British no.1 Johanna Konta came through two tough sets today 6-4 7-6, against Greece’s Maria Sakkari to advance to the next round at the Eastbourne International.
After the match, Konta said: “Maria played well, to be honest. Yeah, no, I’m pleased I was able to stay calm and also just a good perspective. I don’t think anything major happened. It was important to see it that way and see the good things that I was doing. Yeah, I mean, it could have easily gone to a third set, so I definitely wasn’t taking anything for granted out there. Yeah, just pleased to have just, yeah, kept a good perspective and just competed well.”
“I’m very pleased to come through that. I think there was so little in it and in both sets. Our points actually felt that she was playing better than me, so I was just really pleased that I was able to stay with her and create a few opportunities and take a few of them. So, yeah, pleased I have come through.”
She will face Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the third round, who she played back in 2015 in Sydney qualifying- a match that the Brit won comfortably in straight sets 6-2 6-2.
British player Dan Evans also came through today by beating Moldova’s Radu Albot 7-6 6-2. In the press conference, he said: “Today I felt a bit flat at the start but got into it. You know, I hung around a
lot last week, played dubs. So I was a bit lethargic at the start, but I thought I got going and I’m pretty happy with the end of that match. Yeah, it was a good match. It’s a great week for me.”
When asked about his thoughts about being back again competing in Eastbourne, Evans commented, “Yes, I mean, it’s nice to being back here, having another good match on grass before Wimbledon. That’s why I’m here. I like to play here on (the) grass, so I try to enjoy every match and every moment right now.”
Defending Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber had a tricky match-up as she played former top world 10 player, Samantha Stosur, but nevertheless prevailed in straight sets 6-4 6-4.
In her press conference, she discussed the differences between winning her maiden Grand Slam title in Australia and winning Wimbledon last year. “I think after I won Australia, a lot of things change. I mean, especially in Germany. It was so huge that someone after Steffi won the first Grand Slam, and, yeah, without expectation, I played in Australia and everything.”
“And of course then to winning Wimbledon as my third Grand Slam was even more special, because it was not just that I had the lucky draw or I just won my first one. It was my third one. And Wimbledon was always the tournament that I really would like to win one day.”
Other notable mentions are sixth seed Simona Halep taking out Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei 6-2 6-0 and Caroline Wozniacki beating Andrea Petkovic 6-4 6-4.
It was a light day session on tap at the Connecticut Open. Johanna Konta withdrew from the tournament and Carlo Suarez Navarro entered the round of 16.
Once the matches began, Annet Kontaveit got off to a slow start in New Haven this morning. Her opponent was replaced an hour before the match as Kiki Bertens pulled out with a ‘viral illness’-veiled injury that likely signals exhaustion on the part of the Western & Southern champion. Pauline Parmentier was lucky losered-in to face Kontaveit and the young Estonian promptly dropped the first set, 6-3. She came back from 2-2 in the second set to win four straight games for 6-2 and took that momentum into the third set for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory to become the last woman to enter the round of 16 at the Connecticut Open. It was the fifth time this year that Kontaveit has come back from a set down to win and her reward is a match with Monica Puig in the round of 16 tomorrow.
Anett Kontaveit, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)
They say everyone deserves a second chance and Belinda Bencic made the most of her opportunity to stand in as a lucky loser for Simona Halep, which conveniently came with a first round bye. In an error-filled first set by both players, it was ironic that Bencic had no trouble serving it out for 6-4. Bencic got the early break in the second set and almost never looked back. She’ll play the Wednesday winner of Sabalenka vs. Gavrilova.
2018 Women’s Australian Open Preview, Predictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
We have reached the first Grand Slam of 2018 as the Australian Open approaches. There will be plenty of sunshine and tennis to feast on over the next two weeks, and the womens draw looks as open as ever. Here is a rundown of what to expect in Melbourne.
Top Quarter:
Simona Halep enters a Grand Slam as the top seed for the first time in her career, and she opens as one of the favourites for the title. The Romanian has an interesting section with a few players who are capable of blowing her off the court. The world number one has shown she is vulnerable in early stages of major events when she is not firing, and with Petra Kvitova potentially waiting in the third round, we could see Halep exit another Grand Slam early. Combined with the fact you have in-form players such as Ashleigh Barty and Camila Giorgi, and young big hitters Naomi Osaka, Aryna Sabalenka and Oceane Dodin, the world number one will do well to come through this section.
Prediction: Halep def. Barty
Simona Halep
Karolina Pliskova is Halep’s projected quarter final adversary, and we do not know what her form is a like at the moment. The Czech lost to Elina Svitolina in Brisbane and did not look overly convincing in that match. We all know Pliskova can blow anyone off the court with her serve and effortless power, but she has not quite pulled it together during Grand Slams. That may open the door for Johanna Konta to make the last eight. The Brit has reached the quarter finals and semi finals in her two previous visits to Melbourne and if prior history has anything to do with it, she should make the last eight again.
