WTA Stars Come Together For Turkey
Led by Cagla Buyukakcay and Ipek Soylu, the WTA family shares their support for Turkey in light of the attack in Turkey; here are a collection of tweets from players, past and present.
Led by Cagla Buyukakcay and Ipek Soylu, the WTA family shares their support for Turkey in light of the attack in Turkey; here are a collection of tweets from players, past and present.
A rain-affected Tuesday means Wimbledon has some catching up to do, but second-round action nonetheless begins in earnest on Wednesday at the All England Club. We preview the key matchups and look inside the numbers here on wtatennis.com, courtesy of contributor Chris Oddo.
Wednesday
Second Round
[5] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. Francesca Schiavone (ITA #111)
Head-to-head: Schiavone leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Schiavone snapped a three-year Wimbledon losing streak with her first round win on Monday.
Simona Halep has only won back-to-back matches at SW19 on one occasion, but that occasion was quite special because it led to an appearance in the semifinals in 2014. Can the Romanian, who has suffered from patchy form and a nagging Achilles injury in recent months, rekindle the magic on grass this year? Standing in her way will be one of the tour’s most revered veterans in Francesca Schiavone. The 36-year-old snapped a three-year Wimbledon drought on Monday with a straight set win over Anastasija Sevastova, but the challenge will be elevated on Wednesday when the Italian tries to win against a Top 10 player on grass for the first time. Halep had to skip Birmingham with injury, but she told reporters on Monday that despite her lack of match play on grass this summer, her extra practice time on the surface is starting to pay off. “I had many days practicing here,” she said. “I feel the grass. I feel the court. I feel the atmosphere here… I’m looking forward for the next round, and maybe I will play better after two days.”
Pick: Halep in two
[9] Madison Keys (USA #9) vs. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL #51)
Head-to-head: Tied, 1-1
Key Stat: Keys enters on six-match winning streak.
Madison Keys, American storm. The 21-year-old may possess a calm and easy going demeanor, but it’s clear to anyone that watches her play that she enjoys playing rock-n-roll tennis when she’s on court. She did that to great effect in winning the Birmingham title a few weeks back and she looked stunning in hammering her way past Germany’s Laura Siegemund on Day 1. But Keys knows her next test against the crafty Belgian Kirsten Flipkens will force her to problem solve a bit more. Will she prove up to the task? She says she’s ready. “It will be tough,” she told reporters on Monday, when asked about the challenge of facing the former Wimbledon semifinalist. “I played her in Miami. It was a tough match. She’s obviously done well on grass before and can be really crafty, is really good with dropshots and slices and mixing it up. That’s going to be a tough match. I think I’ll have to go in with a similar game plan as I did today.”
Pick: Keys in two
Sabine Lisicki (GER #81) vs. [14] Sam Stosur (AUS #16)
Head-to-head: Stosur leads, 5-2
Key Stat: Lisicki improved to 26-7 lifetime at Wimbledon with her win over Shelby Rogers on Monday.
Samantha Stosur holds the significant edge in the pair’s head-to-head, but Sabine Lisicki’s Wimbledon magic could play a role in the eighth meeting between these two hard-serving veterans. Stosur, making her 14th Wimbledon appearance, is well aware of the Lisicki aura at SW19. “I mean, it’s no doubt this is a tournament she feels very comfortable at no matter kind of what she’s been doing in the lead-up,” Stosur said. “I’m sure when she walks through the gates here she probably feels like she’s No. 1 in the world. You have to be aware of that and know she has a very big serve.” Lisicki has won just two of seven tilts against the Aussie, but she’s once again brimming with confidence and a certain je ne sais quoi at Wimbledon. “I really liked this place from the beginning,” she said. “I think in this place you feel the history. It’s just a magical place. When I come here, I just feel really special to have the opportunity to play here.”
