Citi Open Tuesday Gallery: Sock, Bouchard, Kerber, Harrison and More
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 30, 2013) Tuesday at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. included players Jack Sock, Angelique Kerber, Ryan Harrison, Caroline Garcia, Heather Watson, Eugenie Bouchard, Alize Cornet, and Sorana Cirstea.
Gallery by Tennis Grandstand photographer Christopher Levy.
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2013 Sony Open Players’ Party Red Carpet Arrivals
MIAMI, FL (March 20, 2013) — The Sony Open Players’ Party took place on Tuesday evening at the prestigious JW Marriott Marquis in downtown Miami with world-renowned DJ Calvin Harris spinning tracks, and as usual, the players came out in full glam and force. Check at bottom to see who our pick for “Best Dressed” of the night was! (Click images to enlarge)
As one of the first to arrive, Slovak stunner and last year’s ESPN Body Issue cover girl, Daniela Hantuchova turned heads in a flirty white summer dress.
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Andreas Seppi looked cool and casual in a Euro-style shirt and v-neck black sweater.
After doing a spunky couples’ look last week for the BNP Paribas Open Players’ Party, this week Tomas Berdych and his girlfriend Ester Satarova went for opposite looks. Ester in an off-the-shoulder orange/pink find and Tomas spiced up the military cargo print in luscious satin fabric.
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Sugarpova queen Maria Sharapova — who just launched four new flavors, including her new favorite “Quirky Sour!” — looked elegant in a purple floral number and matching earrings.
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The fabulous Jelena Jankovic has always been known to push the envelope when it came to extravagant Players’ Party ensembles and she didn’t disappoint, looking fiery in a bright orange sheer silhouette. The aqua accents bring just the right amount of kick!
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Reigning Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka may not have had RedFoo at her side, but she didn’t travel solo either. Here she is with a mystery lady friend, with both working the camera angles. Looking fierce, ladies!
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There was one power couple on hand for the Players’ Party, and they couldn’t take their eyes off each other! Caroline Wozniacki and pro golfer Rory McIlroy came hand-in-hand looking relaxed. They may want to re-check the spelling of Rory’s last name though — oops!
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Elena Vesnina came out as the “lady in red” and looked every bit the part — gorgeous!
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Next on the red carpet was world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and longtime girlfriend and natural beauty Jelena Ristic. A spirited Novak spiced up the simple blazer look with palm trees, and Jelena accessorized with a stunning blue suede clutch.
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Defending Sony Open champ Agnieszka Radwanska turned heads in a short lacy black number and Louis Vuitton pale clutch. She has said that she loves doing her own hair and makeup and those eyelashes are out of this world — stunning!
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Heather Watson may have lost in the first round already, but that didn’t stop her from glaming up her look and enjoying the evening in hot pink glasses style!
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David Ferrer hit the red carpet with his other half and, as usual, they kept to their relaxed and happy red carpet style.
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Janko Tipsarevic hit the arrivals line with beautiful wife Biljana, and both seemed to be having a good time even before the DJ started spinning tracks.
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Drum roll, please! It’s time to announce Tennis Grandstand’s pick for “Best Dressed,” and it’s none other than Slovak beauty Dominika Cibulkova! Not only was the hair perfectly coifed, and the black dress and red Louis Vuitton clutch on point, but the heels were to die for! No, really, she could probably take someone out with those spikes! Beautifully-assembled look.
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That’s it from this year’s Sony Open red carpet arrivals! Stay tuned for photos from Tuesday’s Miami Seaquarium player excursion and also match play from this week!
Disco in the Desert: Indian Wells Players’ Party
Players like Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Victoria Azarenka took time out of their busy schedules on Thursday evening to walk the “green” carpet at the IW Club for the annual BNP Paribas Open players’ party. This years theme? Disco. But don’t expect many disco themed outfits. As usual, the green carpet saw everything from players in jeans and sweatshirts to mini skirts and six inch stilettos. Let us know what you think of the players’ fashion.
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Australian Open in Photos: Vekic, Watson, Robredo and more
Our esteemed tennis photographer is currently at Melbourne Park and will be providing daily tennis galleries from the 2013 Australian Open. Make sure to check back each day for a new gallery and don’t miss the fun from down under!
January 15, 2013 — Our Tennis Grandstand photographer is back and today’s featured gallery includes Heather Watson, Donna Vekic, Tommy Robredo, Jesse Levine, Garbine Muguruza, Christina McHale, Olivia Rogowska and Josselin Ouanna.
