Tennis News

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Lucie Safarova’s clay court revival at the J&T Banka Prague Open gathered further momentum on Thursday with a straight set win over Hsieh Su-Wei.

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Going into her home tournament, Safarova had not registered a win all season, but after unraveling Hsieh’s unorthodox game in two tight sets she now has three in as many days.

In a topsy-turvy encounter, Safarova failed to serve out the opening set at 5-4, before coming within a few points of losing it two games later. In the tie-break, it was the Czech that held her nerve, taking it when Hsieh miscued a backhand into the tramlines.

Hsieh continued to pose problems in the second set, but once again it was Safarova that came out on top at the crucial moments, returning from a late rain delay to reach the semifinals 

Safarova’s 7-6(3), 7-5 victory followed on from an even more impressive performance from her compatriot and next opponent, Karolina Pliskova. Eager to minimize her time exposed to the elements on another chilly day in the Czech capital, defending champion Pliskova blew away Camila Giorgi, 6-2, 6-1, in just 51 minutes.

Pliskova and Safarova met only last week in Stuttgart, the former coming through a third set shootout, to add to victories over her Fed Cup teammate the previous year in Antwerp and Dubai.

Following her showing in Stuttgart and her run this week Safarova is feeling positive heading into the rematch. “I was on the way back already in Stuttgart, where I had a great match, and I was hoping the results would come. I’m happy and excited that it’s going this well.

“It was a tough match today; she’s always a very tricky player, defending the court very well and I’m very excited to be through to the semis.”

SINGAPORE – Eight-time WTA Finals champion Martina Navratilova believes this year’s tournament is gearing up to be the most competitive in recent memory.

Speaking at the official ticket launch for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, Navratilova gave her take on an intriguing start to the 2016 season and its early pacesetters.

In recent years, the indomitable Serena Williams has ruled the roost at the top of the game, however, the opening quarter to the new campaign has seen the emergence of a couple of rivals to her crown in the shape of Angelique Kerber and Victoria Azarenka.

It is a development that Navratilova thinks can only help the game. “We’ve been saying we need rivalries and right now there’s some competition – maybe not a rivalry quite yet – but certainly there’re a lot of players snapping at Serena’s heels in 2016,” she said.

“So the gap has gotten smaller and it may keep getting smaller because Serena won so many Slams last year – she won three out of the four – and has a lot of points to defend.”

While talk of Williams’ demise is premature – despite competing in only four tournaments, she sits in fourth place on the Road To Singapore leaderboard – her current reign atop the rankings could come under threat sooner rather than later.

“It will be difficult for her to keep this cushion [Williams is nearly 3,000 points ahead of No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska], but at the same time she’s still the queen! But it’s great that the players have been able to step up. I’ve been impressed by Victoria Azarenka winning both Indian Wells and Miami in pretty convincing fashion and of course Angelique Kerber beating Serena in a Grand Slam final.”

Kerber, Azarenka, Radwanska and Williams are the early leaders on the Road To Singapore. However, as last year proved, the identity of the eight qualifiers has the potential to go down to the wire.

“Last year we had I think four players trying to get the last spot in the last week of the season,” Navratilova added. “Players were going all around the world trying to get those points to get to the WTA Finals.

“It’s important to be consistent during the year so you don’t have to chase them at the end, but it’s exciting because you don’t know who’s going to be there and the players feel privileged to make that final eight – it means something.”

The tournament holds a special place in the heart of Navratilova, who believes it stands side-by-sde with the four Grand Slams: “It’s a great opportunity to finish the year on a great note and spring you into the next year. Or for some people the chance to salvage something from a season that wasn’t great, because for me it’s a fifth major.”

This year, the WTA Finals is once again offering the opportunity to rub shoulders with past and present players through its official hospitality program, Racquet Club.

“It’s a great way for people to get a feel for the tournament, feel for the sport and get close to the players. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that you really don’t get anywhere else, where you can mingle with the athletes themselves rather than just watch them from a distance,” Navratilova, who has also been appointed as the first ever ambassador for the Racquet Club, said.

“So it’s a fantastic experience for the fans, the media and also the players. Because we’re kind of removed – you see the people but you don’t really pay attention but this way you can really mingle.”

Selected tickets for the tournament will go on sale this Friday and can be purchased on the revamped WTAFinals.com website. From May 6, further offerings will go on sale, including the new Family Day Package and All Singles Evening Pass.

