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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

ATLANTA, GA, USA – Venus Williams and Eugenie Bouchard will play an exhibition match at the BB&T Atlanta Open, an ATP 250 event, which takes place on hard court in Atlantic Station on July 22-30. The two players will take to the court in the women’s exhibition evening session on Stadium Court on Sunday, July 23.

“Atlanta has such a rich sports and tennis tradition and it’s been over 10 years since I’ve had a chance to play a match there,” said Williams. “I’m looking forward to hopefully playing in front of a big crowd that is also an enthusiastic tennis audience.”

Eugenie Bouchard

Williams and Bouchard have played twice before with the head-to-head currently tied at 1-1. The American won their first meeting on hard court at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in 2013 while the Canadian took victory in their most recent encounter, at the Volvo Car Open on clay at Charleston in 2014. Both matches were extended to three sets.

“It’s exciting having the great American champion Venus Williams make her first trip to Atlanta in almost 15 years. She’s an inspiration to tennis fans and players around the world,” said Tournament Director Eddie Gonzalez. “Genie Bouchard is the perfect opponent for Venus, and Atlanta tennis fans will enjoy the professional brand of women’s tennis.”

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WTA Breakthrough Of The Month: Gibbs

WTA Breakthrough Of The Month: Gibbs

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Nicole Gibbs

Nicole Gibbs’ rapid rise up the rankings hit its zenith during the Sunshine Swing. The American was coming off a run to the quarterfinals of the Abierto Monterrey Afirme but truly showed what she is made of in Indian Wells and Miami.

In only her second BNP Paribas Open appearance, she qualified by upsetting top seed Anna-Lena Friedsam and took out World No.24 Madison Keys to reach the round of 16, where she pushed two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova to three sets.

Making her main draw debut in Miami, Gibbs continued grabbing headlines – on and off the court.

“Hundreds of fans were filing in as the announcer sent my name flying up into the night sky and it was met with energy,” she said in her latest WTA Insider blog. “Not final round qualifying on Court 1 energy, and not even first on Stadium Court at 11am. This felt like the real deal in a way that no prior experiences had prepared me for. Meanwhile, for my opponent, No.4 in the world, this was nothing new. This was unexceptional – just another evening at the office.

A loss to Garbiñe Muguruza does little to dampen an excellent month for the former Stanford All-American, who was fighting for more than just herself in Miami as the issue of equal prize money returned to the fore.

“For me, being told that what I am doing is second class is second nature. Moments after Raymond Moore’s comments at Indian Wells a few weeks ago, I received messages from ATP players, goading me, asserting that Moore’s reasoning was sound. I have had countless individuals, men and women alike, suggest to me that tennis skirts are the principle driver of revenue on the women’s tour. From average, high school aged male tennis players challenging me to matches because they’re sure they could never lose to a girl, to male coaches telling me, “In women’s tennis, you don’t even have to be talented to succeed.”

“Billie Jean King tells me that I have a platform, so I plan to use it. Because I, for one, would love for my future daughter to fight for a game down 6-1 2-0 because she hates getting bageled, not because she’s worried that a bagel might undermine her right to equality.”

Final Results for March’s WTA Breakthrough Performance Of The Month

1. Nicole Gibbs (64%)
2. Timea Babos (16%)
3. Daria Kasatkina (15%)
4. Naomi Osaka (4%)

2016 Breakthrough Player Of The Month

January: Zhang Shuai
February: Jelena Ostapenko

How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com

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Garcia Battles Into Luxembourg Second Round, Allertova Trips Up Bouchard

Garcia Battles Into Luxembourg Second Round, Allertova Trips Up Bouchard

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

LUXEMBOURG – Caroline Garcia battled into the second round of the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open thanks to a 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-4 victory over Anett Kontaveit.

Watch live action from Luxembourg & Moscow this week at WTA Live Powered By TennisTV!

The World No.25 made a fast start to the match, coming back from 40-15 down to break in the Estonian’s serve thanks to an excellent backhand that just about found the line. However, Garcia soon surrendered her advantage, as Kontaveit found her range, producing a stunning return on break point.

Though Garcia managed to stop Kontaveit’s run of three straight games, a poor service game at 5-5 gave the 20-year-old the chance to take the first set, only to succumb to the pressure. She paid for her error, with Garcia taking a one-sided tie-break.

