Tennis News

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Samantha Stosur is widely regarded as one of the most popular players on tour. And it is easy to understand why; magnanimous in defeat, honest to the press and generous with her time for other players, Stosur is not one for airs and graces.

One player who will testify to the above is Zhang Shuai. A regular practice partner of the Australian, Zhang sought her counsel at a particularly low ebb. In fact it was Stosur that talked the Chinese player out of hanging up the racquets for good, during a meal in Beijing last year.

The sisterly pep talk seemed to do the trick as just a few months later Zhang ended her long-running Grand Slam hoodoo by making it all the way through qualifying and into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

The 27-year-old looks capable of replicating this success at the US Open where she is through to the third round following a bittersweet upset of Stosur.

“She helped me a lot last year when I thought about retiring. She told me to keep going and not give up. She tried to help me by playing doubles,” Zhang said.

“It’s a tough feeling playing her and I feel sad for Sam. She always tries her best, she loves the game. I hope that next time we will meet later in the tournament.”

Zhang had lost her only previous meeting with Stosur, at Roland Garros this May, and admitted afterwards that it was a result she believed beyond her: “Before the match I didn’t think I could beat her because she was a champion of the US Open and she has very good serve and very good spinning forehand. It’s very tough to play her. She beat me in the French Open so this gives me a lot of confidence.”

Next up is another fearsome ball-striker, Yaroslava Shvedova, as Zhang attempts to follow in the footsteps of compatriots Peng Shuai and Li Na by reaching the second week in New York.

“I am very excited. I love New York. Now I want to focus on my tennis and not on the fact that I am the last Chinese woman left in the competition.”

Zhang Shuai floored to be in the 3R @usopen. “Usually when other people start the tournament I’m already in China,” referring to 1R history.

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) 2 September 2016

NEW YORK, NY, USA – It was a day for comebacks on Day 5 of the 2016 US Open.

Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki continued her New York renaissance with a comprehensive victory over Monica Niculescu to reach the second week of a Grand Slam for just the second time since making the final here two years ago. The Dane is taking her biggest wins of the season in stride as she prepares to play Madison Keys for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Speaking of Keys, the No.8 seed had to fight back from a 1-5 final set deficit to Japan’s Naomi Osaka, one of the fastest rising stars on the game’s major stages. Hear from both Keys and Osaka as they reflect on their exciting showcase of next generation talent.

Plus, the WTA Insider team previews Day 6 as the Williams sisters headline the order of play, along with No.4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska and No.5 seed Simona Halep. It’s all happening on the latest Daily Dispatch:

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NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.5 seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina were all smiles after a thrilling three-set win over Sam Stosur and Zhang Shuai; the Olympic Gold medalists and 2014 US Open champions saved five match points – four on the infamous Stosur serve – to advance into the third round.

Vesnina spent the fall and early spring playing with young compatriot Daria Kasatkina as Makarova healed a lower leg injury; the pair captured last year’s Kremlin Cup title and ended the 41-match winning streak of then-Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza.

“She’s a very cool girl, and a very talented player,” Vesnina told WTA Insider. “She has a great future, and it was fun when we played together. I was teaching her what to do because she had no experience in doubles, and before every point she was asking me, ‘What should I do? Where can I serve? What do I do with volley?’

“I felt like a coach on the court!”

Team Russia got her Olympic Games gear?????Экипировались все??? @katemakarova1 @DKasatkina pic.twitter.com/2tcs4LHJTc

— Elena Vesnina (@EVesnina001) July 12, 2016

Asked whether she saw herself as a future Fed Cup Captain – a position currently held by 2004 French Open champion Anastasia Myskina – Vesnina and Makarova debated the idea amongst themselves:

Vesnina: Me as the Fed Cup Captain? Oh, I never even thought about that! We have some time. It would be great, of course.
Makarova: But I think Elena could be a good captain.

Vesnina: You see? I didn’t know everyone thought this!
Makarova: I never thought about it either, but now I see it.

Vesnina: I’ve always loved to play for Fed Cup; Katya and I have had so many good matches, winning so many important matches in singles and doubles. It’s always a pleasure to play for your country, and for me, it’s important. So if I ever had the chance to be Fed Cup captain, I’d be happy to take on that honor, and I would try to do my best for the girls because I played and I know how important and tough it was at the same time.

