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Rio 2016: The Opening Ceremony

Rio 2016: The Opening Ceremony

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970
The Opening Ceremony took place in Rio de Janeiro’s famous Maracana Stadium.

The Opening Ceremony took place in Rio de Janeiro’s famous Maracana Stadium.

The colorful routines depicted different aspects of Brazilian history and culture.

The colorful routines depicted different aspects of Brazilian history and culture.

Several WTA stars walked with their Olympic delegation during the Parade of Nations, including Heather Watson with Great Britain, led by ATP player Andy Murray.

Several WTA stars walked with their Olympic delegation during the Parade of Nations, including Heather Watson with Great Britain, led by ATP player Andy Murray.

Angelique Kerber was all smiles as she took in the scenes with the German delegation.

Angelique Kerber was all smiles as she took in the scenes with the German delegation.

Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki was given the greatest honor of all as she carried the flag for Denmark.

Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki was given the greatest honor of all as she carried the flag for Denmark.

Wozniacki was the only female tennis player to lead her country’s delegation this Olympic Games.

Wozniacki was the only female tennis player to lead her country’s delegation this Olympic Games.

Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark

Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark

After the athletes walked and the Olympic flags raised, it was time for the biggest moment of the night.

After the athletes walked and the Olympic flags raised, it was time for the biggest moment of the night.

The Olympic cauldron was lit, marking the start of the 31st Olympic Games.

The Olympic cauldron was lit, marking the start of the 31st Olympic Games.

Let the Games begin!

Let the Games begin!

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Serena Meets The Press In Rio

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – With just two days to go until the start of the Olympic tennis event in Rio de Janeiro this weekend, Serena Williams met with the press along with the rest of Team USA at the group’s press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Serena is the top seed in both women’s singles and doubles (along with older sister Venus Williams) as well as being the reigning gold medalist in both events. All eyes are on the WTA No.1 as she readies for her quest to add another Olympic gold medal to her already impressive haul.

Here are the highlights from Serena’s Team USA press conference.

Serena holds 22 Grand Slam singles titles and has four Olympic gold medals (one in singles, three in doubles). Here’s how she described the unique feeling of winning in both competitions:

“All our lives, us tennis players dream of playing in Grand Slams, winning Grand Slams, having the opportunity to hold that trophy.

“And then there’s the Olympics. Playing the Olympics, it’s totally different. You’re really playing for your country. When I held my first gold medal, it was a feeling that I never expected. I had the opportunity to truly enjoy and appreciate my gold medal probably more than my other trophies.”

And this is what keeps her motivated to keep winning even after earning so many gold medals and Grand Slams titles:

“I love what I do, I do it every day and I enjoy being out on the court. I enjoy competing and right now I just don’t see a time where I say, ‘I don’t want to do it anymore.’

“As long as I’m doing anything – whether I’m playing tennis or doing something else – I always give my maximum effort. That’s just what I bring to the court every day.”

On teaming up again with her older sister Venus for doubles, where they’re vying for a fourth doubles gold medal together:

“We have the opportunity to have someone on tour who completely understands what you’re going through. There are some brothers and sisters on tour. It’s a great experience, it’s a lot of fun. We enjoy it – I don’t think there’s anything out there like it.”

On being back in Brazil for just the second time ever:

“I had so much fun in Sao Paolo a few years ago [for an exhibition match]. It was a great time, and that was my first time here in Brazil.

“I’ve never been to Rio, though. The team actually all just got here today, so we haven’t had too much time to experience it but everything looks really nice and we look forward to spending a long time here, having a long tournament and having wonderful experiences.”

Here’s what she thinks of the much discussed health and safety concerns in Rio:

“I weighed it very heavily. I think everyone here [on Team USA] did as well and we were able to educate ourselves on what to do and how to prepare and how to deal with everything here. If you educate yourself and have preparation, then you can really be ready for anything. And then I think we all had the confidence that we could do it. We’re all prepared. We’re ready.”

