Tennis News

WUHAN, China – Svetlana Kuznetsova came from match point down to defeat Agnieszka Radwanska once again and advance to the semifinals of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.

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Stepping onto court having tasted defeat just once in her previous eight encounters with Radwanska, Kuznetsova had the right to feel confident. In the end, though, she was forced to draw on every ounce of self-belief to close out a thrilling 1-6, 7-6(9), 6-4 victory.

“I was getting better as the match was going on. Aga played well in the first set, but I wasn’t moving so well,” Kuznetsova said. “In the second set I wasn’t playing my best game. But I was trying to stay in there, trying to fight, trying to be smart and turn things around.

“Then I served good in the third set and took control of the game. I don’t know how many match points I saved, I was just trying to play normal points as it was very even. I had some set points, so I was just trying to stay calm.”

For the first half an hour, Kuznetsova looked distinctly second best, Radwanska pulling out the party pieces to pocket the first set. The Pole was unable to sustain this level in the second set and as her level dipped, Kuznetsova got a belated foothold in the match.

However, it still appeared that her efforts would be in vain, Radwanska canceling out an early deficit to serve for the match at 6-5. The Russian chose this moment to up her level, fine winners off either wing earning the opportunity to get back on level terms, which she took when the No.3 seed’s drop shot drifted wide.

Feathery touch from @SvetlanaK27! ? pic.twitter.com/F8Beb1x0pH

— WTA (@WTA) September 29, 2016

The ensuing tie-break contained more drama than many matches, Kuznetsova surging 6-3 ahead, then fending off a match point before rifling a backhand down the line to close out the set at the sixth time of asking.

When she quickly slipped 2-0 behind in the third set, it looked like the effort of dragging herself back into the contest had taken its toll. Yet Kuznetsova had one last push in her, reeling off five of the next six games, closing out the match with 51st winner.

WUHAN, China – Barbora Strycova won the first of two scheduled matches after getting rained out on Wednesday, recovering from a set down to defeat Guangzhou runner-up Jelena Jankovic, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Strycova will play No.10 seed and WTA Finals darkhorse Dominika Cibulkova, who roared past No.5 seed and US Open runner-up Karolina Pliskova, 6-2, 6-2.

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“It’s great to have the roof because we got to play,” the Czech veteran said in her on-court interview. “I’m very happy to be through to the quarterfinals. It was a very tough match for me, with a lot of ups and downs, but I’m happy to get the win.”

Strycova had reached the round of 16 in her last two Wuhan appearances, but was in trouble early on against Jankovic, a former No.1 overcoming an injury-prone season to reach a final at the Guangzhou International Women’s Open just last week.

“You have to find the motivation all the time if you want to compete and bring a good level. The first set wasn’t really the way I wanted to play. I didn’t move well, so I started to move better, put more balls into the court. That helped me get my rhythm.”

When you can't stand the rain…☔️☔️☔️

…against your window! https://t.co/eOUN40H3iq

— WTA (@WTA) September 29, 2016

Strycova overcame a few moments of frustration to level the match, but Jankovic made a battle of it in the end, saving a match point in the tenth game of the decider, but ultimately succumed on Strycova’s second match point after two hours and 21 minutes.

“At the end, I was able to win a few more points than her, and that made the difference.”

She has her eye on you, Domi.

Pliskova-Cibulkova underway under the roof. Winner plays Strycova tonight. pic.twitter.com/w06RFNJYOC

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 29, 2016

While Strycova struggled through three grueling sets, Cibulkova charged past Pliskova in an hour and 15 minutes, dropping just four games to keep her hopes of making her debut appearance at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global alive.

“This was my first match on Center Court against such a big-serving player. It was tough to play but I was really focused, mentally ready, and playing my good tennis. I’m really happy to be into the quarterfinals here.”

The roof remained closed in Wuhan, even as the rain abated on the outer courts.

“Last week, I played in Tokyo in similar conditions, and I play at home under a closed stadium. We’re professionals, so we have to be prepared to play in any situation.”

Cibulkova will play Strycova for the first time, as she aims to earn as many points as possible to remain inside the Top 8 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard by week’s end.

“It’s going to be another tough match, a different one. Two matches in one day isn’t easy, but I want to be ready for it.”

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan – Nao Hibino stayed on course to defend her Tashkent Open title after Lesia Tsurenko retired from their quarterfinal on Thursday.

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Tsurenko arrived in Tashkent fresh from a run to the title in Guangzhou, and against Hibino this hectic schedule finally took its toll when a back injury brought her seven-match winning streak to a sudden end.

The anticlimactic conclusion to the contest was all the more disappointing given the competitive nature of the set they did play; after trading breaks, Hibino fended off two set points to take it 7-6(6). “I’m relieved after winning the first set. It was very close and I managed to hold on and fight in spite of being down,” Hibino said.

Standing between Hibino and another final in the Uzbekistani capital is World No.114 Denisa Allertova, a surprise 7-5, 6-4 winner over No.2 seed Kirsten Flipkens. Allertova produced the steadier tennis to edge the opening set, before claiming the decisive break in the final game of the match courtesy of a brilliant running passing shot.

In the top half of the draw, Kateryna Kozlova reached her second semifinal of the year after taking little over an hour to defeat Stefanie Voegele, 6-3, 6-3.

