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West Virginia to Become Temporary Capital of Tennis World as @FTiafoe, @GenieBouchard, Jack Sock, @MilosRaonic & @MonicaAce93 Puig Join 2020 @WorldTeamTennis

Posted by Admin on June 16, 2020
Posted in: World Team Tennis. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Frances Tiafoe, Western & Southern Open, Photo: Tennis Atlantic

West Virginia to Become Temporary Capital of Tennis World as @FTiafoe, @GenieBouchard, Jack Sock, @MilosRaonic & @MonicaAce93 Puig Join 2020 @WorldTeamTennis

RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. (June 16, 2020) – World TeamTennis has added several prominent tennis stars to an already jam-packed lineup of roster players set to compete during the 45th season of World TeamTennis, taking place at The Greenbrier “America’s Resort” in White Sulphur Springs, W.V.

WTT has announced that each player will play the entire three-week regular season, scheduled for July 12-30, with the WTT Semifinals (Aug. 1) and WTT Final (Aug. 2) to follow.

Monica Puig, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Monica Puig, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Rising American Frances Tiafoe, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig, three-time Grand Slam doubles champion Jack Sock and two former Wimbledon singles finalists from Canada – Milos Raonic and Genie Bouchard – will play World TeamTennis this season, joining previously announced players such as reigning Australian Open singles champion Sofia Kenin, 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens and Mike and Bob Bryan, tennis’ all-time winningest doubles team. In addition, six-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters will join U.S. Davis Cup captain Mardy Fish playing for the New York Empire in 2020.

Genie Bouchard, 2017 Citi Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

Genie Bouchard, 2017 Citi Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

“I can’t wait for the WTT season to start,” Tiafoe said. “I’ve played WTT for the last three years on the Kastles for some of their home matches in D.C.  I’m excited to go to The Greenbrier to play there for the Kastles next month. Everyone knows 2020 has been a rough year so far. I am definitely looking forward to competing at such a historic venue in such a relaxed setting.”

Sloane Stephens, 2018 US Open (Getty)

Sloane Stephens of the US hits a return to Evgenlya Rodina of Russia during their 2018 US Open women’s match August 27, 2018 in New York. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) (Photo credit should read KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images)

Added Sloane Stephens: “I’ve played WTT for, I think, six years now, and it’s always something I look forward to. Especially this year. I know we all miss playing tennis and seeing our friends on the tour, so I’m excited to get to The Greenbrier and get in that environment again. WTT always does such a great job with creating a fun, but competitive, season so I’m ready for that. Plus, I’m playing on Chicago’s team, which is cool because Kamau (Murray) is the coach, so that will be fun.”

Kenin, the 21-year-old Floridian who currently sits at a career-high No. 4 singles ranking in the world, will play for the Philadelphia Freedoms. The Vegas Rollers will feature 2017 Wimbledon semifinalist Sam Querrey and the Bryan Brothers.

Two-time Australian Open quarterfinalist Tennys Sandgren will play for the Orlando Storm while doubles specialists Rajeev Ram (Chicago Smash), 2019 WTT Finals MVP Robert Lindstedt (Springfield Lasers) and brothers Neal (New York Empire) and Ken Skupski (Orlando) return this season.

The San Diego Aviators will boast three past Grand Slam doubles champions in Coco Vandeweghe (2018 US Open), Ryan Harrison (2017 French Open) and Nicole Melichar (2018 Wimbledon). Two-time NCAA singles champion Danielle Collins (Virginia in 2014, 2016) will play for Orlando and two-time NCAA singles champion Steve Johnson (with USC in 2011-2012) will lead the Orange County (Calif.) Breakers.

“Our player rosters are the strongest we’ve ever fielded for a WTT season and include multiple players with Grand Slam titles,” WTT CEO Carlos Silva said. “We have a sampling of current stars like Sloane (Stephens), Sofia (Kenin), Vegas Rollers teammates Sam Querrey and Mike and Bob Bryan, as well as a look at tennis’ future impact players with Brandon Nakashima and Caty McNally. Tennis fans are starving to see some great action on the courts and that’s what we plan to deliver all season.”

World TeamTennis’ schedule will include at least three matches per day at Center Court at Creekside, The Greenbrier’s outdoor stadium. Fans can purchase tickets at www.WTTTickets.com.

The following are the player rosters and coaches for the 2020 WTT season (subject to change with future additions):

Chicago Smash: Brandon Nakashima, Sloane Stephens, Evan King, Genie Bouchard, Rajeev Ram: Coach: Kamau Murray

New York Empire: Mardy Fish, Jack Sock, Kim Clijsters, Sabine Lisicki, Neal Skupski, Kveta Peschke. Coach: Luke Jensen

Orange County (Calif.) Breakers: Steve Johnson, Luke Bambridge, Andreja Klepac, Milos Raonic. Coach: Rick Leach

Orlando Storm: James Ward, Danielle Collins, Ken Skupski, Darija Jurak, Tennys Sandgren. Coach: Jay Gooding

Philadelphia Freedoms: Donald Young, Taylor Townsend, Fabrice Martin, Caroline Dolehide, Sofia Kenin. Coach: Craig Kardon

San Diego Aviators: Ryan Harrison, Christina McHale, Jonny O’Mara, Nicole Melichar, Coco Vandeweghe. Coach: John Lloyd

Springfield (Mo.) Lasers: Mitchell Krueger, Olga Govortsova, Robert Lindstedt, Hayley Carter, Jean-Julien Rojer, Caty McNally. Coach: John-Laffnie de Jager

Vegas Rollers: Sam Querrey, Kristie Ahn, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Asia Muhammad, Monica Puig. Coach: Tim Blenkiron

Washington (D.C.) Kastles: Marcelo Arevalo, Bernarda Pera, Nick Monroe, Arina Rodionova, Frances Tiafoe. Coach: Robby Ginepri

All of WTT’s 2020 regular season and playoff matches will be televised on CBS, CBS Sports Network, Tennis Channel or the ESPN family of networks. In addition, select matches will be live-streamed on ESPN+, Facebook Watch or WTT.com. World TeamTennis’ complete season broadcast schedule will be announced on WTT.com at a later date.