Prediction: Konta def. Pliskova
Second Quarter:
There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Garbine Muguruza heading into the Australian Open. The Spaniard withdrew from both her warm up tournaments with injury and there are doubts about how far she can go in Melbourne. She can not be happy with her draw either. Muguruza could face former champions Angelique Kerber and Maria Sharapova on the way to the quarter finals. Kerber in particular is in excellent form heading into the tournament. The other seeds in the section are Agnieszka Radwanska and Anastasija Sevastova, both are awkward opponents with variety in their games. This is undoubtedly the strongest section in the draw.
Prediction: Kerber def. Muguruza
Caroline Garcia finished 2017 in the form of her life and that has led to some lofty expectations for 2018. The Frenchwoman comes into the Australian Open as an outside favourite, but a back injury has left her short of preparation. She is still a heavy favourite to make the last eight though with her biggest test probably being Madison Keys. The American can blow hot and cold, but she often brings her best to the big events. Kristina Mladenovic has landed in this section too, and it will be interesting to see if she can end her losing slump. The Frenchwoman has not won a match since last August and is on a 14-match losing streak.
Prediction: Garcia def. Keys
Third Quarter:
Venus Williams is a defending finalist in Melbourne, but there are a few players in her section who can mount an upset. The American opens against Belinda Bencic in arguably the most anticipated round one match as the young Swiss is finding her best form after a long injury layoff. Julia Goerges is arguably the most in form player on the tour at the moment. The German has won her last three tournaments and is certainly a name to look out for in this tournament. However there are some dangerous floaters in this section too with Australia’s Daria Gavrilova, the ever dangerous Ekaterina Makarova and Hobart champion Elise Mertens looking to cause an upset in this section of the draw.
Prediction: Goerges def. Venus
Daria Kasatkina (Photo: Tony Callaio)
Elina Svitolina heads into Melbourne as the favourite to lift the trophy in the eyes of many people, and it is easy to see why after her run in Brisbane. The Ukrainian has a pretty soft draw to the last eight too, with the out of form Sloane Stephens being her projected last 16 opponent, though it may end up being Daria Kasatkina. None of the seeds in this section are In good form, so Svitolina will be a huge favourite to advance to the last eight from this section.
Prediction: Svitolina def. Kasatkina
Bottom Quarter:
Jelena Ostapenko (Photo: Tony Callaio)
Jelena Ostapenko is the seventh seed in Melbourne and heads into the tournament in poor form having lost her previous two matches. The Latvian has shown she is capable of producing her tennis on the big stage though, she proved that at the French Open last season. This section is full of unpredictable players who can easily go far, making this quarter one to look out for. Ostapenko opens against Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone and could meet the promising Anett Kontaveit in the third round. Upsets could leave the door open for Coco Vandeweghe, who heads into the tournament as the 10th seed. The American is capable of producing big tennis on her day, but she like many others can often blow cold too. With former finalist Dominika Cibulkova, Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig and veterans Cara Suarez Navarro and Sam Stosur in this section, this feels like a section that could do either way.
Prediction: Ostapenko def. Cibulkova
Second seed Caroline Wozniacki has never won a Grand Slam before despite being a former world number one, but with the way thing stand, this may be her best chance yet to end that duck. Wozniacki has been drawn into the lighter half of the draw and is heavily favoured to make the semi finals from this section. The Dane has some dangerous seeds in her section such as Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Magdalena Rybarikova, and that is where she could fall into danger territory in the fourth round, but apart from that it should be plain sailing for the second seed until the last eight.
This is a hard slam to predict as there is no clear favourite to win. Despite the rumours of courts playing pretty quickly, form favours the defensive players so we could end up with some long semi finals. Kerber is in good form and I believe she will go deep if she continues that into Melbourne, but I think the winner comes from the bottom half. Both Wozniacki and Svitolina have good draws until the semi finals where they should meet each other. Despite the Ukrainian’s head to head advantage, she could falter on the big stage here and I think Wozniacki’s experience will tell.
TOP TENNERS @JOKONTA91, @CAROGARCIA CONFIRMED FOR CHARLESTON @VOLVOCAROPEN ALONG WITH WTA NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR @CICIBELLIS99
Jo Konta (Tennis Atlantic)
DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. – World No. 8 Caroline Garcia, World No. 9 Johanna Konta and WTA Newcomer of the Year Catherine ‘CiCi’ Bellis have committed to play in the Volvo Car Open’s main draw for 2018. The two top 10 players, Garcia and Konta, and 18-year-old Bellis, will be joined in the growing Charleston player field by defending Volvo Car Open champion Daria Kasatkina, U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová and U.S. Open finalist Madison Keys.
The Volvo Car Open will take place March 31 – April 8, 2018 on Daniel Island in Charleston, South Carolina.
