Birmingham: Radwanska Interview
An interview with Agnieszka Radwanska before the start of the Aegon Classic Birmingham.
An interview with Agnieszka Radwanska before the start of the Aegon Classic Birmingham.
MALLORCA, Spain – Right before they’re set to shine at the inaugural Mallorca Open – an brand new International-level grass event that kicked off this week in beautiful Santa Ponsa, Mallorca – some of the WTA’s biggest stars shined at the official player party held earlier this week.
Garbiñe Muguruza, Ana Ivanovic, Eugenie Bouchard, Jelena Jankovic and more all stepped out for the sun-soaked celebration.
See all of the best player party pictures right here on wtatennis.com, courtesy of the Mallorca Open:
We are all human. This senseless act of violence is unnecessary. So many things really need to… https://t.co/Dxu0peeaDq
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 13, 2016
Heartbroken for the devastating loss of life in Orlando. When will we change our guns laws! Praying for the victims and families.??
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) June 12, 2016
Waking up to news of last night's act of hatred & violence. Beyond angry and heartbroken. So many beautiful souls lost. #PrayForOrlando
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) June 12, 2016
Honestly feeling defeated. When will this stop? When will steps be taken to prevent events like this in the future? #PrayingForOrlando
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) June 12, 2016
❤️???? #stoptheviolence
— Madison Keys (@Madison_Keys) June 12, 2016
More Love. Less Hate. #PrayForOrlando pic.twitter.com/t2QPGXfjBg
— Ana Ivanovic (@AnaIvanovic) June 12, 2016
Florida is my home. Been to Orlando countless times. Sending you my love ?
— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) June 12, 2016
just devastated. thoughts are always with the victims' families & friends. ? #Orlando
— Jamie Hampton (@Jamie_Hampton) June 12, 2016
Latest count is at least 50 people dead- this just keeps getting worse…my heart goes to all affected in Orlando and all our LGBT souls…
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) June 12, 2016
Devastating news in Orlando…thoughts going out to the victims and their families. Extremism in any form is not healthy…
— Vania King (@queen_v21) June 12, 2016
#PrayForOrlando
— Christina McHale (@ChristinaMcHale) June 12, 2016
All the people donating blood in Orlando #hopeforhummanity
— Jessie Pegula (@JLPegula) June 13, 2016
My old home town of Orlando my heart is breaking 4 U #LGBT @LGBTfdn community ….#hatecrime #terror #banassaultweapons #PulseNightclub
— rennae stubbs (@rennaestubbs) June 12, 2016
How sad, how unfair, how disgusting…. ? #Orlando https://t.co/uYUt59D7Eh
— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) June 13, 2016
My heart and thoughts with the families of the victims of the horrible attack in Orlando ❤️? #StopTerrorism
— Alizé Lim (@AlizeLim) June 12, 2016
#PrayForOrlando pic.twitter.com/ewSsRw8W4D
— Carla Suarez Navarro (@CarlaSuarezNava) June 13, 2016
#PrayForOrlando #PrayForPeace #PrayForTheWorld @citybeautiful pic.twitter.com/X76yTyrSpm
— Marion bartoli (@bartoli_marion) June 13, 2016
Absolutely devastated by the tragedy in Orlando.
Take time to hug your loved ones today and every day. #prayfororlando #stoptheviolence— Irina Falconi (@IrinaFalconi) June 12, 2016
THE WINNERS
CoCo Vandeweghe overcame Kristina Mladenovic and the worst of the Dutch weather to recapture the Ricoh Open on Sunday afternoon. Vandeweghe, who also won the title in 2014, follows in the footsteps of Justine Henin and Tamarine Tanasugarn as only the third player in the tournament’s 21-year history to win it on two occasions.
“It was actually really difficult – we had three rain delay stops – so it was really difficult to get yourself back into the match and make sure you’re fresh and light and ready to go. Especially the last rain delay in the first set. I was really trying to get myself moving,” Vandeweghe said.
“I got myself in a bit of a pickle in the second set, but I battled my way out of it, and sometimes the name of the game is just battling through adversity and problems you cause for yourself.”
Read the full story here. | WTA Insider Champion’s Corner
Top seed Karolina Pliskova overcame Alison Riske in a rain-affected Aegon Open Nottingham final on Sunday to capture her fifth WTA title.
Afternoon showers pushed the start of play back a couple of hours, at one point even raising the possibility of a Monday final. When the clouds did eventually clear, Pliskova held her nerve to triumph 7-6(8), 7-5, in a fraction under two hours.
