Beijing: Keys Interview
An interview with Madison Keys after her win in the third round of the China Open.
An interview with Madison Keys after her win in the third round of the China Open.
BEIJING, China – World No.1 Angelique Kerber overcame a spirited rearguard effort – and some inspired shotmaking – from Barbora Strycova on Wednesday to take her place in the third round of the China Open.
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In an entertaining conclusion, Kerber twice failed to serve out the match before finally completing a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory. The German will now face Elina Svitolina for a place in the quarterfinals.
“The match was on a really high level at the end of the second set. We run a lot, both of us. I think we both have a great return, so I think that was also the key from both of us to breaking back,” Kerber said. “She breaks me back, and then I break her back.
“The games were still close. It was not like I lost my serve to zero or 15. There were still good points during my service games.”
After dominating their first four meetings on tour, Kerber has found Strycova a more difficult nut to crack this year. In Madrid, the Czech ran out a surprisingly comfortable straight-set winner, before threatening to repeat the upset in Cincinnati.
Once again, Kerber found Strycova in combative mood, testing her nerve as the finishing line beckoned. Several times the top seed looked to have broken her opponent’s will, yet each time she was unable to deliver the final blow.
Even with a commanding lead in the tie-break, Strycova continued to chase down lost causes, reducing her arrears to 4-3 before finally succumbing when she pulled a weary forehand wide.
“It was back and forth. In the final tie-break, I was just trying to forget about everything that happened before, just being in the tie-break, starting from zero,” Kerber added. “I was 4-0. She came back again. It was actually an up-and-down tie-break as well. But finally I won it, so it was a good match at the end for me.”
Naomi Osaka has saved some of her best tennis for the major tournaments in 2016, reaching the third round at three of the four Grand Slams this season.
“I’m happy with the way I play at slams, because they’re very important to me,” she said at the US Open, addining, “but I kind of wish I could transfer the feeling like to the other tournaments, you know.”
The Japanese teenager’s wish came true at home; playing at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, Osaka rolled into her first WTA final, dismantling former Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova along the way.
“I don’t really feel pressure here since the first match, since everyone is ranked higher than me,” she said after knocking out Elina Svitolina in three sets. “I’m a wildcard, so I just try to do my best. But this, for sure, it’s my best tournament.”
This remains my favorite quote from the US Open. Naomi Osaka on whether experience matters: pic.twitter.com/TBG96lBLkS
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 25, 2016
Up to a career-high ranking of No.46, Osaka is your Breakthrough Player of the Month!
Final Results for September’s WTA Breakthrough Performance Of The Month
1. Naomi Osaka (45%)
2. Kristyna Pliskova (40%)
3. Oceane Dodin (9%)
4. Christina McHale (6%)
2016 Breakthrough Performance Of The Month Winners
January: Zhang Shuai
February: Jelena Ostapenko
March: Nicole Gibbs
April: Cagla Buyukakcay
May: Kiki Bertens
June: Elena Vesnina
July: Kristina Kucova
August: Karolina Pliskova
How it works:
Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com
With the Formation World Tour wrapping up on Friday night, singer Beyoncé still had a few surprises in store for her fans at her final show at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
It’s not easy to steal the limelight away from the multiple Grammy-winning performer, but that’s what Serena Williams did when she joined her on stage.
Reprising her famous role in “Sorry,” from Beyoncé’s Lemonade album, Serena took to her throne and twerked away, much to the crowd’s delight.
Two legends, one stage.
Beyoncé + Serena Williams#FormationWorldTour #NewYork pic.twitter.com/Lhb5TxwnBf— Formation World Tour (@FormationWT) October 8, 2016
Afterward, Serena posted these snaps to her Instagram page with the fitting caption “Not sorry.”
Serena, who is no stranger to joining mega-popstars on stage, wasn’t the only celebrity at the star-studded event, with the likes of Taylor Schilling, Adrienne Moore, Hugh Jackman, and Frank Ocean all in attendance last night, as well as Beyoncé’s husband, Jay-Z who joined her onstage shortly after Serena’s performance.
An interview with Agnieszka Radwanska after her win in the final of the China Open.
LINZ, Austria – No.4 seed Carla Suárez Navarro overcame some big hitting from Mona Barthel to ease past the German, 6-4, 6-2, to not only advance into the second round of the Generali Ladies Linz, but also retain her hopes of qualifying for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
“The most important thing is to take it match by match, step by step,” Suárez Navarro said in her post-match press conference. “Today, I felt really good on the court today. It’s an important week because of Singapore – not only for me, but for other players, as well.”
The Spaniard, currently ranked No.10 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard, narrowly missed out on qualification last year, and could yet find herself closing in on the Top 8 with strong results in Linz – in a draw that boats four Top 10 players – and at next week’s Kremlin Cup.
“Players all want spots in Singapore, and we only have a few more tournaments. For me, this is a really good tournament, really good facilities. The hotel is close to site, and the food is really good. You guys will have an interesting week for sure,” she said, joking with the members of the media.
