June 8, 2019 - Slovenian Tamara Zidanšek and Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo will play on Sunday in the big final of the WTA Croatia Bol Open. The final begins at 8 pm, and the crowd will be warmed up an hour earlier with a performance by Nina Badrić’. After the final, the world-famous pianist Lola Astanova will perform as part of the closing ceremony.

Zidansek defeated her young fellow countrywoman Kaja Juvan 2:6, 7:5, 7:5 in a real thriller in the semifinals. Juvan was near the victory in the third set and led 5:2, but failed to withstand Zidanšek’s comeback. 

"Since the first round, all matches have been difficult, and I expected that against Kaja. This is the first time we’ve played each other, and it is not easy to play against a girl from Slovenia knowing that we are so little,” said Zidanšek.

Where did Zidanšek get the power to turn the game around after Kaja led in the third set? “I had nothing to lose; I relaxed and succeeded."

Can Zidanšek defend the title? "I hope I will succeed," she said.

Kaja Juvan missed an excellent opportunity to get into the final. 

"I had a lot of opportunities, and I was close. Tamara started playing great tennis after my 5:2 lead, played a lot of winners and decided the result. It's great that we have a lot of good Slovenians in tennis, and Tamara showed me that I could do even more,” said Juvan.

Many spectators cheered for Kaja. 

"Yes, thank you to all those who supported me, they lifted me up, and in the end, even Tamara applauded. It was a pleasure to play here,” Kaja said.

There was not too much uncertainty in the second semifinal. Sara Sorribes Tormo played excellent, safe, and calm and defeated Anna-Karolina Schmiedelova 6:4, 6:0. 

"I had a lot of chances in the first set to seal the game, but in the end, I managed it all, and that was the key, that first set. My key is that I tried to mix up my play so that she did not feel comfortable on the court. I’m good friends with Tamara, this is my first WTA final, and I will fight until the last drop of sweat to win. I'm here with my mother, I am enjoying it and will even more if I win the tournament,” said Sorribes Tormo.

Mandy Minella and Timea Bacsinszky celebrated in the doubles final 0:6, 7:6 (3), 10:4 against Renata Vorac and Cornelia Lister.

You can read more about the tournament here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

June 7, 2019 - Of the three winners of the WTA Croatia Bol Open, only one - Slovenian Tamara Zidanšek - made it to the semifinals. In the first round, Tamara eliminated the first winner, Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella, and in the quarterfinals, she beat Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky 7: 6 (5), 6:4, who remains without a title in Bol. The second winner, Serbian Aleksandra Krunić, was kicked out in the quarters by the young Slovenian Kaja Juvan with a score of 7:5, 6:3. Juvan has confirmed her great potential with another stellar performance. She will play in the semifinals against her fellow countrywoman, Zidanšek.

"Today was not an easy match; in the end, I was happy to leave the court. When I got the first set, it was easier,” Zidanšek said.

Bol is a special tournament for Zidanšek:

"It’s beautiful here, close to the sea, swimming ... It's so special," she added.

Kaja Juvan could be the "next big thing".

"I did not know what to expect from this tournament, which had a lot of good players in the top 100. I did not play the best today, but I passed. I was nervous against Krunić, but I succeeded."

And the semi-finals against Zidanšek?

"I know her; we play the FED Cup together. I know how she plays, good and constant. It's hard to play against someone from the same country. We're waiting for a fight, and I hope I win. My advantage is that I'm more aggressive, and Tamara has consistency in her game,” Kaja added.

Slovakian Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova did not have any major problems against Switzerland's Jil Teichmann, who she defeated 6:3, 6:4. 

"It was a bit hot, but I was happy with the game. I’ve been here three times, I hope to win the tournament, if not this year, I'll be back again,” Schmiedlova said.

Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo and Germany's Laura Siegmund met in the final match of the day. 

“She changed tactics throughout the match, but I was focused, I tried to play well, and I'm in the semi-finals," Tormo said after finishing the match 6:1, 6:0.

At 1 pm on Saturday, the doubles final will be held: C. Lister (SWE) / R. Voracova (CZE) - T. Bacsinszky (SUI) / M. Minella (LUX).

