Tennis News

Every week wtatennis.com brings you 10 Things To Know about the week – who is playing, where and much more. This week the Road To Singapore heads to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California…

1) Venus Williams makes a long-awaited Indian Wells return.
Former No.1 Venus Williams will play the BNP Paribas Open for the first time since 2001; the seven-time Grand Slam champion wrote about her thoughts on coming back to Indian Wells in the Players Tribune. Venus recovered from a tough start to 2016 with a decisive title run at the Taiwan Open.

2) Could Steffi Graf be a secret weapon for defending champion Simona Halep?
Simona Halep enjoyed an impressive fortnight at last year’s event, roaring back from a set and a break down to oust former No.1 Jelena Jankovic for the biggest title of her career. The Romanian has endured a tough run thus far, struggling with an Achilles injury and early round losses at the Australian Open, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, and the Qatar Total Open. Halep has since gone back to the drawing board, practicing in Las Vegas with coach Darren Cahill and getting the opportunity to hit with 22-time Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf and husband, former ATP No.1 Andre Agassi. Reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber credits a hit with Graf with turning her season around; might the same work for Halep?

3) Serena and Kerber lead the seeds.
Speaking of Kerber, she and fellow Australian Open finalist Serena Williams will be seeded to face one another in yet another big-time final, should the two each make it that far. Williams has not played since Melbourne, while the German lost her opening round match in Doha to Zheng Saisai as the top seed. Joining sister Venus in California, Serena made her return to Indian Wells last year, reaching the semifinals.

4) An opening for Agnieszka Radwanska?
World No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska has been all but unstoppable since last fall, winning titles in Tokyo, Tianjin, and finishing the 2015 season with the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global title. Opening 2016 with another title in Shenzhen, Radwanska has performed consistently on the game’s biggest stages, reaching the semifinals in Australia and Qatar. How will the Pole perform in Indian Wells? Her best finish was back in 2014, where she defeated Jankovic and Halep to reach the final.

5) All eyes on Muguruza, Kvitova.
Big hitters Garbiñe Muguruza and Petra Kvitova have all the firepower to tear through the Indian Wells draw, but do either have the consistency and physical fortitude to survive the two week tournament? Muguruza has shown signs of improvement with a run to the quarterfinals in Doha, but Kvitova remains in search of the kick start to her season. With no points to defend in either Indian Wells or Miami, will the two-time Wimbledon champion play pressure-free tennis in the desert?

6) Crunch time for Carla Suárez Navarro.
The Spanish veteran impressed many with her week in Doha, winning her second career title and standing up to the pressure of being the overwhelming favorite against 18-year-old upstart, Jelena Ostapenko. Suárez Navarro enters a part of the season with plenty of points to defend – having reached the finals of both Miami and Rome – and will look to build on the momentum she’s carried through the first six weeks of the season in the hopes of capping another career-high ranking and entrance into the Top 5.

7) Can the Italian veterans build on Middle East momentum?
Roberta Vinci made history as the oldest woman to make her Top 10 debut a mere days after turning 33 by winning the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. A week later, Sara Errani won the biggest title of her career in Dubai. In a year of young guns, the veterans continue to rack up the titles; could either make a deep run in the desert?

8) The WTA*Teens look to steal the spotlight.
Belinda Bencic capped her stunning six months with a Top 10 debut of her own – despite falling to Vinci in the finals of St. Petersburg. The 18-year-old reversed a slow start to 2015 with a solid finish in Australia, and will look to do damage in Indian Wells. Fellow 18-year-old Daria Kasatkina reached the semifinals of St. Petersburg, and is coming off of back-to-back Grand Slam third rounds at the last two hardcourt majors. Will another youngster make waves?

9) SanTina starting over.
Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza’s 41-match winning streak came to an end at the hands of Kasatkina and Elena Vesnina in Doha, but there are few reasons to dismiss the Co-No.1s as they head into the tournament that started it all for Santina. The reigning Wimbledon, US Open, and Australian Open champions played for the first time at Indian Wells and went on a 14-match streak through from there to Miami and Charleston. With other teams like Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching, Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia, and Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka all playing solid tennis to start the season, the women’s doubles draw promises to be as interesting as the singles event.

