jueves, 31 de julio de 2014
NEWS bank of the west classic. RADWANSKA OUT. 31 JULY 2014
While the No.1-seeded Williams made it through to the quarterfinals, No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska wasn't as fortunate, succumbing to heavy-hitting lefty Varvara Lepchenko in a marathon, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
"The match was good, and very tight, but I don't think I served well enough today. It was the worst thing for me in the match and didn't help me at all," Radwanska said. "But overall I felt good on the court. Just the first match is always tricky, and she was a really tough opponent for the first round." Lepchenko's win over the World No.5 was the American's first ever win over a Top 5 player. The only other seed in action, No.8 seed Andrea Petkovic, was just too solid for Japanese qualifier Naomi Osaka, cruising to a 6-2, 6-2 win. Osaka had beaten Samantha Stosur in the first round. "She's so talented," Petkovic said. "The forehand is just off the chain, and her first serve also - I think she was serving at 120mph, and at age 16 too. I'm not even serving that hard now, and I'm 26. "But I remembered myself when I was 16. You have great shots, but you can lose your focus for a few games, and you make some wrong decisions because you just don't have that experience. I knew if I just played solid it would be tough for her. But I think we're going to be hearing a lot about her." The only other match saw American qualifier Sachia Vickery come back to beat Monica Puig, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-1. The 19-year-old Vickery is now through to the first WTA quarterfinal of her blossoming career.
SERENA WILLIAMS ADVANCES IN STANFORD. Bank of the west classic 2014
Williams' last two tournaments didn't yield the results she wanted - second round at the French, third round at Wimbledon. But she won Stanford the last two times she was here, in 2011 and 2012, and that streak continued on Wednesday as she won her 10th match in a row at the Premier-level event.
The World No.1 not only put together a +10 differential of winners to unforced errors, 29 to 19, but she was also at her very best on the big points, converting on all three of her break point chances. She also served up a storm, nine aces to be exact, and won 11 of 14 points when she came to net. "I was playing a player I knew was going to be very difficult to break, so it was really important for me to be super focused on my serve today," Williams said.
"I'm still taking it a match at a time though - I'm just worried about doing what I want to do and what I've been practicing on the court. "But I wasn't feeling any nerves today. I felt good. And I felt fine physically." Next up is either No.5 seed Ana Ivanovic or Canadian qualifier Carol Zhao, who play Thursday.
miércoles, 30 de julio de 2014
News bank of the west classic, 30 july 2014
Williams, who has claimed two titles and notched five runner-up finishes in 11 previous tournament appearances, cruised past qualifier Paula Kania 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday night in the main draw of the 2014 Bank of the West Classic at Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
Pounding home seven aces while winning all nine of her service games, Williams was competing in her first event since a three-set loss to Petra Kvitova in the third round at Wimbledon last month. Williams raced out to a 4-1 lead in both sets against Kania, who was making her tournament debut after surviving two rounds of qualifying over the weekend. Of the three seeded players in action on Tuesday, only No. 5 Ana Ivanovic emerged, coming away with a 7-6 (2), 6-1 victory over Sabine Lisicki in what was billed to be one of the most competitive first-round contests. Trailing 6-5 in the first set, Ivanovic won back-to-back games against Lisicki, who produced the fastest recorded serve in WTA history with a 131 mph offering in the 11th game of the first set. Defending champion and No. 6 seed Dominika Cibulkova was upset 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 by Garbine Muguruza while No. 7 seed Carla Suarez Navarro suffered a 6-3, 7-5 setback against Monica Puig.
Qualifier Carol Zhao registered her first career WTA main draw victory, punching her ticket to the second round when Yanina Wickmayer retired due to a viral illness one game into the second set. It may not have mattered though against the sophomore All-American from Stanford, as Zhao had taken the first set 6-2 and led 1-0 before Wickmayer elected to retire.
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA |
Daniela Hantuchova put away Paula Ormaechea 6-3, 6-4 in the nightcap. In doubles play, the No. 2-seeded duo of Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Rodionova needed only 39 minutes to defeat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-0.
ANA IVANOVIC IN 2 ROUND IN STANFORD 2014. Bank of the west classic,
A few weeks earlier, Lisicki defeated Ivanovic in the third round of Wimbledon, eventually making it all the way to the quarterfinals.
