Tennis News

BOL, Croatia – Ana Konjuh, the Croatian No.5 seed at the inaugural Bol Open 125K, continues to cruise in her home country. She booked her spot into the quarterfinals with a commanding win over Turkish trailblazer Ipek Soylu, 6-2, 6-1.

Watch free live streaming from Bol, Croatia all week right here on wtatennis.com!

Awaiting Konjuh in the quarterfinals is fellow Croat Tereza Mrdeza. A wildcard entry, Mrdeza beat Belgium’s Ysaline Bonaventure, 6-3, 6-3.

Mandy Minella had to pull double duty on her way to the Bol Open 125K quarterfinals. When yesterday’s rain delay interrupted play, Minella’s first round match against Evgeniya Rodina left her down a set but rallying back at 3-6, 4-1. She stormed all the way back to complete the comeback, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, but her day was not over yet.

Awaiting her in the Round of 16 was the well-rested No.2 seeded American Varvara Lepchenko. She didn’t face a single break point in the first set and quickly grabbed a 6-1 lead, but Lepchenko won the second in a tiebreak to ensure the match went the distance. Despite narrowing Minella’s 4-2 lead to 5-4, the No.2 seed was no match for the on-form Luxembourger, who stormed into the quarterfinals 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-4 after two hours and twenty-three minutes.

Lepchenko wasn’t the only American who faltered today in Bol; despite a strong Day 1 showing, all of the Americans in the draw were defeated today, with Sachia Vickery, Jennifer Brady and Anna Tatishvili all bowing out. Marina Erakovic defeated Vickery 6-4, 6-4; Stefanie Voegele edged Brady 6-4, 4-6, 7-5; and Kristina Kucova downed Tatishvili 6-7(1), 6-2, 6-4.

The two other remaining seeds in the draw, No.7 Polona Hercog and No.4 Nao Hibino, both advanced in straight sets to reach the quarterfinalist. Hercog needed just over an hour to down Bulgarian qualifier Elitsa Kostova 6-1, 6-0, while Hibino overcame a late resistance from Ivana Jorovic on her way to a 6-2, 7-6(5) victory.

BOGOTA, Colombia – Playing her final season on tour, 36-year-old Francesca Schiavone not only earned her eighth career WTA title at the Claro Open Colsanitas, but also gained valuable ranking points towards guaranteeing what would be her final French Open main draw appearance, outlasting No.4 seed Lara Arruabarrena, 6-4, 7-5.

“I’m very happy and emotional,” she said in her on-court interview. “Today was a disaster match, but winning was the most important thing. Lara is improving a lot; I think she pulled a muscle and couldn’t run as well that she could, but I thank God that I could win the last three games.”

.@Schiavone_Fra's execution on point! ? pic.twitter.com/yNfBtkeLV4

— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017

A former World No.4, Schiavone announced 2017 would be her last season in November, and came into the clay court season without winning a main draw match all year.

Just as she first did in 2010, when she won her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, the wildcard found some extra magic on the red clay of Colombia, shocking top seed and 2016 French Open semifinalist Kiki Bertens and No.3 seed Johanna Larsson en route to her first WTA final since the Rio Open last February.

Shot of the match so far?@Schiavone_Fra is on ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/JjOtxPOhkj

— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017

It would nonetheless be a tough ask against Arruabarrena, a 2012 champion in Bogota who had enjoyed a career-best run at the Miami Open, where she reached the fourth round.

“There wasn’t a big difference between us. It was very close.”

The Italian kept up her impressive form to start Saturday’s final, winning her ninth straight set as Arruabarrena got the upper hand in the second, breaking serve and holding four set points to force a decider.

FORZA! ?@Schiavone_Fra captures @CopaWTABogota title! pic.twitter.com/ZOUJFKdlmp

— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017

Schiavone showed off her signature fighting spirit to save all four and roll through the final four games of the match to earn her 600th career win bring her ranking back to within striking distance of the Top 100.

“I’m not thinking about retirement,” she said after striking 28 winners to just 21 unforced errors. “I’m enjoying tennis.”

