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Arruabarrena Upset Completes First Round

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

GSTAAD, Switzerland – World No.85 Lara Arruabarrena completed the outstanding first round matches at the Ladies Championship Gstaad with an upset of No.4 seed Caroline Garcia on Friday.

A contest originally scheduled for Tuesday afternoon was eventually completed nearly 72 hours later, Arruabarrena emerging with a hard-fought 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4 victory.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever played a first round on Friday before! I was a bit surprised but we can’t do anything because it’s been raining,” Arruabarrena said. “I’ve played in Bogotá before, which is like 2,500 meters [above sea level], so this is not bad – thought it was going to be more tough, let’s say, but it’s okay, I like it.”

Arruabarrena’s experience in Bogotá, where she won the title in 2012 and has reached three subsequent quarterfinals, served her well as the match progressed, taking advantage of the faster conditions to romp through the second set then break decisively at the start of the third. Later on, she is due back on court to take on Carina Witthoeft for a place in the quarterfinals.

“I was expecting a tough match, obviously, and I think I played really well, serving really well. I have to play again this afternoon but there’s not a lot you can do,” she added.

Elsewhere, there was better news for the other three seeds in early action, with Kiki Bertens, Annika Beck and Julia Goerges all registering first-round victories. Goerges, the No.8 seed, was the most impressive, swatting aside Jana Cepelova, 6-0, 6-3, while No.3 seed Bertens saw off Tamira Paszek, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, and No.5 seed Beck beat Marina Erakovic, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

The WTA World No.5, Dominika Cibulkova, has spoken in depth about the positive and negative effects of pressure on her game.

The Slovak finished last season on a high after winning the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. However, after being knocked out in the third round at the Australian Open in January – the 25-year-old lost to Russian Ekaterina Makarova – she now feels heightened pressure.

“I didn’t feel good on the court. It was a little hard with all the pressure and all the media attention. I think that was why there were negative thoughts in my head. I wasn’t really enjoying my time on the court,” she wrote in a Straits Times column this week.

For the past two years, Cibulkova has been working closely with a mental coach in order to overcome match-day nerves – and the move is paying off.

Reflecting on the first two months of 2017, she said that she has been concentrating on turning negative thoughts into positive ones and enjoying the game.

“Dealing with pressure and nerves has always been a challenge for me throughout my career. Sometimes I want something so badly and the nerves come, especially in the tight moments.”

But it is a fine balance to strike and she is still working on balancing the increased expectations that accompany success.

“People think you just have to learn how to deal with pressure and expectations on court but that’s wrong. I make the goals smaller and then they become more manageable.”

In the lead-up to the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the eight singles players from last year’s edition will pen columns exclusively for The Straits Times. The monthly series begins with reigning champion Dominika Cibulkova – click here to read it in full.

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

February was defined by four breakthrough players who brought some impressive performances on and off the court. Which one soared the highest?

Have a look at the nominees for February’s Breakthrough of the Month and cast your vote before Thursday at 11:59pm ET! The winner will be announced Friday, March 10.

February 2017 WTA Breakthrough of the Month Finalists:

Elina Svitolina: Svitolina surged up the rankings and into the upper echelons of the women’s game in February, debuting in the Top 10 and winning the biggest title of her career at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Along the way, she also won the Taiwan Open and amassed a 13-match winning streak, one that’s yet to be broken heading into the BNP Paribas Open.

Kristina Mladenovic: The Frenchwoman took home her first career title on one of the game’s biggest stages, surviving Yulia Putintseva to win a Premier title at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. Mladenovic capped off the month with a win over Karolina Pliskova and another run to a WTA final at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.

CiCi Bellis: The young American made waves in Dubai, stunning former World No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska to become the youngest quarterfinalist at the Premier 5 event since Lina Krasnoroutskaya in 2001.

Ashleigh Barty: Barty continued her impressive comeback by winning the singles and doubles titles at the Ayla WTA Malaysian Open; the former was her first career singles title and helped her make her Top 100 debut on Monday’s rankings.

BTOM

2017 Winners:

January: CoCo Vandeweghe

How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

 INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – As one might expect, there are plenty of players working hard on the practice court as Indian Wells gets under way – and they’re certainly enjoying the views.

Lara Arruabarrena is soaking in the sights as well.

Simona Halep is toiling away under the sun and watchful eye of coach Darren Cahill – and taking on the tough task of two opponents at once.

