Kristina Mladenovic reached St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy 2017 R2. She prevailed over the Belgian Elise Mertens on Tuesday – 7/6(5), 6/4. The match lasted 1 hour 46 minutes. The opponents made 11 breaks: Mladenovic broke 6 times, Mertens – 5. Kristina will vie for a place in QF with Australian Open-2017 runner-up Venus Williams.
Australian Open 2017 - Women's Champion Photocall
TOURNAMENT INFO
TIER: International
PRIZE MONEY: $226,750
SURFACE: Hard
DIRECTOR: Stephen Duckitt
The Taiwan Open is one of a record nine WTA Premier and International tournaments in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan during the 2017 season: Beijing (Premier Mandatory), Wuhan (Premier 5), Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taipei City, Nanchang, Shenzhen, Tianjin (International), and Zhuhai (WTA Elite Trophy).
Originally staged in Kaohsiung during its 2016 debut, the Taiwan Open moved to the capital city of Taipei from 2017. The tournament's inaugural staging, attended by almost 10,000 fans, saw former No.1 Venus Williams capture the singles title and Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan of Taiwan triumph in doubles.
Staged at the 10,000-seat indoor stadium, the Taipei Arena, the event's move to Taipei will result in increased government and sponsorship investment and make the event accessible to a larger fan base.
Taiwan's first taste of WTA tennis came back in 2012, with Taipei successfully hosting a WTA 125K Series event for the last five years.
A global city, Taipei is the political, economic, educational, and cultural center of Taiwan.
Serena vs venus 64 64
Dominant champions in any field boast an assured presence about them. Some bank on the big chat to psych out opponents, for others there is a certain confidence in their athleticism, their swagger, their physicality.
The best usually rely on the more intrinsic means – an aura typically earned through results.
Serena Williams is a glowing example.
With 22 majors to her name, the 35-year-old stands one match from pulling clear of Steffi Graf’s Open Era Grand Slam record when she faces Venus Williams in Saturday’s Australian Open decider.
There is no need for her to talk the big talk. Those results speak for themselves.
For a contender new on the scene, Serena's presence is perhaps most palpable.
Following her second-round hiding at the hands of her great countrywoman, Nicole Gibbs spoke of the awe she felt facing her hero on Rod Laver Arena.
Serena had swept her way to the title six times. Gibbs had won just four main draw matches at Melbourne Park in three campaigns.
“There was definitely an opportunity going up against players I played, and I was in awe and very respectful,” Serena said when told of Gibbs’ remarks.
“I was in awe and had so much respect for these players.
“But when I stepped out there, I wanted to see what I can do, all my years of work and how it would stand up against the greatest.”
Heading into the women’s doubles final with 76 titles and 10 Grand Slams between them, the line-up of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova against Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai lacked nothing for experience.
The American-Czech duo of newly-crowned doubles world No.1 Mattek-Sands and her partner Safarova had tasted victory in Melbourne before, winning the 2015 title, and the second seeds did it again this year with an entertaining 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3 victory.
“We were celebrating like five-year-old kids out there,” Mattek-Sands said. “It still feels amazing to win it. It's a Grand Slam. When we got the trophy, we saw our names written on it. We know we get it written on there again. It's just special.”
