Tokyo: Radwanska Interview
An interview with Agnieszka Radwanska ahead of her participation in the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
An interview with Agnieszka Radwanska ahead of her participation in the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
TOKYO, Japan – Caroline Wozniacki overcame a mid-match blip to defeat 2015 runner-up Belinda Bencic in the opening round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
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Continuing the form that took her to the US Open semifinals, Wozniacki raced through the first set before building a commanding lead in the second. However, with the finishing line in sight, Wozniacki, who lifted the title in the Japanese capital six years ago, wobbled before recomposing herself in the deciding set to close out a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 victory.
The result ended a run of four straight defeats for Wozniacki against the Swiss, including in the Tokyo semifinals 12 months ago, and her reward is a second-round meeting with No.4 seed Carla Suárez Navarro.
A strong serving display from Wozniacki, who backed up her usual metronomic groundstrokes with 10 aces, provided further reminder of her ability to contest at the business end of the WTA’s flagship events. The only cause for concern came when victory was in sight.
Leading 5-2, the former World No.1 came within two points of victory only to see Bencic escape this game, then pounce on a couple of inviting second serves to break back. As the Dane retreated into her defensive shell, Bencic prowled around the court with intent, clubbing a drive volley to move 6-5 ahead before serving out to love.
This was the signal for Wozniacki to take a bathroom pit-stop and when she returned so too did her focus. A resilient hold was followed by a break, Bencic ending a lengthy exchange with a forehand into the tape. This time there would be no coming back, a run of four unanswered games emphatically quashing her young opponent’s hopes.
Also advancing in the bottom half of the draw were Barbora Strycova and Magda Linette. Strycova ruthlessly ended the run of qualifier Varatchaya Wongteanchai, 6-1, 6-1, while Linette, a qualifier herself, fought back to defeat teenage wildcard Olesya Pervushina, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
NGUANGZHOU, China – No.2 seed Jelena Jankovic faced few problems in a 6-2, 6-1 rout of hometown favorite You Xiaodi to reach the second round of the Guangzhou International Women’s Open.
Playing her first tournament since the US Open, Jankovic lost just five points behind her first serve and saved four of five break points faced throughout the 66 minute match, which the Serb told press was tougher than the scoreline indicated.
“There were a lot of tough points, and I think my young opponent played very well,” she said in her post-match press conference. “She has a great game and great potential. A lot of games were really close. Though I didn’t play my best tennis, I’m happy to get through, so I hope to keep improving and get even better.”
Jankovic had a strong end to her season in 2015, winning here and in Hong Kong to qualify for the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, and despite an injury-riddled season, still has big goals for her week in Guangzhou.
“I would like to play one match at a time, but my goal is to win the tournament. It won’t be easy because every tournament is tough and everyone is playing well, but I will try my best to achieve it.”
Up next for the former World No.1 is Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson, who dispatched local wildcard and former junior No.1 Xu Shilin, 6-3, 6-1.
“In general, I’ve loved coming to China for so many years. I’ve had quite a lot of success in this part of the world. I’d like to do well again, and so I’ll try my best to have a great Asian Swing and end my season on a positive note.
“But I’ve had a lot of injuries, two ruptures in my shoulder, and this is only my second tournament after a long time. I will try to fight and regain my confidence, get stronger, and get better with each match I play in Asia.”
Jankovic even managed to have some fun before the tournament began, sharing images from the player’s party on her official Facebook page:
Earlier in the day, 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki triumphed over lucky loser Kwan Yau Ng, 6-2, 6-0, while Lesia Tsurenko defeated qualifier Junri Namigata, 6-4, 6-1. Runner-up in Tokyo’s International event last week, No.7 seed Katerina Siniakova bowed out to young Estonian Anett Kontaveit, 6-1, 6-1, while champion Christina McHale was forced to withdraw from Guangzhou due to a right shoulder injury.
Top seed Sara Errani played the last match of the night against China’s Han Xinyun.
More to come…
Top seed and defending champion Irina-Camelia Begu made a confident start to the Korea Open, swatting aside wildcard Jang Su Jeong in little over an hour.
TOKYO, Japan – No.6 seed Dominika Cibulkova came back from a set down against Lucie Safarova to move into the second round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open after a two-and-a-half-hour thriller.
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Cibulkova drew a tough first-round match against Safarova, last year’s French Open finalist. After suffering a bacterial infection that derailed her season, Safarova has slipped down the rankings and sits at No.43, making her a dangerous floater. But Cibulkova got the job done, edging past the Czech 4-6, 6-1, 7-5.