“It’s been a great week for me, I really didn’t count on having such early success on the grass so I am feeling good ahead of Wimbledon,” Pliskova said.
Read the full story here.
RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of June 13, 2016.
CoCo Vandeweghe (USA), +11 (No.43 to 32): Vandeweghe’s run to her second Ricoh Open title in three years earns her the biggest ranking jump of the week. She’s now back at her career-high ranking of No.32 after jumping up 11 spots.
Madison Brengle (USA), +8 (No.68 to 60): Brengle reached her first WTA semifinal at ‘s-Hertogenbosch of 2016 to jump up eight spots to No.60.
Alison Riske (USA), +8 (No.89 to 81): Riske’s run to the final of Nottingham, her second WTA final this year, inches her up to No.81.
Monica Puig (PUR), +6 (No.49 to 43): Puerto Rico’s Puig has been steadily climbing up the rankings all year long: she started off 2016 at No.92 and with her run to the Nottingham semifinals she’s up to No.43, just shy of her career-high ranking of No.41.
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA), +3 (No.32 to 29): Mladenovic backed up her French Open doubles title with a run to the Ricoh Open final and as a result she gained a spot in the Top 30, ever-closer to matching her career-high ranking of No.27.
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
Aegon Classic Birmingham
Birmingham, Great Britain
Premier | $780,900 | Grass
Monday, June 13 – Sunday, June 19
Mallorca Open
Mallorca, Spain
International | $226,750 | Grass
Monday, June 13 – Sunday, June 19
Aegon International Eastbourne
Eastbourne, Great Britain
Premier | $711,778 | Grass
Sunday, June 19 – Saturday, June 25
The Championships, Wimbledon
London, Great Britain
Grand Slams | – | Grass
Monday, June 27 – Sunday, July 10
TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Serena Williams – Wimbledon
2. Garbiñe Muguruza – Mallorca, Wimbledon
3. Agnieszka Radwanska – Birmingham, Eastbourne, Wimbledon
4. Angelique Kerber -Birmingham, Wimbledon
5. Simona Halep -Wimbledon
6. Victoria Azarenka – Wimbledon
7. Roberta Vinci – Eastbourne, Wimbledon
8. Belinda Bencic – Birmingham, Eastbourne, Wimbledon
9. Venus Williams – Wimbledon
10. Timea Bacsinszky – Eastbourne, Wimbledon
11. Petra Kvitova – Birmingham, Eastbourne, Wimbledon
12. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Eastbourne, Wimbledon
13. Flavia Pennetta
14. Samantha Stosur – Eastbourne, Wimbledon
15. Carla Suárez Navarro – Birmingham, Eastbourne, Wimbledon
16. Madison Keys – Birmingham, Eastbourne Wimbledon
17. Karolina Pliskova – Birmingham, Eastbourne, Wimbledon
18. Elina Svitolina – Birmingham, Wimbledon
19. Johanna Konta – Birmingham, Eastbourne, Wimbledon
20. Sloane Stephens – Eastbourne, Wimbledon
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:
Venus Williams (USA) – June 17, 1980
Women hear a lot of obnoxious things in their daily lives. World No.1 Serena Williams is ready to do something about it.
In conjunction with her fabulous cover story for Glamour Magazine, Serena starred in a video in which she hit back – literally – at some of the sexist things she and so many women have heard in their every day lives.
“Today I’m here to express some of the frustrations that I have about the obnoxious things that men sometimes say about women,” Serena says in the video. “I’m doing this for all womenkind. I’m kinda doing it a little bit for me, on the low.”
So what are some of the comments that drew Serena’s ire, compelling her to thwack a tennis ball at her padded-up co-star Alec?
– You’re really talented…for a girl.
– You should smile more!
– It’s okay that you’re upset. Girls are supposed to get emotional!
– You get really loud when you play, like really loud.
– Stop being so dramatic!
– So how much time do you spend picking out your competition outfits?
– Do you think you could ever beat a guy, just once?
– Only guy’s sports are worth watching.
Yeah. Don’t say those things. Especially to Serena.
Watch the full video here.
In keeping with her style on court, Flavia Pennetta’s wedding to long-term boyfriend Fabio Fognini was a classy affair.
The couple, who have been together since 2014, tied the knot on Saturday in Pennetta’s hometown of Ostuni, Italy.
Among the guests were many of the tennis family, including Pennetta’s former doubles partner Gisela Dulko and her teammates in the all-conquering Italy Fed Cup team, Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.
