Martina Hingis & Flavia Pennetta talk doubles at U.S. Open

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. It was a nice victory there. Can you just comment on the win and where this places you in the tournament?


MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I'm enjoying every second to be out there. I said that two days ago already. We make the semifinals. I think we beat some really great teams on the way to get there. We proved it again today. They were No. 3 seed, right? So they are always contenders to win a Grand Slam. Cara has been there, done that, you know. So I think we really deserve our spot to be in the finals now.


FLAVIA PENNETTA: I agree. (Laughter.)



Q. What role can playing World TeamTennis have in your success here this year, do you think?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I just felt like, to me, it was a great team that I was able to be in the last couple of years, you know, partnering with Leander and with Anastasia, having Murphy as a coach. He also came out there today to watch and support. The owner was there today, as well. You really feel the team spirit. He made it possible this morning. He was still in Washington in a meeting and he came to the second set.


FLAVIA PENNETTA: I didn't know that.



MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, yeah. I think it's just really like the emotions are there. It's a great preparation, as well. I mean, any title is a great title to have, whether it's TeamTennis title, a Grand Slam or being No. 1. It's always another steppingstone in a career, and, you know, now we're here in the final. I'm really happy.


Q. Is there a physical payoff, three weeks, short period of time, just prior to the US Open?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, we played a couple more tournaments after that. One week off and just being fresh into the Open. I always take the one week to really prepare and mentally be ready. I think that like after TeamTennis you're ready for anything. It's just like really draining.


You're there, you're there for your team, you know, and it's just everything. After, it's a great relief. I think nothing can throw you off ever anymore. I think for every rookie it's a great thing to do. I have been doing it for the last six years. Whenever you feel down or anything, it's like those moments I think on the court that really pays off. To me it's always been great, you know, TeamTennis in the last years that I have played. I think now being on court -- and every victory gives you confidence. The last two years it definitely gave me confidence to play some great doubles.



Q. You have had obviously so many great moments at the US Open. How great does it feel to be back and be part of the theater of this event and now to get into a final, you know, here again after all the years that you have been here?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it means a lot to me. I mean, obviously, like you said, I only won one title here in doubles. That was a while back in '98. I made some good matches, like some great memories, but it's been a while.


So it's like I really cherish this moment because I have had some great matches, but also in doubles I didn't feel like I had too many opportunities. I lost to players that actually I beat in this tournament now again, like whether it was Peschke, you know. So it felt like really far away. Also in the beginning of this tournament I think we had a really tough draw. So I think we really deserved our spot. I think this tournament it all came together for me. I played a lot better than in the previous tournaments. With Flavia I feel really comfortable being out there. I think that's the key to success.




Q. Great situation for Flavia. Flavia, have you ever thought of playing TeamTennis, too?

MARTINA HINGIS: The owner was after her.


FLAVIA PENNETTA: Not for the moment.


Q. Do you realize that you lost I think never more than seven games in each match? I think you won each quite easy. Which was the most difficult, and did you expect that?

FLAVIA PENNETTA: I mean, like she said, the draw was really tough from the first matches. We had luck in the first one because Rybarikova, yeah, she wasn't able to play. She was injured.


But since then I think we played really well. The second match was amazing. Safarova-Pavlyuchenkova was really good. Like she say, we really feel comfortable on the court. We like to play together, and always we have a different -- in the important moments or when we are down, we always come out with some different things. We have always the energy to come back.



Q. Do you guys remember the first team that you beat when you partnered up this year?

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, next ones, of course.


Q. Does that give you confidence?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think you have to play -- Makarova played really well this tournament. I mean, it always helps for you, you played really great tennis at this tournament. Because also playing well in the singles, it definitely helps.


FLAVIA PENNETTA: They play really well. It's gonna be tough.



MARTINA HINGIS: We have to come out with our best. I mean, if they beat us, too good. If it's not gonna be enough, even better.


Q. Do you know that there would be Davis Cup match between Switzerland and Italy in one week?

FLAVIA PENNETTA: That's true. In Geneva.


Q. I'd like to know...

MARTINA HINGIS: I was invited.


Q. Switzerland should win 5-Love or there is a chance for Italy?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I hope Roger and Stan, they're gonna win, of course (Smiling.) I mean, they are a great team if they want to win one time in Davis Cup it's now. Now is the time to shine. Definitely I'll be there rooting for them.


Q. Flavia?

FLAVIA PENNETTA: It's gonna be tough. Really tough.


