Tennis News

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – 2011 BNP Paribas Open champion Caroline Wozniacki eased past American Madison Keys, 6-4, 6-4, to reach the last eight in Indian Wells and complete the quarterfinal line-up at the season’s first Premier Mandatory event.

Wozniacki came from the Middle East swing on a strong run of form, having reached back-to-back finals at the Qatar Total Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Keys, by contrast, was playing her first event of the season after missing the first two months of the year recovering from left wrist surgery. The American had nonetheless played solid tennis to start her comeback, knocking out young rival Naomi Osaka in straight sets to reach the round of 16.

.@CaroWozniacki makes the most of a tumble! ? #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/Cdpj7BP6jX

— WTA (@WTA) March 15, 2017

“It’s always tough to play her, she has so much power and she can play some incredible shots from far behind the baseline and out wide,” said Wozniacki afterwards. “You just have to be ready for it and I was happy with how I managed to return quite a few serves back, get those extra balls back, and I think it frustrated her a little bit.”

The No.9 seed lost their only previous encounter to Wozniacki last summer at the US Open, and that experience likely assisted the Dane on Tuesday night as she advanced by a near-identical score despite some tough games in between.

“This is the furthest I’ve ever gotten at Indian Wells, funnily enough. So, go me!” Keys joked after the match. “I’m still pretty happy I was able to play three matches, and Caroline played really well. I feel like it was pretty tight for someone who’s played 20 matches against someone playing their third.”

In all, Wozniacki struck 16 fewer winners than her more aggressive opponent, but also eight fewer unforced errors, and gave the American a taste of her own medicine on match point, smacking a backhand down the line to clinch her spot in the quarterfinals.

.@CaroWozniacki secures last spot in @BNPParibasOpen Quarterfinals!

Beats Keys 6-4, 6-4! pic.twitter.com/qz8hrQRmhQ

— WTA (@WTA) March 15, 2017

Standing between Wozniacki and her first Indian Wells semifinal since 2013 is surging Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic. The St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy winner earned another convincing victory against Lauren Davis, herself a fast-improving player, in the fourth round.

.@KikiMladenovic completes 6-3, 6-3 win over Davis!

Reaches her first @BNPParibasOpen Quarterfinal! pic.twitter.com/SqkvQA1j7k

— WTA (@WTA) March 15, 2017

“It’s not going to be an easy one – I played a tough one against her in Hong Kong, in the final,” said Wozniacki at the prospect of facing Mladenovic. “I’m expecting another tricky one, but I’m looking forward to it.”

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Former doubles No.1 Martina Hingis seems to be hitting her stride with new partner Chan Yung-Jan; together the No.6 seeds ousted Hingis’ former partner Sania Mirza and fellow No.4 seed Barbora Strycova, 6-4, 6-4, to reach the semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open.

“It’s great,” Hingis said after the match. “It’s only our third tournament together, and I feel like we’re getting better with each match. The confidence and trust between us is growing, and I think that’s the most important thing to win matches today and in the future.

“We’re going in the right direction.”

Hingis paired up with Chan at the start of the Middle East Swing, reaching the semifinals of the Qatar Total Open and the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Taking on Mirza and Strycova for the first time since switching partners, Hingis overcame tough opposition with the Taiwanese star by her side, ousting their higher-seeded opponents in just over an hour and 20 minutes.

“Definitely today’s match wasn’t easy,” Chan added. “Those two players are great, and they’re top players. We kept staying strong and staying together. Even though we’re a new team, we were able to make everything work. I think it’s been pretty good so far. We’re looking forward to our upcoming matches.”

Semis???? @BNPPARIBASOPEN @wta @mhingis pic.twitter.com/zdF3OzUwK3

— 詹詠然～YungJan Chan (@YungJan_Chan) March 15, 2017

Chan formerly served as stiff competition to both Hingis and Mirza when she played with sister Chan Hao-Ching, winning the last match against the team formerly known as Santina before they went on a 41-match winning streak from the end of 2015 to the beginning of 2016, playing quite a few tough matches against the pair in between.

“We know each other from playing against each other, like every single week!” she joked. “We’ve been practicing and spending a lot of time together, on court and off, using WhatsApp. I think it’s working.”

