Tennis News

1) Caroline Wozniacki is back in action.
A right ankle injury sidelined Wozniacki for all of the clay season, and the Dane is looking to make her comeback in Nottingham. She hasn’t played a WTA match since Miami and her ranking has plunged to No.34 – can she start her comeback on grass?

2) Can Cagla Buyukakcay keep making history?
The 26-year-old Turk is one to watch at the Aegon Open Nottingham: after making Turkish history in Istanbul and Paris, Buyukakcay starts her Wimbledon tune up at Nottingham, where she’s set to meet No.3 seed Caroline Wozniacki in the first round.

3) Defending champion Ana Konjuh faces a setback.
2015 Nottingham champion Ana Konjuh looked to be in good form after her run at the WTA Bol Open 125K before a lower back injury forced her to retire in the semifinals. Will she be recovered in time for Nottingham?

4) Don’t call it a comeback for Vicky Duval…
The American Vicky Duval is entering her second tournament of 2016 at Nottingham after undergoing knee surgery following the Australian Open. She’s up against the No.2 seed Johanna Konta in the first round.

5) …Or for Laura Robson.
With a clean bill of health and back on home soil again, former British No.1 Laura Robson is looking to make the best of her protected ranking at Nottingham. First up for the wildcard? Defending champion Ana Konjuh.

6) Belinda Bencic returns to Den Bosch going for one better…
No.1 seed Belinda Bencic is hoping to improve her run to the final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch last year.

7) …And she’s not the only one.
Besides Bencic, there are two other former ‘s-Hertogenbosch finalists in the draw: Kirsten Flipkens (2013) and Jelena Jankovic (2007) are both looking for their first title at the Ricoh Open. 2014 champion CoCo Vandeweghe is back as well.

8) It’s anyone’s game in Den Bosch.
With defending champion Camila Giorgi and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova out due to injury, No.8 Belinda Bencic is the highest ranked player at the Ricoh Open. Can Bencic capitalize on the opportunity or will a new name make her mark?

9) Can Kiki Bertens keep up the momentum?
The on-fire Bertens has built up quite the winning streak: she’s won 12 of 13 matches by claiming her second WTA title at Nurnberg and reaching her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros. But as the season turns to grass, can Bertens keep it up?

10) And see where you can watch action from Nottingham and ‘s-Hertogenbosch on TennisTV!

Minutes after her tough 7-5, 6-4 loss to Garbiñe Muguruza in the Roland Garros final, Serena Williams walked directly into her post-match press conference. She was as open and honest as she felt she could be after minimal time to process the match, the loss, and her emotions.

Q: Are you the type of person who can kind of let this match go quickly, or will you beat yourself up about it for a few days?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don’t really know right now. I’m just — obviously it’s not something I’m like, Oh, it’s over with. It’s definitely something I want to dissect and see what I can learn from that and what can I do to get better from it. That’s the only way to keep improving.

On Wednesday, Serena turned to social media to tell the world how she really felt. “I was pissed, I have to admit,” she said in a video posted by Uninterrupted. “I thought I could’ve played better, I thought I could’ve competed better, I thought I could’ve really done everything five times better. And I didn’t, and I was so pissed that I actually abandoned my rackets in France after maybe a few smashes of the racket bag.”

VIDEO: @SerenaWilliams on French Open loss: “I'm going to take a moment to be super honest … I was really pissed.”https://t.co/qJzaGOjrJZ

— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) June 8, 2016

Thankfully Serena’s speech did not end there. Not to worry, tennis fans. The World No.1 is already back on court preparing for her assault on Wimbledon, where she will once again be the defending champion and aim to match the Open Era record of 22 major titles.

Said Serena: “I’m out here [on court] by myself because sometimes by yourself is when the great things really happen.”

Here’s what Serena said in its entirety:

“So I’m going to take a moment to be super candid and super honest.

“After Paris, the final, which is great, you know, for everyone on this planet with the exception of me — I don’t do what everyone else does — I was really pissed, I have to admit. I thought I could’ve played better, I thought I could’ve competed better, I thought I could’ve really done everything five times better. And I didn’t, and I was so pissed that I actually abandoned my rackets in France after maybe a few smashes of the racket bag. I felt like if I was going to play that awful and that crappy, that maybe I don’t need rackets. Maybe I can just show up to a tournament, and maybe I can get to a final without playing great, and without practice.

“But obviously that doesn’t work and sometimes you have to work extra hard. So I’m out here by myself because sometimes by yourself is when the great things really happen.”

NOTTINGHAM, England – Top seed Karolina Pliskova overcame Alison Riske in a rain-affected Aegon Open Nottingham final on Sunday to capture her fifth WTA title.

Afternoon showers pushed the start of play back a couple of hours, at one point even raising the possibility of a Monday final. When the clouds did eventually clear, Pliskova held her nerve to triumph 7-6(8), 7-5, in a fraction under two hours.

