tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2296160721877257182024-03-17T22:03:46.290-05:00Women Who ServeNEWS AND COMMENTARY ON WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL TENNISDianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.comBlogger6516125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-2622992849574241032024-02-24T17:10:00.000-06:002024-02-24T17:10:18.374-06:002024 so far: trophies, coaching changes, and--at long last--a new Fighting Italian<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="fr">Your 2024 Dubai champion: Jasmine Paolini! <a href="https://t.co/Vk5mQM6t3m">pic.twitter.com/Vk5mQM6t3m</a></p>β Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/JJlovesTennis/status/1761454976558063682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>The 2024 season isn't even two months old, but there's a lot going on. </p><p>The big early-season news, of course, is that Aryna Sabalenka won her second consecutive Australian Open title. The world number 2, long known for her shaky serve, has put that problem behind her; her Melbourne run was very impressive. Of note: This year's finalist was Zheng Qinwen, who is now number 7 in the world.<br /></p><p>While it's sad news, it has the potential to be<i> good</i> news: Karolina Muchova just had surgery for her troublesome risk. Muchova is an extremely talented player. When she had that span of good health last year, we saw her reach the final of the French Open and also the U.S. Open semifinals. But 2024 brought on more injury, so the Czech player--who finally reached the top 10, but will now drop out of it--so surgery was the answer.</p><p>Both world number world number 5 Jessica Pegula and world number 11 Maria Sakkari announced that they had parted ways with their coaches. Pegula is no longer being coached by David Witt, while Sakkari ended a six-year relationship with Tom Hill.</p><p>Danielle Collins announced that this will be her final year on the tour. The 2022 Australian Open finalist took the long road to join the tour; she played college tennis and won the NCAA singles title twice. Collins is 30 years old.<br /></p><p>2024 is also the year (perhaps the only one?) that Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova--members of a very elite doubles team--are playing with other partners. So far, so good for Siniakova--she and Storm Hunter just won the Dubai championship.</p><p>Now, cue the new year, and enter--stage left, right and everywhere--Alona Ostapenko. The Latvian star has already won two tournaments--Adelaide and Linz, both 500 events. There's no point, ever, in trying to determine what these big wins mean, but it will be interesting, as always, to watch Ostapenko this season.<br /></p><p>It sounds odd to say that former world number 1 Karolina Piskova just made a comeback, of sorts, but she recently did, in Transylvania. It was there that Pliskova won her first title since 2020. It was a 250 event, but it still has to be a confidence-booster.</p><p>Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina won Brisbane and Abu Dhabi (both 500 events), delivering a bagel to Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane final. The 2022 Wimbledon champion reached a third final, in Doha, but lost that one to Iga Swiatek, which now gives her a 3-2 record against the world number 1. </p><p>Swiatek started the year strong by winning the United Cup, and then won the 1000 event in Doha. She looked good in Dubai, too, until she came up against qualifier Anna Kalinskaya, and lost in the semifinals. </p><p>Diana Shnaider won the Thailand Open, the first singles title of her career, and Elise Mertens won the tournament in Auckland.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">DID YOU KNOWβ<br /><br />With her 6-4 6-4 win over Iga Swiatek in the semifinals of Dubai today, Anna Kalinskaya became the first player to defeat Swiatek in *straight sets* in 343 DAYS. π<br /><br />Swiatek hadn't lost a match in straight sets since last March, to Elena Rybakina at Indian Wells:</p>β TENNIS (@Tennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tennis/status/1761162852562256115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p></p><p>That brings us to Dubai, also a 1000 event. Qualifier Anna Kalinskaya had an amazing run, taking out three top 10 players (world number 9 Alona Ostapenko, world number 4 Coco Gauff, and world number 1 Iga Swiatek. Kalinskaya gave us a taste of what she's capable of at the Australian Open when she made a run to the quarterfinals. </p><p>In the Australian Open round of 16, Kalinskaya defeated Jasmine Paolini in straight sets before she lost to eventual runner-up Zheng Qinwen. This week, in Dubai, after going through qualifying a nd taking out the aforementioned top 10 players, Kalinskaya fell to Paolini in the final. It was an excellent final, too, with a lot of momentum swings. In the end, though, Paolini, who--like her opponent--has been getting better and better in the last several months--defeated Kalinskaya 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. </p><p>The unseeded Paolini is something we haven't seen in a long time--an authentic <a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-zen-of-fighting-italian.html" target="_blank">Fighting Italian</a>. She did get a little help in Dubai from Rybakina, who gave Paolini a walkover in the semifinals because of a viral illness. But the champion did her share of heavy lifting, defeating 11th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, Leylah Fernandez, 6th seed Maria Sakkari, and Sorana Cirstea. It was a great tournament, with so-called "surprise" finalists, and a lovely trophy ceremony.<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-62660412185155525952024-01-28T11:23:00.001-06:002024-01-28T11:23:47.578-06:00My Australian Open top 10<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="qme">ππΌπ <a href="https://t.co/MzSxMTa7VY">pic.twitter.com/MzSxMTa7VY</a></p>β Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/JJlovesTennis/status/1751198190395932823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p> Here are my top 10 Australian Open happenings, in ascending order:</p><p><b>10. Want to see a comeback?</b>: Mirra Andreeva was down 1-5 in the third set of her third round match against Diane Parry, but--no worries. The 16-year-old (who had already upset 6th seed Ons Jabeur) fought her way back, saved a match point, and--after two hours and 23 minutes--emerged victorious, 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5). <br /></p><p><b>9. Super-sized popcorn required</b>!: Ukrainian players were on fire at this Australian Open, and Marta Kostyuk was one of them. She played 4th seed Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals, and I doubt that anyone expected to see what would unfold during the next three hours (and eight minutes). The entire match was a festival of alternating brilliance and error production. They just coudn't stop making mistakes, but they also couldn't stop making outstanding shots. In all, they made 107 unforced errors, pretty evenly divided between them. Kostyuk hit 39 winners, Gauff hit 17. There were 16 breaks of serve. Gauff finally broke away in the third set, and won the match 7-6, 6-7, 6-2. It was a mess, yet it was wildly entertaining.</p><p><b>8. Oops</b>: The first two rounds were brutal for some of the top seeds. In the first round, 7th seed Marketa Vondrousova was upset, though--to be fair--she was obviously struggling with a hip injury, and I'm not sure why she even entered the tournament. Both 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova and 15th seed Veronika Kudermetova were also upset, as was two-time champion Naomi Osaka. Osaka, it should be noted, was just returning to the tour after giving birth.</p><p>The second round was more shocking. 3rd seed Elena Rybakina went out in a thrilling contest against Anna Blinkova, and 5th seed Jessica Pegula, 6th seed Ons Jabeur, and 8th seed Maria Sakkari were all upset. In addition, 14th seed Daria Kasatkina and 16th seed Caroline Garcia (who beat Osaka in the opening round) were defeated.</p><p><b>7. Nobody's perfect</b>: Top seed Iga Swiatek did make it to round 3, but then, she, too, was shown the exit by young Czech player Linda Noskova. Swiatek won the fist set, but then failed to convert some crucial break points, while her opponent was happy to break <i>her</i>. Noskova was fearless in competing against the world number 1, and her willingness to take control gave her the biggest victory of her young career.<br /></p><p><b>6. At long last</b>: When Dayana Yastremska was a junior, all eyes were on her, but--as is often the case with gifted juniors--she was unable to find the consistency that creates success on the tour (though she did reach a world ranking of 21). It should also be noted that the Ukrainian player has been through some stuff--no need to go into all of it here, but there have been multiple stressors in her life. At this Australian Open, though, Yastremska began to deliver on that early promise.</p><p>She had to qualify to play in the main draw, so she had already won three matches when she began her campaign, in which the first victim was the aforementioned injured 7th seed. She then went on to beat the likes of 27th seed Emma Navarro, two-time champion Victoria Azarenka, and Swiatek-slayer Noskova. Her Ostapenko-type tendencies got her in trouble in the semifinals, though, and she lost to eventual finalist Zheng Qinwen. But what a run it was, and here's hoping for more.