Vesnina and Makarova next face No.10 seeds Vania King and Monica Niculescu for a spot in the quarterfinals.

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Twenty-two-time major champion Serena Williams is not the only player aiming to reach a significant milestone on Day 6 of the US Open. Chris Oddo previews all the key match-ups for wtatennis.com.

Saturday, Third Round

Arthur Ashe Stadium
[5] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. [31] Timea Babos (HUN #34)
Head-to-head: Halep leads, 2-1

Key Stat: Halep has won 19 of her last 21 matches.
Simona Halep wasn’t exactly thrilled with her level of play during her second-round win over Lucie Safarova, but she takes comfort in the fact that she has navigated a very tricky draw to get to the third round in New York for the fourth straight year. “In the important moments I found the rhythm,” Halep said of her 6-3, 6-4 win over Safarova. “I found the way that I have to hit. And also the serve helped me a lot in important moments.” Halep will next turn her attention to the blossoming Hungarian, Timea Babos. The No.31 seed moved into the third round at a major for the first time by defeating Richel Hogenkamp in straight sets, but her next test will be far more difficult. Babos has gone 0-8 against the Top 10 since 2015, but she does own a victory over Halep in Fed Cup, which came in 2014. Can Babos draw upon that victory and threaten an in-form Halep on the big stage? Or will Halep keep her momentum and ride into week two?

Pick: Halep in three

[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. Johanna Larsson (SWE #47)
Head-to-head: Williams leads, 2-0

Key Stat: Williams is bidding for a record 307th Grand Slam victory on Saturday.
With a win on Day 6 Serena Williams will pass Martina Navratilova in Grand Slam victories, and move into a tie with Roger Federer for the all-time lead in that category. It’s been a remarkable journey for Williams, who first graced the Grand Slam stage with her presence in 1998. Eighteen years later, Williams’ quest for history continues at the scene of her maiden Grand Slam title in 1999. But the 34-year-old has work to do in New York and she knows it. Time for tunnel vision. Always a perfectionist, Williams was not pleased with her second-round victory over Vania King despite the fact that it came in straight sets. “I feel like I made a lot of errors,” she told reporters on Thursday. “But, you know, there’s nothing I can do about that now. What really matters is I got the win. Hopefully I’ll just get better.” There was some good news for the World No.1, however. The serve is ramping up. Williams cracked 13 aces and won 30 of 36 first-serve points against King. “That was the best part of my game today,” Williams said of her vaunted serve. “So seeing that’s what I did the least coming into this tournament, it’s a really good sign of me being able to serve well and hopefully gain momentum on that.” Williams has taken all four sets she has played against her third-round opponent, Sweden’s Johanna Larsson, and if she can continue to serve well, the rest of her game should fall into place.

Pick: Williams in two

Louis Armstrong Stadium
[4] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #4) vs. [25] Caroline Garcia (FRA #33)
Head-to-head: Radwanska leads, 3-1

Key Stat: Radwanska improved to 28-7 on hardcourts this season with her second-round victory.
Agnieszka Radwanska was tested early and often during her second-round win over Naomi Broady, but the Pole dealt with the Brit’s very aggressive game and found a way to sneak out with the straight-sets win. Next up she’ll face a familiar Frenchwoman that has played her competitively over the years. Radwanska owns a 3-1 edge over Caroline Garcia, but the No.4 seed knows she’ll have to be on point if she is to book her fifth appearance in the US Open’s second week. “We played couple of times,” Radwanska said of Garcia on Thursday. “Long matches, long battles. Playing her is never easy. She’s very solid player, really hitting the ball hard, coming in. Just hitting really fast from the bounce. She’s not giving you much time.” Radwanska has never reached the quarterfinals in New York, but her draw is a favorable one. She’s hoping that she’s in good enough form to capitalize. “I’m healthy,” she told reporters on Thursday. “I’m in one piece. It’s good opportunity to make a good result here. I was doing everything in my power 100% to prepare for this US Open, so we’ll see.”