10) Find out where you can watch live action this week.

MONTERREY, Mexico – Heather Watson grabbed her spot in the finals of the Abierto Monterrey Afirme after dispatching an ailing Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-2.

Watch live action from Monterrey & Kuala Lumpur this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Watson came roaring out of the gates, finding her zone right away and quickly putting Garcia in a familiar bind. The Frenchwoman was down 4-1 in the first set just as she’d been in yesterday’s quarterfinal against Pauline Parmentier, but this time she wasn’t able to bounce back, her usually agile movements hampered by a lower back injury.

“I was very happy with how I played today but obviously Caroline was hurting today,” Watson said after their match. “I hope she gets better soon, hope it’s nothing too serious.”

After the Brit grabbed the first set in a dominant 27 minutes, Garcia took an emotional medical time out before starting the next set. Despite Garcia returning to the court with a bit more bounce in her step, Watson remained completely in control, coming up with an answer to every aspect of Garcia’s all-court game.

Awaiting Watson in the final is Kirsten Flipkens, a player she’s never won against in either of their previous two encounters.

“It won’t be easy,” Watson said of tomorrow’s match. “I’ve played Kirsten a few times and she’s very experienced. It definitely won’t be easy – I’ll have to bring my A-game tomorrow.”

Flipkens had to draw from every bit of her 13 years of experience to emerge victorious against Anett Kontaveit in their seesaw semifinal, 7-6(6), 6-4.

Kontaveit had her under pressure in the first set and Flipkens found herself having to dig out of a 3-5 hole to force a tiebreak.

“I think all week I was mentally very strong, but I think first set was a really tight one,” Flipkens said. “I came back very strong and the tiebreak was so close – it was like heads or tails.”

Flipkens looked to be totally in command in the second set, rushing ahead to a 5-1 lead as Kontaveit allowed the errors to pile up. But with her back against the wall, the young Estonian seemed to get her rhythm back and won three straight games to threaten a comeback. Flipkens stayed steady to reach her first final since 2013 ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

“It’s going to be a good match and I’m looking forward to it,” Flipkens said. “It’s been my first final in a long time in WTA so I’m gonna enjoy 100 percent.”

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Eugenie Bouchard’s resurgent form continued at the BMW Malaysian Open, where she’s into the final without dropping a set so far after a win over Naomi Broady, 6-4, 6-3.

Watch live action from Monterrey & Kuala Lumpur this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Earlier in the day, Elina Svitolina made her way to the final with a win over Zhu Lin, the No.2 seed dispatching the Chinese qualifier in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.

More to come…

MONTERREY, México – Heather Watson produced her best tennis of the season to defeat Caroline Wozniacki and take a place in the semifinals of the Abierto Monterrey Afirme.

Watch live action from Monterrey & Kuala Lumpur this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

A battle between two of the WTA’s sprightliest movers produced no shortage of entertaining exchanges, yet it was Watson, not the former No.1 on the other side of the net, setting the tone.

In a sparkling display, Watson took the game to Wozniacki from the off, eventually getting her reward with a break in the penultimate game of the opening set. Even a slow start to the second failed to discourage the Briton as she came roaring back, a couple of heavy-duty forehands kick-starting a run of four straight games.

Wozniacki, as ever, battled gamely to end, but she had no answer to her opponent’s inspired tennis, spraying a forehand wide to slip to a 7-5, 6-4 defeat.

“I’m very happy with how I played today. I thought I played very well – I needed to against Caroline because she’s a great player – and I had to fight to the end because I knew she would,” Watson said during her on-court interview. “I just took it point by point and didn’t look too far ahead.

“I think one of her main traits is that she is such a fighter. She makes a lot of balls and makes you really win it. I knew I was going to have to finish a lot of points today, come to net and not be too passive.”

