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☆ Pegula upsets top seed Sabalenka at WTA Finals, reaches semis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Oct 31, 2023; Cancun, Mexico; Jessica Pegula (USA) returns a shot during her match against Aryna Sabalenka on day three of the GNP Saguaros WTA Finals Cancun. But Pegula kept her cool and captured the first set after a tense rally ended with a backhand into the net by Sabalenka on set point. Pegula raced out to a 4-0 lead in the second set, but Sabalenka once again rallied, breaking serve to cut Pegula's lead to 5-3. After the match, Pegula pushed back on the notion that her game is lacking in power compared to the likes of Sabalenka. The Kazakh world number four will take on Sabalenka on Thursday in a battle to reach the semis, while Pegula, already through to the semis, will face Sakkari in their final group stage match.

Persons: Jessica Pegula, Aryna Sabalenka, Susan Mullane, Elena Rybakina, Maria Sakkari, Pegula, Sabalenka, Rybakina, Sakkari, Rybakina's, Maria, We're, Rory Carroll, Chiranjit, Lincoln, Sonali Paul Organizations: Cancun, WTA, Estadio Paradisus, Pegula, Tennis, Kazakh, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Mexico, Mexican, Los Angeles

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — The women's tennis tour defended the court built for the WTA Finals as meeting its “strict performance standards” after No. “Honestly, it’s another level of disrespect from the WTA for the players, because sometimes they don’t even feel safe to move on this court. That’s not the level I expect from the WTA Finals,” Sabalenka said Sunday night after beating Maria Sakkari 6-0, 6-1 in one of the opening matches in round-robin play. ... Everything was late and (there was) no time to fix anything.”Political Cartoons View All 1223 ImagesThe venue for this year's WTA Finals was not announced until last month, under a one-year agreement with Cancun. “We’re pleased to host the WTA Finals in Cancun for the first time and worked hard to construct a stadium where the world’s top eight women’s tennis players and doubles teams compete head-to-head.

Persons: Sabalenka, That’s, ” Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari, ”, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, it’s, “ We’re, ___ Organizations: WTA, U.S, Wimbledon Locations: CANCUN, Mexico, Cancun

☆ Pegula beats Rybakina in WTA Finals opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 29, 2023; Cancun, Mexico; Jessica Pegula (USA) shakes hands with Elena Rybakina (KAZ) after their match on day one of the GNP Saguaros WTA Finals Cancun. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports Acquire Licensing RightsOct 29 (Reuters) - American Jessica Pegula won 10 of the last 12 games to beat an error-prone Elena Rybakina and notch a 7-5 6-2 win in Group A at the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, on Sunday. The big-serving Rybakina looked poised to capture the first set when she stepped to the service line leading 5-3 in the opener but Pegula raised her return game for a crucial break. Pegula, who is seeded fifth, will on Tuesday face eighth seed Maria Sakkari of Greece, who was battling top seed Aryna Sabalenka in Sunday's Group A night match. The Oct. 29 to Nov. 5 Finals features the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world.

Persons: Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, KAZ, Susan Mullane, Rybakina, Pegula, Maria Sakkari, Rory Carroll, Michael Perry Organizations: Cancun, WTA, Tennis Channel, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Mexico, Cancun , Mexico, Greece, Los Angeles

☆ Sabalenka aiming to thwart Swiatek at WTA Finals, keep top spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 29 (Reuters) - Aryna Sabalenka has enjoyed a stellar 2023 and the Belarusian will head into the season-ending WTA Finals on Sunday in Cancun, Mexico, aiming to fend off Iga Swiatek and secure the year-end world number one ranking. Australian Open champion Sabalenka leapfrogged four-time major winner Swiatek and claimed the top ranking for the first time after the U.S. Open last month. I won a Grand Slam," said French Open champion Swiatek, who will be making her third consecutive WTA Finals appearance." Joining the mix are U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff and fellow American Jessica Pegula, who are also partners in the doubles competition. Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, Kazakh world number four Elena Rybakina, Tunisian world number seven and Greek world number nine Maria Sakkari will also challenge the field as they look to add gloss to their seasons.