Pick: Lisicki in three
Around the Grounds: Garbiñe Muguruza will look to continue her eight-match winning streak at major tournaments when she takes on world No.124 Jana Cepelova of Slovakia. Muguruza owns a 6-1 record against players ranked outside of the Top 100 at majors. Venus Williams will square off with Greek qualifier Maria Sakkari. World No.115 Sakkari won her first Wimbledon match on Monday; Williams owns 77 wins at the All England Club, second only to her sister Serena among active players. Karolina Pliskova will continue her quest to make the second week of a major for the first time when she meets Misaki Doi on Day 2. In 16 major appearances, Pliskova has only reached the third round three times.
By the Numbers:
8 – Number of Wimbledon finals that Venus Williams has played, winning five.
89 – Percentage of first-serve points that Stosur won in her Day 1 victory over Magda Linette.
18 – Number of American women that entered the main draw – most of any country.
122 – The speed of Sabine Lisicki’s fastest serve on Day 1, which was the fastest recorded by all players in action on Monday.
No.6 seed Roberta Vinci moved into the second round of Wimbledon for the first time in two years after a hard-fought win over Alison Riske.
Defending champion Serena Williams leads the charge as the top half of the draw takes to the grass on Day 2. We preview a busy slate at SW19 here on wtatennis.com, courtesy of contributor Chris Oddo.
Tuesday
First Round
[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. [Q] Amra Sadikovic (SUI #148)
Head-to-head: First Meeting
Key Stat: Williams is the last women to have won Wimbledon after saving a match point (2009).
Having failed to come away with the title in each of the last three majors, Serena Williams has dusted herself off and is ready to pursue Grand Slam glory at one of her favorite stomping grounds. Her first test will be against Swiss qualifier Amra Sadikovic, a 27-year-old who has only played six tour-level matches in her career. After briefly retiring from tennis, the Swiss has recently returned to the tour with a renewed sense of purpose. Williams, on the other hand, is hoping to log more matches than six this Wimbledon fortnight. The six-time champion owns a 79-10 lifetime record at SW19 and despite the fact that she’s bidding for a historical 22nd major title for the fourth time, the 34-year-old refuses to be bothered by externalities. “Honestly, I don’t feel any pressure,” Williams told assembled press on Sunday during her champion’s press conference. “I feel good and confident.” Williams arrived in London on Monday to give herself plenty of time to get reacquainted with the grass that she has prowled so efficiently since she made her first Wimbledon appearance in 1998. Despite having made the trek 17 times now, Williams says it’s always special. “It’s a unique experience,” she said. “You know, it’s just that one time a year you just get to get on this amazing, beautiful surface. It feels really good.”
Pick: Williams in two
[13] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS #14) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (Den #45)
Head-to-head: Wozniacki leads 6-5
Key Stat: A three-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist, Kuznetsova has not reached that far at the All England Club since 2007.
Two longtime rivals will meet for the 12th time and the first at Wimbledon on Tuesday when Caroline Wozniacki and Svetlana Kuznetsova lock horns in a highly enticing first-rounder. They are six years apart in age, and 31 spots separate them in the rankings, but in truth there isn’t a whole lot that divides these two, talent-wise. Wozniacki has slipped in the rankings due to an ankle injury that forced her out for two months this spring, but the Dane has put three events under her belt and is feeling much better about her form after a productive three weeks on the grass. “I feel like I’m getting closer to where I want to be,” she told the WTA Insider Podcast at Eastbourne, where she won two matches before falling in a tight three-setter to Monica Puig. Kuznetsova has had her moments in 2016, most notable her upset of world No.1 Serena Williams in Miami, but the Russian has lost her only match on grass to date in 2016.
Pick: Wozniacki in three
[10] Petra Kvitova (CZE #10) vs. Sorana Cirstea (ROU #85)
Head-to-head: Kvitova leads, 4-2
Key Stat: Two-time champion Petra Kvitova is one of three former Wimbledon champions in the draw.
Typically a grass juggernaut, Petra Kvitova encountered some turbulence on her favorite surface this summer when she was knocked out of Birmingham and Eastbourne in the round of 16. But the 2011 and 2014 champion has more than proven herself at Wimbledon, where she owns a 29-6 lifetime record and has produced some of her most electrifying tennis. That means it will take an exceptional effort from Romania’s Sorana Cirstea to challenge the Czech on Tuesday in a place where Kvitova has always been at her menacing best. In their lone Wimbledon meeting Kvitova eased past Cirstea in straight sets, but the world No.85 does own two victories over Kvitova and has undergone a bit of a revival of late, producing her best tennis since her breakout season in 2013 in the last six months.