The semi-finals in the singles competition begin on Saturday at 2:30 pm on the central court of the Bluesun tennis center in Zlatni rat. The first to play is Zidanšek and Juvan.

You can read more about the tournament here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

June 6, 2019 - After the second round of the WTA Croatia Bol Open, Croatia no longer has a representative in the tournament. Namely, the last remaining Croatian, Tereza Mrdeža, was kicked by German Laura Siegmund in an exhausting match that lasted two hours and 45 minutes. The final result was 3:6, 7:6 (5) 1 for Siegmund.

Tereza Mrdeža had a good chance to qualify in the quarterfinals after taking the first set, in the second led 3:1, and had three breaks for 4:1 which she did not use. Siegmund then led 6:5, but Mrdeža reached a tie-break. In the decisive 13th game of the second set, Mrdeža led 5:4 and took two of Siegmund’s services. Siegmund, however, turned the game around to her advantage, and with 7:5 had a tie-break and equalized to 1:1 in sets.

In the third set, the experienced German picked up her game, and Mrdeža did not have the strength for a real fight.

"In the last games, this has happened a lot. It’s almost over and I need to play to the end, and then I miss it," Mrdeža said, adding: “She picked up her game when it was the most critical, I knew she would not give me cheap points in this match, I knew how to play and in the end I let her dictate it. I probably also need to believe in myself, that I can really do it,” she concluded.

Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky won 6:2, 6:4 against Japan's Nao Hibino.

"I did not have a light month and it has tortured me. My level of play has not been good, but today, I was pleased. I hope I can keep it up, I had good tactics and I’m happy. Hibino played well, and now I have to keep it up,” Bacsinszky said.

Last year's winner Tamara Zidanšek suffered, but managed to beat Switzerland's Stefanie Voegele 3:6, 6:2, 6:3.

Also convincing was Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo who beat Varvara Flink 6:3, 6:2, while Aleksandra Krunić, the 2017 winner, defeated Ana Bogdan 6:2, 6:1. Switzerland's Jill Teichman beat Belgium's Ysaline Bonaventure 6:2, 6:2.

The real drama was seen in the match between Germany's Anne-Lena Friedsam and Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. After losing the first set 4:6, Schmiedlova won the second 6:0. In the final set, the decision fell into a tie-break, where Schmiedlova won 7:6.

DAY THREE

S. Sorribes Tormo (ESP) - V. Flink (RUS) 6:3, 6:2
A. Krunic (SRB) - A. Bogdan (ROU) 6:2, 6:1
L. Siegemund (GER) - T. Mrdeza (CRO) 3:6, 7:6 (5), 6:1
K. Juvan (SLO) - [5] A. Sharma (AUS) 6:1, 6:0
T. Zidansek (SLO) - S. Voegele (SUI) 3:6, 6:2, 6:3
A. Friedsam (GER) - [4] A. Schmiedlova (SVK) 6:4, 0:6, 6:7 

T. Bacsinszky (SUI) - N. Hibino (JPN) 6:2, 6:4

J. Teichmann (SUI) - Y. Bonaventure (BEL) 6:2, 6:2

You can read more about the tournament here.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

June 6, 2019 - On Thursday on the Bluesun tennis courts, about 70 boys and girls aged 7 or 12 from the elementary schools in Supetar and Bol attended Kid’s Day at the WTA Croatia Bol Open. 

On the other side of the net was WTA stars Timea Bacsinszky, Cornelia Lister and Tena Lukas, who immediately warmed up the group up by hitting balls. 

Following the warm-up came tennis lessons where the group practiced hitting balls over the net. Furthermore, ex-tennis player Tanja Lukas and volleyball player Lorena Šipić rewarded the kids with sweets made by Kraš because "With Kraš and sweets, kid’s day is worth even more!”

You can find more information on the WTA Croatia Bol Open here.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

June 6, 2019 - According to the weather forecast, the weekend ahead will be the first warm, summer weekend this season, and we suggest you head to the island, or rather to the town of Bol. The WTA Croatia Bol Open weekend begins on Friday, with the traditional klapa performances in the center of the city from 21:00, where Klapa Šufit and Klapa Cambi will perform.

