FORT WORTH, Texas — Billie Jean King understands why ranked number one Iga Swiatek skipped the Billie Jean King Cup Finals because they’re right after the WTA Finals and part of the world.
King believes she would have made another decision.
“I can fully perceive his reasoning. Personally, I wouldn’t agree with that. But you know what? It’s about her. It is she who has to face the truth now; I don’t,” King, who owns 18 Grand Slam singles. titles and two-time member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, he said Tuesday in a video conference. “We will miss her. “
Swiatek, a 21-year-old Polish with 3 major trophies, announced last month that she would compete in the WTA finals recently occupying a position in Fort Worth, Texas, and skip the International Tennis Federation’s 12-nation team festival named after King in Glasgow. . in Scotland, from 8 to 13 November.
After complaining that “the scenario is not without danger to our fitness and can cause injury,” she said she was disappointed that the sport’s governing bodies “have not reached agreement on something as basic as the tournament schedule. “
WTA CEO Steve Simon said Tuesday that Swiatek is “not bad. “
“It’s a timeline and a change,” Simon said. This is something we are already talking about to see how we can solve this challenge in the future. “
Swiatek leads women’s tennis with 8 titles and a 64-8 record in 2022. She played her first robin fit on Tuesday in the WTA final.
“I wish I had waited a little longer (for the BJK Cup final), because you never know how you’re going to do it. I mean, you just don’t know. And that’s where you have to figure it out for yourself. “what’s vital to you,” King said. To me, it would be a no-brainer. “
The WTA Finals were scheduled to be held in Shenzhen, China, but were moved from the suspension of all tournaments in that country due to considerations about protecting Peng Shuai, the Grand Slam doubles champion who accused a former Chinese government official of sexual abuse. COVID-19 attack and restrictions there.
The Fort Worth variety as a replacement site for this year was only announced in September. Simon said she would have liked the WTA Finals to end at an earlier date, but the Texas arena had scheduled a concert last week that barred access to the venue until Friday for an installation that included the installation of a transitional courthouse.
Two from the U. S. list The U. S. for the BJK Cup is in the WTA finals, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff.
“We actually knew it was a difficult change. But I think for me it’s more than a smart challenge. Of course, it’s not ideal,” Petula said. Everyone makes their own non-public resolution about (what is) physically healthy, mentally what they want to do, but it’s only for this year. “
The other 10 countries in the BJK Cup final are Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, Kazakhstan, Spain, Slovakia and Switzerland.
FORT WORTH, Texas – Ons Jabeur wasn’t used to it so soon after a loss on her WTA finals debut.
It also took him a little time to adjust.
The Tunisian rallied for a three-set victory over Jessica Pegula on Wednesday night, keeping alive the US Open finalist’s hopes of exiting the game at the season-ending event.
Jabeur won the last 3 matches of the moment and the 3rd set of his 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory after wasting seven direct matches at the beginning of the match.
A loss would have knocked Jabeur out of the semi-finals when Maria Sakkari beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-4 in the last match in a match of players who won their opening matches.
Jabeur won the first set of the first robin fit against Sabalenka before the No. 2 player faltered on Dickies Arena’s indoor hard court.
“It’s complicated because I’m used to being depressed for the next two days when I lose,” said Jabeur, the first Tunisian to win a WTA final match. first day to be fair to you. “
It’s just time to win the last nine matches against a top-10 opponent for Jabeur, who also beat Pegula in the clay-court final in Madrid in May.
No. 3 Pegula, another first-time WTA contestant who was scheduled to play doubles with fellow American Coco Gauff in the final match of the day, lost nine in a row to the five most sensible foes.
Pegula temporarily kept his semifinal hopes alive by winning a set, but fell after falling 0-2 in the tournament.
The event was moved to Texas from China because of considerations about protecting Peng Shuai, a Grand Slam doubles champion who accused a former government official of sexual assault.
Coronavirus restrictions have also played a role, and WTA Tour chief executive Steve Simon hopes the occasion can return to China.
Jabeur, the first African woman to triumph in the WTA final since Amanda Coetzer in 2001, recovered from the age of 40 to withstand a five-point first attack in the third set, then Pegula racked up two break problems to exact revenge at 3-3.
Pegula couldn’t do it again, wasting love on his serve to give Jabeur a chance to close out the match.
After wasting the first game of the match, Pegula won seven in a row for a 1-0 lead in the set before Jabeur, who had committed 11 direct fouls in the first set, held serve.