Safety guidelines have been put into place by World TeamTennis with guidance of local and state government officials in West Virginia and an adherence to all health and safety protocols set forth by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Every fan at The Greenbrier will be required to pass a temperature check of 100.4 degrees before entering the grounds. All fans will be checked a second time before entering the outdoor stadium, Center Court at Creekside, or indoor court for any matches and will be denied entry should they fail the temperature check.

—S. Pratt

 

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Kudla, Jabeur Among Early Qualifiers on @CincyTennis Sunday; Strycova, Puig Out

Posted by Admin on August 11, 2019
Posted in: ATP, Washington, Western & Southern Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Kudla, Jabeur Among Early Qualifiers on @CincyTennis Sunday; Strycova, Puig Out
Steve Fogleman in Mason

Ons Jabeur, 2019 Western & Southern Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

It’s easily been some of the loveliest August tennis-watching weather I remember in Cincinnati qualifying, and it’s always reassuring to see jammed stands and practice sessions. Soon the crescendo of the American tour will begin, as the tennis world moves onto New York. That’s a world away from the smell of the chili in Mason and, I’ve said it before, this is America’s U.S. Open. After the Open, the world of tennis shrinks for me. The Challengers, where dozens cheer, kick up in the fall and while there are quality offerings all over the country, there’s something beautiful in the way Cincinnati serves its experience. This moring was no exception.

Denis Kudla, 2019 Western & Southern Open (Photo: Mike Renz for TennisAtlantic.com)

Denis Kudla had a packed Court 4 of American supporters, and he became the first man to book a trip to the main draw here today with a solid 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over 20-year-old Aussie Alexei Popyrin. Ons Jabeur was the first women’s qualifier of the day, winning 11 straight games en route to a thrashing of crowd favorite Andrea Petkovic, 6-3, 6-0 in 59 minutes.

Veronika Kudermetova, 2019 Western & Southern Open (Photo: Mike Renz for TennisAtlantic.com)

Was it a late night out? Monica Puig looked exhausted at the conclusion of yesterday’s qualifying win, and she was not ready to bounce on court this morning as Veronika Kudermetova took full advantage with a 6-2, 6-1 exit for the gold medalist.

Veronika Kudermetova, 2019 Western & Southern Open (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Speaking of deer-in-the-headlights, top qualifying seed Barbora Strycova, who played both of her matches on Stadium, went out with a whimper in a 6-2, 6-1 routining at the hands of Rebecca Peterson.

We’ll be back later.

Call Her an Olympic Gold Medalist, A Puerto Rican Legend. Just Don’t Call @MonicaAce93 a Girlfriend #CincyTennis

Posted by Admin on August 10, 2019
Posted in: Cincinnati, Western & Southern Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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Call Her an Olympic Gold Medalist, A Puerto Rican Legend. Just Don’t Call Monica Puig a Girlfriend
Steve Fogleman in Suburban Ohio

Cincinnati–It was a quiet morning in Ohio farm country as I drove down I-71 on a cool Saturday and then…the man came on the radio to talk about the Western & Southern Open matches. After rolling through the local talent in the tournament like Lauren Davis, John McNally and JJ Wolf, the WLW sports reporter said “and Monica Puig, who is the girlfriend of the Cincinnati Reds’ Derrick Dietrich.” I almost spilled my YooHoo. They had just mentioned that Lauren Davis was once the Ohio state high school tennis champion but they couldn’t say anything about Puig’s gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics or the fact that she’s the first athlete in recorded history to win a medal under the Puerto Rican flag? WTH.

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Puig, with her lesser-known boyfriend in attendance, persevered in the wilting sun in three sets and vanquishing Anastasia Potapova in a comeback win 6-7, 6-1, 6-4. She dropped to the court after the match and didn’t stick around long after winning the match as she clearly wanted to get out of the sun. It was less than her best tennis as she didn’t win 70% of her first serves until the third set. But it was good enough to put her up against American Jennifer Brady in a qualifying final tomorrow.

Monica Puig. 2019 Western & Southern Open

It’s a common sport to talk WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) in sports, but Puig’s no WAG. She won freaking Olympic Gold three years ago. In fact, she won that medal and came to Cincinnati to announce that she was withdrawing from the tournament that year straight out of Rio. You don’t remember that, Cincy sports media? WLW, the Voice of Cincinnati, either do your homework (google) or keep your mouth shut.

It’s Down to the Quarters @ConnecticutOpen after Puig, Sabalenka, Makarova Pull Through

Posted by Admin on August 23, 2018
Posted in: Connecticut Open, US Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

Monica Puig, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Monica Puig, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Monica Puig continued her winning run in New Haven to book a quarter-final showdown with No.2 seed Caroline Garcia.

The Rio Olympic Games gold medalist defeated Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit for her fifth straight victory, having come through qualifying.

“Anett is one of my best friends on tour so it’s tough to play a friend,” Puig told press after the match. “I just tried to focus on my game and it didn’t come out exactly the way I wanted at the beginning so I’m really happy to walk away with this win.

“I had an injury in the middle of the year and had to miss a couple of weeks so that got me down quite a bit. I’m happy to have regained confidence in my game and I just feel really good right now.”

Aryna Sabalenka, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Aryna Sabalenka, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Aryna Sabalenka ended defending champion Daria Gavrilova’s seven-match Connecticut Open winning streak late early on Wednesday evening, eking out a 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-5 victory.

“Well yeah absolutely it was a crazy match for sure,” Sabalenka said. “Now I’m in a little bit of shock I finished it on my side, but well now I’m so tired and so happy in one time.

“Every point I felt it was more crazy and crazy. I was so angry on myself and I thought you have to do it, you led 4-0, it’s just one way to finish the match.”

Having stormed back from 1-5 and set point down to serve for the second set, Sabalenka looked set to finish on one of those lights-out passages of momentum.

But the dogged Aussie, with her ability to counter-punch and turn defense into offense, broke to send the set to a tie-break.

Daria Gavrilova, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Daria Gavrilova, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

A fifth set point went begging for Gavrilova on a double fault but she leveled the clash on her sixth opportunity when Sabalenka was drawn wide on a forehand pass.

With coach Dmitry Tursunov calming his explosive charge down after she saw the second set disappear, Sabalenka again went flat out, racing to 4-0.

“I look at him and he’s calm and I start to be calm,” Sabalenka said. “But today nothing works and I was calling him for the coaching and he was just like ‘Aryna you just have to be more calm on the court’ and I was like ‘What? What are you talking about?’

