Doha: Ostapenko Interview
An interview with Jelena Ostapenko after her win in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open.
An interview with Jelena Ostapenko after her win in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open.
DOHA, Qatar – Andrea Petkovic played some of her best tennis of the year to maintain a perfect head-to-head record against No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, winning 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 to reach the semifinals of the Qatar Total Open.
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“It’s very special,” Petkovic said of her first Top 5 win in three years. “It was so tough; Garbiñe is such a talented and dangerous player who put me under pressure.
“I was a little lucky in the end, but I’m just happy to be through.”
Each woman hit 29 winners, but while the German played cleanly throughout – hitting just 16 unforced errors – Muguruza had more issues with consistency, hitting 38.
“I’ve been playing really well the past few weeks. Everything is coming together and I’m getting my match focus again,” Petkovic continued.
“I’m really happy I’m on the right path and really looking forward to the whole season.”
Up next for the former World No.9 is teen sensation Jelena Ostapenko, who dispatched China’s Zheng Saisai in the first quarterfinal of the day.
“I watched both of her matches, and she’s been playing great. I had her on the radar, before. I saw her in Linz qualifying and thought this girl is really good.
“She’s showing her talent, and hopefully I can recover well from today’s match and put on a good performance tomorrow.”
An interview with Carla Suárez Navarro after her win in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open.
DOHA, Qatar – Co-No.1 doubles team Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza had not lost a match since last August at the Western & Southern Open, but their 41-match winning streak came to a sudden halt at the hands of Russian duo Elena Vesnina and Daria Kasatkina, 2-6, 6-4, 10-5.
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An accomplished doubles player, Vesnina won her most recent Grand Slam doubles title over Hingis at the 2014 US Open, when the Swiss Miss was still partnered with Flavia Pennetta. That script would flip in dramatic fashion less than a year later at Wimbledon after Hingis paired up with Mirza; the two roared back from a 2-5 final set deficit to beat Vesnina and longtime partner Ekaterina Makarova for their first major title.
“That was an amazing match for us,” Vesnina said after the match. “We played against them just a week ago, and they’re one of the greatest doubles teams we have in women’s tennis. I think everything worked today for us to win, and we’re just so excited about it.
“We changed our tactics a little bit in the second set, and we saw that it started to work. We stuck to this game plan, and were a little bit lucky on some points, but it’s always like this in doubles with deciding points. Dasha played really well on key moments. She just went for her shots and made a lot of good volleys today, so we’re really pleased and proud about this win.”
“It’s unbelievable for me,” Kasatkina added, “something huge because it’s just my third WTA doubles tournament and we beat Sania and Martina. For me, it’s something unbelievable.”
Santina’s historic streak began two months after their Wimbledon triumph at the US Open, which would be the first of nine straight titles as a team, including the China Open, the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the Apia International Sydney, a third major title at the Australian Open and, most recently, the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy – where they beat Vesnina and Kasatkina in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
“We were surprised that so many people came to watch,” Vesnina said. “The court was packed; most of the people were cheering for Martina and Sania, which is normal. It actually worked well for us; we were enjoying this atmosphere on the court. It felt like we were playing a final.”
“It was a full house!” Kasatkina said with a laugh.
Had they won a 10th title in Doha, Hingis and Mirza would have tied Jana Novotna and Natasha Zvereva for the longest winning streak since 1990 at 44 match wins, but still had a ways to go before catching Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver, who amassed 109 straight matches between 1983 and 1985.
So that's how the cookie crumbled .. just kiddin.Hehe.. We'll be back stronger than before?#SanTina #4⃣1⃣✔️ @mhingis pic.twitter.com/1uKpPT8Wks
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) February 25, 2016
An interview with Andrea Petkovic after her win in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open.
DOHA, Qatar – No.3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska survived an onslaught from Italy’s Roberta Vinci as the two put together a veritable highlight reel from start to finish in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open. It was the reigning WTA Finals champion, however, who ultimately emerged victorious, beating the No.9 seed, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
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“She’s a very tricky player with great hands, so you always expect tricky points from her,” she said during her on-court interview. “I was just trying to be better this time, so I hope you guys enjoyed it and I think it was a great match.”