Pick: Kvitova in two.
[7] Belinda Bencic (SUI #13) vs. Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL #71)
Head-to-head: Bencic leads, 2-0
Key Stat: Pironkova is playing in her 43rd consecutive major at Wimbledon. It is the third-longest active streak behind Ana Ivanovic (47) and Jelena Jankovic (51).
Belinda Bencic loves playing on grass and excels on the surface; Tsvetana Pironkova loves playing on grass and also excels on the surface. What’s not to love about this highly anticipated first-round matchup between two talented players who win with touch and placement rather than power? Bencic defeated Pironkova in the first round at SW19 last year, and she will come in as the favorite on paper, but the Swiss has yet to find her top physical form after missing two months due to a back injury. After a semifinal in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Bencic had to pull out of her first match at Birmingham with an injury before being defeated in her first match at Eastbourne by Elena Vesnina. Pironkova has two deep Wimbledon runs under her belt (semifinals in 2010, quarterfinals in 2011) and will surely be hungry to gain revenge on Bencic on Tuesday.
Pick: Pironkova in three
Around the Grounds: Third seed and 2012 runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska will begin her 11th Wimbledon campaign with a first-round battle with Kateryna Kozlova of the Ukraine, who is making her Wimbledon debut. Great Britain’s Johanna Konta defeated Monica Puig in a third-set tiebreaker last year at Nottingham. They’ll meet again in the first round on Tuesday with Konta looking to win for the first time in four tries at Wimbledon.
By the Numbers:
137 – Svetlana Kuznetsova’s win total at the Grand Slam level, which is fourth-most among active players.
31-5 – Caroline Wozniacki’s record in first round matches at majors. The Dane has not dropped a first-rounder since 2012 Wimbledon.
WIMBLEDON, Great Britain – No.5 seed Simona Halep kicked off her Wimbledon campaign with a decisive 6-4, 6-1 win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova to reach the second round in just over an hour.
“I had many days practicing here,” the 2014 semifinalist said in her post-match press conference. “I feel the grass. I feel the court. I feel the atmosphere here. So I’m happy that I could win today. I’m looking forward for the next round, and maybe I will play better after two days.”
Halep was clearly keen to avoid repeating the stunning first round loss she took at last year’s Championships, promptly racing out to a 4-1 double break advantage. Schmiedlova, by contrast, started the year just outside the Top 25 but hasn’t won a WTA main draw match since the Apia International Sydney, struggling to back up her strong 2015 season.
Still, the young Slovak has shown flashes of brilliance this spring, and was the only woman to win a set off Garbiñe Muguruza during the Spaniard’s run to the French Open title. Leveling the set at four games apiece, Halep looked on course for a long day at the All England Club, but quickly shifted into turbo on Court 2, dropping just one more game in the match to advance in straight sets.
“I moved better. I was everywhere, I can say. She had only four winners, so means that I was pretty good on my legs.”
Halep was forced to miss the Aegon Classic with a recurring Achilles injury, but played solid tennis on the fortnight’s first Monday, striking 13 winners to only 16 unforced errors and losing just 10 points behind her first serve; Schmiedlova was left still looking for consistency with four winners to 24 errors.
“This Achilles is very strange. Sometimes it’s hurting me; sometimes not. I hope to be okay.
“I like to have some matches before Wimbledon, but this year I couldn’t. My coach told me that it’s better to come here straight to practice. In my head I had that it’s better to play Eastbourne, but he said that it’s better to come here straight because the conditions are the same and I have to get used.
“So I did like he said, and now I feel good.”
Up next for the Romanian is former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, who knocked out Mallorca Open finalist Anastasija Sevastova, 7-6(7), 6-4.
.@Simona_Halep notches 20th win of 2016!
