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Olympics Tuesday: The Last 16

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The top three seeds will battle for quarterfinal slots on Day 4 of the Rio Games. Chris Oddo breaks down the key Olympic match-ups at wtatennis.com.

Tuesday, Third Round

Centre Court
[7] Madison Keys (USA #9) vs. [9] Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP #12)
Head-to-head: Keys leads, 2-0
Key Stat: Keys played the longest match of this year’s Olympic Games on Monday, taking out Kristina Mladenovic in three hours and 14 minutes.
Madison Keys is one of the few players in Rio who has a big enough game to hit through the slow-playing hardcourts. She’ll have to do just that and then some if she intends to get past the gritty Carla Suárez Navarro on Tuesday. Keys won the pair’s two previous meetings, but both of them have gone three sets. If Keys is going to make it three in a row against the Spaniard, she’ll have to do what she could not against Simona Halep in the Montréal final. In that match Keys struggled to win the longer rallies and didn’t serve well enough to keep the majority of points short. Against a deft baseliner like Suárez Navarro, who defeated Ana Konjuh, 7-6(5), 6-3 on Monday, Keys will have to avoid making this match a physical encounter. After three hours and 14 minutes in the Rio heat on Monday, will Keys have the energy left to execute her game plan?

Pick: Suárez Navarro in three

[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. Elina Svitolina (UKR #20)
Head-to-head: Williams leads, 4-0
Key Stat: Williams is bidding to be the first Woman in history to successfully defend an Olympic singles title.
In her Olympic debut, Elina Svitolina has reeled off back-to-back three-set victories, over Andrea Petkovic and Heather Watson, to book her spot in the sweet 16. But the World No.20 will run into a much stiffer challenge on Tuesday when she faces defending Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams. The last four meetings between Svitolina and Williams have seen Svitolina gain some moral victories, but the truth of the matter is that her defensive approach leaves her far too vulnerable against an offensive juggernaut like Williams. Will Svitolina step out of her shell and try to take the game to Williams, or will the Ukrainian be content to leave the match on Serena’s racquet in the hopes that the mighty American might falter? Williams struggled against Alizé Cornet on Monday, but eventually prevailed in straight sets. She could be tested by Svitolina on Tuesday, but expect Williams to sharpen her focus as the medal rounds draw nearer.

Pick: Williams in two

Court 1
[2] Angelique Kerber (GER #2) vs. [13] Samantha Stosur (AUS #17)
Head-to-head: Tied, 3-3
Key Stat: Kerber is bidding to become the first German woman to win a medal at the Olympics since Steffi Graf in 1992.
How impressive has Angelique Kerber’s 2016 been? A maiden Grand Slam title and a Wimbledon final have thrust the cagey German close to the top of the rankings and she’s gunning for more precious hardware here in Rio. Kerber made relatively light work of Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard on Monday and appears to be primed for another deep run in this her coming-of-age season. But standing in her way on Tuesday will be the determined Sam Stosur, a player who is tailor-made for the gritty, slow-paced Rio hardcourts. Stosur has done most of her damage on clay this year, but she just might have a shot to upend Kerber if she can dictate with her serve and play without fear in the pair’s seventh career meeting. Stosur was strong in her straight-sets victory over Japan’s Misaki Doi on Monday, but she’ll have to be even stronger if she hopes to snap her three-match losing streak to Kerber on hardcourts.

Pick: Kerber in three

Court 2
[3] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP #4) vs. Monica Puig (PUR #34)
Head-to-head: First Meeting
Key Stat: Neither player has dropped a set this week in Rio.
It looks like Garbiñe Muguruza is turning the page on a disappointing grass court season and reverting back to the elite form that saw her claim her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this spring. It may seem like a long time ago, but Muguruza’s performance in Paris left no doubt about her talent, mindset and belief. Now the challenge is to be more consistent. Muguruza, who plastered Japan’s Nao Hibino, 6-1, 6-1, on Monday, is the only seeded player left in her quarter. This is a tremendous opportunity for the Spaniard to open her hardcourt season in style, but she’ll have to get past the dangerous Monica Puig to keep her medal hopes alive. Puig has had a successful season on all surfaces, but the Puerto Rican has had very little experience against the WTA’s elite. She’s only played five Top 10 players in her career, losing four. Can she send a message and create a stir with a big upset in Rio?