“He was like ‘OK, OK, just try to focus on your game’. And then it really helped me because I thought maybe I am aggressive too much and it worked.”

Gavrilova, though, has carved out a reputation on tour for giving nothing up cheaply and capitalized on a rising error count from her opponent to peg back  level at 4-4.

Composed when it came to the crunch with the finish line in sight, Sabalenka closed out the win on a break of serve to set a quarter-final showdown with Swiss Belinda Bencic.

Earlier, Russian Ekaterina Makarova backed up her victory over No.4 seed Karolina Pliskova with a hard-fought, rain-interrupted 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova.

Makarova, coming off a doubles triumph in Cincinnati with Lucie Hradecka, will meet fifth seed Julia Goerges in her third quarter-final of 2018.

“The first set was very tough for me,” Makarova said. “She’s a tough opponent. She mixes it up so I needed to stay solid and not be in a rush, but there was too much rushing in the first set.

“Then I think this rain a little bit helped me because I calmed down and thought a little bit to understand what I have to do and then I started to enjoy the tennis again with the crowd.”

 

—K. Spellman, CT Open

CONNECTICUT OPEN – NEW HAVEN, USA
$799,000
17-25 AUGUST 2018

RESULTS:

A.Sabalenka d. (9) D.Gavrilova 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-5

E.Makarova d. M.Rybarikova 2-6, 6-3, 6-3

[Q] M.Puig d. A Kontaveit 6-4, 6-3

[1] A.Sestini Hlavackov/B.Strycova d D.Jurak/R.Olaru 6-3, 6-3

[3] K.Bertens/J.Larsson d. M.Adamcak/O.Kalashnikova 6-3 6-4

ORDER OF PLAY – THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018
STADIUM start 1:00 pm

E. Makarova (RUS) vs [5] J. Goerges (GER)
[LL] B. Bencic (SUI) vs A. Sabalenka (BLR)
[Q] M. Puig (PUR) vs [2] C. Garcia (FRA)

Not Before 7:00 pm
C. Suárez Navarro (ESP) vs [3] P. Kvitova (CZE)

SPORTMASTER GRANDSTAND start 1:00 pm
S. Hsieh (TPE) / L. Siegemund (GER) vs L. Arruabarrena (ESP) / L. Kichenok (UKR)
[3] K. Bertens (NED) / J. Larsson (SWE) vs A. Rosolska (POL) / A. Spears (USA)

Recapping Tuesday and Wednesday at WTA Eastbourne 2016

Posted by Admin on June 22, 2016
Posted in: Eastbourne, Guest Writer, LTA, On Site, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Recapping Tuesday and Wednesday at WTA Eastbourne 2016
Elliot Cornish for Tennis Atlantic

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Tuesday: 

Defending champion Belinda Bencic was dumped out of the Aegon International on Tuesday, suffering a second-round defeat to Russia’s Elena Vesnina.

Both sets of the near two-hour battle went to tie-breaks, after Bencic gave up break advantages in both sets. The 19-year-old then spurned two set points at 6-5 in the second, when given the opportunity to send the match to a decider.

Vesnina, who is ranked 53 in the world, had more guile in the bigger moments, and picked up the win on her fourth match point, to book a third-round meeting with qualifier Madison Brengle.

Home favourite Johanna Konta defeated Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in straight-sets in front of the day’s biggest crowd.

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The 11th seed, who reached the Australian Open semi-finals in January and has risen to 18th in the world, was not at her best but ground hard in a tough opening set which could have gone either way.

After nearly an hour, plenty of chances were presented to Konta when Tsurenko served at 5-5 in a marathon game full of unforced errors from both. The Brit didn’t manage to get the break, but proved tougher than Tsurenko in the tie-break, taking it 7-4.

A much different tale unfolded in set two, with Konta snaring a pair of breaks to race into a 5-0 lead, before wrapping up the match 7-6 6-1 on her second match point.

Konta will play two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the third round after the latter overcame Timea Babos in the opening match on Centre Court.

The Czech was made to work on her most prolific surface, but ultimately had too much for her Hungarian adversary, closing out a 6-4 7-6 triumph in one hour and 48 minutes.

Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska was given an easy path into the third round after Mirjana Lucic-Baroni was forced to retire.

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The Pole was leading 6-4 2-1 before her Croatian opponent determined she could no longer continue. It had been an intriguing battle until then, with Lucic-Baroni’s hard, flat groundstrokes proving troublesome for Radwanska’s style, and the former perhaps should have taken command of the contest.

After slipping a break behind early, Lucic-Baroni levelled at 3-3, but couldn’t capitalise after taking the first two points of her Radwanska’s next service game. She then meekly conceded the set while serving at 4-5 with an error-strewn game.

Yet after being broken to start the second, Radwanska looked set to have to scrap further in her opening match of the week. However, Lucic-Baroni’s racket misfired again as she surrendered her serve, before retiring shortly after.

Former champion Caroline Wozniacki made short work of seventh seed Sam Stosur in a second round encounter that was cancelled on Monday. The Dane was potent on the Australian’s serve, breaking four times as she cruised to a 6-2 6-1 win in an hour and eight minutes.

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Wozniacki was rock solid on serve, saving all four break points that she faced. She faced Monica Puig in the third round, after the Puerto Rican was handed a pass into the third round, when her opponent Ana Konjuh retired while trailing 6-1 5-3. Second seed and US Open finalist Roberta Vinci was upstaged by Ekaterina Makarova in three sets on Court 1. The Russian, who beat Heather Watson on Monday, came back from a set down to win 4-6 6-4 6-3 and set a last 16 date with Andrea Petkovic, who beat another Italian in Sara Errani.
Eugenie Bouchard continued her good form, seeing off Irina Camelia-Begu in swift fashion. The Canadian eased to a 6-3 6-1 victory and will take on Radwanska on Wednesday, a match which will give a better assessment of where her level currently is. Karolina Pliskova made short work of Daria Gavrilova, but is due a tougher challenge next against Kristina Mladenovic, who beat Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro in three sets.

It was a busy day in Eastbourne with many first round matches that were canceled due to rain on Monday having to be played early on Tuesday, leaving many players having to pull double duty. However, a dry day has allowed the tournament to get back on schedule, and with good weather forecast for the rest of the week, the event should have no further scheduling dramas.