Pick: Radwanska in three

Grandstand
[10] Karolina Pliskova (CZE #11) vs. [17] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS #18)
Head-to-head: Pliskova leads, 3-0

Key Stat: Pliskova owns a 15-17 lifetime record at the majors.
The head-to-head with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova favors Karolina Pliskova, but what about the nerves? Pliskova has reached the third round at a major three times before and each time she has fallen. Though the Czech is one of the most talented players on tour, her lack of success at the majors has hung over her like a black cloud for the last 18 months. Can she get the monkey off her back on Saturday? It will not be an easy task as Pavlyuchenkova has been in very solid form since before Wimbledon. The Russian has been battle-tested here in New York already, and came through with flying colors as she defeated Kristina Mladenovic in a three-set thriller that took three hours and two-minutes to finish. Pliskova has yet to drop a set in New York, and she’s certainly in good enough form to get past the Russian, but will she be able to break through the mental barrier and produce what could be a career-changing victory?

Pick: Pliskova in three

By the Numbers…
306 – Matches won by Serena Williams at majors. She’ll bid to tie Roger Federer’s all-time record of 307 on Day 6.
18 – Venus Williams’ 18 US Open appearances is most among active players and fourth in the Open Era, behind Martina Navratilova (21), Amy Frazier (20), and Chris Evert (19). Williams will face Germany’s Laura Siegemund in third-round action.
3 – Radwanska is one of three players that could finish the tournament at No. 1 in the rankings, along with Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber.
0 – Number of times Karolina Pliskova has reached the second week in 17 previous majors. She’ll bid to change that today when she meets Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Overcoming a tough second round match, No.13 seed Johanna Konta rebounded well to dismiss No.24 seed Belinda Bencic, 6-2, 6-1, to reach the fourth round of the US Open for the second year in a row.

“I feel good,” she told press after the match. “I feel well enough to play. I’m really happy with how I was able to just really focus on the match at hand and the work at hand and then put all else out of my mind.”

Konta suffered from a scary case of dizziness en route to beating Tsvetana Pironkova on Wednesday, but faced no such issues on the new Grandstand court. The Brit broke serve five times without facing a break point herself, hitting eight aces and winning 19 of 20 points behind her first serve.

No. 13 seed @JoKonta91 fires home 15 winners to help her take the first set over #Bencic. #usopen @Chase https://t.co/nfFkPTJHol

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2016

Bencic was playing in her third event since Wimbledon, where she retired due to a left wrist injury, but was undone by 13 unforced errors to just six from her highter ranked opponent. Konta has been close to breaking into the Top 10 since the middle of the summer thanks to a year of impressive results, and will be aiming to reach her second major quarterfinal of the season – her first at Flushing Meadows.

“I do love the US Open. I do have a lot of firsts here. It was the first time I got to qualify into the main draw. It was the first slam I went deeper in, as well. I definitely think the US Open has got its own vibe, its own organized chaos. I think there is a lot of enjoyments players take from that.

“I think if you can stay focused on the work at hand here, you can make it anywhere,” she said with a laugh, quoting Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.”

Standing in her way will be Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova, who backed up her big win over No.3 seed Garbiñe Muguruza with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over 2009 quarterfinalist Kateryna Bondarenko. Sevastova, who retired in 2013 only to make a successful return to the game two years later, had never beaten her fellow comeback kid, who led by a break to start their match on Court 17 before Sevastova caught fire once more.

“I have played her once before actually in my first Australian Open qualifying, so I do know her and I have been on court with her. That was a number of years ago. She’s obviously playing very good tennis. She is a very good player. I have a lot of respect for her.

“Hopefully we’ll have a good match.”

#Sevastova catapults herself into the fourth round, beating #Bondarenko 6-4, 6-1. #usopen https://t.co/QgJyDU5ykA pic.twitter.com/UZDMlP3NGE

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2016

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Caroline Wozniacki’s US Open revival gathered further momentum as she brushed aside Monica Niculescu to reach the fourth round.

Having arrived at Flushing Meadows with little form to speak of, Wozniacki has been one of the stories of the opening week, following up her upset of No.9 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova with another impressive showing. The two-time finalist dissected Niculescu’s unorthodox game to win, 6-3, 6-1.

