Tennis News

MADRID, Spain – America’s Sloane Stephens won her first Premier Mandatory match of 2016 at the Mutua Madrid Open, recovering from a set down to defeat Brazilian No.1 Teliana Pereira, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

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“It was a good match,” she said after the win. “She has a difficult game style, so she’s tough to play against. But I was happy to start playing better to get the win.”

Stephens has been one of the most impressive players of the season – capturing three titles in Auckland, Acapulco, and Charleston – but had stumbled in the opening hurdles of the Australian Open, BNP Paribas Open, and Miami Open. That dubious pattern was in danger of repeating for the 2013 Australian Open semifinalist, who dropped six straight games to lose the opening set from a double break advantage.

Undaunted, the American raced ahead by another double break in the second, and though Pereira clawed one back, Stephens duly served out the see-sawing second set, eventually engineering the win in just over two hours.

“I was just trying to make more balls than she was and just run around a lot,” she said with a laugh. “I needed to be really patient.”

Ranked just outside the Top 20, Stephens has gone on to win the title at every tournament in which she has won a match, but should face equally stiff opposition in the second round, as she next plays the winner of qualifier Patricia Maria Tig and Daria Kasatkina. The young Russian played Stephens in the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open, where she held a match point before falling in three sets.

“I still really haven’t fully adjusted to the time difference, so I’m ok. It’s like a 3 o’clock match for me right now!”

Earlier in the evening, French star Alizé Cornet outlasted a stirring challenge from Spain’s own Paula Badosa Gibert, who won the opening set before succumbing to a bilateral leg cramp early in the third, 2-6, 6-2, 2-2, ret. Born in Manhattan, Badosa Gibert moved back to Spain at the age of seven and won last year’s junior French Open title. For Cornet, the victory marks her first win on red clay this season, an important start towards defending the fourth round points she earned at Roland Garros nearly 12 months ago.

Of the other two seeds in action on Saturday, No.12 seed Elina Svitolina battled back to defeat Yanina Wickmayer, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. No.15 seed Sara Errani wasn’t able to pull off the same Houdini act against the always dangerous Camila Giorgi, losing, 7-5, 7-5, to her countrywoman in one hour and 37 minutes. Ekaterina Makarova reunited with former doubles partner Elena Vesnina for the first time since Wimbledon, and put down a comprehensive 6-3, 6-4 singles win over Annika Beck; Christina McHale was equally emphatic over Anna-Lena Friedsam, 6-0, 6-4.

In doubles, No.5 seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic won a 10th straight match in their first round over Anna-Lena Groenefeld and CoCo Vandeweghe, winning, 6-4, 7-5. Including their decisive Fed Cup win over the Netherlands, Garcia and Mladenovic haven’t lost a match since Miami, taking home titles in Charleston and Stuttgart – where they took out top seeds and Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza – in back to back weeks. No.7 seeds Carla Suárez Navarro and Garbiñe Muguruza thrilled the home crowd with a 6-4, 7-6(4) win over Gabriela Dabrowski and Anastasia Rodionova, while Xu Yi-Fan and Zheng Saisai were three games into their first rounder with Kasatkina and Laura Siegemund when the Stuttgart runner-up was forced to retire due to dizziness.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – No.2 seed Lucie Safarova threw down 14 aces to edge past No.4 seed Samantha Stosur, winning the battle of former French Open finalists, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, to capture the J&T Banka Prague Open title.

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Heading into the International-level event in Prague, Safarova hadn’t won a singles match all year. In fact, she hadn’t even won a set until last week in Stuttgart, still struggling to find her form since returning from the bacterial infection that sidelined her at the end of 2015 and forced her to skip the Australian Open.

But last year’s French Open finalist peaked just at the right time, powered by her adoring home crowd to recover from a one-set deficit for her first title of the year.

“I had quite a few tough matches here so I feel pretty tired,” Safarova said after the match. “But my health is holding up which is the best news for me after such a long time of struggling.

“Each match here I was playing better and better, and by semis and finals I felt like my old self.”

Safarova went down an early break in her first service game, Stosur threading a pinpoint accurate backhand down the line to bring up the first break chance of the match. The Australian’s heavy shots were giving Safarova plenty of trouble throughout the opening set, going up a 4-1 lead. Despite pushing back during the later stages of the set, Safarova wasn’t able to pressure the Stosur serve and find a chance to break back, dropping the first set.