She also reflected – kind of – on her historic Wimbledon win a few weeks ago:

“I don’t reflect so much, actually. I usually just move on and focus on the next big event. Especially with Rio being so close, that was my main goal, to make sure I’m ready and prepared to play in the Olympics. The way I see my season hasn’t changed. My season has been, for me, it’s been ok.”

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Nanchang: Changing Of The Guard

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

A mixture of fresh and familiar faces assembled for third edition of the Jiangxi Open. Find out what the players have been up to on and off the court…

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Olympic Memories: Beijing

Olympic Memories: Beijing

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

The penultimate stop-off on wtatennis.com’s trip down Olympics memory lane is the 2008 Games in Beijing, which saw a clean sweep of the medals from tennis’ new world order…

Beijing, China, 2008
Olympic Green Tennis Center
Hardcourt

For a Russian athlete there is no greater prize in sport than an Olympic gold medal. It is fitting therefore that for Elena Dementieva, so often the bridesmaid at tennis’ biggest events, the site of her greatest triumph was the Beijing Games.

Eight years after announcing herself to the tennis world with an unexpected silver medal in Sydney, Dementieva went one better in Beijing – a surprise winner in a tournament full of surprises.

A regular figure at the business end of majors, Dementieva enjoyed a smooth passage through the opening rounds and into a quarterfinal with Serena Williams.

Five previous encounters with Williams had brought just one win, but in Beijing Dementieva was a woman on a mission, producing a stirring comeback to triumph in three.

Meeting her in the semifinals was compatriot Vera Zvonareva, who had taken advantage of No.1 seed Ana Ivanovic’s 11th hour withdrawal to advance from the top section.

She was no match for an inspired Dementieva however, who, with the draw now shorn of many of her tormentors in chief, was not about to take her eye off the ball.

And so to the final where another Russian, Dinara Safina, was lying in wait.

Coming into the Games, Safina was in the form of her life and looking to add a golden finish to a summer that had already seen her pick up silverware in Berlin, Los Angeles and Montréal.

A round earlier Safina had dashed China’s dreams of a home gold medalist by knocking out Li Na and when she took the opening set in the final it looked like she would be putting paid to her teammate’s too.

Then midway through the second set, Safina began to lose her way. Whether it was magnitude of the situation playing on the mind or just an arduous summer schedule finally catching up with her is uncertain. What was certain is that it left the door ajar for a Dementieva comeback.

From then on, it was less about forehands and backhands and all about who wanted it more. There was only ever going to be one winner.

After nicking an error-strewn second set, the momentum was now with Dementieva and she was not about to hand it back. As the match edged towards the two and a half hour mark, Dementieva arrived at match point.

One crisp forehand down-the-line winner later and she sunk to her knees an Olympic champion.

“It’s a huge moment for Russia,” Dementieva said. “I know we were expecting and planning some medals from our team. But I don’t think anyone could expect three medals.”

“This is a dream for every athlete, just to be here. But to be an Olympic champion, this is the top of the career.”

——

Olympic Memories: Athens
Olympic Memories: Sydney
Olympic Memories: Atlanta
Olympic Memories: Barcelona
Olympic Memories: Seoul

Elena Dementieva

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Duan Upsets No.8 Seed In Nanchang

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NANCHANG, China – Duan Ying-Ying fought back to knock out No.8 seed Han Xinyun and book a spot in the quarterfinals of the Jiangxi Open on Thursday.

Watch live action from Nanchang this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Long-time rivals on the ITF Circuit, this was the first time the players had met at a WTA event, and it was Han that reacquainted herself the quicker. However, after dropping the first set Duan slowly came back into contention in the second, pinching it after getting the better of a flurry of late service breaks.

She rode this momentum into the decider, opening up an early lead before reeling off the final three games to close out a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory. 

“It’s been a while since I last played her so it took me some time to get used to her game, especially because she’s a lefty,” Duan said. “I lost the first set but changed strategy in the second and third and it worked.

“I’m happy with my performance today. And felt quite lucky that I won in the end. She moves very well on court. It’s quite difficult to play her.”

