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☆ WTA roundup: Zheng Qinwen advances at Zhengzhou Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

She will face Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina, who posted a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Russian qualifier Vera Zvonareva. Hana Bank Korea OpenBelgium's Yanina Wickmayer seized a 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over third-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia to move on to the quarterfinals in Seoul. Wickmayer will meet Russian Polina Kudermetova, who breezed to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Kathinka von Deichmann of Liechenstein. Fifth-seeded Anna Blinkova of Russia coasted to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Australian Priscilla Hon to advance to the third round. Third-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium had little difficulty in her 6-1, 6-4 victory over Australian qualifier Daria Saville.

Persons: China's, Zheng, China's Zhu Lin REUTERS, Kim Kyung, Zheng Qinwen, Maria Sakkari, Sakkari, Kalinina, Vera Zvonareva, Italy's Jasmine Paolini, Caroline Garcia of, Ukraine's, Tsurenko, Donna Vekic, Wickmayer, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Kudermetova, Kathinka von Deichmann, Claire Liu, Arantxa Rus, China's Yuan Yue, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Anna Blinkova, Russia coasted, Priscilla Hon, Elise Mertens, Daria Saville Organizations: Tennis Centre, Russian, Caroline Garcia of France, Hana Bank, Hong, Belarus, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, Greece, Zhengzhou, Croatia, Hana Bank Korea, Russia, Seoul, Wickmayer, Arantxa, Netherland, Hong Kong, Brazil, Belgium

☆ Vondrousova one step from 'mission impossible'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, July 13 (Reuters) - For Marketa Vondrousova the very notion of winning Wimbledon was an impossibility a year ago, but on Saturday she has the chance to add her name to an esteemed list of Czech champions. Not only that, but Prague-based Vondrousova, 24, can become the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon. I didn't play for almost six months, so it was very tough," Vondrousova told reporters when asked to cast her mind back 12 months. It was really sad," Vondrousova, who made a tentative return to the second-tier ITF Tour last October, said. But something clicked and she has beaten 12th seed Veronika Kudermetova, 20th seed Donna Vekic, 32nd seed Marie Bouzkova and fourth seed Jessica Pegula.

Persons: Miriam Kolodziejova, Stepan Simek, Elina Svitolina, Martina Navratilova, Jana Novotna, Petra Kvitova, Vondrousova, Marketa, Susan Mullane, Ash Barty, Karolina Muchova, Veronika Kudermetova, Donna Vekic, Marie Bouzkova, Jessica Pegula, Frankie, He's, Martyn Herman, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Wimbledon, Court, Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Slams, ITF, Thomson Locations: Czech, Wimbledon, Prague, London, United Kingdom, Berlin

☆ Wimbledon 2023: The favorites to win the championships, the main challengers and how to watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Despite struggling for form in the lead up to the French Open, Djokovic found his A-game when it mattered most in Paris and looked largely unstoppable. Lisi Niesner/ReutersRybakina became the first player from Kazakhstan to win a grand slam title after beating Ons Jabeur in three sets in last year’s Wimbledon final, catapulting her to stardom overnight. Belarussian Sabalenka and Poland’s Iga Świątek are joint favorites to win the title alongside Rybakina, according to bookmakers. Sabalenka has three titles to her name this year, including that maiden grand slam in Australia, and has matched her career-high of No. Iga Swiatek is a four-time grand slam champion but is yet to win Wimbledon.

Persons: Novak, Roger Federer’s, –, Björn Borg –, Djokovic, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, Garros, Carlos Alcaraz, Susan Mullane, Reuters Alcaraz, Alcaraz, – Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Frances Tiafoe, Julian Finney, Francis Tiafoe, Chile’s Nicolas Jarry, Elena Rybakina, Donna Vekić, hadn’t, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, Linda Noskova, Lisi Niesner, Reuters Rybakina, Belarussian, Iga, Rybakina, Sabalenka, Aryna Sabalenka, agains Karolina Muchova, Veronika Kudermetova, Świątek, Tatjana Mariana, hasn’t, Joaquim Ferreira, Coco Gauff, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Madison Keys Organizations: CNN — Tennis, All England Club, Wimbledon, Roland, Queen's, USA, Sports, Reuters, Queen’s, Getty, Stuttgart, Eastbourne International, Czech, Stade Roland, Bad, Junior Wimbledon, Bernarda Pera, BBC, ESPN, Tennis Channel Locations: London, Paris, Germany, Wimbledon, Kazakhstan, Australia, United Kingdom