The Czech mounted her comeback in the second set, aided by Stosur’s service struggles: the Australian hit four double faults in the one game to hand Safarova the first break. She also unleashed her own powerful serves: 12 of the 14 aces struck by Safarova came in the final two sets. Despite hitting a rare double fault on set point – one of two the whole match – Safarova closed out the second set to level the score.

Safarova got the break in the seventh game of the final set, going up 4-3 as the tide – and the vocal crowd – turned firmly in her favor.

A pair of aces sealed the match and the Prague title, which is Safarova’s seventh WTA title, and her first one on clay courts since Oeiras in 2005.

“I’m so happy because support during the week was amazing,” Safarova said. “To finally get some wins under my belt feels great. And a seventh title? Wow!”

Prague is quickly becoming a stronghold for Czech players: they’ve now seen their second Czech champion in as many years, with Karolina Pliskova having won last year’s inaugural staging.

For Stosur, who was also playing in her first final of the year in Prague, the experience brings nothing but positives.

“I’m really happy with the week that I’ve had,” the Australian said. “I played some really good tennis and some hard fought matches, and it’s really good for my tennis all around.

“Lucie was too good today – we’ve had some close matches and today was pretty similar to that. All credit to her and congratulations, she had the win today.”

It will be a quick turnaround for both finalists going from Prague straight to Madrid: the Mutua Madrid Open starts today and Stosur is slated to play her opening match on Sunday.

“It’s gonna be a late night tonight, and I know Lucie and I are on the same flight,” Stosur said. “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.”

Congrats @LucieSafarova!

Lift that #PragueOpen trophy ? https://t.co/GQfRaEL1RQ

— WTA (@WTA) April 30, 2016

RABAT, Morocco – Timea Bacsinszky saved some of her best tennis for Saturday’s final against Marina Erakovic; the Swiss star faced few problems against the former World No.39, 6-2, 6-1, to capture her first title of 2016 at the GP SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem.

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Bacsinszky reached the semifinals of last year’s French Open, and appears to be settling into similar form after racing through Rabat – losing just one set in five matches. Against Erakovic, she played a near-perfect match over the course of an hour and seven minutes, winning 75% of the Kiwi’s second serve points without facing a break point off her own delivery. Her fourth career WTA title, the only WTA tournament in Africa Bacsinszky’s first on red clay – all three of her previous victories came on hardcourts.

It might not have been the ideal finish for Erakovic in the final, but it was still an awe-inspiring week from the qualifier, who had nearly dropped outside the world’s Top 200 due to various injuries. Taking out Fed Cup hero Kiki Bertens in three grueling sets, the 28-year-old jumps up nearly 60 spots to within spitting distance of the Top 100.

More to come…

On this Dropshot Edition of the podcast, WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen previews the Mutua Madrid Open draw. Will Victoria Azarenka pick up where she left off and assert her dominance on clay? Or will it be the tour’s Road to Singapore leader Angelique Kerber build on her title at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix to breakthrough in Madrid’s altitude? If the two most dominant players on tour this season don’t end up with the final, who is poised to play the spoiler?

Joining the podcast to help preview the action is René Denfeld, contributing writer for The Tennis Island, who is also in Madrid for the week.

Nguyen on Azarenka’s clay court preparation: All eyes are on Victoria Azarenka, 24-1 on the season. I was encouraged by what she said today during All-Access Hour, how this was her first clay court preparation with her new team, and hearing some new advice from her team – new voices. I think the numbers through the season on the hardcourts have shown that she is playing some of her best tennis. She’s serving better than she ever has in her career, and on return she’s right up there alongside the numbers she was posting in her peak years of 2012 and 2013. In all ways, you think this is Azarenka’s season, which is a weird thing today when Angelique Kerber has won Stuttgart and the Australian Open.

Denfeld on comparing Azarenka’s season to Kerber’s: Kerber put in a tremendous run at the Aussie Open, taking out the two biggest favorites along the way, and backing up a title for the first time in her career. What Kerber’s done really well over the last six months is learn from experiences in terms of dealing with pressure. But in terms of consistent performance over the last four months, I put Victoria Azarenka ahead of her, and everyone in Germany is going to throw rocks at me when I come back!

