Latest news with #VictoriaAzarenka
CNA
01-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Kvitova bids farewell to the place that turned her from a 'nobody to somebody'
LONDON :It has been 14 years, or 5,113 days to be precise, since a beaming Petra Kvitova saw her name being added in gold print to the famed green honours board at Wimbledon moments after she had held aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish for the first time. Yet on Tuesday, after she signed off on her 17-year Wimbledon adventure with a first-round 6-3 6-1 defeat by American 10th seed Emma Navarro, the Czech wasted little time in giving a vivid blow-by-blow account of that magical fortnight. "I do remember very clearly what happened out there. I do remember (the semis) with Vika (Victoria Azarenka) was three sets. It was always big battles to play with her," said the 35-year-old Kvitova, who gave birth to her son during last year's Wimbledon fortnight. "To be honest, I don't know where the (6-3 6-4) performance came from in that final (against Maria Sharapova). I was very grateful that it came in the right moment, that I served it out for the match. That was something which I will never be able to describe because it was such a surprise. "I do remember the happiness I had when I was holding the trophy. I do remember my English wasn't in a good place either, so I was more nervous for the press conferences than for the matches." On Tuesday, she proved that her English had also come a long way as she charmed the Court One crowd with her farewell speech and even announced her own press conference to the world's media. "I will miss Wimbledon, I will miss tennis, I will miss you fans but I am ready for the next chapter of life as well," the 2011 and 2014 champion told the crowd after receiving a standing ovation. "I can't wait to be back as a member." There really is no place like Wimbledon for Kvitova - it is the only Grand Slam stage where she has won titles and it also where she got engaged to her coach, and now husband, Jiri Vanek in 2022. "This place holds the best memories I could wish for. I never dreamed of winning Wimbledon and I did it twice so this is something very special," she added. "I was lucky to have a beautiful court in my last match, which happened on the Court One, which I do have a lot of memories, as well. Even (as) I left, it was very, very special, emotional and happy place for me." While the popular Czech can look forward to returning to her "happy place" for years to come without the pressure of being a player, few can forget the horrendous injury she suffered in her racket-holding left hand after being attacked with a knife during a break-in at her home in 2016. With nerves severed, medical specialists gave her only a 10 per cent chance of playing competitively again but five months later she was back on the WTA Tour. While she never managed to recapture her Wimbledon glory days, failing to go beyond the last 16 in seven subsequent appearances, she did contest the 2019 Australian Open final. After returning from a maternity break, she has won only one match, which made her decide that her body had had enough and that she would call it a day after this year's U.S. Open. "The second (Wimbledon) title was the best. That was... satisfying, proving that I can play well and I'm a good player," she said.
USA Today
26-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bad Homburg Open presented by Engel & Volkers Betting Odds and Match Previews for June 23, 2025, Women's Singles
In the Bad Homburg Open presented by Engel & Volkers round of 32 today, there are seven matches, including No. 105-ranked Victoria Azarenka taking the court against No. 103 Laura Siegemund. Azarenka is 5-8 on the year, with no tournament titles. Siegemund has gone 9-13 through 12 tournaments this year, but has come up short in clinching any tournament victories. Before the seven matches today, here's an in-depth dive into the Bad Homburg Open presented by Engel & Volkers odds. Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 1:15 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Today's matches at the Bad Homburg Open presented by Engel & Volkers Odds to win the 2025 Bad Homburg Open presented by Engel & Volkers
CNA
25-06-2025
- Sport
- CNA
WTA roundup: Iga Swiatek earns milestone win at Bad Homburg
Fourth-seeded Iga Swiatek overcame a slow start against another former World No. 1, Victoria Azarenka, to win 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany. Poland's Swiatek notched her 300th career tour-level win and first of the grass-court season after being down 4-1 in the first set to Belarus' Azarenka. Swiatek converted 4 of 8 break-point opportunities and saved 4 of 6. Top seed Jessica Pegula dispatched the Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-3 in the Round of 16, while second-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini won a battle with Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-6 (8), 7-6 (6). Fifth-seed Emma Navarro ousted four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka of Japan, 6-4, 6-4. In one last Round of 32 match, Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia defeated Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-4. Lexus Eastbourne Open Czech second seed Barbora Krejcikova fought back by saving two match points with British wild card Harriet Dart serving at 5-4 in the third set and went on to win their first-round grass-court match in Eastbourne, England. Krejcikova, the 2024 Wimbledon champion, won 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-5, compiling five aces and converting 6 of 7 break points. Dart converted all four of her break-point opportunities in the match lasting two hours, 40 minutes. Seventh seed Emma Raducanu of Great Britain dropped the first set before roaring back to defeat Ann Li 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-1. Third seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia topped Brit Sonay Kartal 6-3, 7-6 (2), and sixth-seeded Peyton Stearns won in straight sets over Brit Mingge Xu 6-3, 6-4. Australian Kimberly Birrell upset fourth-seeded Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-4. Fifth-seeded Magda Linette of Poland retired in her match when trailing Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine 6-4, 4-2. Eighth-seeded Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia won in straight sets, as did Brit Jodie Burrage. Russian Kamilla Rakhimova and France's Varvara Gracheva went three sets to record victories.