Meeting Watson for a place in the final will be either Caroline Garcia or Pauline Parmentier.

On the other side of the draw, hopes for an all-British final were dashed when Kirsten Flipkens upset No.4 seed Johanna Konta, 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-1. Her reward is a meeting with another unseeded player, Anett Kontaveit, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Nicole Gibbs. 

KEY INFORMATION:
Tournament Level: Premier Mandatory
Prize Money: $6,314,605
Draw Size: 96 main draw (32 byes)/48 qualifying
Main Draw Ceremony: Monday, March 7, 3pm PST
Qualifying Dates: Monday, March 7 – Tuesday, March 8
First Day of Main Draw: Wednesday, March 9
Singles Final: Sunday, March 20, 11am PST
Doubles Final: Saturday, March 19, NB 4pm PST

MUST FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:
@WTA
@WTA_Insider – WTA Insider, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen
@BNPPARIBASOPEN – official tournament handle
Get involved in conversations with the official hashtags, #BNPPO16 and #WTA.

TOURNAMENT NOTES:
· Simona Halep bids to become only the second player (after Martina Navratilova, in 1990-91) to defend the Indian Wells title.
· There have been eight different champions in the past eight years in Indian Wells. There are seven returning champions in the field this year – Halep (2015), Victoria Azarenka (2012), Caroline Wozniacki (2011), Jelena Jankovic (2010), Ana Ivanovic (2008), Daniela Hantuchova (2007, 2002) and Serena Williams (1999, 2001).
· Twelve months ago, Williams returned to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden after a 14-year break. This time around, sister Venus will join her in the draw for the first time since 2001.
· Maria Sharapova is the only high-profile absentee, missing out due to a nagging forearm injury.
· In doubles, World No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza play their first event since having their 41-match winning streak ended in Doha. Their first event (and first title) together came at last year’s tournament.
· For the rest of the major storylines ahead of Monday’s draw, read the WTA Insider Notebook.

WILDCARDS:
Samantha Crawford (USA), Lauren Davis (USA), Daniela Hantuchova (SVK), Jamie Loeb (USA), Alison Riske (USA), Shelby Rogers (USA), Heather Watson (GBR), Zhang Shuai (CHN) 

WITHDRAWALS:
Maria Sharapova (left forearm), Alizé Cornet (back), Mona Barthel (illness), Karin Knapp (right knee), Ajla Tomljanovic (shoulder)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – No.6 seed Eugenie Bouchard continued her serene progress at the BMW Malaysian Open with a straight set win over Cagla Buyukakcay in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Watch live action from Monterrey & Kuala Lumpur this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Even a visit from the trainer midway through the second set failed to derail Bouchard, who recovered from a break down to close out the contest, 6-1, 6-4.

“She was a tough opponent. I felt like I played very aggressive and solid at the same time,” Bouchard said. “I got a little dizzy at the beginning of the second set but I managed to fight through.”

The conditions in the Malaysian capital have proved a thorn in the side of several players this week and they tested Bouchard physically and mentally: “It’s pretty tough here – it’s very humid in Malaysia. Sometimes I was seeing four balls instead of one! But the physio helped me a little bit and I just kept fighting, took it one point at a time and luckily managed to win it in two sets.”

Next the Canadian will face Naomi Broady after she upset No.3 seed Sabine Lisicki, 7-6(4), 1-6, 7-5.

In a match dominated by serve, Broady’s held firm during a tense deciding set to send her through to the second WTA semifinal of her career.

“I’m really pleased that I won. It’s one of the best ranking wins of my career,” Broady said. “It was really a battle of the serves today; Sabine has one of the best serves on the tour and I hope that I will soon have one of the best, too.

“I just tried to keep my composure on my service games and fighting for every point.”

On the other side of the draw, No.2 seed Elina Svitolina faces surprise package Zhu Lin. Svitolina recovered from a nightmare start to defeat Kristina Kucova, 1-6, 6-1, 6-1, while qualifier Zhu won her all-Chinese encounter again Wang Qiang, 6-3, 6-4.