Tennis News

TIANJIN, China – Svetlana Kuznetsova kept up her pursuit of a place at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global with a hard-fought 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 victory over Naomi Osaka.

The Russian was able to break the 19-year-old’s serve in the first and fourth games of the opening set but failed to hold serve a single time as the World No.42 raced ahead.

However, the 2009 French Open champion rallied in the second, which was on serve until the seventh game, when Kuznetsova moved up a break. Osaka recovered the deficit in the following game but was broken once more and the Russian held her nerve to level the match.

The deciding set was closely contested, without a single break of serve, although Osaka squandered two break points. In the eventual tie-break, Kuznetsova’s superior experience told and she was able to take two points on the youngster’s serve and win it 7-3 to book her spot in the semifinals.

Kuznetsova will meet Alison Riske in the last four after the American overcame Xinyun Han, 6-3, 6-3. The match was a frantic affair in which both players struggled on serve but Riske got the crucial break to move 4-2 up in the opener and closed it out to get a crucial advantage.

The match moved at much the same pace in the second set, with only three games held overall; two of them were by Riske and it was the 26-year-old who advanced.

Monica Puig’s run in the tournament, meanwhile, came to an abrupt end at the hands of World No.65 Danka Kovinic.

The first set was a tight affair, in which the sole break came when the Puerto Rican squandered a 40-15 advantage when serving at 1-1. The Montenegrin held firm from there, closing out the set without any trouble.

Kovinic stormed into a lead in the second, breaking Puig in the opening game and consolidating her advantage by repeating the trick to go 4-1 ahead. Puig enjoyed a moderate recovery, halving the deficit, but was broken once more and crashed out of the tournament.

Kovinic will play Peng Shuai in the last four after the World No.182 received a bye thanks to Agnieszka Radwanska’s withdrawal.

KEY INFORMATION:
Tournament Level: Premier
Prize Money: $768,000
Draw Size: 28 main draw/32 qualifying
Main Draw Ceremony: Saturday, October 15, 1 pm MSK
Qualifying Dates: Saturday, October 15 – Monday, October 17
First Day of Main Draw: Monday, October 17
Singles Final: Saturday, October 22, 1 pm MSK
Doubles Final: Friday, October 21, 1 pm MSK

MUST FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:
@WTA
@WTA_Insider – WTA Insider, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen
@KremlinCup_eng/@KremlinCup_ru – official tournament handles

WHERE TO WATCH:
Click here to find your local broadcast information for the VTB Kremlin Cup.

TOURNAMENT NOTES:
– The Kremlin Cup field is always filled with Singapore hopefuls, and this year is no different with three players still in contention for the remaining two spots in the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global: Dominika Cibulkova, Carla Suárez Navarro and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
– Kuznetsova took a last wildcard into her home tournament in Moscow in order to defend her title. 
– Local players sometimes shy under the pressure of playing in front of a home crowd, but the Russians seem to thrive on it. For the past two years, Moscow has been won by a Russian player (Kuznetsova in 2015 and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in 2014) and even more impressive, at least one Russian player has reached the semifinals for the last nine of ten editions of the tournament.

WILDCARDS:
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS), Anna Kalinskaya (RUS)

WITHDRAWALS:
Karolina Pliskova (low back injury), Sara Errani (breathing issues), Monica Puig (viral illness)

LINZ, Austria – Dominika Cibulkova beat defending champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to make the Linz semifinals – and take a big stride towards BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

LINZ, Austria – Top seed Garbiñe Muguruza retired in the deciding set to hand Viktorija Golubic a semifinal spot at the Generali Ladies Linz.

Muguruza had narrowly taken the first set, 7-5.

Golubic struck back 6-3 in the second set, though, having raced to a 4-0 lead as she broke the Muguruza serve twice.

And after Muguruza suffered a fall and sustained an apparent sprain to her ankle, she looked less and less comfortable, eventually withdrawing with the score at four games all in the deciding set.

LINZ, Austria – Madison Keys made short work of Océane Dodin to sprint through to the semifinals of the Generali Ladies Linz.

She beat Dodin, 6-3, 6-3, in just under an hour – and will now face Garbiñe Muguruza.

“I’m not feeling great, but I’m happy I got the win today,” admitted Keys. “[Dodin] is a tough player, she can hit some really, really good shots.”

Earlier, Carla Suárez Navarro fought through against Denisa Allertova, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

In a match that lasted just under two hours, the Spaniard had moments when she looked a little nervy – and that led to her losing the second set as her opponent hit back. But she regrouped to take the decider to secure herself a match with Dominika Cibulkova.