Every week on wtatennis.com we’ll bring you 10 Things To Know about the week ahead – who’s playing, where and more. This week the Road To Singapore goes through a familiar stop off – and a brand new one.
1) Old and new.
The preparation for Wimbledon intensifies this week, with tournaments old an new on the calendar – the Aegon Classic Birmingham and the Mallorca Open. Birmingham has been a fixture of the grass court season since 1982. The Mallorca Open, on the other hand, is in its very first year.
2) The No.1 seed is making her Birmingham return.
Agnieszka Radwanska, the World No.3, is the No.1 seed this week. Traditionally, the Pole has elected not to play this week – in fact the only time she has ventured to Britain’s second city came in 2007 when she lost to Elena Likhovtseva in the second round.
3) And she has been handed a tricky start.
Saturday’s draw was not kind to Radwanska, pairing her with recently crowned ‘s-Hertogenbosch champion CoCo Vandeweghe. It was not the only eye-catching first-round match-up either: two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova takes on Lucie Safarova; Carla Suárez Navarro meets Elina Svitolina; and Karolina Pliskova faces Barbora Strycova.
4) The defending champion is back and ready to defend.
Last year Angelique Kerber won this event after coming out on top in a memorable final with Karolina Pliskova. It was also the first WTA title of her career on grass – the eight other titles have come on hardcourts or clay.
5) Kerber is trying to successfully defend a WTA title for the second time.
If she repeats at the Aegon Classic Birmingham this year, it will be Kerber’s second successful WTA title defense. The first also came this year, at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
6) Can a home favorite make a statement on grass?
Simona Halep’s withdrawal bumped British No.1 Johanna Konta into the final seeded slot. She opens up against Misaki Doi, before a potential second-round clash with former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki. Heather Watson, Naomi Broady and Tara Moore are also in the draw, facing Camila Giorgi, Daria Gavrilova and a qualifier, respectively.
7) Or is the stage set for one of the WTA’s young pretenders?
The WTA’s highest-ranked teenager Belinda Bencic enjoyed a sparkling grass court campaign 12 months ago, reaching the final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and lifting the title in Eastbourne. Seeded No.4 this time, the Swiss has only recently recovered from a back injury and looking a tad rusty on her return in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Should she falter there are several other young guns capable of making a mark, including Madison Keys, Gavrilova and former Wimbledon junior champion Jelena Ostapenko.
8) Homecoming queen.
Garbiñe Muguruza is the star attraction at the inaugural Mallorca Open, where she will compete in her first match since being crowned Roland Garros champion.
9) Seamless transition?
The switch from clay to grass has not proved a problem in the past for Muguruza. Last year she followed up quarterfinal appearance in Paris by reaching the Wimbledon final. She will expect to improve on her preparations, though – in 2015 she won a combined total of one match in Birmingham and Eastbourne.
10) Keeping good company.
Muguruza will be wary of another early exit after being paired with former Wimbledon semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens in the first round. There is danger lurking elsewhere in the draw, too, in the shape of fellow seeds Eugenie Bouchard, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic and Kristina Mladenovic.
NOTTINGHAM, England – Top seed Karolina Pliskova overcame Alison Riske in a rain-affected Aegon Open Nottingham final on Sunday to capture her fifth WTA title.
Afternoon showers pushed the start of play back a couple of hours, at one point even raising the possibility of a Monday final. When the clouds did eventually clear, Pliskova held her nerve to triumph 7-6(8), 7-5, in a fraction under two hours.
Just as she had in her quarterfinal victory over Ashleigh Barty, Pliskova was forced to come from set points down in the opening set tie-break, a feat that gave her added satisfaction.
“It feels good to win, especially after all those tie-breaks this week. All of those I was set point down, so I’m really happy that I made it and that I have the trophy in my hands,” Pliskova said. “Today there were parts of the match when I was better and parts when she was.
“I really needed my serve today and some aces got me out of some important moments. She has a great game on grass so I needed to be at my best today to get the win.”
Early on Pliskova threatened to run away with the contest, moving swiftly into a 3-1 lead. However, Riske, who went into the final on a nine-match winning streak having claimed the ITF Circuit title in Eastbourne last week, was never likely to go quietly.
Indeed, after breaking back in the sixth game she looked the more likely winner of the opening set, carving out three sets points at 4-5, then another three during a dramatic tie-break. The second set was equally frustrating for the American, who served for it at 5-4, only to see Pliskova reel off the final three games, completing her Houdini-esque escape with a wonderful crosscourt pass.
