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Garcia, Mladenovic Qualify For Singapore

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

SINGAPORE – The World No.2 doubles team of Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic has qualified for this year’s BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the WTA’s year-end event that brings together the Top 8 singles players and doubles teams to compete for $7 million in prize money.

Ticket packages for the WTA Finals are already available!

“It was one of our goals when we started to play together to qualify for the WTA Finals,” Garcia said. “We are always improving and I am looking forward to competing in Singapore again.”

“We are excited and happy to have qualified,” Mladenovic added. “It’s a dream come true to qualify and celebrate the great year we’ve had.”

Garcia and Mladenovic began their partnership this year and together have reached six finals. The French duo started the season with a final appearance at the Apia International Sydney, then continued their success with another final appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. They went on to win in their next four WTA doubles finals appearances at the Volvo Car Open (Charleston), Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart), Mutua Madrid Open and Roland Garros. As a result, they have earned the second slot in the doubles field, joining Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza at the WTA Finals Singapore.

“Congratulations to Caroline and Kristina on what has been a fantastic season, earning them a spot at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global,” said WTA CEO Steve Simon. “These exciting players have achieved great success in doubles this year, and we are very excited that they will be joining us in Singapore to compete for the most prestigious title on the WTA tour.”

Here is the current doubles Road to Singapore Leaderboard:
1. Martina Hingis (SUI) / Sania Mirza (IND) – Qualified
2. Caroline Garcia (FRA) / Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) – Qualified
3. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) / Elena Vesnina (RUS)
4. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) / Tima Babos (HUN)
5. Chan Hao-Ching (TPE) / Chan Yung-Jan (TPE)
6. Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) / Lucie Hradecka (CZE)
7. Julia Goerges (GER) / Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
8. Xu Yifan (CHN) / Zheng Saisai (CHN)
9. Raquel Atawo (USA) / Abigail Spears (USA)
10. Venus Williams (USA) / Serena Williams (USA)

The doubles competition will begin in Singapore on October 27 and is a single elimination contest between the Top 8 doubles teams of the 2016 season, all vying to hold the Martina Navratilova Doubles Trophy.

For the latest updates and insights, follow on Twitter (@WTAFinalsSG), Facebook (facebook.com/WTAFinalsSG) and Instagram (@WTAFinalsSG).

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Kerber Tops Vinci At US Open

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – World No.2 Angelique Kerber is the first player through to the US Open semifinals after conquering Roberta Vinci in straight sets.

After withstanding a fierce early challenge from the Italian, Kerber found another gear to prevail 7-5, 6-0 and end Vinci’s bid to halt a major US Open subplot for a second time.

“I think I have right now more confidence going out there,” Kerber said in her post-match press conference. “I’m not thinking about quarters, semis, or whatever. I’m just going there to playing a good match and to win.

“I know that I can beat everybody, and this is what gives me also a lot of confidence and motivation for going out there and playing with a lot of emotion.”

Vinci and Kerber set the tone of the match early on; Vinci broke Kerber’s serve in a marathon seven-minute opening game, before the German quickly grabbed the break back. In fact, Kerber trailed Vinci a break three times during the opening set, but each time she showed her mental toughness by never allowing Vinci to hold onto the lead.

The two played a game of cat and mouse throughout the first set, with both players showing off their variety and shot making; Vinci would reach a break point with a set of slices and drop shots, and Kerber would save it with a stinging inside-out forehand.

Kerber finally claimed the decisive break in the final game, winning the set and avoiding a tiebreak when Vinci was called for a foot fault on set point.

Down, not out: @AngeliqueKerber wins three games in a row to take the opener vs. #Vinci, 7-5. #usopen @MBUSA https://t.co/CguQohxazo

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2016

“I think the key of the match was the first set,” Kerber reflected afterwards. “I mean, it was really close and tough. It’s always difficult to play against Roberta.

“Keeping my mind a little bit relaxed, and staying in the moment – I think that was my key. Also for the first set to, be a little bit more relax and had not too negative, actually.”

Already hobbled by a foot problem, losing the set by so narrow a margin seemed to suck the wind out of Vinci’s sails. She didn’t have much left in the tank against Kerber, who quickly broke three more times to run away with the match and return to the semifinals of the US Open for the first time since 2011.

Kerber struck 33 winners to 25 unforced errors during the match – just three of those errors in came in the second set – while Vinci hit 17 winners to 32 unforced errors. Vinci’s serve was particularly vulnerable, serving at 40 percent first serves and winning just 57 percent of those points.

While the win moves Kerber one step closer to the WTA No.1 ranking, it spells out a different fate for Vinci. The Italian will fall out of the Top 10 come next week, having needed a run to the semifinals to keep up her ranking.

“Of course I’m so sad about today,” Vinci said. “In general I played a great tournament. Now just will go home and take some days off; see what I have for my injury, and then we will see.”