Beats Schmiedlova 6-4, 6-1 in @Wimbledon First round! #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/3iUliqmIvV
— WTA (@WTA) June 27, 2016
Last year’s runner-up Garbiñe Muguruza was made to work harder than expected in the opening round of this year’s championships, eventually subduing the fiery Camila Giorgi in three sets.
Ana Ivanovic stunned by Russian qualifier: The No.23 seed lost to No. 223 Russian qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 7-5 in 70 minutes. Ivanovic told reporters after the match that she contemplated skipping Wimbledon due to wrist inflammation that got worse at the Mallorca Open.
“During the Mallorca tournament, it really got inflamed,” Ivanovic said. “Then I had couple of days off. It start to calm down a little bit. Every time I would start hitting, it would flare up. I felt like I could probably manage it. It’s tough on grass because ball really skids through. She was hitting very, very heavy. So, yeah, it was disappointing.
“For two weeks I struggled with my right wrist. It was very hard to accelerate on my forehand. I tried to do everything possible to be fit and recover and tape it and so on.”
Ivanovic will get an MRI on the wrist and does not plan to play a tournament until the Olympics.
Stosur and Lisicki set to clash: The two came through easily in their first round matches and will face off in the second round. Stosur leads the head-to-head 5-2 but she’s obviously wary of Lisicki’s ability to summon some magic at Wimbledon.
“I don’t know what she did actually in the grass court tournaments before this one, but she probably hasn’t had a fantastic year so far, but I’m sure when she walks through the gates here she probably feels like she’s No.1 in the world,” Stosur told reporters.
“You have to be aware of that and know she has a very big serve. She plays big and hits the ball hard. She absolutely plays aggressive. If she’s on that day, you have got to be really willing to fight fire with fire and go after it, and, yeah, not kind of feel like you’re going to get dictated to.
“Against someone like her with a game like she’s got, it’s very easy to feel under the pump and under pressure all the time if she’s playing well. You have to be aware of that and balance out the patience and consistency with your own aggression.”
Serena and Venus in 2020: The sisters have been peppered with questions about their doubles preparation for the Olympics. “We have to start looking at 2020,” Venus said with a laugh. “That would be impressive. If you think this year’s impressive, hold on. That would be a blessing if we did play.”
I’m not going to question it. Would you?
Madison matures: Madison Keys is in the midst of her most consistently high-level span of play in her career. She’s been solid since Fed Cup in April, and she rolled through her first round match against Laura Siegemund, winning 6-3, 6-1. There’s a sense of calm about her these days.
“I think in a lot of ways I have changed,” she said. “But I also think every 18 year old changes a lot from 18 to 21 to 25. So I think on and off the court, I have changed in a lot of ways. And I think just a big thing is experience wise, it’s still only my third full year, fourth full year on tour. Obviously there is plenty of experience that I can still have.
“But just feeling more comfortable and knowing what to expect and it becoming more of a routine has really helped me. I think the maturity level of being able to handle a lot of what’s thrown at me has been a big difference.”
Garbiñe Muguruza battles to get past Camila Giorgi: Absolutely no one wants to draw the dangerous Italian in the first round of any tournament, let along on the fast grass at Wimbledon. But the No.2 seed came through in three sets by, once again, not panicking. It was a confident win for Muguruza, who came in with just one grass match under her belt, a loss to Kirsten Flipkens in Mallorca.
“Sometimes you don’t win the most beautiful way,” she said. “You got to be there fighting and waiting for your chance, especially against a player that bangs the ball. Is a very tough opponent to begin the tournament.” She plays Jana Cepelova in the second round.
Third time’s a charm for Daria Kasatkina: Seeded in her Wimbledon debut, the 18-year-old earned her first win ever on grass with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Victoria Duval. “My third match on grass in all my life,” Kasatkina told WTA Insider. “The first was at Wimbledon 2012. It was so bad. Now I’m professional, I come on grass, I can say I like it.”
Primarily known as a clay-courter, Kasatkina said with a few minor adjustments she’s feeling comfortable on grass. “The first few practices were really, really terrible. Better not to see this,” she said laughing.
