Category: Julia Goerges

Cincinnati PHOTOS: Sharapova gets past Riske, Peterson & Swiatek make upsets

Post author By Marija
Post date August 12, 2019
No Comments on Cincinnati PHOTOS: Sharapova gets past Riske, Peterson & Swiatek make upsets

Monday’s schedule at the Western & Southern Open featured twelve first-round matches and our Jimmie48 attended three of them, plus several practice sessions, doubles matches, press conferences and a WTA video shoot.

Maria Sharapova rallied from a break down twice in the second set of her night match against fellow wildcard Alison Riske to defeat the in-form Wimbledon quarterfinalist and set up a meeting with top seed Ashleigh Barty, 6-3 7-6(4).

Seed No.14 Johanna Konta‘s US Open preparations continued with a second straight defeat, as the British number one lost to Swedish qualifier Rebecca Peterson 6-3 3-6 7-5.

Rising Polish 18-year-old Iga Swiatek went through qualifying and upset Caroline Garcia in the first round of the main draw, 7-6(1) 6-1.

Our Jimmie48 attended these three matches, but other notable scores include Dayana Yastremska’s 6-4 6-4 win over former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams’ 7-5 6-2 victory over compatriot Lauren Davis, which ended the American’s four-match losing streak.

Germans Julia Goerges and Angelique Kerber practiced together and later teamed up in doubles, losing to eighth seeds Lucie Hradecka and Andreja Klepac, while Pliskova twins also practiced together and won their doubles match on Monday.

Simona Halep, Naomi Osaka, Sloane Stephens, Ashleigh Barty and Karolina Pliskova did their part in the video shoot that has been going on for three days now.

MORE WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN 2019 PHOTOS:

Anett Kontaveit Barbora Strycova Belinda Bencic Dayana Yastremska Donna Vekic Iga Swiatek Julia Goerges Karolina Pliskova Maria Sakkari Naomi Osaka Petra Kvitova Western & Southern Open

Cincinnati PHOTOS: Strycova gets WTA Doubles World No.1 trophy, Osaka all smiles during practice

Post author By Marija
Post date August 11, 2019
No Comments on Cincinnati PHOTOS: Strycova gets WTA Doubles World No.1 trophy, Osaka all smiles during practice

Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic poses with the Doubles World No.1 trophy at the 2019 Western & Southern Open WTA Premier Tennis 5 Tournament

In terms of competitive tennis, Sunday at the Western & Southern Open was all about the second round of qualifying, but that was just a fraction of what was going on at the tournament, as you will see in our photos by Jimmie48.

Rocking an animal-print crop top, Naomi Osaka took to the practice courts with a big smile on her face, knowing that she’s back to the WTA number one singles ranking. Doubles number one Barbora Strycova was honored with a trophy by the WTA, celebrating her ascent to the top of the doubles rankings in July, which followed her run to the Wimbledon doubles title alongside Hsieh Su-Wei.

Donna Vekic and Maria Sakkari practiced together on Sunday. Also seen getting ready for the Premier 5 tournament were Belinda Bencic, Karolina Pliskova, Julia Goerges, and Anett Kontaveit.

Just like on Saturday, a number of players took part in a video shoot: Dayana Yastremska, Iga Swiatek, Anett Kontaveit.

Meanwhile, coaches had a chat with the media: Kristina Mladenovic’s coach Sascha Bajin, Maria Sakkari’s coach Tom Hill, Aryna Sabalenka’s coach Dmitry Tursunov, and Kamau Murray from Monica Puig’s team.

We also have a special set of photos from the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, as our Jimmie48 accompanied American Bernarda Pera during her visit.

Carla Suarez Navarro Caroline Wozniacki Daria Kasatkina Donna Vekic Iga Swiatek Jelena Ostapenko Julia Goerges Lauren Davis Maria Sharapova Western & Southern Open Zhang Shuai

Cincinnati PHOTOS: Vekic, Wozniacki, Sharapova, Kasatkina, Goerges practice in hot & humid conditions

Post author By Marija
Post date August 10, 2019
No Comments on Cincinnati PHOTOS: Vekic, Wozniacki, Sharapova, Kasatkina, Goerges practice in hot & humid conditions

Donna Vekic, Carolina Wozniacki Cincinnati 2019 practice

While the Rogers Cup was at its semifinal stage, a lot of players already gathered in Cincinnati to play the first round of qualifying or simply get accustomed to the environment of the Western & Southern Open Premier 5 tournament.

Our Jimmie48 attended the practice sessions of Caroline Wozniacki, Donna Vekic, Julia Goerges, Maria Sharapova, Carla Suarez Navarro, Daria Kasatkina, and Jelena Ostapenko. A number of these players also took part in a WTA video shoot and our photographer was right there as well. Donna Vekic’s busy Saturday included an autograph signing session.

When it comes to qualifying, our gallery includes photos of Kristyna Pliskova’s victory over Zhang Shuai, Lauren Davis’ three-set win over fellow American Kristie Ahn, and Iga Swiatek’s win over Kateryna Kozlova.