Q. Martina, you have worn many hats: coach, World TeamTennis, doubles, mixed. Is this where you feel most comfortable? Maybe not here in press, but on court.

MARTINA HINGIS: If I have to serve it out that's not the most comfortable moment. I mean, I made the game 5-4 and then we couldn't return. I don't remember, 4-All. I was so happy I held serve. But, no, there are definitely moments when I think we build our moments or our strategy.


Definitely she's very powerful obviously from the baseline. As long as I'm at the net I feel comfortable, you know. That's my time to do things. I think we just really click together at this moment even better than any other tournaments that we played together. Obviously the first time we played together at Eastbourne was also -- right away we beat three top 5 teams. In the end probably our gas tank was a little low in the finals.



FLAVIA PENNETTA: But we played really well.


MARTINA HINGIS: Now we have a day off.


Q. You were flying everywhere, catching everything. It was almost a ballet.

MARTINA HINGIS: It's like you want to keep that momentum. It's scary, because we already play like amazing first set. Like the first games was everything was like perfect, right? She hit, I'd go short crosscourt volleys. Everything. Yeah, so you just want to keep going and keep the momentum.




Q. Martina, you played doubles with many different partners in the past. What kind of comparison you can do with Flavia? Flavia, who played with Gisela Dulko, there is nothing easy to compare with Gisela with Martina because they play completely different.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: Not really. Gisela, she has -- in the net she was really good also and good eye and moving. I mean, that's why I play good with her, because I stay more in the back and she stay more on the net. I play more or less in the same way I was playing with Gisela. I feel comfortable in the same way.


Q. Martina, with your partners?

MARTINA HINGIS: They're similar. It's like I always had also like players who could hit and strike the ball from the baseline, good serve, and I think, you know, overpowering the other players. I mean, even if you play Gajdosova-Tomljanovic, she can hold her own from the baseline and I try to scare them at the net.


That's very similar to me. All the partners I had in the past, except maybe Novotna -- I mean, she's great at the net. Even match point two days ago I was like so happy she has great reflection. So I don't have to be scared like someone on the second serve, they are going to shoot her off the court. It's not gonna happen. I know when she's there she's there. She can move. She can cross. I think that fits our game. We can adjust to each other in the moment.


Q. Can you compare the depth in the women's game right now to when you were in the prime of your singles career?

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, I don't want to talk about singles. It's hard. I have been doing these answers and questions the past two weeks. I'm not gonna do that.


Q. Brava you say the last moment or other words?

MARTINA HINGIS: No, I think that was always my words since we play together.

Q. Just brava?

FLAVIA PENNETTA: I talk with her more in Spanish than in Italian because she's boyfriend is from Spain. (Martina slaps Flavia.)


Q. Finally inside information.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: No. My boyfriend? Spanish also. He's Spanish also.


usopen.org

Martina Hingis reaches 1st U.S. Open Grand Slam doubles final in 14 years!

NEW YORK, NY, USA - Alongside Flavia Pennetta, Martina Hingis made her first Grand Slam doubles final in more than a dozen years on Thursday, pulling off yet another upset - this time over the No.3 seeds, Cara Black and Sania Mirza in the semifinals - to make it into the championship match.

Hingis and Pennetta had already taken out No.15 seeds Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova and No.3 seeds Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik earlier in the tournament, but this was their greatest victory yet, cruising through the first set and rallying from 4-1 down in the second set to close out Black and Mirza, 6-2, 6-4. Black and Mirza even had a point for 5-1 in that second set.

"I'm enjoying every second to be out there," Hingis said. "I said that two days ago already when we made the semifinals. I think we've beaten some really great teams on the way to get there, and we proved it again today. They were the No.3 seeds, right? So they are always contenders to win a Grand Slam. Cara has been there, done that - so I think we really deserve our spot in the finals now."

Hingis already has nine Grand Slam doubles titles to her name - four Australian Opens, two French Opens, two Wimbledons and one US Open. This is the WTA legend's first Grand Slam doubles final since the 2002 Australian Open, where she actually ended up winning the title with Anna Kournikova.

Hingis was asked how it feels to be back at this stage of the US Open. "Well, it means a lot to me," she commented. "I only won one title here in doubles. That was a while back in '98. I made some good matches, like some great memories, but it's been a while. So I'm really cherishing this moment.

"This tournament it's all just coming together for me. I played a lot better than I did in the previous tournaments. With Flavia I feel really comfortable being out there. I think that's the key to success."

Pennetta has a Grand Slam doubles title too - the 2011 Australian Open with Gisela Dulko.

