Tennis News

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Six-time US Open champion Serena Williams leads the top half of the draw into action on Day Two at Flushing Meadows. Chris Oddo previews the action right here at wtatennis.com.

Tuesday, First Round

[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS #29)
Head-to-head: Williams leads, 4-1
Key Stat: Williams has to reach the semifinals in New York in order to have a chance at retaining the No.1 ranking.

Serena Williams holds a remarkable 63-1 record in the first round of majors but on Tuesday she’ll be facing a player that she’d surely rather see later in the draw – if at all. In fact, the last time Williams and Ekaterina Makarova squared off it was in the semifinals of the 2014 US Open in a match that Williams won easily en route to her sixth career US Open title. Williams was dominant in that tilt, as she has been so often in a Grand Slam career that has netted her 304 wins, but her current injury status has many wondering if she can be her old dominant self in New York this year. That’s the burning question ahead of this highly anticipated tussle, and we won’t have our answer until Williams and Makarova duke it out to open Tuesday’s night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium. What we do know is that Makarova owns a win against Williams on the Grand Slam stage. The Russian defeated Williams at the 2012 Australian Open and though she’s lost the last three matches and last six sets to Williams, that victory could come in handy when it comes to Makarova’s belief. As for Williams, belief won’t be the issue. For the legendary American it will be more about getting off to a quick start and proving that she’s fit enough to go on another magical run in New York.

Pick: Williams in three

[16] Samantha Stosur (AUS #17) vs. Camila Giorgi (ITA #67)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: 2011 US Open champion Stosur has made the second week in New York four times, including last season.

A former champion will meet up with a dangerous floater on Tuesday when Aussie Sam Stosur and Italy’s Camila Giorgi lock horns for the first time on Day 2. Giorgi can be wildly inconsistent and tends to play a somewhat one-dimensional game, but the 24-year-old can be lethal on a hardcourt if she is in the zone. She reached the round of 16 at the US Open in 2013 when she won a memorable night match against Caroline Wozniacki, and the victory proved that Giorgi has what it takes to succeed beneath the bright lights of New York. Stosur will look to serve big and hope to force a lot of Giorgi errors by using her world-class topspin to move the ball above the Italian’s strike zone. It’s the veteran Aussie’s match to lose and if she remains focused, keeps Giorgi on the run and off balance, Stosur should be able to lock down the win.

Pick: Stosur in two

[5] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL #56)
Head-to-head: Halep leads, 4-0
Key Stat: Halep has won all eight sets contested against Flipkens.

Something about this match-up works decidedly in Simona Halep’s favor. The Romanian has waltzed past Kirsten Flipkens in all four of the pair’s meetings, and she has only once dropped more than four games to Flipkens in a set. But they have not met since 2014, and Flipkens comes in with pretty good form, having just knocked off Belinda Bencic and Caroline Garcia at New Haven. Speaking of good form, Halep has won 17 of her last 19 dating back to the start of Wimbledon. The World No.5 has repeatedly stated that she is feeling fit as a fiddle and is ready to make her mark in New York. “I feel that I play good tennis,” Halep said when asked to assess her performance at Montréal and Cincinnati this year. “I’m strong on my legs. Mentally I’m very good. I think it is the best period that I had this year so far.” Concerning New York, Halep says she doesn’t need to change a thing to have success. “I’m going there just to play my best, to do my best, to win matches, and to treat the tournament like I treated [Montréal and Cincinnati].”

Pick: Halep in two

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN #39) vs. Katerina Siniakova (CZE #72)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Siniakova is bidding for her first US Open main draw win.

Eugenie Bouchard is back at the sight of her best and darkest days of 2015. Things were going swimmingly for Bouchard in Queens last year when she reached the round of 16 with an emotional victory over Dominika Cibulkova. It was the high point of an otherwise disappointing season for the Canadian but before she had a chance to build on her success she was out of the tournament, forced to withdraw after she suffered a concussion in a freak locker room fall. Bouchard has put together a much stronger season in 2016, but she hasn’t made the second week at any of the season’s first three majors. Can the Canadian purge her New York demons and begin another run on Tuesday? To do so she’ll have to get by 20-year-old Katerina Siniakova, a talented Czech who reached the third round of a major for the first time this summer at Wimbledon. Siniakova owns a 3-8 record at majors and she’s yet to win in Queens, which is all the more reason for her to leave it all on the court against Bouchard.

