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Wozniacki Resurgence Continues

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

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.

“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.

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Kerber Shines Under Friday Night Lights

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

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.”

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.”

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Niculescu On Mirza Masterclass

Niculescu On Mirza Masterclass

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

The US Open has undergone more than a few changes in the last year, and while the majority of players have given the improvements two thumbs up, few have been as effusive in their praise as Monica Niculescu.

“We have stands everywhere,” Niculescu told WTA Insider after her first round win over Babora Strycova. “We have Hawkeye on Court 5; it’s incredible. I haven’t played under the roof yet, but it looks great. We even have more money on the badge to eat! So I’m happy.

“I love Manhattan. If you’re out at 1AM, there are still people out on the street, having fun. There are all the shops on Fifth Avenue. I love New York, and I love the US Open; it’s the best, and I’m happy I can do well here.”

Niculescu has done very well thus far at the US Open; unseeded and ranked No.58, the Romanian recovered from a second set hiccup to knock out Strycova, seeded No.18, and raced out to a 6-0, 5-0 lead before ultimately dispatching compatriot Ana Bogdan in straight sets.

“I wasn’t happy about the draw, what can I say? Strycova had some great results before the US Open; she beat Stosur in Cincinnati and had a great match against Kerber. I knew it was going to be a tough one, and that’s why I’m happy about my game.”

Monica Niculescu, Sania Mirza

Her signature slicing and dicing will face its biggest test yet as she opens Day 5 on Arthur Ashe Stadium against two-time finalist and former No.1 Carolina Wozniacki. The Dane has won all five of their previous encounters in straight sets, but the pair haven’t played since 2013. Plus, Niculescu has a secret weapon.

“There are many Romanians here,” she said when asked about the voracious crowd support. “They come to New York all the time.”

She also had the opportunity to play doubles with World No.1 Sania Mirza just last week at the Connecticut Open. An impressive doubles player in her own right, winning three titles with three different partners in 2016, the former World No.28 considered the week with Mirza to have been an absolute masterclass.

“It was amazing. Listen, I learned so much from that week, and she gave me so many tips on how to play certain girls and how to see the game. She has so much power and it was so nice to play with her; she was hitting so big and I just had to go to the net and do my stuff. I learned so many things. I want to thank her for playing with me, and I felt fantastic. I’m hoping to play again, when I can with her, because it was great.

“I think the doubles helped me a lot. I came here, played very good tennis, and that’s because I had so many matches in New Haven. It was difficult, and I had so many important moments; in doubles, you have to stay focused, and I think it helped me so much.”

Some retail therapy might also help ready the Romanian for her first trip to the US Open second week since 2011.

“It’s sad, but the thing I love doing most in New York is shopping. I love shopping, and I cannot wait to relax and do that.”

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

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Bellis Moving On Up

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Two summers ago a 15-year-old CiCi Bellis captured the imagination of the New York public by becoming the youngest player in nearly two decades to win a match at the US Open.

Back at Flushing Meadows, she is once again the talk of the town, producing some fearless tennis to make her way through to the third round. The prize money for reaching this juncture – where she will face No.2 seed Angelique Kerber on Friday evening – is $140,000. However, the American, who has verbally agreed to accept a tennis scholarship to Stanford University, must forfeit these winnings if she is to maintain her college eligibility.

NCAA rules do permit money for travel expenses, providing the Californian with some welcome perks: “I just moved up to a regular suite,” she said after her second-round win over Shelby Rogers. “Maybe the presidential suite this time.”

Bellis is sure to receive overwhelming crowd support when she steps on Arthur Ashe to face Kerber. Among their number will be one particularly vocal contingent, who have followed the 17-year-old every step of the way since her run began in last week’s qualifying competition.

“They came out to first-round qualifying and have been to every single one of my matches since,” Bellis added. “One of them messaged me on Instagram and asked for tickets, and so I got them into my box today. Oh, my God, they call themselves Team CiCi, so it was fun.

“I think [the support] puts me in a different world. I feel like I’m not even here when I hear people like that group we are talking about. It’s surreal to me.”

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Insider Podcast: Serena Under The Roof

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Serena Williams, cheered on by her A-list fan club, eased through her first outing under Arthur Ashe’s new roof on Thursday evening. Also advancing was one of 2016’s feel-good stories, Zhang Shuai, who toppled former champion and doubles partner Sam Stosur in straight sets.

