Serena Williams and David Ferrer will be the main draw at the Mutua Madrid Open Charity Day on 1 May in an event presented by Arturo Valls and led by Elsa Pataky.
Excitement, fun and games on a charity afternoon that nobody will want to miss. Tennis players Serena Williams and David Ferrer and actress Elsa Pataky will square off with a number of other celebrities in various challenges on Mutua Madrid Open Charity Day, which takes place on Friday 1 May at 17:00 on the Centre Court – Manolo Santana Stadium in the Caja Mágica.
Everyone will be doing their bit to contribute to this charity initiative to raise money for The Serena Williams Foundation, which offers aid to families and provides an education to young people who do not have access to one, and the Fundación Fero for cancer research, for which Elsa Pataky is the ambassador. The Fundación Mutua Madrileña will be demonstrating its generosity by contributing to the causes of the other foundations.
The format of the charity event will be the same as last year’s, which included players and celebrities such as Rafa Nadal, Iker Casillas, Feliciano López, Andy Murray, Cristina Pedroche, Rudy Fernández and Dani Rovira. This year Elsa Pataky tops the list of famous faces: Jesús Castro, Antonio Velázquez, Almudena Cid, Paloma Lago e Iván Helguera.
TOURNAMENT INFO
TIER: Premier
PRIZE MONEY: $4,185,405
SURFACE: Clay
DIRECTOR: Manolo Santana
Total Financial Commitment: $4,785,714. WTA tennis in Madrid dates back to 1996, with an event held the week before the French Open through 2003. Also, the Spanish capital hosted the season-ending WTA Championships in 2006 and 2007. What is now known as the Mutua Madrid Open, one of four Premier Mandatory tournaments on the calendar, debuted in 2009 running alongside the ATP event that launched in 2002.
The venue that hosts the event, La Caja Mágica (The Magic Box), was unveiled in 2009 at a special ceremony attended by the Spanish Prime Minister and Mayor of Madrid. The facility houses three clay courts with retractable roofs. Center Court - Manolo Santana Stadium - can hold 12,500 people, and Court 2 - Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario Stadium - and Court 3 seat 3,500 and 2,500, respectively.
That allows for up to three matches to be played simultaneously in the event of rain, a luxury that none of the four majors offer.
Since its inception, the tournament has been a leader in innovations. Those have included having models work as ball boys and ball girls, showing the finals in 3D at Spanish cinemas, having Elena Dementieva and Caroline Wozniacki play 'Underground Tennis' on the tracks of one of Madrid's busiest Metro stations in 2009 and having Maria Sharapova square off with Spanish motorcycle rider Fonsi Nieto in a speed competition of her serve against his bike in 2010.
The idea that received the most attention was the event becoming the first-ever to be played on blue clay - switching from its traditional red clay - for 2012.
Back to red clay in 2013, Madrid saw its first repeat winner in Serena Williams. Maria Sharapova was victorious in 2014.
Having come from a set down in her opening two matches, top seed Pliskova looked intent on avoiding this situation against Allertova, capitalizing on a string of early errors to break in the opening game.
She soon stretched this lead and after just 23 minutes was wrapping up the set with an ace down the T.
When she carved out another break opportunity with a searing backhand passing shot at the start of the second, Allertova looked in under threat of being blown away.
However, the World No.103 survived this danger and despite failing to serve out the set at 5-3 eventually forced a decider.
She was unable to build on this momentum, dropping her serve to love in the very next game. And Pliskova gratefully accepted this gift, breaking twice more to wrap up the contest, 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.
Just an average day at the beach #Esquire
Ana Ivanovic’s season has not panned out quite as the Serbian would have liked following her resurgence in 2014, when despite only winning 9 Grand Slam matches, he lifted 4 titles, reached 6 finals and qualified for the WTA Finals in Singapore.
She had not reached the tournament contested by the world’s 8 best players since 2008. She closed out last season fifth in the world ranking, thereby breaking into the top 10 for the first time since 2008.
2015 got off to a promising start for the Belgrade tennis player as she made it to the final in Brisbane. However, she has only triumphed in half of the 12 encounters she has played since then. She will probably be looking to avoid Carolina García in the draw, as the French woman has already beaten her on 3 occasions this year, most recently in Stuttgart.
Ivanovic has fond memories of Madrid, where she was a semifinalist in the 2007 WTA competition, the furthest she has progressed in the tournament to date.
In her last two visits she has reached the semi-finals (2013) and the quarter-finals (2014).
Muguruza made a bright start, pinning Mladenovic behind the baseline and breaking twice in the first three games. But she was unable to hang onto this early advantage as the Mladenovic slowly worked her way back into the match.