Up next for the No.6 seeds will be the winner of an interesting quarterfinal between top seeds and reigning Australian Open champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova and the unseeded and looming pair of Kristina Mladenovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova. Mladenovic is playing her first event with her new partner since splitting with co-French Open champion Caroline Garcia after Dubai.

Mattek-Sands and Safarova could wrest the top spot on the Road to Singapore leaderboard from current No.1s Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai by beating Mladenovic and Kuznetsova. If they don’t reach the final, No.2 seed and Olympic Gold medalists Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina could get to No.1 if they win the title.

most people relax after a match, we practice some more ??? @YungJan_Chan pic.twitter.com/42LNPLPuBc

— Martina Hingis (@mhingis) March 12, 2017

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Sloane Stephens might be sidelined from the action at the BNP Paribas Open, but that doesn’t mean she’s been far away from the tennis courts.

While recovering from surgery on her left foot injury – which will leave her away from the tour until summer 2017 – Sloane has been taking to her new role as a reporter for Tennis Channel.

my boot adds character to every outfit I wear ? pic.twitter.com/OrFDPfeUjV

— Sloane Stephens (@SloaneStephens) March 14, 2017

“I’ve been able to hang out, watch some tennis – not what I would usually be doing at a tennis tournament!” she said on a Tennis Channel broadcast. “For the first time I’ve been able to be normal, and I’ve really had fun!” 

From getting cooking lessons from celebrity chefs to player interviews to going undercover, Sloane has been making the most of her stint as a reporter. Check out some of her most memorable moments from the Indian Wells fortnight!

Working undercover a BNP Paribas Open info desk attendant:

A must watch. ?@WTA Pro @SloaneStephens went undercover for Tennis Channel Live as an info booth attendant at #BNPPO17.

Watch!!! ?? ?️ ? pic.twitter.com/voDplLBlq3

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 12, 2017

Interviewing American wildcard Kayla Day, who reached the third round at Indian Wells:

.@SloaneStephens and @kaylaeday having fun @TennisChannel. pic.twitter.com/4LxBvWJyH2

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) March 13, 2017

Mingling with famed chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa:

.@SloaneStephens on the job with Tennis Channel & Nobu Matsuhisa #BNPPO17 ?? pic.twitter.com/zbgArm5VOi

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 7, 2017

.@SloaneStephens ready to cook up a storm today at #BNPPO17 ?? pic.twitter.com/ZVWr9yaef1

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 7, 2017

Interviewing Vasek Pospisil after he scored a victory over ATP World No.1 Andy Murray:

If you missed it, our fav line of the day:

“I hear that you're single & ready to mingle.”
– @SloaneStephens to @VasekPospisil ?? ❤️ ?? pic.twitter.com/uUkuJQLAZY

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 14, 2017

“Everyone’s been like, ‘oh we loved it!'” Sloane said of the feedback she’s been receiving. “And you know how certain fans love certain players? When I did that thing on Dustin Brown, everyone was like ‘oh my god I love him, I love his hair!’

“So I’ve gotten really good feedback. But it’s mostly my family that’s been telling me it’s so cool.”

Eight quarterfinal spots are on the line on Tuesday at the BNP Paribas Open and we’re previewing each sweet sixteen matchup right here at wtaennis.com.

Tuesday

Round of 16

[2] Angelique Kerber (GER # 2) vs. [14] Elena Vesnina (RUS #15)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 3-1
Key Stat: Kerber will begin her 21^st week at No.1 on the Monday after Indian Wells.

Angelique Kerber had her back against the wall on Monday as she fell behind in-form Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier 4-1 in the deciding set. Was Kerber going to fall prey to the upset bug again? No way. The German mounted an inspiring rally to head off Parmentier at the pass, clinching a satisfying 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory. What made the difference for Kerber? “I was starting to believe in myself again and trying to taking this challenge and trying to playing point by point and not thinking what has happened before,” she told reporters. “Just going for it and trying to move in good, bring a lot of balls back, and going for it when I have the chance.” It was enough to get by Parmentier, but Kerber will need to be even better when she faces Russia’s Elena Vesnina for a spot in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Will she be up for the challenge? “I’m still in the tournament,” she said. “That’s what counts.”