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Wizards of Oz (III): Stosur, Venus, Sharapova, Djokovic, and More on Australian Open Day 3
The first day of the second round looks rather sparse in general, but we picked out a few potential diamonds in the rough. Let’s start with the ladies for a change.
WTA:
Zheng vs. Stosur (Rod Laver Arena): When they met a week ago in Sydney, the Aussie suffered from a slow start, rallied to reach a final set, and then let a late lead slip away in a match of unpredictable twists and turns. Although Stosur improved on last year’s performance here by escaping the first round, her first victory of 2013 did not come without a series of wobbles such as donating an early break and failing to serve out the first set. She won fewer free points from her serve than she usually does, which could spell trouble against Zheng again. Despite her limitations on return, due to her short wingspan, the Chinese doubles specialist competes ferociously and should outlast Stosur from the baseline with her more balanced weapons. But she struggled even more to survive her opener and had stumbled through a string of losses before that upset of the Aussie in Sydney.
Venus vs. Cornet (RLA): At the 2009 Australian Open, Cornet stood within a point of the quarterfinals and a signature victory over then-#1 Safina. Match point upon match point slipped away, confidence evaporated, shoulder trouble sidelined her soon afterwards, and the petite Frenchwoman remained too mentally and physically dubious to fulfill her promise as a junior. The relatively slow court might suit her game more than the volatile, inconsistent style of Venus, but the American raised her level dramatically from the Hopman Cup while dropping just one game in the first round. By contrast, the Frenchwoman struggled to hold throughout that match, especially under pressure, so only an implosion by Venus could repeat the Suarez Navarro upset from the same Australian Open in which Cornet faced Safina.
Sharapova vs. Doi (Hisense Arena): On a late afternoon without many marquee matches, the Sharapova Show offers a decent way to end the day session. The 2008 champion has blitzed almost all first-week opponents at majors since the start of 2012, but the caliber of those opponents often has prevented one from accurately judging her form. Doi, who defeated Schiavone last year, may surpass expectations after defeating the more familiar Petra Martic in the first round. In general, though, the value of this match comes from juxtaposing Maria’s form here against what Venus shows in the night session, two days ahead of their highly anticipated third-round collision.
Pervak vs. Watson (Court 8): While Murray and Robson attract most of the attention currently circulating around British tennis, and justly so, Heather Watson may develop into a meaningful talent in her own right. The Bolletieri-trained baseliner twice has taken sets from Sharapova and defeated fellow rising star Sloane Stephens last year before finishing her season with a title in Osaka. Not lacking for durability, she won one of the season’s longest finals there and will attempt to grind down Pervak with a combination of depth and court coverage. Teenagers have excelled in the women’s draw so far, eleven reaching the second round, so this youth movement might bode well for the 20-year-old Watson.
ATP:
Djokovic vs. Harrison (RLA): The Serb has won all five of their sets and looked his usual imposing self in the first round against Paul-Henri Mathieu, showing off his elastic movement and transition game at the major that most rewards it. For Harrison, who avenged his Olympics loss to Giraldo in four sets, an upset bid will require greater focus and competitive stamina than he has shown so far in his career. Typical of his stop-and-start results was a week in Brisbane when he defeated Isner and lost meekly to Benneteau in the next round. Harrison will need to take more chances earlier in the rallies than he did against Giraldo, especially on his forehand, to take Djokovic outside his comfort zone against an opponent who does nothing better than he does. As with his match against Murray last year, this meeting offers a useful measuring stick to test Harrison’s progress.
Malisse vs. Verdasco (MCA): Even in the twilight of his career, the Belgian defeated the Spaniard on the latter’s weakest surface at Wimbledon last summer. Malisse still can unleash blistering backhands when he times his short swings effectively, and Verdasco looked thoroughly human in a five-set rollercoaster against David Goffin. Both men have shown a tendency to alternate the sublime with the ridiculous, often finding the latter at the least opportune moments, but a comedy of errors could provide its own form of entertainment.
Lacko vs. Tipsarevic (Court 2): The eighth seed played his best tennis in months when he battled past Hewitt in a straight-setter closer than it looked. Ripping winner after winner down the sidelines, Tipsarevic looked every inch the elite player that he has become and could charge deep into a draw where he inhabits the least formidable quarter. He has struggled for much of his career with sustaining a high performance level from match to match, though, which makes a letdown a plausible possibility. If he does, Lacko might have just enough talent to punish him for it.
Lopez vs. Stepanek (Court 3): Aligned opposite each other are two net-rushers from opposite sides, the Spaniard from the left and the Czech from the right. As a result, the tennis might trigger memories of decades past before baseline tennis established its stranglehold over the ATP. Stepanek rallied from a two-set deficit in the first round to ambush Troicki, but a comeback would prove more difficult against a server like Lopez, who has won sets from Federer before. While the Czech has dominated most of their rivalry, the Spaniard did win their last meeting on a similar speed of court in Montreal.