After pinching the opening set on a tie-break, Mladenovic continued to hold her own in the baseline exchanges in the second, and despite failing to serve the match out at 6-5 she composed herself to triumph 7-6(4), 7-6(6).
Nike X Sacai in motion
#Madrid #instagood
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA SEXY. THE ORIGINAL PIC.
The two world number ones will be the main draw at the Mutua Madrid Open Charity Day on 1 May in an event presented by Arturo Valls and led by Elsa Pataky.
Excitement, fun and games on a charity afternoon that nobody will want to miss.
Tennis players Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams and actress Elsa Pataky will square off with a number of other celebrities in various challenges on Mutua Madrid Open Charity Day, which takes place on Friday 1 May at 17:00 on the Centre Court – Manolo Santana Stadium in the Caja Mágica.
Everyone will be doing their bit to contribute to this charity initiative to raise money for the players’ foundations. The Novak Djokovic foundation, which works with handicapped children, the Serena Williams Foundation, which offers aid to families and provides an education to young people who do not have access to one, and the Fundación Fero for cancer research, for which Elsa Pataky is the ambassador.
The Fundación Mutua Madrileña will be demonstrating its generosity by contributing to the causes of the other three foundations.
Mutua Madrid Open Director Manolo Santana was very positive about the participation of Serena and Djokovic.
“It is extremely important for us that the world number ones have taken on such a special role in the tournament. Their commitment shows a charitable side that people are not aware of and I’m convinced that people will really enjoy it, because they are going to give us a lot to laugh about”.
It's a special week for the WTA with Serena Williams hitting 114 consecutive weeks at No.1, passing Chris Evert for the third-longest streak at No.1 in WTA history.
Tournament Info
Tier: International
Prize Money: $250,000
Surface: Clay
Director: Petra Cernoskova
With several of the WTA's brightest stars, including two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, Czech tennis is booming at present. And in 2015, top class tennis returns to the country in the shape of the J&T Banka Prague Open.
The tournament, held at the Czech Lawn Tennis Club, was a fixture on tour between 1992 and 2010, with Vera Zvonareva, Dinara Safina and Jana Novotna among the players to lift the trophy.
Tournament Info
Tier: International
Prize Money: $250,000
Surface: Clay
Director: Hicham Arazi
The WTA makes its lone stop in Africa at the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem. The red clay court tournament has been staged in several different cities in Morocco, starting off in Casablanca in 2001, moving to Rabat in 2005, to Fès in 2007 and finally Marrakech in 2013.
Located near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, Marrakech is a major economic center and tourist destination.
The event name refers to Princess Lalla Meryem, the sister of Mohammed VI, King of Morocco.
Among the tournament's past participants are Svetlana Kuznetsova, Li Na, Dinara Safina and 2013 winner Francesca Schiavone. It has produced a different champion each year since its inception.
Kerber and Wozniacki had played some phenomenal tennis to get to the final - they were responsible for taking out the Top 2 seeds en route to the final, Kerber taking out No.1 seed Maria Sharapova in the second round and Wozniacki outlasting No.2 seed Simona Halep in an almost-three hour semifinal.
And they brought out their best tennis again on Sunday, with Wozniacki drawing first blood by taking the 32-minute first set, 6-3, then Kerber retaliating with a runaway 25-minute second set, 6-1.
There was all kinds of drama in the third set, with Wozniacki jumping out to a 3-1 lead, then Kerber catching up to 3-all, then Wozniacki again leaning ahead 5-3, and coming within two points of victory at 30-15, but again Kerber digging out of it, breaking to get back on serve then holding for 5-all.
In the end Kerber's momentum was just too strong, and she managed to win the last four games of the match to close out the No.4-seeded Dane after two hours and four minutes, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5.
"It was small things today that made the difference," Wozniacki told the crowd. "I had 5-3 in the third set and 30-all, and it could have gone both ways, but she took her chances and it went her way.
Stuttgart. The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix has its dream final: Angelique Kerber from Porsche Team Germany will meet Dane Caroline Wozniacki in the Porsche Arena on Sunday (2.30 local time, live in the SWR television channel).
It is therefore the first time a German will appear in the final of the long-established Stuttgart tournament since Julia Görges in 2011.
Angelique Kerber was in a rush. After the hard-fought successes against title-holder Maria Sharapova and the rising Ekaterina Makarova, the semifinal against American Madison Brengle was over very quickly.
It took the Porsche Brand Ambassador and world No. 14 only 58 minutes to defeat the world No. 43. Supported by the highly enthusiastic crowd in the once again sold-out Porsche Arena, Angelique Kerber was in control of the match right from the first serve and forced her opponent to retreat well behind the baseline with her powerful and well-placed shots.