Kontaveit started the second set well and a wild groundstroke from Garcia gave the youngster a crucial break to go 4-2 up. A second break followed following an error-strewn game from the 23-year-old and the Estonian levelled the match.

Garcia began the decider with renewed vigor, two breaks helping her charge into a 3-0 lead. Kontaveit tried to rally, and managed to claw back half of the deficit but Garcia held firm and made it into the second round after an almighty struggle.

Meanwhile, Monica Niculescu secured her progress in the tournament after a 6-4, 6-2 win against Kirsten Flipkens.

The Romanian had a frustrating start to the match, squandering four break points in the opening game before being broken to love, but she was soon back on level terms finally her converting one of the chances afforded to her on the Flipkens serve. Flipkens moved ahead once more at 4-2, but was soon pegged back, failing to win another game in the first set.

Both players were similarly successful when returning in the second set. Niculescu went a break up immediately but the Belgian levelled the set, only to surrender her serve immediately. A further break at 5-2 cemented the World No.51’s advantage but she was able to serve out the match and book her place in the next round.

Denisa Allertova

In the evening session, there were wins for Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and Denisa Allertova. Schmiedlova won a topsy-turvy encounter with Yanina Wickmayer, 6-0, 1-6, 6-3, while Allertova recovered from the disappointment of losing five consecutive games in the first set to upset No.7 seed Bouchard, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

“I just tried to fight for every point and play the best that I can, because I knew she is a great player and that it would be a tough match,” Allertova said. “I think I played good tennis; I tried not to make a lot of mistakes and recovered well from the first set when I was leading and then lost 3-6.

“In these games I didn’t feel so comfortable but then I started to play well at the start of the second set and I managed to come back.”

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

It’s time to vote for February’s WTA Player of the Month!

Have a look at the nominees and cast your vote before Thursday at 11:59pm ET! The winner will be announced Friday, March 10.

February 2017 WTA Player Of The Month Finalists

Kristina Mladenovic: The Frenchwoman’s star reached its highest peaks yet in February, kicking off the month with her maiden WTA title at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. Mladenovic ended February in another final, finishining runner-up at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel. In between, she scored her first Top 5 win of the season against Karolina Pliskova at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Karolina Pliskova: Speaking of Pliskova, the Czech powerhouse continued her winning ways, becoming the first woman to win multiple titles in 2017 at the Qatar Total Open, where she battled past Dominika Cibulkova and Carolina Pliskova and won four matches in three days.

Elina Svitolina: Svitolina built up an impressive, unbeaten, 13-match winning streak in February, winning her fifth and sixth WTA titles at the Taiwan Open and in Dubai to take home the biggest trophy of her career. The Ukrainian, 22, scored back-to-back wins over former WTA World No.1 Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki to break into the Top 10.

POTM

2017 Winners

January: Serena Williams

How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com

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News | WTA Tennis English

News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Angelique Kerber says the boldest decision she ever made came when she was 17 and decided to play tennis professionally.

Her comments reflect the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day: ‘Be Bold For Change’.

“The toughest decision I made was when I was 17, and I decided to start to play tennis [professionally],” she reveals in an exclusive WTA interview. “I was not able to get through to the university and of course when you are 17 years old that’s always a tough decision, because you don’t know how far you can get and what’s happening the next year.”

Angelique Kerber

It was very much a decision that paid off for the 29-year-old, who enjoyed the best year of her career in 2016. In addition to finishing the year at No.1 in the WTA rankings (making it five years in a row in the Top 10), there was double Grand Slam success at the Australian Open and US Open, plus a WTA win in Stuttgart.

On top of that, there were finals at Brisbane, Wimbledon, Cincinnati and the year-end BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, and a silver medal at the Olympics in Rio.

International Women’s Day falls on March 8 every year, and celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

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Kvitova, Bertens Tear Into Luxembourg Semifinals

Kvitova, Bertens Tear Into Luxembourg Semifinals

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

LUXEMBOURG – No.1 seed Petra Kvitova and No.3 seed Kiki Bertens produced a pair of shutout performances to wrap up their quarterfinal matches comfortably. Both needed less than an hour – exactly 54 minutes, in fact – to book their spots into the semifinals of the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open.