<br /></p><p><b>5. Diede the Great makes it six</b>: The top seed and defending champion arrived in less than perfect condition; she'd been carrying a small injury and suffering from a cold. But that didn't stop her from claiming her sixth Australian Open singles title. Once again, Diede de Groot defeated 2nd seed Yui Kamiji in a final, though, in <i>this</i> final, Kamiji had more opportunities than is usually the case. de Groot and her partner, Jiske Griffioen, seeded 2nd, defeated top seeds Kamiji and Kgothatso Montjaneto to win the doubles title. </p><p>deGroot has now won 21 singles majors, 17 doubles majors, six Masters titles, eight World Team Cup titles, four Paralympic medals (three gold, one silver) in doubles, and a Golden Slam. She has also won the Grand Slam in singles three times, and is the only tennis player to win the Grand Slam two consecutive years; in 2019, she also won the doubles Grand Slam. </p><p><b>4. Casual slaying</b>: Hsieh Su-wei, known by fans as the Casual Queen, joined Jan Zielinski in winning the mixed doubles title. In so doing, they denied Desirae Krawcyzk (partnered with Neal Stupski) the Grand Slam. This was Hsieh's first mixed doubles title and her seventh major title--all in doubles. Playing with various partners, Hsieh has won the French Open and the U.S. Open twice, and she has won Wimbledon four times. </p><p><b>3. Match point palooza!</b>: If you were able to watch only one match in Melbourne, I hope that it was the second round match contested by 3rd seed Elena Rybakina and Anna Blinkova. Blinkova, whose talent is often overlooked, took Rybakina through a three-set ordeal that lasted over two and three-quarter hours, and ended in an upset, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (20). The 42-point tiebreak was the longest tiebreak ever played in a major. Rybakina saved nine match points--seven of them in the seemingly endless tiebreak--and Blinkova saved six, and won on her tenth match point. It was an extremely well-played match, and an exciting pleasure to watch.</p><p><b>2. Casual slaying by committee</b>: Hiesh Su-wei wasn't content with winning just one title--she and partner Elise Mertens, seeded 2nd, defeated 11th seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Alona Ostapenko 6-1, 7-5 in the women's doubles final. This makes eight major titles for Hsieh--seven in doubles and one in mixed doubles. This is Mertens' second Australian Open title; she and Aryna Sabalenka won the title in 2021. Mertens and Hsieh won Wimbledon in 2021, and Mertens and Sabalenka won the U.S. Open in 2019.<br /></p><p><b>1. She liked it so much, she did it again</b>: Last year's Australian Open champion, Aryna Sabalenka, looked unbeatable in Melbourne this year, and it turned out that she was. The defending champion buzzed through the draw without dropping a set (last year, she didn't drop a set until she reached the final). She defeated 9th seed Barbora Krejcikova and 4th seed Coco Gauff, then needed only two sets to defeat 12th seed and finalist Zheng Qiwen. Sabalenka, who once struggled terribly with her serve, now struggles with pretty much nothing, and the hard courts in Australia suit her well. She was number 1 in the world for a brief time last year, and will undoubtedly be seeking to regain that distinction in 2024.<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-2513190048844199842024-01-27T13:43:00.000-06:002024-01-27T13:43:32.730-06:00Sabalenka wins her second Australian Open title<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rod Laver Aryna π <a href="https://t.co/FJEf3EtEN6">pic.twitter.com/FJEf3EtEN6</a></p>β #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1751193414501384484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>If pressure really <i>is</i> a privilege, it may take Zheng Qinwen a while to realize it. In the Australian Open final, the big-serving, athletic Zheng, who knows her away around a tennis court, couldn't find her way around the scary version of defending champion Aryna Sabalenka that has dominated for two straight years in Melbourne. </p><p>If you look at the match stats, it's obvious that--for the most part--Zheng held her own: She had a very high (74) first serve win percentage, she hit six aces, she hit more winners than her opponent, and she made only a couple more unforced errors than Sabalenka. But those stats don't tell the whole story. Zheng also double-faulted six times because of the relentless pressure that was put on her serve. And throughout the entire match, Zheng held only one break point, toward the very end, which she failed to convert.</p><p>Sabalenka's hard, fast hitting was more than Zheng could handle. The defending champion never let up on her opponent, and--after an hour and 16 minutes, she held the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup again. Sabalenka failed to drop a set, and delivered three bagels along the way. She is the first woman to win in Melbourne two years in a row since her countrywoman, Victoria Azarenka, did it in 2012 and 2013.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">One to watch π<br /><br />A Top 10 debut and a historic run to the <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AustralianOpen</a> final, congrats Zheng Qinwen!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/7FBQVnNxcg">pic.twitter.com/7FBQVnNxcg</a></p>β wta (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1751198445711307206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>The good news for Zheng is that next week, she will enter the top 10.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A first Grand Slam juniors title - How good!<br /><br />Congrats to Renata Jamrichova π <a href="https://t.co/ARe96IEGFV">pic.twitter.com/ARe96IEGFV</a></p>β #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1751102425870823774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Sabalenka wasn't yesterday's only champion. Top seed Renata Jamrichova of Slovakia defeated 6th seed Emerson Jones of Australia 6-4, 6-1 to win the junior girls title.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Make that SIX <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> trophies π<br><br>Congratulations, <a href="https://twitter.com/DiedetheGreat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DiedetheGreat</a>! <a href="https://t.co/ZGpvYdgpwD">pic.twitter.com/ZGpvYdgpwD</a></p>— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1751097001859846310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p>And, of course, there was Diede the Great. Top seed and defending champion Diede de Groot yet again defeated 2nd seed Yui Kamiji (7-5, 6-4) to win her sixth Australian Open singles title, and her fourth consecutive one. She and partner Jiske Griffieon had already won the doubles title. de Groot has now won 21 majors in singles, and 18 in doubles (not to mention all the Masters titles, World Team Cup titles and Paralympic medals--it boggles the mind).<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-62922211056248299352024-01-26T11:24:00.001-06:002024-01-26T11:24:41.312-06:00The defending champion vs. the upstart--we have our Australian Open finalists<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The final matchup is set πΏ<br /><br />Who will be the 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> Champion? <a href="https://t.co/6xXqQSaNTz">pic.twitter.com/6xXqQSaNTz</a></p>β wta (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1750499586290954538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Throughout this Australian Open, it appeared highly unlikely that defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was going to wind up anywhere but back in the final, and that's exactly where she landed. Battling to be her opponent were qualifier <a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2024/01/yastremska-hits-her-way-to-australian.html" target="_blank">Dayana Yastremska</a> and 12th seed Zheng Qinwen. Yastremska had already played eight matches by the time she arrived at the semifinals, but she appeared fit and fresh for the competition. Was she tired mentally? Perhaps. I say that because she was just a bit too "Ostapenko" to survive Zheng. Of course, Yastremska has a tendency to be an "all or nothing" player under any circumstances, but it would have served her well to have been more strategic (she has demonstrated that she<i> can</i> be) against the young Chinese star. Zheng won the match 6-4, 6-4.<br /></p><p>For her part, Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff (against whom she had a losing record) 7-6, 6-4 to reach the final. The defending champion has yet to drop a set in Melbourne, and now, only Zheng stands in her way. No one has won the Australian Open twice consecutively since Victoria Azarenka, Sabalenka's countrywoman, did it in 2012 and 2013.</p><p>Paths to the final:</p><p><u><b>Zheng Qinwen (12)</b></u><br /></p><p>round 1--def, Ashlyn Krueger<br />round 2--def. Katie Boulter<br />round 3--def. Wang Yafan<br />round of 16--def. Oceane Dodin<br />quarterfinals--def. Anna Kalinskaya<br />semifinals--def, Dayana Yastremska (Q)</p><p><u><b>Aryna Sabalenka (2)</b></u></p><p>round1--def, Ella Seidel<br />round 2--def. Brenda Fruhvirtova (Q)<br />round 3--Lesia Tsurenko (28)<br />round of 16--def. Amanda Anisimova<br />quarterfinals--def, Barbora Krejcikova (9)<br />semifinals--def. Coco Gauff (4)</p><p>It should be noted that, although Zheng did not face any seeded players, she still had to face tough opposition. In addition to defeating an (almost) in-form Yasteremska, she barely escaped Wang Yafan, defeating her 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8).</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mixed doubles delight π<br /><br />Hsieh Su-wei and Jan Zielinski capture the <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AustralianOpen</a> mixed doubles title, outlasting [2] Krawczyk/Skupski 6-7(6), 6-4, [11-9]!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/9gDxVGitES">pic.twitter.com/9gDxVGitES</a></p>β wta (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1750726895547580671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p></p><p>Meanwhile, Hsieh Su-wei, with partner Jan Zielinski, won the mixed doubles championship. Hsieh and Zielinski defeated Desierae Krawczyk and Neal Stupski in the final. Had Krawczyk and Stupski won, Krawczyk would have achieved the Grand Slam (a reminder--there is no such thing as a "calendar slam"--it's the Grand Slam or it's nothing--other than a good run). Now she'll have to wait a year to try for that distinction.