Cici Bellis
Next year will be the first time playing in the Volvo Car Open main draw for Konta and Bellis. Garcia will compete for the sixth time in the Volvo Car Open singles field. She won the Charleston doubles title in 2016, the same year she won the doubles title in Roland Garros.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Caroline, Jo and CiCi to Charleston,” said Eleanor Adams, Volvo Car Open Tournament Manager. “We pride ourselves on supporting a wide-range of talent, and we are proud of how the 2018 field is shaping up. It features many new faces competing in our tournament, and we know our fans are going to love interacting and rooting for these ladies!”
The three newest additions to the Charleston field each found success on the court this past season.
France’s Garcia won two back-to-back singles titles in 2017 in Wuhan and Beijing, respectively, before qualifying for the WTA Finals where she reached the semifinals. On her way to the Beijing title, she defeated Simona Halep and Elina Svitolina, ranked No. 2 and No. 3 at the time. Her match against Svitolina was named the ‘Best Match of the Year’ by WTA, as Garcia completed a three-set, three-hour unseeded victory over Svitolina by saving match point. She also reached four semifinals and three quarterfinals this year, and had her first top 10 season of her career.
Konta also won two tournaments in 2017, in Sydney and Miami. Her Miami Open win solidified her first WTA Premier title, the best of her career, to date, and the biggest by any British woman in 40 years. Additionally, Konta reached the finals in Nottingham, the semifinals of Wimbledon, Eastbourne and Shenzhen and quarterfinals of Cincinnati and the Australian Open. She closed out the year with her second top 10 season.
Bellis was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year winner in October 2017, which was voted upon by international tennis media. Due to injury the American missed the beginning part of the 2017 season, however her successes this year include several tennis firsts for the teenager. She reached her first Premier-level semifinal in Stanford and her first Premier 5 quarterfinal in Dubai, where she defeated Agnieszka Radwanska for her first top 10 win. She also made the semifinals in Mallorca and the third round of the French Open. She reached a career-high ranking of No. 35 in August.
The nine-day Volvo Car Open is the largest women’s-only tennis tournament in North America, attracting an average of 90,000 attendees and more than 100 of the top singles and doubles tennis players.
Tickets for the 2018 Volvo Car Open are available now. Patrons can choose from individual tickets, ticket packages and travel packages. Ticket prices range from $25 for an individual session to $525 for the all-inclusive weeklong package. The Volvo Car Open is providing six special packages in 2018, each offering more tennis at a greater value. In addition, the PowerShares Series returns to the Volvo Car Stadium on April 7th. The men’s legends event features Andy Roddick, Mark Philippoussis, Tommy Haas and one additional player to be announced at a later date.
We have reached the Big Apple for the final grand slam of the year and there is not only the US Open to fight for, but also the world number one ranking.
128 will enter Flushing Meadows, but only one woman will be crowned champion at the end of the fortnight. Here is a rundown of the draw for the 2017 US Open.
Top Quarter
Karolina Pliskova, 2017 US Open
World number one Karolina Pliskova has finals points to defend here and it is likely she will have to make that stage again if she is to keep the top spot. The Czech has a good draw ahead of her though with the first seeded player being Shuai Zhang. Kristina Mladenovic is projected for the fourth round, but the Frenchwoman’s lack of form and fitness issues may lead to another early exit. Look for Barbora Strycova to take advantage and possibly meet her compatriot in the round of 16.
The bottom half of this quarter seems more stacked and closely contested than the top half. Svetlana Kuznetsova is the highest seed and should be good enough for the third round at least. From there, it could get interesting with Anett Kontaveit, Lucie Safarova or Cici Bellis waiting in the wings. Agnieszka Radwanska is yet to break her Grand Slam curse, and if she is to do so here she will do it as the tenth seed. Coco Vandeweghe is her biggest test before a potential fourth round against Kuznetsova.
Second Quarter
Madison Keys, 2017 US Open
Elina Svitolina is one of the tournament favourites for the US Open as she looks to claim her first Grand Slam title. The Ukrainian has a tough opener against Katerina Siniakova, but the third round clash with the in form Daria Gavrilova could be her toughest first week opponent. Round four is projected to be Madison Keys, but she has a tough first round against Elise Mertens to worry about first. Elena Vesnina is the first seeded opponent for the American.
Angelique Kerber is the defending champion here, which is hard to believe given how underwhelming she has been in 2017. The German faces big hitting youngster Naomi Osaka in one of the picks of the opening round matches. Lesia Tsurenko is the first seeded opponent she will face, but things get really interesting in round four as Kerber could face French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has also landed in this section alongside dangerous unseeded player Daria Kasatkina.
Third Quarter Garbine Muguruza has been in good form since Wimbledon and is in many people’s mind the favourite to go the distance in New York. The Spaniard has a good draw to the second week with Magdalena Rybarikova being the toughest opponent before round four. Petra Kvitova is projected to face Muguruza at this point, but her inconsistency could open the door for Caroline Garcia to make the second week of a third straight slam.
