Tennis News

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Cagla Buyukakcay delighted the Turkish fans at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup, roaring out to a big lead and treating the crowd to a tense ending with a 6-0, 7-5 victory over Stefanie Voegele.

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Buyukakcay turned heads earlier in the year with a run to the third round of the Qatar Total Open – upsetting Lucie Safarova en route – but has been even more impressive at home in Istanbul, running through four matches without losing a set to become the first Turkish woman to reach a WTA singles final.

“I was very nervous in the beginning,” she admitted after the match. “I was trying to focus on the point all the time; it was hard not to think about the future in the second, when I was 6-0, 2-0 up.”

Completely in charge through the opening eight games, Voegele – a former Volvo Car Open semifinalist in 2013 – found her way back to level in the second set, getting within one game of tying things up in the tenth game.

“I knew my opponent could come back at any time, but it’s normal that I lost a little bit of concentration. It’s tough to finish a match and I was starting to feel really tight, but also I was making some unforced errors. But I would be brave again and I’d tell myself, ‘Play your best and try. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.’ It’s better to say this than ask, ‘Why didn’t I go for it?’ after the match.

“That’s why I was positive when I was 5-4 down, I was like, ‘Play your game, play aggressively like you did before.’ That worked well for me.”

Maintaining an incredibly high first serve percentage, Buyukakcay only missed three first serves through the one hour and 23 minute match, winning 63% of her first serve points and converting six of 11 break point chances on return.

“I hadn’t noticed, but I was told I was serving over 90%; that must have happened for the first time in my career!”

The top-ranked Turkish star was already the first from her country to reach a WTA semifinal, and Saturday’s victory allowed her to go one better, and assure herself of a Top 100 debut.

What a moment for #Buyukakcay! Makes the final at home! 6-0 7-5 over #Voegele @istanbul_cup pic.twitter.com/BgdJlEZGdL

— TennisTV (@TennisTV) April 23, 2016

“It was very important for me to break the Top 100 this match; that’s why I was very emotional at the end. I’ve been working for it for the first time, and I’ll be the first woman in Turkish tennis to be Top 100. It’s a huge thing for me.

“I saw the Turkish flags around me, and I’m reminding myself all the time that it’s perfect to be here, and it’s working.”

Hoping to inspire other young women from her home country, Buyukakcay discussed her active role as President of the Athlete’s Commission through the Turkish Olympic Committee.

“I’m very happy about it because we have to encourage kids to be involved with sports. My role is to help them for their Olympic dreams and to have a good bridge between the athletes and the Olympic Committee, and what we can do together in the future.

“It’s an important role for me to be a good athlete, because when I was young I didn’t have any role models in tennis. That’s why my dreams were very far for me; I didn’t have anyone to look up to. But because of me, they can dream that they also can reach a WTA final. We could never dream about it before in Turkish tennis.”

Standing between the hometown favorite and a maiden WTA title will be Danka Kovinic, who overcame a topsy-turvy second semifinal to see past Katreryna Kozlova, 7-5, 6-4. In doubles, Buyukakcay’s compatriot Ipek Soylu continued the banner week for Turkish tennis as she and partner Andreea Mitu reached the final when Nao Hibino’s right shoulder injury forced she and Kurumi Nara to withdraw from the semifinals.

Kovinic is also in the doubles final, having won her semifinal with fellow No.3 seed Xenia Knoll on Friday, and withstood a spirited challenge from Kozlova to reach the singles final on Saturday.

“The conditions are completely different on this court than on Court 1,” she said after the match. “It´s a bit faster but I like it more because there is no wind.

“I am really happy that I finished in two sets. It has been a tough week for me coming from Fed Cup but I am really happy with my result here because I am a step closer to making it for Rio, to play for my country. I hope that tomorrow is a good match. I know Cagla very well. We are close friends and we played in Charleston a few weeks ago.

“I expect a crazy crowd tomorrow, but I like it when the stadium is full even if they are against me and I like that people come to watch and to support us.”

STUTTGART, Germany – No.2 seed Angelique Kerber outlasted rival and former World No.2 Petra Kvitova to advance to a second straight final at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, ousting the two-time Wimbledon winner, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

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The reigning Australian Open champion trailed in her overall head-to-head with Kvitova 3-4 before their semifinal, but won their most recent encounter at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Kerber looked on course for a similarly efficient victory as she raced out to a 4-1 double break advantage – behind some stirring play and surprising double faults from her opponent.