Querrey vs. Baker (Court 6): The man who mounted a long-term comeback meets a man who mounted a more ordinary comeback that culminated last year when he rejoined the top 30. Querrey typically has struggled at majors other than the US Open, however, and he lost a set to an anonymous, underpowered Spaniard in his opener. If he can bomb a high percentage of first serves, Baker may not match him hold for hold. On the other hand, a sloppy effort from Querrey would open the door for his compatriot to expose his meager backhand, one-dimensional tactics, and unsteady footwork.
Federer, Murray advance, Kvitova burning out at US Open
By Romi Cvitkovic
With the absence of Rafael Nadal giving the men’s draw a shakeup, many were expecting early upsets and surprise winners on the men’s side, but it was several seeded women who went crashing out today in the first round. Check out this and other big headlines from Day One of the U.S. Open below, including Andy Murray, Sorana Cirstea, Jack Sock, Petra Kvitova, Roger Federer, and Brits Laura Robson and Heather Watson.
Andy Murray struggles more than scoreline reveals
In what turned out to be a closer match than anyone anticipated, Murray struggled getting his rhythm early on against Alex Bogomolov, Jr. with four breaks of serve to start the match. He eventually prevailed 6-2, 6-4, 6-1, but his 28% first serve percentage made it very touch-and-go in the first set. He began cramping in his left leg after running down a dropshot in the third set, and admitted that he was “struggling a bit” with the wind, humidity and cramping, and needed to “better hydrate” for his next match.
Upon winning match point, there was not even the hint of contentment in his demeanor, and it was obvious he was not satisfied with the way he played. If he expects to go far, he’ll have to get his mental game in order … and drink more fluids.
Jack Sock outplaying his No. 243 ranking
Defending US Open mixed doubles champion, 19-year-old Sock almost had the biggest win of his career, but instead he’s into the second round when his opponent No. 22 seed Florian Mayer retired due to dizziness, 6-3, 6-2, 3-2 ret. Breaking the typically hard-hitting Mayer with his immense serving, Sock bombed his fastest serve at 134 MPH, and hit 34 winners to Mayer’s 8. Mayer was clearly not on top of his game, but Sock did everything right: held his serve, approached the net, and won several Hawkeye challenges in a row.
I had Sock as my “upset of a seeded player” pick last week, even venturing so far as to say he could easily make the third or fourth round. That seems to be all reality now instead of a distant vision.
Giant-killer Sorana Cirstea stuns Sabine Lisicki
If you know women’s tennis, it’s really not that big of a stretch to see Cirstea win this matchup. For those not familiar, Cirstea took out several top players this year already: world No. 7 Sam Stosur in the first round of the Australian Open, No. 11 Marion Bartoli in Madrid, and No. 8 Na Li in the second round of Wimbledon. The 22-year-old Romanian seems to do her best damage at Slams, but has failed to capitalize on the US Open — her best showing being the third round back in 2009. With the surprise takedown of Julia Goerges by Kristyna Pliskova today, Cirstea’s 1/8 has opened wide up, giving her a clear path to a fourth round matchup against No. 1 seed Victoria Azarenka.
Roger Federer gives Donald Young some space
In what was supposed to be a straight-forward opener for Federer, the Swiss Maestro allowed Young to win nine games. It’s unacceptable for a guy that only recently broke a 17-match winning streak to take more than the equivalent of one set from the “King of Tennis.” Sure, it’s just the first round and players tend to have the worst nerves then because anything can happen, but Young won 39% of all points played! Federer needs to stop these shenanigans and get it into gear next round. Oh, and Federer is now 22-0 for all US Open night matches played. No pressure.
Petra Kvitova burning out
Not a fan of the humidity of North America, Kvitova recently got a new inhaler and it seemed to be doing the trick for the summer hardcourt season: Montreal title, Cincinnati semifinals, and New Haven title over the weekend. But all the tennis and travelling has been catching up to her, as she was forced to a first set tiebreak against No. 65 Polona Hercog which she barely won. With her movement and energy clearly hampered, she would be lucky to make it to the fourth round against Marion Bartoli. And don’t even think about seeing Sharapova in the quarterfinals. Sorry.
