Tennis News

CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Mirjana Lucic-Baroni took down the hometown favorite Shelby Rogers in three sets to reach the semifinals at the Volvo Car Open.

35-year-old Lucic-Baroni – the oldest player left in the draw – first played in Charleston in 2001, the same year her opponent Rogers was a ball girl at this very tournament. The Croat had never been past the round of 16 on the green clay, but on Friday night she mounted a spirited comeback to oust Rogers from her home tournament, 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-1.

“It was beautiful in a way,” Lucic-Baroni said in her post-match press conference. “It was difficult playing against the crowd, because Shelby is from here. It’s normal. It’s always tough, but I felt they were very respectful. They were cheering for their home girl, and it’s totally normal.

“The wind was what was really difficult today. It was incredibly hard, and the fact that I came out yesterday and today playing some great tennis and winning in these conditions, it’s incredible, really, really good effort.

.@Shelby_Rogers_ saves set point and claims the first set 7-6(7)! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/MNRXGG6ySb

— WTA (@WTA) 7 de abril de 2017

Just one point made the difference for Rogers as she took the rollercoaster opening set under blustery conditions – which Lucic-Baroni described as, “I would rather play with a live lion running around in normal conditions than play in today’s weather.”

The Charleston-native leveraged the vocal home support to inspire an early comeback as she found herself down a break with Lucic-Baroni serving for the set at 5-4. She dodged a Lucic-Baroni set point to take it to a tiebreaker, then denied the Croat another one as she edged through to take the opening set.

But the big-hitting Lucic-Baroni refused to fold, and reeled in the errors from her all-or-nothing game to shut out Rogers from the next two sets. She didn’t allow Rogers a single break opportunity as she broke the American five times in a row to snatch a dizzying ten games in a row before claiming the match – and her spot in the semifinals – in two hours and thirteen minutes.

Third Semifinal of 2017!

Lucic-Baroni downs Rogers 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-1 at @VolvoCarOpen! pic.twitter.com/Ir5ELxURsr

— WTA (@WTA) 7 de abril de 2017

“I was just trying to fight for every point,” Rogers reflected in her post-match press conference. “Like it was definitely back and forth. I thought we had a very good level. It was super entertaining; and bad luck, I wish I could have kept it up.

“But a lot of positives to take from that, and you know, moving forward into the clay season, this week’s been great for me, and so many good things to move forward and build on.”

Meanwhile, Lucic-Baroni had nothing but praise for her opponent, lauding her to the adoring Charleston crowd.

“You guys should be so proud of Shelby,” she said. “She’s such a wonderful girl, amazing tennis player with a super bright future and present as well. You should really be proud, she represents [Charleston] beautifully.”

BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland/BOGOTA, Colombia – The Ladies Open Biel Bienne will make its debut on the WTA circuit this week. The second annual tournament in Switzerland is played on indoor hard-courts. While the Claro Open Colsanitas continues the spring, clay court season. Since it’s upgrade to a WTA-level event in 1998, the Colombian tournament has evolved into one of the most prestigious sporting events in all of Latin America.

1) The Swiss are out with a vengeance.
Three Swiss players are playing in Biel/Bienne this week. Belinda Bencic, former World No.7 was given a wildcard into the tournament, while Rebeka Masarova is back at home after making her debut to the women’s tour at Gstaad in 2016 – beating former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic in the first round. Finally, Viktorija Golubic who went on to win the tile in Gstaad, is also in action.

2) Strycova leads in Swiss field.
Top seed Barbora Strycova will aim to win her second career title in Biel/Bienne after strong results at the Miami Open in singles and doubles. Her last title came in 2011 at the Tournoi de Québec – another indoor hardcourt event. 

3) Babos, Niculescu anchor quarter of contrasts.
There are few match-ups more fun than those that provide a contrast in styles, one of which we may get if No.3 seed Timea Babos and No.8 seed Monica Niculescu advance into the last eight. Niculescu leads their head-to-head 3-2, but Babos won both of their 2016 encounters.

4) Carla Suárez Navarro back on form after injury.
Suárez Navarro looks nearly back to her best after an injury-addled start to 2017, she will come into Biel as the No.2 seed after reaching the quarterfinals in Monterry last week.

5) Vinci gets KrisPlis rematch in Biel/Bienne.
Roberta Vinci was a game away from knocking out Kristyna Pliskova at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships before Karolina’s twin sister stunned the Italian veteran in three sets. The two face off again in the first round in Biel/Bienne, Vinci the No.4 seed.

6) Kiki Bertens will start in Colombia as the No.1 seed.
The Dutchwoman reached her career high in February, cracking the World’s Top 20. She is set to play 20-year-old Nina Stojanovic in the first round.

7) Irina Falconi is back to defend her title in Bogota.
The World No.105 has has struggled with injury since winning her maiden WTA title last spring, but she will be fighting to defend it this week. The American faces Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic in the first round.