“Because I was trying to change my game because I thought it was totally different tennis. But my coach told me no, you don’t have to change so much. Just little bit adapt for grass tennis. Just go for the volley or something like this. And it’s a little bit more difficult to move. It’s a little bit slippery and you have to move like a cat. Soft steps. But we worked a lot in fitness for this, so I adapt to that.”
Kasatkina admits she was tired through much of the clay court swing but feels refreshed on the grass. “In Madrid I was finished because it was so complicated calendar,” she said. “America, Fed Cup, then immediately I go to clay court preparation. It was too much for me. After Roland Garros I had a few days off and I came to the grass more fresh.”
As for qualifying for the Russian Olympic Team, the young Russian is over the moon. “If last year somebody told me I would go to the Olympics I would tell him you are a crazy man.”
Maria Sakkari on the verge of the Top 100: Sakkari scored a good win over Zheng Saisai, winning 6-3, 6-2 for her first win at Wimbledon. In fact, the first time she ever played on grass was last week in qualies at Roehampton. “I never practiced on grass, I never played juniors on grass,” she told WTA Insider. “I just practiced twice before my first match. It’s fine. I like it. It’s different. But if you take care of your steps and your running and think about it more in the beginning then it’s fine.”
Asked whether her mother, who played on tour, gave her any advice about the grass, Sakkari said she kept it simple. “My mom never liked grass,” she said. “She played once or twice at Wimbledon. She told me not to try too many things. Don’t try to hit too hard. Just play tennis.”
Crawford earns her first Slam win: After a blistering start to the season, making the semifinals of the Brisbane International as a qualifier, Samantha Crawford finally earned her first main draw win at a Slam, beating Paula Kania, 7-5, 6-3 at Wimbledon. The win was especially sweet given Crawford had played just one match since breaking her hand in a fall at the Volvo Car Open in April. Crawford fractured the scaphoid bone in her right hand and was in a cast for six weeks, but was able to come back at the French Open last month.
“Before it happens it’s in the back of everyone’s mind,” Crawford said, when asked about getting her first Slam win. This was just her third match on grass ever. “This is my fifth Slam main draw. I was aware that I hadn’t won. I got a little nervous but I told myself to enjoy the moment being at Wimbledon.”
Questions that need to stop: I think it’s time to put a moratorium on asking players why they don’t have a pep in their step during press conferences.
Q. You seem quite down.
LAURA ROBSON: I seem quite down? Probably because I lost. It tends to do it.
Robson lost 6-2, 6-2 to Angelique Kerber, but will still be around Wimbledon for doubles with Ashleigh Barty. She will head to the US afterwards to play on the ITF Circuit to get her ranking up.
“For me, it’s a massive win to be here and not have any niggles for quite a few months now, apart from a very small one in Eastbourne,” she said. “I’ve worked very, very hard to be healthy, to be completely fit on court. It’s 100% a huge goal for me to finish the year in the same way. Yeah, it’s now about winning matches, as well.”
To Infinity, and Beyond: How’s this from Venus Williams:
Q. Looking back to 26, would you have thought that you would still be engaged at 36?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I still feel 26, so… You know, I don’t think anyone feels older. You have this infinity inside of you that feels like you could go forever. That’s how I feel on the court. As long as I’m halfway decent, can get my racquet on the ball, I think I can make something happen. So far so good.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
WIMBLEDON, Great Britain – At 27 years old, Amra Sadikovic is finally on the main stage. Currently ranked No.148, the Macedonian-born Swiss qualified for her first main draw at a Slam at Wimbledon, and on Tuesday she’ll get a chance to walk on Centre Court against an all-time legend in Serena Williams.
So how did Sadikovic react to seeing her name next to Serena’s in the draw?
“I was happy because to me it’s a dream coming true,” Sadikovic told WTA Insider. “You don’t get these chances every year to play one of the best players ever, and then on Centre Court, and in Wimbledon. What else? To me I’m going to go out there and fight and enjoy every single moment.
“There were a lot of players that told me, bad luck, tough draw. It is a tough draw, definitely. But I don’t look at this negative at all. It’s only positive. I can only win. I don’t feel pressure.”
