31 against Monica Puig at the 2016 Australian Open. It’s an obvious difference from Karolina’s right-handed game, but it’s also the most significant, one that compels both sisters to insist that their games are different.

There’s just something about Czech lefties. Growing up together, Kristyna was the more highly-touted of the twins, and she made good on the hype when she won the 2010 Wimbledon junior title; Karolina won the Australian Open junior title that same year. En route, Kristyna beat the likes of Sloane Stephens and Yulia Putintseva, and later became the first of the sisters to crack the Top 100 on the WTA rankings. 

But the pro game brought different challenges, and it took Kristyna longer to find a level of consistency to build her ranking.

She finally got traction after the US Open. “I changed coaches because I spent a couple of months alone and it wasn’t working,” Kristyna told WTA Insider earlier this season. “I had no one to travel with. I went once with my father, once with my fitness coach, and it was a mess.

“During the US Open I found one coach, Martin Fassate. He was with Klara Koukalova and Petra Cetkovska, but Petra is injured. He has a lot of experience. He is really, really, really positive. That’s good for me. So we agreed to try in China. We won two tournaments out of three. Not bad.”

Kristyna Pliskova

“I think I’m improving [my] standard level,” she told reporters in Indian Wells. “So I’m not going one tournament good and then three tournaments, first round, which is perfect for me. I’m happy, but I need more matches with the Top 10 players so I can get used to them a bit too. I think out of the Top 20 and Top 30, I think I’m fine. Not every time, but I feel confident with them. But I think Top 10 is different so we will see on Sunday.”

On Sunday she takes on World No.5 Dominika Cibulkova, who survived a tough test against Jelena Ostapenko in the second round, winning in three sets. It will be her sixth career match against a Top 10 player and she’ll be looking for her first complete match win (she beat Belinda Bencic by retirement last year in Miami).

“I’ve never played her,” Kristyna said. “I will ask Karolina, maybe she will say something. But she has a bad [head-to-head] against her too. So maybe I’ll just stick to my plan. I think last time she won, but, like, five times she lost. Maybe I won’t even ask,” she said, laughing.

Asked whether she thinks playing a Top 10 player is a big jump up, Kristyna said it was more about the mental game. “I played Angelique Kerber in Melbourne and when you go there and play No.1, I just had that in my mind. So she had the first set for free because I had this in my mind.

“I don’t think they play any different level, especially with the girls it can change the ranking a lot,” she said. If you play Serena it’s different. But all the other players I think everybody can beat everybody.”

“My goal is to reach Top 20, but it’s not going to be easy I know, because I have a lot of points to defend in October. But that’s my goal for now.”

Kristyna may be champing at the bit to pit her game against the the game’s best, but there’s definitely one player she’s perfectly happy to avoid.

“Not my sister!”

The two have yet to play a tour-level match and were actually slated to potentially face off in the third round at Indian Wells, before Serena Williams withdrew and Karolina was shifted to a different quarter. It was a change that drew a sigh of relief from both sisters, who dreaded the thought of a showdown. That match may not happen here in Indian Wells, but with Kristyna’s continuing rise it will surely come sooner rather than later.

Asked point blank whether she thought she was as good as Karolina, Kristyna did not flinch. “Yes, I do. Maybe better.”

Kristyna Pliskova

Quick hits with Kristyna Pliskova:

WTA Insider: When did you first know you were good at tennis?
Kristyna: Well, I knew it since I was very little [laughs]. You just know. You just feel it, you can see it how you play. You never know when you’re 10 if you’re going to be really good. A lot of things can change. But when you play, you can feel it.

WTA Insider: When did you believe you could play tennis for a living?
Kristyna: With Karolina we were always traveling with mom since we were really small. We played a 10Ks in Croatia, where there were 128 in qualies. We had to win four rounds, I think? We always fought and we always knew were going to play, even if we made it when we were 18 or 19. I think we always believed.

WTA Insider: What was it like to transition from juniors to pros?
Kristyna: For us, I think it was better because we didn’t play that many junior tournaments. We played, since we were 16, 10ks, 25k ITF tournaments. So it really wasn’t that big of a change. The one year we played Grand Slams was just fun for us.

WTA Insider: What’s your favorite tournament?
Kristyna: Australian Open. It’s big. I like space. And the weather is nice and the staff is so nice.

WTA Insider: What tournament do you look forward to playing that you haven’t played?
Kristyna: I hope I can play Fed Cup one day. I think it can be soon.

Kristyna Pliskova

WTA Insider: What do you like least about being a pro tennis player?
Kristyna: What I don’t like? I don’t like changing the food when we go from different countries. I’m just used to eating what my mom cooks, or what I cook, or what my boyfriend cooks.