8) Errani to face streaking Alexandrova.
Former French Open finalist Sara Errani will begin her red clay swing in earnest down in Bogota, but will first have to get past the on-fire Ekaterina Alexandrova. The young Russian comes to Colombia on the back of 10 straight wins and two ITF titles in China and France.

9) Siniakova aims to bring doubles success to singles court in Bogota.
20-year-old Katerina Siniakova started the season with a singles title in Shenzhen, and has since shown her best tennis on the doubles court with Lucie Hradecka, reaching finals at the BNP Paribas Open and the Volvo Car Open last week. The Czech will aim to rediscover her singles form in Bogota, where she will be the No.2 seed.

10) Can Arruabarrena reclaim her Colombian crown.
Lara Arruabarrena won the Claro Open Colsanitas in 2012, and has shown some improved hardcourt form at the Miami Open, where she upset Madison Keys en route to the fourth round. The No.4 seed in Bogota, she opens against a qualifier.

World No. 1 Serena Williams begins her quest for a fourth Roland Garros title on Tuesday as the top half of the draw contests its first-round matches. We preview all the action here at WTATennis.com.

Tuesday, First Round

[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK #77)
Head-to-head: Williams leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Williams is one of nine Grand Slam winners in the main draw, and has four more major titles (21) than the other eight major winners combined (17).

Serena Williams will look to resume her march towards history in Paris this week after stumbling in the late rounds at each of the last two majors. The World No.1 sits just one behind Steffi Graf for the all-time Open Era record for major titles, but that fact is something that the 34-year-old American prefers not to dwell on. “I definitely block it out,” Williams said over the weekend in Paris. “I was one off last year, too. If I don’t win [Roland Garros] I’ll still be one off. It took me forever to get to 18. I was so stressed out. I don’t want to relive that at all.” On Tuesday Williams will hope for a stress-free encounter against Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova in the final match of the day on Court Philippe Chatrier. Rybarikova has struggled with a leg injury since reaching the quarterfinals at Indian Wells and the 27-year-old has only played once since then, retiring from a challenger match in Slovakia in the first set.

Pick: Williams in two

[26] Kristina Mladenovic (FRA #30) vs. Francesca Schiavone (ITA #95)
Head-to-head: Schiavone leads, 2-1
Key Stat: Mladenovic has notched a Top 10 win in each of her last two Roland Garros appearances.

Kristina Mladenovic’s Roland Garros legend is growing with each passing year as the Frenchwoman has notched some of the grandest, most emotional wins of her career on the terre battue. In 2014 she famously upset 2011 Roland Garros champion Li Na in the first round. Last year Mladenovic took out then-World No.6 Eugenie Bouchard in her opening match. Credit to Mladenovic. She’s embraced the challenge of playing at her home Slam and delivered inspiring performances in two consecutive years. But to do it again this year the 23-year-old will have to get past a woman with a Roland Garros resumé that is far more impressive than her own. Francesca Schiavone’s legend is already as big as it gets in Paris. “La Leonessa” pulled off one of the most magical runs in recent Grand Slam history when she took the title at Roland Garros in 2010, but the 35-year-old will likely need some more of her Paris magic if she is to book her place in the second round.

Pick: Mladenovic in three

[5] Victoria Azarenka (BLR #5) vs. Karin Knapp (ITA #118)
Head-to-head: Knapp leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Knapp dropped just two games in a straight-sets win over Azarenka at Roland Garros in 2007.

Nine years ago, Italy’s Karin Knapp notched one of her best career wins at a major against Victoria Azarenka at Roland Garros, dropping just two games in a first-round blowout. But that victory came early in Azarenka’s Roland Garros career, before she had fully acclimated herself to the red clay. These days Azarenka is a much more accomplished clay-courter with seven finals on the surface under her belt and three appearances in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros (including a semifinal in 2013). If Azarenka truly has put the back issues that have plagued her on clay this season behind her, she should be able to assert herself early and often against Knapp on Tuesday.

Pick: Azarenka in two

[3] Angelique Kerber (GER #3) vs. Kiki Bertens (NED #58)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Kerber lost in the first round in both Madrid and Rome.

On Tuesday in Paris Angelique Kerber will play her first Grand Slam match since claiming the Australian Open title in January. How will she handle the challenge? The German has been through her share of ups and downs since that triumph, but by and large she has adjusted to her newfound notoriety with maturity, managing to stay grounded and focused on playing the high-quality tennis that she has become known for. But dealing with fame hasn’t been Kerber’s only challenge this spring. The World No. 5 has also struggled with a shoulder injury that could be a factor when she meets last week’s Nürnberg champion, Kiki Bertens, in her first-round match. “I’ve had a few practice days and that gives me confidence,” Kerber told reporters this weekend about her decision to skip last week’s event in Nürnberg to rest. “I used the days at home to have a lot of shoulder treatments. Physically I’m feeling good again. I was scared to play matches before Paris. Now I can serve and there are not so many pains.”