But this time the No.5-seeded Ivanovic got her back, recovering from an early 4-1 deficit and eventually getting by the big-serving German in straight sets, 7-6(2), 6-1. "It was a really good match, even though it was both of our first matches in a while," Ivanovic said. "I got down in that first set and she was playing really well, and serving really well too. I really tried to find my rhythm in that set, and in the second set I really started feeling her serves a little bit more. "It was a really tough draw for both of us, and I'm happy I was able to win this one." This is just the third time Ivanovic has gotten to 40, first doing it in 2007 (she got to 40 in August and finished the year with 51) and then again in 2013 (her last match win of the year was her 40th). "I definitely didn't even think about that - I wasn't focusing on that - but it just gives me so much pleasure and confidence," Ivanovic said. "This is what I love to do. I love to play and compete. So knowing I have that many victories, it's very pleasing, and something that inspires me to keep working hard and to get even better and get back into the Top 10, which has been my goal for so long now."
martes, 29 de julio de 2014
Agnieszka Radwanska in the bank of the west classic 2014
The rapid emergence of WTA Rising Stars like Simona Halep and Eugenie Bouchard has changed the demographic makeup at the top, leaving Radwanska and her peers wondering where all the time went.
"There are so many younger girls playing so well," Radwanska said during Monday's All Access Hour in Stanford. "This year, definitely Eugenie Bouchard, she's been really good, especially in the Grand Slams - one semi, one final. I think it's a very good year for her and of course she's playing great tennis. "But it's not only her, there are other girls coming up, and they're 17, 18 years old, so it can make some of us feel pretty old! You know, time flies. It feels like two years ago that I was 18, and I remember those times really well: my first matches on tour; first time playing against big names in big stadiums; the first time I was on TV - I was so nervous before I went on court." Radwanska, who broke the Top 50 one month before her 18th birthday, also remembers her rapid ascent through the tennis ranks and the emotions that came with it. "I remember also those times going on court and losing, then a few months later going on court and beating someone in the Top 30, then a few more months later, someone in the Top 10," she added. Such is the strength and depth of the current Top 100, Radwanska admits that emulating her own teenage achievements is a stiff challenge. "The tour is definitely a lot stronger now. I can really feel that now from the first round at tournaments. Sometimes you get an easy scoreline, but usually it's someone who I have to really push myself 100% to beat.
lunes, 28 de julio de 2014
News bank of the west classic, 28 july 2014
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA |
STANFORD, Calif. (www.BankOfTheWestClassic.com)
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams will highlight the Tuesday night session (Session 4) against qualifier Paula Kania and Sam Stosur, the 2011 US Open champion, will be headlining the Bank of the West Classic’s opening session on Monday as she takes on qualifier Naomi Osaka.
Also on Monday, World No. 18 Andrea Petkovic kicks off the night session against Ajla Tomljanovic, followed by the nightcap matchup between Coco Vandeweghe and recent Stanford graduate Kristie Ahn. Tuesday at the Taube Family Tennis Center will be buzzing as defending champion Dominika Cibulkova takes the court against Garbine Muguruza not before 1:00 PM, followed by a battle between 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic and 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki in a not before 3:00 PM start.
Following Williams’ matchup on Tuesday night, World No. 31 Daniela Hantuchova makes her 10th Bank of the West Classic appearance against Paula Ormaechea. Venus’ sister, Serena, headlines the Wednesday night session in the second round of the Bank of the West Classic. Tickets for the 2014 Bank of the West Classic, which will be held July 28 – August 3 at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium on the campus of Stanford University, can be purchased online at www.BankOfTheWestClassic.com or by phone at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497).
domingo, 27 de julio de 2014
ABOUT THE BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC 2014.
The Bank of the West Classic is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world and is the first stop of the Emirates Airline US Open Series.
Owned and operated by IMG, the WTA Premier event features a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $710,000. Held on Stanford University’s campus at Taube Family Tennis Stadium since 1997, former champions include: Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters.
NEWS 27 JULY 2014. BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC
ANA IVANOVIC |
STANFORD, Calif. (www.BankOfTheWestClassic.com)
Five seeded players posted victories on Saturday afternoon in the opening round of qualifying competition at the 2014 Bank of the West Classic.
No. 1 seed Aleksandra Wozniak, the 2008 Bank of the West Classic champion, seized control late in her match against Stanford sophomore Caroline Doyle for a 7-5, 6-3 victory. Doyle’s teammate, fellow Cardinal sophomore Carol Zhao, notched a 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (3) upset of No. 2 seed Katerina Siniakova, one of three seeded players eliminated on the first day. Also knocking off seeded participants were Raquel Kops-Jones, who beat No. 3 Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2, 7-6 (8) and Naomi Osaka, who defeated No. 4 Alla Kudryavtseva 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. Fifth-seeded Paula Kania outlasted Daria Gavrilova 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 while No. 6 seed Sachia Vickery (6-4, 6-1) and No. 7 seed Petra Martic (6-4, 6-2) managed straight-set victories.