The US Open might be Caroline Wozniacki’s best shot at winning a maiden Grand Slam crown, and with the openness of the draw, she could very well go all the way. The Dane has some dangerous players in her section such as Ekaterina Makarova and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Venus Williams has an outside shot of claiming the number one ranking if results go her way, and given her form this year you can not rule out the elder Williams sister prevailing. Venus plays Kiki Bertens in round three, her toughest opponent before the potential Wozniacki clash.
Bottom Quarter
The bottom quarter of this draw features the headline match of the opening round as Maria Sharapova faces second seed Simona Halep. It is not an ideal draw for either player, but it is the pick of the round one matches for the fans. Outside of the opening round, the draw looks good for the winner. Sevastova is the trickiest player in the section and is projected for the fourth round.
Johanna Konta has not had the best preparation for the US Open, but the Brit is still among the outside favourites for the title. Konta’s toughest match in the first week comes in the form of Germany’s Julia Goerges, a big hitter who has resurged somewhat this season. Dominika Cibulkova will be hoping for a good grand slam run at Flushing Meadows, but she has some tough matches including Sloane Stephens in round two and Ana Konjuh in round three.
For the most part I believe the seeds will hold up. There are many players capable of upsets, but they are so inconsistent, it is hard to back them. The only non top eight seed I have predicted to make the quarter finals is Venus, but that could easily be wrong too.
These two matches can go either way but I have favoured the fourth and third seeds to get the job done. Pliskova will feel the pressure of keeping her ranking whilst Muguruza has a good record against Halep.
Final:
Muguruza def. Svitolina
I have predicted this final before at the French Open and somehow I have done it again. The draw can go either way, but Muguruza’s form should carry her far and the Spaniard seems to step up in the latter stages. That is why I have gone for her to win the final and take the crown. She seems much better at handling pressure after winning Wimbledon, and she can do well here despite her poor record.
2017 WTA Rogers Cup Preview, Predictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
The North American hard court swing is now in full effect as the tour heads to Canada for the Toronto Premier event. Here is a rundown of the draw for the upcoming tournament.
Top quarter:
Karolina Pliskova is back in action as the number one player in the world, and she will be aiming to seal that ranking with another Premier title. The Czech has a first round bye and will face either Alize Cornet or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round. Anastasija Sevastova is projected for round three, and the Latvian has a good draw with Lauren Davis first followed by the winner of an all-qualifier match. Sevastova has a winning record against Pliskova, so that could be an interesting third round match-up.
Caroline Wozniacki’s stellar year has seen her re-enter the top ten, but the Dane has yet to clinch a title in 2017. Can she go all the way in Toronto? After an opening round bye, the sixth seed will face a qualifier in round two. Agnieszka Radwanska is projected for round three, but the Pole has struggled this season with nagging injuries and could face an early exit to Coco Vandeweghe. It looks likely that the American will be Wozniacki’s third round opponent.
Angelique Kerber’s defense of her number one ranking did not go as planned, and with the US Open title defense looming, the German needs form and needs it fast. The third seed could open against Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard in the second round, which could be a tough match-up. Petra Kvitova is the seeded player in her section and we could see an all-lefty battle in the third round. The Czech faces Carla Suarez Navarro first though, then either Sloane Stephens or Yulia Putintseva.
Johanna Konta is in search of her second Premier title of the year, but she has a difficult draw ahead of her. The Brit faces either Ekaterina Makarova or Shuai Peng first, with Dominika Cibulkova the first seeded player in her section. The Slovakian opens her tournament against Lesia Tsurenko before facing Lucie Safarova or Francois Abanda. Cibulkova and Konta have met twice before and each share a straight sets victory.
Elina Svitolina continues her quest to finish the year as the world number one, and winning the Toronto title would go a long way to achieving that goal. The Ukrainian faces either Daria Kasatkina or Roberta Vinci. Venus Williams is projected for round three, and this is one of the more anticipated round three matches in the draw. The American has a decent draw to the third round with Katerina Siniakova being the toughest possible opponent.
Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza has looked in decent form since winning the SW19 title, a contrast to the pressure she felt after winning the French Open last year. The Spaniard could rematch Ana Konjuh, who she beat in Stanford in the second round. Elena Vesnina is projected for the third round, but the Russian could have a difficult time with Alison Riske and Oceane Dodin. It is overall a good draw for Muguruza and she should make the last eight.
Bottom Quarter:
Simona Halep is also battling for the right to be called the world number one, but after retiring in Washington, is the Romanian at full fitness for Toronto? The second seed has a tough opener against a big hitter in either Madison Keys or Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Kristina Mladenovic is the third round seeded opponent, but the Frenchwoman’s early season form has halted with a back problem. Therefore she could struggle to get past Barbora Strycova in the first round. Daria Gavriova will likely await the winner.
Svetlana Kuznetsova will stand as a dark horse for the title like she is in most tournaments, but the Russian has some tough players in her draw. Julia Goerges and Cici Bellis both showed good form last week and could be a tough second round for the eighth seed. Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko has landed in this section, and whilst a qualifier in round one should not be much trouble, Caroline Garcia in round two will be a stern test for the 12th seed.