Young British women split successes
The younger of the two, Laura Robson, hit a bit of luck as she drew 17-year-old newbie Samantha Crawford in the first round. Her compatriot Heather Watson, however, drew world No. 8 Na Li. Robson struggled with her serve hitting under 50% and only converted on three-of-nine break points. But she used grit and prevailed in the second set tiebreak finally winning 6-3, 7-6(6). Watson wasn’t so lucky. Li came out firing on all cylinders, keeping Watson to only five total games. The take-away from both British youngster? There’s still time to develop, but those serves are really hindering you. Robson will get her reward in the form of a second round matchup with Kim Clijsters.
Venus Williams career ender? Is Madison Keys the new American star? Roger Federer to break an old record – The Friday Five
By Maud Watson
Potential Career Ender
In one of the more unfortunate pieces of news to make headlines this year, Venus Williams announced that she has been diagnosed with Sjögren’s Syndrome, which subsequently forced her withdrawal from the US Open. The positive for Venus, as she herself stated, is that now that she has a correct diagnosis, she can begin proper treatment to keep the disease in check. But there’s little doubt that she is facing a bit of an uphill battle, and despite her statement that she plans to work on returning to the courts, many are correct to wonder if she will in fact make any significant return to the game. She hasn’t been a major factor in awhile, even when healthy, and you never really feel that she can flip the switch quite like little sister Serena. Couple that with her age, previous injury layoffs, and it has to be said, a general lack of interest and focus at times, and you really have to wonder if the drive is still there to come back and have any type of impact in the sport. Hopefully she will find a way back and potentially serve as an inspiration to others with similar health problems, but with the other irons she has in the fire, it would be understandable if she didn’t. Either way, we wish her the best.
On the Horizon?
With so many of America’s top tennis talents being on the latter end of their careers, anxious U.S. fans have desperately been searching for their next generation of stars. Though it’s still a little too early to tell, results this summer, and in particular at the US Open, seem to suggest that a handful of young stars may have arrived. Jack Sock is suddenly making some noise, and despite his crashing out in the opening round to Cilic, Ryan Harrison has also shown some promise (though he needs to get out of his own way in regards to that temper). But the women’s side seems to be showing even more promise. Young 16-year-old Madison Keys nearly found herself in the third round of the Open had nerves not foiled her impressive play against the seeded Lucie Safarova. A little bit more big match experience, and this tennis talent is sure to go places. But the most impressive of the bunch may just be Christina McHale. The teen upset No. 1 Wozniaki in Cincinnati earlier this summer, and she’s followed that up with an upset of No. 8 seed Bartoli in New York. She’s learned a lot from the meltdown she had at 5-0 up against Errani at this year’s French, and fans shouldn’t be surprised to see her soon surging toward the upper echelons of the WTA. For the first time in awhile, American tennis has something to cheer about.
One to Watch
Well, there isn’t exactly a group of them like with the Americans, and their drought for success has lasted longer, but the Brits may have another legit player to cheer on for years to come. Her name is Heather Watson. Watson already raised some eyebrows during the grass court swing earlier this season, but she showed something in her opening round loss in New York to Maria Sharapova has well. Granted, Sharapova helped the cause by making numerous unforced errors, but you have to give Watson credit for a lot of that. She exhibited great anticipation skills, moved the ball around the court beautifully, and showed that she had the ability to inject a variety of shots over the course of any given point. She also seemed to possess solid composure throughout the bulk of the match. If she finds a way to get a little more pop on the serve and groundies, along with some more big match experience, she just might prove to be one of the answers British tennis has been searching for.
Major Milestone
He hasn’t made headlines with nearly the same frequency as he has in previous years, but Roger Federer moved one step closer to being top dog in yet another historical category with his win over Dudi Sela. His second round win put him in second place alone behind Jimmy Connors’ number of 233 for most wins in a major (Federer was previously tied with Andre Agassi). Barring a major injury layoff, Federer will more than likely pass Connors next year. That in and of itself is a historical achievement, but considering how many years Connors played to amass that total, it makes Federer’s achievement that much more remarkable. Well done, Maestro!
Poor Performance
Serena Williams may have looked good on the court this summer, but her US Open press conference left much to be desired. As Serena didn’t play the Open in 2010, it was only natural that she was going to be asked about the infamous tirade that ended her singles campaign there in 2009. Her response to the questions? That she hadn’t really thought about it, that people thought she was “really cool” afterwards, and that as it’s two years after the fact, she can’t see why people haven’t moved on. For sure, how much of that was said in all seriousness and how much in sarcasm is unknown, but either way, it was a poor effort on her part, especially given how shoddy her apology for the incident was back in 2009. A simple but sincere admission of wrongdoing and vow to do a better job of keeping her emotions in check would have gone a lot further towards helping people let go of the incident.