WTA Insider: Do you have any hobbies?
Kristyna: I like shopping.
WTA Insider: Who’s worse, you or Karolina?
Kristyna: I think she’s winning now so she she just buys, and buys, and buys. We went shopping the other day and she had like six bags and I had like four bags. I’m thinking more about the money [laughs]. But we are both bad.

WTA Insider: Do you have any favorite TV shows?
Kristyna: I’m watching The Bridge right now. When I can I like to read something or drawing. It’s more like coloring. It’s good for my mind. I’m not really into sightseeing. If I do something I go shopping, but not going places. But at home I like to go to my parents. They live outside the city and they have some animals. My father has some chickens and rabbits. I help to take care of them. I like nature.

WTA Insider: What app on your phone do you use the most?
Kristyna: WhatsApp. Definitely.
WTA Insider: Who do you text the most?
Kristyna: My boyfriend. And then Karolina. During tournaments we don’t text much. We try to talk a lot but we have different schedules. When we are home, kind of a lot. But with boyfriends, it’s different because they get mad [laughs].

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

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Wozniacki Storms Past Stosur

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

EASTBOURNE, England – Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki stormed into the round of 16 at the Aegon International Eastbourne with an emphatic win over No.7 seed Sam Stosur, 6-2, 6-1.

Watch live action from Eastbourne this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Back in early April, Wozniacki suffered an ankle injury that sidelined her for the clay season and saw her dip to No.35 in the rankings, her lowest ranking since May 2008. But after two matches at Eastbourne, it seems like the worst is behind the Dane: she’s dropped serve just once and no more than three games a set all tournament long.

Against Stosur, 2009 champion Wozniacki scored her first Top 20 win of the year, and she did so in commanding fashion.

“I feel good. The ankle is feeling good,” Wozniacki assured in her post-match press conference. “As long as I’m stable and moving well, it feels good.

“I’m pleased with the way I have been playing.You know, the first match I played quite well, but today I feel I played even better. Hopefully there is more tennis to come.”

Wozniacki got off to a roaring start against the Australian, staying aggressive and targeting Stosur’s second serve.

She broke Stosur early on to climb to a 4-1 lead before closing the set, 6-2, after 37 minutes. She didn’t let up in the second set, breaking twice to climb to a 5-0 lead and winning 80% of her second serve points to Stosur’s 17%. Despite a fierce tug-of-war in the last game, Wozniacki sent Stosur packing in straight sets.

Despite the one-sided score line, Wozniacki is pleased with her progress and

“In the end of the day, some results might look easy on the grass but it never is,” Wozniacki said. “You always have to focus and take advantage of the break points you get.

“I mean, Sam is a big server, so I was really pleased about the way I was able to return today.”

Also in action today, Andrea Petkovic backed up her round of 16 appearance at Birmingham by scoring an upset win against No.13 seed Sara Errani. She overcame a mid-match wobble to advance 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, notching her career-first Top 30 win on grass against the No.22 Errani.

Joining Wozniacki and Petkovic in the round of 16 are Ekaterina Makarova and local favorite Johanna Konta. No.11 seed Konta fought through a sluggish start against Lesia Tsurenko to advance 7-6(4), 6-1, while Makarova scored the upset of the tournament by coming back from a set down to knock out the No.2 seed Roberta Vinci 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – They say a change is as good as a rest and the proverb certainly seems to ring true for Julia Goerges. The 28-year-old is enjoying one of her most successful starts to a season and is continuing to thrive under her coaching team of Michael Geserer and Florian Zitzelsberger, who came on board in the last year.

“I said I wanted to have a change and really get the best out of me in my last years of my career,” she said. “Hopefully I will play for many more years and I just wanted to get a different input and a different voice to hear but also working in a different way with a lot of different philosophies. I’m very happy with the way they are helping me and the way we are working together.”

Goerges, who reached a career high ranking of No.15 in March 2012, suffered a loss of form in 2013 and 2014 and although her results started to improve in 2015 she decided a split with Sascha Nensel, her coach of eight years, was necessary.

“Changing coaches gave me a different view on my job as well, to see things a bit differently,” continued Goerges. “For me as a human being I changed a lot, I’m much more positive in my personal life and this helps me on court. You see it from a different perspective which makes a tough situation sometimes easier because you appreciate what you have in the moment. It’s about being healthy and happy, at the end of the day it’s just a tennis match.”

As well as reaching the third round at Indian Wells, Goerges has recorded semifinal finishes at both Auckland and Budapest in 2017. Her run to the final four in Auckland included a win over world No.19 Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals.