In the latest Daily Dispatch from Flushing, hear from Serena, Zhang and the WTA Insider team as they analyze the Day 4 action, and look ahead to the start of the third round:

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn or on any podcast app of your choice to ensure you never miss an episode when they go live. Reviews are always helpful, so if you like what you’ve heard so far, leave us one. You can also get new episode alerts by following us on Twitter @WTA_Insider.

Follow @WTA_Insider

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Makarova & Vesnina Advance In Thriller

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.5 seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina faced down the barrel of five match points – three in a row during the second set tie-break – to turn the tables on Sam Stosur and Zhang Shuai to reach the third round in women’s doubles, 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-4.

Winners in their last two events at the Rogers Cup and Olympic tennis event, Makarova and Vesnina were pushed to the limit by Stosur and Zhang, leading by a set and a break as Stosur held two match points.

“We hadn’t been able to break her the whole match, and then I remember it was 5-4, 40-15 on her serve,” Vesnina said. “It was a crazy match, and they really played well. We played against them at the French Open, and they really played much better here than there.

“Today was a great atmosphere on the court. It was a full stadium on Court 5; so many people came to watch doubles, which was really nice. We just really had fun today on the court as well; the atmosphere was amazing.”

Makarova and Vesnina raised their level to force a tie-break, but the unseeded duo again took an early lead, and the 2011 US Open champion had the chance to serve out the upset twice more before the Russians rebounded.

“They played really good volleys today, reacting so well,” Makarova added. “I can’t say we were missing a lot but the game was really good and they were really good today.”

Playing their first full match since winning the Gold medal, the pair hopes their career-defining achievement will help them hit even bigger results.

“We’re really happy to be playing here at the US Open,” Vesnina said. We have great memories from winning the title here in 2014. Of course, after Rio, we’re just really happy and motivated even more to do well here at a Grand Slam.”

The 2014 champion in women’s doubles two years ago alongside Vesnina, Makarova was more than happy to still be in the tournament after bowing out in the first round of singles to World No.1 Serena Williams. Vesnina has posited that sticking around for doubles is especially helpful if a player’s singles event ends earlier than she’d like, and it was a sentiment with with her partner was in complete agreement.

“I don’t even remember that I lost so early.It was upsetting for me, but doubles helps me still be at the tournament, fighting for the title, practice some other things. Doubles really helps me for singles for sure.”

Around the grounds, top seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic reached the second round with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Japanese alternates Kurumi Nara and Naomi Osaka, while No.12 seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova were equally efficient, defeating Lara Arruabarrena and Olga Savchuk, 6-4, 6-1.

No.2 seed Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching ended up on the losing end of a topsy-turvy second round against Alla Kudryavtseva and Sabine Lisicki. Playing just their second match as a pair, Kudryavtseva and Lisicki recovered from a second set bagel to knock out the 2015 quarterfinalists, 6-2, 0-6, 6-3.

“It’s difficult to adjust from more of a doubles player to more of a singles player,” Kudryavtseva told WTA Insider after their first round win. “But Sabine has great volleys; she’s not a typical singles player where she doesn’t know what to do at the net. She knows where she is, where to stand. She’s looking to cross. I’m happy with my choice.”

The Russian doubles star later paired with Scott Lipsky to win another match in mixed doubles, upsetting No.8 seeds Lucie Hradecka and Marcin Matkowski, 7-5, 6-7(3), 11-9.

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Race For No.1 Down To Three.

Race For No.1 Down To Three.

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Garbiñe Muguruza’s shock exit to Anastasija Sevastova whittled down the number of contestants in the US Open’s No.1 ranking sideshow to three: Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska.

As the tournament enters its opening weekend wtatennis.com updates the state of play in the race for top spot…

Serena Stays On Course: Williams entered the US Open as the World No.1, a distinction she has held since February 18, 2013. Through the two weeks of the US Open, Williams will extend her streak to 186 consecutive weeks, tying the WTA record for most consecutive weeks at No.1 held by Steffi Graf (August 17, 1987-March 10, 1991).

Williams’ reign is all the more remarkable considering the 186 weeks preceding her ascension saw the No.1 ranking change hands nine times, with Dinara Safina, Serena, Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova all spending time at the summit.