</p><p>In doubles, 11th seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Alona Ostapenko defeated 2023 U.S. Open champions and 4th seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe 7-5, 7-5 to reach the final. Mixed doubles champion Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens, seeded 2nd, defeated 3rd seeds Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 to reach the final.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dutch doubles delight π³π±π<a href="https://twitter.com/DiedetheGreat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@diedethegreat</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/jiskegriffioen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jiskegriffioen</a> claim their first AO title as a pair. <a href="https://t.co/wYh78TBpPz">pic.twitter.com/wYh78TBpPz</a></p>— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1750810101764747354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p>We have women's wheelchair doubles champions, and--no surprise--they are 2nd seeds Diede de Groot and Jiske Griffioen. They defeated top seeds Yui Kamiji and Kgothatso Montjane in the final.<br /></p><p>In wheelchair singles (all together now!), top seed and defending champion Diede de Groot will face off agianst 2nd seed Yui Kamiji. <br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-13841632839723403392024-01-24T13:40:00.001-06:002024-01-24T16:24:29.983-06:00Yastremska hits her way to the Australian Open semifinals<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The dream run continues!<br /><br />Qualifier Dayana Yastremska is through to her first-ever Grand Slam semi-final in Melbourne. <a href="https://t.co/CSCGVx7p7z">pic.twitter.com/CSCGVx7p7z</a></p>β Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/JJlovesTennis/status/1750163261926883559?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Dayana Yastremska has never had a shortage of talent. As a junior, she received a lot of attention, and much was expected of her. She did reach a career ranking high of 21, but her inconsistency kept her from realizing anything more. However, as a qualifier at the 2024 Australian Open, she has finally made good on those expectations. The singing Ukrainian has held her nerve through eight matches, knocking out the likes of (an injured) Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, two-time champion Australian Open Victoria Azarenka, and young Czech star Linda Noskova. </p><p>Yastremska is the last Ukrainian standing in what has been a banner event for Ukrainian players. Marta Kostyuk defeated 25th seed Elise Mertens and break-out player Maria Timofeeva before losing to Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals. Sadly, Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina--who was playing at a very high level--had to retire in the first set of her round of 16 match when her back went out. </p><p>4th seed Coco Gauff dropped a set in her highly entertaining match against Kostyuk, but pevailed, 6-7, 7-6, 6-2. Gauff was certainly not playing her best tennis in this match, but her champion's mind allowed her to stay calm and focused, and to solve the problem in front of her.</p><p>12th seed Zheng Qinwen, whose progress in the last couple of years has been steady and impressive, defeated quarterfinalist Anna Kalinskaya 6-7, 6-3, 6-1. And while a resurgent 9th seed Barbora Krejciova had a really good run, taking out young Russian star Mirra Andreeva, she fell in straight sets to defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. </p><p>Here is the women's singles semifinal draw:</p><p>Dayana Yastremska (Q) vs. Zheng Qinwen<br />Coco Gauff (4) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2)</p><p>Yastremska and Zheng have never played each other. Gauff is 4-2 against Sabalenka, and 3-1 against her on hard courts.</p><p>In doubles, 3rd seeds Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova defeated 5th seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals. Until the end of last year, Krejcikova and Siniakova were partners, and had been partners since they were juniors. Together, they won seven majors (including the 2022 and the 2023 Australian Open), the 2021 WTA Finals, and an Olympic gold medal. They have a career slam, and they were on their way to winning the Grand Slam in 2022, but Krejcikova became ill and they had to withdraw from the French Open (they did win the other three majors that year).</p><p>The 2024 Melbourne quarterfinal lasted two hour and 44 minutes, and Krejcikova sustained an injury while playing. It made me sad to see the perfunctory handshake between the Czechs after the match. The pair, in making the announcement about the split (Siniakova's idea) said that they would not play together in 2024. This makes me think that the door is open, and I do hope that they reunite.</p><p>Hunter and Siniakova will face 2nd seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens in the semifinals. In he other semifinal, 11th seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Alona Ostapenko (who defeated Caroline Garcia and Kiki Mladenovic in the quarterfinals) will play 4th seeds and 2023 U.S. Open champions Gabriela Dobrowski and Erin Routliffe.</p><p>Hsieh is also into the mixed doubles final. She and partner Jan Zielinski, the 3rd seeds, will compete against 2nd seeds Desirae Krawczyk and Neal Shupski. If Krawczyk and Shupski win the championship, Krawczyk will achieve the Grand Slam.<br /></p><p>In wheelchair singles competition, top seed and defending champion Diede de Groot had to work a bit in her quarterfinal match against sometime doubles partner, Aniek Van Koot. de Groot dropped the first set, and Van Koot saved four match points, but the top seed prevailed, 3-6, 6-1, 6-0. de Groot's next opponent will be her current doubles partner, 3rd seed Jiske Griffioen.<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-76573058973759767012024-01-22T09:48:00.002-06:002024-01-22T09:48:37.225-06:00Unseeded Ukrainian players reach Australian Open quarterfinals<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">When youβre like, What?!?β<br /><br />Dayana Yastremska started her Melbourne fortnight in qualies. Sheβs through to the round of the last eight. <a href="https://t.co/RXYL3PNpdj">pic.twitter.com/RXYL3PNpdj</a></p>β Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/JJlovesTennis/status/1749339529126044006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>The new, and deadly, version of Elina Svitolina arrived in Melbourne with an opportunity to go very deep within the draw, and she was, perhaps, on her way to realizing that opportunity when her back gave out and she had to retire in the first set of her round o 16 match. This was unfortunate, especially considering the fact that three Ukrainian players made it to the round of 16, and--had Svitolina emerged victorious over opponent Linda Noskova--there would have been three Ukrainians in the quarterfinals.</p><p>The other two are Marta Kostyuk and Dayana Yastremska. Yesterday, Yastremska, a qualifier, defeated 18th seed and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in straight sets. Azarenka had some problems with her first serve, which definitely helped Yastremska, but it should be noted that the Ukrainian player performed superbly. Now she will face Noskova in the quarterfinals.</p><p>I didn't get to see the match played between Jasmine Paolini and Anna Kalinskaya, and I was somewhat surprised to see that it was a straight-set affair, won by Kalinskaya. </p><p>The other two Russians in the round of 16, both young players on the rise, were defeated. Marta Kostyuk allowed break-out player Maria Timofeeva only three games, while 9th seed Barbora Krejcikova defeated Mirra Andreeva in three sets.</p><p>Here is the quarterfinal draw:</p><p>Linda Noskova vs. Dayana Yastremska (Q)<br />Anna Kalinskaya vs. Zheng Qinwen (12)<br />Marta Kostyuk vs. Coco Gauff (4)<br />Barbora Krejcikova (9) vs Aryna Sabakenka (2)</p><p></p><p>There have been some interesting goings-on in doubles competition. In the second round, Kiki Mladenovic, playing with former partner Caroline Garcia, defeated former partner Tiimea Babos and Anna Bondar. The unseeded Garcia and Mladenovic will face 11th seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Alona Ostapenko in the quarterfinals, and that should be a match worth watching. </p><p>Also in the quarterfinals, 5th seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Laura Siegemund will face off against 3rd seeds Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova. Krejcikova and Siniakova, who had been partners since their junior days, split at the end of the 2023 season. (They announced the split as "for 2024," and I take that seriously; I believe that they will ultimately get back together.)</p><p>Top seeds Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff withdrew from the tournament before competition began.<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-1722451076921418322024-01-20T10:13:00.002-06:002024-01-20T16:21:32.330-06:00An intriguing round of 16 draw at the Australian Open<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">An EPIC performance π₯π<br /><br />Linda Noskova defeats World No.1 Swiatek in a three set thriller 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. She books her ticket into the fourth round! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/WcXZW4uzkL">pic.twitter.com/WcXZW4uzkL</a></p>β wta (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1748656125401071689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Every major features shock (and not-so-shock) upsets, the break-out of young stars, and the resurgence of players who were either once highly-ranked or who were forgotten along the way. But this Australian Open is especially dramatic with regard to who's in and who's out.</p><p>The big news, of course, is that young Czech star Linda Noskova upset world number 1 Iga Swiatek in the third round yesterday. Swiatek barely escaped big hitter Danielle Collins in the second round, and big hitter Noskova was more than she could handle. (However, contrary to the musings of so-called fans on social media, Swiatek is neither "finished" nor "mediocre;" she is an elite player who lost a match to someone who outplayed her. Imagine that.)