Madrid: Azarenka Interview
An interview with Victoria Azarenka after her win in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
An interview with Victoria Azarenka after her win in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
MADRID, Spain – Simona Halep leads the pack on the last day of second round action at the Mutua Madrid Open.
Tuesday, Second Round
[6] Simona Halep (ROU #7) vs Karin Knapp (ITA #75)
Head-to-head: Halep leads 1-0
Key Stat: Knapp (122 minutes) has spent twice as long on court as Halep (58 minutes) in Madrid
The 2014 Madrid finalist’s season has so far unfolded in fits and starts: Halep posted solid quarterfinal appearances at Indian Wells and Miami, as well as second round exits at Doha and Stuttgart. She’s nonetheless adjusted well to the altitude and conditions in Madrid and dropped just three games in her opening match.
“It was a good match, a good start for me,” Halep said. “I had a good start because I was confident, and practicing very well the last few days here.”
By contrast, Halep’s opponent has spent much of her season dealing with a right knee injury, and has only played three matches so far this year. Though each one ended in a first round loss, Knapp has showed her grit in the last two, taking her opponents to three sets. But Halep is the first Top 20 player Knapp has had to face, and she might be too much for the recovering Italian.
The matchup could ultimately come down to Halep’s health, which has been a source of woe for the Romanian in 2016. Though she’s still recovering from the breathing difficulties and ankle injury that sent her crashing out of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, she showed none of those symptoms during her 58-minute demolition of Misaki Doi in the last round. A repeat performance against Knapp would see her advance comfortably to the round of 16.
Samantha Stosur (AUS #23) vs [11] Lucie Safarova (CZE #13)
Head-to-head: Safarova leads 11-3
Key Stat: Safarova has won all three of their encounters on clay
Lucie Safarova and Samantha Stosur are two players familiar with each other: they’ve played 14 times previously, and their latest encounter is probably still fresh in their memory. They played a few days ago in the final of the J&T Banka Prague Open – Safarova came back from a set down run away with the match and the title, her first on clay since 2005.
Both of them made the change from Prague to Madrid with ease, despite the less than ideal turnaround time: after their Saturday final in Prague, the two shared the same flight to the Spanish capital and played their opening matches at the Mutua Madrid Open on Sunday.
“It’s gonna be a late night tonight, and I know Lucie and I are on the same flight,” Stosur said after their final. “We’ll both be in the same boat but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
“It’s not ideal preparation, but to be in a final – you’d take that any day.”
With both of them fighting fatigue, Stosur is eager to grab a chance at redemption against her Czech nemesis. She had Safarova under pressure in their Prague final, and without the effect of the partisan home crowd she could seal the victory.
Also in action: Laura Siegemund made headlines at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix when she made a run from the qualifying rounds all the way to her career-first Premier-level final. She already looks set to repeat the streak: the German qualifier knocked out No.9 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in her first main draw match. Standing in the way of her next fairytale run is Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Meanwhile, No.8 seed Carla Suárez Navarro – the only Spaniard left in the draw – will have to hold her nerve in front of the home crowd as she takes on Sabine Lisicki on Court Manolo Santana. Ekaterina Makarova and No.10 seed Timea Bacsinszky open the day session at Pista 4.
An interview with Irina-Camelia Begu after her win in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
MADRID, Spain – No.4 seed Victoria Azarenka won her 16th straight match in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open, taking out rival Alizé Cornet, 6-3, 6-2.
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“I had two completely different type of players this week, and I’m adjusting pretty well,” Azarenka said after the match. “It’s just day by day progress, trying to get the game together.”
Though the Belarusian had never lost to Cornet in four previous encounters, three of those meetings went the distance, and with the two hitting 19 and 17 winners respectively, it was clear both women came to play. Azarenka raced ahead by a double break to start the match, and though Cornet would claw one back, she ultimately bowed to the pressure of the former No.1’s powerful returns, converting on her fourth set point.
“I feel that this year is going to be all about making progress and trying to improve, making errors but still improving.”
The second set came down to more missed opportunities for the Frenchwoman, who won but one of her eight break point chances in the match, while Azarenka took five or nine to advance into the third round in one hour and 23 minutes.
“She’s a good player; she’s always going to be a tricky opponent because she’s a great fighter and has a lot of variety. But I was trying to focus more on myself and that’s what helped me to get through today.”
Up next for the two-time Australian Open champion is qualifier Louisa Chirico, who is making the most of her main draw debut in Madrid with a stunning 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 win over 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic.