Kerber now awaits the winner of tonight’s match between Caroline Wozniacki and Anastasija Sevastova to play for a spot in the final.

Stat of the Match: 22 of Kerber’s 25 unforced errors came in the first set. https://t.co/LdN4SrDvQn#USOpen pic.twitter.com/aLCsNv3EkL

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 6, 2016

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Garcia & Mladenovic Oust Defending Champ

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Fresh off qualifying for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic recovered from an early deficit to defeat World No.1 Sania Mirza and new partner Barbora Strycova, 7-6(3), 6-1, and reach the semifinals of the US Open.

The French duo and Roland Garros winners became the second team to qualify for the WTA Finals this morning after then-Co-No.1s Mirza and Martina Hingis, who announced their split earlier this summer. Mirza held onto the top spot by defeating Hingis and new partner CoCo Vandeweghe in the final of the Western & Southern Open; she and Strycova appeared on course for a similarly impressive win over Garcia and Mladenovic when they raced out to a 5-2 first set lead.

But the top seeds wouldn’t be denied, saving two set points at 5-3 and going on to win 11 of the final 13 games of the match on Grandstand to reach their second major semifinal of the season.

“We’re obviously very excited to go back to Singapore for the second year in a row, and this time with my countrywoman and teammate,” Mladenovic told WTA Insider in a forthcoming interview for the WTA Insider Podcast. “It’s a nice story that we qualified together after being with different partners last year. It was one of our main goal this year when we joined forces.

“It’s such a privilege to qualify because only the best of the best get to go.”

Garcia and Mladenovic could play the other half of the team formerly known as Santina, as the last quarterfinal yet to be played is between No.6 seeded Hingis and Vandeweghe and rising Czech stars Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, who ended Hingis and Mirza’s hopes of a Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam back at the French Open.

“I think when we spoke about playing together this year, we felt it was a good moment because individually we were good doubles players,” Garcia said. “We were in Singapore last year, so that means we’re ok! When we started the year and made the final in Sydney, it was good for our confidence for our first week playing together. We didn’t win right away, but we were still working on our timing and things got better and better.”

Joining the Frenchwomen in the semifinals were No.5 seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, who won a 13th straight match by taking out No.13 seeds and Slovenians Andreja Klepac and Katarina Srebotnik in straight sets, and No.12 seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova; last year’s Australian and French Open winners ended the miracle run of American wildcards Asia Muhammad and Taylor Townsend, 6-1, 6-2.

#teambucie winning selfie! Into the semifinals of #usopen2016! @matteksands ?????? pic.twitter.com/J10bVfqx6U

— lucie safarova (@luciesafarova) September 6, 2016

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Wozniacki Into Semifinals Over Sevastova

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

NEW YORK, NY, USA – Caroline Wozniacki’s fairytale in New York continued with a 6-0, 6-2 quarterfinal win over Anastasija Sevastova at the US Open.

“It feels great,” she told press when asked about returning to the semifinals. “It’s a tournament that I love. I love being here. I love playing in this incredible stadium.”

Wozniacki had spent most of the spring struggling with an ankle injury that ruled her out of the clay court season, but it was Sevastova who had her own ankle issues on Tuesday night. Rolling it just two games into the match, the Latvian stuggled to win games after getting injured.

“For sure it was affecting my play, but I’m not a person that likes to retire during a match, so I just tried my best,” Sevastova said after the match.

“But the movement was different. It was harder to move. And also on serve it was harder to get out of the serve.”

Sevastova managed to get on the board late in the second set, forcing the Dane to serve out her first Grand Slam semifinal in exactly two years.

“I think I was just extra focused, because I saw her fall in that second game,” Wozniacki said. “She stood up, and I knew if she can still walk and still put weight on it and stuff then she’s going to go obviously more for her shots and stuff like that.

“But I thought, cool. I kept serving well and made her run. I’m pleased with how I managed to keep composed.”

“I'm going to make the most of the opportunity that I get here.” – @CaroWozniacki #usopen https://t.co/j7vdaqWiYu pic.twitter.com/Qbv3iENCTO

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2016

Starting the tournament down at No.74, Wozniacki has looked stronger with each performance, taking out two Top 10 players in Svetlana Kuznetsova and Madison Keys, and will face an old foe in No.2 seed Angelique Kerber, who is aiming to earn the No.1 ranking Wozniacki herself held for 67 weeks.

“I think when you’re a little kid and you don’t know what anything really means, everybody knows what it means to be the best in the world and everybody knows what it means to be No. 1.

“Obviously being No. 1 in the world is extremely special, and I’m sure Angie is feeling it, too. I’m sure that she is going to do everything to get that ranking. She’s been playing really well this year.

“It’s something that very few people in the world has ever achieved. I mean, how crazy is it to say that you’re the best in the world at something? Doesn’t matter if tennis, football, being a lawyer, whatever it is. It’s really special.