I am backing the world number one to lift the Rogers Cup, but it is not a confident prediction. The draw is stacked and very well balanced, meaning there are many feasible winners of the tournament.
Novak Djokovic recorded his first victory of the grass court season with a 6-4 6-3 win over Vasek Pospisil on a rain-curtailed day at the Eastbourne International.
The Serb, making his debut appearance and Eastbourne and his first appearance in a Wimbledon warm-up for seven years, proved too strong for his Canadian opponent who reached the last eight a fortnight ago in s’Hertogenbosch.
There was also success for Eastbourne’s Johanna Konta, who rattled past Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-2 in a rematch of their controversial Great Britain-Romania Fed Cup encounter in April. Konta was scheduled to return last on Centre to duel French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, but was halted by the weather.
Meanwhile, world number one Angelique Kerber improved her chances of holding onto the spot with a battling performance against Kristyna Pliskova, in which she prevailed 7-5 in the third set – but only after Pliskova failed to serve out the win. Her closest rival Simona Halep came through her first match of the day in three over Ying Ying Duan, but found herself a set down to grass specialist Tsvetana Pironkova before rain brought proceedings to an end at around 5pm.
Elsewhere, Richard Gasquet escaped from a set and a break down against American 19-year-old Frances Tiafoe to reach the second round on Court 1, ultimately coming through 5-7 7-6(4) 6-3.
Djokovic gets the job done
Djokovic, now world number four, was first on Centre Court to complete his second-round match which briefly began on Tuesday.
Pospisil was an apt first test for the Serb given he has already acclimatised himself to the grass this year and after a wobble in the first game on Tuesday – where he had to save two break points – he managed to knuckle down on his serve on Wednesday, before landing the decisive blow with a break of serve in the 10th game of the first set.
The Canadian was presented with another chance in the fifth game of the second set, but failed to make good of it as Djokovic held and then promptly broke in the next for a 4-2 lead. He then closed out the match three games later, converting on his second match.
Djokovic was in typically jovial mood after the contest, but spoke of how he finds it “good” that there is – at least perceived – less expectation on him for Wimbledon next week.
“For a change it’s good to not be one of the top favourites. It is liberating a bit, it releases a bit of the pressure,” he said.
“But the pressure is always there, you still feel it. It’s part of who I am, what I do. I try to lower them [expectations] as much as I can. In this stage of my life and career, it’s trying to focus only on what comes up next, which doesn’t mean that I don’t want to win the trophies and so forth,” added Djokovic.
Djokovic will face American Donald Young in the quarter-finals on Thursday after the latter knocked out countryman Jared Donaldson with a 6-4 7-5 win.
Tiafoe falls short
Embed from Getty Images
Tiafoe often looked prime for a breakthrough win over Frenchman Gasquet, especially after moving up 7-5 2-0 on a misfiring and occasionally irritated opponent.
However, he opened the door by dropping serve straight after breaking, and despite forging opportunities in the back end of the set, he froze at big moments – missing two break points to go 5-3 clear and slipping from a 30-0 advantage on Gasquet’s serve as he tried to stay in the match.
Gasquet won the tiebreak 7-4 and doubled the pain soon after, breaking the Tiafoe serve to 15 to establish an immediate two-game lead. To the American’s credit he dug in and forced Gasquet to serve it out – saving a match point at 2-5 – but the world number 27 did, and Tiafoe will be left to rue his chances.
Mischa Zverev moved through with a 6-4 7-6(9) victory over Ryan Harrison, while Daniil Medvedev thwarted big-serving Sam Querrey, prevailing 6-3 7-5.
Caroline Wozniacki fought past Naomi Osaka 6-2 7-6 on Court 2, and China’s Peng Shuai won a topsy-turvy three-set match with Timea Bacsinszky. But Spain’s Garbine Muguruza suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of an impressive Barbora Strycova, winning just one game in a 6-1 6-0 rout.
Thursday’s schedule
With rain playing spoiler again, it’s another packed schedule on Thursday, with a few players set to have to compete twice again.
First on Centre are Gael Monfils and Cameron Norrie (Monfils leads 6-3 2-0) to finish their second round match, after which Djokovic and Young will take to the court. Ostapenko and Konta unsurprisingly keep Centre Court billing for the third match of the afternoon.
On Court 1, Steve Johnson will look to finish off Italian qualifier Thomas Fabbiano from 6-3 2-2 before Wozniacki plays Elena Vesnina. Kerber then faces Lara Arruabarrena with the prospect of taking on Ostapenko or Konta later in the day – the match is provisionally scheduled for Court 1, although it could potentially move to Centre.
Dusan Lajovic and John Isner will complete their match on Court 2, with Kristina Mladenovic v Svetlana Kuznetsova to follow. As the day draws to a close, the yet-to-be-confirmed women’s and men’s quarter-finals will take place.
Halep and Pironkova will finish on Court 4 after Kevin Anderson and Gasquet play their second rounder. Wildcard Heather Watson versus Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is also on that court as a last 16 match.