Pick: Bouchard in three

Around the Grounds…
Cincinnati champion Karolina Pliskova will square off with American wild card Sofia Kenin on Day 2. The No.10-seeded Czech has yet to reach the second round of a major in 17 previous appearances. Great Britain’s Laura Robson will look to snap a six-match losing streak at majors when she faces compatriot Naomi Broady.

By the Numbers…
72 – Number of Grand Slam main draws that Venus Williams has played in. The 36-year-old will break the all-time record, passing Amy Frazier, when she takes the court against Kateryna Kozlova of the Ukraine on Day 2.
7 – Number of finals that Serena Williams has reached in her last eight Grand Slams. The American has gone 5-2 in those finals.
4 – The number of players that entered the tournament with a shot of emerging with No.1 ranking at the end of the US Open fortnight (Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska).
304 – Serena Williams current total of Grand Slam victories are just two shy of the all-time record of 306 which is held by Martina Navratilova.

NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.11 seed Petra Kvitova overcame a losing head-to-head record against 19-year-old Jelena Ostapenko to win 7-5, 6-3 in her opening round match at the US Open.

Kicking off the day’s action on Court 12, the two-time Wimbledon champion was dealt a tricky opening match against the young Latvian. Ostapenko has defeated Kvitova twice already in 2016, notching three-set wins at Doha and Birmingham.

“I knew that I had to return better, especially on her second serve, which I did today at the end of the match,” Kvitova explained in post-match press. “I was struggling a little bit at the beginning, kind of tight and couldn’t really move. I know that she hits big and fast, and I was trying to eliminate that.”

Ostapenko has been on the rise all year: she started out the season ranked No.84 and now at No.36, she just narrowly missed out on getting a US Open seeding. And against Kvitova, whose bronze medal at the Olympic tennis event has been the highlight of an otherwise quiet season, the Latvian’s big hitting always spells out big trouble.

Ostapenko kept to the script out on Court 12 today as well, breaking Kvitova twice to power ahead to a 3-0 lead. The Czech rallied to grab a break back, playing consistent tennis to force the errors to leak from the 19-year-old’s backhand wing. Kvitova finally leveled the set at 5-5, and rattled off the next two games to take the opening set.

Kvitova continued her romp into set two, where she tamped down three of Ostapenko’s break opportunities to roll to a straight sets victory. The Czech hit just six winners to five unforced errors during the match, but overall kept her margins cleaner than Ostapenko’s four winners and 11 unforced errors.

“I feel like I had a breakthrough here at the US Open,” Kvitova said. I didn’t really like it before; I don’t know why, but I feel the courts aren’t as fast as I wish they’d be. But I made a great success last year, and I hope it’s not the end. I know how difficult it is with the air and the humidity is not the best for me, but today I played good and didn’t have any troubles with that.”

She’ll face Turkey’s No.66 Cagla Buyukakcay in the second round, who recorded the first win of the day when she knocked out No.75 Irina Falconi in her US Open main draw debut.

“I haven’t played her yet, but it’s nice that someone is making stories like she is,” Kvitova said of the Turkish trailblazer. “It’s nice that she’s showing her tennis to Turkish people so more people play there.”

NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.2 seeded Angelique Kerber started out her US Open campaign with a comfortable win against Polona Hercog, who retired from the match down 6-0, 1-0.

“To be honest, it’s never the way I would like to finish the match, but I went out there to feel my rhythm and start the tournament well.I played the first set really good, so this is what I will take from this match, that I’m playing my tennis,” Kerber said after the match.

“For me, it’s always tricky the first few rounds.So it’s always good to have the first round done.Just now focusing on the next rounds.”

The 28-year-old lefty, who is the WTA’s match win leader as well as the hardcourt win leader, is bidding to win her second Grand Slam title in 2016, a feat which would see her potentially unseat Serena Williams and reach the WTA’s No.1 ranking.

“I mean, for sure I want to be one day No. 1, I think this is a goal from everybody, especially also for me,” Kerber said. “But I will not putting too much pressure on myself like I said a lot of times, because I know that when I put the pressure I’m not playing my tennis then.

“You know, I will go out there to win every match going step by step.If the day will come someday it will be amazing.But, yeah, just let’s see.I have to win few more matches.”

She’s got one match in the bag already against Hercog, who has not won a hardcourt match since February. The Slovakian player seemed to wilt under the harsh heat and dropped the opening set after just 29 minutes. After a medical time out, Hercog tried to continue against Kerber but was forced to withdraw from the match citing dizziness.

