Tennis News

September was packed with plenty of amazing shots – we narrowed it down to the five best.

In the end, it was Kirsten Flipkens, who played a key role in the rally Agnieszka Radwanska won to clinch August’s Shot Of The Month, after showing off more of her signature variety at the Korea Open in Seoul. On her way to beating Kristyna Pliskova in three tough sets, the Belgian pulled out all the stops to beat her powerful opponent, including a behind-the-back backhand stab to pass Pliskova at net.

Click here to watch all of September’s finalists.

Final Results for September’s WTA Shot Of The Month

1. Kirsten Flipkens (47%)
2. Agnieszka Radwanska (39%)
3. Simona Halep  (6%)
4. Caroline Wozniacki (4%)
5. Angelique Kerber (3%)

2016 WTA Shot of the Month Winners

January: Caroline Wozniacki
February: Agnieszka Radwanska
March: Agnieszka Radwanska
April: Monica Niculescu
May: Simona Halep
June: Agnieszka Radwanska
July: Simona Halep
August: Agnieszka Radwanska

How it works:

Five shots are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com 

Petra Kvitova arrived at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open not having reached a final since finishing runner-up at last year’s BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. By the end of the week, the two-time Wimbledon winner had not only won her first title in over a year, but also put herself in position to make a sixth straight Singapore appearance.

“The beginning of the season wasn’t really great,” she said after winning her second Wuhan title in three years. “I don’t think that I changed anything, like, special. I mean, I was trying to feel better on the court since Montréal.

“I think the turning point was during the Olympic Games when I won the bronze medal and it was kind of a boost. I did feel much relaxed, and with the confidence it’s always nicer to play. I’m kind of the player who needs the confidence to play the best game.”

After defeating young American Madison Keys in the Bronze Medal match at the Olympic tennis event, Kvitova brought that form into the second week of the US Open, where she lost to eventual champion and future No.1 Angelique Kerber to start the month.

Less than four weeks later, Kvitova turned the tables on Kerber in what many considered to be the best match of the year, and dropped five more games in her next two matches against Simona Halep and Dominika Cibulkova to win the title.

“The second part of the season, for sure it’s better. It’s not the best, but it’s still better. So I’m really satisfied how everything is going. I’m healthy. I love to play tennis. I do have motivation.”

Petra Kvitova has her fingers bandaged @ChinaOpen. But not for the reasons you think.

“Gel. Never do gel again.” pic.twitter.com/C1T0WQPzVp

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) October 4, 2016

That motivation appears to be paying off as she remains in contention to return to the WTA Finals, and it certainly helped her earn her the mantle of September’s WTA Player of the Month!

Final Results for September’s WTA Player Of The Month

1. Petra Kvitova (55%)
2. Caroline Wozniacki (34%)
3. Naomi Osaka (11%)

2016 WTA Player of the Month Winners

January: Angelique Kerber
February: Carla Suárez Navarro
March: Victoria Azarenka
April: Angelique Kerber
May: Garbiñe Muguruza
June: Serena Williams
July: Simona Halep
August: Monica Puig

How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com 

BEIJING, China – Elina Svitolina continued her impressive end to the season by upsetting World No.1 Angelique Kerber in the third round of the China Open on Thursday.

Watch live action from Beijing on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

A mature display saw Svitolina hold her nerve at the end of both sets to close out a 6-3, 7-5 victory and book a quarterfinal meeting with Daria Gavrilova.

“I was just trying to be really focused on every ball, and of course try to win,” Svitolina said in her on-court interview.

Earlier this week, Kerber suggested that she was feeling the strain of a hectic schedule that has now seen her play 35 matches since the start of July. However, against Svitolina she battled away until the last saving a couple a couple of match points in the final game.

Svitolina, who also beat then-No.1 Serena Williams at this summer’s Olympics, continued to be the aggressor and was rewarded when Kerber sent a forehand sailing wide at the third time of asking.

“I was trying to think about my next step, what I should try to do,” Svitolina added. “I tried to make my first serve and concentrated on the next shot, but still I was a little bit shaky!”

Elsewhere, Johanna Konta continued her own impressive recent run of form with a tense victory over No.5 seed Karolina Pliskova.

Konta, who reached the fourth round of the US Open and the quarterfinals last week in Wuhan, is making a late bid to reach the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Depending on other results, a run to the final could elevate her to a qualification spot and she moved one step closer to that rarget by overcoming Pliskova, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(2).