Sadikovic was nowhere near the All England Club in 2014. In fact, she was nowhere near her professional tennis career. The 27-year-old walked away from her pro career at 25 and was coaching at a tennis club in Basel, Switzerland, when she happened to catch a bit of Wimbledon on the TV during a break between lessons.
On the screen was Eugenie Bouchard, a player Sadikovic had played and beaten before. Bouchard had played her way into the semifinals and eventually the final. It was a wake-up call for Sadikovic.
“I had lessons and I had a break. I saw she was on TV and I was like, ‘What? Really? I remember beating her.’
“I worked with kids, adults, good juniors [at the club]. It was so much fun. It’s something that I really want to do later on again again. But after a while I started missing competition. When you turn on the TV and you see the players playing the Grand Slams and you’ve beaten them, that hurts.”
Seeing women she competed against gain success on tour, Sadikovic began to consider a comeback. She missed the competition and her normal, daily routine began to grow tiresome.
“After 14 months, the last question I asked myself was are you able to get back – because I didn’t practice – body-wise, physical-wise. Then it was Timi (Timea Bacsinszky). She gave me the last kick. She’s done unbelievable. Respect for that.”
Sadikovic made her return at an ITF 20K in Essen, Germany last year in June. She qualified and made the quarterfinals, losing to compatriot Viktorija Golubic. Flash forward a year and she defeated Golubic in straight sets last week en route to qualifying for Wimbledon.
“I really gave up on pro tennis when I was 25,” Sadikovic said. Prior to retiring she reached a career-high ranking of No. 179 in 2012, winning eight ITF titles. “In the end it was because I was on court and I didn’t enjoy it anymore. I really asked myself what am I doing here? I don’t want to be here.
“It was also connected with money. It was not easy to afford all these things. I had the Swiss Federation supporting me but in the end it was not enough. My parents could not afford all this. The last 3-4 months I didn’t enjoy it on court anymore. Once I made the decision I felt relief. I don’t regret it. Thank god it was the best decision I ever made.”
Sadikovic says she’s returned to her “second career” with an entirely new mindset, one that is informed with the perspective she gained after walking away. She suffered from a crisis of confidence in her first career, never fully convinced she was good enough be a Top 100 player. But with the support of her family, that’s all changed.
“I have really the best family that I can have. They supported me at every step. Even my sister and her husband they said if you need money we help you out, just go and do your thing. Because I didn’t reach my potential. And I knew that.
“People told me you have the game, you can be Top 100 easily, but it was me. I didn’t believe. I was not 100% convinced I could make it. Now it’s a completely different story.”
Reflecting on her journey sees Tuesday’s match against Serena as a reward for her faith in herself and brave decision to return to the tour.
“I had problems handling pressure,” Sadikovic said, referring to her younger self. “I was afraid, scared — what happens if I lose? — instead of just enjoying playing because it’s such a privilege.
“Now I’m relaxed really because I know how it is when I worked at a coach. It’s a normal life and you have daily routines. But you get tired of it. It made me realize how nice the life of a tennis player really is. Before it was like I had to play. Now I have to be thankful that I can play against Serena, on Centre Court. So I don’t feel much pressure anymore.”
Quick hits with Amra Sadikovic:
WTA Insider: How do you feel about playing on grass?
Sadikovic: “For me it’s special playing on grass courts. Maybe the surface fits my game because I’m playing a man’s style game. I like to play slice. To me it’s elegant playing on grass. Everything is clean and just nice. It’s hard to explain.”
WTA Insider: For people who have never seen you play before, what should they expect from you on Tuesday against Serena?
Sadikovic: “Definitely say they are going to see variety. I hope my serve is going to work because that is also a weapon. I’m going to go out there and try to play my game and not focus on who is over there. That’s going to be the most important thing to me and then I’ll try to make her work as hard as I can.”
WTA Insider: You were born in Macedonia. How did your family come to live in Switzerland?
Sadikovic: “I was born in Macedonia but I’m not connected to this country. My parents moved during the war to Switzerland but my relatives are in Bosnia. So I’m more connected to Bosnia than Macedonia.”
WTA Insider: How did you pick up tennis?