Wednesday:

Britain’s Johanna Konta stunned two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova with a come-from-behind victory in the third round of the Aegon International in Eastbourne. Konta, who lives in the seaside town, fought back after disappointment in the opening set to record a 5-7 6-4 6-0 win in front of a partisan crowd. The win sees the 11th seed match her Eastbourne performance from last year, while Kvitova – whose movement looked poor in the closing stages – heads to Wimbledon with questions. After a steady start, Konta grabbed the initiative, racing into a 5-2 lead courtesy of some effective shot-making and inconsistency from her opponent. However, when the chance to seal the set presented itself, the Briton faltered, firing a set point long before losing five games in a row – in which she was broken three times – to hand the Czech the set.

There was enough evidence in that set to suggest Kvitova was not the grass giantess we have become accustomed to seeing. A performance plagued with errors kept Konta interested throughout, and after scraping out another break midway through the second set, the home favourite held firm, serving out the set 6-4 in a tense game which went to deuce.

Yet the grandstand finish didn’t materialise in the way anticipated. As Konta rose to the occasion, Kvitova began to tail away, becoming visibly disinterested and frustrated as the decider wore on. The former raced into an early lead and did not look back, knuckling down and allowing her adversary to make mistakes, particularly off the forehand wing. The tide never turned, as Konta served up a bagel and her first triumph over Kvitova.
Afterwards, Konta said: “There are not words big enough to describe the support you the crowd have shown me. I really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.”

Andrea Petkovic or Ekaterina Makarova will be next up for the Eastbourne local in the last eight, with the pair scheduled to finish their match tomorrow – which Petkovic currently leads 1-0 – after rain curtailed play in the early evening.
Agnieszka Radwanska, the top seed, had far too much for Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, as she cruised to a 6-3 6-3 success in the second match of the afternoon. The latter appeared to be recapturing some form after comfortably progressing past Varvara Lepchenko and Irina Camelia-Begu, but came unstuck against the wily Pole, who executed her plan well, forcing Bouchard to play the extra ball regularly.  Radwanska broke in the third game of the match, and held onto the edge before streaking to the set, winning the last eight points.
The second set was a more topsy-turvy affair with Bouchard taking first blood. However, the world number 48 lost the break immediately before dropping her serve again next time around. Unwilling to die down, she got through Radwanska in the following game. But a sloppy effort at 3-4 provided the world number three with a chance to close out the match on serve, which she did to 30.
Dominika Cibulkova will play Radwanska in the quarter finals, after the Slovakian worked past Katerina Bondarenko in two hours on Court 1. The Ukrainian took early command of the first set with an early break, but couldn’t serve out the set as Cibulkova reeled off four games. But the 12th seed was not without nerves either, as Bondarenko broke to move the set into a tie-break, which she lost 7-3. A freer Cibulkova stormed through the first half of the second set, moving 4-0 up, and even though a brief fightback was staged, the diminutive player claimed a 7-6 6-3 win.

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Caroline Wozniacki failed to build on her victory over Sam Stosur, losing out in three sets to Monica Puig in the first match of the day.  The contest, which began 90 minutes later than expected following rain, looked to be going in the Dane’s favour when she won the first set 6-4. But she lost the momentum late in the second set, when Puig snared a break to move 5-3 up, before serving the set out to 15. The world number 41 won the first two games of the final set, but Wozniacki capitalised on a loose game from Puig make it 2-2. However, the 2009 champion rarely found things easy on serve, and the pressure eventually told. Puig broke in the often-crucial seventh game, and held steady thereafter to chalk up a 4-6 6-3 6-4 win in two hours and 15 minutes.

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Puig will now face Kristina Mladenovic, after the Frenchwoman saw off Anna-Lena Friedsam in straight sets.
Elsewhere, Elena Vesnina built on her win over 2015 champion Belinda Bencic, with a 7-6 6-4 defeat of American qualifier Madison Brengle.

Thursday’s matches:
A rain-affected day leaves a scheduling headache for Thursday, with two third-round matches still incomplete. Doi and Pliskova will conclude their match on Court 1 before Petkovic and Makarova resume their battle.
Mladenovic and qualifier Puig are first up on Centre Court, before Radwanska takes on Cibulkova. Vesnina then awaits the winner of Doi-Pliskova, with Konta rounding off the action against Petkovic or Makarova.

2015 WTA Acapulco Preview & Predictions

Posted by Admin on February 23, 2015
Posted in: Acapulco, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

2015 WTA Acapulco Preview & Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

acapulco site

After a week full of surprises, the WTA reaches Mexico, and Qatar for the tournaments held in Acapulco and Doha.

WTA Acapulco

The Abierto Mexicano TELCEL first started as an ATP event in 1993, but in 2001 it welcomed the WTA tour and has since become a regular on the calendar. It is hugely popular among the players, as they have voted it the WTA’s International Tournament of the Year seven times and the WTA’s Tournament of The Year/Americas in 2014.
Four players have won the title two times in their careers: Amanda Coetzer, Sara Errani, Flavia Pennetta and Venus Williams. Dominika Cibulkova is the defending champion.

Abierto Mexicano TELCEL
Tier: International
Location: Acapulco, Mexico
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $250,000
Date: February 23rd- February 28th 2015

The eight seeded players (Ranking)
1. Maria Sharapova (2)
2. Sara Errani (12)
3. Caroline Garcia (30)
4. Irina Begu (33)
5. Timea Bacsinszky (37)
6. Roberta Vinci (38)
7. Sloane Stephens (41)
8. Madison Brengle (44)

One name stands out from the rest, and that is Maria Sharapova. We also have Rio winner Sara Errani as the number two seed. The rest of the field is filled with top 50 players.

First round matches to watch:

Daniela

Daniela

Daniela Hantuchova vs Lauren Davis
Hantuchova only missed out of a seeding by one ranking position, whilst Lauren Davis is only ranked 10 places behind the Slovak, so naturally it may end up being one of the tightest round one matches. Hantuchova is having a good year thus far after winning the Pattaya title two weeks ago, and despite the hammering she received from Simona Halep last week, the 31 year old will be in fine spirits heading into this tournament. Lauren Davis started the year well in Auckland, but she has only won one match since. Then again, she hasn’t played since Melbourne. The American has one thing in her favour, and that’s the head to head. Davis leads 1-0 after defeating Hantuchova in Eastbourne last year. Hantuchova is in much better form this time around though, and Davis’ form is unknown with her not playing a match since the Australian Open. I expect a much tighter match this time around.