In the opening two rounds, Williams has answered the questions regarding the health of her troublesome shoulder with business-like wins over Ekaterina Makarova and Vania King. To extend her current stint as No.1, Williams, who is defending 780 points, will need to at least reach the semifinals.

The longer Kerber stays in the tournament, though, the further Williams will need to advance:

– If Kerber reaches the quarterfinals, then Williams must reach the final.
– If Kerber falls in the semifinals, Williams would remain at No.1 by reaching the final.
– A championship match showdown between Williams and Kerber would see the winner walk away not only with the trophy, but the No.1 ranking.

Williams’ ranking points have come from seven tournaments in the last 52 weeks – 2015 US Open (780), Australian Open (1300), Indian Wells (650), Miami (120), Rome (900), Roland Garros (1300) and Wimbledon (2000).

Angelique Kerber

What Will It Take For Kerber To Become World No.1?: Kerber is bidding to become the 22nd player to reach No.1 since the computer rankings were introduced in November 1975. In her previous tournament, the German came within one win of unseating Williams at No.1 in Cincinnati, only to fall short in the final against an on-song Karolina Pliskova.

The disappointment does not appear to have lingered, making short work of her opening two opponents, Polona Hercog and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.  Last year, Kerber lost to Victoria Azarenka in the third round at the US Open and as a result is only defending 130 points in Flushing Meadows. Kerber will have a 460-point advantage from the start of the tournament, therefore even a surprise third-round loss to crowd favorite CiCi Bellis does not rule her out of contention.

Kerber consistently has reached the business end of the WTA’s biggest events with six finals appearances this year, winning the titles at the Australian Open and Stuttgart, finishing as runner-up at Brisbane, Wimbledon, Cincinnati and the Olympics*. As a result, Kerber’s ranking has been on a steady incline after finishing 2015 at No.10.

* There were no ranking points awarded for this year’s Olympic tennis competition.

US Open Title Could Vault Radwanska To Top Spot: Agnieszka Radwanska will need to win the US Open title, to have reach the top spot. However, if Kerber reaches the final, Radwanska could only move as high as No.2.

The Pole came through her first test in the second round, surviving an epic opening set tie-break to eventually defuse the big-serving Naomi Broady. Next up is the gifted, if unpredictable, Caroline Garcia

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US Open Friday: Kerber’s Quest Continues

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Angelique Kerber continues her quest for No.1 as the bottom half of the draw contests its third-round matches in New York on Friday. Chris Oddo previews a busy schedule at wtaennis.com.

Friday, Third Round

[2] Angelique Kerber (GER #2) vs. [Q] CiCi Bellis (USA #158)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Kerber will ascend to the No.1 ranking if Serena Williams does not reach the semifinals in New York.

Angelique Kerber will bid for her 50th win of the season against a 17-year-old fan favorite that relishes the big stage. That 17-year-old would be Catherine Bellis, a diminutive Northern Californian with a surprisingly big game. Bellis came through in three sets on Wednesday, defeating Shelby Rogers to reach the third round at the Open for the first time. Bellis famously became the youngest player to win a match at the US Open since 1996 when she defeated Dominika Cibulkova as a 15-year-old two years ago. On Friday her challenge will be even greater. Bellis will face No.2-ranked Angelique Kerber, a player very much in form and in her prime, and the American knows she’s in for a tough test. Kerber is in the hunt for the No.1 ranking and will bid to reach the second week at the US Open for the fourth time, and first time since 2013. “She’s No.2 in the world obviously and an amazing player,” Bellis said of the German. “It will be a lot of fun for me.” Kerber, who leads the tour in wins, hardcourt wins and Top 10 wins this season, will do her best to ensure that the youngster doesn’t have too much fun.

Pick: Kerber in two

[14] Petra Kvitova (CZE #16) vs. [22] Elina Svitolina (UKR #19)
Head-to-head: Kvitova leads, 3-1
Key Stat: Kvitova reached her first US Open quarterfinal in 2015.

What has Petra Kvitova been up to on her off days at the US Open? Oh, just not practicing. It may sound strange, but it’s true. The Czech says she has been doing everything she can to avoid the stress of the big city, so she passes on the New York City commute on her off days and instead practices on the day of her matches only. “I didn’t practice yesterday,” Kvitova told WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen on Wednesday after her straight-sets win over Cagla Buyukakcay. “I had a day off, so I didn’t come on-site. So that’s a new tradition I think from last year.” Kvitova says she instead does fitness off-site and spends the time saved luxuriating with a coffee in Manhattan. The Czech will hope the new routine leaves her rested and ready for her second meeting in less than a month with Elina Svitolina. Kvitova pummeled the Ukrainian 6-2, 6-0 at the Rio Olympics. The No.22-seed has needed three sets in each of her first two matches in New York.