</p><p>Another huge upset, of course, was that of 2nd seed Elena Rybakina, who played what will undoubtedly be one of the matches (if not<i> the </i>match) of the year against Anna Blinkova, the talented Russian who has stayed under the radar for some time. Blinkova won their third set tiebreak 22-20, in the longest tiebreak ever played at a major. I thought that she <a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2024/01/four-former-champions-out-of-australian.html" target="_blank">might be too mentally spent</a> to win her third round match, but I was wrong--she appeared physically spent. And--she had to go against the constantly improving Jasmine Paolini, who is putting Italy on the tennis map again.</p><p>Speaking of under the radar--Wang Yafan has quietly made improvements to her game, and she gave the Chinese number 1 Zheng Qinwen a real run in a high quality third round match, which Zheng did win, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8). </p><p>Amanda Anisimova, who took nine months off from the tour, is making quite a comeback statement in Melbourne. Anisimova has already defeated 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova and former world number 2 Paula Badosa (also making a comeback). Her next task is to take on defending champion and 2nd seed Aryna Sabalenka. </p><p>Russian players (seems like old times) are making a big statement in Melbourne, too. Anna Kalinskaya is into the round of 16 after defeating Sloane Stephens, and two young, very promising players--Mirra Andreeva and Maria Timofeeva--are also into the fourth round. Andreeva has already upset 6th seed Ons Jabeur (allowing her only two games), as well as winning a third round match in which she was down 1-5 in the third set. Timofeeva has overcome a trio of formidable opponents--Alize Cornet, former champion Caroline Wozniacki and 10th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia.</p><p>Barbora Krejcikova, still working on her consistency since she was taken off the tour by injury, is still in the draw, as is the scary new version of Elina Svitolina. And of special interest: two-time champion Vika Azarenka, who defeated an in-form Alona Ostapenko in straight sets in the third round, is into the round of 16.<br /></p><p>I could go on and on, but here is the really fascinating round of 16 draw:</p><p>Linda Noskova vs. Elina Svitolina (19)<br />Victoria Azarenka (19) vs. Dayana Yastremska (Q)<br />Jasmine Paolini (26) vs. Anna Kalinskaya<br />Zheng Qinwen (12) vs. Oceane Dodin<br />Marta Kostyuk vs. Maria Timofeeva (Q)<br />Magdalena Frech vs. Coco Gauff (4)<br />Mirra Andreeva vs. Barbora Krejcikova (9)<br />Amanda Anisimova vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2)<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-26668573786690168312024-01-18T12:50:00.003-06:002024-01-18T16:39:32.005-06:00Four former champions out of Australian Open<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Down 18-17, facing match point and Anna Blinkova does this...<br /><br />Simply out of this world.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> β’ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2024?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AO2024</a> β’ <a href="https://twitter.com/wwos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wwos</a> β’ <a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn</a> β’ <a href="https://twitter.com/eurosport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@eurosport</a> β’ <a href="https://twitter.com/wowowtennis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wowowtennis</a> <a href="https://t.co/jP1Dcl4K6I">pic.twitter.com/jP1Dcl4K6I</a></p>β #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1747955843893543024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Angie Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki, Naomi Osaka, and Sofia Kenin--all former Australia Open champions--have already been eliminated in the 2024 event. Kerber, Wozniacki and Osaka (a two-time winner) are all returning to the tour after giving birth; Wozniacki returned in 2023, but only briefly. The only former champion who remains in the draw is two-time title winner Victoria Azarenka, who has made it to the third round.</p><p>Also out are 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vodrousova, who struggled with a hip injury (and I'm not sure why she played at all), 2022 Wimbledon champion and 3rd seed Elena Rybakina, 5th seed Jessica, Pegula, 6th seed Ons Jabeur, and 8th seed Maria Sakkari. Rybakina's second round match ended up being record-breaking. Her
opponent, Anna Blinkova, who saved six match points, won the third round
tiebreak 22-20 in the longest major tournament tiebreak in history. Also notable are the early losses of Caroline Garcia (who defeated Osaka) and Leylah Fernandez. </p><p>These early defeats help clear the way for top players Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, though Swiatek was taken to the edge by Danielle Collins in her second round match. The match, a very intense affair, went to three sets, with Collins--who was bombing her opponent with relentless speed-- leading in the third, but the world number 1 put together a last-minute comeback (as great champions are prone to do) which led to her 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory. </p><p>Speaking of Swiatek: After her first round match, she told the interviewer that she had felt compelled to expand the breadth of her game in order to compete against Ash Barty, and that she believes that that change was what led her to become the world number 1.<br /></p><p>Also notable is Emma Navarro's recent Australian run. Navarro won her first WTA tournament in Hobart, and has now reached the third round of the Australian Open.</p><p>Third round matches of interest:</p><p><b>Alona Ostapenko (11) vs. Vika Azarenka (18)</b>--Azarenka has already vanquished one big hitter, Camila Georgi, and she'll have her hands full with Ostapenko under any circumsances, but especially if the Latvian star stays in her current zone.</p><p><b>Anna Blinkova vs. Jasmine Paolini (26)</b>--Will Blinkova draw strength from her amazing win over 3rd seed Rybankina, or will she be mentally spent? She doesn't have experience with this type of intensity, so it's not hard to imagine that "mentally spent" is the right answer. It doesn't help that the Italian player has really come into her own lately, and can be a formidable opponent for <i>anyone</i>.</p><p><b>Alycia Parks vs. Coco Gauff (4)</b>--This match appears to be of interest to those who want to see two good USA players compete against each other, but--as good as she is--it's hard to imagine Parks' getting the best of the 2023 U.S. Open champion.</p><p><b>Storm Hunter (Q) vs. Barbora Krejcikova (9)</b>--Hunter has been getting steadily better in singles, while Krejcikova--despite her strong comeback in San Diego--still hasn't regained the scary consistency she had before she had to deal with a significant injury last year. But it wouldn't be surprising if the Czech star (who recently parted with both her coach and her very long-term doubles partner) continued to play her way through this event--she loves hard courts.</p><p><b>Amanda Anisimova vs, Paula Badosa</b>--Amanda is back! Paula is back! Anything can happen, and this has the potential to be a very good match, with nothing "unseeded" about it at all.<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-13727983424450492812023-12-15T09:10:00.004-06:002023-12-16T20:56:56.668-06:00The holiday sing-along is back!--Part 2<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vc5CljzsfIo?si=T-GlEUojtEpatIQT" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div style="text-align: center;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A postcard from β¨ π£ π π₯ π π π π¦ π β¨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTAFinals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WTAFinals</a> <a href="https://t.co/bZx95I6VHa">pic.twitter.com/bZx95I6VHa</a></p>β WTA Finals (@WTAFinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTAFinals/status/1718681604384862388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Little Drummer GirlβIgaβs Version</span></b></div><p style="text-align: center;">Come, they told me<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />To a city by the sea<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />There are no tennis courts<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />But they have water sports<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />Rum pum pum pum<br />Rum pum pum pum<br /><br />The fans will love you<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />When you come<br /><br />The wind will knock you down<br />Pa rum pum pum<br />Be careful you donβt drown<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />Theyβll be no practice days<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />But your photo shoot will slay<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />Rum pum pum pum<br />Rum pum pum pum<br /><br />Shall I play for you?<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />From across the world I flew<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />The balls bounce crazy here<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />I might fall down, I fear<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />Rum rum pum pum<br />Rum rum pum pum<br /><br />Then I played for you<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />Coco and Ons played, too<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />Though my frustration grew<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />I played my best for you<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />Rum pum pum pum<br />Rum pum pum pum<br /><br />The fans stayed dry at home<br />Pa rum pum pum pum<br />It wasnβt much fun.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Wasnβt much funβ¦..