The semi-final matches will be played on Saturday at the Bluesun tennis center in Zlatni rat at 2 pm, and the star of Saturday night will be Niki Belucci, a world-renowned DJ who will perform at the Varadero cocktail bar at 23:00!

On the day of the final, the program begins at 19:00 at the central court with a concert by the real diva of local music, Nina Badrić. At the end of the match, as part of the closing ceremony, guests will enjoy the performance of top pianist Lola Astanova. The 34-year-old Lola was born in Uzbekistan, and since 2003 has lived in the United States. She is famous for her brilliant performances of Chopin, Liszt, and Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, as well as contemporary composers and performers such as Rihanna and Queen.

For everyone who wants to enjoy Bol, top sports and great fun, tickets for the WTA Croatia Bol Open are available at www.ticketshop.com.

You can read more about the WTA Croatia Bol Open here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

June 5, 2019 - The second day of the WTA Croatia Bol Open was not the best day for Croatian tennis players. In the first match of the day on the central court of the Bluesun tennis center in Zlatni rat, Jana Fett lost 6:2, 6:2. Fett held it at 2:3 in the first set, though her opponent ultimately won the first set and proceeded to win the second. There was no security in Jana’s strikes and her Swiss opponent kept the ball safe, and without too much risk, came to the victory. 

The middle of the day was reserved for Lea Bošković, though her German opponent Anna-Lena Friedsam was better 6:4, 6:4. For the evening game which started at 20:30 on the central court of the Bluesun tennis center, Laura Siegmund defeated last year's semi-finalist Tena Lukas 6:2, 6:2.

"The ambience was perfect, but I played poorly. Laura did not do anything spectacular, she had some luck at some points, but I was not at my level and my service did not function as it should have,” Tena said.

And indeed, there were several double faults - in one game, three were counted!

The only remaining Croatian tennis player is Teresa Mrdeža who will play in the second round on Thursday against Siegmund who defeated Tena tonight: 

"I sincerely hope that Tereza will win against her. It will be a good match,” Tena concluded.

Slovenian Kaja Juvan had an excellent game and kicked off the tournament with a great victory over her fellow countrywoman Dalila Jakupovič 6:2, 6:0. Last year’s winner Tamara Zidanšek convincingly defeated Mandy Minella, the first winner of this tournament (2016). In yet another game between fellow countrywomen, Serbian player Aleksandra Krunić, the winner of Bol in 2017 defeated the Olga Danilović 7:6 (0), 6:2. 

DAY TWO

J. Fett (CRO) - S. Voegele (SUI) 2:6, 2:6

T. Zidanšek (SLO) -  M. Minella (LUX) 7:5, 6:2

A. Krunić (SRB) – Olga Danilović (SRB) 7:6 (0), 6:2

L. Siegemund (GER) - T. Lukas (CRO) 6:2, 6:2

K. Juvan (SLO) - D. Jakupovič (SLO) 6:2, 6:0

E. Gorgodze (GEO) - V. Flink (RUS) 3:6, 5:7

Y. Bonaventure (BEL) - P. Badosa Gibert (ESP) 6:3, 6:2

A. Friedsam (GER) - L. Bošković (CRO) 6:4, 6:4

You can read more about the tournament here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

June 5, 2019 - The first day and first match of the WTA Croatia Bol Open on Bluesun's central court did not go in favor of the home fans. Namely, Jana Fett did not have her day or a real answer to the game of Swiss player Stefanie Voegele, who defeated Fett 6:2, 6:2 in just over an hour. 

Fett came to 3:2 in both sets, had some good plays in the match but did not manage to maintain continuity in the game. She made so many mistakes that Voegele began to anticipate them. 

“I did not feel well on the court. I do not know, it happens, that's normal in sports. I had a few good games and then the system broke down," Jana said after the match. She also knows that she did not show her opponent was she is capable of.

"It did not show much, I made a lot of mistakes and that ruled the game,” Jana concluded, expressing hope that her performance in doubles would be better. After Bol, Jana awaits the season on grass courts and her appearance in Manchester.

One of the younger tennis players to appear on Wednesday is Slovenian Kaja Juvan, who entered the tournament on a high, defeating her fellow countrywoman Dalila Jakupovič 6:2, 6:0. Otherwise, Kaja Juvan is 18 years old, the 131st best player in the world, and is already under the auspices of the Starwings agency (Donna Vekić, Stan Wawrinka, and even Borna Ćorić). However, this was not her first appearance in Bol.