☆ Wimbledon champion Rybakina pulls out of Eastbourne
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 26 (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion and world number three Elena Rybakina pulled out of a warm-up event in Eastbourne on Monday, saying she was still recovering from a virus that forced her to withdraw from the French Open. Moscow-born Kazakh Rybakina made her major breakthrough by winning the title at Wimbledon last year and has steadily gone up the world rankings in 2023. Rybakina lost to Donna Vekic in the round of 16 in Berlin last week. "I am still recovering from the virus I had in Paris and after Roland Garros it was really tough. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar and Simon Jennings in Bengaluru Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elena Rybakina, Kazakh Rybakina, Roland Garros, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Rybakina, Donna Vekic, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Simon Jennings, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Eastbourne, Moscow, Kazakh, Berlin, Paris, Bengaluru

☆ Two-time champion Kvitova warms up for Wimbledon with German Open title
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 33-year-old Czech, who also beat Vekic en route to victory at the Miami Open this year, earned her 31st career title. The left-hander looked completely at ease on the surface as she captured her sixth title on grass, more than any other active WTA player, in a warning to her rivals ahead of Wimbledon. "I love grass, I love you," Kvitova told a thinning crowd at the Steffi Graf stadium. Kvitova found herself a break down early in the second set but battled back from 5-3 and moved 6-5 up with an ace. Vekic, who has shot up the rankings from 69th to 23rd this season following an Australian Open quarter-final spot and a title in Monterrey, forced a tiebreak.

Persons: Petra Kvitova, Croatia's Donna Vekic, Lisi Niesner BERLIN, Donna Vekic, Kvitova, Steffi Graf, Donna, Vekic, Karolos, Christian Radnedge, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Tennis Club, Wimbledon, Miami, Eastbourne, Croat, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Czech, Croatia, London, Wimbledon, Monterrey

☆ Vekic plays twice, beats sixth-seed Sakkari to reach German Open final
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The 26-year-old had first beaten lucky loser Elina Avanesyan in straight sets in their quarter-final on Saturday morning after play was cancelled due to heavy rain on Friday. Vekic made it two wins from her Saturday matches on her fourth match point with another forehand winner flying past her opponent, who also had to play twice in a day, having earlier beaten Marketa Vondrousova in her last-eight match. Sakkari has now lost all five of her semi-finals this season. Vekic will face either Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova or Czech Petra Kvitova in Sunday's final. Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donna Vekic, Greece's Maria Sakkari, Lisi Niesner BERLIN, Maria Sakkari, Elina Avanesyan, Sakkari, Vekic, Marketa Vondrousova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Czech Petra Kvitova, Karolos Grohmann, Ken Ferris Organizations: Tennis Club, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Greece, Czech

☆ Flawless Djokovic crushes Norrie to reach Rome quarter-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 16, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his round of 16 match against Britain's Cameron Norrie REUTERS/Aleksandra SzmigielROME, May 16 (Reuters) - Holder Novak Djokovic blasted past Briton Cameron Norrie 6-3 6-4 in a tense encounter to reach the Italian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday and remain on track for a seventh title in Rome. The duo swapped breaks early in a spicy second set where Norrie's overhead shot hit Djokovic on the leg after the Serbian had turned his back on the net. The 22-times Grand Slam champion continued to stare down Norrie at the end of the fifth game. "So far so good," Djokovic, who will meet seventh seed Holger Rune or Alexei Popyrin in the last eight, said of his progress in Rome. Iga Swiatek continues her title defence when she takes on Donna Vekic for a place in the women's quarter-finals.

☆ Alcaraz stunned by Hungarian qualifier Marozsan in Rome
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Alcaraz raced to a 4-1 lead but Marozsan hit back in superb style to reel off six points and hand the world number two only his second defeat on clay in 22 matches this season. "It's not easy to say something," Marozsan said immediately after the biggest win of his career. World number three Daniil Medvedev earned a hard-fought 3-6 6-1 6-3 win over Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles to reach the last 16 in Rome for the first time. In the women's draw, Elena Rybakina saw off Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-3 to reach her first claycourt WTA 1000 quarter-final, where she will face either top-ranked Iga Swiatek, the twice defending champion, or Croatia's Donna Vekic. Tsitsipas had taken the first set 6-3 against Sonego while Zverev leads 6-4 3-3 against Wolf.

☆ Djokovic battles past Dimitrov in Rome, Swiatek cruises
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The former world number three did however reel off four straight games from 2-4 to take the second set and force a decider. But the world number one hit back to claim the next 12 for a 6-2 6-0 victory that extended her Rome win streak to 13 matches. Sixth seed Coco Gauff later crashed out against Marie Bouzkova, who sealed a 4-6 6-2 6-2 win. Daniil Medvedev broke his Rome duck on his fourth attempt with a clinical second-round win over Emil Ruusuvuori. "It's a little bit (of a relief)," Medvedev said after his 6-4 6-2 win.

