St. Petersburg: Bencic Interview
An interview with Belinda Bencic after her finals loss at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
An interview with Belinda Bencic after her finals loss at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
Bank Of The West Classic champ Johanna Konta sits atop the Emirates Airline US Open Series, but Agnieszka Radwanska could sneak away with the jackpot in New Haven.
Serena Williams will return to No.1 on the WTA Rankings, when they are released on April 24, 2017, when the points from last year’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart drop off.
Two-time defending Stuttgart champion Angelique Kerber will have an immediate chance to return to the top spot by reaching the semifinals of this year’s event, which takes place a week later this year due to a shift in the calendar.
As top seed in Stuttgart, Kerber, who has held the No.1 ranking for 25 weeks, will receive a first round bye, so will need to win two matches to overtake Williams.
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2016 START DATES |
TOURNAMENTS |
2017 START DATES |
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April 18 |
Stuttgart |
April 24 |
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May 2 |
Madrid |
May 8 |
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May 9 |
Rome |
May 15 |
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May 23 |
Roland Garros |
May 29 |
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June 11 |
Birmingham |
June 19 |
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June 20 |
Eastbourne |
June 26 |
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June 27 |
Wimbledon |
July 3 |
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July 18 |
Stanford |
July 31 |
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July 25 |
Montreal / Toronto |
Aug 7 |
The WTA Rankings are based on a 52-week, cumulative system with each players singles ranking determined by 16-best results; WTA Finals participants count points earned as the 17th bonus tournament.
For Williams it will be her 317th week at No.1, the third most in WTA Rankings history behind only Stefanie Graf (377) and Martina Navratilova (332).
Ana Ivanovic, a Dubai Duty Free brand ambassador, glammed up for the event.
No.4 seed Petra Kvitova, who took a wildcard into the event, was also in attendance.
She joined Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free, on the red carpet. DDF has been an ambassador for women’s tennis in the Middle East since 2004.
Doubles players Nichole Melichar and Darja Jurak donned some Emirati dresses for the party…
…and they made a new friend, too!
Defending champion Simona Halep also befriended the falcon.
Ivanovic finds time to snap a quick selfie…
…as Kvitova enjoys the best of Emirati hospitality.
ZHENGZHOU, China – Seventh seed Han Xinyun crashed out of the Biyuan Cup Women’s Tennis Open, falling in straight sets to Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas, 6-2, 6-0.
The other seeds had a much easier time of it, though, with fifth seed Zheng Saisai beating Lu Jia-Jing, 6-2, 6-2, and sixth seed Kurumi Nara of Japan defeating Zhu Lin, 6-4, 7-5.
Arina Rodionova and Liu Chang had a titanic tussle, with both sets going to tiebreaks – and the Australian finishing on top in both, eventually triumphing 7-6(2), 7-6(4).
Elsewhere, Uzbekistan’s Sabina Sharipova beat Kang Jiaqi 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, and in an all-Japanese clash Shiho Akita beat Mayo Hibi 6-2, 6-4.
This year the US Open is looking to make rain delays a thing of the past, having finally unveiled a retractable roof over the world’s largest tennis venue, Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It was a massive undertaking requiring two years under construction, and it was inaugurated a few weeks ago just in time for this year’s final Grand Slam.
CNN Open Court gives you some fast facts on everything you need to know about Arthur Ashe Stadium’s new retractable roof.
The USA Fed Cup team throws the first pitch at the Tampa Bay Rays – and Sania Mirza heads off on holiday.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Brazilian qualifier Paula Goncalves is through to her first WTA quarterfinals after upsetting the No.2 seed Johanna Larsson 6-4, 6-4.
Playing on the smaller Court 1 of the Jockey Club Brasileiro, Gonçalves channeled the Brazilian fans’ energy to fuel her to the biggest win of her career.
“This stadium is small so the crowd feels very near to you,” she told RioOpen.com after the match. “This is great because I can feel the energy of the fans – this helps me even more.”
Galvanized by the support of the enthusiastic home crowd, Gonçalves didn’t lose her nerve when the Swede broke her serve to start the set 3-1. Instead she broke back twice, sending Larsson on the run with her powerful groundstrokes and taking the first 6-4.
Larsson opened the second set with another break but Gonçalves broke her right back, leveling the score. A net cord on match point sealed the result and kept Brazilian hopes for a home champion alive – the world No.285 is the last Brazilian player left in the Rio Open draw.
“All of the pressure was against her,” Gonçalves said of playing Larsson. “I came here very calm, like I did from the first game of qualifying. It has been a week where my tennis came together, so I just gonna take advantage of this moment and keep going.
“Beating players at her level, inside the Top 50, shows that it’s possible for me to dream bigger.”
No.3 seed Danka Kovinic advanced comfortably against Sílvia Soler-Espinosa, winning 6-2, 6-3 against the Spaniard.
“I expected a longer and tougher match, but I played really good so I’m glad that I finished after maybe a bit more than an hour,” Kovinic said after the match. The Montenegran player struggled in her previous match against the intense heat and humidity of Rio de Janeiro.
“I really feel better today. I played good because I had two days off. I think that helped for me a lot to adjust to this weather.”