There was never any danger of her coming off second best.
“Even though it looked as if it was all rather easy, I felt a quite bit of pressure. I knew that people expected a lot of me and I really wanted to fulfil those expectations,” said Angelique Kerber who has reached a WTA final for the tenth time.
“Now I’m just so happy that I’ve done it. The match against Caroline will certainly be very difficult. Both of us will be giving our best and we’ll just have to see who will be driving off with the Porsche.”
Today was a good day on court!
Training hard for Madrid.
#nopainnogame #intraining #happyvibes
The traditional Spanish Omelette.
So simple, so good.
#Madrid #Spain #fooddiary #travel
About last night...jet lag with flowers in tow. #travel #birthday
Director Miss Ivanovic
#Tbt to my @adidasY3 shoot in the desert earlier on this year.
Causing trouble on set!! #adidasY3
#ImpactTheGame
#RG15 #tennis #fashion
Born and raised on clay, Suárez Navarro has been one of the most consistent performers on the surface in recent years but was no match for an on-song Wozniacki.
The Spaniard saw her serve broken five times, as Wozniacki wrapped up a 6-0, 6-3 victory to set up a meeting with No.2 seed Simona Halep.
The tone was set early on, Wozniacki's metronome-like consistency drawing the errors from Suárez Navarro. After whipping through the opening set, the Dane's march met a little more resistance in the second, Suárez Navarro threatening a comeback when she broke in a marathon fifth game.
Wozniacki, though, was not to be denied, taking three of the last four games to reach her first clay court semifinal since Brussels in 2011. "I was saying that I remember that statistic," Wozniacki said of her four-year wait. "I played well today. Ran a lot of balls down, played aggressively and went from offence to defense and back which is good. I was very pleased with my performance."
Stuttgart. Angelique Kerber has started her Porsche Tennis Grand Prix campaign with win. The Porsche Team Germany player won her opening match 6-2, 7-5 against American Alexa Glatch in the filled-to-capacity Porsche Arena. She will now meet title holder Maria Sharapova in a match many spectators were hoping to see in the final of the long-standing tournament in Stuttgart.
“Our matches have always been really tight. I’ll have to play very well right from the start if I want to have a chance,” said Angelique Kerber, who defeated the Russian when they last played each other in the last 16 at Wimbledon in 2014. In the Porsche Arena however, Maria Sharapova will be a tough nut to crack: in winning every one of her 13 matches she has played in Stuttgart, the current world No. 2 has won the tournament in each of the past three years.
“A great record,” said Angelique Kerber.
“I’ll be doing my very best to try and stop the series. Facing such a strong player is always very motivating for me.”
Muguruza had beaten Halep in their two previous meetings, at Wuhan last fall and in Fed Cup play earlier this year, and it looked like the pattern was going to continue as the WTA Rising Star took the first set of this one in just 34 minutes, 6-3, coming through on the big points much better than Halep - the Spaniard converted on both of her break points in that first set, Halep going zero for two.
The No.2-seeded Halep went right to work from there, though, rolling through the second set, 6-1, and battling back from 2-0 down in the third - even facing points for 3-0 - to win the match, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Halep was just too solid across the second and third sets, compiling a +3 differential of winners to unforced errors (12 to 9) while Muguruza's game went awry - she had a -13 differential (18 to 31).
The Romanian also became the first player to reach 25 WTA-level match wins on the season.
The tennis fans that watched the exclusive show match between superstars Maria Sharapova and Andre Agassi in front of the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen were also thrilled.
Stuttgart has once again been turned into the tennis capital of Germany by the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
At last year’s tournament, Lucie Safarova played an almost record-breaking three hour 23 minute first round match against Maria Sharapova in the Porsche Arena.
This time around however, the Czech Fed Cup winner only needed just over one and a half hours to beat qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko from the Ukraine 7-6, 6-4. “I can still vividly remember the match with Maria,” said Lucie Safarova, the world No. 13, after her match against the No. 140. “For me it was the longest of my career – I unfortunately didn’t win it.
” This year Lucie Safarova could get the chance to gain revenge – but only if the two reach the final.
Perhaps inspired by losses to Garcia at two of her last three tournaments in Monterrey and Indian Wells, Ivanovic came out looking strong and determined to break the pattern, rallying from 5-3 down to take the first set to a tie-break, and then bringing up triple set point up 6-3 in that tie-break.
But Garcia came alive at that most critical of moments, reeling off five points in a row to sneak out the first set. She hung tough with the No.5-seeded Ivanovic to close it out in straights, 7-6(6), 6-4.
