Kristina Mladenovic & Yulia Putintseva Practice In St. Petersburg
Watch finalists Kristina Mladenovic and Yulia Putintseva’s practice sessions at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
Watch finalists Kristina Mladenovic and Yulia Putintseva’s practice sessions at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Samantha Stosur is widely regarded as one of the most popular players on tour. And it is easy to understand why; magnanimous in defeat, honest to the press and generous with her time for other players, Stosur is not one for airs and graces.
One player who will testify to the above is Zhang Shuai. A regular practice partner of the Australian, Zhang sought her counsel at a particularly low ebb. In fact it was Stosur that talked the Chinese player out of hanging up the racquets for good, during a meal in Beijing last year.
The sisterly pep talk seemed to do the trick as just a few months later Zhang ended her long-running Grand Slam hoodoo by making it all the way through qualifying and into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
The 27-year-old looks capable of replicating this success at the US Open where she is through to the third round following a bittersweet upset of Stosur.
“She helped me a lot last year when I thought about retiring. She told me to keep going and not give up. She tried to help me by playing doubles,” Zhang said.
“It’s a tough feeling playing her and I feel sad for Sam. She always tries her best, she loves the game. I hope that next time we will meet later in the tournament.”
Zhang had lost her only previous meeting with Stosur, at Roland Garros this May, and admitted afterwards that it was a result she believed beyond her: “Before the match I didn’t think I could beat her because she was a champion of the US Open and she has very good serve and very good spinning forehand. It’s very tough to play her. She beat me in the French Open so this gives me a lot of confidence.”
Next up is another fearsome ball-striker, Yaroslava Shvedova, as Zhang attempts to follow in the footsteps of compatriots Peng Shuai and Li Na by reaching the second week in New York.
“I am very excited. I love New York. Now I want to focus on my tennis and not on the fact that I am the last Chinese woman left in the competition.”
Zhang Shuai floored to be in the 3R @usopen. “Usually when other people start the tournament I’m already in China,” referring to 1R history.
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) 2 September 2016
Introducing the latest WTA challenge for 2017, as Daria Gavrilova sets the bar for how quickly players can race to the net and back – who will win the WTA Net Dash?
WTA Insider | On the first WTA Insider Live Blog of the second week, can World No.2 Angelique Kerber defeat Petra Kvitova to reach the US Open quarterfinal?
The Fed Cup gets underway this week – and the WTA players are enjoying getting together with their compatriots.
Kristina Mladenovic and her France teammates Alizé Cornet and Pauline Parmentier posed alongside captain Yannick Noah after their press conference.
Le #TeamFranceTennis en conférence de presse “pre-draw”.Ensemble! @FedCup @KikiMladenovic @ppauline86 @alizecornet @NoahYannick pic.twitter.com/OMzbDi4R7J
— FFT (@FFTennis) February 8, 2017
Mladenovic, fresh from her win in St. Petersburg last week, lifted the Hopman Cup last month alongside Richard Gasquet.
The France squad were speaking to the media ahead of their tie against Switzerland.
#predraw #pressconference #FRA “It will be an interesting tie against Switzerland” @KikiMladenovic @FedCup pic.twitter.com/ysg95bYz1S
— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) February 8, 2017
Meanwhile, Anita Husaric tweeted a picture of the Bosnia and Herzegovina players on court as they prepared to take on Croatia.
Ready and excited about our first match tomorrow against Croatia! ???? #fedcup #teambih pic.twitter.com/Kabc0h66oB
— Anita Husaric (@AnitaHusaric) February 7, 2017
And Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty were pleased to know they weren’t expected to take on Ukraine on this particular court.
No, the #FedCup tie Aus v Ukraine is not being held on this tennis court @caseydellacqua & @ashbar96 #snowbunnies pic.twitter.com/1hZceDWym1
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) February 7, 2017
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Sunday saw the identity of the first four quarterfinalists at this year’s US Open revealed. Among their number is the evergreen Roberta Vinci, her victory over Lesia Tsurenko ensuring Italy has a representative at this stage for the ninth year in succession.
Joining the WTA Insider team on the latest podcast is Italian journalist Luca Baldissera to discuss his compatriot’s chances against World No.2 Angelique Kerber in the last eight.
In the latest Daily Dispatch hear from Anastasija Sevastova’s entertaining and insightful press conference, Madison Keys, Petra Kvitova and a preview of the remaining fourth-round clashes:
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Angelique Kerber is closing in on the No.1 ranking but her work is far from done in New York. It’s quarterfinal time at the US Open! Chris Oddo previews Tuesday’s action for wtatennis.com.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Caroline Wozniacki’s fairytale in New York continued with a 6-0, 6-2 quarterfinal win over Anastasija Sevastova at the US Open.
“It feels great,” she told press when asked about returning to the semifinals. “It’s a tournament that I love. I love being here. I love playing in this incredible stadium.”
Wozniacki had spent most of the spring struggling with an ankle injury that ruled her out of the clay court season, but it was Sevastova who had her own ankle issues on Tuesday night. Rolling it just two games into the match, the Latvian stuggled to win games after getting injured.
“For sure it was affecting my play, but I’m not a person that likes to retire during a match, so I just tried my best,” Sevastova said after the match.
“But the movement was different. It was harder to move. And also on serve it was harder to get out of the serve.”