Coming off a win over another wily veteran in Monica Niculescu in the previous round, Radwanska outdid herself with some throwback tennis on Thursday; she and Vinci came to net a combined 101 times, while the Pole hit 40 winners to just 27 unforced errors. Vinci was not too far behind with 36 winners and 20 unforced.
With more than couple of candidates for Shot Of The Year in one match, Radwanska admitted she sometimes surprised herself against Vinci: “I’m like, ‘Oh my god, that was in?’ But that’s the way I play, and against Roberta, it’s a lot of rallies and tricky shots and different points. Our games are very entertaining.
“I’m just very happy to play those shots. Winning shot of the year makes me so happy. I always appreciate those votes; I’m also happy to hear that my tennis is very enjoyable and entertaining.”
Up next for Radwanska is No.8 seed Carla Suárez Navarro, who confirmed her return to the Top 10 with a straight-sets win over qualifier Elena Vesnina earlier in the day.
“Carla is a great player, very solid from the back. We just played a few weeks ago in Melbourne. I won that one, but it’s never easy against her. It’ll be a nice challenge for me against Carla, and I’ll try my best.”
Radwanska and Vinci certainly broke the internet with their stellar shot-making; check out some of the best points and what some of their fellow players had to say below:
Nice touch, @ARadwanska! ? #WTA https://t.co/8DHWurztuF
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2016
Loving this match between @roberta_vinci & @ARadwanska! So much variety tennis & both literally ending every single points at the net?#doha
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) February 25, 2016
Behind the back! ?
No big deal for @ARadwanska. #WTA https://t.co/IFwtkRDplA
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2016
Ok ladies this is sick tennis.
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) February 25, 2016
You've GOT to be kidding me @ARadwanska! ? #WTA https://t.co/StrJrLd5pE
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2016
Same. ? pic.twitter.com/I0UZuSE8wj
— WTA (@WTA) February 25, 2016
@WTA @ARadwanska Sick!!!???
— Elena Vesnina (@EVesnina001) February 25, 2016
@WTA @ARadwanska that's just ridiculous!!!?????
— Jarmila Wolfe (@tennis_jarkag) February 25, 2016
Roberta Vinci sits down for a chat at the Doha Corniche, one of the city’s most popular spots to take in the spectacular skyline.
DOHA, Qatar – Jelena Ostapenko prevailed in Thursday’s battle of the giant killers at the Qatar Total Open, seeing off Zheng Saisai in straight sets.
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Twenty-four hours on from her dismissal of two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, Ostapenko produced another scintillating display of baseline aggression to blow away Zheng, 6-4, 6-3, in an hour and 38 minutes.
While Zheng was unable to replicate the standards she set in upsetting top seed Angelique Kerber last time out, she battled away gamely throughout. After weathering early onslaughts in both sets – she trailed 3-0 in the first and 4-1 in the second – Zheng clung onto her teenage foe’s coattails to remain competitive.
However, her resistance was finally broken in a titanic penultimate game, Ostapenko converting her fifth break point when a clubbing backhand landed on the baseline. Moments later the Latvian arrived at match point, converting with another pin-point winner.
“First I thought I was going to be playing qualies, but then I was second in and got into the main draw,” Ostapenko said. “Then win by win, I was playing better and better. I’m so happy I’m still here!”
Ostapenko was prepared to take risks – 33 winners were outnumbered by 45 unforced errors – and her reward is a maiden Premier semifinal, where she will meet either Garbiñe Muguruza or Andrea Petkovic.
“They are both great players, so I’ll probably watch today how they’ll play and I’m looking forward to playing tomorrow.”
In the following match, Carla Suárez Navarro restored a sense of order with a 6-3, 7-6(3) win over qualifier Elena Vesnina. The result takes Suárez Navarro into her second semifinal in Doha and also back into the Top 10.
The Spaniard has been one of the most consistent performers on tour in recent years and has been vocal about her hopes of rising even higher.
“Today was very tough, she has won a lot of matches and is playing really well,” Suárez Navarro said. “In the second set she was amazing! But I just fight and I also played a good match.
“It’s tough on tour, but I feel good on tour and this year I feel ready to go further.”
Jelena Ostapenko had the shot of the match in the third round at the Qatar Total Open.