VCO 2019 – Day 6

Semi-final Saturday at the Volvo Car Open was an absolutely thrilling

In doubles, the team of Anna-Lena GROENEFELD and Alicja ROSOLSKA as well as the team of Irina KHROMACHEVA and Veronika KUDERMETOVA are moving on to the finals. In singles, Caroline Wozniacki was too much for Petra Martic to handle. And Madison Keys was on fire against Monica Puig.

As an added bonus, the Invesco Series brought big name stars to the stage! It was thrilling to photograph legends Mats Wilander, Jim Courier, Andy Roddick, and Lleyton Hewitt as they duked it out on the court…and hammed it up for the crowd!

So the stage is set! Let’s see what happens at the finals?!?

VCO 2019 – Day 4

And then there were EIGHT!!! The round of 16 at the Volvo Car Open saw some surprises, and the best players are rising to the top. Here are a few shots from the day’s action. Can’t wait to see who is left standing at the end of the week! 🙂

VCO 2019 – Day 3

We survived “Hump Day” at the Volvo Car Open! The best part was, the sun came out. YAY!!! There was a ton of AMAZING action, both on and off the courts. Here are a few selects from another incredible day of WTA tennis…

VCO 2019 – Day 2

Round 1 of the Main Draw at the 2019 Volvo Car Open is in the history books! It was a cold and windy day. But the light was great and the energy was electric!!!

The day started off with special appearance by former world number 1, Tracy Austin, at the Doubles & Bubbles Luncheon.  On the courts, former champions Andrea Petkovic, Sloane Stephens, and Kiki Bertens all sailed into the second round. Top sead Stephens had to fight hard for her win oveer a fiesty Sara Sorribes Tormo. American Amanda Anisimov put up a good fight, but lost to Petra Martic in three sets. Maria Sakkari triumphed in 3 sets.  Qualifier Kateryna Kozlova upset Kristyna Pliskova. And newcomer to the stage, Emma Navarro, really impressed fans with her game, going toe-to-toe with Laura Siegemund before falling to the former semifinalist. Navarro is a Charleston native, and was making her first ever official WTA appearance on the tour!

Can’t wait to see what’s in store for Day 3…

VCO 2019 – Day 1

Qualifying rounds are completed. The main draw has been set. And Day 1 of the Volvo Car Open was full of triumphs and defeats!

Early in the day I had a great time photographing all the amazing ball crew when Kristyna Pliskova made a special appearance.

Another highlights of the day was photographing the Top 8 seeds at the Media All Access Hour, including Sloan Stephens, Anastasija Sevastova, Caroline Wozniacki, Julia Goerges, Kiki Bertens, Aryna Sabalenka, and Danielle Collins.

But the real show-stopper was when an emotional Shelby Rogers won her first match back on the tour after a difficult year of recovery after a scary knee surgery!

Stay tuned for Day 2…

VCO 2019 – Iconic Photo Shoot

To kick of the start of the Volvo Car Open each year, the tournament has me photograph what they call the Iconic Photo Shoot. They select two players, who we take to an iconic Charleston landmark, where they pretend to play a little tennis. This year’s players were rising American star, Danielle Collins, and our 2017 champion from Latvia, Jelena Ostapenko.

VCO 2019 – Family Day

The first day of qualifying at the Volvo Car Open (www.volvocaropen.com) was absolutely EPIC!!! Between Family Day, VIP clinics, all the special player autograph sessions, and the Draw Party, there was so much to see and photograph. It kept me hopping while I hustled to cover everything…including even a little bit of tennis action!  🙂

AO Women’s Doubles Final

Congratulations to Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic on capturing the Australian Open Women’s Doubles crown!!!

“Of course it’s an incredible feeling to share this moment together on court. We really enjoy playing together. We improved overall I think every single match,” said Babos.

The accomplishment is made even sweeter by the formidable team they beat in the finals. Makarova and Vesnina were shooting for their first Australian Open title which would have landed them a career Golden Slam, having previously won the French (2013), Wimbledon (2014), US (2017) and Olympic (2016) titles.

As the official photographer of the Volvo Car Open, it was a real honor for me to be credentialed for this match. Hopefully we’ll see these four ladies vying for the title in Charleston a few months from now!!!

Volvo Car Open 2017 – Day 9

Day 9 of the Volvo Car Open was an epic finish to a fantastic week of tennis!

Bethanie-Mattek Sands and Lucie Saffarova showed why they are such good friends, and why they are the #1 doubles team in the world!!! After clinching this, their second title in Charleston, defeating Katerina Siniakova and Lucie Hradecka, the dynamic duo shared an adult beverage before meeting up with me to photograph their Doubles Champions Photos.

Later, in the battle of the 19-year-olds, Daria Kasatkina prevailed over fellow youngster, Jelena Ostapenko, to claim her very first WTA tour title. Overwhelmed with raw emotion during her trophy presentation, she nearly had me in tears!!! What a special moment for this adorable young lady!  “I’m just enjoying it every moment, every second,” she said. “And really, when I was on the court after the last point, I just wanted the moment to stop because it was one of the best moments in my life.”

After a celebratory meal with her team, Daria met up with us in downtown Charleston for her Champions Photos.

Many thanks to all the amazing players, tournament staff, the WTA, all the volunteers, grounds crew, ball kids, umpires, line judges, marketing team, and my photography partner, Alice, for another AMAZING Volvo Car Open!!!

Volvo Car Open 2017 – Day 8

Day 8 of the Volvo Car Open left two VERY HUNGER teenagers standing!!! Not since Anna Ivanovic in 2001 has a teenager won this tournament. This year, it’s guaranteed that another teenager will take home the title! Both Daria Kastkina and Jelena Ostapenko are 19 years old. Both are rising stars. Both are seeking their first WTA Tour title!!!

Volvo Car Open 2017 – Day 7

Day 7 of the Volvo Car Open brought us down to JUST FOUR playeers left!!! Each of them survived the round of 16 through fearless play, upsetting all the top seeds along the way. I look at each of the four players left in the draw and find I like every single one of them for different reasons: Laura Siegemund, Daria Kastkina, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, Jelena Ostapenko. Who will YOU be cheering for as we enter Semi-final Saturday?!?

Volvo Car Open 2017 – Day 5

Day 5 of the Volvo Car Open had a number of major upsets…as well as some huge triumphs. Not the least of which was Charleston’s own Shelby Rogers, who defeated the Number 1 seed, Madison Keys, in 3 sets!!!  And who can forget Laura Seigemund’s battle over Venus Williams?!?