Marina Shamayko rallied for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 triumph over alternate Mari Osaka. The final round of qualifying is set for Sunday, getting underway at 10 a.m. Four qualifiers will advance to the main draw, with Samantha Stosur, Yanina Wickmayer, Venus Williams and Shuai Zhang the possible opponents.
ELINA SVITOLINA CONQUERS OF THE BAKU CUP 2014
Svitolina came out far stronger, cruising to a 6-1 first set in just 22 minutes.
But things got much tougher in the second set as Jovanovski wouldn't budge on her serve - in fact neither played budged on their serve, 12 straight holds leading the hard-hitting WTA Rising Stars into a second set tie-break. The No.2-seeded Svitolina jumped out to a 4-0 lead in that second set tie-break and never really looked back, eventually closing the No.5-seeded Jovanovski out on her first match point, 6-1, 7-6(2). Jovanovski's slow start to the match could have been the after-effects of a very difficult path to the final - she went to three sets three times in four matches en route to the final, including coming back from 6-4, 4-2 down in her quarterfinal match and 4-1 down in the third set in her semifinal match. Meanwhile, Svitolina lost just one set all week, in her semifinal win against Francesca Schiavone. Svitolina is also the first teenager to win multiple WTA titles since Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who actually won three WTA titles as a teenager (Monterrey and Istanbul in 2010 and Monterrey in 2011).
sábado, 26 de julio de 2014
BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC STANFORD, USA JUL 28 - AUG 03, 2014. TOURNAMENT INFO
TOURNAMENT INFO
TIER: Premier
PRIZE MONEY: $710,000
SURFACE: Hard
DIRECTOR: Kim Hall Uliasz
Launched in San Francisco in 1971 and moving to Oakland in 1979, the longest-running women's-only event settled in its current home of Stanford University at the Taube Family Tennis Center in 1997. Bank of the West has been the title sponsor since 1992, showcasing a strong commitment to tennis. Stanford serves as the first tournament of the Emirates Airline US Open Series, the North American summer hardcourt schedule that begins after Wimbledon and leads up to the US Open. Martina Navratilova has the tournament record with five titles. Other winners include four-time champ Kim Clijsters, three-time champs Lindsay Davenport, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King, and Margaret Court, Martina Hingis, Hana Mandlikova, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, Monica Seles, Serena Williams and Venus Williams. Davenport has the most doubles titles with six - each of them coming with different partners.
ELINA SVITOLINA INTO BAKU CUP FINAL 2014
The second-seeded Svitolina converted on five of six break points and saved eight of 11 on her own serve in her 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Francesca Schiavone.
The third set was a see-saw affair, with Svitolina getting out to a 3-1 lead, Schiavone winning four straight games to go up 4-3 and Svitolina winning three straight to close out her triumph. Though she dropped a set for the first time all week on Saturday, Svitolina improved to 9-1 here. She will be competing in her second WTA final, having won her first here last year. The fifth-seeded Jovanovski was victorious in three sets for the third time this week, rallying from a 4-1 third set deficit in her 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Stefanie Voegele.
In her opener against Patricia Mayr-Achleitner on Monday, Jovanovski lost the first set and was two points from defeat in the second before staging a comeback, and in her quarterfinal against Misa Eguchi on Friday, she was down a set and 4-2 before she turned the tide. Like Svitolina, Jovanovski has had terrific success here in the past. She is now 10-1 at this event, having captured the first of her two WTA titles at Baku in 2012.
Nineteen-year-old Ukrainian Svitolina and 22-year-old Serb Jovanovski will be facing off for the first time on Sunday.
jueves, 24 de julio de 2014
ANA IVANOVIC SEXY SELFIE. SUMMER 2014
One reader writes: “A beautiful face and a model’s body – simply a perfect woman.
” Another writes: “She is so happy.
Furthermore, she is great with her fans, and is a joy to behold.” A third writes: “She’s the most beautiful tennis player – she’s also the most graceful, elegant and self-confident, with a smile which captures people’s hearts all around the world, and that’s what makes some people sexy, don’t you agree?” A fourth writes: “She’s naturally beautiful and doesn’t preen.”