☆ Iga Świątek returns from injury and wins in Stuttgart
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

1 Iga Świątek enjoyed a winning return from injury as she defeated China’s Zheng Qinwen 6-1 6-4 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany. Świątek, who is defending her title in Stuttgart in preparation for the French Open next month, broke Zheng’s serve four times over the course of the match. “I’m pretty happy that I’m not rusty and I could perform good tennis, even though I had a break,” Świątek said after the win. Świątek will be looking to win her third French Open title and fourth grand slam overall when the tournament gets underway in Paris on May 28. She was forced to withdraw from the Miami Open and Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers in recent weeks but announced before competing in Stuttgart that she is now injury free.

☆ Vekic back to winning ways in Monterrey after injury woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 6 (Reuters) - Donna Vekic nearly quit tennis amid doubts over her fitness after undergoing knee surgery two years ago, but the Croatian has made a remarkable comeback and captured her first title since 2021 by winning in Monterrey on Sunday. Having beaten several top seeds in that tournament, she lost to world number one Iga Swiatek in the final. I've been playing good tennis and I need to keep working hard and hopefully stay healthy," the 26-year-old Vekic said. Victory over world number five Garcia marked the first time Vekic had beaten a top-10 player this year and she rose eight places to number 23 in the world rankings. "It was a crazy match until the end, (Garcia) was playing so well, playing so deep," Vekic said.

☆ WTA roundup: Katie Volynets escapes 5-0, third-set hole
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 2 - Down 5-0 and a match point in the third set, the United States' Katie Volynets rallied to upset third-seeded Anastasia Potapova of Russia 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 on Wednesday in the second round of the ATX Open in Austin, Texas. Volynets heated up while winning the last seven games, as she lost just one point total in the final three games. Abierto GNP SegurosThird-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia needed just 80 minutes to rout the United States' Emma Navarro 6-3, 6-2 in the second round at Monterrey, Mexico. Fifth-seeded Lin Zhu of China registered a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3 win over Canada's Rebecca Marino, and Belgium's Ysaline Bonaventure topped Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-3. In the last match of the night, Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova was scheduled to oppose the United States' Caroline Dolehide.

☆ Linette stuns Pliskova to reach first Grand Slam semi
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 25, 2023 Poland's Magda Linette celebrates after winning her quarter final match against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova REUTERS/Carl RecineMELBOURNE, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Unheralded Pole Magda Linette continued her dream run into the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday, stunning former world number one Karolina Pliskova in a deserved 6-3 7-5 victory on Rod Laver Arena. The world number 45 played wonderfully controlled tennis in the opening set as twice Grand Slam finalist Pliskova racked up 14 unforced errors under the blazing sun on the main showcourt. Pliskova had to raise her game in the second set but Linette had the answer to everything the Czech threw at her and broke for 6-5 before serving out nervelessly for the win. Linette will battle for a place in the final against fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka or Donna Vekic, who face off in Wednesday's second women's quarter-final. Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney; Editing byOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Belarusian and Russian charge in Melbourne throws spotlight on Wimbledon ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

On Friday, Russia's Karen Khachanov faces Stefanos Tsitsipas as he bids to reach his first Grand Slam final. With the conflict in Ukraine showing no sign of ending, a decision about Russian and Belarussian players competing at the All England Club is pressing. Australian Open organisers even banned Russian and Belarusian flags from Melbourne Park last week after a complaint from Ukraine's ambassador to the country. 'SITUATION NO-ONE WANTS'Nine-times Australian Open champion Djokovic has urged Wimbledon to allow Russian and Belarus players to enter the 2023 tournament, a view also backed by American great John McEnroe. "I disagreed with it last year that Wimbledon didn't allow the Russians or Belarusian players to play.

☆ Djokovic romps on towards 10th Australian title, Linette stuns Pliskova
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Djokovic is making a mockery of the theory that the second week of Grand Slam tournaments get tougher. Fifth seed Rublev has now lost all seven Grand Slam quarter-finals which he contested. "I'm really excited, man. So I'm really grateful." Linette had no problems serving out her quarter-final against twice Grand Slam finalist Pliskova, whose 36 unforced errors sabotaged yet another bid to win a first major.

☆ Anyone but Djokovic: Rublev targets first Grand Slam semi-final
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Hritika Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a moment of disarming honesty after his five-set win over Holger Rune, Rublev conceded he was not relishing the opportunity to face 21-times Grand Slam champion Djokovic on his favourite court. "No one wants to face Novak," Rublev blurted out with a laugh on Rod Laver Arena, albeit prematurely as Djokovic had yet to play his own fourth-round match. "He's an established top-five, top-10 player already for a few years," Djokovic said of Rublev, who has now reached a Grand Slam quarter-final seven times but never cracked the final four. The other men's match on Wednesday features unseeded Americans Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul, with both reaching their first Grand Slam quarter-final to continue the success of the U.S. men this year. Fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka has yet to drop a set in 2023 and will aim to reach her first Australian Open semi-final when she faces unseeded Croatian Donna Vekic.