Pick: Muguruza in three

Around the grounds…
Great Britain’s Johanna Konta’s magical season continues in Rio. The 25-year-old has yet to drop a set ahead of her round of 16 encounter with Svetlana Kuznetsova. But she’ll be tested in a big way by the resurgent Russian when the pair meets for the first time on Tuesday. Doubles action will also take center stage on Tuesday, as Garbiñe Muguruza, Carla Suárez Navarro, Sara Errani, Kirsten Flipkens, and Ekaterina Makarova will all pull double duty.

By the numbers…
19 – The age of Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, who is the youngest player left in the draw. Kasatkina will face Italy’s Sara Errani on Day 4. The Italian defeated Kasatkina in three sets in their only previous meeting.
11-1 – Serena record in Olympic singles matches. If she wins the title, Williams will tie Steffi Graf (15-1) for the most Olympic singles victories of all-time.
3 – Russia leads the way with three players (Kasatkina, Makarova, Kuznetsova) into the round of 16. The United States, Spain and Germany each have two alive in the draw, with 11 nations represented in total.
1 – Number of Olympic singles champions remaining in the draw (Serena).

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Serena Survives Cornet Challenge

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – World No.1 Serena Williams saved a pair of set points to defeat an always-dangerous Alizé Cornet, 7-6(5), 6-2, to reach the third round of the Olympic tennis event.

“It was really big for me just to win that first set,” Serena said after the match. “Or else I’d probably still be out there fighting.”

Ranked just inside the Top 50 after an up and down season rife with injury concerns, Cornet still had reason to be confident heading into her second round clash with the 22-time Grand Slam champion, having won their last three meetings in 2014 – including an epic third round thriller on the lawns of Wimbledon. Recovering from a double break down in the first set, the Frenchwoman moved her illustrious opponent about the court, drawing uncomfortable errors with the help of her signature drop shot.

“We’ve had so many tough matches in the past, so I couldn’t let the elements get into my head. I hadn’t played great against Alizé in the past – I don’t know how many matches! – so I thought how I at least wanted to get a win.”

Suddenly, Serena found herself serving to stay in a set she’d been on track to win, and faced a pair of set points back-to-back at 15-40. It was then that the Serena serve kicked into high gear, helping her save both set points and ultimately escape with the opening set unscathed – though not without a tense tie-break to decide the contest.

The second set saw the American take fuller ascendency, and though she failed to serve out the match on her first opportunity, she duly broke back in the next game to clinch the encounter in just under two hours.

Up next for the top seed is rising Ukrainian star and No.15 seed Elina Svitolina, who has been working with Serena’s own former rival and recent International Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee, Justine Henin.

“It’ll be fun for me. Elina is such a great person; she’s really young and does really well. We’ve had some really tough matches too, but it’ll be a good match.

“I hope I win, but she’s such a great girl and I’m always rooting for her.”

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Insider Notebook: Olympic Weekend

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Kirsten Flipkens tops Venus Williams in a three-hour epic: No.5 seed Venus Williams just couldn’t put Kirsten Flipkens away. Over the course of this three hour and 15 minute long tug-of-war match, Flipkens found a way to force Venus into playing on her terms. The Belgian’s backhand slice was effective into the corners and she used her guile to get Venus out wide and out of position before executing a pitch-perfect dropshot. It was a pattern Venus saw often and early, but one from which she struggled to break.

It was a disappointingly early exit for Venus, who also lost in the first round of doubles with Serena to the Czech duo of Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova. We know how much the Olympics means to her, and in many ways the event has been the buoy for her career whenever she was struggling and needed that bit of extra motivation.

But this was also an incredible feel good moment for Flipkens. The 30-year-old missed out on the 2012 Olympic tennis event after her ranking slipped due to being diagnosed with blood clots in her legs. Outside the Top 200, her struggles worsened when the Belgian Tennis Federation revoked her funding. Left to go about her career alone, she rebuilt her team, and a year later she was into the Wimbledon semifinals.

Her career hasn’t reached the same highs since, but this win over Venus, in her Olympic debut, had to taste so sweet given her rollercoaster ride to Rio.

“I was already thinking in the third set that it was one of the most epic matches I’ve ever played,” Flipkens said in a television interview. “My dream was to come to Rio but to beat one of the greatest champions, that’s a second dream coming true.”