Play is due to get under way on all courts at 10.30am local time.
Withdrawn from @VolvoCarOpen, @JoKonta91 Reflects on @MiamiOpen Win and Future Plans Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic
Jo Konta withdrew from the Volvo Car Open due to a right shoulder injury sustained during her run to the title at the Miami Open last week. The 25-year-old from Eastbourne reached a new career high ranking of #7. Konta was kind enough to meet with the press following the announcement. She did not commit to a return date on the tour.
Jo Konta (Tennis Atlantic)
Two years ago, Konta was playing tennis in the South. ITF Tennis, that it is, marching through Pelham and Dothan, a long way from the green clay of this premier level event.
“On paper, it may look a little overnight success, but it’s been many, many years,” she said about her career trajectory. “It wasn’t a light-bulb moment. That was one of the best trips I had in terms of personal growth and self-awareness on how I wanted to be on-court and how I wanted to be off-court.”
Jo Konta (Tennis Atlantic)
“I’m really sad I’m not playing here,” she said. “Ever since I knew I was coming to the event last year, I was so looking forward to coming to this tournament. I’d been here once previously many, many years ago, and my dad really, really wanted to come here as well. He’s always wanted to visit the South in the US and he hasn’t been able to yet, so I think next time when I come back, one, I would really love to be playing and two, I think it will be a family affair.”
On court on Monday, former Charleston champions Jelena Jankovic and Andrea Petkovic advanced, and Alison Riske defeated Kayla Day in an all-American first round match. Play was suspended due to rain and will resume at 10:00 a.m.
VOLVO CAR OPEN – CHARLESTON, SC, USA
$776,000
APRIL 3 – 9, 2017
RESULTS – APRIL 03, 2017
Women’s
Singles – First Round
M. Puig (PUR) d [16] K. Siniakova (CZE) 46 62 41 Retired ( Low Back Injury )
N. Osaka (JPN) d J. Larsson (SWE) 67(4) 64 62
K. Bondarenko (UKR) d E. Rodina (RUS) 64 75
J. Ostapenko (LAT) d [Q] A. Bogdan (ROU) 64 62
A. Petkovic (GER) d L. Arruabarrena (ESP) 75 62
[LL] O. Jabeur (TUN) d M. Erakovic (NZL) 64 61
L. Siegemund (GER) d L. Tsurenko (UKR) 67(6) 62 76(4)
J. Jankovic (SRB) d E. Alexandrova (RUS) 60 64
A. Riske (USA) d [WC] K. Day (USA) 75 46 60
ORDER OF PLAY – TUESDAY, APRIL 04, 2017
VOLVO CAR STADIUM start 10:00 am
M. Sakkari (GRE) vs [14] L. Davis (USA)
Not Before 12:00 noon
[Q] V. Cepede Royg (PAR) vs S. Rogers (USA) 31 To finish
[Q] S. Kenin (USA) vs [WC] B. Mattek-Sands (USA)
[15] L. Safarova (CZE) vs V. Lepchenko (USA)
Not Before 7:00 pm
[6] S. Stosur (AUS) vs J. Jankovic (SRB)
[3] H. Chan (TPE) / Y. Chan (TPE) vs A. Groenefeld (GER) / K. Peschke (CZE)
ALTHEA GIBSON CLUB COURT start 10:00 am
J. Brady (USA) vs M. Barthel (GER)
Not Before 12:00 noon
Y. Duan (CHN) vs [Q] A. Rodionova (AUS)
[11] M. Lucic-Baroni (CRO) vs [Q] A. Krunic (SRB)
[LL] G. Min (USA) vs S. Errani (ITA)
L. Chirico (USA) vs A. Beck (GER)
COURT 3 start 10:00 am
M. Linette (POL) vs [12] Y. Putintseva (KAZ)
Not Before 12:00 noon
[Q] A. Muhammad (USA) vs [Q] F. Stollar (HUN)
C. Buyukakcay (TUR) vs [10] I. Begu (ROU)
M. Doi (JPN) vs [13] S. Zhang (CHN)
R. Atawo (USA) / J. Ostapenko (LAT) vs I. Begu (ROU) / L. Siegemund (GER)
COURT 4 start 10:00 am
D. Kasatkina (RUS) vs D. Kovinic (MNE)
Not Before 12:00 noon
K. Kucova (SVK) vs [Q] S. Soler-Espinosa (ESP) 57 75 22 To finish
After Suitable Rest – J. Brady (USA) / A. Riske (USA) vs L. Davis (USA) / S. Rogers (USA)
After Suitable Rest – A. Muhammad (USA) / T. Townsend (USA) vs D. Jurak (CRO) / A. Rodionova (AUS)
After a compelling month of Premier mandatories in Indian Wells and Miami, the WTA moves to Charleston and down the border to Monterrey. Here’s your CHS.
The tour once again returns to the Green clay of Charleston. There is no tournament like this in the calendar, and it promises to be another exciting edition of the Volvo Car Open with a wide open draw.