Just as she had in her quarterfinal victory over Ashleigh Barty, Pliskova was forced to come from set points down in the opening set tie-break, a feat that gave her added satisfaction.

“It feels good to win, especially after all those tie-breaks this week. All of those I was set point down, so I’m really happy that I made it and that I have the trophy in my hands,” Pliskova said. “Today there were parts of the match when I was better and parts when she was.

“I really needed my serve today and some aces got me out of some important moments. She has a great game on grass so I needed to be at my best today to get the win.”

Early on Pliskova threatened to run away with the contest, moving swiftly into a 3-1 lead. However, Riske, who went into the final on a nine-match winning streak having claimed the ITF Circuit title in Eastbourne last week, was never likely to go quietly.

Indeed, after breaking back in the sixth game she looked the more likely winner of the opening set, carving out three sets points at 4-5, then another three during a dramatic tie-break. The second set was equally frustrating for the American, who served for it at 5-4, only to see Pliskova reel off the final three games, completing her Houdini-esque escape with a wonderful crosscourt pass.

Not many better ways to seal a title! @KaPliskova hits a stunning pass to seal the #AegonOpen Nottingham title!https://t.co/ONEAghEKvq

— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) 12 June 2016

The Czech now makes the short trip west to further fine-tune her Wimbledon preparation at the Aegon Classic Birmingham. “It’s been a great week for me, I really didn’t count on having such early success on the grass so I am feeling good ahead of Wimbledon,” she added.

“I am just happy with the matches I have played, I have got some hours on the grass now and I can go to Birmingham and even if I don’t do anything there I have some matches under my belt ahead of Wimbledon.”

In the doubles final Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai got the better of No.4 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Yang Zhaoxuan, 7-5, 3-6, 10-7.

BIRMINGHAM, England – Madison Keys got her grass court season up and running with a rollercoaster win over Timea Babos at the Aegon Classic Birmingham.

Watch live action from Birmingham and Mallorca this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

After threatening to run away with the contest early on, Keys was left hanging on in the end, eventually closing out a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory in an hour and 26 minutes.

Keys is an accomplished grass court player – she reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals 12 months ago and lifted the Eastbourne title in 2015 – but admitted afterwards that she is still finding her feet. “I think for the most part, I played pretty well. I think I started off really well, and then there’s definitely some bad moments in there,” Keys said.

“First match on grass is always really tough. She’s a really good player on grass, especially serving-wise. So it’s always tough to get a read returning. So overall, I was happy I was able to win, but definitely have some things to work.”

At first, though, Keys could do no wrong, coming out following a lengthy rain delay to win 12 of the first 14 points, cruising into a 5-2 lead. Babos hung doggedly onto the American’s coattails and got her reward in the ninth game, capitalizing on some loose play to break back.

Leading 3-1 in the subsequent tie-break, it was Babos’ turn to suffer a lapse of concentration, looping an inviting mid-court ball into the net. She would not win another point, sending another forehand into the net to surrender the set.

The second set followed a similar pattern, Keys starting and finishing the stronger to book her place in the second round before the rain returned.

“I think grass is one of those surfaces where when you’re playing well, you can play really well and it goes quick. But when you’re playing badly, it amplifies everything,” she added. “I think it’s important when you’re playing well to stay focused and not get ahead of yourself, and when you’re playing badly, slow things down and take a second and try to reassess.”

Also dodging the downpours to record a win was former Wimbledon junior champion Jelena Ostapenko, who saw off Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 7-6(2), 6-1. While in the final round of qualifying, there were wins for Tsvetana Pironkova, Tamira Paszek, Christina McHale and Katerina Siniakova.

BIRMINGHAM, England – Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova began her grass court campaign in style by brushing aside Lucie Safarova in the first round of the Aegon Classic Birmingham.

Watch live action from Birmingham and Mallorca this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

With another gloomy forecast predicted, Kvitova will have been pleased to get on and off court in such a timely manner, wrapping up a 6-3, 6-2 win in just over an hour.

“I think the schedule was perfect today for me. Definitely. I think we played good match today. We finished before the rain obviously. But I think that it really doesn’t matter. I’m just happy I won,” Kvitova said.

Historically, Safarova’s name has been a welcome sight on the draw sheet for Kvitova, the latter winning all eight of their encounters. Among the more recent of these came en route to the second of Kvitova’s titles at the All England Club, in 2014, and she produced a similar level of tennis in Birmingham.

Having lost early at Roland Garros, the Czech has had plenty of time to acclimatize her game to the unique challenges presented by the brief grass court season.

“I practiced three or four times on the grass here. And I practiced twice indoors before today’s match,” she said. “I think with the timing everything was fine. It’s pretty fast and bouncing very low. So I was glad that we played some kind of short rallies today as well. But most of the time, it’s about the one-two shots in the rallies.”