<br /><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Part 1--<a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-holiday-sing-along-is-back-part-1.html" target="_blank">Mexico</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">ENJOY PREVIOUS HOLIDAY SING-ALONGS</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-holiday-sing-along-returns.html" target="_blank">Covid Wonderland <br /></a><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-sing-along-with-women-who-serve.html" target="_blank">O Little Land of Serbia<br /></a><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-sing-along-part-2.html" target="_blank">Good Coach Annacone<br /></a><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-sing-along-part-3.html" target="_blank">Walkin' Around the Practice Courts<br /></a></span><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-sing-along-part-3.html" target="_blank">Allaster is Coming to Town<br /></a><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-sing-along-part-4_23.html" target="_blank">The Twelve Days of Christmas</a><br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-8987490119757740682023-12-10T13:13:00.002-06:002023-12-14T08:42:37.931-06:00The holiday sing-along is back!--Part 1<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ri2Ul5on_hc?si=3XZ_boM5AXXs5CtQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61lGE7K1eNdIdBnTr9VbrElhzBg71K49vNWlowwmewpALWDMQyquQ5TGW23Z0NfBY0beHPJMZDOVT-lsTaWJ2t4KWAJ-LKyMGybO8Lwt0phD0UegRb6k5IVSzuR6r0-6eA1jj1inWWnmnFahdc52Mn5LvFsnKNj0xGWjZiZvFWp9BaFkp5rhN6ozJm_o/s700/imageedit_40_4543737057.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="700" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61lGE7K1eNdIdBnTr9VbrElhzBg71K49vNWlowwmewpALWDMQyquQ5TGW23Z0NfBY0beHPJMZDOVT-lsTaWJ2t4KWAJ-LKyMGybO8Lwt0phD0UegRb6k5IVSzuR6r0-6eA1jj1inWWnmnFahdc52Mn5LvFsnKNj0xGWjZiZvFWp9BaFkp5rhN6ozJm_o/w400-h286/imageedit_40_4543737057.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Daniel Ward<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Oh, the weather outside is frightening<br />Thereβs wind and rain and lightning<br />But since weβve no other place to go<br />Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!<br /><br />It doesnβt show signs of quitting<br />And there are no courts for hitting<br />Attendance will be very low<br />Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!<br /><br />When we finally get some courts<br />We still canβt go out in the storm<br />Itβs still coming down in quarts<br />And itβs anything but warm<br /><br />Now the courts are slowly drying<br />And all of us are trying<br />But progress is really slow<br />Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKplsl6MOf2JsxX8eAAIEAPR6UBAFic_Yru0UtkPj44c9c3U9zIJGEAgY-1Oyu92a4VahivBR8MQAF6qTTTNhS4h9_nIKkGP-QkLtyBE2tkyT7PmmFW4z0z7Qdk8ikjyTZiFXU3LsD4mjXwVkl8DTZukjf9BBP86XOiY6rzq6yX_X5G7LA3yqugiTBzc/s700/imageedit_33_9174554047.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="700" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKplsl6MOf2JsxX8eAAIEAPR6UBAFic_Yru0UtkPj44c9c3U9zIJGEAgY-1Oyu92a4VahivBR8MQAF6qTTTNhS4h9_nIKkGP-QkLtyBE2tkyT7PmmFW4z0z7Qdk8ikjyTZiFXU3LsD4mjXwVkl8DTZukjf9BBP86XOiY6rzq6yX_X5G7LA3yqugiTBzc/s320/imageedit_33_9174554047.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Daniel Ward<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;">ENJOY PREVIOUS HOLIDAY SING-ALONGS</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-holiday-sing-along-returns.html" target="_blank">Covid Wonderland</a><br /><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-sing-along-with-women-who-serve.html" target="_blank">O Little Land of Serbia</a><br /><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-sing-along-part-2.html" target="_blank">Good Coach Annacone</a><br /><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-sing-along-part-3.html">Walkin' Around the Practice Courts</a><br /><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-sing-along-part-3.html" target="_blank">Allaster is Coming to Town</a><br /><a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-sing-along-part-4_23.html" target="_blank">The Twelve Days of Christmas</a></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-26813983541568331132023-11-28T12:23:00.004-06:002023-12-02T08:34:57.884-06:00My 2023 top 10<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A magical two weeks for Marketa Vondrousova π«<br /><br />Enjoy our Ladies' champions' best points from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> 2023 π</p>β Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon/status/1682426961304363008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>This year was so eventful (in every possible way) that I could have easily compiled a top 20 list--and I almost did. Iga Swiatek lost her number 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka, then won it back. The WTA Finals were a near-disaster, taking place during hurricane season in a stadium that was still under construction when the players arrived. And Barbora Krejciova and Katerina Siniakova broke up their very long doubles partnership--at least for 2024, the Olympics notwithstanding.</p><p>Barbora Strycova, who had already played her final singles match, played the last doubles match of her career with long-time partner Hsieh Su-wei, and won the Wimbledon title. And Australia's Storm Hunter became the number 1 doubles player in the world.</p><p>All of the above items could be considered "11."</p><p>The season was filled with disappointments, and the biggest one, for me, was Daniela Hantuchova's pronouncement that WTA players should just accept things the way they are and stop trying to get more prize money. Actually, "disappointed" doesn't begin to describe what I felt (and still feel) when Hantuchova made this sexist and inane statement.</p><p>Here, in ascending order, are my 2023 top 10 happenings:</p><p><b>10. But of course she did:</b> In March, Petra Kivitova did something that I seriously doubt anyone was expecting--she won the Miami Open. And she had a very tough draw--The Czech star defeated Linda Noskova (with a second set bagel), Donna Vekic, Varvara Gracheva, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Sorana Cirstea, and Elena Rybakina. Kvitova dropped only one set (to Alexandrova) during her Miami run.</p><p><b>9. All the wheels on fire: </b>In 2023, the great Esther Vergeer was <i>finally</i> inducted into the <a href="https://www.tennisfame.com/esther-vergeer" target="_blank">International Tennis Hall of Fame</a>. Vergeer's record as an athlete is mind-boggling, and unlike that of any other athlete, ever. </p><p>Also in 2023, Diede de Groot won her third consecutive singles Grand Slam and her sixth consecutive masters championship. (She won't be eligible to win a fourth consecutive Grand Slam because the Paralympic Games will coincide with the US. Open--more stupid scheduling.) Diede the Great's mentor is none other than Esther Vergeer.<br /></p><p><b>8. Putting the "back!" in "comeback": </b>Elina Svitolina has been a very busy woman the last few years. She got married, had a baby, had to deal with some health issues, and worked tirelessly for the Ukrainian cause. After taking a year off, the former top 5 player returned to the tour in the spring of 2023 with a new, less defense-oriented game, and she had a Wimbledon run that was unforgettable. </p><p>During the course of that run, wild card Svitolina knocked out five-time champion Venus Williams, Elise Mertens, Sofia Kenin, Victoria Azarenka, and world number 1 Iga Swiatek. She was finally stopped by eventual champion Marketa Vondrousova, but Svitolina's mastery of the grass courts was a highlight of the season.</p><p><b>7. Czech treasure:</b> Two players whom I could watch over and over are Bianca Andreescu (when she's "on") and Karolina Muchova, and--don't you know--those are the two players who are so cursed with injury that we don't even get to see them that much. However, the clever and gracefully athletic Muchova was healthy for the French Open, and she put on one of the greatest shows of the season.</p><p>Muchova began her Parisian campaign by defeating 8th seed Maria Sakkari, and went on to defeat the likes of WTA upstart Elina Avanesyan, 2021 finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and 2nd seed Aryna Sabalenka. She lost the final to top seed and defending champion Iga Swiatek, but not before taking Swiatek to three sets. Muchova was a joy to watch throughout the tournament. She would go on to have a semifinal run at the U.S. Open, and to qualify for the WtA Finals, from which she had to withdraw because of--<i>all together now</i>--injury.</p><p><b>6. They the North!: </b>For the first time in history, Canada won the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly known as Fed Cup). Led by an absolutely on-fire Leylah Fernandez, the Canadian team defeated Italy in the final. Fernandez had some expert assistance from Gabriela Dabrowski and also from newcomer Marina Stakusic, who defeated Italy's Martina Trevisan in straight sets in the opening rubber. </p><p><b>5. Business as usual: </b>There are those who are convinced that
she's innocent, and those who are convinced that she must be guilty; the
doping case of Simona Halep is complex and somewhat confusing. But
regardless, the treatment of Halep by those in power leaves much to be
desired. There is simply no excuse for the constant delays that the
Romanian star has had to endure in the course of having her case
processed. </p><p>But this is what we have come to expect from the
organizations that oversee doping rules. In the case of Maria Sharapova
(which, in some ways, was similar to Halep's), the head of WADA made a
public statement that was outrageously discriminatory against Sharapova.
Such a statement would have cost him his job in any other venue, and that would have been the end of the case, but
there was no pushback at all. There are other examples of the doping
system's failure to act fairly and consistently, and someone needs to
take a serious look at that system. In the meantime, Sinona Halep has to
wait--and wait.</p><p></p><p><b>4. Meeting her potential: </b>No one ever doubted the talent of Aryna
Sabalenka, but the Belarusian star has had her ups and downs,
especially concerning her errant serve. However, she began the 2023
season in the best way possible--by winning the Australian Open.