Under the roof at the Ariake Tennis Forest Park, Cibulkova pounced on Safarova’s vulnerable second serve to keep her under pressure throughout the first set. But the momentum soon shifted after Safarova finally won a second serve point to bat away Cibulkova’s break point chance. Safarova found another gear, breaking Cibulkova’s serve in the next game with a blistering cross-court backhand return.
Cibulkova rebounded in the second set, floating a drop shot just out of reach to grab an early break for a 3-1 lead. The drop shot was Cibulkova’s go-to weapon throughout the match, employing nine of them during the three sets. A double fault from Safarova cost her a second break as Cibulkova quickly rattled off five games in a row to take the second set.
Both players wrestled with the momentum in the deciding set, trading breaks twice and keeping each other under pressure before Cibulkova finally got the edge at 6-5. She hit her boldest drop shot of the match to clinch the victory after two and a half hours.
A drop shot on match point?!
Pome, @Cibulkova! ? #TorayPPO pic.twitter.com/KipGWe6RAA
— WTA (@WTA) September 20, 2016
Cibulkova sets up a clash with 18-year-old wildcard Naomi Osaka, Japan’s No.2 player and a hometown favorite, in the next round.
2013 champion Petra Kvitova is also through to the next round after scoring a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Madison Brengle.
Kvitova broke the American’s serve three times and fought off six of her chances to ease past her in an hour and thirteen minutes. She’ll take on Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig next for a spot in the quarterfinals.
More to come…
Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams have already booked their spots in the upcoming BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, and while Karolina Pliskova can’t assure herself of a spot this week, her results at the Toray Pan Pacific Open could make her road to qualification even easier as the Asian Swing kicks into high gear.
Seeded No.3 in Tokyo, the US Open runner-up is the highest-ranked woman on the Road to Singapore leaderboard playing this week. RTS No.3 Simona Halep was forced to withdraw due to a left hamstring injury, but is still in pole position to reach Singapore for a third straight year. Set to return to the court in time for the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, the Mutua Madrid Open and Rogers Cup champion could book her ticket by reaching the final, possibly the semifinal based on other results.
As it stands now, Pliskova would have to win Wuhan to guarantee her WTA Finals debut, having narrowly missed out on qualification in 2015 – but a good run in Tokyo will likely take the pressure off as the race heats up.
The same goes for defending WTA Finals winner Agnieszka Radwanska, who is seeded No.2 in Tokyo and last year’s champion. Ranked No.5 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard, the Pole can lessen her Wuhan load with a strong swing through the Japanese capital.
Further back from Radwanska is French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza, who reached the semifinals last year in her debut with a perfect 3-0 round robin record. Muguruza is the top seed in Tokyo, and has a 500 point lead over No.7 Dominika Cibulkova. Her chances of a second straight Singapore appearance are strong, but replicating last year’s stellar fall swing would doubly assure her chances of a return.
In doubles, Sania Mirza appears to be aiming for a second qualification spot, despite already assuring herself of a return to Singapore with former partner Martina Hingis. Pairing up with Barbora Strycova at the Western & Southern Open, Mirza is ranked No.19 with her new partner, but is set to play the Toray Pan Pacific Open this week and could narrow the 500 point gap between her and the Top 8 with a title in Tokyo.
Click here to learn more about the doubles storylines and qualification scenarios in the latest Insider Doubles Take.
Check out the Top 8 and click here for the full Road to Singapore leaderboard:
No.3 seed Ana Konjuh continued her blistering form into the Asia swing, cruising over Tatjana Maria at the Guangzhou International Women’s Open.
THE WINNERS
Christina McHale produced a stirring comeback to defeat Katerina Siniakova in the final of the Japan Women’s Open Tennis and lift her maiden WTA title.
A semifinalist 12 months ago, McHale looked in store for another near-miss when she trailed Siniakova by a set and a break. However, a timely rain delay and a run of eight straight games turned the match on its head as the American closed out a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory.
“I don’t even want to put my trophy down – I just want to hold it all the time,” McHale said during the trophy presentation. “I’ve been coming to this tournament for a few years now and I really love it here.”
Read the match recap here.
French teenager Oceane Dodin thrilled the Coupe Banque Nationale crowd by capturing her first WTA title with a 6-4, 6-3 win over American Lauren Davis in the final.
“It’s very special for me. This is a very nice tournament; I feel like I’m in France because the people are very friendly and supportive of me! Everyone was with me today and that helps so much when it’s a tough score.”
Dodin twice reached the second round of major tournaments in 2015, but coming into this week in Québec, the fearless Frenchwoman had never won a main draw match outside the Grand Slams – though she did reach the semifinals of a WTA 125K Series event in Limoges.
Read the match recap here.
RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of September 19, 2016.
Oceane Dodin (FRA), +39 (No.132 to 93): Following her maiden WTA title at the Coupe Banque Nationale, Dodin made her Top 100 debut and sits at a career-high of No.93..
Lauren Davis (USA), +21 (No.104 to 83): Québec City finalist also made a big leap, jumping up 21 spots to return to inside the Top100.
Katerina Siniakova (CZE), +12 (No.65 to 53): Despite coming up just short in the final at the Tokyo International, Siniakova earned a 12-spot ranking jump to reach her career highest ranking.
Christina McHale (USA), +11 (No.53 to 42): McHale claimed her maiden WTA title in Tokyo, and along with it she earned a spot back inside the Top 50.
Shuai Zhang (CHN), +9 (No.49 to 40): Zhang’s run to the semifinals in Tokyo puts her new ranking at No.40, inching closer to her career-high of No.30 back in 2014
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
Toray Pan Pacific Open
Tokyo, Japan
Premier | $885,500 | Hard
Monday, September 19 – Sunday, September 25
Defending champion: Agnieszka Radwanska
Guangzhou International Women’s Open
Guangzhou, China
International | $226,750 | Hard
Monday, September 19 – Saturday, September 24
Defending champion: Jelena Jankovic
Korea Open Tennis
Seoul, Korea
International | $226,750 | Hard
Monday, September 19 – Sunday, September 25
Defending champion: Irina-Camelia Begu
2016 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open
Wuhan, China
Premier | $2,288,250 | Hard
Sunday, September 25 – Saturday, October 1
Defending champion: Venus Williams
Tashkent Open
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
International | $226,750 | Hard
Monday, September 26 – Saturday, October 1
Defending champion: Nao Hibino
TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Angelique Kerber – Wuhan
2. Serena Williams – Wuhan
3. Garbiñe Muguruza – Tokyo, Wuhan
4. Agnieszka Radwanska – Tokyo, Wuhan
5. Simona Halep– Wuhan
6. Karolina Pliskova – Tokyo, Wuhan
7. Venus Williams – Wuhan
8. Carla Suárez Navarro – Tokyo, Wuhan
9. Madison Keys – Tokyo, Wuhan
10. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Wuhan
11. Victoria Azarenka
12. Dominika Cibulkova – Tokyo, Wuhan
13. Johanna Konta – Wuhan
14. Timea Bacsinszky – Wuhan
15. Roberta Vinci – Guangzhou, Wuhan
16. Petra Kvitova – Tokyo, Wuhan
17. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – Tokyo, Wuhan
18. Samantha Stosur – Tokyo, Wuhan
19. Elena Vesnina
20. Elina Svitolina – Tokyo, Wuhan
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:
Chan Hao-Ching (TPE) – September 19, 1993
Sabine Lisicki (GER) – September 22, 1989
Andreea Mitu (ROU) – September 22, 1991
Klaudia Jans-Ignacik (POL) – September 24, 1984
Monica Niculescu (ROU) – September 25, 1987
Coupe Banque Nationale champion Oceane Dodin became the latest teenager to make her Top 100 debut in 2016 following her maiden WTA title.
Dodin had won just two main draw matches heading into Québec, but both were at major tournaments over Top 40 players in 2015. The 19-year-old is currently riding a 10 match winning streak on two different surfaces, including five wins to capture an ITF 25K Challenger tournament in Barcelona.
Rising up 39 spots since last week, Dodin currently sits at No.93, and is the sixth youngest woman in the Top 100.
Québec City finalist Lauren Davis also made a big leap, returning to the Top 100 herself with a 21-spot jump to become the new World No.83 after making her second WTA final in as many months.
Who else made major moves? Find out below and click here to check out the full WTA rankings.
#WTA Ranking Movers
Zhang +9 (49 to 40)
McHale +11 (53 to 42)
Siniakova +12 (65 to 53)
Davis +21 (104 to 83)
Dodin +39 (132 to 93)— WTA (@WTA) September 19, 2016
TOKYO, Japan – Japan is a special place for longtime friends and rivals Caroline Wozniacki and Dominika Cibulkova. The two played their first junior match against one another in this very country all the way back in 2004.
Both have become mega-stars on the WTA tour since, but both have found time to give back on days like Monday, when the pair participated in a kid’s clinic at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Wozniacki and Cibulkova hit with a lucky group of children before posing for a group photo.
Cibulkova is the No.6 seed in Tokyo and plays her first match against Lucie Safarova; former No.1 Wozniacki opens against 2015 Tokyo finalist Belinda Bencic. Both play on Center Court on Tuesday.
All photos courtesy of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.