Nguyen on Agnieszka Radwanska’s confidence on clay: It’s interesting because when I’ve talked to Aga about her clay issues, it’s always a curious thing because she says, ‘I grew up on clay; this was the surface I played on.’ But then once she started to play on tour, 90% of the tournaments were on hardcourts. She made those adjustments and faster courts became her strength. When I ask her to drill down on the adjustments she made or what makes clay a challenge for here, she never points to the power deficiency issue, or the technical issue, that the ball sits up. She always points to movement; she’s said, ‘I like sliding on hardcourts, but for some reason, I don’t like sliding on a clay court. I need to be able to run to win matches, and if you take the ability to run away from me, it exposes my game.’

Denfeld on Simona Halep: Of all the seeds, I think this might be the most key tournament for Halep, because I’m a little confused as to the state of Simona at the moment. She said she felt fine and that her ankle felt good; I’m just curious what this tournament holds for Halep. She says she has no expectations, and for me that’s tough to judge, because with no expectations, what does a first round loss mean? She had some good results in the US, and then that curious end against Laura Siegemund, having breathing problems. It created more questions than answers, but it would be good to see some results to resolve them.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on any podcast app of your choice and 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.

WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen recaps the emotional weekends in Stuttgart and Istanbul, which saw Angelique Kerber successfully defend her title at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, beating surprise finalist Laura Siegemund in the first All-German final ever in Stuttgart. Over in Istanbul it was Cagla Buyukakcay who lifted the trophy at the Istanbul Cup to become the first woman from Turkey to win a WTA Title.

Hear from Kerber and Siegemund as they discuss their successful weeks in Stuttgart and what they expect for the rest of the clay season.

Kerber on transitioning to clay courts: Yes that’s for sure. A few years ago clay was not my favorite surface. But right now I had a great clay court season last year and now, I played well in Charleston and here to win on clay, it gives me confidence that my game is also good for the clay court. That’s why I’m looking forward to Madrid, Rome and of course Paris, where I can play good tennis and play well there.

On adjusting to the increased media attention: I’m trying to enjoy it. It’s nice to do something different. To get to know new people, to see something different, not always my day is practice. I can change a little bit my day plan. So I try to enjoy it. So it’s both of it. I enjoy it but I’m also getting used to it.

Siegemund on what she’s changed to her preparation: I always say it’s not one thing that I can name; it would be too easy to say that. I’ve changed a lot of things over the last years. You probably know I took my time off at the end of 2012 and through 2013; I was studying and really done with tennis, and I never thought I’d be back at this point. It just helped me gain a new perspective on professional sports in general. That was one thing that was important for me. I also earned a coaching license and I learned things there that I used for my own training. I changed things in my physical training, my nutrition. When I decided to stop, I felt the freedom to try new things, and I found things that really work for me and I think the combination of changes is what’s bringing the success now.

Siegemund on enjoying her victories: We took the time to celebrate each success I’ve had this year. It’s one of the things I really want to take time for, because that’s what you work for. If you have success, you should take a moment, enjoy it and then move on to the next task. For me, it’s maybe not as surprising as it is for other people, but things are starting to come together for me.

Siegemund on her new perspective: It’s not that I press a button and everything’s fine; you can never have that. So, there are moments when I really get tight and really want to win. But I manage much better now than before the break to play freely and to just enjoy the moment – whatever it brings, win or lose – and enjoy the game.

Siegemund on being the No.4 German and the Olympics: I wasn’t seeing myself on that list; I was always hoping for doubles, that I’d have a chance. But the criteria is so high, and the German criteria made it as if there was no way for me unless I won four Grand Slams in half a year – which is not possible! I have to admit that the Olympic Games would be a huge dream; I would feel very honored. I played the student’s Olympics during my time off in 2013; it was such an amazing experience, and so knowing the student’s Olympics, I would love to go to the Rio Olympics. I really have to have some more good results and really try to focus on that and keep the way I play up to really make it.  

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on any podcast app of your choice and 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.

Agnieszka Radwanska was the top seed in Stuttgart but upset by hometown hero Laura Siegemund in the semifinals. As the top seed in Madrid thanks to Serena Williams’ absence, can Radwanska live up to her lofty standing in the Spanish capital?