Persons: Sabalenka, Iga, Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Marketa Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina, Maria Sakkari, Shrivathsa Sridhar Organizations: U.S, China, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Belarusian, Cancun , Mexico, Flushing Meadows, Polish, Kazakh, Mexico, Guadalajara, Bengaluru

☆ WTA Finals: How to watch and everything you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —After a season filled with absorbing storylines, the top players on tour will converge at the WTA Finals this week with the year-end No. After reaching at least the semifinals in every grand slam and winning the Australian Open, Sabalenka is currently the world No. 1 and will be joined by Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová, US Open champion Coco Gauff, French Open champion Świątek, Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur, Elena Rybakina and US star Jessica Pegula. In one group Sabalenka, Rybakina, Pegula and Sakkari will face each other while Swiatek, Gauff, Jabeur and Vondrousova will play each other in the other. Sabalenka defeated Rybakina in the Australian Open earlier this year, while Rybakina exacted her revenge in the Indian Wells final.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Świątek, Markéta Vondroušová, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Swiatek, Emmanuel Wong, Muchová, Greece’s Maria Sakkari, Vondrousova, Sabalenka, Rybakina, “ I’m, ” Gauff, ” Coco Gauff, Gauff, Elise Mertens, Storm Hunter, Veronika Kudermetova Organizations: CNN, WTA, Tennis, Tennis Channel, Amazon Prime, Wimbledon, Świątek, Getty, Indian Wells, “ Locations: USA, Ireland, French, Indian, Cancun, Mexico, Guadalajara

☆ WTA Finals: Records, history and the evolution of showpiece event of women’s tennis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —By pitting the world’s best players against each other every year, the WTA Finals have been a celebration of women’s tennis for over half a century. The end-of-year championship sees the eight top-ranked singles players and eight top-ranked doubles pairings battle it out to be crowned the ultimate champions of the year. In 1973, after a meeting with more than 60 other players, King founded the WTA – a new tour uniting all of women’s professional tennis. Mark Foley/APWith women’s tennis entering a new, more prosperous era, the WTA Finals returned for a second year. This year’s WTA Finals begin on October 29, with the final taking place on November 5.

Persons: Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, King, Bobby Riggs, ” Chris Evert, Mark Foley, Evert, Serena Williams, Julian Finney, Monica Seles ’, Gabriela Sabatini, Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka, Markéta Vondroušová, Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Muchová, Greece’s Maria Sakkari, Aryna, Sarah Stier, Gauff, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Margaret Court, Virginia Wade Organizations: CNN, WTA, Virginia Slims, American, women’s, Garden, Apple, Getty, Guadalajara, Wimbledon Locations: Boca Raton , Florida, “, Los Angeles, New York’s, Oakland, Spain, Turkey, Singapore, Cancun , Mexico, Mexico, French

☆ Swiatek ends Gauff's 16-match winning streak to reach Beijing final
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But Swiatek, who had surrendered her top ranking to Aryna Sabalenka after losing to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round of the season's final Grand Slam last month, regained her grip on her rivalry with Gauff to reach a seventh final this year. Up next for Swiatek is Samsonova, who beat former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 7-6(7) 6-3 to improve her head-to-head record over the Moscow-born Kazakh world number five to 4-0. "Every time it's a battle with Elena ... She's a champion," Samsonova said. The 24-year-old Samsonova, who is ranked 22, has now beaten three former Grand Slam champions in Beijing with victories over Petra Kvitova and Ostapenko in earlier rounds. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Florence Lo, Swiatek, Coco Gauff's, Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Jelena Ostapenko, I'm, It's, Elena Rybakina, Elena, Samsonova, Petra Kvitova, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Hugh Lawson Organizations: National Tennis Center, United, United States REUTERS, Rights, China, Russian, Cincinnati, U.S ., Wimbledon, Kazakh, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Rights BEIJING, Moscow, She's, Bengaluru