Pick: Kvitova in two

[8] Madison Keys (USA #9) vs. Naomi Osaka (JAP #81)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Keys owns a 13-4 record in three-setters in 2016.

After Garbiñe Muguruza’s sudden departure from the draw on Wednesday, 21-year-old Madison Keys is the highest-seeded player remaining in her quarter of the draw. Will she take advantage of the opportunity? To do so she’ll have to get by the young, powerful Naomi Osaka of Japan in a first-time meeting. Osaka has yet to fail to reach the third round in all three of her career Grand Slam appearances, but has yet to go beyond. To do so at the Open, she’ll have to upend a blossoming star on her home soil. Keys trounced 16-year-old Kayla Day, 6-1, 6-1 on Wednesday, but the American knows her next test could be a tricky one. “She’s an aggressive player,” Keys said of Osaka. “She’s been playing well. She’s steadily been moving up the rankings. She’s going to be a tough opponent.”

Pick: Keys in three

[13] Johanna Konta (GBR #14) vs. [24] Belinda Bencic (SUI #26)
Head-to-head: Bencic leads, 2-1
Key Stat: Bencic reached the US Open quarterfinals as a 17-year-old in 2014.

Johanna Konta barely survived a harrowing struggle on Day 3, but the top Brit lives to see another day in New York. Konta wilted in the heat and collapsed to the court during her second-round encounter with Tsvetana Pironkova, and was immediately treated by medical staff. Remarkably, the 25-year-old made a stunning return to form to complete her victory over the Bulgarian. It took courage and resilience for Konta to continue; now she’s hoping for a strong recovery before she meets Belinda Bencic on Friday “We push our bodies to the limits… I definitely hit, you know, one of my limits,” Konta said, before adding: “I feel very fortunate that I have one more chance to play here, to give my best again.” Bencic had a much simpler second-round match. She emphatically moved past Andrea Petkovic in straight sets to reach the third round in Queens for the third consecutive year.

Pick: Konta in three

By the Numbers…
3 – Players with a shot at the No.1 ranking at the end of the US Open (Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska).
20-13 – Roberta Vinci‘s US Open record. The Italian was 12-12 at New York through 2014.
1 – Number of players in Top 10 to have yet to play in a Grand Slam final (Madison Keys).

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Halep Safely Into Third Round

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.5 seed Simona Halep moved safely into the third round of the US Open with a straight set win over Lucie Safarova .

In the first ever women’s match under Arthur Ashe’s new roof, Halep recovered from a break down in the second set to complete a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

“It was not an easy match. It was difficult. At one point I lost the rhythm a little bit because she’s left handed, not easy to play against,” Halep said. “I knew that she’s very tough. She’s fighting till the end.

“I played many times against her, and all the matches were very close. So I expected that. I’m not the happiest with my game today, but I’m really – you know, I have the good mood that I could win the match in two sets and I could finish in the important moments.”

Since the start of the summer, Halep has lost only to Angelique Kerber, winning 19 matches and two titles during this period. Her latest triumph was by no means a formality, however, Safarova’s inability to convert the odd purple patch into scoreboard dominance ultimately proved costly. 

Halep overcame the frustration of surrendering an early lead by reeling off three games on the trot, pocketing a see-saw opening set with a brilliant backhand winner. Her joy did not last long, the Romanian soon finding herself in something of a hole in the second set.

Yet with Safarova looking well placed to force a deciding set her hitherto secure groundstrokes went walkabout, a trio of unforced errors handing back the break in the sixth game. This swung the momentum irretrievably away from the Czech, who erred again when serving to stay in the match, her fifth double fault of the afternoon sending Halep through.

While Halep was unable to replicate her flawless first-round display against Kirsten Flipkens, offsetting her nine winners with 20 unforced errors, she will be pleased to have dodged a potential banana skin on her journey through the Flushing Meadows draw. A semifinalist 12 months ago, Halep will continue her bid for a maiden Grand Slam title against Timea Babos after she saw off Richel Hogenkamp, 6-2, 6-4.

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