The biggest upsets did not come in singles: While the focus may naturally fall on the singles competition, the most surprising results of the weekend came in doubles, where the top two seeds and medal favorites bowed out. On Saturday it was Japan’s Misaki Doi and Eri Hozumi stunning No.2 seeds and French Open champions Carolina Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic 6-0 0-6, 6-4. No one saw this result coming – let alone that wacky scoreline. The French team were a heavy medal favorite before the competition.

Then on Sunday it was the veteran Czech pair of Barbora Strycova and Lucie Safarova who ousted top seeds and defending gold medalists Venus and Serena Williams, winning, 6-3, 6-4. The weekend also saw India’s team of No.1 Sania Mirza and Thombare Prathana lose to China’s Peng Shuai and Zhang Shuai. The losses open up a doubles draw that was always tough to call. It should be a very exciting week.

Asian tennis had a big weekend: In addition to Doi and Hozumi’s doubles upset, two of the biggest singles upsets also came at the hands of Asian players. China’s Zheng Saisai stunned a flat and frustrated No.4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4, 7-5, and Zhang Shuai saved three match points to upend No.12 seed Timea Bacsinszky, 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(7). Doi and Nao Hibino also scored solid singles wins, with Doi beating Yaroslava Shvedova and Hibino ousting Florianopolis champion Irina-Camelia Begu.

These are two crushing losses for Radwanska and Bacsinszky. I tapped both women at having a good look at the medal rounds after the soft draws they were dealt. For Radwanska, a combination of her three-day journey from Canada to Rio (via…Lisbon?), combined with a slow, gritty court that plays to the opposite of her strengths, spelled her doom.

Bacsinszky will also be kicking herself after playing three passive points on match point to surrender her lead in the third set tiebreak. Unlike Radwanska, her tournament continues. She rebounded later in the evening to score a win in doubles with Martina Hingis.

Daria Gavrilova’s spirited effort: She was outmatched on nearly every metric, but hat tip to Gavrilova, who scored the unlucky fate of being Serena’s first round opponent. The slow surface kept her in the rallies and she whooped the Center Court crowd into a frenzy with her tenacious defense. It ended in a 6-4, 6-2 loss, but that scoreline is a bit unfair. It was a great match and the perfect opening round test for Serena.

Slow and steady wins the race: Aside from the results themselves, the story of the weekend was the speed of the courts at Barra Olympic Park. They were described as being slower than the Rogers Cup, and after observing just a handful of early points it was clear it was a slow, high-bouncing court, not unlike the BNP Paribas Open, but with heavier balls and conditions. It’s not going to be easy to hit through this court, though the straight set wins by Serena Williams, Garbiñe Muguruza, Madison Keys, and Petra Kvitova may indicate the big hitters can tee off.

Wardrobe Malfunction: After her disappointing loss in doubles, Kristina Mladenovic took to Twitter to explain the team’s frazzled state on court. According to Mladenovic, she and Garcia were ready to take the court when officials told them they could not wear kits of different colors. Luckily, Mladenovic had a second dress and Garcia wore – inside out, for sponsorship reasons – that so that they matched. But the entire ordeal was not the ideal match preparation.

Sloane Stephens bows out to Eugenie Bouchard: The Canadian won, 6-3, 6-3 to notch her first win as an Olympian. She will face Angelique Kerber in the second round. Kerber notched a scratchy opening win over Mariana Duque-Mariño, rallying from 2-5 in the second to win 6-3, 7-5.

As for Stephens, after starting the year at 17-3 with three titles, she is now 5-7 since. Perhaps playing on home soil will get things back on track.

To Opening Ceremony or not: It’s always a tough decision to make for any tennis Olympian: Should I go to the Opening Ceremony or should I rest? For some, the schedule makes the decision for them. Those who did not have to play until Sunday jumped at the chance to walk out with the compatriots on Friday night.

In the end, there really is no science to the matter. Madison Keys went to the Opening Ceremony on Friday night and was first up on Saturday. She won. Heather Watson also went and she won both her singles and doubles matches on Saturday. Andrea Petkovic, Timea Bacsinszky, and Venus Williams opted out. They lost the next day. Reading too much into the decision is a waste of time.