Tereza Smitkova vs Monica Puig

Puig
This is a match to watch simply because we could be seeing a lot more of these two in the future. Puig is just shy of the top 50 at the moment, sitting at number 51 in the world rankings. Smitkova is 10 places behind the Puerto Rican, and holds a decent 3-3 record this year including an impressive win over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in Melbourne. These two young guns met at the US Open last year, and it went the distance with Puig coming out the victor. The world number 51 will be favourite, but I sense that this has potential to be a close three setter than could go either way.

Top Half

One name stands out In the top half, and that is Maria Sharapova. The world number two is a surprise inclusion in this tournament, with it only being an International tier event. Maybe she is here because Grigor Dimitrov is too? Either way it’s hard seeing Sharapova losing to anyone in the draw, let alone anyone in this half. The most interesting story of the first quarter is who will face Sharapova in the quarter finals. I believe it will be the winner of Daniela Hantuchova vs Timea Bacsinszky in the second round. The Swiss has been in fine form this year with her only losses coming against Garbine Muguruza and Simona Halep, but she hasn’t played a tour match since the loss to Muguruza in Melbourne. If Timea shows the form from the Australian swing, then she should make the quarter finals here, but she’ll likely lose to Sharapova at this stage.

Sharapova’s semi final opponent will be decided by the eight players in the second quarter of the draw. The top seed in this section is France’s Caroline Garcia. The third seed has the talent to make a successful career, but she has often shown a lack of effort during her matches. If she bothers to show up however, she should find herself in the semi finals, despite some stiff competition from the likes of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Madison Brengle.

Bottom Half:

Sara Errani, 2014 Charleston

Number two seed Sara Errani will be heading into Acapulco full of confidence after winning her 1st title of the season in Rio last week. The Italian will be looking to continue her climb back towards the top 10 here, but she will have to get through some dangerous outsiders if she is to do so. Puig or Smitkova will await the world number 12 in round two, and with the tournament not being on clay anymore, she could find herself in a bit of trouble. However, form and confidence will no doubt do her wonders to I expect Errani to make the quarter finals to face her doubles partner Roberta Vinci. They have dominated the womens doubles scene for years, but they must put their friendship aside if they are to meet here. Errani however leads the head to head 6-3, and is currently the better player, so she should defeat her doubles partner to make the semi finals here.

Despite being the seventh seed here, Sloane Stephens is perhaps the biggest name in the final quarter of the draw. Once touted as a future star, Stephens has failed to kick on after a breakthrough tournament at the Australian Open 2013. The American now finds herself down at number 41 in the world with no sign of getting back to her late 2012/early 2013 form. Despite that Stephens should get through her first round match to meet Anna Schmeidlova in the second round. Schmeidlova made her first WTA final last week in Rio so she’ll be in good form this week, and I expect her to take out the 7th seed to make the quarter finals. Irina Begu will likely await the Slovak at this stage. Schmeidlova got the better of the Romanian last week, but that was on clay. It’s a difficult match to predict, but I will go with Begu in three sets.

Predictions:

Semi Finals:
Sharapova def. Garcia in 2
Errani def. Begu in 2

Final:
Sharapova def. Errani in 2

Yeah, I have been boring and gone with the seeding here. Sharapova should win this without any trouble.

Niall Clarke (Sofia)

2015 WTA Hobart Preview and Predictions

Posted by Admin on January 10, 2015
Posted in: Hobart, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

2015 WTA Hobart Preview and Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

2015 WTA Hobart Preview

WTA Hobart

Many stars of the WTA venture to Hobart, Australia, to continue their preparations for the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne.

The tournament was launched in 1994. Interestingly it has produced a different winner every year. Hobart is usually won by rising stars or relatively unknown players who look to kick start their season. Past champions include the likes of Petra Kvitova, and Kim Clijsters. The 2014 edition saw young star Garbine Muguruza win her maiden title. The Spaniard came through qualifying and dominated the field en route to winning the Hobart crown.

Hobart International 
WTA International Series
Hobart, Australia
January 11-January 17, 2015
Prize Money: $250,000

Seeds (WTA ranking in parentheses)

1: Casey Dellacqua (29)
2. Zarina Diyas (32)
3. Camila Giorgi (33)
*4. Vavara Lepchenko (34)
5. Sloane Stephens (35)
6. Klara Koukalova (39)
7. Mona Barthel (41)
8. Alison Riske (43)
9: Roberta Vinci (44)

*Lepchenko withdrew and will be replaced by a lucky loser

Unfortunately, the original number 4 seed, Vavara Lepchenko was forced to withdraw from the tournament. She has been replaced by a lucky loser, and Stephens is now the number 4 seed. Roberta Vinci is the next highest ranked player and therefore gets seeding.

First round matchups to watch:

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(1)Casey Dellacqua vs. Lauren Davis

The number one seed will return from Hopman Cup duty for the home Aussies in Perth to square off against American Lauren Davis in Hobart. What makes this match interesting is the respective form of the two players leading into the event. Dellacqua struggled in the Hopman cup, not winning any of her singles matches. Meanwhile, Davis started the year well by reaching the semi finals in Auckland before losing convincingly to compatriot Venus Williams. There is big potential of an upset here, so this certainly a match to keep an eye on. Dellacqua will no doubt be the home crowd favourite, but look for the 21 year old American to silence them.

Monica Puig vs. Kaia Kanepi

Not all interesting matches have to feature a seeded player, do they? Hobart has produced some interesting round one matches this year, but this particular match may fall under the radar. It is another one of those ‘Youth vs experience’ matches with Puig (21) facing Kanepi (29). Kanepi started the season with a Quarterfinal run in Brisbane, losing to Ana Ivanovic. Puig on the other hand lost her opener in Auckland to Marina Erakovic. Expect the Estonian to try and use her power to overwhelm Puig, who in return will look to use that power to counter Kanepi. I expect another tight 3 setter here that could go either way.

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Top Half:

The top half of the Hobart draw is stacked with talent and potential winners. Number one seed, Casey Dellacqua will no doubt be one of those players looking to take the Hobart crown. However, the Aussie doesn’t come into the tournament in good form and might get dumped out earlier than you’d expect from a top seed. The winner of the Dellacqua-Davis will likely make the Quarter Final where I expect either Mona Barthel or Kirsten Flipkens will be waiting. Barthel is talented, yet inconsistent, and has also recently suffered from an injury. The 7th seed could be another player who is dumped out earlier than expected. I can see unseeded players, Davis and Flipkens making the Quarter finals here.