Sabalenka took out Elise Mertens, Belinda Bencic, Donna Vekic, Magda
Linnette, and 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka would go
on to be the finalist at the 2023 U.S. Open.<b> <br /></b></p><p><b>3. It was only a matter of time: </b>The question, "When will Coco Gauff win a major?" was answered this year when Gauff won the U.S. Open. Gauff, seeded 6th, knocked out Laura Siegemund, young star Mirra Andreeva, Elise Mertens, Caroline Wozniacki, Alona Ostapenko, Karolina Muchova, and 2nd seed Aryna Sabalenka.<br /></p><p><b>2. A French trilogy: </b>In 2020, an unseeded Iga Swiatek stunned the tennis world by <a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2020/10/no-seed-no-problem-iga-swiatek-blows.html" target="_blank">winning the French Open </a>without dropping a set. In 2022, Swiatek won in Paris again, and this year, she did it for a third time. The world number 1 handed out four bagels in the course of the tournament, and she didn't drop a set until she had to face an on-fire Karolina Muchova in the final. Swiatek would go on to win the WTA Finals and end the year as the number 1 player in the world.<br /></p><p><b>1. Destroying Wimbledon tradition: </b>Anyone who reads this blog knows how pleased I am any time a Wimbledon tradition is broken or eliminated. This year, a very long-standing tradition was broken when the first unseeded woman in history won the tournament. And it was a Czech--of course. Marketa Vondrousova--who had to watch the event from the stands last year because she was recovering from surgery for a wrist injury (second injury, second surgery)--had to do some heavy lifting in London, and she did it with style. The 2019 French Open finalist and Olympic silver medalist defeated Peyton Stearns, Veronika Kudermetova, Donna Vekic, Marie Bouzkova, 4th seed Jessica Pegula, the very on-fire wild card, Elina Svitolina, and 2022 finalist Ons Jabeur.<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-44332543849532487192023-11-06T18:10:00.002-06:002023-11-07T03:12:10.870-06:00She's the WTA Finals champion! She's number 1!..... She's Iga Swiatek, of course<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The return of 1GA. <a href="https://t.co/EegC2Am3uA">pic.twitter.com/EegC2Am3uA</a></p>β Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/JJlovesTennis/status/1721678535348060554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Last year, when, at the last minute, the WTA--which is sponsored by a company that "focuses primarily on improving womenβs health and
well-being"--moved the WTA Finals from Shenzhen to a state whose leaders are dedicated to letting women die, get maimed, or suffer permanent disability, I was beyond disappointed. But, as a friend of mine likes to say, it can always get worse. </p><p>Back when we used to learn how to think in school, we were all taught the logical fallacies. It seems clear that they are no longer taught--spend five minutes on X or watch a session of Congress--so the concept of either-or thinking may be new to a lot of people. Either-or thinking is a logical fallacy in which a person is presented with only two choices, when--in fact--there may be many choices available.</p><p>A good example would be "You can play the Finals in Saudi Arabia, or you can play them somewhere where there's no stadium." I exaggerate. To be fair, Ostrava--according to a former member of the WTA Players' Council--was the original alternative to Saudi Arabia, but the Council selected Cancun, where there was no stadium. Why, one wonders, was the selection again made at the last minute? <br /></p><p>When the players (sadly, minus Karolina Muchova, who <i>still</i> can't catch a break) arrived in Cancun, they couldn't practice--<i>because the courts were not available</i>. The stadium was still under construction, so the competitors had to just wait (or maybe some of them went all Badosa in the hotel--I don't know). Then there was the rain--a lot of it--to add insult to injury. And then there was the wind, which was fierce. The players complained, and--of course--they were told by some to shut up. Business as usual.</p><p>Somehow, the Finals did take place, with alternate Maria Sakkari substituting for the again injured Muchova. But the event had to be stretched to nine days because of the rain, with both the singles and doubles finals being played on Monday instead of Sunday. Players had to endure repeated rain delays, but patience wasn't the ony requirement; those who knew how to <a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2010/09/who-has-seen-wind.html" target="_blank">master the wind </a>had a distinct advantage.</p><p>It wasn't all grim. At one point, while the ballgirls were wiping the courts dry, the deejay played "YMCA," and when the chorus came on, the girls dropped their towels so that they could properly dance out "Y-M-C-A!" <br /></p><p>Sometimes, the math at the Finals can be confusing, but this year, the two singles finalists blew their way to the final. Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek each won all three of her round robin matches, and neither of them dropped a set. Pegula defeated Coco Gauff in the semifinals, and Swiatek--in a brilliant performance--defeated world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka. In addition, Swiatek lost only 20 games en route to the final--the fewest conceded games since the event was established. <br /></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tough finish for Jessica Pegula with lopsided loss to Iga Swiatek but Pegula becomes first ever to face No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 & No. 4 players in same tournament since <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WTA</a> rankings 1st published in 1975 <br /><br />Beat 1 (Sabalenka) 3 (Gauff ) 4 (Rybakina)<br /><br />No such luck with 2<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/getty?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#getty</a> <a href="https://t.co/ncDw4zXQCM">pic.twitter.com/ncDw4zXQCM</a></p>β Christopher Clarey πΊπΈ π«π· πͺπΈ (@christophclarey) <a href="https://twitter.com/christophclarey/status/1721678674720907659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>There was also brilliance from Pegula, who, arguably, handled the wind better than any of her competitors. Pegula now holds the unique status of being the only woman in WTA history (more precisely, since the rankings system was established, in 1975) to play the four top-ranked women in the world in one event. Numbers 1, 3 and 4? No problem. But number 2 proved to be another matter.</p><p>If Swiatek looked deadly against Sabalenka in the semifinals, she looked even more lethal in the final. In just under and hour, the Polish star defeated Pegula 6-1, 6-0. She had first and second serve win percentages of 82 and 69, and the only break point opportunity that she faced--when she served for the match--she saved. It should also be noted that Pegula looked a bit tired--she just wasn't the same player who had stormed through round robin play and the semifinals. She also played three round robin doubles matches, so that was a<i> lot </i>of tennis.</p><p>In winning the championship, Swiatek has reclaimed the world number 1 ranking, and the glory that comes with being the year-end number 1.<br /></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="in">Your 2023 GNP Seguros <a href="https://twitter.com/WTAFinals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WTAFinals</a> Champions π<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTAFinals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WTAFinals</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GNPWTAFinalsCancun?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GNPWTAFinalsCancun</a> <a href="https://t.co/4rUliirOUa">pic.twitter.com/4rUliirOUa</a></p>β wta (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1721636666471817454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>6th seeds Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva won the doubles title, defeating 8th seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez 6-4, 6-4 in the final. Top seeds Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula lost all three of their round robin matches; 2nd seeds Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens won all three of their round robin matches, as did 7th seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe. <br /></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTAFinals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WTAFinals</a> part 2 <a href="https://t.co/gpnmKScQfF">https://t.co/gpnmKScQfF</a> <a href="https://t.co/VHYH4S4C20">pic.twitter.com/VHYH4S4C20</a></p>β ββn (@hsangelus) <a href="https://twitter.com/hsangelus/status/1721174344917729477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-47724401998743139032023-09-24T10:03:00.006-05:002023-09-24T12:45:10.438-05:00There is no trophy like redemption<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">About last night π<br /><br />Barbora Krejcikova won her second career title -- and seventh overall -- by defeating Sofia Kenin in San Diego. <a href="https://t.co/05KKnsM02Y">https://t.co/05KKnsM02Y</a> <a href="https://t.co/vZwu8joWtx">pic.twitter.com/vZwu8joWtx</a></p>β TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tennis_Now/status/1703471830647095338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>For two consecutive weeks, the WTA Tour has featured the kind of drama we don't get to see that often: Two top players--one stuck in a double slump, and one stuck in something much worse--won big titles, just when they most needed to win them.</p><p>2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova started the year in fine fashion. She won the tournament in Dubai, once again serving as <a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2023/02/blog-post.html" target="_blank">Iga Swiatek's kryptonite</a> in the final. But in both singles and doubles (she was an elite doubles player long before her breakout in singles), the Czech star faded away as the season progressed. Krejcikova and long-time partner Katerina Siniakova won both the Australian Open and Indian Wells, and it was fair to think that they were on track to win the Grand Slam that had just eluded them in 2022 when they had to miss the French Open because Krejcikova was ill. </p><p>But they stopped winning, and they made early exits in the remaining majors. This dramatic fall in both singles and doubles was mysterious and somewhat disturbing. But no worries--Krejcikova showed up on the hard courts of San Diego and took home both of the trophies. She defeated Beatriz Haddad Maia, Danielle Collins and Sofia Kenin, and she and Siniakova won their third title of the season.