Pick: Kerber in three

By The Numbers

4 — Williams is bidding for her fourth Roland Garros title this year. If she succeeds she’ll pull even with Justine Henin and Helen Wills-Moody on the all-time leaderboard.

40 – Schiavone is fifth among active players on the Roland Garros win list. The Italian has gone 40-14 in her 15 appearances in Paris.

4 – In the Open Era the No. 1 seed has lost in the first round just four times at a major and never at Roland Garros.

-Chris Oddo, wtatennis.com contributor

World No.8 Agnieszka Radwanska knows what it’s like to be a teenage queen.

The Pole won her first WTA title at the age of 18 in 2007, and reached both her first Grand Slam quarterfinal and the world’s top 10 the next season. A decade later, WTA teenagers were in the spotlight on Sunday as Daria Kasatkina defeated Jelena Ostapenko to win the first all-teenaged final at a WTA event since 2009 at the Volvo Car Open.

For Radwanska, who turned professional at the age of 16, game recognizes game.

“Now I know what my opponents must have felt like back then. I have to say, the younger players on tour right now are dangerous,” Radwanska wrote in a Straits Times column this week. “We talk about it among ourselves. ‘The kids are coming!’ I think the new generation of players are just better than earlier in my career. They really play smart. From a young age, they’re already pushing to play tournaments and matches. They’re sacrificing a lot but that means they’re very good when they’re 16 or 17.”

Recognizing that she is now closer to the end of her career than the beginning, the 28-year-old reflected on playing a full schedule over the course of her years on the circuit, and how growing up in tennis has evolved.  

“When I was a junior, I played tournaments and went to school at the same time, and I went step by step. I had a pretty normal life, only unlike my friends I didn’t have much time for myself….I’ve been on tour for so long. I haven’t had any breaks. I’ve had a couple of surgeries but I always had those during the off-season and I’m always ready for the majors. I’ve played 43 Grand Slams in a row.”

She added: “My goal now is to maximize the time I have left on tour, and that means being as efficient as possible in my schedule by making the most of my opportunities.”

In the lead-up to the Oct 22-29 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the eight singles players from last year will pen a monthly exclusive column for The Straits Times. The second installment features 2015 champion Agnieszka Radwanska — read it in full here.

On Thursday, defending French Open doubles champions Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands take the court to start their bid for a third Grand Slam title as a duo. Standing in their way? None other than the World No.1s Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis – who are just five wins away from a ‘SanTina Slam’ – and a stacked draw filled with dangerous teams.

Ahead of their doubles opener, the pair sat down with CNN Open Court to discuss the origins of “Team Bucie,” their on-court chemistry, and Safarova’s return from a career-threatening illness.

BOGOTA, Colombia – Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone needed barely over an hour to take down top seed Kiki Bertens and book her place in the Claro Open Colsanitas semifinals, 6-1, 6-4.

The 36-year-old Italian, who is playing in her last season of professional tennis after announcing her retirement plans earlier in the year, will cap off her final trip to Bogota with her first semifinal appearance at the tournament – and her first semifinal of 2017.

.@Schiavone_Fra breezes through the opening set vs Bertens 6-1! pic.twitter.com/2I1ny6kz6r

— WTA (@WTA) 13 de abril de 2017

The semifinals seemed a long way off for Schiavone in the opening set, however, as she started off sluggish and struggled physically with lingering shoulder pains as she dropped her opening service game.

But the former French Open champion drew on all her experience to put it out of her mind and steamroll past a flat Bertens, who was playing her second match of the day after defeating fellow Dutch qualifier Cindy Burger in their rain delayed second round encounter.

Bertens’ normally powerful groundstrokes were missing their bite as she sprayed unforced errors and double faults to keep Schiavone in the match, dropping serve three times as the Italian snatched up six games in a row to comfortably wrap up the opening set.

.@Schiavone_Fra reaches @CopaWTABogota Semifinals!

Beats Bertens 6-1, 6-4! pic.twitter.com/ClrNY8T1WS

— WTA (@WTA) 13 de abril de 2017

The top seed put up a better fight in the second, finding her first serves to keep pace with Schiavone before the Italian came away with the crucial break early on to go up 2-1. Bertens was never able to get it back or put any pressure on the Schiavone serve as they stayed on serve to send the Italian through to her first semifinal of the year.

It won’t get any easier for Schiavone in the next round as she looks to reach her 19^th career singles final; up next is the highest seed left in the draw, No.3 seed Johanna Larsson.

Larsson fought past a determined Sara Errani in a tight straights sets encounter to advance 7-5, 6-4 and take the final spot in the Claro Open Colsanitas semifinals.

More to follow…