The second quarter is headlined by number three seed Camila Giorgi. The big hitting Italian is another young star who can do a lot of damage. The 23 year old will face Australian wildcard Storm Sanders in the first round. It should be a relatively comfortable match for Giorgi who should over power her opponent. Puig or Kanepi will await her in the second round in another potential slobberknocker (Copyright WWE’s Jim Ross). No matter which one of them advances, it will no doubt be one of the matches of the week should. Interestingly, I expect Kanepi to beat Giorgi, and Giorgi to dispatch Puig despite the 2-0 head to head in favour of the Puerto Rican. If I was to hazard a guess, I would say Kanepi makes the Quarter Finals. Giorgi’s form is unknown and Puig lost her opener last week. There, the Estonian will likely meet Czech Republic’s Klara Koukalova. The number six seed was a finalist last year so knows these courts well. She will face Kurumi Nara in an interesting round one battle. I expect the 32 year old to advance in a tight match despite a round one loss last week. Koukalova’s experience will likely guide her through to the quarterfinals, where I believe she will face Kaia Kanepi. Out of all the likely opponents I expect the Czech to bow out at this stage as the other section of this quarter is just too strong.

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Bottom half:

Zarina Diyas is the number two seed and therefore the automatic favourite to advance from this half. But tennis isn’t that simple, especially in the WTA. Diyas faces a qualifier or lucky loser in the first round, which isn’t as simple as it may seem. Qualifiers can often be streaky players, so It will be tough, but I believe Diyas will pull through. Daniela Hantuchova should await in the second round, but the lottery of the qualifier/lucky loser also awaits the Slovak in round one. I will stay safe and predict Diyas defeats Hantuchova in the second round. Any of the four potential quarterfinal opponents for the Kazakh could realistically make it to the last eight. The seeded player is Alison Riske. The 24 year old got off to a bad start in Brisbane where she was dumped out in the first round, so the American will look to kick start her 2015 with a win over fellow countrywoman Christina McHale. The world number 45 also lost in the first round of Brisbane, and will be looking for her first win of the season in Hobart. McHale lost to potential second round opponent Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in Brisbane. Baroni was the 2014 comeback player of the year and is the most experienced player out of the four. Her first round opponent is Bojana Jovanovski. The world number 57 lost to Kvitova in the Shenzhen 2nd round, so her form is also unknown. I will go with experience here, and say Lucic Baroni faces Diyas in the Quarter finals after battling through Jovanovski and Riske.

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The 4th seed is Sloane Stephens from the USA. The American was once a highly touted youngster, but she was unable to build on her 2013 form. Sloane will look to start her climb back up the rankings with a successful run in Hobart. The 21 year old lost to fellow American Lauren Davis in the 2nd round of the ASB Classic, so doesn’t come into the event in any sort of form. She faces crafty Romanian Monica Niculescu in round one in Hobart.  The 27 year old lost to Polona Hercog in the opening round in Shenzhen; a disappointing result for the Romanian. Sloane will be fairly confident of getting by Niculescu and her round two opponent, who I expect to be Heather Watson. The Brit will be returning from Hopman Cup duty, where she lost two of three matches, but I expect the 22 year old to squeeze past Magdalena Rybarikova. The replacement 5th seed, or 9th seed is experienced Italian Roberta Vinci. The 31 has one of the best slices in the game and will be a handful for her first round opponent, Olivia Rogowska. Vinci should be good enough to make the second round at least here, where she will face either Annika Beck or Jana Cepelova. Cepelova will be low on confidence after her thrashing at the hands of Venus Williams, so Beck will be the favourite to face Vinci In round two. Beck is one of the steadiest players on tour, but Vinci has more variety which will see her through to the Quarter finals.

Predictions

Semis:
Kanepi d. Davis
Diyas d. Stephens

Kanepi had a good week in Brisbane, and could have gone further that the Quarter Finals if it wasn’t for Ana Ivanovic. Davis went one further in Auckland, but lost comfortably to Venus Williams. I feel Kanepi will be a little too much for Davis here, and defeats the American in 3 sets. Diyas vs Stephens could be match of the tournament. Both are talented youngsters looking to really kick start their seasons by winning the Hobart title. Diyas is currently the higher ranked and better player of the two, so I will predict her to squeeze past Stephens in a very tight 3 setter.

Final:
Kanepi d. Diyas

The Estonian will build on a good Brisbane run to take the crown in the Hobart. Kanepi won their only previous meeting at Roland Garros in 2010. However, the Kazakh was raw at that time, so you can’t take much from that match. Diyas will be hoping to win her first WTA title here in her second final. That time she lost to Sam Stosur in Osaka, and I expect something similar here. Kanepi’s experience will see her beat Diyas in 2 or 3 tight sets and win the Hobart title.

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Tennis Atlantic Niall Clarke (Sofia)

2015 WTA Auckland and Shenzhen Preview and Predictions

Posted by Admin on January 3, 2015
Posted in: Auckland, Niall Clarke, Shenzen, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

2015 WTA Auckland and Shenzhen Preview and Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

Two other events will take place on the WTA tour this week to open the 2015 season, one in Auckland and the other in Shenzhen, China, as players gear up for the Australian Open by making their preparations all across Asia and Australia-Pacific.

2015 WTA Auckland Preview

WTA Auckland

A regular on the WTA calendar, the ASB classic has been part of the WTA season for the past 30 years, and the season opener for the past 20 years. The formation occurred when a gap in the marketplace was seen by Ari Hallenberg and Global Sports. They pitched the idea of an event in Auckland to Tennis New Zealand, and thus the ASB classic was created.

Previous champions include the likes of: Marion Bartoli, Lindsay Davenport, Elena Dementieva, Jelena Jankovic, Agnieszka Radwanska and the 2014 champion was Ana Ivanovic.

ASB Classic
WTA International Series
Auckland, New Zealand
January 5-January 10, 2015
Prize Money: $250,000

Top 4 seeds (WTA ranking in parentheses)
1: Caroline Wozniacki (8)
2: Sara Errani (14)
3: Venus Williams (18)
4: Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova (25)

A fairly strong field of seeded players with the lowest ranked seed being number 42, Mona Barthel. With two former world number ones, and three young stars we have got an open field that promises excitement.