“I think I played really good at the end of the match,” reflected Suárez Navarro afterwards. “I like the court – I like everything of the tournament.”

HONG KONG, SAP – Caroline Wozniacki progressed to the semifinals of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open thanks to a convincing 6-3, 7-5 victory over Wang Qiang.

The Dane, who is yet to drop a set at the tournament, is now the top-seeded player still in the draw following World No.1 Angelique Kerber’s shock defeat to Daria Gavriova earlier on Friday.

Wozniacki dominated her opponent in the opening set, during which she dropped only three points on serve, while continuously searching for a break, which she eventually found in the penultimate game thanks to three unforced errors in a row. A forehand winner wrapped up the set.

Though the Wozniacki serve was not as dominant in the second, the 26-year-old was still firmly on top and broke in the seventh game, with Wang sending a pair of groundstrokes long as she threw away a 30-0 lead. Wozniacki’s victory was delayed briefly when Wang broke back to make it 5-5 but she was unable to consolidate the break and the No.5 seed got a much-deserved win.

“She’s a good fighter, I think she plays well and she has some good groundstrokes and it was a good match,” she said afterwards.

“I take one match at a time. The trophy’s what I’m here for and I’d love to win a trophy, no doubt but there’s some strong competition left and I’m just going to see what happens.

“I’ve been sidelined for so long and definitely that’s been difficult mentally but ever since my body has gotten back on track I’m playing so that’s definitely a positive.”

Wozniacki will face Jelena Jankovic, who kept up her defence of the title by fighting back to overcome Alizé Cornet, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Cornet, fresh from her victory over Venus Williams, made the early running, a superb backhand forcing Jankovic to net on break point. Jankovic’s slump proved to be brief and a long forehand gave the World No.49 a lead she did not squander.

The Serb was far quicker out of the blocks in the second set, winning the first four games. Her progress was curtailed when Cornet responded in kind but Jankovic, having found her serve to move 5-4 up, snatched the set when the 26-year-old sent a backhand long.

Cornet appeared to be nursing an injury and consistently needed medical attention, which helped Jankovic race into a commanding 5-1 lead in the decider. Cornet delayed victory by breaking back once but Jankovic booked her place in the semifinal the next game.

Finally, Kristina Mladenovic set up a last-four tie with Daria Gavrilova, who conquered Angelique Kerber earlier on Friday, by beating Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3).

HONG KONG, SAR – On Thursday the race for the final qualifying spots at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global took another twist when Johanna Konta withdrew from the Hong Kong Tennis Open.

Konta currently occupies the final qualifying berth for Singapore, just 10 points ahead of Dominika Cibulkova. However, after pulling out of Hong Kong with an abdominal injury Konta may now be left relying on other results to go her way if she is to reach Singapore.

“Obviously it’s never the ideal way to finish a tournament, and definitely never the intention when you come to play,” Konta said. “I really enjoy playing here in Hong Kong and I was really looking forward to making this week last as long as possible. Unfortunately it wasn’t as long as I would have liked but I need to look after my body first – I’ve only got one – so I really have to make sure I make the right decisions for my health.

“I’m looking forward to hopefully coming back next year and making it a full week here.”

Three places at the season-ending showpiece remain up for grabs. Garbiñe Muguruza, Madison Keys and Konta are in sixth, seventh and eighth place, respectively, while Cibulkova, Carla Suárez Navarro and Svetlana Kuznetsova remain hot on their heels.

All six contenders entered tournaments this week, and with Cibulkova and Carla Suárez Navarro also scheduled to play next week’s Kremlin Cup, in Moscow, for the second year in a row the battle is likely to go down to the wire…

• Cibulkova would need to reach the final in Linz this week to pass Konta
• A semifinal for Cibulkova in Linz would put Konta and Cibulkova in a tie*
• Cibulkova’s 16th best result is currently 100 points, so she would need to reach the semifinals at Moscow to add any points to her total
• Suárez Navarro can also pass Konta, but will need to add points in both Linz (where she is through to the quarterfinals) and Moscow
• If Cibulkova loses in Linz and Muguruza can qualify for the WTA Finals by beating Monica Niculescu on Thursday

* When two or more players have the same number of ranking points, the first tie-break is the player with the most combined points from Grand Slams, Premier Mandatory, Premier 5 and WTA Finals (as outlined on pg.215 of the Rule Book). In this regard, Konta (2685) has the edge over Cibulkova (2180)

The finalists for the 2016 WTA Doubles Team Of The Year have been announced, and we want to hear from you, the fans. The fan vote will count as one of the coveted media votes.