Watch live action from Moscow & Luxembourg this week at WTA Live Powered By TennisTV!

It didn’t start out so simple for Kvitova against No.8 seed Johanna Larsson, who was into her seventh WTA quarterfinal of the year. They wrestled for footing at the start of the match, opening with four consecutive breaks of serve.

But once she settled, it was all Kvitova as the Czech reeled off 11 games in a row to power past Larsson 6-2, 6-0.

She’ll face the winner between Andrea Petkovic and American qualifier Lauren Davis for a spot in the final.

It was the opposite story for Bertens in her quarterfinal against Denisa Allertova, with the Dutch player advancing 6-0, 6-4.

Bertens was dominant on the return and broke Allertova three times, allowing the Czech to win just one point off of her services games in the 15-minute opening set.

Kiki Bertens

Allertova finally held serve in the second set and stopped the rot after eight consecutive games, with Bertens up 6-0, 2-0. She put Bertens under pressure at the baseline with her powerful forehand, grabbing one of the breaks back to level the set at 2-2 and stay within touching distance.

But Bertens dug her heels in to bat away a break opportunity, breaking Allertova once more in the penultimate game to serve her way into the semifinals.

“Everyone is really tired at the end of the year, and so am I, so it’s really good to have short matches like this to get ready for the semifinals,” Bertens smiled in post-match press. “I’m just going to play here, have fun, and see how it goes.”

Monica Niculescu received a walkover into the semifinal after No.2 seed Caroline Wozniacki was forced to withdraw from the match due to gastrointestinal illness.

“After the match yesterday I felt really ill and really sick,” Wozniacki explained to press afterwards. “I did everything I could to feel better today but unfortunately I’m not strong enough or feeling good to play today. I need to think about my health.

“Of course, I’m disappointed because I love to play here and of course was trying to win the tournament, but health comes first.”

More to follow…

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Angelique Kerber Clinches WTA Year-End No.1 Ranking

Angelique Kerber Clinches WTA Year-End No.1 Ranking

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SINGAPORE – Angelique Kerber will cap off the best season of her career with yet another accolade after clinching the 2016 WTA Year-End World No.1 Singles Ranking, presented by Dubai Duty Free.

For only the 12th time since the computer rankings were introduced in November 1975, the WTA will have a new name finishing the year at the top. Kerber joins Steffi Graf as the only other German to finish the year at No.1; Graf held the year-end No.1 ranking a WTA-record eight times, most recently in 1996.

“It is a great honor and achievement to finish the year as the No.1 player in the world,” Kerber said. “This is one of the things I’ve always been dreaming of – to become No.1. I have worked extremely hard to become the best player I can be and this is a reflection of that effort and the wonderful year I have had.”

WTA Year-End World No.1

This accomplishment is the latest in what has been a breakout year for Kerber, who began the season by defeating Serena Williams to win her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, and followed up by advancing to the Wimbledon final, capturing a silver medal in singles at the Rio Olympics, and winning the US Open. Kerber also leads the WTA for most main draw match wins this season, at 59-16.

The German’s rise to WTA World No.1 snapped Williams’ record-tying streak of 186 consecutive weeks at the top when Kerber took over the ranking on September 12, 2016 after winning the US Open.

“Being No.1, of course now everybody will try to beat me and have nothing to lose,” Kerber said after her victory in New York. “I will try to take this challenge, because it will be a little bit new situation for me. But at the end, I was always practicing and working hard to be No.1. Now I can also take the next step and try to stay as long as I can there.”

The Year-End No.1 trophy will be presented to Kerber by a representative of Dubai Duty Free at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, where the German will be the No.1 seed in her fourth appearance at the year-end finale.

Here’s the full list of players to have held the WTA Year-End No.1 Ranking:
8 – Steffi Graf (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996)
7 – Martina Navratilova (1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986)
5 – Chris Evert (1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981)
5 – Serena Williams (2002, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015)
4 – Lindsay Davenport (1998, 2001, 2004, 2005)
3 – Justine Henin (2003, 2006, 2007)
3 – Martina Hingis (1997, 1999, 2000)
2 – Monica Seles (1991, 1992)
2 – Caroline Wozniacki (2010, 2011)
1 – Angelique Kerber (2016)
1 – Victoria Azarenka (2012)
1 – Jelena Jankovic (2008)

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