She’ll face Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the second round after the Croat ousted Alizé Cornet 6-4, 6-1.

NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.8 seed Madison Keys completed Day 1 of the US Open and kicked off Day 2 all at once as the young American finished a tough first round win over Alison Riske at 1:48AM, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2.

“I’m feeling pretty good. I just looked up, and it’s almost 2AM,” Keys told ESPN’s Pam Shriver after the match before asking the crowd, ‘Who wants to go party?

“My party will probably be a protein shake and then going to sleep, but you guys can go out and celebrate for me!”

Delayed by an opening night that featured singers Phil Collins and Leslie Odom Jr., Keys suffered a slow start against her countrywoman in what was the final first round match of the bottom half of the draw. Fending off break points that would have put her back 2-5, Keys was unable to close the gap aganst Riske, who served out the opening set and promptly broke to start the second.

UPSET ALERT: Alison #Riske takes the opening set vs. her Top 10 compatriot Madison #Keys, 6-4. #usopen @MBUSA https://t.co/8Tjag8XYkP

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2016

But Keys become one of the most consistent young talents on tour, becoming the first American to make her Top 10 debut since Serena Williams herself in 1999, and leveled the set – despite a brief medical timeout for a right shoulder injury – before forcing a tie-break.

“I didn’t know I could play such great tennis after 1AM, but it had to be after 1AM, where I started playing a little bit better, so I think that was the key.

“I’m not usually a morning person, but this kind of morning, I am. 6AM, 7AM is tougher.”

Riske was two points from victory late in the sudden death, but serving at 5-4, saw her lead evaporate beneath the pressure of Keys’ power game. With the match leveled, the Aegon Classic champion and Rogers Cup finalist ran away with the decider, clinching a second round encounter with another American, 16-year-old wildcard Kayla Day.

“I’ll do what I normally do, get my media done, try to eat some food, and then probably immediately fall asleep!”

Day is the youngest player in the draw, and has the chance for an even bigger surprise after outlasting another American, Madison Brengle, who was forced to retire from the second set of their match with a right forearm injury. Day was leading 6-2, 4-2.

“I had no idea she was injured,” the wildcard said after securing her first-ever Grand Slam main draw win. “I saw something on her arm before, but I didn’t really pay attention to that. A lot of players have tape.”

Winner of the USTA Girls 18s Championships, Day earned a wildcard into the tournament after a solid summer that began with her reaching the semifinals at junior Wimbledon.

“There were a lot of nerves in the warm-up and first game, but after the first couple of games, I just felt really comfortable out there – happy with that. It’s not always the best way to win, but I was happy with the way I was playing, and I was in control of the match.

All my life, I dreamed about playing here, so I just told myself to go out and enjoy it today, that it would a good experience, no matter the result.”

Training in Calfornia, Day knows Keys well, and looks forward to the chance to play her for a spot in the third round.

“I’ve known Madison a long time, since I was maybe 11 years old. I’ve always looked up to her as the bigger, really good player. We talk when we see each other; she’s has such a powerful game, and I think that’s what makes her so good.”

Day 1 ends with the latest finish for a women’s match @usopen w/ Madison Keys prevailing over Alison Riske 46 76 62.

Welcome to New York.

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 30, 2016

For tennis fans, snagging a selfie with their favorite player is the ultimate prize. But what happens when it’s a player asking the fans for selfies?

We sent Jelena Ostapenko on a selfie scavenger hunt through the grounds of the Western & Southern Open. Find out what happened when she ambushed fans, volunteers, and more in search of the ultimate selfie prize.

It’s all in the latest episode of Dubai Duty Free: Always Full Of Surprises!

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Ready? Set? Go! The final major of 2016 is about to get underway, and Chris Oddo has your US Open Day One preview right here at wtatennis.com.

Monday, First Round

Arthur Ashe Stadium
[2] Angelique Kerber (GER #2) vs. Polona Hercog (SLO #120)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 3-2
Key Stat: Kerber will ascend to the No.1 ranking if Serena Williams does not reach the semifinals in New York.

