Tennis News Update

Top 20 players Danielle Collins, Liudmila Samsonova and Madison Keys dodged the rain on Thursday as they all cruised into the Internationaux de Strasbourg semifinals. No.3 seed Collins was the day's last winner, getting past Clara Burel, 6-1, 6-3. With this win, former World No.7 Collins is projected to return to the Top 10 in Monday's updated rankings. Earlier, No.5 seed Samsonova was the first victor of the day, toppling No.2 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-0 after 1 hour and 29 minutes of play. No.4 seed Keys also reached the final four with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Magda Linette. Keys had to overcome a near five-hour rain interruption which started at 4-1 in the first set.  The fourth quarterfinal, between No.1 seed Marketa Vondrousova and Anhelina Kalinina, was postponed to Friday morning. The winner of that match will come back later on Friday to face Collins in the semifinals. Barring any additional weather delays, Keys will play Samsonova in Friday's semifinals of th...

After Tuesday's near-total rainout, Wednesday was a busy day for second-round matches at the Internationaux de Strasbourg. Here's a breakdown of the day's early matches as the quarterfinal lineup at the WTA 500 clay-court event took shape: Haddad Maia advances: No.2 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil moved into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 7-6(1) victory over Emma Navarro. In the early-round clash between Top 25 players, the Brazilian took the win in 2 hours and 16 minutes. Haddad Maia has yet to make a WTA singles final on clay, but she did post a historic result for Brazil at Roland Garros last year, where she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal. In the quarterfinals, Haddad Maia will face No.5 seed Liudmila Samsonova, in their first meeting. Samsonova was the only player to complete a match on rainy Tuesday. Keys continues clay surge: No.4 seed Madison Keys dismissed Wang Xinyu 7-5, 6-0 to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals. Keys was broken in the first game of the m...

Rain played havoc with the schedule at the Internationaux de Strasbourg on Tuesday, with only one second-round match being completed. No.5 seed Liudmila Samsonova ends the day as the only player into the quarterfinals, by virtue of her 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 comeback over Leylah Fernandez. "I think it was an unbelievable match today," Samsonova said afterwards. "I was 6-4, 2-0 down, so it was not easy to come back from that, and I found the game, so I’m really, really happy." The other matches initially scheduled for Tuesday -- No.3 seed Danielle Collins vs. Katerina Siniakova, Fiona Ferro vs. Anhelina Kalinina, and No.7 seed and defending champion Elina Svitolina vs. Clara Burel -- were all postponed to Wednesday, after rain delayed Tuesday's start of play by six hours. Samsonova surges: World No.19 Samsonova and 33rd-ranked Fernandez started their match well into the afternoon, and it hit a brief snag when the rain returned at 4-4 in the first set. That interruption la...

For the second event in a row, Iga Swiatek battled Aryna Sabalenka in a WTA 1000 final, and much like in Madrid, the Polish player won again, this time at the 2024 Italian Open in Rome. The final in Madrid was a spectacular match that went the distance and saw the Belarusian not use three match points. She also put together a solid week of tennis in Rome but admitted before the final that she dealt with some injury problems. The top seed, on the other hand, had no such problems as she continued her tremendous run in Rome with convincing wins. She was the favorite in this match because it was played on a court that favored her more than the one in Madrid. That certainly proved true on the tennis courts because Sabalenka was really no match for her. There is a good chance her injury impacted her level as well, but for the most part, it was just Swiatek being the more comfortable player on such a court. The opening set was a pretty easy 6-2 win for the world no. 1 which was impressive bec...

  ROME, ITALY   - In a stunning upset at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia 2024, also known as the WTA 1000 Rome, Irina-Camelia Begu, ranked 161 in the WTA, defeated Elise Mertens, the 27th seed, in a Round of 32 match on Sunday, 12 May 2024. Match Highlights Begu dominated the match from the outset, winning the first set 6-2. She continued her strong performance into the second set, not dropping a single game and closing out the match with a 6-0 victory. The match, which lasted for about an hour and 20 minutes, showcased Begu’s impressive form and determination. A Significant Victory This victory was particularly significant for Begu, who has been working her way up the rankings. Despite being ranked 161 in the WTA at the time, she showed no signs of intimidation against Mertens, who was the 27th seed. This win allowed Begu to advance to the round of 16, marking a major milestone in her career. Looking Ahead With this victory, Begu has proven that she can compete with the best ...

  ROME   - Defending champion   Elena Rybakina   has withdrawn from the   Internazionali BNL d’Italia   (also known as the   WTA1000 Rome 2024 ) due to illness. She was replaced in the women’s singles draw by   Océane Dodin . In a statement, Rybakina expressed her disappointment, “I am disappointed to have to withdraw from Rome this year, but unfortunately I do not feel well enough to compete. I have such good memories from last year and was looking forward to defending my title. Rome is so special to me, and I look forward to being back next year to reclaim my title and play in front of the Italian fans.” Rybakina had been in fine form throughout the clay-court swing, defeating  Iga Swiatek  en route to winning the  Porsche Tennis Grand Prix  in Stuttgart and pushing  Aryna Sabalenka  to a third-set tiebreaker in the semifinals of the  Mutua Madrid Open . However, she had been suffering from allergies in Rome an...

  In a thrilling encounter on the third day of the WTA1000 Rome 2024 tournament,   Anastasia Potapova   (23) emerged victorious against China’s rising star   Wang Xiyu   (23). Match Overview The match was a display of sheer determination and skill from both players. However, it was Potapova who managed to seize the day with her powerful serves and precise groundstrokes. The final scoreline read  6-1, 7-5  in favor of Potapova. First Set: Potapova Dominates Potapova started the match on a high note, taking the first set  6-1 . She dominated the court with her aggressive play and strategic shot placement, leaving Wang struggling to keep up. Potapova’s serves were particularly effective, putting pressure on Wang right from the start. Second Set: A Close Contest The second set saw a more determined Wang, who put up a tough fight. Despite trailing behind in the first set, Wang showed remarkable resilience and managed to give Potapova a run for her mone...