First round matchups to watch:

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Marina Erakovic vs. Monica Puig

The home crowd favourite will no doubt be Marina Erakovic. The New Zealander finished a measly number 77 in the world in 2014, but picked up her form towards the end of the season. Her opponent is one of the WTA’s rising stars. 21 year old Puerto Rican, Monica Puig reached her highest ranking in 2014, but a poor end to the season saw her finish as world number 61. This will be one the hotly contested matches of round one, with Erakovic looking to please the home crowd. Puig will look to spoil the party and defeat her opponent and the crowd. Marina will want to keep the points short, and hold her serve, while Monica will want long rallies, and counter Erakovic. Expect a tight encounter here.

(7)Coco Vandeweghe vs. Roberta Vinci

The crafty Italian vs the big serving American will be one of the most intriguing matches in the season opener. The 23 year old New York native, Vandeweghe, had a career best season in 2014 which saw her reach her highest ranking of 38 and finish as the world number 39. She also won her first WTA tournament at the Topshelf Open. Across the court stands experienced Italian Roberta Vinci. The 31 year old finished at number 48 in the rankings last year, but has reached a career high of 11 in the world. Vinci’s slice will be a key shot in this match, and if Coco isn’t on form, it will trouble the American a lot. But if Vandeweghe plays at her full potential, Vinci might not be able to handle the big serve.

(2)Sara Errani vs. Daniela Hantuchova 

Vinci’s doubles partner, Sara Errani has a stern test in her opening match in the form of Daniela Hantuchova. Daniela didn’t enjoy the best of seasons in 2014, finishing the year as world number 57. However if the Slovak can show any sign of the form that got her to number five in the world, she could very well upset the number two seed. Sara Errani is one of the steadiest players on tour. The former Roland Garros finalist has great movement and rarely makes an error. However, she lacks the firepower to dictate a match which often leaves the result in her opponent’s hands. If Hantuchova can be aggressive and consistent she can upset Errani, but that is a big if.

Top Half:

Caroline Wozniacki is the number one seed and favourite to win the tournament. The former world number one drew lucky and will face a qualifier in round one. The consistent Dane will likely cruise to a quarter final clash with Svetlana Kuznetsova. Caro will most likely prove to be too good for the former grand slam champion and should advance from this quarter.

The second quarter is an interesting one. Any one of the eight players could realistically make the semi-finals with a good run. The Favourite will be number four seed, Barbora Zahalova-Strycova. The 28 year old should pass her first round test, Chanelle Scheepers and meet either Erakovic or Puig in the second round. Both players could cause big problems for the Czech, but Strycova is coming in off her best season to date. You’d expect the other quarter finalist to be one of: Roberta Vinci, Coco Vandeweghe and Kirsten Flipkens. All three are capable of a good run here, but it’s a question of who can find their form in time. I believe Strycova will advance from this section, but I wouldn’t be shocked at all if it’s somebody else.

Bottom half:

Number three seed Venus Williams is one of the favorites to win the tournament. The former world number one should make it through her first two matches without much hassle but if the veteran is off her game, she could easily be upset by Kiki Bertens or Kurumi Nara. The Interesting part of this section is the potential Quarter Final opponents for Venus. Mona Barthel is the seeded player and favourite, but the German has shown lack of mental strength and consistency in the past, despite her enormous talent. The 24 year old is unpredictable, and could blow the competition away or just as easily slump to a first round defeat. The key match will be the second round where Kristina Mladenovic or Elena Vesnina will await the winner. Both currently sit outside the top 50 and will be looking to kick off their season in a positive way. I feel Barthel makes it, but loses to Venus Williams in a tight encounter.

Number two seed Sara Errani would probably be more favoured on clay, but the Italian is so consistent, she won’t give any of her opponents’ free points. Errani should make it through to the quarter finals with her toughest test likely to come in round one against Daniela Hantuchova. Her opponent at this stage will likely be Sloane Stephens. The highly touted American made her breakthrough in 2013, but failed to make any improvements last year. Once touted a future number one, Sloane will be looking to live up to that potential in 2015.

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Predictions

Semis:
Wozniacki d. Strycova
Stephens d. Williams

Wozniacki should have no trouble getting past BarboraZahalovaStrycova in the semi-finals. Venus and Sloane will have a tight semi-final, which teases us with the end result multiple times. I am going to predict Stephens in three sets to set up a final clash with Caro.

 

Final:
Wozniacki d. Stephens

The two pre-tournament favourites will contest the final in Auckland.In the final we will see plenty of long rallies, but Wozniacki will do what she does best and wear her opponent down in two tight sets.

WTA Shenzen

2015 WTA Shenzen Preview

Shenzhen Open
WTA International Series
Shenzen, China
January 4-January 10, 2015
Prize Money: $500,000

The Shenzhen Open is one of three events kicking off the 2015 season. It is also one of seven WTA events to be hosted in China this year. The inaugural event took place in 2013, with Li Na doing her home country proud by winning the tournament. The Chinese superstar returned in 2014 to defend her crown in an all Chinese final where she defeated Shuai Peng in straight sets. Unfortunately, Li Na won’t return to this event to defend her title once again as she has now officially retired from the game, meaning we will have a new champion at the Shenzen Open. It promises to be an exciting way to kick off the new season.

Top 4 seeds (WTA ranking in parentheses)
1: Simona Halep (3)
2: Petra Kvitova (4)
3: Shuai Peng (21)
4: Zarina Diyas (33)

First round matchups to watch:

(1)Simona Halep vs. Annika Beck

The world number three will kick off her season against young German Annika Beck in Shenzen. A lot of people will look at this and think it will be an easy win for the Romanian. They could be right, but they may also be in for a surprise. Beck offers a very solid game, and if Halep isn’t on her game right away, the number one seed may just get caught off guard. Look for lengthy rallies in this match between two solid baseliners.

(4)Zarina Diyas vs. Donna Vekic 

Zarina Diyas enjoyed her best season to date in 2014, and the talented Kazakh doesn’t want stop right there. The 21 year old will face fellow youngster Donna Vekic in the first round of the Shenzhen open. The 18 year old has reached a career high of 65, so she will look to potentially break the top 50 for first time in 2015. This is a match-up you could very well be seeing more of in the future,so it will be good to familiarise with these two quickly.