Anett Kontaveit Ashleigh Barty Belinda Bencic Bianca Andreescu Dayana Yastremska Elina Svitolina Iga Swiatek Jelena Ostapenko Julia Goerges Karolina Pliskova Kiki Bertens Naomi Osaka National Bank Open Serena Williams Simona Halep Sofia Kenin Svetlana Kuznetsova Victoria Azarenka

Andreescu upsets Bertens, Williams & Osaka set up quarterfinal clash at Rogers Cup

Post author By Marija
Post date August 8, 2019
No Comments on Andreescu upsets Bertens, Williams & Osaka set up quarterfinal clash at Rogers Cup

Thursday was a successful day for top seeds as the quarterfinals shaped up at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, with the exception of fifth seed Kiki Bertens, who fell to Bianca Andreescu, born in nearby Mississauga.

Playing her first tournament after skipping the entire grasscourt season, Canadian 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu improved to 5-0 against Top 10 opponents in 2019 by beating world No.5 Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 6-1 6-7(7) 6-4. “This time off actually helped me. I figured a lot of things out — and it’s showing on court,” said the 27th-ranked Andreescu who will face former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova in the last eight, as the third-seeded Czech saw off Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit 6-3 7-5.

There is a blockbuster scheduled on Friday evening at the Rogers Cup, as Serena Williams faces Naomi Osaka in a repeat of their controversial 2018 US Open final. The eighth-seeded American advanced to the quarters with a 7-5 6-4 win over qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova, while the Japanese second seed triumphed 7-6(4) 6-4 against qualifier Iga Swiatek. Even though Osaka defeated Williams in their last match-up at Flushing Meadows, the 21-year-old is still star-struck by the 23-time Grand Slam champion: “I grew up watching her, so whenever I get the opportunity to play her, it’s something that I feel is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

American Sofia Kenin defeated Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska 6-2 6-2 and will next face sixth seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, third-round winner over fellow former Rogers Cup champion Belinda Bencic, 6-2 6-4.

Defending champion Simona Halep also progressed to the quarterfinals, with a 6-2 6-1 victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova, and her next obstacle in the title defense will be Czech 21-year-old Marie Bouzkova, who ousted Jelena Ostapenko 6-2 6-2.

Besides bringing us photos from these third-round encounters, our Jimmie48 also attended a second-round doubles match in which sixth seeds Victoria Azarenka and Ashleigh Barty defeated Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova 6-1 6-3.

MORE ROGERS CUP 2019 PHOTOS:

Belinda Bencic Bianca Andreescu Carla Suarez Navarro Caroline Wozniacki Daria Kasatkina Donna Vekic Elina Svitolina Elise Mertens Iga Swiatek Julia Goerges Karolina Pliskova Katerina Siniakova Naomi Osaka National Bank Open Serena Williams Simona Halep Svetlana Kuznetsova

Williams, Halep, Pliskova, Osaka, Svitolina win Toronto openers

Post author By Marija
Post date August 7, 2019
2 Comments on Williams, Halep, Pliskova, Osaka, Svitolina win Toronto openers

The game’s biggest names who took the Toronto courts for the first time on Wednesday were all victorious, as Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Karolina Pliskova, Naomi Osaka, and Elina Svitolina won their openers after first-round byes at the 2019 Rogers Cup.

Playing her first match since runner-up finish at Wimbledon, the highest-paid female athlete Serena Williams defeated Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-3 6-3. Pleased with her on-court movement, the eighth-seeded American is now injury-free and happy to be able to train and work on her fitness, something she says she hadn’t been able to do since January. The 37-year-old Williams has won the Rogers Cup three times, all in Toronto.

Defending champion Simona Halep had a tough time adjusting to the hardcourt challenge because of a long break after her Wimbledon triumph, but the fourth-seeded Romanian managed to overcome American qualifier Jennifer Brady 4-6 7-5 7-6(5). In the deciding set, Brady won five games in a row to go from 0-4 to 5-4 and even though Halep broke her serve for the third time to lead 6-5, the match was eventually decided in a tiebreaker. The 26-year-old Halep will face Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round, as the Russian defeated Donna Vekic of Croatia 7-6(4) 6-3.

Third seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic played another difficult match against American qualifier Alison Riske before prevailing 6-4 6-7(4) 6-2.

In her first match since losing her Wimbledon opener, seed number two Naomi Osaka eased through the first set before German qualifier Tatjana Maria retired due to a left abdominal injury. Up next for Osaka is tricky Polish qualifier Iga Swiatek, who beat 15th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 1-6 6-3 6-4 in the late match. Osaka said that she will analyze teenager Swiatek’s game ahead of their first career meeting and the Japanese expects a tough ride: “She’s young, and young people usually have no fear. I know that from experience.”

Ukraine’s sixth seed Elina Svitolina, who won the Rogers Cup in Toronto two years ago, defeated Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-3 3-6 6-3 and will next play 2015 champion Belinda Bencic, the 11th seed who edged Julia Goerges 5-7 6-3 6-4.