BEIJING (AP) — Second-ranked Iga Swiatek ended Coco Gauff's 16-match winning streak as she advanced to the China Open final with a dominant 6-2, 6-3 victory over the U.S. Open champion on Saturday. Swiatek will meet No.22-ranked Liudmila Samsonova in Sunday's final, after the Russian ousted fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina 7-6 (7), 6-3. Swiatek maintained her vice-like grip on the match, breaking Gauff at the start of the second set to lead 2-0. SHANGHAI MASTERSThird-ranked Daniil Medvedev beat Cristian Garin 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the Shanghai Masters on Saturday for his 60th win of the season. Sixth-seeded Jannik Sinner, fresh from his China Open final win, had a 7-6 (7), 6-2 victory over Marcos Giron.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff's, Elena Rybakina, Swiatek, “ I’m, ” Swiatek, I’m, It’s, Samsonova, Daniil Medvedev, Cristian Garin 6, Medvedev, Garin, Sebastian Korda ., Tsitsipas, Rinky, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Ofner ., Marcos Giron, Sebastian Baez, Nicolas Jarry, Matteo Arnaldi, Carlos Alcaraz, Frenchman Gregoire Barrere, ___ Organizations: BEIJING, China, U.S, Samsonova, Rybakina, SHANGHAI, Shanghai Masters, China Open Locations: Montreal, Cincinnati, Flushing Meadows, Swiatek, Sunday's, Russian, Shanghai, Italian

☆ Sinner powers past Alcaraz to book Beijing final with Medvedev
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Earlier, second seed Medvedev had an easier than expected 6-4 6-3 semi-final win over familiar rival Alexander Zverev. This was the fifth meeting between the pair this year and although Russian world number three Medvedev won three of the previous four, Zverev had won their most recent clash in Cincinnati. The American's frequent doubles partner Jessica Pegula also had to dig deep for a 6-7(2) 6-2 6-1 win over Anna Blinkova. The 29-year-old faces 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko seeking a fourth win in their fifth meeting. World number two Iga Swiatek progressed with a 6-4 6-1 win over Varvara Gracheva and fifth seed Elena Rybakina beat Tatjana Maria 7-5 6-0 after Ons Jabeur lost 7-6(5) 6-1 to Marta Kostyuk.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Zverev, I'm, Aryna Sabalenka, Katie Boulter, Jasmine Paolini, Sabalenka, Wells, Indian Wells, Coco Gauff, Croatia's Petra Martic, Veronika Kudermetova, Gauff, Martic, Jessica Pegula, Anna Blinkova, Pegula, Jelena Ostapenko, Iga Swiatek, Varvara Gracheva, Elena Rybakina, Tatjana Maria, Marta Kostyuk, Trevor Stynes, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: China, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Russian, Cincinnati, Chengdu, Indian

☆ Swiatek on board with WTA's performance byes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Byes are usually reserved for top seeds at events but the performance rule meant world number two Swiatek, who lost in the Tokyo quarters, went into the first round in China. World number one Aryna Sabalenka and number three Coco Gauff missed out on byes as they had not played since the U.S. Open. The Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo was a WTA 500 event, while the China Open is a WTA 1000 tournament. The WTA said it would continue to implement performance byes on a trial basis at its events during the rest of the season and throughout 2024, with adjustments made when required. Elena Rybakina pulled out of last week's Pan Pacific Open citing fitness issues, days after slamming the women's governing body for the introduction of performance byes at the event.

Persons: Iga, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan, Brendan Mcdermid, Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Maria Sakkari, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Veronika Kudermetova, Coco Gauff, it's, Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Sakkari, Caroline Garcia, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Peter Rutherford, Pritha Organizations: Tennis, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan REUTERS, Tokyo, U.S ., Pan, WTA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Tokyo, China, Guadalajara, Mexico, Bengaluru

☆ Flawless Kudermetova dismantles Pegula to claim Tokyo title
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It was Kudermetova's second win over Pegula this season - following her victory in the Madrid quarter-finals - and a fifth win in her last six matches against top-10 opponents. It's my second title and I'm proud of myself," said Kudermetova, whose previous title was also a WTA 500 crown at Charleston in 2021. "I prepared myself for a tough match as Jessica is a great player and a great fighter... Pegula counted the positives after a good week in which she did not drop a set until the final. "It's always great to give yourself a chance to win the tournament," Pegula said.