“I always do well in Auckland, I love the place,” said Goerges, who was a finalist there in 2016. “I love the Australian and New Zealand swing in general, the people are so nice and I just feel at home there, even though it’s so far away. There are a lot of Germans and the culture is pretty similar to Germany.”

Later that month Goerges defeated Katerina Siniakova in the first round of the Australian Open before losing to Jelena Jankovic. She was forced to retire during her opening Fed Cup match against CoCo Vandeweghe in Hawaii following a fall where she injured her left knee and also retired in the second round at Acapulco with heat illness.

“I did quite a trip from Budapest to Acapulco and arrived for the first round match six hours before. I still won it but the next day I got hit by my body,” said Goerges.

Goerges has also made the decision to substantially reduce the amount of doubles she plays in 2017. The German enjoyed considerable success on the doubles circuit in 2016, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon and qualifying for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global with Karolina Pliskova.

“Kaja [Karolina Pliskova] and me we decided to focus on singles,” explained Goerges. “We did very well last year but it was a lot of matches for both of us, she did even more in singles, so for me I said ‘ok I want to focus on singles as well’, so just playing a few [doubles] events, but a very few.”

Goerges seems happy and content and is evidently pleased with the way her tennis is progressing under Geserer and Zitzelsberger.

“It’s not about a win or a loss it’s about how you develop as a player and that is what I’m feeling is going well,” concluded Goerges. “Things are getting better and better and really coming together like a puzzle.”

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Radwanska Advances In Eastbourne

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

EASTBOURNE, England – Former champion Agnieszka Radwanska advanced at the Aegon International Eastbourne when Mirjana Lucic-Baroni retired from their second-round encounter on Tuesday.

Watch live action from Eastbourne this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Radwanska, who was leading 6-4, 2-1 when Lucic-Baroni retired with gastrointestinal illness, will now face Eugenie Bouchard for a place in the quarterfinals.

“It was still a tough match – she was playing really good tennis – and I’m happy I could get some time on the grass, but we’re all hoping she gets better soon,” Radwanska said.

Since making her debut a decade ago, Radwanska has been an ever-present at Devonshire Park, lifting the title in 2008 and finishing runner-up to Belinda Bencic in 2015. This time she is top seed and following an early exit in Birmingham is in need of time on grass ahead of Wimbledon.

“I really like these courts and I’m always feeling great here – it’s my 10th time here!”

Her next opponent, Bouchard, is also no stranger to success on grass, reaching the Wimbledon final two years ago. Since then, Bouchard has endured an up and down time on tour, but is eager to rediscover the form that fueled her initial rise up the rankings.

“I’ve had some results that I wasn’t satisfied with, so coming into this week I really kicked myself in the butt,” she said. “I told myself to go after it and not have any regrets.”

There were certainly no regrets against No.15 seed Irina-Camelia Begu, whom Bouchard brushed aside, 6-3, 6-1.

Also springing an upset in the top half were Kristina Mladenovic, who saw off No.4 seed Timea Bacsinszky, 6-1, 7-5, and Kateryna Bondarenko, a 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 winner over No.6 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – No.9 seed Madison Keys needed just 57 minutes to knock out Naomi Osaka in straight sets and book her spot into the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open, 6-1, 6-4.

“I’m just happy to be out here, happy to have another win, happy to get to play tomorrow,” Keys said in her post-match press conference.

“I definitely had really low expectations [before the tournament]. I was, like, if I get a set, I’ll be happy. And to win? It’s always tough to come back and everyone is in the middle of their season.”

With her first match back on tour after a two-month injury layoff done and dusted against Mariana Duque-Mariño in the last round, Keys brought her best tennis against the Japanese teenager and took the opening set in just 19 minutes.

Billed as a battle between big hitters, Osaka was unable to impose her game on Keys the way she did in the pair’s rollercoaster encounter at the 2016 US Open. Keys bossed the rallies from the start, relying on her booming serve to keep Osaka on the back foot and letting her powerful groundstrokes do the damage.

“I felt really bad out there,” Osaka admitted in her post-match press conference. “I just wanted to play a good match, you know, because I don’t think that many people expected him to win except for myself. I wanted to show people a good match, but I’m upset because I played terrible.

“I think she overwhelmed me with how she played and that made me change how I played. I think I just doubted myself a lot.”

Keys continued her momentum in the second, grabbing a crucial break early on as Osaka’s game finally started to come together. But the Japanese player was never able to turn the tide despite bringing up four break points against Keys. The American held firm, sealing the contest with an ace and closing out the match in less than an hour for her place in the fourth round.

