What they said this week at the Volvo Car Open

“I hate losing. That’s why I don’t play board games.”

Alex Krunic

“…I was joking, like, 'hey, want to be my coach?' And she was like, 'yeah, sure!' And I was 'really, really?' Like, that’s actually how it went.”
Kristie Ahn, on how Shenay Perry came to be her coach

“It’s tough training for two weeks, playing a match, playing and training for two weeks, playing a match, losing, and it’s a tough cycle to be in because you feel more nervous and extra pressure for that match, especially you’re on center court and it’s a big tournament, or maybe you get a wild card.”
Genie Bouchard

“There are many things that you can do in your life. So you start to think about that, and sometimes it’s worse to think abou that. But it’s coming. So you have to be ready to combine, and even when you will stop, what you will do. So the day comes."
Sara Errani, on looking ahead

So can you just talk through that second set, how you were able to stay composed and what do you think the secret was to getting it done it straight sets.
“I feel like you’re making fun of me.”
Naomi Osaka

“And she’s a lefty and I am lefty. I play always bad against lefties. The serve is different, and I’m not used to it.”
Kristyna Pliskova

“…I mean, when you’re ranked 900, it’s not their pride of like, ‘yes my daughter is playing professional tennis, but she’s ranked 900.”
Kristie Ahn

“I love downtown, those little restaurants, those are really cute. It’s more European, I feel like.”
Fanny Stollar

“And it’s not a goal to like everyone, but I think it’s nice if you can deal with everyone.”
Julia Goerges

“It was already 10 p.m., so I just went home. Yeah, I had dinner and I went to sleep. That’s it. I was not able to go to the nightclub and celebrate my win.”
Daria Kasatkina

“The first set, the court seemed so small because, I mean, I’ve never played on a stadium this big.”
Bernarda Pera

On your Instagram account, I saw you were hitting the soccer ball around. Is that in your future, a soccer career for you?

“Did you watch the video?”

Madison Keys

“But the match starts with yourself, and that’s what I can control.”

Julia Goerges

“It’s very nice, but at the same time, it’s, yeah, put a little bit of pressure on you because everybody is asking you if I saw this big picture on the stadium. Like, I think everybody saw it in the city.”
Daria Kasatkina

“Every week we’re on the clay is a week we’re closer to grass.”
Ash Barty

“So it’s not easy, but I think it’s just sport and it’s just coach, so he can do whatever he wants. And he gets better offer, then he can go. It’s like, not marriage.”
Kristyna Pliskova

Top seed Caroline Garcia upset by Alize Cornet at Volvo Car Open

photo by Daniel Ward

Top seed Caroline Garcia was taken out of the Volvo Car Open in the third round tonight in Charleston when an inspired Alize Cornet used all of the guile, athleticism and fight that she possesses, but that we don't always get to see, given her challenges in the mental toughness department. When Cornet does get into that zone, she becomes a one-woman tennis extravaganza, and she was in full flight tonight against her friend and countrywoman.

Midway through the first set, Cornet took control, and it appeared she was headed toward taking it, but Garcia grabbed control back and won the set 7-5. I'm sure many fans thought that the top seed would then wrap things up, but Cornet (whom a colleague referred to as "a human headache") was just getting started. When she got to 5-0 in the second set, it was clear that her momentum was still with her.

She won that set 6-1, then broke Garcia to begin the third set. 
Garcia broke back, and--the way this script usually goes is that "things get put right." Cornet would have none of it, and broke Garcia right back. Finally, she wore the top seed down, and even though Garcia managed to hold at 3-5, Cornet didn't waver in winning the set 6-4 and advancing to the quarterfinals.

Cornet's forehand was on fire tonight, and for a good part of the match, Garcia couldn't seem to stay away from it. Garcia also did herself no favors by making repeated errors throughout the match.

Caroline Garcia (photo by Daniel Ward)

Ten years ago, when Cornet was only 18, she came to Charleston to what was then the Family Circle Cup, and impressed fans with her athleticism and fighting spirit. She leapt and finessed her way to the semifinals, in which she lost a very respectable match to eventual champion Serena Williams.

7th seed Madison Keys also advanced to the quarterfinals of the Volvo Car Open today when she defeated Camila Giorgi 6-4, 6-3 this afternoon. Keys was a finalist at the event in 2015.

Also winning this afternoon was 12th seed Kiki Bertens, who defeated an injured Fanny Stollar in straight sets. And Kristyna Pliskova, who upset 2nd seed Petra Kvitova yesterday, defeated two-time finalist Elena Vesnina 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.

l. to r.: Kristyna Pliskova, Madison Keys, Kiki Bertens--all photos by Daniel Ward

The first match tomorrow will feature close friends Julia Goerges, seeded 5th, and defending champion and 3rd seed Daria Kasatkina. In her press conference today, Goerges described the young Russian as one of her best friends on the tour. Goerges defeated Kasatkina last year in the Kremlin Cup final.

Here is the quarterfinal singles draw:

Alize Cornet (14) vs. Kiki Bertens (12)
Bernarda Pera vs. Madison Keys (7)
Julia Goerges (5) vs. Daria Kasatkina (3)
Anastaija Sevastova (8) vs. Kristyna Pliskova

The frustrated faces of Charleston

all photos by Daniel Ward

clockwise from top left: Anastasija Sevastova, Julia Goerges, Daria Kasatkina, Julia Goerges, Sara Errani, Ash Barty, Alize Cornet (center)

Goerges knocks out Osaka and advances to Charleston quarterfinals

Julia Goerges (photo by Daniel Ward)

Volvo Car Open 5th seed Julia Goerges of Germany strengthened her Charleston campaign this morning with a straight set win over 10th seed Naomi Osaka. The first set was hard-fought by both opponents, and Goerges finished it with a 7-4 tiebreak. Goerges, one of the best servers on the tour, hit eight aces, and finished with first- and second serve win percentages of 71 and 58, respectively. Georges, who used both her serve and her game's signature variety to out

Naomi Osaka (photo by Daniel Ward)

wit Osaka, hit 27 winners and made 20 unforced errors.