Awaiting them in the final will be the No.4 seeds, Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, who ended the surprise run of Kimiko Date-Krumm and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova earlier in the day, 7-5, 6-3.

Makarova and Vesnina, who took out the Williams sisters in a high-quality quarterfinal match earlier in the week, have more credentials as a team - they've won four WTA doubles titles together, and that tally actually includes a Grand Slam doubles title on the slow red clay of Roland Garros last year.

The two teams have played once before, with Hingis and Pennetta beating Makarova and Vesnina in the first round of Eastbourne this year, 7-5, 6-2. Hingis and Pennetta would make the final there.

"Makarova is playing really well this tournament," Hingis said. "It always helps if you played really great tennis at this tournament - even if it's playing well in the singles, it definitely helps.

"We have to come out with our best."

wtatennis.com

Who would have thunk it!.  Go Martina!.  Not bad for an almost 34 year old.

Roger Federer narrowly escapes Monfils to reach U.S. Open semis in 5 sets!

NEW YORK — Roger Federer saved two match points while coming all the way back from a two-set deficit to beat Gael Monfils 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 Thursday night and reach the U.S. Open semifinals for the first time since 2011.


Frustrated by Monfils’ unpredictable style, flummoxed by the swirling wind, and missing shots he normally makes, Federer twice was a single point from losing while down 5-4 in the fourth set.


But he got out of that hole, starting a five-game run that put the match in his control for the first time all evening. It helped that Monfils’ quality of play dipped, including what wound up being a total of 10 double-faults.


This was the ninth time Federer has won a match after dropping the opening two sets.


The 20th-seeded Monfils was trying to reach his second career Grand Slam semifinal. Instead, Federer advanced to his 36th, ninth at Flushing Meadows. Five of Federer’s record 17 major singles titles have come at the U.S. Open, but he exited in the quarterfinals in 2012, and the fourth round in 2013.


On Saturday, the second-seeded Federer will play 14th-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia. The other semifinal will be No. 1 Novak Djokovic against No. 10 Kei Nishikori; their quarterfinal victories came Wednesday.


Cilic wasn’t allowed to play in last year’s U.S. Open, forced to the sideline by a four-month doping suspension that he says he didn’t deserve. But Cilic reached the second Grand Slam semifinal of his career, and first since 2010, by beating sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) Thursday.


"I mean, it was a difficult period. I didn’t know when I’m going to start back. But (it) was also (a) good period for me," Cilic said. "I matured a bit more and I was working, day after day."


His quarterfinal ended hours before the other began, and Cilic probably assumed he would wind up facing Federer next.


But that did not seem a certainty through the first 78 minutes of Federer-Monfils. That’s how long it took Monfils to shake off a twisted ankle and build a two-set lead, assisted by Federer’s 26 unforced errors in that span.


At 33, Federer was participating in his 43rd Grand Slam quarterfinal, while Monfils — who turned 28 on Monday — was in only his sixth. And Monfils had only won one of those, at the 2008 French Open, where he then lost to Federer in the semifinals, part of the Frenchman’s 2-7 head-to-head record coming into Thursday.


The air was swirling in the cavernous arena, rippling the players’ shirts and the giant American flag atop the stadium. In the early going, Monfils’ whiplike forehand was able to cut through the wind.


As the clock was about to strike 11 p.m., Monfils held two match points at 5-4 in the fourth set, with Federer serving. On the first, Monfils had an opening for a backhand passing shot, but it flew long. On the second, Federer produced a forehand winner, and the crowd roared.


After Federer held there for 5-all, Monfils had a letdown, double-faulting twice in a row to get broken. Soon enough they were in the fifth set — which began with another break by Federer.


By then, he was on his way.


Make no mistake, though. This was not easy. The turnaround might not have been possible for Federer a year ago, when he was dealing with a bad back and trying to figure out whether he should switch to a larger racket head.


But now Federer, however old, is approaching his skills of old. He has made the finals at his previous four tournaments, the first such run by a 30-something since Ivan Lendl in 1990.


Monfils is nothing if not one of a kind. In an era where some men, including Federer, have two coaches, Monfils goes without any. He’ll admit to tanking points, games or entire sets. He sips sodas during matches, including Thursday. He’ll go for a between-the-legs shot when a mundane forehand would do.


Against Federer, Monfils varied his tactics and it worked well for two sets. Monfils would chip-and-charge, coming in behind returns. He tried to serve-and-volley a handful of times, not usually his style. He moved way over toward the doubles alley on the deuce side to hit one serve, instead of standing in his normal spot near the baseline’s midpoint. He sneaked to the net when he could. He took pace off his booming groundstrokes occasionally.