Top Quarter:
Madison Keys enters Charleston as the top seed but not the favourite given the surface. With her big serve and flat groundstrokes, clay can often nullify power players, but this is a faster clay court than the red clay of Europe, so Keys will be dangerous to anyone in the draw. The top seed gets a BYE into round two where she could face fellow American Shelby Rogers. There could be an interesting quarter final against Naomi Osaka on the cards, providing the Japanese gets past Johanna Larsson and Shaui Zhang. Keys defeated the Japanese teenager handily in Indian Wells, and whilst I expect a closer match this time around, I expect the American to prevail.
As a former Roland Garros semi finalist, Kiki Bertens knows what it takes to succeed on clay. Can she have more success in Charleston? Bertens will be expected to make it to the quarter finals where she could face Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. The Croatian has been in good form this year, but despite that she can be streaky. However she is the most reliable prediction in the section to make the last eight given how good her form has been. Keys in front of a home crowd could prove too powerful for Lucic-Baroni in the quarter finals.
Prediction: Keys def. Lucic-Baroni
Second Quarter:
Elena Vesnina put in a career best performance to win the Indian Wells title, but suffered a hangover in Miami where she lost in round two. Will she get back to form in Charleston? The Russian has a good draw to the quarter finals as her second round match will be against a qualifier. Jelena Ostapenko or Lauren Davis will provide a tough test in the third round, but I expect Vesnina to make it through.
Caroline Wozniacki had a good fortnight in Miami but unfortunately for her it ended in final defeat to Johanna Konta. Can she make up for it in Charleston? Clay has never been her most successful surface, but the Dane is in good stead heading into the tournament. She will be expected to get past Louisa Chirico or Annika Beck, but Daria Gavrilova could pose a tough challenge in the third round. I have Wozniacki making the last four and setting up a great match against Keys.
Prediction: Wozniacki def. Vesnina
Third Quarter:
2004 champion Venus Williams enters Charleston as one of the favourites, but she has a tough draw ahead if she is to make it to the last eight. Laura Siegemund or Lesia Tsurenko will await in the second round, but the third is where it really heats up against former French open finalist Lucie Safarova. This is a close match to call as the Czech is naturally more suited to clay, but Venus is in better form and in front of a home crowd so I will pick the American.
This quarter features another ex champion, Andrea Petkovic, who is a potential second round opponent for the eighth seeded Anastasija Sevastova. The German has lost her way though and could lose in the opening round to Lara Arruabarrena. It should come down to the two seeded players in this section, and I am picking Yulia Putintseva over the Latvian. However Venus should have too much in the quarter finals for the Kazakh.
Prediction: Venus def. Putintseva
Konta
Fourth Quarter:
The bottom half is headlined by Miami champion Johanna Konta who enters Charleston fresh off her biggest title to date. Clay has not been the best surface for the Brit in the past, but the faster version of Charleston coupled with her confidence means that Konta may just be the pre-tournament favourite. She will open her campaign against Kayla day or Alison Riske before moving on to what could be a difficult third round. Daria Kasatkina, Monica Puig and Katerina Siniakova are all capable of an upset, and given the potential fatigue that could very well happen.
That could leave the door open for a god run from Sam Stosur. The Aussie is a former French Open finalist and her game suits the clay with the heavy top spin forehand being her biggest weapon. Stosur could face former world number one Jelena Jankovic In the second round, Irina Begu is the projected third round opponent. I can see Stosur getting through this quarter and making the semi finals despite the tough draw.
Wozniacki may feel the effects of her Miami Open run so may end up losing to Keys. Venus vs Stosur is difficult to call but I am saying Venus makes the final.
Final:
Venus def. Keys
Experience will prevail in this All-American final.
After a compelling month of Premier mandatories in Indian Wells and Miami, the WTA moves to Charleston and down the border to Monterrey. Here is a preview for both of the week’s events.
Charleston
The tour once again returns to the Green clay of Charleston. There is no tournament like this on the calendar and it promises to be another exciting edition of the Volvo Car Open with a wide open draw.
Top Quarter:
Madison Keys enters Charleston as the top seed but not the favourite given the surface. With her big serve and flat groundstrokes, clay can often nullify power players, but this is a faster clay court than the red clay of Europe, so Keys will be dangerous to anyone in the draw. The top seed gets a bye into round two where she could face fellow American Shelby Rogers. There could be an interesting quarter final against Naomi Osaka in the cards, providing the Japanese gets past Johanna Larsson and Shaui Zhang. Keys defeated the Japanese teenager handily in Indian Wells, and whilst I expect a closer match this time around, I expect the American to prevail.
As a former Roland Garros semi finalist, Kiki Bertens knows what it takes to succeed on clay. Can she have more success in Charleston? Bertens will be expected to make it to the quarter finals where she could face Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. The Croatian has been in good form this year, but despite that she can be streaky. However, she is the most reliable prediction in the section to make the last eight given how good her form has been. Keys in front of a home crowd could prove too powerful for Lucic-Baroni in the quarter finals.