"It was very tough. It was a very, very tough first round,"
Ivanovic said afterwards. "We all know this is a tough tournament, but I think maybe another first round opponent could have been better for me.
"I felt today was a fresh match because the last times we played this year were back to back, so that was kind of déjà-vu, but now I felt it was different, especially being on clay.
But it's never nice to play someone so tough in the first round. You need to work yourself into the tournament sometimes."
I don't know much about Kraków but one thing I do know is this hat is going to come in to good use.
#Poland
#hereicome
the brightest WTA stars glammed up and stepped out for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix opening ceremony.
the brightest WTA stars glammed up and stepped out for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix opening ceremony.
Harper's Bazaar Serbia Cover. May 2015
Thank you
@harpersbazaarserbia for making me your #CoverGirl Photo
@johnrussophoto, Styling
@marissajoye, Make-Up
@anthonymerante
Serbia clinched a routine 4-1 win over Paraguay in the Fed Cup World Group II Play-Offs.
The victory means that they will compete in the World Group II in 2016.
Leading 2-0 overnight, Serbian captain Tatjana Jecmenica chose to blood her nation's younger players on Sunday. 17-year-old Ivana Jorovic made her Fed Cup debut, losing in three sets to 166-ranked Veronica Cepede Royg, before Aleksandra Krunic sealed victory with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Montserrat Gonzalez.
The two youngsters then teamed up to win the doubles rubber 6-1, 6-4.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIA SHARAPOVA!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIA SHARAPOVA!!!
SOCHI, RUSSIA
Russia pulled off a sensational 3-2 victory against Germany to move through to the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Final after a decisive victory in the fifth rubber.
The home side had looked down and out after dropping both the reverse singles, but Elena Vesnina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova produced an excellent display to beat Andrea Petkovic and Sabine Lisciki in straight sets.
“It was an unbelievable victory and we are so excited and I am so proud of my team. The whole team worked so hard and I just want to thank my captain as she was amazing and helped us so much,” said a jubilant Vesnina.
Russia took the first set with Vesnina coming to the fore. The Sochi native, who is ranked as the joint seventh best doubles player in the world, took control of the game at the net.
She helped Pavlyuchenkova to settle – the Russian having endured a torrid time during her singles match earlier in the day against Angelique Kerber as she was thrashed 61 60 in less than an hour.
Tournament Info
Tier: Premier
Prize Money: $731,000
Surface: Clay
Director: Markus Guenthardt
First played in 1978 and winner of the WTA's Premier Tournament Of The Year award in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is Europe's oldest indoor women's event and is the lone indoor clay tournament on the calendar.
Previously a fall hardcourt event, Stuttgart became a red clay tournament staged in the spring in 2009, making it ideal preparation for Roland Garros. In fact, the clay comes from France and its grain size of 0.1 mm is the same that is used at the French Open.
"The surface is very fast and almost identical to the one in Roland Garros," former WTA star Elena Dementieva said.
The winner of the event at the Porsche Arena receives a Porsche 911 Carrera sports car in addition to a handsome prize sum. Martina Navratilova is the tournament record holder with six singles titles and eight doubles titles. Other Stuttgart titlists include former World No.1s Tracy Austin, Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport, Justine Henin, Martina Hingis, Jelena Jankovic and Maria Sharapova, who won the title for the third straight time in 2014 - the first time in her career she became an event's three-time champion.
Featuring hills, valleys and parks, Stuttgart is the capital of the Baden-Württemberg state in southern Germany.
Teliana Pereira completed a dream week at the Claro Open Colsanitas on Sunday, beating Yaroslava Shvedova to become the first Brazilian in 27 years to win a WTA title.
The unseeded Pereira, who had already taken out No.4 seed Francesca Schiavone and No.1 seed Elina Svitolina en route to the final, rallied from 4-2 down to sneak out the first set and then cruised the rest of the way against the No.5-seeded Shvedova, capturing the title after a 7-6(2), 6-1 victory.
The last time a Brazilian woman captured a WTA title was at Barcelona all the way back in April 1988, when Neige Dias came through - a few months later, on July 20, 1988, Pereira came into the world.
"This has been the best week of my life," an overjoyed Pereira said after the match.
"When I was training, I always dreamt of winning a WTA championship, and now I've done it. Playing the Medellín challenger before this was very important to me because there was a little altitude there, too, and that helped me get ready for the conditions here. I think I played very well all week.
"I felt very solid all week and I'm so happy to win my first WTA title here in Bogotá."
The feeling after zipping up the last and final bag!
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