But this tweet was one of the best of Friday night:

Second round matches to watch: All second round matches will be played on Monday. Here are the one’s we’re paying particular attention to: Serena Williams vs. Alizé Cornet, Petra Kvitova vs. Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber vs. Eugenie Bouchard, Madison Keys vs. Kristina Mladenovic, Johanna Konta vs. Caroline Garcia, Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Monica Niculescu, Daria Kasatkina vs. Zheng Saisai, and Barbora Strycova vs. Sara Errani.

There in spirit: Simona Halep is not in Rio for the Olympics but that doesn’t mean she’s not celebrating the Olympic spirit. In her own way.

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Kerber Sees Off Bouchard In Rio

Kerber Sees Off Bouchard In Rio

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – No.2 seed Angelique Kerber overcame a slow start and overturned a 1-4 deficit in the first set to see off Eugenie Bouchard and make her way to the third round of the Olympic tennis event in Rio, 6-4, 6-2.

Bouchard was off to a flying start against Kerber, looking to extend her streak against Germany’s No.1 to four wins in a row. After fighting off a pair of break points in both of her service games, the Canadian got the first break of the match and consolidated for a 4-1 lead.

After the initial wobble, Kerber found her rhythm and famous consistency from the baseline to rattle off seven games in a row, erase Bouchard’s lead and grab the opening set and a break in the second. Bouchard saved a trio of match points to hold serve in a lengthy game for 5-2, employing line-to-line defense against the German to hit a forehand winner. But Kerber took the match at her next chance and made her way into the third round after an hour and 22 minutes.

Though both players stayed aggressive throughout, Kerber kept her margins cleaner than Bouchard, striking 24 winners and 19 unforced errors to the Canadian’s 22 and 36. She brought up 12 break points and converted four times, while Bouchard broke just once in five chances.

Kerber will go on to play Australia’s Samantha Stosur for a spot in the quarterfinals. The No.13 seed defeated Japan’s Misaki Doi 6-3, 6-4 to move into the third round.

Madison Keys

Earlier in the day Madison Keys, one of two Americans left in the singles draw, came away the winner in a three-hour marathon against France’s Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), in the longest match of the Olympic tennis event so far.

“I’m obviously really happy with how I was able to compete today,” Keys said in the mixed zone after the win.

There were 11 breaks of serve during the first two sets alone as the momentum shifted back and forth. Keys was three points away from taking the match when she held a 4-1 lead in the second set tiebreak, but Mladenovic rattled off six points on the trot to send the match to a third set. Keys overcame a 3-5 deficit in the final tiebreak to edge past the Frenchwoman.

The American hit 49 total winners during the match to 64 unforced errors against Mladenovic’s 28 winners and 46 unforced errors. Keys’ big serve bailed her out of trouble in the third set, blasting six of her nine aces during the final set.

The American took a medical timeout during the match but later brushed off any lasting injury concerns.

“I felt like one of my ribs maybe moved, which wasn’t very comfortable but I’m feeling a little bit better now, I’m going to go see the trainers after,” Keys explained.

She’s set to play against Spain’s Carla Suárez Navarro next in the next round.

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Muguruza Masters Hibino At Olympics

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza continued to play incredible tennis in her debut at the Olympic tennis event, defeating Nao Hibino, 6-1, 6-1, to reach the third round.

Playing her first tournament since Wimbledon might have put pressure on the No.3 seed, Muguruza has dropped a combined six games in her first two matches, wrapping up her win over Hibino in just under an hour.

Hibino had kicked off her Olympic campaign by knocking out Irina-Camelia Begu, but had no answers for Muguruza’s mix of pace and precision, dropping serve five times in the straight set decision.

Up next for Muguruza is Monica Puig, who upset No.14 seed and Wimbledon quarterfinalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-3, 6-2.

More to come…

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The 5 Best Things About Olympic Tennis

The 5 Best Things About Olympic Tennis

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

With the Olympic tennis event in Rio already underway, there’s just one thought on every player’s mind: bringing home a medal.

In the ITF’s Olympics book, My Life, My Medal, tennis players shared their medal-winning memories from the Olympics and Paralympics, from Seoul 1988 to London 2012.

Read on to hear the five things that Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Justine Henin, Serena Williams and more loved the most about their Olympic experiences, right here on wtatennis.com!

