Women's Tennis Blog - Page 581 of 770 - Matches, Fashion & Love Stories

Stosur and Kirilenko play the longest tiebreak in Grand Slam history

Post author By Marija
Post date September 5, 2011
No Comments on Stosur and Kirilenko play the longest tiebreak in Grand Slam history

In the fourth round of the US Open Samantha Stosur and Maria Kirilenko played the longest tiebreaker in the history of Grand Slam women’s singles. In the tiebreak Stosur had five match points and saw all of them slip by as Kirilenko won 17-15. The ninth-seeded Stosur recovered from losing the historic set in one hour and 24 minutes and in the final set won the match 6-1 6-7(15) 6-3.

Here’s what Stosur said about the tiebreak:

I lost track of the score, I didn’t know at one point if I should be serving or receiving. With all the challenges it was super-exciting. The crowd was into it. I couldn’t hear myself think.

Stosur’s previous match also made history: her 7-6(5) 6-7(5) 7-5 third round victory over against Nadia Petrova was the longest women’s singles match at the US Open. In that encounter the Australian wasted two match points in the second set and won in the third set on her fifth match point. Each set lasted more than an hour and the match lasted three hours and 16 minutes.

In the quarterfinals Stosur will play 2010 US Open and Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva, who defeated Sabine Lisicki 6-2 6-3. (via BBC, photos: © Neal Trousdale)

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Maria Kirilenko US Open

Pavlyuchenkova and Kirilenko sport personalized shoes at US Open and you can have them

Post author By Marija
Post date September 4, 2011
No Comments on Pavlyuchenkova and Kirilenko sport personalized shoes at US Open and you can have them

The first week of the US Open has almost come to a close and Adidas-clad Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Maria Kirilenko are both working their way through singles and doubles draws (in singles they are in the fourth round and in doubles in the second). There’s one thing you may not have noticed, though: Pavlyuchenkova and Kirilenko are wearing personalised miadidas Barricade Adilibria shoes that you can make your own.

To celebrate these one-of-a-kind shoes, Adidas has lauched a specific auction site and the tennis stars’ shoes can go straight from their feet to yours. The idea behind free-bid is for users to tell Adidas how these shoes will inspire them by completing the phrase, “the ones that will”.

Serena Williams US Open Victoria Azarenka

Williams gives Azarenka painful experience in the third round

Post author By Marija
Post date September 4, 2011
3 Comments on Williams gives Azarenka painful experience in the third round

It took Serena Williams only 17 minutes to lead 5-0 in the first set against fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka and even though the second set lived up to the expectations of this high-profile meeting, Azarenka exited in the third round of the US Open with a not so pleasant experience.

To have somebody just going at you like that, it’s a little bit painful. You try to do your best, but somebody’s on fire.

After losing the first set 6-1, Azarenka started playing more aggressively and the second set produced the level of play worthy of a semifinal. Azarenka bounced back with aggression and deep groundstrokes from 3-5 to 5-5, saving match points in both the games she won, and the set went to a tiebreak which Williams won 7-5.

I have to write the scores of Williams’ first three wins at the US Open, it’s awe-inspiring, especially considering how long she hadn’t played and how sick she was: 6-1 6-1 against Bojana Jovanovski in the first round, 6-0 6-1 against Michaella Krajicek in the second, and now 6-1 7-6(5) in the third.

Williams will next face Ana Ivanovic, who made it to the second week with a 6-3 6-4 victory over American wildcard Sloane Stephens.

Caroline Wozniacki US Open

Caroline Wozniacki eases into second week of US Open

Post author By Marija
Post date September 3, 2011
2 Comments on Caroline Wozniacki eases into second week of US Open

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki is feeling good about her current game and eased into the fourth round of the US Open with a 6-2 6-4 victory over American Vania King.

In the first round against Nuria Llagostera Vives Wozniacki lost just four games, in the second against Arantxa Rus just two and against the 103rd-ranked King six games. As is usually the case with Wozniacki’s matches, she hit less winners than her opponent – 14 to King’s 24, and even dropped serve three times in windy conditions, but King made many unforced errors and Wozniacki advanced while bigger favorite Maria Sharapova crashed out in the third round.

King said she would have reconsidered playing both doubles and mixed doubles if she had known she would reach the third round in singles.

Wozniacki’s opponent in the quarterfinals will be either Svetlana Kuznetsova or Akgul Amanmuradova. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Flavia Pennetta Maria Sharapova US Open

Favorite Sharapova loses to Pennetta in the third round of US Open

Post author By Marija
Post date September 3, 2011
7 Comments on Favorite Sharapova loses to Pennetta in the third round of US Open

It’s over: with zero aces, 12 doubles faults and 60 unforced errors Maria Sharapova, the strongest favorite for the title besides Serena Williams, lost to Flavia Pennetta 6-3 3-6 6-4 in the third round of the 2011 US Open.