Persons: Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, Jessica Pegula, Androniki, Veronika Kudermetova, Iga, I'm, Jessica, It's, Pegula, Aryna, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Shrivathsa Sridhar, William Mallard, Michael Perry Organizations: Pan, Ariake, U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Pan Pacific, Charleston, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, American, Russian, Madrid, Beijing, Cancun , Mexico, Bengaluru

☆ Rybakina withdraws from Pan Pacific Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Byes for the Pan Pacific Open were given to Maria Sakkari, who won the Guadalajara Open title on Saturday, and Caroline Garcia, who reached the semi-finals. Both players are ranked lower than Rybakina, who was drawn against Linda Noskova in the first round. "As a player I want to give my all on the court and at the moment my body is not ready to do that," Rybakina said on Instagram. "That's why I decided to listen to my body and withdraw from the tournament. Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elena Rybakina, Hannah Mckay, Maria Sakkari, Caroline Garcia, Linda Noskova, Rybakina, Japan, Aadi Nair, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Wimbledon, Pan, Guadalajara, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Tokyo, Bengaluru

☆ Sabalenka, Swiatek lead first set of qualifiers for WTA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 23 (Reuters) - World number one Aryna Sabalenka will make her third consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, as the governing body of women's tennis announced its first set of qualifiers for the season finale. Australian Open champion Sabalenka will be joined by four-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, whom she leapfrogged to claim the top ranking for the first time after the U.S. Open earlier this month, the WTA announced on Friday. She will look to improve on her runner-up finish at last year's WTA Finals in Fort Worth. U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff booked her place in both the singles and doubles competitions. The WTA Finals run from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5.

Persons: Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, USTA Billie Jean King, Robert Deutsch, Iga Swiatek, leapfrogged, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Shrivathsa Sridhar, William Mallard Organizations: USTA Billie, USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center, WTA, U.S, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Flushing , NY, USA, United States, Cancun , Mexico, Mexico, Guadalajara, Flushing Meadows, Fort Worth . U.S, Kazakhstan, Bengaluru

A four-year absence of elite women’s tennis in China is set to end with the Women's Tennis Association holding seven tournaments in the next six weeks as part of the tour's Asian swing. Political Cartoons View All 1163 ImagesIn doubles, Peng won major championships at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014. She won 23 WTA titles in doubles and two in singles and represented China at three Summer Olympics. The China Open, a WTA and ATP 1000 event, follows from Sept. 28 and will see 2023 U.S. Open finalist, Aryna Sabalenka, debut as the new world No. In October, the tour moves to the WTA 500 Zhengzhou Open and WTA 250 Hong Kong with both tournaments starting Oct. 9.

Persons: Peng Shuai’s, Peng, Zhang Gaoli, Steve Simon, “ We’ve, ”, There’s, Alize Cornet, ” Cornet, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka, Sabalenka, — Organizations: Women's Tennis Association, WTA, Wimbledon, U.S, China Locations: China, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Jiangxi, Asia, Zhuhai

☆ Cirstea beats Bencic to reach first Grand Slam quarters in 14 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Sep 3, 2023; Flushing, NY, USA; Sorana Cirstea of Romania serves against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland (not pictured) on day seven of the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Now Cirstea becomes the oldest woman to reach the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows for the first time. "Unfortunately in tennis, not all the work you've put in is always rewarded," said Cirstea. "So it's nice to work hard and also get the reward. "Sooner or later if you put in the hard work, it comes."

Persons: Sorana, Belinda Bencic, USTA Billie Jean King, Geoff Burke, Cirstea, you've, Elena Rybakina, Karolina Muchova, China's Wang Xinyu, We've, I'm, Steve Keating, Pritha Sarkar, Toby Davis Organizations: USTA Billie, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, USA, U.S ., Flushing, Wimbledon, Indian Wells, Miami, Muchova, Thomson Locations: Flushing , NY, USA, Romania, Switzerland, Flushing Meadows, Romanian, Czech, Dubai, Montreal, Miami, New York

☆ Seen from Close-up: How the U.S. Open Dials in its Court Speed
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Helmuth Rosales | Geoff Macdonald | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Seen from Close-up: How the U.S. Open Dials in its Court SpeedFrom the seats in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the tennis court below appears smooth and uniform. The size, shape and density of the sand make up the hardcourt surface and dictate the speed of the ball after it bounces. Of course, players are not always universally happy with the court surface choices made for the tournaments on the pro tours. The court surface used at Flushing Meadows is called Laykold, which is made by Advanced Polymer Technology, an international manufacturer of sports surfaces. The bounce of a tennis ball generally lasts five milliseconds, an instant that will determine how the ball behaves.