Team Italy, Olympic Village

1. Staying in the Olympic Village was one of their most cherished memories.

“I enjoyed every moment because I had a chance to meet other athletes from my country as well, living in the Olympic Village. It’s a completely different story, you get involved with other athletes as well form other countries. Even in Barcelona, when I was at home, I could go home, but I went the first couple of days to the Village.” – Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spain; Barcelona 1992)

“My fondest memories are of taking part in the opening ceremonies at Seoul and Barcelona and staying in the Olympic Villages. It was fascinating to be able to talk with the other athletes from all the different sports, cultures and backgrounds. We had a lot of fun guessing which country and sport they represented.” – Stefanie Graf (Germany; Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992)

“Everything is surprising because it is very different – the atmosphere, having lunch with some other Argentinians… and going to the restaurant and meeting the rest of the athletes. You find yourself saying, “Look who is here!” All of them are strong experiences which take place in a unique place and moment.” – Gabriela Sabatini (Argentina; Seoul 1998)

“It was fantastic to pick the other athletes’ brains about training, how they deal with pressure, etc… My favorite place was the cafeteria and I got to meet so many athletes in a casual setting and share stories with them. Having dinner with all the great athletes and talking to them like regular people was super cool. I had to sometimes pinch myself when I talked to a few of them.” – Monica Seles (United States; Sydney 2000)

Angelique Kerber, Germany

2. The Opening Ceremony is an unforgettable experience.

“From the very first day, when I had the occasion of carrying the flag at the Opening Ceremony, everything I experienced was really lovely. I was very happy about it.” – Gabriela Sabatini (Argentina; Seoul 1998)­

“When you’re out there, you go out on Opening Ceremony day and you’re just like in awe. Like you have to pinch yourself, is this really happening?” – Mary Joe Fernandez (United States; Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996)

“The Opening Ceremonies in all the Olympics I’ve played are some of the three biggest highlights of my whole life. Obviously besides kids and all that. But I never forget those moments.” – Lindsay Davenport (United States; Atlanta 1996)

“It was the most amazing rush of my life, walking into the stadium in Atlanta. We were in the tunnel going out and the whole team USA, like 680 people, started chanting ‘USA, USA, USA’ in this tunnel and it was reverberating and I still get goosebumps thinking about it.” – Gigi Fernandez (United States; Barcelona 1992, Atlanta, 1996)

Rio 2016

3. Checking out other sports is a must – because athletes are sports fans too.

“It doesn’t really matter to me [what sport] because when you’re there you get involved in it. You’re just so involved and your heart gets involved. You get drawn in. So wherever I would go – fencing, archery, whatever it is – I don’t care because I know I’ll be into it.” – Venus Williams (United States; Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, London 2012)

“When we arrived in advance, we were practicing and training. And one day Steff [Graf] said, ‘Let’s go train with a 400 meters hurdler,’ as he was a very good German one. He said, ‘Okay I’m going to do some practice at the track and do some running.’ Steffi said, ‘Let’s go with him, we can also do some practice and warm-ups.’ For 15 minutes I was running with him and I was dead. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I still have to play.'” – Claudia Kohde-Kilsch (Germany; Seoul 1998)

“I had a lot of opportunities to see different things. I saw archery, swimming, I never made it to the gymnastics, but I saw the athletics, it’s just a great experience. It’s just so fun to see all these different athletes who are just in there, from countries you don’t expect.” – Serena Williams (United States; Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, London 2012)

Elena Dementieva

4. The winning moment is unlike any other.

“We [Belarus] never had any medals ever in the history of tennis. That type of pressure was there, and I really wanted to deliver… At that particular moment we won gold, that was one of the biggest reliefs. I was like, ‘Okay, thank god, we’ve done it.’ Then there was pure joy.” – Victoria Azarenka (Belarus; London 2012)

“It’s very emotional to hear the anthems. I probably cried a little bit. You get goosebumps, you get nervous, it’s quite emotional. It’s very cool and it’s different. You have the podium and you receive your medal with the other two. It’s the Olympics! It feels like tennis but it’s a little bit different.” – Conchita Martinez (Spain; Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004)

“I remember being on the podium trying to tell myself not to cry. I remember just keeping repeating that to myself because it is overwhelming when you get up there, and you think it’s all fun and you think it’s all happy, and then depending on your personality, it can be more emotional. It started to get a little emotional for me, but most of it was shock.” – Lindsay Davenport (United States; Atlanta 1996)