Also into the quarterfinals are No.6 seed Lara Arruabarrena and Petra Martic.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Serena Williams has her work cut out for her to start the 2016 US Open. The top seed, aiming for a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title, plays Ekaterina Makarova in a rematch of their 2014 semifinal encounter. No.2 seed Angelique Kerber opens against Polona Hercog and is projected to have a tricky second round against either Alizé Cornet or Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
Serena leads a loaded first quarter anchored by No.5 seed and Rogers Cup champion Simona Halep. Her projected opponents also included No.29 seed and former No.1 Ana Ivanovic in the third round, and 2011 champion Samantha Stosur in the fourth round. Stosur defeated Serena in that final, one of the American’s only two losses in Flushing in the last five years.
Halep’s early draw:
1R: Kirsten Flipkens
2R: Gavrilova/Safarova
3R: Babos
4R: Vesnina/Suarez Navarro.Could face Serena in QF.#USOpen
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 26, 2016
Kerber is slated to face 2015 finalist and No.7 seed Roberta Vinci in the quarterfinals, but not before getting through the likes of 2012 semifinalist Sara Errani and two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova in the third and fourth rounds.
Muguruza is seeded third following a solid week at the Western & Southern Open; the French Open champion landed in Kerber’s half of the draw, with No.8 seed Madison Keys anchoring her quarter. The first seed that the Spaniard could face is Olympic Gold medalist Monica Puig, who defeated her just two weeks ago at the Olympic tennis event. Her fourth round opponent is projected to be Bank of the West Classic champion and No.13 seed Johanna Konta.
Radwanska rounds out the Top 4 seeds and is Serena’s possible semifinal opponent. The Pole could play two-time US Open champion and former No.1 Venus Williams in the quarterfinals, and has Caroline Garcia and Timea Bacsinszky in the third and fourth rounds.
Serena-Halep quarter: Brutal.
Aga-Venus quarter: Big opp.
Keys-Garbi quarter: Balanced.
Kerber-Vinci quarter: Petra/Domi could upend.— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 26, 2016
Notable 1Rs: Kvitova-Ostapenko, Kuznetsova-Schiavone, Stosur-Giorgi, Halep-Flipkens, Konta-Mattek Sands. #USOpen
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 26, 2016
Defending champion and recently retired Flavia Pennetta was on hand to help with the draw ceremony:
“I’m relaxed and retired! Every day’s a vacation” she joked with Chris Evert.
“I’d like to be involved in tennis; ir’s my life. It’s something that I really love, and maybe I can help coach a new generation to come out of Italy. It’s something I’ve always wished to do.”
Ciao @flavia_pennetta! pic.twitter.com/pssEqBTooj
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 26, 2016
Want to know which hotel has its own private beach, the best spot to grab an Arabic coffee or where you can go ice skating in the middle of the desert? Our guest contributor and defending champion Lucie Safarova gives you the insider guide to Doha and the Qatar Total Open in this edition of the WTA Travel Guide.
WATCH THE MATCHES
Former home of the WTA Finals (previously the WTA Championships) from 2008 – 2010, the Khalifi Tennis and Squash Complex now plays host to the first Premier 5 of the year. Come watch the matches while some of the WTA’s best compete to join the ranks of Justine Henin, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova as a champion of the Qatar Total Open. Tickets are available here. Main draw begins February 21 and runs through February 27, with qualifying taking place February 19 and February 20.
Qatar Total Open Official Tournament Website
WHERE TO STAY
The Four Seasons Doha is the premier hotel destination for luxury and relaxation. With nine restaurants and lounges, five swimming pools, a three-story spa and its own private beach, this hotel has something for everyone.
WHERE TO EAT
Qatar’s capital city offers an incredible range of cuisines from all over the world. Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsey’s flagship restaurant, Gordon Ramsey Doha, offers award-winning Mediterranean food to Doha. If you’re looking for a steak, head to Prime, which has been voted best steakhouse in the city by Time Out Doha. In the mood for culture with your meal? Look no further than Jazz at The Lincoln Center Doha where you can enjoy American comfort food and live entertainment programmed by artists from the world-renowned Jazz at The Lincoln Center New York. If you are just looking for something to grab-and-go on your way to the tennis, then stop by Quick Bites for a big selection of pizzas, sandwiches, salads and ice cream.
WHAT TO DO
In between matches, make sure to visit Katara Cultural Village, a celebration and showcase of cultures, theatre, art and architecture. And of course, a trip to Doha would not be complete without a Desert Safari. Whether it’s riding on a camel or driving up the sand dunes in a four-wheel vehicle, there are plenty of adventures to be had in the “land-sea” surrounding the city.
LUCIE SAFAROVA’S FAVORITE SPOTS
“To me, the most interesting place in Doha is the Souk Wagif. It’s a local market where you can find everything from traditional food to coffee to souvenirs to home pets! Just watch out for those little animals because they are so cute you might just want to take them home. It feels like a magical maze of little streets and the air is filled with local spices. Don’t forget to check out the huge selection of peanuts if you love them as much as I do.
If you’re looking for great shopping, I love the Villagio Mall. If you don’t feel like walking, you can take a gondola ride or try ice skating on the indoor ice rink.
And of course, you must go to The Pearl for a nice seaside walk. There are shops and a lot of restaurants, ice cream shops and coffee shops; my favorite is The Art Coffee. Follow my Instagram for all of my favorite coffee spots around the world with #coffeewithLucie.
But the absolute best place to be in Doha is at the tennis center, watching the Qatar Total Open. It is one of the strongest events of the year. See you there!”