“She plays really well and plays really fast,” Jabeur said. “I just had to locate this click to replace the speed and impose my game more than his. “
After a set and two breaks, Sabalenka, ranked 7th, won 4 consecutive matches before Sakkari bounced back and won the last three.
“He moved well, hit the ball very well, didn’t miss much,” Sabalenka said. “I made mistakes and that’s the tricky thing tonight. I did my best, but she was too smart tonight. “
No. five Sakkari beat Sabalenko in the WTA finals for the time being in a rowable year, needing an hour and 37 minutes after a nearly three-hour adjustment that included two tiebreakers a year ago.
Two of Sakkari’s three victories against the top 10 players came this week after winning tiebreakers in both sets to beat Pegula.
Defending doubles champions Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova defeated China’s Yifan Xu and Zhaoxuan Yang 6-3, 6-3, beating the Czech pair in the semifinals.
Pegula and Guff’s opponents in the latest doubles matches fit with Desirae Krawczyk of the United States and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands.
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PARIS (AP) — Felix Auger-Aliassime and Andrey Rublev are reaching the ATP Finals after Taylor Fritz and Hubert Hurkacz, the other contenders for the remaining two spots, fell at the Paris Masters on Wednesday.
Eighth-seeded Auger-Aliassime beat qualifier Mikael Ymer 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (6) to then face Gilles Simon, who defeated ninth seed Fritz 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.
Auger-Aliassime stored 14 of 17 break balls and switched 4 to increase his winning streak to 14 games.
Fritz failed to convert 3 set problems with Simon’s serve at 5-4 in the first set. The American also failed to convert any of the 3 break balls he had at 3-2 in the last set. He committed 36 direct fouls against Simon’s 16, who is ranked 188th and plans to retire after this tournament.
Tenth-seeded teenager Holger Rune Hurkacz 7-5, 6-1 to face Rublev, who reached the third round on Tuesday.
Before the Paris Masters, Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic had already qualified for the Turin eight-a-side football tournament from November thirteen to 20.
Alcaraz, Tsitsipas, Alex de Minaur and Lorenzo Musetti were also complex in the third round in Paris, while Nadal’s 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 loss to Tommy Paul raised questions about his fitness in his first singles attack since the U. S. Open.
Second seed Nadal committed 19 direct fouls against Paul’s 18 and lost serve 3 times in the final set, looking almost resigned.
“In the end I want days on tour,” Nadal said. “It’s true that in the last five months I haven’t spent enough days at the circuit. I’m not even saying compete on a tennis court. Practice with the boys. That’s what I want. “
Paul will then face Pablo Carreno Busta, who beat Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-4.
De Minaur, seeded fourth, Medvedev 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 before facing Frances Tiafoe, who beat Jack Draper 6-3, 7-5.
De Minaur beat Medvedev for the first time in matches.
After recovering from a 2-0 deficit in the final set, De Minaur failed to convert his first two fit balls at 5-4. He connected a go back on the first ball of the fit and committed a direct free kick in the second.
But the Australian was given two more chances at 6-5. Medvedev saved the third ball in form with a winning serve before committing a double fault in the fourth and throwing his racket to the ground angrily.
“I’m pleased to have played a very tactical match,” De Minaur told Tennis Channel. “I just tried to wait for my ball and back up and back my volley. “
Medvedev, who won the Paris Masters in 2020 and runner-up last year, lost serve in the first set by ruining himself in the last match. But the Russian took advantage of De Minaur’s direct fouls to break twice in the set so far.
Alcaraz, the most sensible seed, beat Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4, 6-4 to rack up more problems in his No. 1 of the year-end ranking.
Alcaraz hit 30 game-winning shots to the Japanese player’s seven and will then face Grigor Dimitrov, who defeated lucky loser Fabio Fognini 6-0, 7-5.
Tsitsipas, seeded fifth, beat Daniel Evans 6-3, 6-4 to lead the ATP Tour with wins this year.
Tsitsipas took a 3-0 lead in the first set. He then connected on a game-winning forehand across the court to break Evans in the first game of the second, before converting his first fit ball with an ace.
“I’m satisfied with the tennis point I brought when I had to,” Tsitsipas said. “I moved well, I dictated well. I combined everything, adding my defense.
Tsitsipas will face Corentin Moutet, who beat Cameron Norrie 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3).