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">THIRD doubles title of the season as a team for... π₯<a href="https://twitter.com/BKrejcikova?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BKrejcikova</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/K_Siniakova?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@K_Siniakova</a> ππ<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SanDiegoOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SanDiegoOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/sXIgpSvNJh">pic.twitter.com/sXIgpSvNJh</a></p>β wta (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1703358087829086689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"We've heard so many bad things ... that I'm a Top 5 player with only winning one title. That was so hard for me to overcome, but I'm so happy I did it here this week."<a href="https://twitter.com/mariasakkari?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mariasakkari</a> broke a four-year title drought with victory at <a href="https://twitter.com/WTAGuadalajara?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WTAGuadalajara</a>: <a href="https://t.co/57oH4ir1MC">https://t.co/57oH4ir1MC</a></p>β TENNIS (@Tennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tennis/status/1705788011462394251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>This past week, the beautiful Guadalajara tournament, a 1000 event, became somewhat controversial when several top players withdrew. The tournament was moved to a post-U.S. Open, pre-Asian swing slot, and those top players made it clear that this change was undesirable. But it was nevertheless an excellent tournament, and it featured memorable performances from Martina Trevisan and Caroline Dolehide.</p><p>And not all of the tour's top players stayed home--Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari, Caroline Garcia, Madison Keys, and Alona Ostapenko were all there, as were Vika Azarenka and Sofia Kenin. Sakkari, the 2022 runner-up, has rock star status in Guadalajara--the crowd adores her. And she probably really needed them this year. The Greek player last won a tournament in 2019, and since then, she had lost six finals. Add to that the fact that she reached the third round at this year's Australian Open, and went out in the first round at the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.</p><p>But in her beloved Guadaljara, Maria Sakkari prevailed, defeating the likes of Camila Giorgi, Caroline Garcia and breakout star Dolehide. </p><p>At one point during her emotional trophy acceptance speech, Sakkari had to
pause because the crowed was screaming "Maria! Maria! Maria!" so loudly. And while the Sak bun deserves to be on display as much as possible, it had to feel good to be able to conceal it under a flashy sombrero as a mariachi band played its beautiful, spirited music for the new champion.<br /></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">π Maria <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sakkari?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sakkari</a> defeats Dolehide 7-5 6-3 and wins her first ever WTA 1000 title in Guadalajara! <br /><br />ππ» Congrats Maria! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tennis?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tennis</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IBI24?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IBI24</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZuhyA0myQi">pic.twitter.com/ZuhyA0myQi</a></p>β Internazionali BNL d'Italia (@InteBNLdItalia) <a href="https://twitter.com/InteBNLdItalia/status/1705870594569322883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-51871285214134918712023-09-10T18:52:00.001-05:002023-09-10T22:32:28.194-05:00My U.S. Open top 10<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">She's the teenage queen of Queens.<br><br>Coco Gauff captured her first Grand Slam title on Saturday.</p>— US Open Tennis (@usopen) <a href="https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1700667658469839183?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p>Here are my top 10 U.S. Open occurrences, in ascending order:</p><p><b>10. California, here she comes: </b>Unseeded Katherine Hui, an 18-year-old from the U.S., won the junior girls title, defeating 9th seed Tereza Valentova of the Czech Republic in the final. Hui is on her way to Stanford, where she's sure to get an enthusiastic welcome from the tennis team. The 8th-seeded Romanian team of Mara Gae and Anastasia Gureva won the doubles title, defeating Sara Saito and Nanaka Sato of Japan.</p><p><b>9. At least the players were good: </b>I'm not going to go so far as to say that the U.S. Open crowd is now ruder than the French Open crowd, but it has certainly reached the French level. It never used to be that way, and it's really discouraging to hear cheering over double faults, yelling during points, and the constant "calling" of lines. As for the commentary--well, ESPN remains even worse than Tennis Channel; some things never change.<br /></p><p><b>8. The predictable and the unpredictable:</b> First there was the heat, which brought back memories of days at the Australian Open, when players were given IV fluids on the court, and were sometimes removed in wheelchairs<span>. This situation isn't going to improve, so more attention will need to be paid to protecting the players. </span></p><p><span>Then there was the issue of having the women use the heavier tennis balls. Some of the players had been asking to use these balls, and the WTA did have reservations about it, but this year, they were introduced in the women's game. There needs to be more discussion about this issue, and I'm sure there will be, but Marketa Vondrousova has already stated that she believes that the balls caused the elbow injury that resulted in her withdrawal from doubles competition. (This was especially unfortunate because her partner was Barbora Strycova, playing in her final tournament.)</span></p><p><span>And of course, there was the matter of the environmental protesters that showed up during the semifinals and disrupted play. Three of them were easily escorted off of the grounds, but they fourth had glued his feet to the stadium floor, and play was interrupted for 49 minutes.</span></p><p><span><b>7. A bittersweet observance: </b>2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Open's providing equal pay to women and men, so there was an on-court celebration which honored both the anniversary and WTA trailblazer Billie Jean King. Michelle Obama delivered a down-to-earth and inspired speech, and it was all very nice, and yes, all the majors now (finally) pay players equally, but.....there are only four majors a year. The rest of the season, the pay disparity is offensive. And while players like to honor BJK and thank her, what would be really useful would be for them to<i> emulate</i> her and the Original Nine. The sad truth is that equality must always be fought for, not just talked about at ceremonies.</span></p><p><span><b>6. Rolling to number 20:</b> Diede de Groot won her sixth U.S. Open singles title, her 20th singles major, and her third consecutive Grand Slam (not a "Calendar Grand Slam") in New York. It's enough to make your head spin. She wasn't able to win her sixth U.S. Open doubles title because her partner, Jiske Griffioen (they were the top seeds), had to retire during her singles semifinal match and was unable to play. The 2nd seeds, Yui Kamiji and Kgothatso Montjane, got a walkover, and thereby won the title.<br /></span></p><p><span><b>5. Consistency? Czech. Brilliant shot-making? Czech.: </b>Her shoulder was generously taped, and she also sustained an elbow injury, but Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova nevertheless backed up her London victory (as the only unseeded player to ever win Wimbledon) with a U.S. Open run to the quarterfinals. She was stopped by a very in-form Madison Keys, but being in the final eight was an emphatic follow-up statement.</span></p><p><span>French Open finalist Karolina Muchova did one better and made it all the way to the semifinals. Coco Gauff stopped Muchova's run, but it was a beautiful run to watch, and the third set of that semifinal--thanks to both players-- was just thrilling. A (finally) healthy Karolina Muchova's game is a thing to behold.</span></p><p><span><b>4. Storm damage: </b>As if
there weren't enough disruptive things already going on at the U.S. Open,
Tropical Storm Alona blew in right about the time that defending
champion and world number 1 Iga Swiatek was set to play her round of 16
match. Ostapenko, the only player on the tour who was undefeated (3-0)
against Swiatek, <a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2023/09/those-who-remember-past-are-condemed-to.html" target="_blank">defeated her yet again</a>,
not only knocking her out of the tournament, but also knocking her off
of the top of the rankings, and assuring that Aryna Sabalenka would