 

There was still time for a bit of fun, though. For starters, WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen was out and about with players in a most unorthodox way – riding around on a golf cart.

Elina Svitolina shared her excitement for the week ahead.

 Timea Bacsinszky confessed her “blonde moment”. 

And Barbora Strycova talked about suffering from jetlag.

Lauren Davis took some time out to try out a relaxing yoga session.

Lauren Davis tries out yoga

And Zhang Shuai smiled for the cameras in a photo shoot for the Tennis Channel.

Zhang Shuai in her Tennis Channel shoot

And there’s no better way than to end the day having dinner with your best girls in Indian Wells – and Kristina Mladenovic got her posse of famous friends to synchronize their footwork.

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

The boldest decision Karolina Pliskova ever made came at a very young age.

She was 12 – and she made the choice to focus on tennis rather than education.

“I decided to start with tennis and quit with school,” she said in an exclusive WTA interview. “I didn’t study at all, I just put everything into the tennis and it worked.”

Karolina Pliskova

It proved a wise decision for the 24-year-old, who turned pro just five years later, in 2009. After reaching her maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open in 2016, she has taken her game to a new level this year and has two 2017 titles to her name already, at the Brisbane International in January and the Qatar Total Open in Doha last month. Her success in Brisbane saw her reach a career-high No.3 in the WTA rankings on January 30.

Pliskova’s comments mark 2017 International Women’s Day, the theme of which is ‘Be Bold For Change’.

International Women’s Day falls on March 8 every year, and celebrates women’s achievements in culture, the economy, politics and society.

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Konta Bosses Boserup In Stanford

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

STANFORD, CA, USA – Australian Open semifinalist Johanna Konta was emphatic in her first hardcourt match of the summer swing, dismissing wildcard Julia Boserup, 6-3, 6-1, to reach the quarterfinals at the Bank of the West Classic.

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

Coming off a second round finish at Wimbledon, Konta was eager to regain the momentum that saw her surge into the Top 20. Playing Stanford for the first time, Konta faced a tricky opponent in Boserup, who is having her own summer of firsts following her run into the third round at the All England Club.

“I definitely felt I played a really good level in parts,” she said during her on-court interview, adding, “She definitely made me work for it, especially towards the end of the first set. It was quite tough for me to close it out. She’s a great competitor and a great player, so I’m happy to be coming back in a couple of days to play again.”

Konta’s rise up the rankings began just around this time last year, when she won 16 straight matches on the Challenger and WTA level, leading her into the round of 16 of the US Open and foreshadowing her breakthrough run in Melbourne. Comfortable on the quicker surfaces, the Brit was able to wrap up the victory in just over an hour, booking an encounter with China’s Zheng Saisai for a spot in the semifinals. 

“I’m really looking forward to this part of the season; I’m a rookie, haven’t played here or next week, so there’s a lot of firsts for me coming up. I like playing on hard, equally on grass, but it’s definitely a nice change for the season. I take a lot of confidence with every match I get to play, moving forward into the next one.”

Zheng opened play with a 6-4, 6-1 win over No.7 seed Alizé Cornet. Cornet survived a marathon match with American Jennifer Brady in her first round, and though she edged ahead by a break to start the first set, Zheng proved too strong in the end, dispatching her French opposition in 87 minutes.

“My gameplan changed a lot today, not keeping too many rallies with her because she moves very well and very solid,” she said after the match. “I think I played well today.”

Doubles champion a year ago, Zheng felt the love from the Stanford crowd as she reached her first quarterfinal in singles, throwing a towel up to a fan following her victory.

“Last year, I was here 10 days and I really love it here. Every match, I feel like I meet new fans, so I really enjoy playing here and hope I can keep going!”

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

The lower half of the singles draw will kick into action on Thursday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Chris Oddo takes a look at the compelling matchups right here at wtatennis.com.

Thursday
First round

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN # 53) vs. Annika Beck (GER # 61)
Head-to-head: Tied, 1-1
Key Stat: Bouchard saved all five break points she faced in her straight sets win over Beck last year at New Haven.

A pair of 23-year-olds with tons of potential will look to kick their 2017 campaigns into high gear on Thursday when Eugenie Bouchard and Annika Beck meet for the third time. Bouchard started the year promisingly by reaching the semifinals at Sydney, but she has not won since falling in a tight three-setter in the third round of the Australian Open to CoCo Vandeweghe. Bouchard has been solid in all of her main draw appearances at Indian Wells, and owns a 6-3 record at this event. Is it time for some of the hard work that Bouchard has done under coach Thomas Hogstedt to pay off this week?