For more information on hospitality and booking enquiries, please e-mail info@RacquetClub.sg or call +65 6826 2718.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova was made to work hard for her place in the quarterfinals of the J&T Banka Prague Open, eventually subduing a dogged Madison Brengle in three sets.

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On another bitterly cold afternoon in the Czech capital, Kuznetsova took some time to warm to the challenge, running out a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 winner after just over two hours on court.

“Yesterday was really hard and today as well,” Kuznetsova said. “It looks like it’s warmer, but it’s not – thankfully it wasn’t snowing! Today I put the heat cream on, and almost all the clothes I have with me.”

The conditions affected the Russian’s game as well much as her wardrobe choices, and it was not until the latter stages that she began to resemble the player that impressed so much en route to the Miami final earlier this month.

“It’s difficult, especially on the clay, because I like when the ball bounces high, and here it doesn’t bounce at all,” she added. “It was a little bit ugly, but sometimes you need to win ugly matches, especially for me.

“In the first set I didn’t really play my game. I was struggling to move and when I don’t move my game is a little bit off.”

Earlier in the day, Lucie Safarova continued her progress when Lucie Hradecka retired from their all-Czech clash with a neck injury. Safarova, who led 6-4, 2-0 at the time of the retirement, is now through to the last eight of a WTA event for the first time since last August, and there she will face Hsieh Su-Wei.

“Obviously it’s not the best feeling after the match to win like that, but I think I played really well in the first set, served really well – there was a key moment at 5-4 when I was down 40-0 and aced her three times,” Safarova said. “Overall I’m happy with my game and ready for the next one.”

Also advancing with minimum fuss was No.3 seed Karolina Pliskova, who defeated Katerina Siniakova, 6-2, 6-4. Next up will be another hard-hitter, Camila Giorgi, after she overcame a late wobble to defeat qualifier Virginie Razzano, 6-1, 7-5.

Bacsinszky was facing her first big test of the tournament against 22-year-old Kateryna Kozlova, an opponent who took her to three sets in their last encounter at Nottingham.

“This was a tough one for sure,” Bacsinszky said in her post match interview. “Kozlova is playing better and better every week, so this was a tough match.”

The rapidly rising Kozlova might be ranked No.117 but she sits at No.75 on the Road To Singapore Leaderboard due to her impressive results this year. In St. Petersburg she turned heads with her run through qualifying to the quarterfinals – beating Laura Siegemund and Elena Vesnina along the way – and last week she notched a semifinals appearance in Istanbul.

Bacsinszky drew first blood early on, breaking Kozlova’s in the first game of the match and again to go up to a 4-1 lead. The Swiss’ heavy high-bouncing forehands kept Kozlova back on her heels and out of position. Kozlova broke Bacsinszky’s serve to start mounting a comeback in the final games of the set, but the top seed quickly broke right back close out the set.

Kozlova found her pace in the second set, and put together the play that has impressed throughout the year. She overpowered Bacsinszky from the baseline and took the set to level the match. But the Swiss player put the mid-match dip behind her and won the deciding set after two hours and twenty minutes.

“She raised her level in the second set,” Bacsinszky said. “She was pushing more against me and had me more on defense. It was hard to hit winners against her.

“But I found my way to change things in the third set and in the end I was lucky enough to win the last point.”

Bacsinszky’s opponent in the quarterfinal is Johanna Larsson, who knocked out Teliana Pereira 6-4, 6-4.

Elsewhere, New Zealand qualifier Marina Erakovic had a bittersweet entry to the quarterfinals – she was up 6-4 against the No.7 seed Lesia Tsurenko when the Ukrainian was forced to retire due to pain in her right thigh from an injury sustained during fitness training.

“It’s always tough when you win like that,” Erakovic said afterwards. “You never want to see your opponent injured – I feel sorry for Lesia and hope she’s okay.

“But, you know, good for me. I’ve got through five matches here, which is great. I’m gradually playing better and better each match which is what you want.”

She sets up a quarterfinal clash against Aleksandra Krunic next round, who earlier ousted the No.2 seed Ekaterina Makarova, 6-2, 6-2 in the day’s biggest upset.

“I’ve never played her before but I know her,” Erakovic said. “It’s another challenge, another match, another chance to compete and keep improving my game. That’s what I’m thinking about.”

“Here in Rabat every day is a nice day – the sun is always shining, so tomorrow should be a good day.”