Doha: Shot Of The Match (Suárez Navarro)
Carla Suárez Navarro had the shot of the match in the final of the Qatar Total Open.
Carla Suárez Navarro had the shot of the match in the final of the Qatar Total Open.
The stars of the WTA – including Hsieh Su-Wei, a champion here in 2012 – are gracing the courts at the BMW Malaysian Open this week.
But before the competition started it was time for the player party. Czech doubles partners Karolina Stuchla and Lenka Kuncikova were wore matching jumpsuits.
Several players – including Asia’s best – were among those at the Kuala Lumpur player party.
Roberta Vinci, the newest member of the WTA Top 10, hit the catwalk for the annual player party fashion show.
The resurgent Eugenie Bouchard walked the runway…
…as well as Ukraine’s No.1 Elina Svitolina.
Vinci, Svitolina, Daniela Hantuchova and Bouchard were the stars of the night.
The BMW Malaysian Open started in 2010 and is currently in its seventh year on the WTA calendar.
Carla Suárez Navarro won the biggest title of her career on Saturday, beating 18-year-old Jelena Ostapenko 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 to win the Qatar Total Open. The title was Suárez Navarro’s second in her career and boosts her up to a career-high No.6 in the rankings – and No.2 in the Road to Singapore standings.
It was a busy but successful week for the Spaniard in Doha, who also made the doubles final with Sara Errani. The 27-year-old has once again started the season well, having made the semifinals at the Brisbane International, quarterfinals at the Australian Open, and capping off the first two months of the season with the big win in Doha. En route to the title, Suárez Navarro stunned No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-0, avenging a straight set loss in Melbourne, and then rallied from a set down to stop Ostapenko’s precocious charge towards her first title.
WTA Insider caught up with Suárez Navarro after a long day of back-to-back finals, to talk about her her renewed sense of calm and ambition in 2016.
WTA Insider: So be honest: how tired are you?
Suárez Navarro: I feel really tired. I played five days, two matches every day, long days. But I’m really really happy.
Insider: I wanted to talk first about your mentality. The first set went by very quickly. What were you telling yourself after losing the first set 6-1?
Suárez Navarro: I started a little bit nervous. She played really fast and with no pressure. But when I finished the first set I just tried to listen to my coach, what he said to me. I just believed, I fought until the end. I had a really good comeback in the end.
Insider: It was a similar match to when you beat Daria Gavrilova at the Australian Open, when you lost the first set 6-0 but went on to win. What improvements have you made mentally that has helped you get through matches like this?
Suárez Navarro: I want to learn about all these matches. I lost in some matches the first set so easy. Sometimes it’s because my opponent played good, but sometimes it’s because I don’t start with the focus, the intensity that the match needed. Then I have to come back. Sometimes it’s not easy. I have to work with my mind, with my mentality, to try and start better in these kinds of matches.
Insider: When you play against a player like Ostapenko, who was hitting so many winners, I thought you would get more defensive in the second set. But you actually got more aggressive.
Suárez Navarro: Yeah.
Insider: That was surprising.
Suárez Navarro: It was a combination of both. I was at the back of the court, but I was also playing aggressive. I had to be there running and taking the time a little bit because she was playing fast and it’s not easy when they play fast to me. I stayed a little bit more in the back of the court but when I had to play aggressive I hit some really good points.
Insider: You said in January that your big goal for this year was to be more aggressive. Was today an example of that?
Suárez Navarro: Not at the first set, but I think in the final set I played really aggressive. With my backhand I played more aggressive than with my forehand. I felt more confident today at the end of the match with my backhand. That helped me win the match.
Insider: Last year you were incredibly consistent in the first half of the year. This year you said you wanted to focus more on the big tournaments. How successful have you been with that?