NEWS BAKU CUP . 24 JULY 2014
Voegele did not make the ideal start, dropping serve in the opening game, but from then on she was almost flawless, taking the next six games without reply.
At the start of the second set, Voegele afforded Cirstea a brief respite in the shape of a comfortable hold, before completing her 6-1, 6-1 triumph with another run of six straight games. Cirstea is the sixth seed to fall this week, and leaves WTA Rising Star Elina Svitolina as the highest-ranked player left in the draw. Svitolina, who picked up the title 12 months ago, overcame Sílvia Soler-Espinosa, 7-5, 6-2, to extend her winning run in Baku to seven matches. Also securing a quarterfinal berth was Kristina Mladenovic, who recovered from a stuttering start to emerge victorious from her battle with fellow WTA Rising Star Donna Vekic, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. Meeting her next will be former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, after she saw off the challenge of Julia Glushko, 6-2, 7-6(2).
Schiavone turned 34 last month, but has proved this week that she is far from a spent force. Against Glushko she came racing out of the blocks, breaking immediately before repeating the trick six games later to take the set. The second set was a closer affair, with Glushko's more adventurous approach rewarded with a 3-0 lead. This did not deter the Italian, who clawed her way back before upping her game to pinch it on a tie-break.
miércoles, 23 de julio de 2014
bojana jovanovski in Qfs of the baku cup 2014
Katarzina Piter _ Bojana Jovanovski 36 16
Katarzina Piter, the representative of Poland, faced Serbian player Bojana Jovanovski, a number 5 seed of the tournament.
Piter, who is number 120 seed in the world, began the first set with a superiority over Jovanovski, who is ranked number 40 in the world, with a score of 2:0.
Though following this the Serbian tennis player took the matter into her own hands and changed the score to in her favour by winning consecutive points. Jovanovski, who made her rival accept her superiority with each minute that passed, won the first set with a score of 6:3.
Bojana Jovanovski, who strengthened her superiority in the second set as well, completely broke her rival`s resistance and ended the set with a 6:1 win and the match with a 2-0 victory.
With this victory Jovanovski moved on to the 1/4 finals and became a rival to the Japanese player Misa Eguchi.
For your information, the Serbian player had been the winner of "Baku Cup 2012"
martes, 22 de julio de 2014
kristina Mladenovic advances in baku Cup 2014
Heather Watson_Kristina Mladenovic 26 63 06
No 7 favourite of the tournament, 57th seed in the world Heather Watson of UK was defeated by Kristina Mladenivic of France.
The French player won 6:2 the first set of the match that was taking place with the tense struggle of the participants. In the second set Watson started playing better and won the set 6:3 and made the score 1-1.Hence, that was all she could do. Mladenovic taking over again won the third set 6:0 and became the winner of the match 2:1. Her rival in the 1/8 final will be Donna Vekic from Croatia.
Vesna Dolontc advances in baku Cup 2014
Vesna Dolontc_Kseniya Gardarzhi 60 62
Vesna Dolontc is undefeatable in Baku: one more victory The matches of the day 3 have started in "Baku Cup 2014". The first match of the day brought together Vesna Dolontc of Serbia and Kseniya Gaydarzhi of Russia.
Dolontc who won Alyona Fomina (UKR) and Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) in the qualifying matches has proven that her presence in the main draw is not incidental. 25-year-old Dolonc who is No 162 seed in the world left no chance to her 19-year-old rival, No 1040 in the world to surprise her. Dolontc demonstrating a confident and prevailing performance won the firsts set 6:0 and the second 6:2 making the score of the match 2-0. The next rival of Dolontc in 1/8 final will be Shahar Peer (ISR).
lunes, 21 de julio de 2014
BAKU CUP BAKU, AZERBAIJAN JUL 21 - JUL 27, 2014. TOURNAMENT INFO
TOURNAMENT INFO
TIER: International
PRIZE MONEY: $250,000
SURFACE: Hard
DIRECTOR: Leila Meskhi
Host country of the WTA's Baku Cup in July, Azerbaijan is situated at the crossroads of eastern Europe and western Asia on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula. The capital of Azerbaijan as well as its scientific, cultural and industrial center, Baku is the largest city of the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is also one of the top destinations in the world for urban nightlife. First held in 2011, the tournament is staged at the Baku Tennis Academy, which has a 10,000-seat capacity main stadium. There is also a 3,000-seat center court and 12 additional courts.
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