Pick: Kerber in three

[28] Kristina Mladenovic (FRA #26) vs. Lauren Davis (USA #38)
Head-to-head: Mladenovic leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Mladenovic is 4-1 in three-set matches thus far in 2017.

Is promising Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic ready to take her game to the next level in 2017? It’s starting to look that way. The 23-year-old knocked off No.4-seeded Simona Halep with a gritty display on Tuesday, saving 19 of 22 break points faced to improve to 3-1 lifetime against the Romanian. Mladenovic improves to 2-0 with the victory and 14-5 on the season. But she’ll have to be careful with her next opponent, because American Lauren Davis is playing some of the best tennis of her career. She’s 13-3 with a title in Auckland, and will certainly try to pull Mladenovic into another physical match. Will Mladenovic be up to the task or will it be the American who emerges as a surprise quarterfinalist?

Pick: Mladenovic in three

[12] Venus Williams (USA #13) vs. [Q] Peng Shuai (CHN #49)
Head-to-head: Williams leads, 2-1
Key Stat: Williams reached the quarterfinals as a qualifier at Indian Wells twenty years ago in 1997. It was her second main draw appearance here.

Another big event and another big surprise from 36-year-old Venus Williams. The American legend never ceases to amaze and wherever she goes there are legions of fans who are there to support her, just as they were two decades ago. She had the home crowd behind her today as she raced past Lucie Safarova, and she’ll have them with her on Tuesday when she faces qualifier Peng Shuai. Williams has won two of three against Shuai, but it was the Chinese, an inspirational figure herself, who came out on top when they met in Beijing last fall.

Pick: Williams in three

[9] Madison Keys (USA #9) vs. [13] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN #14)
Head-to-head: Wozniacki leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Keys is bidding for her first BNP Paribas Open quarterfinal.

She missed the first two months of the season to rehab from off-season wrist surgery, but for those who watched Madison Keys power through her first two matches at the BNP Paribas Open, it was hard to detect any lingering rust. Keys was in fab form on Monday when she sailed past Naomi Osaka on the strength of eight aces and four break points saved out of four. On Tuesday she’ll come up against a much sterner test in Caroline Wozniacki. The three-time finalist and 2011 BNP Paribas Open champion walloped Katerina Siniakova in straight sets to improve to 29-9 lifetime at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Pick: Wozniacki in three

[3] Karolina Pliskova (CZE #3) vs. [15] Timea Bacsinszky (SUI #17)
Head-to-head: Bacsinszky leads, 2-1
Key Stat: Pliskova improved to 17-2 on the season with her third-round win over Irina-Camelia Begu.

Timea Bacsinszky is playing with house money after saving five match points to slip by Kiki Bertens in a three-hour and 22-minute marathon on Sunday. “She played her heart out,” Bacsinszky said after outlasting Bertens to book her third consecutive trip to the BNP Paribas Open’s round of 16. “I did too.” Next up for the talented, unconventional Swiss will be another supreme power player, Karolina Pliskova. The World No.3 edged Irina-Camelia Begu to keep her run of fine form alive at Indian Wells and she will bid to reach the quarterfinals for the second straight year. Contrasting styles will square off in a match that will depend on how well Pliskova can execute first strikes—and how cleverly Bacsinszky can combat them.

Pick: Pliskova in three

[10] Elina Svitolina (UKR #10) vs. [7] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP #7)
Head-to-head: Tied, 2-2
Key Stat: Svitolina has won 15 consecutive matches in a career-best streak that has seen her win two titles.

Elina Svitolina has been unstoppable since the Australian Open, winning titles in Tapei and Dubai, and she doesn’t appear to have lost a step here in the desert. The Ukrainian has reached the round of 16 at Indian Wells for the second time in three years, but awaiting her is a formidable foe that has her eyes on the prize. Spain’s Garbiñe Muguruza  has dropped two straight matches to Svitolina and she’d like nothing more than to turn the tide in their rivalry by notching a critical win on Tuesday. That said, the Spaniard knows she’ll be facing a player that becomes more dangerous with each passing season. “I think she’s playing very good,” Muguruza said. “She’s going to be a very tough opponent. She just got to the Top 10 as well. That’s a sign. It’s going to be difficult.”

Pick: Muguruza in three