“The presentation ceremony took me by surprise. When you win a silver medal in tennis it means you’ve just lost in the final… I was very, very disappointed but within a couple of seconds I did switch because there was huge emotion coming up. And also a real pride. It’s cool! You’re able to bring a medal back to your country.” – Amélie Mauresmo (France; Athens 2004)

Athens, 2004

5. Playing for your country, not just yourself, is a humbling experience.

“There was a lot of joy. There was a lot of surprise, of sharing with the Belgian delegation. All the athletes were there. I didn’t cry, but I did sing. And I was so very, very proud. After the match and the ceremony I came back to the Village and all the athletes were waiting for me in the Belgian house and we celebrated together for an hour. Everyone was so happy.” – Justine Henin (Belgium; Athens 2004)

“The Olympics is something still different and you play for your country. There’s more pressure… With the Olympic medal [my country] realized a little bit more what I was achieving. From then on I became a star in Bulgaria.” – Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere (Bulgaria; Seoul 1988)

“It’s probably No.1 in my career because it’s one thing that the world will always relate to and I did it for my country, it wasn’t just for me. Even now if I pull it [the medal] out and I’m around little kids they’re so excited.” – Zina Garrison (United States; Seoul 1988)

“On one side, I was bitterly disappointed to lose the final, but on the other hand, I was really proud of our country and what we achieved in Beijing. This was a day when a dream came true. Of course, straight after the match I was disappointed, but afterwards this became less so. We could hear the national anthem and see the Russian flag. There were tears from the sadness, but there were tears of happiness for being so proud for my country.” – Dinara Safina (Russia; Beijing 2008)

– Photos courtesy of Getty Images

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Olympics Monday: Second Wave

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

Action is hot and heavy in Rio on Monday as all 16 second-round clashes will take place. Wtatennis.com contributor Chris Oddo previews the action.

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Serena Surges Into Olympic Second Round

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Four-time Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams survived some breezy conditions to ease past unseeded Aussie Daria Gavrilova, 6-4, 6-2, to reach the second round of the Olympic tennis event.

“It felt really good to be out htere today,” Serena said after the match. “It’s been a long time; four years ago I was out here playing the Olympics, so it’s really cool to be here again.”

Serena swept the singles and doubles events four years ago in London, but struggled early on against Gavrilova, who was making her Olympic debut. Racing out to a 5-2 lead in the opening set, Serena found herself pegged back to 5-4 against the combined forces of the Aussie and the dust storm known as a “haboob,” but played her best tennis when it mattered most to put herself a set from victory after 49 minutes.

“Early on it was super windy, and it was a survival of just who could get the ball in; it wasn’t quality tennis because of the strange and tough conditions. But I got through it.”

Gavrilova is a former Youth Olympic gold medalist in 2010, and began 2016 with a bang, winning the Hopman Cup alongside countryman Nick Kyrgios and reaching the round of 16 at the Australian Open; the youngster continued to fight in the second set, digging out of a marathon sixth game to keep herself in contention, but ultimately succumbed on her third match point.

Hoping to win her fifth Olympic gold medal – and second in singles – Serena will next play the winner of Johanna Larsson and Alizé Cornet for a spot in the third round. The American will also begin her doubles campaign with sister Venus, who took a heart-breaking loss to Kirsten Flipkens on the first day of play last night.

“We just want to have the chance. Hopefully we can win a couple of matches, and see how it goes. We love playing doubles, period, so every four years, we know we have a chance where we’re guaranteed to get some matches.”

At the start of the weekend, Serena got a shoutout from former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is currently the Democratic nominee for the 2016 presidental election:

No.2 seed Angelique Kerber was not too far behind her American rival on Sunday, winning the last five games of her first round match against Mariana Duque-Mariño, 6-3, 7-5.

The 2012 Olympic tennis event quarterfinalist was coming off a run to the semifinals at the Rogers Cup, but didn’t have things all her own way against the Colombian, who took a 5-2 lead in the second set – holding a set point on her own serve at 5-3 – before the German came back to book her place in the second round.

Kerber will next play Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, who sailed past Sloane Stephens, 6-3, 6-3; Bouchard beat Kerber in their most recent encounter at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

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