Bianca Andreescu keeps progressing on home soil. After beating compatriot Eugenie Bouchard, the Canadian won a three-set thriller against Daria Kasatkina, 5-7 6-2 7-5.

Our Jimmie48 attended all these matches! Enjoy the photo gallery below.

MORE ROGERS CUP 2019 PHOTOS:

Ashleigh Barty Bianca Andreescu Carla Suarez Navarro Donna Vekic Eugenie Bouchard Julia Goerges Karolina Pliskova Madison Keys Maria Sakkari Marie Bouzkova National Bank Open Sloane Stephens Sofia Kenin Venus Williams Victoria Azarenka

Barty loses Toronto opener, Andreescu beats Bouchard in all-Canadian clash

Post author By Marija
Post date August 6, 2019
1 Comment on Barty loses Toronto opener, Andreescu beats Bouchard in all-Canadian clash

Tuesday at the Rogers Cup featured the second half of first-round action and the opening of second-round action. Let’s do a quick recap and see the photos our Jimmie48 took during another busy day in Toronto.

Barty’s ranking pedestal is shaky now

Playing her first match since a fourth-round defeat by Alison Riske at Wimbledon, Ashleigh Barty put her No.1 ranking on the line by falling to American Sofia Kenin in the second round of the Rogers Cup, 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4. After recovering from 5-3 down, Barty won the first set in a tiebreak. The 20-year-old Kenin then took the second set with three breaks of serve, neutralizing Barty’s 2/2 break point conversion, while in the deciding set Kenin broke twice to race to a 4-1 lead before seeing out a surprise victory, her first over a top-ranked player.

It’s very probable that Barty will not be No.1 on Monday — all Naomi Osaka has to do to reclaim the top spot is beat Tatjana Maria in her Wednesday’s Toronto opener, while Karolina Pliskova can get back to the prestigious ranking position by reaching at least the semifinals (if Osaka makes the quarters, then Pliskova would need to reach the final, while if they both reach the title match, then the champion will claim the No.1 ranking).

Andreescu’s injury comeback victorious against compatriot Bouchard

In a rare all-Canadian clash on Canadian soil, teenager Bianca Andreescu outlasted Eugenie Bouchard 4-6 6-1 6-4 in the first round, playing her first match since aggravating a shoulder injury at Roland Garros. Andreescu feels confident in her game and her health is good, there is no pain. Bouchard, currently ranked 112th, hasn’t won a singles match since the tournament in Dubai in mid-February.

Americans Sloane Stephens and Venus Williams were eliminated Tuesday. The seventh-seeded Stephens fell to Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic 6-2 7-5 in the second round, while Venus Williams lost to Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4 6-2 in the first round.

Victoria Azarenka, Donna Vekic, Alison Riske, Katerina Siniakova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Zhang Shuai, Iga Swiatek, Tatjana Maria and Ekaterina Alexandrova advanced to the second round on Tuesday.

MORE ROGERS CUP 2019 PHOTOS:

Anett Kontaveit Angelique Kerber Belinda Bencic Bianca Andreescu Caroline Wozniacki Daria Kasatkina Dayana Yastremska Donna Vekic Elise Mertens Eugenie Bouchard Jelena Ostapenko Johanna Konta Julia Goerges Karolina Pliskova Kristina Mladenovic Madison Keys Maria Sharapova Naomi Osaka National Bank Open

Rogers Cup PHOTOS: Sharapova loses to Kontaveit, Kasatkina stuns Kerber

Post author By Marija
Post date August 5, 2019
No Comments on Rogers Cup PHOTOS: Sharapova loses to Kontaveit, Kasatkina stuns Kerber

Anett Kontaveit Toronto — Anett Kontaveit of Estonia in action during her first-round match at the 2019 Rogers Cup WTA Premier Tennis 5 Tournament

Monday was a super busy day at the Rogers Cup in Toronto with 13 first-round singles matches on the schedule.

Playing her first match since retiring in the first round of Wimbledon because of a wrist injury, Maria Sharapova is still finding her form and confidence, as the Russian lost to seed No.16 Anett Kontaveit despite leading by a set and a break, 4-6 6-3 6-4.

Daria Kasatkina was bageled in the first set, but eventually made an upset on the first day of the Premier 5 tournament by taking out seed No.12 Angelique Kerber 0-6 6-2 6-4 to pocket her first Top 15 win of the season.

Not too much of a surprise, but still technically an upset was Dayana Yastremska‘s 6-3 6-2 victory over 13th-seeded Johanna Konta. Making her first appearance in Toronto since the spectacular title run in 2015, seed No.11 Belinda Bencic eased past an erratic Anastasia Potapova 6-2 6-1.

Jelena Ostapenko, 15th seed Caroline Wozniacki, Julia Goerges, Elise Mertens and Jennifer Brady all advanced to the second round.

We also have practice photos of Naomi Osaka (how awesome is the former world No.1’s black Nike Pro cropped training top!), Karolina Pliskova and Donna Vekic, who seems to be the favorite practice partner on the WTA tour.