RTS Update: Lucic-Baroni Returns To Top 8, Kerber, Kasatkina Edge Ahead
Volvo Car Open semifinalist Mirjana Lucic-Baroni rose back into the Top 8 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard while World No.1 Angelique Kerber isn’t far behind.
Volvo Car Open semifinalist Mirjana Lucic-Baroni rose back into the Top 8 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard while World No.1 Angelique Kerber isn’t far behind.
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – In the first all-teen WTA final since 2009, Daria Kasatkina knocked out former junior colleague Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3, 6-1, to win her first WTA title at the Volvo Car Open.
“It’s very difficult to describe my feeling now,” she said in her post-victory press conference. “I feel I’m just sleeping and everything is not real. I’m so happy. Really.”
Kasatkina and Ostapenko took back-to-back Grand Slam titles back in 2014, the Russian winning the girls’ French Open while the Latvian swept the junior Wimbledon Championships, and the two have been on a collision course since making their WTA debuts the following year.
Ostapenko was in her third career final after finishing runner-up at the Tournoi de Québec in 2015 and the Qatar Total Open in 2016, and won their only previous tour-level meeting last year at the Aegon International in Eastbourne.
But Kasatkina proved far more at home on clay after earning wins over Olympic champion Monica Puig, good friend Daria Gavrilova, No.10 seed Irina-Camelia Begu, and clay court specialist Laura Siegemund en route to her first final.
“Yesterday evening and all night I couldn’t sleep. I woke up during the whole night like two or three times. I was so nervous, you cannot imagine. I was feeling like, I want to just go on the court and everything, let’s finish, play. I cannot feeling this anymore. But now it was worth it.”
.@DKasatkina turns defense into attack! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/f1CRBWoXoG
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
The pair exchanged early breaks to start the match; Ostapenko won a long sixth game to level the opening set only to see Kasatkina run away with the contest from there, losing just one more game in the 66-minute match.
“I was ready to be on the court five, six hours. Because it’s a final, I have to be ready for everything, but I’m happy that I finished it in, let’s say, an easy way. So I am very happy and proud of myself.
“When I won the last ball, everything like closed and I just feel like I’m dreaming.”
Playing clean, consistent tennis, Kasatkina struck just six winners to the Latvian’s 25, but also only seven unforced errors to Ostapenko’s 38, and converted five of seven break point chances over two sets.
“Today, the tactic was to be a little bit more defensive, go back, spin, slice the ball because it’s clay, and she’s playing really aggressive. Usually she beats aggressive players because she likes this type of game, everything. So we decided that I have to go back and make her tired. It was a good tactic, I think.”
“I was playing good all the days this week,” Ostapenko said after the match. “I beat some great players, but today was really not my day, and I just didn’t feel the ball that well. I was missing too much, and because she was defending during the whole match. It was just probably not my day.
“I think I got a bit more consistent on clay, and I think I improved my serve and I’m moving better, but I still have a lot of things to work on. I think it’s pretty good because now I can climb in the ranking.”
First #WTA Title!@DKasatkina races past Ostapenko 6-3, 6-1 to win @VolvoCarOpen! pic.twitter.com/yYmKy299Qp
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
The Russian will move back into the Top 30 after the win as she aims to return to Roland Garros as a seed for the second straight year, while Ostapenko returns to the Top 50 following her impressive week and wins over former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki and Australian Open semifinalist Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
Kasatkina joins an illustrious list of former champions, including Stefanie Graf, Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis, and Venus Williams. None of that had quite sunk in with the 19-year-old so soon after the match.
“I need to prepare for these things. It never happened to me before. So little bit makeup for the pictures!” she said when asked about a post-victory portrait.
“I don’t realize it yet, so I’m just enjoying it every moment, every second. And really, when I was on the court after the last point, I just wanted the moment to stop because it was one of the best moments in my life.”
.@DKasatkina fights back the tears during champion's speech #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/g5SW68mjMD
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
Earlier in the day, World No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands took her third title of the year, and second with partner Lucie Safarova, overcoming a tough test from BNP Paribas Open finalists Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova, 6-1, 4-6, 10-7.
All photos courtesy of the Volvo Car Open.
Check out the Road to Singapore standings after Monterrey and Charleston.
MONTERREY, Mexico – No.2 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova completed a Russian sweep of WTA titles this week, shocking top seed and World No.1 Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 to win her fourth Abierto GNP Seguros title.
I’m really overwhelmed and don’t think I realized that I just won my fourth Monterrey trophy,” she said in her post-victory press conference. “Some people just have four trophies in total, and I have four here! It’s very special and it’s a special place in my heart; it’s where I won my first title and since won three more.
“But a trophy is a trophy; I’m so happy to hold it.”
Gutsy way to save break point from @NastiaPav! ? #AbiertoGNPSeguros pic.twitter.com/wlR0CwvYc1
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
Following countrywoman Daria Kasatkina’s title run at the Volvo Car Open, Pavlyuchenkova got out to the early advantage in Sunday’s final, taking the only break of the first set on her third set point.