Prediction: Keys def. Lucic-Baroni
Second Quarter:
Elena Vesnina put in a career best performance to win the Indian Wells title, but suffered a hangover in Miami where she lost in round two. Will she get back to form in Charleston? The Russian has a good draw to the quarter finals as her second round match will be against a qualifier. Jelena Ostapenko or Lauren Davis will provide a tough test in the third round, but I expect Vesnina to make it through.
Caroline Wozniacki had a good fortnight in Miami but unfortunately for her it ended in a final defeat to Johanna Konta. Can she make up for it in Charleston? Clay has never been her most successful surface, but the Dane is in good stead heading into the tournament. She will be expected to get past Louisa Chirico or Annika Beck, but Daria Gavrilova could pose a tough challenge in the third round. I have Wozniacki making the last four and setting up a great match against Keys.
Prediction: Wozniacki def. Vesnina
Third Quarter:
2004 champion Venus Williams enters Charleston as one of the favourites, but she has a tough draw ahead if she is to make it to the last eight. Laura Siegemund or Lesia Tsurenko will await in the second round, but the third is where it really heats up against former French open finalist Lucie Safarova. This is a close match to call as the Czech is naturally more suited to clay, but Venus is in better form and in front of a home crowd, so I will pick the American.
The 50-Foot Petko!
This quarter features another ex-champion, Andrea Petkovic, who is a potential second round opponent for the eighth seeded Anastasija Sevastova. The German has lost her way though and could lose in the opening round to Lara Arruabarrena. It should come down to the two seeded players in this section, and I am picking Yulia Putintseva over the Latvian. However, Venus should have too much in the quarter finals for the Kazakh.
Prediction: Venus def. Putintseva
Fourth Quarter:
The bottom half is headlined by Miami champion Johanna Konta, who enters Charleston fresh off her biggest title to date. Clay has not been the best surface for the Brit in the past, but the faster version of Charleston coupled with her confidence means that Konta may just be the pre-tournament favourite. She will open her campaign against Kayla Day or Alison Riske before moving on to what could be a difficult third round. Daria Kasatkina, Monica Puig and Katerina Siniakova are all capable of an upset and given the potential fatigue, that could very well happen.
That could leave the door open for a good run from Sam Stosur. The Aussie is a former French Open finalist and her game suits the clay with the heavy top spin forehand being her biggest weapon. Stosur could face former world number one Jelena Jankovic in the second round. Irina Begu is the projected third round opponent. I could see Stosur getting through this quarter and making the semi finals despite the tough draw.
Wozniacki may feel the effects of her Miami Open run so may end up losing to Keys. Venus vs Stosur is difficult to call but I am predicting Venus in the final.
Final:
Venus def. Keys
Experience will prevail in this All-American final.
Monterrey
The tour heads south of the border and down Mexico way for the Monterrey Open. World number one Angelique Kerber is the top seed.
Top Quarter:
The top seed is the heavy favourite to take home the title, and faces former grand slam champion Francesca Schiavone in the first round. The opening two rounds should be no problem for the German, but things will get tougher against fellow lefty Ekaterina Makarova in the last eight. The Russian has the tools to upset Kerber, but I think the top seed will advance this time around.
Prediction: Kerber def. Makarova
Second Quarter:
Carla Suarez Navarro has had a poor start to the year, but the Spaniard will look to climb back into the top 20 starting with a win in Monterrey. The fourth seed has tough matches from the get go though, as Alison Van Uytvanck awaits in the first round, then likely Eugenie Bouchard in round two. Alize Cornet is projected for the quarter finals, and with the recent struggles I can see the Frenchwoman upsetting Suarez Navarro.
Prediction: Cornet def. Suarez Navarro
Third Quarter:
Monterrey feels like a tournament for out-of-form players looking to turn their fortunes around. Caroline Garcia could be classed in that category of players needing a boost in confidence, and as the third seed she could find the wins she needs. Madison Brengle could be a tough match for the Frenchwoman in the second round, as could be Christina McHale in the quarter finals. But as a former finalist here, Garcia should be accustomed to the courts and will be favourite to make the last eight.
Prediction: Garcia def. McHale
Fourth Quarter:
Monterrey will also serve as a good chance for Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to claim a title. The Russian is the second seed and will be confident of making the semi finals at the least, but her inconsistent nature may come back to haunt her. Timea Babos could take advantage and make the quarter finals herself if she plays well. This will be an interesting quarter final either way.
Prediction: Babos def. Pavlyuchenkova
Semi Finals:
Kerber def. Cornet
Garcia def. Babos
Kerber should be too much for the game Cornet in the semi finals. I favour Garcia over Babos on this court, but that is a tough match to call as both are inconsistent.
Final:
Kerber def. Garcia
A nice style contrast in the final, but surely this time the world number one will prevail. She needs a title win and with this field it should really come to Kerber. Garcia will have a good week but will collect another runners up trophy in Monterrey.
Tennis Atlantic 