#AegonClassic Shot of the Day time as @Petra_Kvitova blasts a huge forehand winner! #powerhttps://t.co/IuPJIC3KEp

— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) June 14, 2016

She got the ball rolling with one such exchange, a rasping forehand down the line bringing her a break in the second game. An ace down the T saved Safarova from falling a further break behind, but with Kvitova’s own serve on song she never looked in danger of rescuing the set.

The second was even more one-sided, Kvitova posting five games without reply as she cantered towards victory and a second-round meeting with Jelena Ostapenko.   

Also beating the rain was qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova, who defeated Lesia Tsurenko, 6-4, 6-2. 

MALLORCA, Spain – When the 19-year-old Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo takes the court against the No.3 seed Ana Ivanovic for a spot in the Mallorca Open quartefinals, she’ll be facing off against a very familiar opponent.

The two have never played before, at least not in real life, but when it comes to playing as Ivanovic in video games, Sorribes Tormo is an expert.

“It’s such a dream to play Ivanovic,” Sorribes Tormo said. “Back when she won Roland Garros, playing Wii was a big thing, I had the tennis game and I always picked her as my player. In fact, yesterday I was talking to my brother and he reminded me of it.

“Obviously we don’t play video games anymore because we’ve grown up, but she’s a player that I really like.”

Ivanovic and Sorribes Tormo are set to take the stage in Mallorca tomorrow at 7:00 pm local time, and it’ll be the first time the Spaniard plays on the tournament’s sunken center court. She comes into the matchup fresh off a grass court title at the ITF 50K in Essen.

“It’s a huge motivation to play on the center court,” she assured. “I’m in a moment where I’ve been playing very well, with confidence.

“I know that it is a match where I have to try to do my best and focus only on me. I have to forget who is at the other side of the net and do my job.”

Sorribes Tormo made her way to the second round after coming back from 0-3 down against fellow Spaniard Paula Badosa Gibert, 6-3, 7-5, while Ivanovic pushed past Pauline Parmentier 6-4, 6-4.

Modo Winner…?ON! @AnaIvanovic ya está en los cuartos en dobles. Mañana turno para el cuadro individual. pic.twitter.com/40t5JLcS75

— MallorcaOpen (@MallorcaOpen) June 15, 2016

– Via Mallorca Open

MALLORCA, Spain – Jelena Jankovic survived more than one scare at the Mallorca Open, where she found herself battling back from a love set down to advance 0-6, 6-4, 6-3 against Elise Mertens for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Watch live action from Birmingham and Mallorca this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

“It was a very, very tough match,” Jankovic said afterwards. “I played against a young opponent who came through qualies and has done quite well recently. She’s played a lot of matches on grass and so she’s quite confident.”

Playing against the Belgian qualifier for the first time, Jankovic couldn’t find a way to make Mertens uncomfortable as her opponent ripped winner after winner and put the No.2 seed down 0-6 in 28 minutes.

“I was playing everything that she likes, because also I don’t know her game very well,” Jankovic said. “I didn’t know the way she plays or her style. I’ve just seen a little bit of her match yesterday, and she played very differently against me which was a surprise for me.”

The former No.1 found her rhythm in the second and third set. Although Mertens broke to start the second set, Jankovic quickly replied in kind and did a bit of problem-solving to expose the weaknesses in the 20-year-old’s game. From then on, it seemed almost inevitable as Jankovic grabbed the next two sets to complete her comeback.

Despite her dominating performance in the last half of the match, Jankovic herself never seemed comfortable on the grass throughout the match. Despite winning a title in Birmingham in 2007, grass has never been the Serb’s favored surface, evidence by her many slips and tumbles today.

“It’s not easy, on this surface,” Jankovic said. “I can play well on grass, but I just think it’s more mental for me than anything else. Maybe I just put it into my head that I don’t like the surface. Because I fell a few times, I became scared to move freely.

“I was scared to move and was a little bit tentative. On other surfaces I move without thinking and hit my shots, but here, once I fell down I became so scared. But that happens to everyone, and I just have to fight and keep playing.”

Jankovic will need to find her nerve on this surface again in her quarterfinal with Sorana Cirstea, who moved past Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 6-4.

“I think on grass, the most important thing is mentality, because everything goes so quick,” Cirstea said. “If your mind is off for a few seconds, straightaway they can break you. One break can mean one set.

“Here it’s so important to stay focused every single point, it takes more energy. Even if the matches are shorter, it’s a lot on the mental side.”

Also moving on are Mariana Duque-Mariño, who dealt a huge upset to grass-court stalwart Sabine Lisicki, toppling her 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. No.8 seed Eugenie Bouchard also tumbled out, falling to Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 6-3.