Earlier in the day, Christina McHale continued her solid spring swing with a 7-6(3), 6-4 upset over No.13 seed Karolina Pliskova; McHale was part of the American Fed Cup team that upset Australia, defeating former French Open finalist Samantha Stosur in a crucial singles rubber.
MADRID, Spain – Defending champion Petra Kvitova had little trouble advancing to the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open with a straightforward win over Charleston finalist Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-3.
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Earlier in the year, Vesnina put a tough 2015 season behind her at the green clay courts of Charleston – last year she recorded 13 first-round losses (across all levels), but in 2016 she has come up from the qualifying rounds to score consistent main draw wins.
Despite reaching the final at the Volvo Car Open, Vesnina played through the qualifying rounds to book her second round meeting with the two-time Madrid champion Kvitova on Court Manolo Santana.
“It was nice to be on center court again definitely,” Kvitova said. “It’s a beautiful court, and even I have it to warm up this morning. Felt very special, very great that I could play again on and win it.”
The No.5 seeded Czech had little trouble adjusting to the conditions in Madrid – the high altitude gives many players trouble – and she swept past local Lara Arruabarrena in the first round, and continued the romp against Vesnina.
Vesnina kept pace with the two-time Grand Slam champion early in the set, but couldn’t take the only break point that came her way at 2-1. Kvitova relied on her heavy lefty forehand to dictate pace and bail her out of trouble. Vesnina made the majority of her nine unforced errors in the final few games of the opening set, allowing Kvitova to accelerate past her and grab the lead in just over half an hour.
The pattern repeated in the final set: Vesnina and Kvitova stayed toe to toe for the first few games, and Kvitova dashed away a Vesnina break opportunity. The Czech rattled off four consecutive games to take the match and book her spot in the round of 16.
“Definitely the start it’s always kind of difficult and tricky, and I’m glad that I had two matches with only two sets,” Kvitova said. “I didn’t really lost my serve so far, which is unbelievable.”
Awaiting Kvitova in the next round is the big hitting Australian Daria Gavrilova. The 22-year-old dealt No.12 seed Elina Svitolina a straight-sets upset, sending her packing 6-2, 7-6(4). Though their head to head is tied at 1-1, the last time Kvitova and Gavrilova faced each other was at this year’s Australian Open, where the unseeded Gavrilova upset Kvitova in the second round.
Three up, three down. No.12 seed Elina Svitolina is the third seed to lose today, out to Daria Gavrilova 62 76. Best win for Dasha since AO.
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) May 2, 2016
Carla Suárez Navarro had Sunday’s shot of the day at the Mutua Madrid Open.
MADRID, Spain – Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu backed up her win over 2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard with an even bigger result, toppling No.3 seed and 2015 Wimbledon runner-up Garbiñe Muguruza, 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3, to reach the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
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Begu needed three sets to battle past Bouchard on Sunday, and things hardly differed on Monday night against Muguruza; despite leading 5-2 in each of the first two sets, the hometown favorite battled back each time – saving three set points at 5-3 in the second – to take the opening set and get within four points of victory in the second set tie-break.
“I was a little bit disappointed in my game when I was leading; I wouldn’t be as aggressive as I was before,” Begu said about her lost leads after the match. “My coach told me I’m really close, and really playing well. I just had to keep fighting for every ball, and that was the key.”
The Romanian, however, wouldn’t be denied; becoming something of a marathon woman – winning her last six three-setters reaching the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open with a trio of grueling matches – Begu recovered from a mini-break down to level the match and lead by a break in the decider.
“In Spain and especially in Madrid, there are a lot of Romanians, so I think it was 50/50!” Begu laughed when asked about the crowd support. “It’s tough to play a local player, and especially against Garbiñe, one of the best players. I was ready for this match, and I think that was the key as well.”
Muguruza hit 39 winners in the two hour and 42 minute epic, and managed to draw level once more, but Begu swept three of the final four games, hitting 30 winners of her own and only 34 unforced errors to 42 from the World No.4.
“I think I could have started better, but I managed to come back,” Muguruza said in her post-loss press conference. “I managed to fight and find my game.
“But I think it has been a very good game. I think she played pretty well. I played against Begu before and I think that today she played much better than previous times.
“I think that she served very well. I had to fight everything that I can, but just didn’t go my way this time.”
Up next for Begu is Christina McHale, who began the day with a win over No.13 seed Karolina Pliskova in straight sets.
Garbiñe Muguruza takes on Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the first round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
Lucie Safarova went from famine to feast thanks to some much needed home cooking. The Czech veteran went into the J&T Banka Prague Open without a match win under her belt in 2016, going 0-5 after a delayed start to the season due to complications from a bacterial infection that derailed her career-best season last fall.