☆ Teenager Fruhvirtova knocks back Williams comparison
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova was quick to shut down an attempt to compare her and her 15-year-old sibling, Brenda, to the Williams sisters after her fairytale run at the Australian Open came to an end in the fourth round on Monday. The 17-year-old world number 82 said that while it had been "special" playing at a major tournament with her sister, comparisons with Venus and Serena Williams were more than a little premature. "Of course, it's an honour, but I wouldn't really compare us to Serena or Venus," Fruhvirtova said after losing to Donna Vekic. We can be good, and we'll see what happens, but I think it's too soon to compare us to Serena and Venus." Serena Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles before hanging up her racket last year, while seven-times major champion Venus missed the Australian Open because of injury.

☆ Sabalenka powers past Bencic into last eight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Jan 23, 2023; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Aryna Sabalenka (R) from Belarus during her round four match against Belinda Bencic from Switzerland on day eight of the 2023 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. Sabalenka looks to have as good a chance as anyone of claiming a first Grand Slam title if she can conquer the demons that sometimes take hold when her power game is not working as well as she would like. "I'm super happy with the win today, she's an unbelievable player and she played so good," she said. "I'm super happy with the level today." "Just super happy with the mindset today.

☆ Czech teen Fruhvirtova downs Vondrousova to reach fourth round
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 19, 2023 Czech Republic's Linda Fruhvirtova reacts during her second round match against Australia's Kimberly Birrell REUTERS/Sandra SandersMELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova marched into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday with a battling 7-5 2-6 6-3 victory over compatriot Marketa Vondrousova. At 17 years and 273 days, Fruhvirtova is the youngest woman remaining in the draw. Playing in only her second Grand Slam main draw, Fruhvirtova showed extraordinary composure to rally from 3-1 down in the decider and beat her more fancied opponent. Vondrousova has struggled to replicate the form that helped her reach the 2019 Roland Garros final but the 23-year-old had looked set for a deep run in Melbourne after beating second seed second seed Ons Jabeur in the last round. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Melbourne; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rublev rolls on, Pliskova through to last 16 at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2023 Britain's Dan Evans reacts during his third round match against Russia's Andrey Rublev REUTERS/Hannah MckayMELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Fifth seed Andrey Rublev avoided a third round banana skin in the form of Briton Dan Evans at the Australian Open on Saturday after former world number one Karolina Pliskova sailed into the last 16 of the women's tournament. Red-headed Russian Rublev has found Evans a handful in the past but swept aside the 25th seed 6-4 6-2 6-3 with 60 winners on a glorious afternoon at Melbourne Park. A quarter-finalist two years ago, Rublev had unleashed on the chair umpire in his previous match after being warned for an audible obscenity. Unseeded Croatian Donna Vekic joined Bencic in the last 16 with a 6-2 6-2 win over Spain's Nuria Parrizas Diaz. After a lengthy medical time-out, the 19-year-old returned to complete an impressive 6-4 6-2 7-6(5) win over the Frenchman.

Oct 16 (Reuters) - World number one Iga Swiatek collected her eighth title of the year with a 6-3 3-6 6-0 win over Croatia's Donna Vekic in the San Diego Open final on Sunday. "I wanted to go all in," Swiatek said of her approach going into the deciding set of the new WTA 500 event. Another backhand error handed Swiatek the first set, prompting Vekic to throw her racket to the court in frustration. However, Vekic refused to go down without a fight and leveled the match on the strength of her powerful serve and groundstrokes. Swiatek, who rose to world number one in April following Ash Barty's retirement, is now 64-8 on the season.

☆ Ce a făcut Maria Sharapova cu primii bani câștigați din tenis. E a treia în topul celor mai mari premii
▼ + stars: | 2021-03-24 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +1 min

Sursa foto: Getty ImagesCe a făcut Maria Sharapova cu primii bani câștigați din tenis. E a treia în topul celor mai mari premiiMaria Sharapova se află pe locul al treilea în topul jucătoarelor cu cei mai mulți bani câștigați doar din premii, 38 de milioane de dolari. Însă rusoaica a pornit de jos, iar primii ei bani obținuți din "sportul alb" i-a cheltuit pe una dintre pasiunile sale, moda. Sharapova a câștigat 5 titluri de Grand Slam, un Trofeul al Campioanelor și o medalie de argint la Jocurile Olimpice 2012. La acel moment, din cauza accidentărilor, Sharapova a decis să se retragă.

Persons: Maria, Maria Sharapova, rusoaica, Elsa Peretti, Tiffany, Williams . Serena, Serena Williams . Sharapova, Donna Vekic, Sharapova Organizations: Grand Slam, Australian Open, Nike, Porsche Locations: Wimbledon

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