"I was here twice on vacation for a tennis camp when I was young and then I played the ITF tournament Lukas organized before this and achieved my first professional win,” concluded Kaja, adding and that she would have no objection to winning her first career WTA title in Bol.

DAY TWO
J. Fett (CRO) - S. Voegele (SUI) 2:6, 2:6
K. Juvan (SLO) - D. Jakupovič (SLO) 6:2, 6:0

Y. Bonaventure (BEL) - P. Badosa Gibert (ESP) 6:3, 6:2

T. Zidanšek (SLO) -  M. Minella (LUX) 
A. Krunić (SRB) - Tamara Zidanšek (Slo)
L. Siegemund (GER) - T. Lukas (CRO)
E. Gorgodze (GEO) - V. Flink (RUS) 
A. Friedsam (GER) - L. Bošković (CRO) 

Find out more about the WTA Croatia Bol Open here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

June 3, 2019 - An exciting draw at the Cocktail Bar Varadero in the center of Bol started the official program of the WTA Croatia Bol Open on Monday afternoon. 

"We want the tournament and tennis to live with the community, with Bol, that the whole town lives for tennis, and not that it only takes place on tennis courts that are far from the center of Bol,” said tournament director Feliks Lukas at the start.

The first-seed of this year's edition, last year's winner Tamara Zidanšek, was joined today by young Serbian player Olga Danilović and Croatia’s Jana Fett.

The draw began somewhat later than the previously announced 4:30 pm because at 4 pm, it was time to see which reported players are continuing their run at Roland Garros, explained supervisor Cristina Romero, the official WTA representative since the first edition of the tournament.

The first drawn pair is two winners of the Bol tournament, namely Zidanšek will play her first match against Mandy Minella from Luxemburg. Furthermore, Jana Fett awaits the winner of this match if she overcomes Switzerland's Stefanie Voegel.

The 2017 winner, Serbian player Aleksandra Krunić, will play against the young Danilović, while Slovenians, Kaja Juvan and Dalila Jakupović, will also play against each other.

Croatia’s Tena Lukas will measure power with Laurom Siegmund, Teresa Mrdeža will play against Czech player Denisa Allertová, and the young Ana Bošković awaits German Anna Lena Friedsman.

"The atmosphere is great, relaxed. The draw could be worse and better for me, but in the end, my result will depend mostly on my game,” said Jana Fett honestly at the end of the draw.

"The beginning of the year was not the best. I was in the top 100, but then there were some problems, I had injuries, and I hope I can get back closer to the top," Fett added.

Matches on the Bluesun tennis courts at Zlatni Rat start on Tuesday, June 4 at 1 pm. 

CROATIA BOL OPEN - BOL, CROATIA

$125,000

SCHEDULED MATCHES – TUESDAY, 04.06.2019

BLUESUN start at 13:00 

B. Schoofs (NED) vs [4] A. Schmiedlova (SVK) 

B. Haddad Maia (BRA) vs [2] S. Sorribes Tormo (ESP) 

A. Tatishvili (USA) vs [7] T. Bacsinszky (SUI) 

Not Before 20:30
D. Allertova (CZE) vs T. Mrdeza (CRO) 

KRAŠ start at 13:00 

[WC] A. Danilina (KAZ) vs [5] A. Sharma (AUS)
[6] J. Teichmann (SUI) vs I. Begu (ROU)
After Rest - Y. Bonaventure (BEL) / B. Schoofs (NED) vs D. Jakupovic (SLO) / T. Lukas (CRO)
After Rest - A. Bogdan (ROU) / C. Skamlova (SVK) vs [4] A. Danilina (KAZ) / Y. Sizikova (RUS) 

LUKAS start at 13:00
A. Bogdan (ROU) vs [WC] M. Djakovic (SRB)
V. Strakhova (UKR) vs N. Hibino (JPN)
After Rest - [WC] L. Boskovic (CRO) / M. Djakovic (SRB) vs O. Danilovic (SRB) / T. Zidansek (SLO) 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.