In sum, anything to throw off Federer. And Federer did appear rattled, not just in his play, but also the way he barked at chair umpire Carlos Ramos over one fault call and later over the timing of a racket change, saying to the official, "What’s wrong with you, man?"


When Monfils broke Federer to get back on serve at 2-all in the fourth set, Federer pounded the top of the net with his racket.


But in crunch time, it was Federer who was steady as can be.


sportsnet.ca

I said in a previous post that this one was going to be tricky, but not to this extant!.


I think Roger can add Houdini to his list of credentials, because I honestly still don't know how he got out of this match.


He was 2 sets to love down (for the 9th time in his career), and 2 match points down. I'm gonna chalk it up to sheer luck and determination.


Here's hoping next one is in straight sets, because I'm pretty sure this one give me high blood pressure.


Also 74 approaches to the net?!. Pretty sure that's a new record.


Too close for comfort. A little less drama next time Roger, sincerely all your fans.

Martina Hingis into her first Grand Slam doubles semifinal in 12 years at U.S. Open! :)

NEW YORK, NY, USA - In their first Grand Slam as a team, Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta are through to the US Open semifinals after defeating fifth-seeded Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik on Tuesday.

Hingis and Pennetta found themselves down an early break at 3-1 in the first set, but won five of the next six games to take the set.

The Swiss-Italian combination were the ones going up an early break in the second set, and they never relinquished their advantage en route to a 6-4, 6-3 victory.

For the match, Hingis and Pennetta had 18 more winners than unforced errors and converted on six of eight break points to improve to 2-0 against the Czech-Slovenian duo, having also beaten them earlier this year in Eastbourne.

Hingis is into her first doubles Grand Slam semifinal since the 2002 Australian Open, when she captured the last of her nine Grand Slam doubles titles alongside Anna Kournikova.

Next up for Hingis and Pennetta are No.3 seeds Cara Black and Sania Mirza. They were up 6-1, 1-0 on Zarina Diyas and Xu Yi-Fan when the Kazakhstani-Chinese pairing retired because of a neck injury suffered by Diyas.

Also advancing to the semifinals were fourth-seeded Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. The Russians lost a double break lead against 13-time Grand Slam champions Serena Williams and Venus Williams, but still managed to win the first set. 

Then in the second set, they broke Serena Williams to close out their 7-6(5), 6-4 triumph - improving to 2-0 in their head-to-head.

Interestingly enough, both Pennetta and Makarova have made it to the quarterfinals in singles as well.

wtatennis.com

Roger Federer powers into the quarters at U.S. Open

With more than 50 net approaches, an aggressive Roger Federer reached the US Open quarter-finals Tuesday night after defeating 17th-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets.

Chasing his first final at Flushing Meadows in five years, Federer powered to a 6-4, 6-3 6-2 victory to reach the quarter-finals for the 10th time in the past 11 years.

Federer was aggressive from the outset, breaking the Spaniard in the third and fifth games and winning his first 12 net approaches as he attacked the backhand. Bautista Agut, who had not beaten a Top 80 player en route to the fourth round, was also suffering from nerves on his debut on Arthur Ashe stadium, bouncing a first serve before the net in the seventh game. But he steadied to hold serve, then break Federer and hold again to fight back to 4-5.

But Federer would win 13 of the last 18 games of the match to close out a routine victory in the pair's first meeting.

Speaking on court after the match to ESPN’s Brad Gilbert, Federer said of his net rushing: “I used to serve/volley some myself when conditions were faster and my baseline game wasn’t as good. I’m happy I'm able to come forward now because coming to net requires a lot of agility and explosiveness and I have it back. I’m happy I’m feeling good at net because you’ve got to anticipate some, read some and it’s working really well. I hope I can keep it up.”

Federer next meets flashy Frenchman Gael Monfils, whom he leads 7-2 in FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings. The pair met last month at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, which Federer won in three sets en route to the title.

"[After my win in Cincinnati] I know exactly how I need to play him," Federer told ESPN of the looming Monfils clash. It's going to be more or less the same conditions. "It's very clear cut in my opinion. I know I'll be coming in; he knows he'll be defending. He'll be wanting to serve well and play big as well. So we both know what to expect going in."