“Playing the final against the No.1 player in the world is already very special, because everyone wants to compete against the No.1. You don’t get so many chances to do it, so it was one opportunity for me today. Beating here feels amazing, but I’m just enjoying the moment right now.”
Kerber was looking for her first title of the season and aimed to turn the tables on the big-hitting Russian, winning a long third game to break serve and run away with the second set to level the match.
.@NastiaPav firing at the start of the second! #AbiertoGNPSeguros pic.twitter.com/ZT9R0oJaVq
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
“Honestly, I didn’t have much energy left in the tank during the second set. First, it was really hot today, and tough conditions. Angelique was making me play every single point, so I felt as though I’d already given a lot in the first set. The first three games in the second were really long and I felt, ‘That’s it. I don’t have anything left.’
“But it’s a final; I said I’d try my best and give everything I had. So I had to find something somewhere, what little energy I did have, and put that into the match. I’m so happy I managed to do that.”
Absolutely genius from @NastiaPav! ? #AbiertoGNPSeguros pic.twitter.com/CLLPwvkY9z
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
Pavlyuchenkova is in the midst of a career best start to her year, making quarterfinal finishes at the Australian Open and BNP Paribas Open since hiring new coach Simon Goffin.
With Goffin in her corner, she raced out to a 5-0 lead in the final set, ultimately serving out her ninth career title in just under two hours.
How did @NastiaPav reach this forehand?! ? #AbiertoGNPSeguros pic.twitter.com/lv6SvWQZyr
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
Despite – or perhaps because of – her ability to adapt to the conditions, the Monterrey press still ribbed the Russian over her description of the tough conditions, those in which she nonetheless hit 49 winners to 31 unforced errors – compared to 14 winners to just 10 unforced errors from Kerber.
“I like to complain! Let me complain,” she laughed. “I feel sorry for myself sometimes, like it’s so hot and so tough. Let me complain. But it’s not complaining that much because the conditions aren’t easy here in general. Coming from other tournaments, it feels different to play here.”
“Wow! Fourth one, huh?” -@NastiaPav #AbiertoGNPSeguros pic.twitter.com/eOLHmtxjbj
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
Thanks to their strong results in Monterrey, both women are set to make big leaps on the Road to Singapore leaderboard, with Kerber inching just outside the Top 8 at No.10, while Pavlyuchenkova is two spots behind at No.12.
“I’ll probably enjoy this win for a few more days, but in tennis, you’ve got another one in a couple of weeks. I’ll have Fed Cup, playing for my country. But I really hope to bring this form with me throughout the year, improve, and be fitter for the next tournaments.”
Special message from @Abierto_GNP champ @NastiaPav to her fans ? pic.twitter.com/06S3IbOeMO
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
In the doubles final, top seeds Alicja Rosolska and Nao Hibino recovered from a break down in the second set to defeat Dalila Jakupovic and Nadiia Kichenok, 6-2, 7-6(4).
“Our opponents really stepped up in the second set, played more solid and put a lot of pressure on us. We couldn’t play our game style as freely,” Rosolska said after the match.
“We had to be more focused from the first ball, so we tried putting in more first serves and be more aggressive so we wouldn’t be under as much pressure.
“There was a very important game at 2-4 where we won the deciding point and helped us win the second set.”
The pair previously paired up to win an ITF challenger title, but as the Pole noted, “It’s our WTA first!”
All photos courtesy of Abierto GNP Seguros.
Check out Daria Kasatkina’s shot of the day from the final of the Volvo Car Open.
STANFORD, CA, USA – Less than seven months after giving birth to son Leo, former No.1 Victoria Azarenka is set to return to tennis this summer at the Bank Of The West Classic in Stanford.
“I am very excited to be returning to the WTA at the Bank of the West Classic,” Azarenka said. “Becoming a mother has been the most rewarding thing that has ever happened to me and really puts things in perspective. I am looking forward to beginning this new stage of my career.”
The two-time Australian Open champion enjoyed a strong start to last season, winning the elusive Sunshine Double at the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open, but was forced to sit out the remainder of 2016 after announcing the imminent birth of her son.
Tickets for this year’s event, which will be held July 31-August 6 at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium on Stanford University’s campus, can be purchased online at www.BankOfTheWestClassic.com or by phone at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497).
Check out Daria Kasatkina’s stat of the day from the Volvo Car Open final.
CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Kicking off finals Sunday at the Volvo Car Open, World No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands treated the Charleston crowd to a rousing doubles match alongside partner and Australian Open co-champion Lucie Safarova.
Up against a newly formed Czech duo in Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova, Mattek-Sands and Safarova recovered from a tough second set to rebound in the match tie-break, winning, 6-4, 1-6, 10-7, to take home their second title of the season – and Mattek-Sands’ third overall.
The win triggered a lengthy celebration from two of the tour’s biggest personalities, and even a revival of the Shaun T-choereographed dance the two debuted after winning in Melbourne.
Check out some the best photos from after the match right here, courtesy of the Volvo Car Open:
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova takes on Angelique Kerber in the final of the Abierto GNP Seguros.