“I’ve played here before and made it to the quarterfinals last year, it’s great to play here,” Kozlova said. “I started to play aggressively from the word go and put my opponent under pressure early. I think I played brave and aggressive tennis, I’m happy with my level.”

Her reward is a meeting with big-serving Kristyna Pliskova, who fired down 12 aces during a 6-3, 6-4 win over Irina Khromacheva.

Quarterfinal action begins on Thursday in Wuhan with a pair of Top 10 clashes headlining the bill. Chris Oddo previews the matchups right here at wtatennis.com.

Thursday
Round of 16 and Quarterfinals

[4] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. [8] Madison Keys (USA #9)
Head-to-head: Halep leads, 3-1
Key Stat: Halep will qualify for a third straight appearance at the WTA Finals in Singapore with a win over Keys.

On Wednesday Simona Halep braved difficult conditions and cruised past hard-hitting Yaroslava Shvedova to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in Wuhan. On Thursday she’ll look to lock up a Singapore bid when she faces No.8-seeded Madison Keys for the third time this season. Halep has given the American nightmares in their 2016 meetings, forcing Keys into longer rallies and negating the American’s lethal serve. In their last match, Halep won 49 percent of the points against Keys’ first serve and broke the American five times. Halep comes in to the pair’s fifth overall meeting with confidence, having dropped just three of her last 23 matches. “I’ve played really well this year and I’m really happy with the way I played in the big tournaments,” she said on Wednesday. “I feel good here and that I have a chance to play until the end.” Keys wants to focus on her game and let the chips fall where they may against the Romanian. “I mean, she’s always tough,” the 21-year-old said of Halep after defeating Daria Kasatkina in three sets on Wednesday. “I definitely don’t think I played my best tennis in Montreal where we played last. I think I was thinking ‘I want to win this match,’ instead of doing what I needed to do process-wise. I think focusing a lot on just what I need to do, how I need to play, is going to be a big thing.” Keys, who improved to 15-6 in deciders this season with her win, can bolster her Singapore hopes with a victory as well. She began the tournament just one point out of the No.8 spot, which is currently held by Carla Suárez Navarro.

Pick: Halep in three

[14] Petra Kvitova (CZE #16) vs. [11] Johanna Konta (GBR #13)
Head-to-head: Tied, 1-1
Key Stat: Konta reached the quarterfinals as a qualifier last year at Wuhan.

Fresh off a grueling three hour and 20-minute victory over World No.1 Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova will hope for a quick recovery so that she may use some of the confidence gained from her biggest win of the season on Thursday when she meets Johanna Konta for a spot in the semifinals. Kvitova says the win over Kerber has given her clear proof that she still has that je ne sais quoi that once made her one of the most daunting power players in the game. “From Montreal I just feel better on the court,” Kvitova said on Wednesday after winning for the 17^th time in her last 22 matches. “I am just really trying to find myself. This match probably showed me a lot about how good I can play again and how I do feel inside and how I can still be strong mentally. I think these are very good signs.” If there’s one big advantage for British No.1 Johanna Konta on Thursday, it’s that she was able to conserve some energy during her straight-sets win over Carla Suárez Navarro on Wednesday. Konta saved six set points in the second set to notch her fifth Top 10 win of the season. “I was fully prepared to obviously play a third if need be,” said Konta after the match. Will Kvitova recover in time to avenge her loss (and third-set bagel) to Konta earlier this season at Eastbourne or will it be Konta who adds another impressive victory to her 2016 cache?

Pick: Kvitova in three

[3] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #4) vs. [9] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS #10)
Head-to-head: Kuznetsova leads, 11-4
Key Stat: Kuznetsova owns a 16-6 record in three-set matches in 2016.

Svetlana Kuznetsova confidently knocked off defending champion Venus Williams in straight sets on Wednesday, and the Russian is looking very much like she is ready to make a run at qualifying for the 2016 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The 31-year-old Russian, less than 400 points out of contention for the last Singapore slot, notched her third Top 10 win of the season and improved to 34-17 in 2016. She had pep in her step from start to finish on Wednesday and will head into her 16^th career meeting with Radwanska with burgeoning belief. “I’ve been confident and I’ve been playing well,” she said after defeating Williams in 70 minutes behind five of six break points saved. But the same could be said of her opponent on Thursday, World No.4 Agnieszka Radwanska. The Pole snapped Caroline Wozniacki’s seven-match win streak on Wednesday with a straight sets takedown, and Radwanska says she’s happy to be feeling fresh at a time when many other players are worn-down after a grueling Grand Slam season. “I didn’t play as much as the other years,” Radwanska said when describing how she has learned over time to pace herself for the WTA’s Asian swing. “That is really helping.” But Radwanska will need more than fitness to erase a rough run of form against Kuznetsova. She has lost six of seven against the Russian, and 11 of 15 overall.

Pick: Kuznetsova in three

Around the Grounds: Held over from Wednesday due to rain were two round of 16 matchups. No.5-seeded Karolina Pliskova will square off with No.10-seeded Dominika Cibulkova in the first match on Court 1, while Jelena Jankovic will face Barbora Strycova in the first match on Centre Court. The winner of these two matches will meet in Thursday’s fourth quarterfinal, which will be the final match of the night session. See Thursday’s complete order of play here.