.@Schiavone_Fra cheesin' with the trophy ? pic.twitter.com/NxSCHrS66H

— WTA (@WTA) April 15, 2017

A beloved figure on the tour for nearly two decades, current and former players alike sent out their congratulations to the veteran:

Gradeeeeeeeeeeeeeee????! Si naaaaaa putenzzzzzzzzzz. Tvb stronzetta @Schiavone_Fra https://t.co/Nhlw0uazSG

— Flavia Pennetta (@flavia_pennetta) April 15, 2017

Gradeeeeeeeeeeeeeee????! Si naaaaaa putenzzzzzzzzzz. Tvb stronzetta @Schiavone_Fra https://t.co/Nhlw0uazSG

— Flavia Pennetta (@flavia_pennetta) April 15, 2017

You're eternal girl! You're an inspiration!! Forza @Schiavone_Fra ❤ ! Well done Chica @laraarrua ! Love you both! ???☀️?? https://t.co/wtyfj3KDFd

— Timea Bacsinszky (@TimeaOfficial) April 15, 2017

More to come…

ZHENGZHOU, China – It was straightforward work for Peng Shuai at the Biyuan Cup Zhengzhou Women’s Tennis Open as the top seed cruised past Shuko Aoyama, 6-1, 6-1.

In fact, all eight first-round matches played on Day 1 were concluded in straight sets.

That meant progress for second seed Wang Qiang, who beat Hiroko Kuwata 6-1, 6-1, and No.3 seed Duan Ying-Ying, who defeated qualifier Peangtarn Plipuech of Thailand by the same scoreline. Japan’s Nao Hibino, seeded fourth, beat compatriot Akiko Omae 6-1, 6-2.

The closest match of the day was between eighth seed Liu Fangzhou and Thailand’s Varatchaya Wongteanchai. The qualifier took the Chinese player to a first-set tiebreak, but eventually fell, 7-6(4), 6-2.

In the other clashes, Valentini Grammatikopoulou of Greece beat wildcard Xu Yi-Fan, 6-1, 6-3; Eri Hozumi of Japan beat qualifier Guo Hanyu by the same margin; and in the battle of the wildcards, Yang Zhaoxuan beat Tang Hao Chen, 6-1, 6-2.

ZHENGZHOU, China – Top seed Peng Shuai charged on at the Biyuan Cup Women’s Tennis Open, beating Japan’s Riko Sawayanagi in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.

She will be joined in the third round by second-seeded Wang Qiang, who came from behind to edge a tight match with Valentini Grammatikopoulou of Greece, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Nao Hibino of Japan, seeded fourth, also made it through, beating her compatriot Eri Hozumi, 6-3, 6-2.

Eighth seed Liu Fangzhou also progressed as she beat countrywoman Yang Zhaoxuan, 6-1, 6-4.

With the French Open officially in the books, how do the rankings stand as the tour heads into the third major tournament of the season?

Defending champion Serena Williams remains No.1 for a 174th straight week, a streak that began all the way back on February 18th, 2013, after reaching the final of the Qatar Total Open.

Garbiñe Muguruza is not too far behind at her career-high ranking of No.2, trailing the 21-time Grand Slam champion by 1564 points thanks to her maiden major title at Roland Garros, where she defeated Serena in the final.

Muguruza became the first Spanish woman ranked inside the Top 2 since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in December 1996; Sanchez-Vicario is also the first and most recent Spanish woman to be ranked No.1 back in 1995.

Ahead of the grass court season, Wimbledon finalists Serena and Muguruza have the greatest number of points to defend, with 2000 and 1356, respectively. World No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska fell to Muguruza in last year’s semifinal and is defending 1195 points, having also made the semifinals of Nottingham and the final of Eastbourne, where she lost to Belinda Bencic.

Bencic is making her return from a lower back injury, one which precluded her from nearly all of the clay court season. The Swiss star reached the fourth round of Wimbledon and the final of the Ricoh Open, and is defending 920 points. 

Who made the biggest leaps during the clay court season?

By reaching the second week of the French Open, Bertens rocketed up into Olympic contention, as did quarterfinalist Tsvetana Pironkova, who now has a chance to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Yulia Putintseva made her career-best ranking and Top 35 debut by reaching the last eight in Paris, pushing Serena to three sets. Venus Williams also made her return to the Top 10 on the back of her best French Open result since 2010, reaching the fourth round.