Have a look at the finalists and cast your vote before Sunday, October 16th at 11:59pm ET! The winner will be announced Friday, October 21st.

2016 WTA Doubles Team Of The Year Finalists

Caroline Garcia & Kristina Mladenovic: It has been quite the year for Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic on the doubles court. After suffering a couple of near-misses in Sydney and Dubai, they finally got their hands on some silverware in Charleston. This began a glorious stretch on the clay, where they triumphed in Stuttgart, Madrid and, most memorably, Roland Garros. While they struggled to scale these heights in the second half of the season, they returned to form in time for the US Open, losing out to Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova in an entertaining final.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands &  Lucie Safarova: There is little doubt that Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova have been the outstanding team in the second half of 2016. Injuries and Olympic commitments meant the duo, winners of two majors in 2015, played sparingly together until the summer months, winning Miami and reaching the final in Charleston from a handful of appearances together. However, since their post-Rio reunion Mattek-Sands and Safarova have been unstoppable, embarking on a 16-match unbeaten run that has brought titles at the US Open, Wuhan and Beijing.

Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina: Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina may not have resumed their fruitful partnership until the clay court season, but they certainly made the most of this time together. On their first outing in unison, the Mutua Madrid Open, the Russians reached the semifinals, before going a stage further in Rome. One month later at Roland Garros, they continued this upwards trajectory, narrowly missing out on a third Grand Slam title. Any lingering disappointment was banished over the summer months, during which time they captured the trophy in Montréal then Olympic gold in Rio.

Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza: Following 2015’s trophy-laden campaign was always going to be a tough proposition for Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza. And while they did not quite scale the same heights, they remained regulars at the business end of showpiece events. The year started in dominant fashion, victories in their first four events – a run which included the Australian Open – confirming them as the team to beat on tour. They were nearly as impressive on clay, lifting silverware in Rome and reaching the final of both Stuttgart and Madrid, before announcing their surprise split following disappointing showings at Wimbledon and then Montréal.

WTA Doubles Team Of The Year Winners
2015: Martina Hingis / Sania Mirza
2014: Sara Errani / Roberta Vinci
2013: Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci
2012: Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci
2011: Kveta Peschke/Katarina Srebotnik
2010: Gisela Dulko/Flavia Pennetta
2009: Serena Williams/Venus Williams
2008: Cara Black/Liezel Huber
2007: Cara Black/Liezel Huber
2006: Lisa Raymond/Sam Stosur
2005: Lisa Raymond/Sam Stosur

How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a media vote with a fan vote counting as one media vote

LINZ, Austria – Forty-seven minutes was all it took for Madison Keys to swat aside Misaki Doi and book a place in the quarterfinals of the Generali Ladies Linz.

Keys received a last-minute wildcard into the tournament and has made the most of her opportunity. After seeing off Camila Giorgi in the first round, Keys was even more clinical against Doi, reeling off the final 10 games of the match to triumph, 6-2, 6-0.

This was the American’s 45th victory of a highly impressive campaign that has seen her reach the second week of all four majors and break into the Top 10. The next milestone could be looming: a place at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

She already stands on the cusp of qualification following a semifinal run at the China Open, and a similar showing in Linz, where she takes on Océane Dodin next, will all but guarantee her place.

Also looking to secure a spot in Singapore are Garbiñe Muguruza and Dominika Cibulkova, who were equally impressive in Thursday’s final two matches. Muguruza needed barely an hour to overpower Monica Niculescu, 6-1, 6-1, while Cibulkova swept aside Annika Beck, 6-1, 6-3.

“It was a fun match – it was actually tough, but fun – because it’s a different sort of opponent and I had to be really concentrated and calm, which I did,” Muguruza said. “I’m really happy with today – she’s such a different player, she can make you feel very uncomfortable so I just went for my shots.

“I knew how she was going to play against me, so I was just playing my game and I think it worked very well.” 

Reigning champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also advanced, although she was made to work slightly harder, recovering from a slow start to defeat Kirsten Flipkens, 6-4, 7-6(2).

Having trailed 4-1 in the opening set, a run of four straight games helped Pavlyuchenkova turned the match around and book a quarterfinal showdown with Cibulkova.

The defending champion @NastiaPav reaches the quarterfinal #generli #WTALinz #power pic.twitter.com/nzi3IuI1n5

— WTA Linz (@WTALinz) October 13, 2016