Up next for Keys is a matchup with Caroline Wozniacki. The 2011 champion dispatched Katerina Siniakova in straight sets 6-3, 6-1.

“I’m pleased with the performance, it was nice to get out of there very quickly and be out of the sun,” Wozniacki told press after the match.

“Obviously tomorrow is going to be another tough one, Madison is playing well. I’m excited to get another match.”

Keys trails Wozniacki 0-1 in the pair’s head-to-head record after falling to the Dane in straight sets at last year’s US Open round of 16.

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Konta Conquers Kvitova In Comeback

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

EASTBOURNE, England – No.11 seed Johanna Konta is back into the quarterfinals at the Aegon International Eastbourne after coming back from a set down to oust two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.

Watch live action from Eastbourne this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Konta, an Eastbourne resident, has enjoyed vocal support from the home crowd at the event that last year saw her reach her career-first Premier-level quarterfinal. But the levelheaded Brit, as always, keeps even the support at arms’ length.

“Quite honestly, it makes a difference in the sense that it’s nice to be at home,” she said ahead of the match. “But in terms of how I mentally prepare or how much I let in, it does not make a difference.I really do try to keep myself in my own head space.”

The Brit has faced off against the No.5 seed Kvitova once before, when Kvitova halted Konta’s big breakthrough at last year’s US Open in the round of 16. Konta learned her lessons and, despite facing the Czech on her best surface, was able to put her nerves aside and defeat her, 5-7, 6-4, 6-0.

“She plays incredibly well on the grass,” Konta acknowledged. “She’s a two-time Wimbledon champion, so I think her results speak for themselves.

“I just need to stay in points when I need to but also look to take my opportunities whenever they arise.”

That’s easier said than done against the two-time Grand Slam champion – something that Konta discovered early on in the first set when she saw her 5-2 lead erased by Kvitova. Konta was serving for the set – she even held a set point – when Kvitova broke serve and rattled off the next four games to turn the match around on the Brit.

“I told myself to just really keep going,” Konta said. “Really keep in mind the things that I did well and take as much from that as I can. I just tried to have a very short memory and keep moving forward, keep moving on.”

Konta switched up her strategy against Kvitova in the second and third sets, becoming more aggressive on the return to neutralize Kvitova’s powerful serve and keep her back on her heels. She won over 70% of the points behind her first serve in the last two sets, whereas Kvitova struggled to put pressure on Konta, and couldn’t bring up a break point in the final sets.

Konta grabbed a decisive break in the fifth game of the second set, then dealt Kvitova a surprising bagel set to close out the match after two hours and fourteen minutes.

“I’m not sure there are words that are big enough to describe that win!” Konta grinned after the match.

“It’s definitely one of my biggest wins, even though I don’t think she’s in the Top 10 this week. She has been a Top 10 player or Top 5 player for years and years and years now.

“She really is a champion, and so I am very happy with the level I was able to produce, you know, even if it didn’t go my way and just kept plugging away throughout that whole match.”

Konta will face the winner of the round of 16 match between Andrea Petkovic and Ekaterina Makarova which has been postponed for tomorrow due to rain.

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Dan Lucas

A keen tennis fan as well as an outstanding sports journalist, Dan started working on a freelance basis with the WTA in January 2017 and quickly became a key member of the Editorial team in London.

News of his sudden death was announced by his partner Liz Aubrey on Monday and tributes have been paid on social media for his contributions to both sports and music journalism, his other passion.

From Northampton in the English Midlands, Dan lived in London. He had also worked for the Guardian and Telegraph’s sports departments, and music websites Louder Than War and Drowned In Sound.

Carrie Dunn, a friend and fellow content producer at WTA Networks, said: “I first worked with Dan when we were both part of the team doing live online coverage for the 2014 Paralympics. He was a sports enthusiast in the best way – his love for sport extended across disciplines and his thirst for knowledge (and his innate professionalism) meant that, even when he was encountering a discipline he did not know particularly well, he would throw himself into finding out about it. He was also a music journalist and his love for (and strong opinions about) music was also well documented – his social media feeds are testament to that. He was a good man and a good friend. On a professional level, he was a great writer and a good colleague – reliable, assiduous and someone it was fun to work with.”

Reda Maher, Head of Editorial and Social Media at WTA Networks, said: “We are shocked and dismayed by this sad news, Dan was extremely well liked and highly talented, his zest for life and enthusiasm for his craft impressed all he worked with at the WTA. Dan had a big future as part of our team. We send condolences and our deepest sympathies to Liz and Dan’s family.”

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