Sevastova managed to get on the board late in the second set, forcing the Dane to serve out her first Grand Slam semifinal in exactly two years.
“I think I was just extra focused, because I saw her fall in that second game,” Wozniacki said. “She stood up, and I knew if she can still walk and still put weight on it and stuff then she’s going to go obviously more for her shots and stuff like that.
“But I thought, cool. I kept serving well and made her run. I’m pleased with how I managed to keep composed.”
“I'm going to make the most of the opportunity that I get here.” – @CaroWozniacki #usopen https://t.co/j7vdaqWiYu pic.twitter.com/Qbv3iENCTO
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2016
Starting the tournament down at No.74, Wozniacki has looked stronger with each performance, taking out two Top 10 players in Svetlana Kuznetsova and Madison Keys, and will face an old foe in No.2 seed Angelique Kerber, who is aiming to earn the No.1 ranking Wozniacki herself held for 67 weeks.
“I think when you’re a little kid and you don’t know what anything really means, everybody knows what it means to be the best in the world and everybody knows what it means to be No. 1.
“Obviously being No. 1 in the world is extremely special, and I’m sure Angie is feeling it, too. I’m sure that she is going to do everything to get that ranking. She’s been playing really well this year.
“It’s something that very few people in the world has ever achieved. I mean, how crazy is it to say that you’re the best in the world at something? Doesn’t matter if tennis, football, being a lawyer, whatever it is. It’s really special.
“Right now, for me, being 70-something, it doesn’t really mean much to me. I still believe and feel like I’m one of the top players and grinding my way back, so that’s why I’m saying for me the ranking is just a number right now, because I’m not No. 1 and there is a long way for me right now to get back to No. 1.
“But I’m doing my best to just play my best tennis and have fun with it. It’s really all that I can do right now.”
Kerber advanced earlier in the day after a tricky opening set against 2015 finalist Roberta Vinci, winning, 7-5, 6-0, to reach her second career US Open semifinal.
“I have seen the results and she’s been doing great. I’m really happy for her. She’s a hard worker.
“But to be honest, when I was injured I didn’t watch one match. I don’t know. I have to watch tapes. Obviously I have had tough matches against her in the past. She’s a great competitor. She looks fit, so it’s going to be a tough one.”
A great tournament for #Sevastova ends at the hands of @CaroWozniacki. 6-0 6-2. Onto the Semis! #usopen @chase https://t.co/5or0rih41f
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2016
Agnieszka Radwanska had the shot of the match in the quarterfinals at the Qatar Total Open.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – There is little doubt that in New York Caroline Wozniacki has found a home away from home.
Born in Denmark to Polish parents, like all players, Wozniacki’s professional calling has left little time for setting down roots. However, there is something about the Big Apple that the former World No.1 has found very much to her liking.
Professionally, the city has provided plenty of moments to cherish – most notably runs to the US Open final in 2009 and 2014 – while off the court the Dane moves to a New York beat, attending fashion shows, sports events and even running the marathon.
It is no surprise then that this fortnight on the tennis calendar has coincided with Wozniacki’s return to form.
After a campaign hampered by a nagging ankle injury, Wozniacki has provided a timely reminder of her considerable talents; indeed, counterpunching masterclasses against first Svetlana Kuznetsova and then Madison Keys were as impressive as anything produced during her pomp.
Owner of an apartment in downtown Manhattan, Wozniacki, enjoys home comforts not available to most during the tour’s fortnightly visit to Flushing Meadows.
“I just can cook – or I don’t cook, actually; my mom has been cooking,” Wozniacki told the press after a fourth round upset of No.8 seed Madison Keys. “She does my laundry, as well.”
While many of her rivals jet off to sunnier climes to practice between tournaments, Wozniacki is eager to spend as much time in her adopted home as possible – even if it takes her a little off the beaten track.
“We travel so much, so I don’t get to spend as much time here as I want. But when I’m here lately I have been training at the McEnroe Academy on Randall’s Island. Sometimes I go to the Westside Highway; it’s public courts. They usually let me in and let me in and train for as long as I want. I kind of like being there, because I feel like a proper New Yorker.
“I actually haven’t ever waited [for a court] because people have been so sweet that they’ve let me in. But if I had to wait, I would. What can I do? I have to follow the rules, right?”
Her past accomplishments and ties to the city ensure Wozniacki is never left wanting for support. In fact, aided by the sizeable Polish expatriate community, even against American No.3 Keys, Wozniacki was a popular winner. “Well, there are a lot of Polish people living here. Obviously there is a big fan base from Poland here.
“I was born in Denmark and feel Danish, but I have some Polish blood in me. It’s nice I can take the best of both worlds. Also I have a big part of the New York crowd with me. It’s a great combination here.”
A segment of these same fans will be torn, though, when she steps on court for her next match, a semifinal against World No.2 Angelique Kerber. Like Wozniacki, Kerber, whose father is Polish, has close links to the motherland, where she trains and owns a house.
Down the years, the two have engaged in several titanic struggles – Kerber edges the head-to-head, 7-5 – and Wozniacki is expecting more of the same on Thursday. “We are similar in that we are both hard working. I think that, you know, hard work pays off. She’s obviously very passionate. She loves what she’s doing and it shows.
“Obviously I have had tough matches against her in the past. She’s a great competitor. She looks fit, so it’s going to be a tough one.”