Not many better ways to seal a title! @KaPliskova hits a stunning pass to seal the #AegonOpen Nottingham title!https://t.co/ONEAghEKvq
— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) 12 June 2016
The Czech now makes the short trip west to further fine-tune her Wimbledon preparation at the Aegon Classic Birmingham. “It’s been a great week for me, I really didn’t count on having such early success on the grass so I am feeling good ahead of Wimbledon,” she added.
“I am just happy with the matches I have played, I have got some hours on the grass now and I can go to Birmingham and even if I don’t do anything there I have some matches under my belt ahead of Wimbledon.”
In the doubles final Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai got the better of No.4 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Yang Zhaoxuan, 7-5, 3-6, 10-7.
‘S-HERTOGENBOSCH, Netherlands – CoCo Vandeweghe overcame Kristina Mladenovic and the worst of the Dutch weather to recapture the Ricoh Open on Sunday afternoon.
Watch live action from ‘s-Hertogenbosch this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Despite contending with multiple rain delays, Vandeweghe maintained her composure to break in the penultimate game and wrap up a 7-5, 7-5 victory. Vandeweghe, who also won the title in 2014, follows in the footsteps of Justine Henin and Tamarine Tanasugarn as only the third player in the tournament’s 21-year history to win it on two occasions.
After serving herself out of trouble on more than one occasion, Vandeweghe produced a couple of smart backhand returns to manufacture the decisive break in the penultimate game of the second. A lengthy downpour stalled her momentum, and on the resumption she fell a break behind.
The American reached the final without dropping the set and maintained her flawless record by reeling off the final four games of the match.
“It was actually really difficult – we had three rain delay stops – so it was really difficult to get yourself back into the match and make sure you’re fresh and light and ready to go. Especially the last rain delay in he first set. I was really trying to get myself moving,” Vandeweghe said.
“I got myself in a bit of a pickle in the second set, but I battled my way out of it, and sometimes the name of the game is just battling through adversity and problems you cause for yourself.”
More to follow…
Ricoh Open Final Centre Court, noon
Watch live action from Sunday’s ‘s-Hertogenbosch final on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
[3] Kristina Mladenovic (FRA #32) vs. [6] CoCo Vandeweghe (USA #43)
Head-to-head: Vandeweghe leads 3-0
Final Fact: Vandeweghe has hit 22 aces en route to the final.
Much has been made of American tennis’ new-found love affair with clay. However, many of the country’s contingent on tour still long for the return to the faster surfaces.
Leading this vanguard is CoCo Vandeweghe. A booming serve, a penchant for taking the ball early and a willingness to move up the court make the Californian’s game ideally suited to the hard courts on which she was raised and the grass courts she has grown to love.
The latter is a surface that has brought her much joy, too; in 2014 at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Vandeweghe came through qualifying to lift her maiden WTA trophy, while at Wimbledon she left a trail of seeds in her wake to reach the 2015 quarterfinals.
On Sunday she returns to the ‘s-Hertogenbosch final, where she will take on Kristina Mladenovic. An accomplished doubles player – she recently won the Roland Garros title with Caroline Garcia and in 2014 reached the Wimbledon final alongside Timea Babos – Mladenovic’s all-court game makes her a danger on grass, as she proved in reaching last year’s Birmingham semifinals.
Mladenovic was impressive in upsetting friend and top seed Belinda Bencic in the semifinals, but will be hard pushed to derail the Vandeweghe juggernaut. Apart from in the second round against Nao Hibino, Vandeweghe is yet to drop serve and has barely looked like dropping a set. The American also has history on her side, having won all three of her previous meetings with Mladenovic, at Dubai, Osaka and in qualifying during her title run at ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
Road To The Final
Kristina Mladenovic
First Round: d. Yaroslava Shvedova, 64 63 (1:32)
Second Round: d. [Q] Natalia Vikhlyantseva, 57 63 64 (2:02)
Quarterfinals: d. [Q] Elise Mertens, 75 63 (1:23)
Semifinals: d. [1] Belinda Bencic, 26 63 64 (2:04)
CoCo Vandeweghe
First Round: d. [WC] Indy de Vroome, 62 64 (1:16)
Second Round: d. Nao Hibino, 62 63 (1:07)
Quarterfinals: d. Evgeniya Rodina, 62 62 (0:59)
Semifinals: d. Madison Brengle, 64 62 (1:12)