Though she led Barthel 2-0 in their head-to-head, the pair had only played on clay – Suárez Navarro’s favorite surface – and the indoor hardcourts are a much better fit for the former World No.23, who struggled with illness and injury throughout the season.
“The color [of the court] is different, but sometimes when the court is too fast, it’s not really good for me. It’s not good for the tennis or for the show, either, because it’s bing, bam, bing, bam – so fast! But I really like these courts; the color is nice and different. It’s not too fast, so it’s good.”
Serving at 71% for the match, Suárez Navarro’s consistency won the day, breaking serve four times to reach the second round in just over an hour.
“I know she serves really well, so I had to be focused on the return game. The end of the first set was tough for me, but I tried to be solid, sometimes aggressive with my return. I’m happy with my performance.”
One of the only women to reach the second week at all four major tournaments in 2016, Suárez Navarro, who won the biggest tournament of her career earlier this season at the Qatar Total Open, next plays Sara Sorribes Tormo, who knocked out Jelena Ostapenko, 7-6(3), 6-4.
“When you make it to Singapore, it’s one of the best moments after the four Grand Slams. It would be good for my career if I can make it there, even once.
“It’s tough to get there, but even Zhuhai is also a good tournament. It means you’ve finished the year in the Top 15; that’s not bad at all.”
Click here to check out the latest RTS update!
The finalists for the 2016 WTA Doubles Team Of The Year have been announced, and we want to hear from you, the fans. The fan vote will count as one of the coveted media votes.
Have a look at the finalists and cast your vote before Sunday, October 16th at 11:59pm ET! The winner will be announced Friday, October 21st.
2016 WTA Doubles Team Of The Year Finalists
Caroline Garcia & Kristina Mladenovic: It has been quite the year for Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic on the doubles court. After suffering a couple of near-misses in Sydney and Dubai, they finally got their hands on some silverware in Charleston. This began a glorious stretch on the clay, where they triumphed in Stuttgart, Madrid and, most memorably, Roland Garros. While they struggled to scale these heights in the second half of the season, they returned to form in time for the US Open, losing out to Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova in an entertaining final.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova: There is little doubt that Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova have been the outstanding team in the second half of 2016. Injuries and Olympic commitments meant the duo, winners of two majors in 2015, played sparingly together until the summer months, winning Miami and reaching the final in Charleston from a handful of appearances together. However, since their post-Rio reunion Mattek-Sands and Safarova have been unstoppable, embarking on a 16-match unbeaten run that has brought titles at the US Open, Wuhan and Beijing.
Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina: Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina may not have resumed their fruitful partnership until the clay court season, but they certainly made the most of this time together. On their first outing in unison, the Mutua Madrid Open, the Russians reached the semifinals, before going a stage further in Rome. One month later at Roland Garros, they continued this upwards trajectory, narrowly missing out on a third Grand Slam title. Any lingering disappointment was banished over the summer months, during which time they captured the trophy in Montréal then Olympic gold in Rio.
Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza: Following 2015’s trophy-laden campaign was always going to be a tough proposition for Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza. And while they did not quite scale the same heights, they remained regulars at the business end of showpiece events. The year started in dominant fashion, victories in their first four events – a run which included the Australian Open – confirming them as the team to beat on tour. They were nearly as impressive on clay, lifting silverware in Rome and reaching the final of both Stuttgart and Madrid, before announcing their surprise split following disappointing showings at Wimbledon and then Montréal.
WTA Doubles Team Of The Year Winners
2015: Martina Hingis / Sania Mirza
2014: Sara Errani / Roberta Vinci
2013: Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci
2012: Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci
2011: Kveta Peschke/Katarina Srebotnik
2010: Gisela Dulko/Flavia Pennetta
2009: Serena Williams/Venus Williams
2008: Cara Black/Liezel Huber
2007: Cara Black/Liezel Huber
2006: Lisa Raymond/Sam Stosur
2005: Lisa Raymond/Sam Stosur
How it works:
Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a media vote with a fan vote counting as one media vote
SINGAPORE – For the sixth straight year and eighth time overall in her career, Agnieszka Radwanska has qualified once again for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. And this time she returns not only as the defending champion, but as the most in-form player since the US Open.
Radwanska never expected the Asia-Pacific would become the home of her best tennis, but that’s been precisely the case over the last four years. She’s won 10 titles since the start of 2013 and eight of them have come in the Asia-Pacific. Of course, the biggest title of her career came last here in Singapore, where she scrapped to qualify out of the round robin stage before beating Garbiñe Muguruza in the semifinals and Petra Kvitova in a thrilling three-set final to win the WTA Finals.
The 27-year-old veteran continued that season-ending momentum into 2016. She started the season with yet another title in Asia, winning the Shenzhen Open, and backed that up with a solid run to the semifinals of the Australian Open. In fact, Radwanska made the semifinals or better at five of her first six tournaments of the season, including the BNP Paribas Open, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, and the Qatar Total Open.