But it just takes one week to turn your season around in tennis, and Safarova earned her first win of the year over Mariana Duque-Mariño. With each match her level improved and she saved her best for last, rallying from a set down to beat Samantha Stosur, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to win her first title since the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last spring.
After a rush to the airport to get to Madrid on Saturday night, Safarova went on to beat CoCo Vandeweghe in the first round of the Mutua Madrid Open. It adds up to a much-needed boost of confidence for Safarova, who is hoping to round into form before the French Open, where she the finalist last year.
WTA Insider spoke to Lucie on Saturday after her feel-good week at home playing in front of family and friends.
WTA Insider: Congratulations on an incredible and, I have to believe, a relieving run for you to the title in Prague. How are you feeling right now?
Safarova: I feel amazing. It’s really so nice to win a title at home, in front of the home crowd. The attendance was amazing. They pushed me forward and after being such a long time away with the sickness, it’s a really nice feeling to play such great tennis again. I’m feeling strong.
WTA Insider: When you arrived in Prague, you hadn’t yet won a match this year, and obviously your health concerns played a big part in that. How worried were you about your form when you arrived?
Safarova: Actually, I felt better and better each week. In Stuttgart, we had a really tough match with Kaja [Pliskova], with really close points. My performance was really good again and I felt like my old self.
When I arrived in Prague, I was just positive that sooner or later, it has to come. It’s incredible that after winning the first match, my performance was better each match and then in the final, I played great tennis.
WTA Insider: At what point this season were you able to feel like you were able to practice 100% without being too concerned with fitness issues?
Safarova: I started to practice two weeks before the tournament in Doha. I was doing two days practice, one day recovery. It’s not easy to say which day I managed to play 100%, but even in spaces I got some good practices in. As I say, it just takes time for the body to gain back the fitness.
WTA Insider: Were you able to stay positive throughout that time? Obviously the losses had to be frustrating at times, and I would think it would be difficult to stay positive the whole time.
Safarova: It wasn’t easy, definitely, but I could still see that I was able to last longer in each match I was playing, and the overall performance was better. So, I was trying to be patient and keep a positive approach, which only led to this amazing event.
WTA Insider: Am I right that your coach Rob Steckley is not with you in Prague?
Safarova: He had some health issues and had to go back home. I don’t know how long he’s going to be away, but he’s definitely not coming to Madrid and Rome.
WTA Insider: Have you been in contact this week?
Safarova: We’ve been in contact a little bit.
WTA Insider: Did you have somebody there serving as a coach?
Safarova: I had plenty of people around me, obviously. It’s my home town, and home country for me, so there was plenty of people – family and friends – so I was never alone, definitely!
WTA Insider: We saw the photos and videos in Prague. The stands were full, very lively. You’ve played in Grand Slam finals and other big tournaments. What was it like playing it Prague?
Safarova: It was amazing. It was really cold the first few days, but the people still came to support. It was sold out every day in the club. The atmosphere was just incredible, so it’s really nice how many people love tennis in the Czech Republic, and how they are coming to support us. I really appreciate it. I have such great fans.
WTA Insider: Looking at this past week and the matches you were able to rack up, was there a certain match where you were able to think you were back and all of the struggles were behind you? Was there a singular moment where you felt that way this week?
Safarova: With each match I played, I gained some confidence, and my tennis was better and better. But definitely after the semifinals and finals today, I definitely felt my level was back.
WTA Insider: You have a pretty good record against Sam. Did that factor into your ability to turn today’s match around?
Safarova: I don’t know if I would say so because Sam on clay is playing really well, and she was pressuring me from the beginning. The whole first set I was more defensive; then finally, I was able to turn it around. I really pushed myself to the limit to win that match.
WTA Insider: How did you feel you recovered from match to match?
Safarova: Of course, I’m very exhausted because I had long matches here throughout the week, but so far no injuries and recovering pretty ok. I think that’s the best news after this week, that my health is holding on.
WTA Insider: You’ve won the title in Prague, you’ve got some matches under your belt. You’re on clay, which you obviously love. The French Open is pretty close and a place where you’ve had good results; how do you feel this tournament win sets you up for the rest of the clay court season?
Safarova: I see this as a great start for me. Now I see I’m back; my level is back. I’m just going to keep working, keep building up on my game. Obviously there are two big tournaments ahead in Madrid and Rome, and then I have a week off before Paris. Of course, I will try to peak in Paris, but I would love to continue my streak in the other two tournaments coming up.
All photos courtesy of J&T Banka Prague Open.