Persons: Arthur Ashe, ”, Ben Depoorter, “, Suresh Ponnusamy, Helmuth Rosales, Daniil Medvedev, ” Medvedev, Medvedev, Indian Wells, Carlos Alcaraz, Swiatek –, Rafael Nadal, hardcourts, Wesley Baum, Taylor Fritz, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Roger Federer, — Swiatek, Aryna, Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic — Organizations: U.S, U.S ., United States Tennis Association, BNP, Tennis Federation, Polymer Technology, Helmuth Rosales Professional, Wimbledon, Miami, Indian, Advanced Polymer Technology, Flushing Locations: Ashe, Indian Wells, Calif, Indian, Miami, Flushing Meadows

☆ Swiatek, Djokovic headline third round action at U.S. Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 30, 2023 Poland's Iga Swiatek in action during her second round match against Australia's Daria Saville REUTERS/Mike Segar Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Defending women's champion Iga Swiatek and three-times winner Novak Djokovic headline a slate of enticing matches at the U.S. Open on Friday as third round action of the year's final Grand Slam gets underway. Djokovic, who is seeking a 24th Grand Slam title to equal Margaret Court's record, will close out the evening session at Arthur Ashe Stadium when he faces fellow Serbian Laslo Djere, the 32nd seed. Top-ranked Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe are also in action with both looking to bolster their hopes of becoming the first U.S. man to win a Grand Slam in 20 years. In the second round, a resurgent Wozniacki earned her first top-20 win in nearly five years with a straight-sets upset of 11th seed Petra Kvitova. "I've been feeling very comfortable here in New York in general," said former world number one Wozniacki.

Persons: Iga, Australia's Daria Saville, Mike Segar, Iga Swiatek, Novak Djokovic, Swiatek, Kaja Juvan, Louis Armstrong, Juvan, Djokovic, Margaret Court's, Arthur Ashe, Djere, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, Fritz, Jakub Mensik, Tiafoe, Caroline Wozniacki, Jennifer Brady, Wozniacki, Petra Kvitova, I've, Coco Gauff, Belgian Elise Mertens, Elena Rybakina, Frank Pingue, Toby Davis Organizations: Tennis, U.S, Slovenian, Louis, Czech, New York, Former, Belgian, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, New York, Serbian, Cincinnati, U.S, Toronto

☆ US Open order of play on Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 30, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during his second round match against Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles REUTERS/Mike Segar Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Order of play on the main show courts on the fifth day of the U.S. Open on Friday (play starts 1500 GMT/11 AM ET unless stated, prefix number denotes seeding):ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM (1600 GMT/12 PM ET)14-Tommy Paul (U.S.) v 21-Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Spain)Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) v Jennifer Brady (U.S.)32-Elise Mertens (Belgium) v 6-Coco Gauff (U.S)32-Laslo Djere (Serbia) v 2-Novak Djokovic (Serbia)LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM10-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) v Taylor Townsend (U.S.)1-Iga Swiatek (Poland) v Kaja Juvan (Slovenia)22-Adrian Mannarino (France) v 10-Frances Tiafoe (U.S.)Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic) v 9-Taylor Fritz (U.S.)4-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) v 30-Sorana Cirstea (Romania)Compiled by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles, Mike Segar, ARTHUR ASHE, Tommy Paul, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Caroline Wozniacki, Jennifer Brady, Elise Mertens, Coco Gauff, Laslo Djere, Novak Djokovic, LOUIS ARMSTRONG, Karolina Muchova, Taylor Townsend, Swiatek, Adrian Mannarino, Frances Tiafoe, Jakub Mensik, Taylor Fritz, Elena Rybakina, Sorana, Janina Nuno Rios, Ed Osmond Organizations: Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Serbia, Czech Republic, U.S, Poland, Slovenia, France, Kazakhstan, Romania, Mexico City

☆ 2023 US Open women’s draw: everything you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —With the final grand slam of the season nearly upon us, there are plenty of storylines for fans to get excited about. In the women’s singles draw, a player hasn’t won back-to-back titles since Serena Williams won it three times in a row between 2012 and 2014. ESPN will be broadcasting the grand slam in the US – the 15th consecutive year it has done so. Home favoritesThere will be plenty of competitors for the home fans to get behind in the women’s singles draw. Although reigning champion Świątek comes into the tournament with another French Open title under her belt and is ranked world No.