“It’s a little bit different,” Kerber told press when asked about playing a fellow lefty. “The serve is a little bit different when it comes from a left-hander. I was warming up today with a lefty so that was maybe good for me. But still it’s always tricky to play against a lefty as well. I mean today after like the first few games I got used to it. But it’s always not so easy and a little bit different.”

Kvitova, who opted out of the Czech Republic’s Fed Cup semifinal as no to interrupt her clay court preparation, showed off her signature shotmaking to reduce the deficit, and while Kerber served the opening set out to love, it was still anyone’s game in the second set.

Things stayed level until the tenth game, when Kvitova broke through and converted her third break point of the set (she would have 13 overall). Kerber needed a lifeline that came in the form of German pop singer Helene Fischer’s “Atemlos,” which played over the loudspeaker much as it did one year earlier in the final against Caroline Wozniacki.

“The crowd really gave me a lot of energy today. They really pushed me to my limits, because I was a little bit down after the second set and then I was just trying to focus again and pushing myself. The crowd gives me so much energy to do that, and with the song and with the support of all of them, they gave me the chance like to start very well in the third set.”

Undaunted, Kerber immediately reclaimed the advantage with a break of her own, ultimately racing out to a 5-2 lead in the final set; saving three break points when serving for the match, she only needed one match point to defeat the No.5 seed in just over two hours.

“I knew how she’s playing; she’s playing really hard and aggressive and also the serve is always good. So, I was trying to move good and mentally be ready to have a great battle against her and taking this challenge. I think I was mentally ready for the match.”

A high quality match throughout, Kvitova maintained an impressive differential in winners to unforced errors (47 to 33), but hit nine double faults by match’s end – nearly doubling her total from her first three matches combined. Kerber, by contrast, kept things far more even with 17 winners to 14 unforced errors, and convered five of her 10 break point chances.

Looking to defend her title in front of a home crowd, Kerber will have to defeat either top seed Agnieszka Radwanska – who took back the No.2 ranking from Kerber last week in Charleston – or countrywoman Laura Siegemund, who is in the midst of a career-defining week after emerging through the qualifying to defeat Simona Halep and Roberta Vinci en route to the semifinals.

“I think it will be a good semi; Laura has nothing to lose. So, she will for sure go out there and try to beat Aga. But Aga will try to get into the final here as well. So, I think it will be a good match from both of them and I will be watching the match on the TV.”

STUTTGART, Germany – Angelique Kerber continued the defense of her Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title with a straight set victory over Carla Suárez Navarro in Friday’s quarterfinals.

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Since lifting her maiden major at this January’s Australian Open, Kerber has taken some time to get used to life with a target on her back. But following a couple of early exits, the German appears to have found her stride on clay, all the more impressive given the difficulty several of her peers have encountered at the Porsche Arena.

Against Suárez Navarro, one of the game’s most surefooted clay courters, she was particularly impressive, flying out of the traps, then overcoming a late wobble to close out a 6-2, 6-4 victory.

“I think it was a good match from me, a good performance,” Kerber said. “I know how Carla is playing and she is one of the best players on clay. I was trying to go for it, trying to play aggressive tennis. I knew this is the only way to beat her today and I think I did a great job.”

Although Kerber held the edge in previous matches with the Spaniard, she had lost their only tussle on the dirt. This came two years in Stuttgart and provided a source of inspiration during the rematch: “I knew that she beat me here two, three years ago. So, I was trying to take revenge! And I think it was a good match today.”

Taking the initiative from the off, a smart volley and a trademark passing shot saw Kerber break immediately for a 2-0 lead. She bookended the set with a second break, then took total control of the match with a rasping forehand drive to open up a 4-2 lead in the second.

The procession was momentarily halted when the Spaniard broke back in the ninth game, only for Kerber to batten down the hatches once more to wrap up victory the following game.

“But at the end of the second set it was still close and I know that against her I must play until the last ball because she is always tough and she’s fighting as well. So, I went out trying to take my revenge and play good tennis and beat her here,” Kerber added.

In the last four Kerber faces Petra Kvitova, who won a see-saw encounter with Garbiñe Muguruza, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0.