Meanwhile 2017 has been a struggle for Beck, whose ranking peaked at a career-high of 37 last July. She lost her first three matches of the season and only owns one Top 50 win. Beck has only been past the second round once at Indian Wells, and has lost three of her last four here.

Pick: Bouchard in two

Lesia Tsurenko

Peng Shuai (CHN # 41) vs. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR # 49)
Head-to-head: Peng leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Peng was ranked 768 in the world last year at Indian Wells.

Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko comes into the BNP Paribas Open riding high, having won her third career title last weekend in Acapulco, but she’ll need to stay on guard on Thursday when she faces a tricky qualifier who is a former BNP Paribas Open quarterfinalist with 12 wins to her name. Peng Shuai was ranked well outside of the Top 700 when she visited Indian Wells last season, but this year she’s back inside the Top 50 after a 2016 full of victories on the ITF and WTA circuit. Peng’s story is characterized by determination and fortitude – she has battled through serious back issues to reemerge as a factor on tour. Tsurenko, who enters the main draw with an impressive 9-2 record on the season, is closing in on her peak ranking, just eight spots shy of the career-best No.33 ranking she achieved in 2015.

Pick: Tsurenko in three

Andrea Petkovic

Andrea Petkovic (GER #79) vs. Vania King (USA # 91)
Head-to-head: Petkovic leads, 3-0
Key Stat: Petkovic has lost her last four matches at Indian Wells; her last three in three sets.

Andrea Petkovic and Vania King will battle for the right to face Angelique Kerber in the second round, and while it is Petkovic that owns the decided edge in the pair’s head-to-head, King is a Southern California native who will relish the chance to knock off a few big names on home soil. King hasn’t had much traction thus far in 2017, but she does own eight career main draw wins at Indian Wells, including a Top 20 upset over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in 2012.

Working in King’s favor is the fact that Petkovic, even when she has been playing her best tennis, has never been able to figure out the tricky desert conditions at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The German is 1-5 lifetime here, and has not won a main draw match since she defeated Lucie Safarova in 2011.

It’s been a long time for Petko. Will she be able to find her form against the lesser-ranked King, or will King come through with another big win in the Golden State?

Pick: King in three

Jelena Jankovic

Jelena Jankovic (SRB # 51) vs. Irina Falconi (USA # 96)
Head-to-head: Jankovic leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Jankovic has made more main draw appearances than any other player in BNP Paribas Open history.

2010 champion and 2015 BNP Paribas Open runner-up Jelena Jankovic will bid for her 26th main draw win at Indian Wells when she takes on feisty Irina Falconi for the second time and first on a hardcourt.

Jankovic, who lost in the round of 16 last year to eventual semifinalist Agnieszka Radwanska, comes into Thursday’s match on a four-match losing streak. But the Serb is back on her home soil. Falconi may play for the stars and stripes, but Jankovic now owns a home in San Diego and considers herself a California girl. Will a dose of the dreamy desert landscape do Jankovic good, or will it be Falconi who secures the upset and earns the right to face Venus Williams in the second round?

Pick: Jankovic in two

Ekaterina Makarova

Around the Grounds:

American wildcard Taylor Townsend has won four of five first-round encounters at Indian Wells. She’ll try to make it five of six on Thursday when she faces Polish qualifier Magda Linette (winner faces No.13-seeded Caroline Wozniacki).

Croatia’s Ajla Tomljanovic will continue her comeback at Indian Wells with a first-round battle with Germany’s Julia Goerges. After missing a full year due to a shoulder injury, Tomljanovic made her return at Acapulco last week, where she upset Eugenie Bouchard in her first match.

Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova will battle Spanish qualifier Sara Sorribes Tormo for the right to face Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round. The former World No.8 has never been past the third round in nine previous BNP Paribas Open appearances.

– Photos courtesy of Getty Images

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Nike Stars Share Baby Faces

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

It’s been a busy Throwback Thursday for the WTA stars, who’ve shared some of their first photos on Twitter as part of a new ad campaign from Nike.

Madison Keys, Roberta Vinci, Sara Errani, Caroline Garcia, and Annika Beck have already tweeted out baby pictures to show fans where their stories began. Check out the #tbts here:

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