Persons: hasn’t, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Williams, Veronika Kudermetova, Paula Badosa, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff –, Pegula, Gauff, Camila Giorgi, Jelena Ostapenko, Cameron Spencer, Caroline Wozniacki, Świątek, Emma Raducanu’s, Sabalenka, Belinda Bencic, Quinn Rooney, Aryna Sabalenka, Markéta Vondroušová, Elena Rybakina, Jabeur, Barbora Krejcikova, Daria Kasatkina, Zheng Qinwen Organizations: CNN, 143rd, ESPN, Sky Sports, Eurosport, US Tennis Association, Cincinnati Masters, Flushing, Belgian, Minnen, North, Washington D.C, & Southern, French, Wimbledon Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, Europe, Flushing Meadows, North American, Montreal, Cincinnati

☆ Swiatek recharges for U.S. Open defence with Sabalenka hot on her heels
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Aug 19, 2023; Mason, OH, USA; Iga Swiatek (POL) returns a shot against Coco Gauff (USA) during the Western and Southern Open tennis tournament at Lindner Family Tennis Center. "I'm not even going to regret a lot because I'm happy I'm going to have days off." The French Open champion said she would try not to be hard on herself ahead of her U.S. Open title defence. "I'm going to take it easy on myself and just try to do everything step by step." I'm going to give it my all in the U.S. Open.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Katie Stratman, Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Ash Barty's, Sabalenka, I'm, Elena Rybakina, Roland Garros, Jessica Pegula, Gauff, Sloane Stephens, Caroline Wozniacki, Dane, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Southern Open, Lindner, Tennis Center, Montreal, U.S, Wimbledon, Indian Wells, Flushing, U.S ., Tunisian trailblazer, York, Thomson Locations: Mason, OH, USA, New York, Cincinnati, Melbourne, U.S, Montreal, French, Flushing Meadows, Bengaluru

☆ Best of the rest: Another surprise in store in U.S. Open women's draw?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Aadi Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

While her greatest success has come on grass, 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina's style can be devastating on hard courts, as she showed in some key clashes with major rivals on the surface this year. The 24-year-old beat Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final and got the better of Swiatek in straight sets at both the Australian Open and Indian Wells. Muchova will be feeling particularly confident, having reached the final of the Cincinnati Masters with wins over two top-10 ranked players -- Sabalenka and Sakkari. Muchova's compatriot Vondrousova will be hoping to build on her title-winning Wimbledon run, while two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova is one of the most experienced players in the draw and will prove a tough test for any opponent. The presence of former world number ones Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki, who have been given wild cards by organisers, adds another layer of unpredictability to the draw.

Persons: Elena Rybakina, KAZ, Daria Kasatkina, David Kirouac, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Rybakina, Maria Sakkari, Sakkari, it's, Caroline Garcia, Garcia, Sloane Stephens, Marketa Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, Petra Kvitova, Barbora Krejcikova, Marketa, Muchova, Vondrousova, Kvitova, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Wozniacki, Williams, Veronika Kudermetova, Aadi Nair, Toby Davis Organizations: IGA, U.S, Wimbledon, Sabalenka, Indian Wells, Australian, Cincinnati, Kazakh, Washington, U.S ., WTA, Tennis, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Flushing Meadows, Indian, Indian Wells, Washington, Cincinnati, Czech Republic, Bengaluru

☆ U.S. Open 2023: dates, schedule, seeds and how to watch on TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

* The three main showcourts at the U.S. Open are Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium and the Grandstand. * Arthur Ashe Stadium (capacity: 23,771) is named after the only Black man to claim singles titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open. * Louis Armstrong Stadium (capacity: 14,053) was named after jazz great Armstrong who lived a few blocks from the venue until he died in 1971. * Poland's Iga Swiatek, the French Open champion, is the women's world number one and will defend her New York crown. * Latin America & Caribbean: ESPN Brazil, ESPN Caribbean, ESPN Latin America (North and South), TV Globo.