Should Federer win a sixth US Open title and Novak Djokovic not reach the final at Flushing Meadows, the Swiss would replace the Serb in first place in the Emirates ATP Race to London. The Race reflects a player's performance in 2014 only and determines which eight players qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

At the end of the season the Race mirrors the Emirates ATP Rankings, also known as the world rankings. So if Federer moves into first place in the Race, he will have a strong chance of finishing the year at No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Federer, who hit 36 winners and converted six of 13 break chances, improved his 2014 match record to 53-9. He is seeking his first Grand Slam title since Wimbledon 2012 and first US Open crown since he won a fifth consecutive title at Flushing Meadows in 2008.

atpworldtour.com

This next one could be tricky but again not impossible for the Fed man. 

Now if someone would knock Djokovic out in the next couple of rounds I will be a happy camper.

Martina Hingis praises Swiss compatriot Belinda Bencic at U.S. Open

Belinda Bencic's U.S. Open performance has been a surprise even to compatriot and former world No. 1 Martina Hingis. The 17-year-old Swiss defeated Yanina Wickmayer in the first round before upsetting No. 6 Angelique Kerber to reach the fourth round.


"I practiced with her on Sunday and I'm like, 'Wow, she played really good.' So I was, you know, expecting her to do well, but not as well as she actually did in the Wickmayer match," said Hingis, who is making another U.S. Open doubles comeback partnering Flavia Pennetta.


Hingis' mother, Melanie Molitor, is Bencic's coach. Their games are often compared, and Hingis agreed there are similarities.


"The technique, my mom puts a lot of attention to that. So the game, I mean, she's got a great backhand, as well," said Hingis. "But also she's stronger, so she can work with other weapons than I had. I mean, maybe I was more maybe a little better mover, but when she hits a shot it can be a winner. Like she's hitting a lot more winners than did I. So it's different a little bit."


While Bencic is still a long way from matching Hingis' teenage accomplishments, she is still one of the few teens having an impact on today's the WTA tour.


"You know, she has her style like I had mine, but she improved a lot. Every three months you can see improvements," said Hingis. "Also, the big difference is like the belief that you can actually win against big players, great players, seeded players in Grand Slams. I'm very happy for her that she was able to do that."

tennis.com


Having just knocked out Jelena Jankovic to reach her first ever quarter-final I would say the belief is definitely there! (not bad for a 17 year old).


Very impressive indeed. It was also nice seeing Martina Hingis in the stands supporting her.

Years later I still love seeing her at Grand Slams doesn't matter in what capacity. Hope she does well in her next doubles match.

Roger Federer cruises into 4th round after slow start at U.S. Open

Roger Federer overcame a slow start and a heavy thunderstorm to produce some of his best tennis of this US Open as Marcel Granollers was dispatched 4-6 6-1 6-1 6-1 in the third round.


The world No.3 responded to his first dropped set of the tournament with a nine-game streak that swung the momentum firmly in his favour, wrapping up the match in one hour, 58 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat Adrian Mannarino 7-5 6-2 6-3.


Less than an hour after Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova had taken a 10-minute heat rule break during their fourth-round encounter, the No.2 seed and his Spanish opponent were ushered from the Arthur Ashe Stadium court as tournament officials called for the stadium to be evacuated with lightning in the area.


Mentally, Federer had barely left the locker room by then. Granollers claimed the first 10 points of the match to open up a 4-1 lead inside 15 minutes before play was suspended with the world No.42 leading 5-2 in the first.


With flash flood warnings in place, the USTA cancelled the day session but juggled the night session schedule to get the match back on Ashe. Federer broke back when play resumed after the two-hour break, but Granollers broke once more with a pair of backhand passes to grab the first set.


As he had before the delay, Granollers committed himself to taking time away from Federer, refusing to take a backward step from the baseline and venturing forward when possible. The strategy had caught Federer cold in the first set but the five-time US Open champion was all too aware from thereon out.


What had been a compelling game of cat and mouse was rapidly reduced to a duck hunt; from 0-1 in the second set, Federer claimed 18 of the next 20 games and hit 57 winners in total from all corners of the court.

Asked about dealing with the delay, widely expected at the start of the day's action, Federer said: "You don't know what's going to happen. The conditions changed a lot, it was windy and quick and when we came back it was humid.


"Marcel started really on fire," Federer conceded. "The break helped me, and I came out and played some great tennis."

espn.co.uk


Well it was not an ideal start losing the 1st set, but he certainly made up for it in the 3 sets that followed.


I think he still has some slight issues with transitioning from day to night.


As soon as the day match turned into night, it seemed to almost wake him up and he went on a rampage.


Let's hope his next one is a nice and simple straight set win (especially given what happened last year). No more drama please Rog.