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(3)Shuai Peng vs. Vera Zvonareva

The former grand slam finalist will return to face third seed and home country favourite Shuai Peng. This is perhaps the more interesting of the first round matches with the return of Vera Zvonareva being one of the hottest talking points amongst WTA fans watching this tournament. With the retirement of Li Na, Peng is now the Chinese number one and will have the weight of an entire nation on her shoulders in this event. We shall see if she can handle that pressure in Shenzhen.

Top Half:

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Number one seed Simona Halep will be big favourite to emerge from the top half of the draw. If the Romanian is off form however, there are a few players that can upset the world number two. Simona will likely face tests from Annika Beck and Klara Koukalova on her way to the semi finals, but if Halep isn’t completely off form, she should get through this section

Number 4 seed Zarina Diyas will be favourite to advance from her quarter, but it won’t be easy. As well as youngster Donna Vekic, Diyas could face tests from the likes of Monica Niculescu. The crafty Romanian is a difficult test for anyone with her variety of shots, and could easily advance to the semi-finals. The potential quarter final between Diyas and Niculescu could be one of the matches to watch in Shenzhen.

Bottom Half: 

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The whole of China will be pinning their hopes on last year’s runner-up Shuai Peng to keep the title in the Middle Kingdom. She faces a stern test in the first round in Vera Zvonareva who could upset the number three seed. With the home crowd behind her, Peng should advance to the quarter finals at least here. Who will meet her there is anyone’s guess, with the talented Stefanie Voegele and number eight seed Timea Bascinzky potential adversaries. I expect Peng to make the semi finals here with the home crowd behind her.

Number two seed Petra Kvitova will fancy her chances of winning the title here, but first she must navigate her way through the bottom half of the draw.The Wild Card round one shouldn’t be a problem for the big hitting Czech who should really make the semi finals without much trouble. However, with her known ‘off days’ Petra could very well be upset by the likes of Bojana Jovanovski or Irina-Camelia Begu.

Predictions

Semis
Halep d. Niculescu
Kvitova d. Peng

The top two seeds will make the final here. Niculescu’s spin won’t be a problem for Halep, who wins this one in straight sets. Kvitova has her difficulties with Peng, who takes her the distance, but the big match experience of the Czech will be enough to see her through.

Final
Halep d. Kvitova

The final will be the one the most tennis fans will be anticipating. Haelp vs Kvitova has the potential to be one of the best matches of the year and we have only just begun! A clash of styles that could go either way, so I will solidly predict a three setter. Which player will win is a prediction I keep changing, but I am going to say Halep’s consistency wins her the title.

Tennis Atlantic Niall Clarke (Sofia)

N. American Women Roll in Roland Garros Warm-Ups: @GenieBouchard, @MonicaAce93 Puig Win WTA Titles

Posted by Admin on May 25, 2014
Posted in: Canada, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

N. American Women Roll in Roland Garros Warm-Ups: Bouchard, Puig Win 1st WTA Titles

Genie Bouchard (Photo: S. Fogleman)

US Fans, look just outside your back window to find the next great WTA stars.

Playing in her second career WTA final, Eugenie Bouchard captured her maiden singles title on Saturday thanks to a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Czech Karolina Pliskova at the WTA International Series event in Nurnberg, Germany.

Before the match, Bouchard was the highest ranked player behind only Sloane Stephens without a title and the 20-year-old Canadian was determined to change that stat. She need less than 30 minutes to win the first set 6-2, losing just four points on serve. Bouchard led 4-2 in the second set before Pliskova reeled off four straight games to force a decisive third set. There were five breaks of serve in the final frame with three going the way of Bouchard which allowed her to come away with the victory. She becomes the first Canadian to win a WTA singles titles since Aleksandra Wozniak, who was crowned champion in Stanford in 2008.

With the victory, Bouchard will reach a new career-high ranking on Monday. She will now travel to Roland-Garros where she will face Israel’s Shahar Peer in the first round.

Puig

Speaking of 20-year-old maiden champions, Monica Puig became the only Puerto Rican to win a women’s title, besting home court fave Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain, 6-4, 6-3 yesterday at the Strasbourg International final in France.

Puig dominated the match and is now 1-0 in WTA finals. Although Puerto Rico is US territory, Puig flies under the Boricuan flag and is intensely proud of her island heritage. Still, she’s every bit a North American as Genie Bouchard. She’ll come close to returning to her career-high ranking of #41 tommorow.

Puig opens with Samantha Stosur in the first round at Roland Garros.

—Compiled with report from Tennis Canada

Monica Puig A Certain Fan Favorite in Flushing Meadows #USOpen

Posted by Admin on August 23, 2013
Posted in: New Haven Open, US Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Monica Puig A Certain Fan Favorite in Flushing Meadows #USOpen

What a great year for Monica Puig.

And it’s not over yet.

With a 30-19 record, Puig cracked the top 50 recently. She’s seen the Round of 16 at Wimbledon and the Semis in Marseille this on the summer tour. The two-time Junior Grand Slam finalist is ready to do it for real now. At #53, she’s poised for a great US Open and an even better 2014. We got a chance to speak with the San Juan and Miami resident after she beat Caroline Garcia to qualify for New Haven. Remember, she already beat Sara Errani at Wimbledon and Errani was the #1 seed at New Haven.

With no US Open points to defend, a win or two in Flushing Meadows next week will see her reaching the top 40.

Here’s Puig on Puerto Rico, her year to date and her ultimate goals:

Puig

Tell me about Puerto Rico. And you’ve got some fans here in New Haven!

I love Puerto Rico. Everything about it is so beautiful. The support is great. The amount of love and attention that I get is very special for me.

Expecting the same level of fan support in NYC?

I expect probably a little bit more. I understand several of my family members are going and a lot more people and there are a lot of Puerto Ricans in New York. I’m really looking forward to that.

Why is is that some people don’t always associate you with US tennis?

I mean, we’re a USTA section. We’re in the Caribbean section. I think since Puerto Rico is it’s own country, everybody always just thinks its Puerto Rico. I’m really happy representing Puerto Rico right now.

Puig

Her ultimate goals are bold and simple: “My career goal is to win a bunch of grand slams and be #1.”

—Stephan Fogleman