Suárez Navarro: I started really good in Melbourne. I had good matches there. I lost to Aga. I want to take the experience of last year to play better in the Grand Slams. The Grand Slams are really important tournaments and when you are in the Top 20, you want to win good tournaments, big tournaments. You have to be there. I think the key is working and practicing really hard.
Insider: What does winning Doha, the biggest title of your career, mean to you?
Suárez Navarro: It’s special. I lost three finals the last year and it’s my second title. It’s a good feeling. I feel good, I feel happy.
Insider: At the start of the year you said your goal was to get into the Top 5. You’re up to No.6 now. Do you feel like a Top 5 player right now?
Suárez Navarro: I feel really, really close. I know all the top players, I know if you want to be in the Top 5 you have to have good tournaments like this or like Melbourne to take points. Also, at the tournaments where there are all the top players, I know I’m close. But I know the year is very long. I want to take the experience of last year where I start really good but I lost confidence a little bit and I couldn’t end the year inside the Top 10. But I know the key and I know the things I have to do to be there. But I’m really excited about No.6 and I’m really close to No.5.
Insider: Do you think that experience paid off today against Ostapenko?
Suárez Navarro: Yeah, for sure. She’s young. I was young in my years and I know how you feel when you have to finish the match, no? It’s not easy in the final. For sure the experience was one of the keys of the night.
Insider: Are you going to give your sports psychologist a bonus for some of the work you guys have done together? It seems mentally you’re playing much stronger this year.
Suárez Navarro: Yeah (laughs). You have to take the experience and be stronger every day and every tournament. This is the way, this is the key. To feel good, feel healthy and stronger.
Insider: What are you going to do to celebrate?
Suárez Navarro: I don’t know (laughs}. Here, it’s too late. I will go to the hotel and try and have dinner there. Tomorrow I fly back home but I leave in the morning and I arrive in the night. It’s not an easy flight. I will celebrate tonight, but I want to sleep. My celebration will be on my bed.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Carla Suárez Navarro takes on Jelena Ostapenko in the final of the Qatar Total Open.
Though she walked away with the runner-up trophy at the Qatar Total Open, Jelena Ostapenko’s run to the final of Doha nonetheless cut her ranking in half, moving up from No.88 to earned her a career-high ranking of No.41 – her Top 50 debut.
The Latvian joins fellow 18-year-olds Belinda Bencic (No.8) and Daria Kasatkina (No.46) to become the largest cohort of youngsters since April of 2009 (Caroline Wozniacki, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Sorana Cirstea).
“It’s great but it’s just the first step,” she said during the trophy ceremony – with all the impatience of youth. “But my goal is to be even higher, so I hope I can make it.”
Roaring through an effortless opening set, Ostapenko ultimately fell to Carla Suárez Navarro, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4; the 27-year-old Spaniard earned a second WTA title and rocketed up from No.11 to a career-high ranking of No.6, one away from her 2016 goal of being ranked among the Top 5 in the world.
“It’s amazing, a dream come true. I was in Top 10 last year but not No.6, so it’s a special number.”
Who else made big leaps in the last week?
Elena Vesnina (+29, No.118 to No.89): The 2016 Australian Open mixed doubles champion had struggled in singles for the last two years, but arguably played better than ever in back-to-back upsets over No.2 seed Simona Halep and former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki – a player she had only beaten once in seven previous encounters – to reach the quarterfinals in Qatar and return to the Top 100 for the first time since August 2015.
Zheng Saisai (+10, No.73 to No.63): Fellow Qatar Total Open quarterfinalist Zheng Saisai had a phenomenal day in Doha when she defeated top seed and reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, and later coming close to ending Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza’s then-40-match-winning streak in doubles. Zheng edges close to a Top 60 debut and returns to No.1 in China, taking the spot back from Melbourne quarterfinalist Zhang Shuai – a potentially crucial development looking ahead to Olympic qualifying.
Donna Vekic (+10, No.104 to No.94): The Croatian youngster also returned to the Top 100 following a solid week in Doha, qualifying for the main draw and pushing Suárez Navarro through two tight sets.