“Right now, for me, being 70-something, it doesn’t really mean much to me. I still believe and feel like I’m one of the top players and grinding my way back, so that’s why I’m saying for me the ranking is just a number right now, because I’m not No. 1 and there is a long way for me right now to get back to No. 1.

“But I’m doing my best to just play my best tennis and have fun with it. It’s really all that I can do right now.”

Kerber advanced earlier in the day after a tricky opening set against 2015 finalist Roberta Vinci, winning, 7-5, 6-0, to reach her second career US Open semifinal.

“I have seen the results and she’s been doing great. I’m really happy for her. She’s a hard worker.

“But to be honest, when I was injured I didn’t watch one match. I don’t know. I have to watch tapes. Obviously I have had tough matches against her in the past. She’s a great competitor. She looks fit, so it’s going to be a tough one.”

A great tournament for #Sevastova ends at the hands of @CaroWozniacki. 6-0 6-2. Onto the Semis! #usopen @chase https://t.co/5or0rih41f

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2016

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Wozniacki Fights For SF Spot

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

WTA Insider | On the latest WTA Insider Live Blog, quarterfinal action begins at the US Open; can Caroline Wozniacki end Anastasija Sevastova’s fairytale run?

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Vote Your Favorite US Open Fashion

Posted: Jan 01, 1970

What fashion weeks are in haute couture, Grand Slams are in tennis fashion, and NYC’s US Open is unarguably the most stylish major, inspiring designers to create edgy and vibrant outfits that reflect the energy of the host city. Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will show us the best tennis apparel we’ve seen on the courts this fortnight at Flushing Meadows.

Venus Williams‘ prints topped our fashion lists many times, but the EleVen Prism Chela Dress takes colors and patterns to a whole new level, just as the 2000 and 2001 US Open champion announced prior to launching the Prism collection, which includes bright and vibrant summer colors, as well as cooler and calmer fall tones.

The American’s dress at the final Grand Slam of the year stands out not only with its appealing print, but also with the stylish purple color-blocking at back, a nice wrap element and feminine flowy skirt, while performance features include EleVen Pro-Dri, managing moisture and breathability, and EleVen Ozone, fighting off harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Serena Williams‘ legendary career has been highlighted by dozens of outfits that pushed the boundaries in women’s tennis fashion and this time the world number one again made sure to stand out, accessorizing her NikeCourt Power Dress with “Wonder Woman” sleeves. Both the night and day version of the dress feature hyper pink pleat details, mock neck and ribbed shoulder panels.

The American also has two versions of her lightweight, quick and aggressive Nike Flare shoes, the black and white option with volt and pink touches. The footwear is ideal for explosive movements, as its extended stretch collar keeps the feet locked-in.

Completing the glamorous look are long almond-shaped nails and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore watch.

Madison Keys‘and Roberta Vinci‘s eye-catching fluorescent kit consists of the highly breathable and seamless constructed NikeCourt Dry Slam Tank and the pleated NikeCourt Flex Victory Skirt with a contoured power mesh waistband.

Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep are showcasing adidas’ spectacular fall collection, whose geometric print is inspired by New York City’s spectacular architecture.

The adidas Fall Pro Tank is equipped with ventilating Climacool material, while extra breathability is provided by keyholes at back, stylishly accompanied by a contrast mesh racerback.

While Kerber paired her flash red tank with the bold triangular print of the adidas Fall Pro Skirt, Halep went a step further and opted for the collection’s boldest piece, the adidas Fall Pro Short, whose colorful pattern is peeking through a white woven mesh layer.

Caroline Wozniacki, Garbiñe Muguruza and Andrea Petkovic picked color-blocking items that feature marble graphic elements engineered with ClimaLite® to wick sweat away from the skin.

Wozniacki’s adidas Stella Barricade New York Dress in collegiate navy/white/flash red pays tribute to the Grand Slam’s American home ground. The Dane’s neat flash red manicure accessorizes bold shades and figure-flattering lines that create a feminine hourglass illusion.

Muguruza’s and Petkovic’s ensemble includes the high-neck adidas Stella Barricade New York Tank and the adidas Stella Barricade New York Skirt, which is available in two lengths.

Fila is one of those brands that never goes far from good old retro. The Heritage collection for the 2016 US Open, as seen here on Yaroslava Shvedova and Jelena Jankovic, brings Fila’s time-honored silhouettes and colorways enhanced by modern elements.

Classic red head ties perfectly match contemporary blurred stripes, creating a wonderful balance between traditional and modern aesthetic led by the Fila Heritage Stripe Dress.

Karolina Pliskova opted for simple separates consisting of the Fila Heritage Racerback Tank and the Fila Heritage Skirt, in which the Czech won the Western & Southern Open title ahead of the US Open.

Which WTA player’s on-court fashion aced the US Open? Tell us now!