Tennis News

BUCHAREST, Romania – Simona Halep has announced she will not be competing at the upcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Shortly after winning her quarterfinal at the BRD Bucharest Open, Halep took to social media to reveal her withdrawal from the Games, citing fears over the Zika virus outbreak across South America.

“The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus,” was posted on Halep’s Facebook page. “After several talks with doctors and my family, i concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is much too important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over.”

BUCHAREST, Romania – Simona Halep reached her first final since early May with a hard-fought three set win over Vania King at the BRD Bucharest Open.

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Two years ago, Halep triumphed at the inaugural staging of the tournament, and she stayed on course for a second title on home soil with a 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3 victory.

“I felt the audience’s support, they were wonderful, keeping in mind that I lost the first set, they were more and more energetic. It was good, they motivated me and I fought every ball, and that helped me win tonight,” Halep said.

Competing in the semifinals of a WTA event for the first time in two years, King recovered from a slow start to take the first set and stun the partisan crowd. Things went from bad to worse for the Romanian at the start of the second set, King rifling a backhand down the line to earn two chances for an immediate break. She only needed one, this time the forehand wing doing the damage.

The American followed this up with a gutsy hold, but could not hold onto the initiative, Halep forcing the match the distance by taking the final three games of the set.

Now bossing the baseline exchanges for the first time, Halep turned the screw at the start of the third set, duly building a 4-1 lead. King battled gamely to the end, reducing her arrears to 4-3, before Halep made it across the finishing line thanks to one final push.

“I think I was a little stronger mentally, more powerful in the game, I was more focused in the important balls and I won the important ones,” Halep added. “I started dominating the game close to the end, I lost two games when I had 4-1, and that was my fault. But I am happy that I resisted and that I won the following two.

“I was expecting her game to be good, fast and aggressive. I played well and I think it was a beautiful match for everyone.”

In the first semifinal, Anastasija Sevastova saw off No.4 seed Laura Siegemund, 6-3, 6-2, to continue her recent resurgence. Sevastova, who recently reached the final in Mallorca, actually holds a winning record over Halep, although with the most recent of these coming almost five years ago it is unlikely to have too much bearing on Sunday’s showdown.

“I don’t recall those matches, but I know I played against her,” Halep said when asked about her three defeats at the hands of Sevastova. “It’s going to be a tough match – every final is difficult – but I will try to enjoy it as much as possible.

“I’m in another final here in Bucharest and that makes me feel very good. I hope I win, I’m looking forward to it but I expect a difficult match. She has a different game, but I will try not to give up any point, just like today.”

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Garbiñe Muguruza

2016 Quick Hits
Week 1 Ranking: No.3
Year-End Ranking: No.7
Season Highlights: Title at Roland Garros, semifinals in Rome and Cincinnati
Best Major Result: Champion (French Open)

2017 Outlook

World No.7 Garbiñe Muguruza’s 2016 season was a study in contrasts.

Following up and down results at the start of the year, the 23-year-old peaked at the right time to stun the world and claim her maiden major at the French Open.

But she didn’t advance past the third round at any other Grand Slam, and didn’t reach a WTA final all year long, with her best results coming in the form of semifinals appearances at Rome and Cincinnati.

The mercurial Spaniard was the first to acknowledge the mental toll of her season’s extreme highs and lows.

“Winning Roland Garros has been the best and worst part of the year,” Muguruza admitted to Marca in October ahead of the WTA Finals. “It might sound strange but it was like a double-edged sword.

“I won Roland Garros, but at other tournaments it was hard for me to play at the same level… I felt more responsibility, more pressure, more eyes on me, more of a feeling that you have to win because it’s what is expected of you.”

Looking ahead to 2017, Muguruza will look to step off the rollercoaster and regain the one aspect missing from her world-beater game: consistency.

“[My objective after winning Roland Garros] is to never believe that at 25 years old you will have achieved everything that you want, because in the end no player reaches their highest level at 22.

“I’ll take my time with everything. And if it doesn’t come next year, well, so it goes. That’s how I try to reassure myself.”

Tenis. Tennis. Tenis. Tennis….¡Trabajando duro! Working hard! https://t.co/JO4k6DixaC pic.twitter.com/HDtiM1la2G

— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) December 9, 2016

SHENZHEN, China – Top seed and defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska came back from the brink to defeat an inspired Duan Ying-Ying in the first round of the Shenzhen Open.

Having romped through the opening set, Radwanska looked on course for a straightforward outing against the World No.103. However, it proved to be anything but, the Pole eventually scraping through, 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-5, after saving three match points.

“It was not my best tennis, but I’m very happy that I got the win, and on the important points I was doing a good job, which was the most important thing today,” Radwanska said.

“The match points were of course big moments, but also the tie-break in the second set. I came from 4-1 down that set but in the tie-break I didn’t play good enough and it slipped away. I was still on court for another hour after that.”

Duan, who required a wildcard into the main draw, grabbed her opportunity with both hands, recovering from the loss of the opening four games to gradually overwhelm the World No.3. In the final set it looked like she would claim a famous victory, breaking in the ninth game to serve for the match.

To the disappointment of the upset-hungry crowd, she could not find the finishing blow, three times coming within a point of victory only to be denied each time.

.@ARadwanska is fighting with all her might and has now saved three match points! pic.twitter.com/kej2g35CZ7

— WTA (@WTA) January 2, 2017

Radwanska made the most of her escape, taking the next two games to book a meeting with Sorana Cirstea.

“It’s always tough to play someone for the first time – I didn’t know what to expect. But she’s a very powerful player and solid from the back,” Radwanska said. “She also served very well and had nothing to lose. It was a very close match, even at the beginning.”

Elsewhere there were contrasting fortunes for her fellow seeds, Timea Babos and Anastasija Sevastova, both of whom slipped to surprise defeats. Babos failed to make the most of a flying start, losing 1-6, 7-5, 6-2, to Nina Stojanovic, while Sevastova fell to Kristyna Pliskova, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(6), despite holding a couple of match points in the tie-break.