Sadikovic: “My dad, he used to play basketball. Nobody in my family played tennis. I was watching TV all the time and I just wanted to try it. There was a match between Sampras and Agassi at the US Open and I just wanted to try that. This is how it started, when I was 9.
There was a club close to our house. When I came up with this idea that I wanted to play tennis my parents were happy because they were working a lot. We went to the club, we asked for a practice. I started right away three times a week. A week later I was playing club matches and I won the tournament. It was so cool.
WTA Insider: Did you play any other sports as a kid?
Sadikovic: “I played a lot of soccer with my cousins and basketball with my dad. It was nice but I didn’t want to depend on anyone. If I win, I did this. Nobody else. That’s why I decided to play tennis.”
WTA Insider: You’ve qualified for your first main draw at a Slam. What’s your next goal?
Sadikovic: To crack Top 100 by the end of the year.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
LONDON, Great Britain – No.12 seed Carla Suárez Navarro survived a scare in her Wimbledon opener against Shuai Zhang, overcoming a mid-match wobble to advance 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
The last time the pair played was at this tournament and at this stage, with the Spaniard easing past Zhang in a comfortable straight sets back in 2014. Today’s match was decidedly more competitive, with the Chinese No.1 breaking twice to take the second set and going up a break in the third.
But the Spaniard, who reached the semifinals of the Aegon Classic Birmingham earlier in the grass season, roared back in the third to reach the second round.
No.14 seed Samantha Stosur also moved into the second round after putting an early wobble behind her to defeat 24-year-old Magda Linette 7-5, 6-3.
“Not much to be disappointed about with that match,” Stosur said afterwards. “I felt like I was in control.
“There’s always things you want to get a little bit better at but for the most part I thought I played well and really solid. I served well. A couple little things on my forehand. Apart from that, I was happy.”
The Australian’s next opponent will be the big-serving Sabine Lisicki, who was off to a roaring start at Wimbledon and needed only 52 seconds to win her opening game against Magda Linette before taking the match 6-1, 6-3 in 59 minutes.
Meanwhile, Russian qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova scored the biggest win of her career over No.23 seed Ana Ivanovic, knocking out the former No.1 in her Wimbledon main draw debut, 6-2, 7-5.
The Serb took no credit away from her No.223-ranked opponent but pointed to a lingering wrist injury as a factor in her first round exit.
“It was very tough. I mean, since two weeks I struggle with my right wrist,” she said “It was very hard to accelerate on my forehand. I tried to do everything possible to be fit and recover and tape it and so on.
“I feel like it caused me a lot of miss hits. My forehand was hard to control her fast shots. I thought she played really well and served very good. Especially in the first set, she was not missing many first serves.”
Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands put their friendship aside in their first round battle. Regular doubles partners, this time they stood on opposite sides of the net as Mattek-Sands looked to deal an upset to her No.28-seeded friend. She nearly managed it two times – the American held match point once in the second set and twice in the third – before Safarova closed her out 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 7-5.
Also through to the next round is No.17 seed Elina Svitolina, who advanced comfortably against British player Naomi Broady, 6-2, 6-3. Perhaps surprisingly, Svitolina has never made it past the second round of Wimbledon – she’ll hope to do so for the first time against Yaroslava Shvedova.
LONDON, England – There are fast starts and there are fast starts. And Sabine Lisicki’s opening game at this year’s Wimbledon certainly falls into the latter category.
Three aces and another booming serve down the T saw Lisicki wrap up the opening game of her first-round match with Shelby Rogers in just 52 seconds.
The German, a finalist at the All England Club in 2013, barely slowed down as the match progressed, living up to her ‘Boom Boom’ nickname by hitting 19 winners and wrapping up a 6-1, 6-3 victory after a minute shy of one hour on court.
In the second round she will face Samantha Stosur, a 7-5, 6-3 winner over Magda Linette.
Sabine Lisicki wastes no time.
She won her first #Wimbledon 2016 game in under a minute. https://t.co/6mq8IcASjj pic.twitter.com/rfpHZg2Gou
— BBC Tennis (@bbctennis) June 27, 2016