After the match, Osaka revealed that yesterday morning, she woke up feeling "very depressed, but I don't know why." Osaka said "it comes in waves." One can assume that the stress of having won Indian Wells and achieving tennis stardom may have the young Japanese player somewhat overwhelmed, and also, that she may be quite mentally tired.

Meanwhile, 8th seed Anastaija Sevastova made a second consecutive quarterfinal run by defeating 9th seed Ash Barty 6-3, 6-4, and defending champion and 3rd seed Daria Kasatkina defeated 13th seed Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2, 6-1.

Speaking with the press after her match, Kasatkina--who had a difficult time in her opening match--talked about her mixed feelings regarding being the defending champion. "Nobody told me it's so difficult to come and defend a title," she said. Asked what it feels like to look at the stadium and see her face on it, she replied: "It's awkward....It's very nice, but at the same time, it's, yeah, put a little bit of pressure on you because everybody is asking you if I saw this big picture on the stadium. Like I think everybody saw it in the city...."

7th seed Madison Keys, who was the runner-up in 2015, defeated Camila Giorgi in straight sets, and Bernarda Pera defeated wild card Sara Errani 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. The left-handed, Croatian-born Pera, who plays for the USA, is ranked number 101 in the world. Pera was a lucky loser at the 2018 Australian Open, where she upset 9th-seeded Johanna Konta in the second round.

16 women left in Charleston

qualifier Fanny Stollar (photo by Daniel Ward)

Of the sixteen remaining singles players in Charleston, eleven are seeded. There are also three unseeded players, one wild card, and one qualifier in the mix.

There are two players from the USA, two from France, and two from Russia.

There is only one former champion (Daria Kasatkina, 2017) left, and there's also a two-time runner-up (Elena Vesnina, 2011 and 2016).

wild card Sara Errani (photo by Daniel Ward)

Here is the third round draw:

Caroline Garcia (1) vs. Alize Cornet (14)
Kiki Bertens (12) vs. Fanny Stollar (Q)
Bernarda Pera vs. Sara Errani (WC)
Camila Giorgi vs. Madison Keys (7)
Julia Goerges (5) vs. Naomi Osaka (10)
Irina-Camelia Begu (13) vs. Daria Kasatkina (3)
Anastasija Sevastova (8) vs. Ashleigh Barty (9)
Elena Vesnina (16) vs. Kristyna Pliskova

Upsets abound on the third day of the Volvo Car Open

clockwise: Julia Goerges, Camila Giorgi, Kristyna Pkiskova, Kiki Bertens

(all photos by Daniel Ward)

Today, in Charleston, in 2nd round play, 2nd seed Petra Kvitova--making her first appearance at the Volvo Car Open--was defeated 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 by countrywoman Kristyna Pliskova, and 6th seed Johanna Konta was upset in straight sets by qualifier Fanny Stollar. Also going out was 11th seed Daria Gavrilova, who was sent home by always-dangerous Camila Giorgi.

A few seeded players had to fight hard for their victories. Kristie Ahn took 5th seed Julia Goerges to three sets, and Goerges won the match in a third set tiebreak (7-1). 8th seed Anastasija Sevastova also had to go to three sets, but defeated Caroline Dolehide 7-5, 6-7, 6-1. And Tatjana Maria took 9th seed Ash Barty to three sets.

Laura Siegemund, whose performances at the Volvo Car Open have been nothing short of stunning the past two years, chose Charleston to make her return to the tour after having to take almost a year off following a serious knee injury. Siegemund won her first round, but lost her second round to Indian Wells champion Naomi Osaka. Osaka defeated Siegemund 6-3, 7-6, and the second set tiebreak (10-8) was a thrilling one.

12th seed Kiki Bertens defeated an injured Alex Krunic in straight sets, and two-time finalist Elena Vesnina, who is seeded 16th, defeated Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-1.

Of interest tomorrow: Two Frenchwomen--top seed Caroline Garcia and 14th seed Alize Cornet--compete against one another in the featured night match. And first on the Volvo Car Stadium's Billie Jean King Court is a match I'm expecting to be exceptional: 5th seed Julia Goerges vs. 10th seed Naomi Osaka. Also, defending champion and 3rd seed Daria Kasatkina will face 13th seed Irina-Caelia Begu.

Pliskova ends Kvitova's Czech streak

photo by Daniel Ward

Kristyna Pliskova did something today that no Czech woman has done since 2012--she defeated Petra Kvitova and broke Kvitova's 24-match win streak against her countrywomen. Playing in the late afternoon in the second round of the Volvo Car Open, the big-serving Czech and the two-time Wimbledon champion engaged in a topsy-turvy contest in which Kvitova took the first set 6-1, and Pliskova took the second set 6-1.

Pliskova, like some other big servers on the tour, sometimes can't get into a service groove, and that's exactly what happened to her in the first set. But she corrected that problem in the second set, then proceeded to go up 5-1 in the third. Kvitova, who was sweating heavily throughout the match (in relatively cool conditions), and who looked kind of tired, got some kind of second wind, and suddenly, it was 5-3. And while she had chances to make it 5-4, Pliskova prevailed, knocking the 2nd seed out of the tournament.

Later, talking with the press, Pliskova, who is left-handed, said that it's very difficult for her to play left-handers, but once she found her serve, she felt more confident. Next for Pliskova is two-time runner-up Elena Vesnina.

photos by Daniel Ward