The Russian said she hadn’t felt comfortable with most of her game and she lost a three-setter the first time this year (she had a 12-0 record in 2011 when the deciding set had to be played). After being down 3-0 and 4-1 in the final set, Sharapova managed to get the score to 4-all, 15-30 on Pennetta’s serve. Then the downward spiral started for the Russian and the 26th-seeded Pennetta won all the remaining seven points to earn one of the biggest victories of her career in two and a half hours.

Of course, the 2006 US Open champion Sharapova didn’t accept the defeat lightly:

It’s disappointing to lose in New York. Losing isn’t fun for anyone because we work to win. We don’t work to try to lose. So when we’re faced with a position where we can win and we didn’t in the end, it’s tough.

(photo: sr_cranks)

US Open Venus Williams

Venus Williams plans return to pro tennis, despite the disease

Post author By Marija
Post date September 2, 2011
3 Comments on Venus Williams plans return to pro tennis, despite the disease

Venus Williams shocked the tennis world when she abruptly withdrew from the US Open prior to her second round match against Sabine Lisicki. Media were first reporting the reason was an unspecified illness and soon it was defined as Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder which had been bothering the tennis champion for quite some time but has been diagnosed only recently, when more symptoms occurred.

I had swelling and numbness and fatigue, which was really debilitating. I just didn’t have any energy. And it’s not that you don’t have energy — you just feel beat up.

The 31-year-old Williams said she “absolutely” plans to play tennis again, even though there is no cure for her health problem.

Sjogren’s is something you live with your whole life. The good news for me is now I know what’s happening after spending years not knowing… I feel like I can get better and move on.

(source: Australian Open, photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Maria Sharapova

Only Maria Sharapova knows when it’s over

Post author By Marija
Post date September 2, 2011
3 Comments on Only Maria Sharapova knows when it’s over

Nike is using Maria Sharapova‘s always-present never-give-up attitude for the landing page of their women’s tennis online store. When Maria says “It’s not over until I say it is” we have to believe her, she’s proved it so many times, including in her first round at the US Open against Heather Watson.

The Russian is wearing her Maria Ace Day Dress intended for day matches at the 2011 US Open. (via Tennis Served Fresh)

Serena Williams US Open

Serena Williams ruthless against Michaella Krajicek

Post author By Marija
Post date September 1, 2011
1 Comment on Serena Williams ruthless against Michaella Krajicek

Serena Williams needed just 49 minutes to win her second round match at the US Open against Michaella Krajicek with a 6-0 6-1 score. Should we even mention the statistics? Serena hit 10 aces and 25 winners to Krajicek’s one ace and five winners.

In the first round Serena demolished Bojana Jovanovski 6-1 6-1, so she has lost only three games to reach the third round.

The 183th-ranked Krajicek, winner of three WTA titles which all came in 2006 or earlier, played Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2007 and had a career-high of No.30 in February 2008, but finished that season ranked No.219 due to injuries, which was her first non-Top 100 season since 2004.

Last year she reached the second round of a tournament just once, lost in the first round three times and in qualifying 13 times. Actually, the Dutch hadn’t played in the main draw of a Grand Slam since 2008 – this was the first time in the last eight attempts that she managed to pass the qualifying rounds. This season she played the semifinals of Kuala Lumpur against Jelena Dokic. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Maria Sharapova US Open

Maria Sharapova’s complete night look at US Open 2011

Post author By Marija
Post date September 1, 2011
8 Comments on Maria Sharapova’s complete night look at US Open 2011

Thanks to Tennis Served Fresh we have these shots of the extended version of Maria Sharapova’s night Nike US Open outfit, i.e. the jacket accompanying the gray dress with yellow straps. The same yellow accent from the dress trims the placket and the collar of the jacket.

A stylish Head racquet bag is a perfect accessory as well.

Following her hard-fought win over Heather Watson in the first round, the third-seeded Sharapova had a much easier second round against Anastasiya Yakimova, 6-1 6-1. Yakimova did have five opportunities to break the former US Open champion, but converted none.

Did you know that Sharapova has a perfect 14-0 record in night matches at the US Open?

Ana Ivanovic US Open

Ana Ivanovic and Adam Scott together again

Post author By Marija
Post date September 1, 2011
5 Comments on Ana Ivanovic and Adam Scott together again

In the midst of talks about the golfer-tennis player relationship between Caroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy we’re having another one renewed. Ana Ivanovic‘s golfer ex-boyfriend Adam Scott was sitting in the players’ box during the former world No.1’s victory over Ksenia Pervak in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday.

When asked about the rekindled love Ivanovic said:

It was really nice to see him there. Now we’re just happy, and that’s all that matters.

Ivanovic was dating the Australian golfer for a year and a half from the beginning of 2009. Somewhere in September 2010 we were pretty sure they had broken up. Here are some past sightings of the couple: in Mallorca, in New York, at the Scottish Open, at Wimbledon 2009.

Ivanovic’s previous love match was with ATP player Fernando Verdasco, which was excessively followed by the media.

The US Open match against Pervak was not significant only tennis-wise and romance-wise. Ivanovic dedicated the win to her grandfather Milovan who died over the weekend.