Elsewhere, there were mixed fortunes for the Chinese contingent; Liu Fangzhou provided further home cheer with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Jang Su Jeong, while Misa Eguchi ended the run of qualifier Zhu Lin, 6-4, 6-2.

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Begu & Babos To Battle In Brazil

Begu & Babos To Battle In Brazil

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil – No.2 seed Irina-Camelia Begu battled past a spirited challenge from Monica Puig to earn her spot in the final of the Brasil Tennis Cup, where she’s set to face the No.6 seed Timea Babos for the title.

Watch live action from Florianopolis this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

“It was a tough one because she is playing really aggressive and hit the ball very hard,” Begu said of her Puerto Rican opponent. “I served well in the important games. It was difficult but I think I managed it well.”

Begu is the second Romanian player to reach the final of the Brasil Tennis Cup after Monica Niculescu won the title at the tournament’s inaugural staging in 2013. Standing in Begu’s way as she tries to emulate her countrywoman is Babos, who spoiled what would have been an all-Romanian final when she edged past Ana Bodgan in a tight straights sets rollercoaster, 7-6(10), 6-3.

The Hungarian looked to be firmly in the driver’s seat from the start after she built up a 5-2 lead, but a mental lapse gave Bodgan a way back. Bogdan rattled off four games straight and even held three sets points at 6-5, 40-0.

Babos reigned in her mounting frustration to send the set to a tiebreak, and Bodgan raced ahead to a 5-0 lead, only to see it dashed away again as the No.6 seed clawed back to take the opening set.

“It was definitely a silly, silly match,” she said afterwards. “I mean, I was really controlling the match in the beginning of the first set and then I lost control – especially of my emotions.”

“It was ridiculous, very unbelievable that first set.”

The second set would prove to be just as difficult as the first, featuring eight breaks of serve total. Babos, who had been very defensive in her service games thus far, finally changed her strategy at the end and raised her level of aggressiveness to take the decisive seventh break at 4-3, then once again to close out the two hour long battle and make her way to the Florianopolis final.

Her day wasn’t over yet, though, as later Babos was back on court after suitable rest to join her partner Reka-Luka Jani for the doubles final against Ukrainian sisters Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok.

It was one way traffic for the Kichenoks as they routed the all-Hungarian duo 6-3, 6-1.

Both teams were fine tuning their Olympic preparations and are scheduled to be back on the courts after the Olympic tennis event kicks off this weekend in nearby Rio de Janeiro.

“For sure this tournament was great preparation for the Olympics,” Lyudmyla said. “We are really looking forward to it now after winning here in Florianopolis.”

Kichenok 600

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CNN Open Court: Brazil's Hope

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Last April, Teliana Pereira became the first Brazilian in 27 years to lift a WTA title when she won the Claro Open Colsanitas, in Bogotá. A second, and more emotional, triumph followed a few months later, Periera departing Florianopolis for her home up the coast in Curitiba with the trophy – and a Top 50 ranking – safely secured.

In sports mad Brazil, her fairytale journey from humble beginnings to a place at the upcoming Rio Olympics has captured the public’s imagination. In the build-up to the Games, CNN Open Court tracked down Brazil’s leading player to hear her incredible story first-hand.

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Rio Olympics: The Seeds

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – With the latest WTA rankings comes the news of the official seeding list for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Three of the World’s Top 4 are set to compete, including defending champion and four-time Olympic Gold medalist Serena Williams, reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber and French Open winner Garbiñe Muguruza. Sydney Gold medalist and fellow four-time Gold medalist Venus Williams rounds out the Top 5.