Most notable in 2016 was Radwanska’s more disciplined schedule. She had built a career on playing as much as her body would allow and often ran the risk of arriving to the tour’s biggest tournaments injured or fatigued. This year Radwanska opted for a more limited schedule, backing herself to do well on the surfaces on which she excels. She played just three tournaments on European clay, her worst surface, and shifted to a heavier schedule during the grass season. The gamble did not pay off immediately — she lost in a thrilling three-sets to Dominika Cibulkova in the Round of 16 at Wimbledon — but playing fewer tournaments over the course of the season eventually paid off.
Radwanska found her game during the latter half of the North American hard court season, making the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open before rolling to her second title of the year at the Connecticut Open. Then, when the tour turned to Asia, Radwanska turned on the jets. Radwanska insists she doesn’t do anything differently in Asia to get the results she does. It just so happens that when she’s here, the big points go her way.
“As we know, tennis is very tight,” Radwanska told WTA insider in Beijing. “Sometimes you lose because of a couple of points. Now, I’m winning those points more often. Everything might be similar, but at the end of the day, I’m the one winning the key points. It’s not about changing something big as much as it’s about being very focused in important moments and believing in yourself, that you can do it.
“Seriously, the Asian Swing is the toughest for everyone – and for me as well! Maybe because New York is not really for me, I’m always getting home earlier so I can get a good rest and then practice really hard to do well in Asia. I guess I’m just taking my chances here.”
The Pole surged through the fall season, making the semifinals at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, quarterfinals at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, before rolling to her biggest title of the season at the China Open. Radwanska did not lose a set in Beijing and became just the fourth woman to own three or more Premier Mandatory titles, joining a club that includes Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Victoria Azarenka. Radwanska finished her 2016 regular season with three titles and a 51-16 record.
Having now qualified for her sixth consecutive WTA Finals, Radwanska now holds the longest streak among active players. She will also finish the season in the Top 10 for her sixth consecutive season. She has been a steady Top 10 stalwart and her ability to do so without having a typical power game makes her career all the more inspiring. Most other players rely on pure power or athleticism to work their way to the top. Radwanska’s creativity and guile proves that there is another path to the upper echelons of the game, one that can enthrall fans, light up the hot shot highlight reels, and earn her some of the best nicknames in the game.
“I really like ‘La Professora’,” Radwanska said with a smile, when asked what for her favorite nickname was. “I think it comes from Spanish and Italian coaches or players. It’s great to hear this kind of nickname. It means I playing really good, perfection tennis.”
As the Kremlin Cup gets underway, the tournament’s stars, including Elena Vesnina, Ekaterina Makarova, Ekaterina Ostapenko, Shelby Rogers and Belinda Bencic have been mingling.
MOSCOW, Russia – Svetlana Kuznetsova kept up her chances of booking a spot at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global by beating Alizé Cornet, 6-4, 7-5, to reach the quarterfinals of the Kremlin Cup.
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The Russian entered this tournament knowing that she had to win the title to book a place for Singapore. In the early exchanges, Kuznetsova made all the running, missing the chance to break in the first game before pushing Cornet even further in her next service game, but the Frenchwoman saved five break points in an epic that lasted nigh on 13 minutes.
With Kuznetsova rattling through her own games on serve, she was able exert more and more pressure on Cornet and finally got the break that she richly deserved after to go 3-2 ahead.
Having worked so hard to get ahead, Kuznetsova threw up an error-strewn game and handed the break to Cornet with a shot into the tramlines. Both players suddenly became more comfortable receiving and after the No.1 seed had restored her advantage, a sloppy backhand into the net put the players back on level terms. A fifth straight break gave Kuznetsova a 5-4 lead, and she finally regained her composure to hold when serving for the set.
.@SvetlanaK27 breaks thrice to win the first and already once again to open the second @kremlincup_eng https://t.co/kRsZ9udpkC pic.twitter.com/gSuniOhsJB
— TennisTV (@TennisTV) October 19, 2016
The World No.9 carried her momentum into the second set, breaking Cornet’s serve for the fourth time in a row with forehand volley.
Kuznetsova failed to hang onto this advantage, however, she closed out the match at the second time of asking to take a place in the quarterfinals. There she will face Timea Babos, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Kristina Mladenovic.
“I think I was playing more against myself. I couldn’t find an exit from the situation,” Kuznetsova said in her post-match press conference. “I was winning and created situations, and when I had an advantage. Instead of keeping playing I began indulging my game. It was psychological: me against me.
“Not sure I played against Babos. I hope to play better than today. Well, the way I played today certainly won’t let me relax!”
Kuznetsova needs to win the title this week in Moscow in order to capture the final spot in the WTA Finals field of eight. Anything short of a title run for the Russian will result in Johanna Konta grabbing the final spot.