Here’s a look at the draw, quarter by quarter.

First quarter: Aga’s tough start

The draw gods were unkind to Radwanska, who has never been shy to admit that clay isn’t her favorite surface. Her opener comes against fellow Grand Slam finalist Dominika Cibulkova, also a former French Open quarterfinalist in the midst of rebuilding her ranking. When Radwanska and Cibulkova met in Indian Wells, it turned into a nearly three-hour classic edged by the former.

If she passes that difficult test, Aussie Open semifinalist Johanna Konta or Caroline Garcia — who likes to play on clay and seems to thrive in an underdog role — awaits. Her potential third-round foe? Well, it could be 2012 French Open finalist Sara Errani. Should we keep going?

Svetlana Kuznetsova not only reached the final in Miami but was last year’s finalist in Madrid; Radwanska and Kuznetsova might tangle in the quarterfinals. Kuznetsova will be hoping the thigh injury she sustained in Prague is nothing serious.
Prediction: Cibulkova

Second quarter: Vika and the defending champion

Victoria Azarenka can play on clay, no question. But would the Belorussian have taken an extension to the hard-court swing? Maybe. She is riding a 15-match winning streak, dropping a measly four sets in the process. Azarenka became just the third women’s player to achieve the Sunshine Double, too. Given all of her success in 2016, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that there was heartbreak for Azarenka in Madrid 12 months ago. Three match points came and went against Williams, one of a trio of close matches she lost to her pal in a span of two and a half months.

Azarenka’s journey this year starts against Laura Robson, and in the second round another player returning from injury, Alizé Cornet, could feature versus the two-time Slam champ. A possible clash between Azarenka and defending champion Petra Kvitova looms in the quarterfinals.

Besides thriving in the quicker conditions in Madrid, Kvitova is sure to be buoyed by her performance in Stuttgart. Kvitova fell to eventual champion Angelique Kerber — but it was a high-quality contest between the lefties.

Prediction: Azarenka

Third quarter: Halep’s revival?

In 2013, Simona Halep needed a wildcard to play in Madrid. Those days are long gone. She doesn’t need wildcards anymore. But it isn’t the best of times for Halep. Injuries – and coming back from them – have proved to be, somewhat predictably, problematic. She sits 29th in the Road to Singapore standings.  Could Madrid, where Halep made the final in 2014, mark a revival? Halep appears to have a nice path to the third round, although if the confidence is low and the body still not at 100%, the likes of Misaki Doi and Margarita Gasparyan shouldn’t be discounted.

Should she progress to that third round, Timea Bacsinszky could surface, and the Swiss ousted Halep in Miami. Garbiñe Muguruza finds herself at 35th in the Road to Singapore, going through a similar struggle as the Romanian. Muguruza, projected to play Halep in the quarterfinals, starts against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Schmiedlova broke through in 2015 but the Slovak can’t buy a win at the moment (199th in the Road).

Yet another younger player seeking an upturn, Eugenie Bouchard, might confront Muguruza in the second round. Karolina Pliskova, however, is the form player of the section.

Prediction: Pliskova

Fourth quarter: Surging Kerber

She was already a Grand Slam winner, but Kerber achieved a significant feat in Stuttgart: For the first time in her career, the 28-year-old successfully defended a title. Not only did Kerber repeat, but she did so in style, playing sizzling tennis from the quarterfinals onwards.

Now Kerber’s task is to put aside Stuttgart and refocus on Madrid. Last year, fresh off her success at home, Kerber fell in her opener. Mind you, it was an especially difficult pairing — with 2010 French Open finalist Samantha Stosur. The versatile Barbora Strycova – a loser to Stosur in Prague this week – is Kerber’s foe on this occasion. Strycova is certainly no slouch.

Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens or Daria Kasatkina, a trio from the younger guard, may line up against Kerber in the ensuing rounds. Kerber and Keys have already met five times, with the elder of the two holding a 4-1 advantage. Lucie Safarova picked up a maiden 2016 win in Prague this week and hasn’t stopped, making the final in her home country. Safarova and Carla Suarez Navarro – one of Kerber’s victims in Stuttgart – are on a collision course in the third round.

Prediction: Kerber

Semifinals: Azarenka, Kerber

Winner: Azarenka