Eugenie Bouchard (+9, No.61 to No.52): Bouchard earned her first wins since the Australian Open; the 2014 Wimbledon finalist saved match points against qualifier Anastasija Sevastova in the opening round as she moves within striking distance of the Top 50.
Dominika Cibulkova (+9, No.66 to No.57): The 2014 Australian Open finalist made her first final in nearly two years at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, playing an epic match against Sloane Stephens that ended in a final set tie-break.
Cagla Buyukakcay (+34, No.162 to No.128): A wildcard in Doha, the 26-year-old took out defending champion Lucie Safarova in the second round, rocketing up the rankings as she aims to make a long-awaited Top 100 debut.
An interview with Carla Suárez Navarro after her win in the final of the Qatar Total Open.
MONTERREY, Mexico – Francesca Schiavone and Johanna Konta – two of the Abierto Monterrey Afirme’s top seeds – went to downtown Monterrey to play street tennis right outside the Palacio Municipal. They put on an exhibition match for the crowd and gave the fans a taste what’s to come this week in Monterey.
See the best photos – including some trick shots from Schiavone – right here, courtesy of the Abierto Monterrey Afirme.
The weeks following a Grand Slam tend to be calm in terms of tennis fashion, but in the past four weeks we’ve had new designs hitting the courts, plus some outfits introduced in January rose to their full potential in the less busy month of February. Let’s give the word to Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog and see the tennis clothes that stood out at this month’s tournaments.
Launched at the Australian Open, Nike’s striped separates were then in the shadow of Serena Williams’ crop top and Maria Sharapova’s sporty elegance, but the Nike Spring Premier Slam Tank and Nike Spring Premier Victory Skirt got the deserved exposure in February.
On her way to the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy triumph, Roberta Vinci sported the light crimson version of the lightweight tank with rounded side vents for extra comfort, while Sara Errani wore the same outfit en route to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title.
Elina Svitolina and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova rocked the same style, but they paired the white pleated skirt with the obsidian navy version of the breathable tank and highlighted the look with a chic retro red headband.
The Fila Spring Platinum Dress with a striking crisscross design detail of a tennis ball in motion was supposed to be Jelena Jankovic’s choice for the Australian Open, but the Serb made a last-minute switch, opted for a solid yellow piece in Melbourne and saved the launch of this memorable print for February. The sleeveless V-neck brings an extra stylish touch to the flattering fit. The Serb complemented the look with super trendy boxer braids and coordinating manicure. We expected nothing less from JJ!
Venus Williams is successful in everything she gets her hands on. The tennis legend not only won the Taiwan Open for her 49th career title, but she did it in her brand new EleVen Camilla Rose collection. After finding inspiration in brushstrokes for the Australian Open, in February the American introduced a blue botanical burst and lifted the floral Kaohsiung trophy in the EleVen Camilla Print Inspire Cap Sleeve paired with the EleVen Camilla Inspire Skirt, both featuring contrast crisscross stripes.
The collection celebrates the abundance of spring in perfect bloom, using washed layers of aqua, blue atoll and white grounded by limoges, a stunning shade of navy, and offering a harmonious group of solid color options to be matched with printed items.
The story of this black and floral Lotto Ursula line, as seen here on Jana Cepelova and Carla Suárez Navarro, is an intriguing one. The reason you cannot find these clothes on your go-to tennis shopping sites is that it is fitness and training apparel meant to be worn during practice and interviews. But, according to Lotto, the WTA players fell in love with the tropical dream pattern and since the shape, style and quality of materials allow it, a great deal of Lotto’s athletes chose to sport the clothes during matches. The Italian company is glad about this unexpected development.
Now that you’ve seen them all, who is your pick for February’s WTA best dressed?
Carla Suárez Navarro had the shot of the match in the semifinals of the Qatar Total Open.