Angelique Kerber has won her last 13 matches against players ranked outside of the Top 100 at majors, and one would think that the German would be able to take care of business against Slovenia’s Polona Hercog without too much fuss on Monday. The 28-year-old southpaw has been having a banner year, and she’s the tour’s win leader as well as its hardcourt win leader. And that’s not all. Kerber was a match away from claiming the WTA’s No.1 ranking in Cincinnati, but she fell in the final to Karolina Pliskova and remains No.2 this week at Flushing Meadows. Will being the hunter rather than the hunted work in Kerber’s favor in New York? Or will she be bothered by the fact that she came so close in Cincinnati but fell short? Carrying the No.1 ranking into New York could have been a tricky proposition for Kerber, and maybe starting out in New York without it will help her relax. Kerber has been one of the tour’s steadiest players all season, winning 47 matches and claiming her maiden Grand Slam title in Australia. Unless Hercog, who has not won a hardcourt match since February, comes up with a performance for the ages, Kerber should cruise.

Pick: Kerber in two

[8] Madison Keys (USA #9) vs. Alison Riske (USA #60)
Head-to-head: Keys leads, 4-1
Key Stat: Keys owns a 15-6 hardcourt record this season, with a runner-up finish in Montréal.

She was one of the hottest players on tour until she got cooled off at the Olympic tennis event. Madison Keys stormed to the Olympic semifinals on a 25-4 tear before dropping back-to-back matches to Angelique Kerber and Petra Kvitova in both medal rounds. Will the painful experience of coming so close then being deprived of an Olympic medal fuel Keys to higher highs or will it leave her shaken as the year’s final major begins? Keys will look to exorcise a few demons in her first-round matchup with fellow American Alison Riske, but she’ll have her hands full with her feisty compatriot. Riske has lost in the first round in New York in each of the last two years but in 2013 she made a surprise run to the second week, proving that she can both embrace and perform on the big stage in the Big Apple.

Pick: Keys in two

Louis Armstrong Stadium
[9] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS #10) vs. Francesca Schiavone (ITA #97)
Head-to-head: Kuznetsova leads, 9-6
Key Stat: Schiavone and Kuznetsova are two of the nine active Grand Slam champions in this year’s US Open main draw.

This pair of former Grand Slam champions played the longest match in Grand Slam history at the Australian Open in 2011, and at Roland Garros in 2015 they played the fifth-longest match in Grand Slam history. Both epics were won by Schiavone in marathon third sets, but anybody who witnessed these incredible encounters knows that tennis fans were the real winner. So, what will these two legends of the game bestow upon their legions of fans on Monday in New York? Kuznetsova has had the far better year, and she holds the edge in the pair’s head-to-head, but something about the Russian seems to bring out the very best in Schiavone. Though the Italian is ranked just inside the Top 100 we fully expect her to summon her Top 10 form and take Kuznetsova and fans on another turbulent, emotional ride.

Pick: Kuznetsova in three

Grandstand
[13] Johanna Konta (GBR #14) vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA #109)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Konta has not been past the second round of her last two major appearances.

Johanna Konta’s impressive rise continues with nary a dip in form in 2016. The British No.1, who owns a 24-10 record on hardcourts this season, backed up her first career title in Stanford by notching back-to-back quarterfinals at Montréal and the Olympics. She fell in three sets in the third round at Cincinnati to Agnieszka Radwanska, and though it was a difficult loss it gave her plenty of time to come to New York and prepare for the year’s final major. Just last year Konta had to qualify for the US Open before she produced a stunning run to the second week that included a takedown of Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round. A year later the 25-year-old is just a touch shy of reaching the Top 10. It’s great news for Konta, but it comes with some added pressure and a target on her back. And 31-year-old Bethanie Mattek-Sands has always been one to shoot boldly for a target. The American pushed Serena Williams to three sets in the third-round last year at the Open, but she’ll need to find her form quickly if she is to surprise Konta – Mattek-Sands has gone winless on hardcourts this season, losing all six matches.

Pick: Konta in three

Around the grounds…
No.11 seed Petra Kvitova will seek her first career win against 19-year-old Latvian Jelena Ostapenko. Ostapenko has defeated Kvitova twice already in 2016. Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig will make her return to action against China’s Zheng Saisai in a first-time meeting on old Grandstand court. The youngest player in the draw, 16-year-old American Kayla Day, will make her Grand Slam debut against compatriot Madison Brengle.

By the Numbers…
19 – Number of players who are 30 or older in this year’s draw. 36-year-old Venus Williams is the oldest.
7 – Number of teenagers in this year’s draw. 16-year-old American Kayla Day is the youngest.
2014 – The last time four different players held major titles. That could happen again this year if someone other than Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza or Serena Williams wins the title. It has only happened 11 times in the Open Era.
9 – Number of former Grand Slam champions in this year’s draw, of which four (Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Kuznetsova, Samantha Stosur) are former US Open champions.