Persons: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Norway's Casper Ruud, Violeta Santos Moura, Arthur Ashe, Louis Armstrong, Armstrong, Holder Carlos Alcaraz, Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Caroline Garcia, Maria Sakkari, Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, Stan Sport, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: U.S, United States Tennis Association, National, OPEN, U.S ., Louis, Wimbledon, Australian, Open, WHO, TOP, MEN, Sports, SuperSport, Eurosport, Sky Sports, Telefonica, Oceania, Digicel, MIGU, TVNZ, Sony Sports Network, Caribbean, ESPN Brazil, ESPN Caribbean, ESPN, America, TV Globo, beIN, TSN, Thomson Locations: Murcia, Spain, New York, Serbia, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Greece, United States, Poland, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Jabeur, Tunisia, France, Czech Republic, Africa, Europe, SuperTennis, India, Bengaluru

☆ Swiatek survives Zheng scare to reach Cincinnati quarter-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek used an outfit change to help her reset after a poor start and beat China's Zheng Qinwen 3-6 6-1 6-1 on Thursday and set up a Cincinnati Open quarter-final clash with Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. "Honestly, it's because of my coach," Swiatek said about her outfit change. "I thought this was a bad (idea) but I tried this time and it worked, so thank you coach." Awaiting Swiatek in the next round will be Vondrousova, who converted four of five break points during a 7-5 6-3 victory over Sloane Stephens. Greek eighth seed Maria Sakkari also advanced with a 3-6 6-2 6-3 win over Czech Karolina Muchova.

Persons: Swiatek, China's Zheng Qinwen, Marketa Vondrousova, Zheng, Sloane Stephens, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, Maria Sakkari, Czech Karolina Muchova, Frank Pingue, Ed Osmond Organizations: Cincinnati, Wimbledon, U.S, Czech, Thomson Locations: Toronto

☆ Azarenka upsets Krejcikova, Wozniacki loses Cincinnati opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Twice champion Victoria Azarenka upset Czech 11th seed Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 7-5 on Tuesday to reach the Cincinnati Open second round while Danish wildcard Caroline Wozniacki, in her second tournament out of retirement, lost her opening match. The 34-year-old unseeded Belarusian Azarenka broke Krejcikova four times, saved three of five break points and won the final five games of a match lasting one hour 45 minutes. Krejcikova battled to get the opener back on serve but Azarenka broke right back and then went on to serve out the first set in the following game on her second set point. Former world number one Wozniacki had her chances but failed to convert any of her nine break points while Gracheva's backhand proved too much for the Dane to handle. Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova, a Cincinnati finalist last year, also booked her spot in the second round with a 7-6(2) 6-0 win over Russian Anna Blinkova.

Persons: Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, Belarusian Azarenka, Krejcikova, Azarenka, Wozniacki, Varvara Gracheva, Dane, Petra Kvitova, Anna Blinkova, Jelena Ostapenko, Karolina Pliskova, Elena Rybakina, Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina, Holder Carolina Garcia of, Sloane Stephens, Frank Pingue, Ken Ferris Organizations: Cincinnati, Belarusian, Wimbledon, Court, U.S, Thomson Locations: Czech, Montreal, France, Tunisian, Toronto

☆ Rybakina takes aim at WTA over Canadian Open scheduling
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

I'm not really happy about it, but it is what it is," said Rybakina, who had her right shoulder strapped. Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, said the Montreal quarter-final was the first time she had played so late. I can't say really the tournament because I think that the most important is the WTA here," Rybakina said. "Leadership a little bit weak for now but hopefully something is going to change, because this year it was many situations which I can't really understand." Rybakina said she was not sure if she would tweak her schedule ahead of the U.S. Open starting on Aug. 28.

Persons: Elena Rybakina, Rybakina, Daria Kasatkina, Liudmila, Jessica Pegula, I'm, it's, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Wimbledon, WTA, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Bengaluru

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