Reuters
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
WTA roundup: Iga Swiatek earns milestone win at Bad Homburg
June 25 - Fourth-seeded Iga Swiatek overcame a slow start against another former World No. 1, Victoria Azarenka, to win 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany. Poland's Swiatek notched her 300th career tour-level win and first of the grass-court season after being down 4-1 in the first set to Belarus' Azarenka. Swiatek converted 4 of 8 break-point opportunities and saved 4 of 6. Top seed Jessica Pegula dispatched the Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-3 in the Round of 16, while second-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini won a battle with Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-6 (8), 7-6 (6). Fifth-seed Emma Navarro ousted four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka of Japan, 6-4, 6-4. In one last Round of 32 match, Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia defeated Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-4. Lexus Eastbourne Open Czech second seed Barbora Krejcikova fought back by saving two match points with British wild card Harriet Dart serving at 5-4 in the third set and went on to win their first-round grass-court match in Eastbourne, England. Krejcikova, the 2024 Wimbledon champion, won 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-5, compiling five aces and converting 6 of 7 break points. Dart converted all four of her break-point opportunities in the match lasting two hours, 40 minutes. Seventh seed Emma Raducanu of Great Britain dropped the first set before roaring back to defeat Ann Li 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-1. Third seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia topped Brit Sonay Kartal 6-3, 7-6 (2), and sixth-seeded Peyton Stearns won in straight sets over Brit Mingge Xu 6-3, 6-4. Australian Kimberly Birrell upset fourth-seeded Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-4. Fifth-seeded Magda Linette of Poland retired in her match when trailing Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine 6-4, 4-2. Eighth-seeded Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia won in straight sets, as did Brit Jodie Burrage. Russian Kamilla Rakhimova and France's Varvara Gracheva went three sets to record victories. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pegula, Paolini and Świątek all through to last eight in Bad Homburg
Polish tennis player Iga Swiatek in action against Belarus' Victoria Azarenka during their women's singles round of 16 match of the Bad Homburg Open Tennis Tournament. Arne Dedert/dpa Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini had contrasting victories on the Bad Homburg grass on Tuesday as the two top seeds progressed to the last eight. The tournament near Frankfurt is among the last before Wimbledon starts on Monday. Advertisement Top seed Pegula of the US quickly dispatched qualifier Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-2 in just over an hour. But number two seed Paolini of Italy needed 2 hours and 32 minutes to beat Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (8-6) in the joint second-longest two-set WTA match of 2025 so far. Poland's Iga Świątek, the fourth seed who has never won Wimbledon despite five grand slam titles, also got through the last 16 after beating fellow former world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-4, 6-4. Italian tennis player Jasmine Paolini celebrates after defeating Canada's Leylah Fernandez during their women's singles round of 16 match of the Bad Homburg Open Tennis Tournament. Arne Dedert/dpa