As she did against Kuznetsova, the Dane delivered a tidy performance, her sprightly movement betraying no signs of the ankle injury that sidelined her for much of the spring. After trading a couple of early breaks, Wozniacki struck again to edge 3-1 ahead, maintaining this advantage – despite a fraught final service game – to close out the set.

The Romanian had failed to take a set from Wozniacki in their six previous meetings and never looked like breaking this spell, quickly slipping 3-0 behind. With the former No.1 prevailing in the battle of wills from the baseline match point soon arrived, Niculescu surrendering as a drop shot drifted tamely wide.

See you next week @CaroWozniacki! She's into round four after a straight-set victory vs. #Niculescu. #usopen @Chase https://t.co/yLiBQzy6JP

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) 2 September 2016

“I think it’s fun to play against her but also really frustrating because she makes you feel like you can’t play tennis,” Wozniacki said. “You have to be mentally prepared to grind it out. It wasn’t pretty, but I got a good workout running after her drop shots. I just need to step in and hit the ball and go for it. Otherwise, I have no chance.”

Meeting Wozniacki for a place in the quarterfinals will be Madison Keys, who kept alive hopes of a maiden Grand Slam title by producing what she described as the comeback of her career. Trailing Naomi Osaka 5-1 in the final set, the No.8 seed looked dead and buried only to capitalize on some finishing line nerves to somehow turn the match around.

Serving for the match at 5-2, Osaka missed a presentable forehand volley that left her fighting back the tears. And while she regrouped admirably to force a tie-break, her moment had passed, Keys powering towards a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(3) victory.

“Was that the greatest comeback of your career?”
“For sure, hands down.” –Madison Keys #usopen

— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) September 2, 2016

NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.2 seed Angelique Kerber closed out a drama-free Friday night with a 6-1, 6-1 win over American qualifier Catherine Bellis to reach the second week of the US Open in 55 minutes.

“It was a great atmosphere,” she said after the match. “I mean, the fans and the crowd, it’s just amazing. Of course, to playing against an American, it was really special.

“I was enjoying playing tonight out there.”

In pole position to become the first German to become No.1 in the world since Stefanie Graf in 1997, the reigning Australian Open champion put on a masterclass for Bellis, the tournament’s most impressive young talent.

Bellis backed up her breakthrough week in 2014, where she became the youngest woman to win a match at the US Open in 18 years, by making it through qualifying and notching solid wins over Viktorija Golubic and Shelby Rogers to earn her best-ever Grand Slam finish.

“She’s a great young, really talented player. For sure she will have a great future. I’m really sure it will be a good one.”

What champions are made of: No. 2 @AngeliqueKerber grounds 17-yo CiCi #Bellis, 6-1, 6-1 to move into R16. #usopen pic.twitter.com/FWSlVQbWSi

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 3, 2016

But Kerber proved a bridge too far for Bellis as the German hit 17 winners to 18 unforced errors, not only dictating play but also playing the cleaner match compared to Bellis, who hit 11 winners and 21 unforced errors.

“I think it’s important to my game, being aggressive, but also being defensive. Your opponent’s playing sometimes really aggressive, so there are different ways to win. You have to play your own game. This is what I’m trying.”

Up next for the World No.2 is a former No.2 in Petra Kvitova, as the No.14 seed survived a second set surge to dispatch No.22 seed Elina Svitolina, 6-3, 6-4, earlier in the day on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

“Petra with a three, it’s not working so far, which is good,” the Czech said after the match, jokingly referring to her P3tra nickname derived from her tendency to play three-setters. “I’m saving some energy.

“The important is the win. But of course, with saving energy it’s always better.”

Kvitova was two games from victory after racing out to a set and 4-0 lead, but Svitolina, a Connecticut Open finalist, won four games of her own to level the set.

“It was a little difficult at the end of the second set. It was a big fight, the last game.”

.@Petra_Kvitova puts up a strong finish to move into the fourth round. #usopen https://t.co/W2Cj4b1yx6 pic.twitter.com/ls5yP24MZH

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2016