Check out the full list of seeds below: 

Singles

(1) Serena Williams (USA #1)
(2) Angelique Kerber (GER #2)
(3) Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP #4)
(4) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #5)
(5) Venus Williams (USA #6)
(6) Roberta Vinci (ITA #8)
(7) Madison Keys (USA #9)
(8) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS #10)

(9) Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP #12)
(10) Johanna Konta (GBR #13)
(11) Petra Kvitova (CZE #14)
(12) Timea Bacsinszky (SUI #15)
(13) Samantha Stosur (AUS #18)
(14) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS #19)
(15) Elina Svitolina (UKR #20)
(16) Barbora Strycova (CZE #21)

Doubles

(1) Serena Williams / Venus Williams (USA)
(2) Caroline Garcia / Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)
(3) Chan Hao-Ching / Chan Yung-Jan (TPE)
(4) Garbiñe Muguruza / Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP)

(5) Timea Bacsinszky / Martina Hingis (SUI)
(6) Andrea Hlavackova / Lucie Hradecka (CZE)
(7) Ekaterina Makarova / Elena Vesnina (RUS)
(8) Sara Errani / Roberta Vinci (ITA)

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Schiavone Continues Nanchang Progress

Schiavone Continues Nanchang Progress

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NANCHANG, China – Francesca Schiavone moved one step closer to an eighth career title with a three-set win over Lu Jia-Jing at the Jiangxi Open on Wednesday.

Watch live action from Nanchang this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Following Magda Linette’s 11th-hour Olympic acceptance, Schiavone was elevated to the highest-ranked player in the top half of the draw, although for the first set it was her not Lu that resembled the underdog.

“I think I was playing too short and too much counter-attacking and I told myself that I can’t keep playing like this at 36 years old and I have to go to the ball, hit the ball and make life much, much easier,” Schiavone said.

The conclusion to the first set was a war of attrition, Schiavone coming off second best in two arduous games. Eager not to continue in this vein, the Italian came out firing on the restart, racing into a 3-0 lead and wrapping up the set soon after. The decider followed a similar pattern, the No.3 seed assuming control with two early breaks before surviving a slight wobble to close out a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory.

Nanchang has been a fixture on the WTA calendar since 2014, household names Peng Shuai and Jelena Jankovic triumphing at the first two editions. Schiavone’s bid to follow in their footsteps and lift the tournament’s striking new trophy will face a stern examination in the quarterfinals when she takes on No.7 seed Risa Ozaki.

As Schiavone stepped out on Centre Court, Ozaki was putting the finishing touches to a clinical 6-0, 6-3 win over qualifier Nicha Lertpitaksinchai. Also advancing were Zhang Kai-Lin, who defeated Miyu Kato, 6-4, 7-5, and Vania King, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Zhang Ying.

Jiangxi Open

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Puig Powers Past Osaka In Florianopolis

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil – No.3 seed Monica Puig powered into the Brasil Tennis Cup semifinals after a commanding win over 18-year-old Naomi Osaka, 6-3, 6-4.

Watch live action from Florianopolis this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Osaka came out swinging from the first point, displaying all the signs of her giant-killing form that has seen her reaching the third round at back to back Grand Slams this year.

“She started off very strong,” Puig said. “I just tried to keep myself there in the match the whole time. I served really well and played well on the long points, too.”

Osaka opened the match by breaking Puig’s serve, but the Puerto Rican has been in strong form all week long and was able to grab the break right back. Puig broke once more for a 3-1 lead, which she backed up with her strong service games to take the opening set. She earned another break in the first game of the second, and closed out the match after an hour and fifteen minutes.

After the match, the Puerto Rican had nothing but praise for her young opponent.

“Obviously, Osaka is super young, and I think she has an incredible potential,” Puig said after the match. “She’s a player who has many strong weapons and a great game. Of course, she’s only 18 years old, so you need to give her more time, because if she stays playing like this she’ll go very, very far.”

Puig is set to face the No.2 seeded Irina-Camelia Begu for a spot in the Brasil Tennis Cup final. The Romanian came through against No.7 seed Nao Hibino 6-2, 6-4.

“I played with Puig earlier this year in Charleston,” Begu said. “That was a really tough match, really close third set. I know it’s going to be a difficult match, but it’s the semifinals of a WTA event – I’m expecting that.”

Begu is one of two Romanians into the semifinals along with Ana Bogdan, who’s set to compete against the No.6 seed Timea Babos in the next round. Much like Puig expressed yesterday, Begu has her own reasons for feeling right at home in Florianopolis.

“Romanians are Latin, so we are very similar,” she said. “We feel good here in Brazil, we feel like home and that’s probably why we play so good here.”

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