become the number 1 player in the world. </span></p><p><span>After wreaking her havoc, Tropical Storm Alona dissipated (with some help from Coco Gauff, in the quarterfinals), as storms do (and as this one frequently does). </span></p><p><span><b>3. What did you say your name was?:</b> Anna Danilina and Harri Heliovaara had never met when they found themselves in the referee's office, hoping that they could somehow enter the mixed doubles competition. The pair--she, from Kazakhstan--he, from Finland--decided to take a chance on each other, and what a decision that turned out to be! Danilina and Heliovaara won the mixed doubles title, and--to make their victory even more dramatic--they defeated top seeds Jessica Pegula and Austin Krajicek in the final. As a bonus, they were both utterly charming during the trophy ceremony.</span></p><p><span><b>2. When it pays to take a chance:</b> Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe played together for the first time in Montreal this year, and now, just a few weeks later, they've won the U.S. Open. The pair defeated 2020 champions Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva 7-6, 6-3 (that first set tiebreak was riveting). During the trophy ceremony, each woman thanked the other for taking a chance on her. This is Dabrowski's first major title in women's doubles--she has two mixed doubles titles. And this is not only Routliffe's first major title--it's the first time that a woman from New Zealand has ever won a major title of any kind.<br /></span></p><p><span><b>1. Holding a racket or holding a mic, Coco gets it done: </b>She won DC, then she won Cincinnati, but instead of being tired, Coco Gauff was simply fired up by the time she reached New York. In fact, she was speeding around the court like a woman on a mission, which is exactly what she was. Defending beautifully, displaying an upgraded forehand, and solving problems like a boss, Gauff got the better of tough opponents like Caroline Wozniacki, Alona Ostapenko, Karolina Muchova, and Aryna Sabalenka. And when she won the U.S. Open, she used the microphone not only to show gratitude and graciousness, but also to "have a word" with those who have had low expectations of her.</span></p><p><span>At just 19 years old, Gauff has the poise--both on and off the court--of a champion. She was last year's French Open runner-up in both singles and doubles, so it shouldn't have surprised anyone that she took it a step farther and, this time, got the big trophy. We can only look forward to what our new champion will achieve next. </span><br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-20282848140616126522023-09-09T20:42:00.002-05:002023-09-09T21:02:57.588-05:00From prodigy to major champion--Coco Gauff makes the journey in style<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Teenage dream π<a href="https://twitter.com/CocoGauff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CocoGauff</a> π <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/A34EFAReKd">pic.twitter.com/A34EFAReKd</a></p>β wta (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1700639682164388191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Today, 19-year-old Coco Gauff became the 2023 U.S. Open champion, defeating soon-to-be number 1 in the world Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. It was an exciting final, and featured an opening set in which Sabalenka--always a formidable opponent--looked as if she could do no wrong. The Belarusian star overpowered Gauff (which isn't that easy to do) and broke her three times.</p><p>The second set was a different story, which shouldn't have surprised anyone. Gauff saved a couple of break points to start the set, then broke her opponent. As the set progressed, Gauff's defensive skills became the perfect foil to the very power that had caused the 6th seed problems in the first set. She was relentless, and won the set to set up some real third set drama.</p><p>But the only thing truly dramatic about the final set--other than the ferocity of Gauff's sometimes-unstable forehand--was the degree to which Sabalenka continued to make errors. The ball just kept coming back to her, eventually forcing her to hit an error. In all, Sabalenka hit 19 winners, but made 46 unforced errors.</p><p>In her post-match speech, the new champion said the usual things--she thanked her family and her team, thanked the tournament staff, thanks the fans, and gave touching praise to her opponent. But---in the tradition of Italy's Sara Errani--she also thanked her detractors. It is sometimes hard to believe that so much poise and thoughtful speech is coming from a 19-year-old, but this isn't just any 19-year-old--it's Coco Gauff.</p><p>Not long before she competed in the U.S. Open, Gauff won the 500 tournament in Washington, DC, and the 100 event in Cincinnati, presumably making her the hottest prospect coming into the Open. But winning warmup tournaments often doesn't translate to winning an upcoming major. In Gauff's case, however, those victories were just a taste of what was to come. </p><p>Aryna Sabalenka's consolation prize isn't a bad one--on Monday, she becomes the number 1 player in the world. Her new ranking was clinched when current world number 1 Iga Swiatek <a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2023/09/those-who-remember-past-are-condemed-to.html" target="_blank">lost to Alona Ostapenko </a>in the round of 16. Swiatek has held the number 1 ranking for 75 consecutive weeks, the longest that a first-time number 1 has ever held it.<br /></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A match well done! π <a href="https://t.co/9lyBsGDgCz">pic.twitter.com/9lyBsGDgCz</a></p>β US Open Tennis (@usopen) <a href="https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1700646238444568655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-2558880281984311312023-09-08T12:22:00.004-05:002023-09-08T13:01:36.456-05:00U.S. Open semifinals--a drama in two acts<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">SATURDAY IS SET. <a href="https://t.co/I2cZBvJ1Ma">pic.twitter.com/I2cZBvJ1Ma</a></p>β US Open Tennis (@usopen) <a href="https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1700011065478635756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>In the last couple of days, the U.S. Open has been a bit overwhelming, but not always in a good way. The extreme heat brought back memories of days at the Australian Open when players had to get IV fluids and the old Rebound Ace surface caused the rubber to melt on the wheelchairs. And there was the issue of the first semifinal, which was interrupted for 49 minutes as three environmenal activists were escorted out of the stadium while officials had to deal with a fourth one who had glued his feet to the stadium floor. </p><p>Then there was the tennis. </p><p>In Thursday night's first semifinal, Coco Gauff easily dominated Karolina Muchova, whose usual very good serve wasn't there, and who also wasn't bringing her usual shot-making magic. It looked like a case of nerves, yet I did have that niggling feeling that it might also be physical. Muchova had quite a bit of tape on her body, but then, if I were she, I would, too.</p><p>Down 1-5, the world number 10 seemed to suddenly "wake up," and proceeded to win three straight games. But Gauff took that set 6-4. She led 1-0 in the second set when play had to be stopped because of a lot of yelling in the stands that turned out to be environmental protesters. As stated above, play was delayed for over three-quarters of an hour while those in charge extricated a protester who was glued to the floor. (You can't make this stuff up.)<br /></p><p>During a portion of this "break," Muchova had a medical consultation. When the players returned to the court, they both held serve until Gauff broke Muchova to go up 5-3. But when the world number 6 served for the match and held a match point at 40-30, Muchova--looking totally like herself (i.e., gracefully making what look like impossible shots)--broke her. At 5-all, the match contained all the tension that it lacked earlier. </p><p>Muchova would go on to save five more match points in the final segment of the match, which was as thrilling as anyone could imagine, and which had the crowd in awe of the players. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Karolina Muchova is not going away! <a href="https://t.co/QHX7daxikL">pic.twitter.com/QHX7daxikL</a></p>β US Open Tennis (@usopen) <a href="https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1699960628251599313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p></p><p>In the end, though, Gauff simply would not be denied. Having had just about everything thrown at her that can be thrown at an opponent in a tennis match--including at the net and over her head--she remained steady. Near the end, there was a 40-shot rally that fans will be talking about for some time to come. Gauff then ended the whole thing on her sixth match point. Her 6-4, 7-5 victory puts her into the second major final of her career.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This 40-shot rally to set up the sixth and final match point Coco needed to finish off Karelian Muchova and head into her first US Open Final was π§π½βπ³π
. <a href="https://t.co/NfqHvKIJGD">pic.twitter.com/NfqHvKIJGD</a></p>β Bombastic (@nostrabombus) <a href="https://twitter.com/nostrabombus/status/1699967995005559070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2023</a></blockquote><p>And while we might have thought that the second semifinal would be comparatively "normal," we would have been fooled. In that match, Madison Keys, who has been playing at an extremely high level in New York, walked onto the court and proceeded to do what some might consider a magic trick--she bageled the soon-to-be number 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Keys, who hit twelve winners and made only three unforced errors in the set, was totally dominant over a player who is not easily dominated.<br /></p><p>Sabalenka--never one to hide her emotions--became increasingly frustrated and angry. And then an image of Dr. David Banner popped into my mind: "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." </p><p>That image proved to be an accurate metaphor. After emphatically losing her first set of the tournament, Sabalenka fought back. Keys went up 5-3 in the second set, but was broken. She then went up 5-4, but her attempt to win the match was destroyed by a series of errors, including a double fault. Sabalenka was able to take the set to ta tiebreak, which she won, 7-1. </p><p>Keys broke to go up 4-2 in the third set, but Sabalenka broke her back. That set also wound up in a tiebreak, which Sabalenka won 10-5. (At the U.S. Open, a 10-point final set tiebreak is played. I see no need for this, and Sabalenka wasn't the first player to think that she'd won the match after she "won" a seven-point tiebreak). </p><p>For what it's worth, the Belarusian star is only the third woman in the Open Era to win a major semifinal after losing the first set 0-6. The others were Steffi Graf (French Open) and Ana Ivanovic (Australian Open).</p><p>Sabalenka is 2-3 against Gauff, and 1-2 against her on hard courts.</p><p>Paths to the final:</p><p><u>COCO GAUFF (6)</u><br />round 1--def. Laura Siegemund<br />round 2--def. Mirra Andreeva<br />round 3--def. Elise Mertens (32)<br />round of 16--def. Caroline Wozniacki<br />quarterfinals--def. Alona Ostapenko (20)<br />seminfinals--def. Karolina Muchova (10)</p><p><u>ARYNA SABALENKA (2)</u><br />round 1--def. Maryna Zenevska<br />round 2--def. Jodie Burrage<br />round 3--def. Clara Burel<br />round of 16--def. Daria Kasatkina (13)<br />quarterfinals--def. Zheng Qinwen (23)<br />semfinals--def. Madison Keys (17)</p><p>In other news, defending wheelchair champion Diede de Groot has now won 120 consecutive matches. If that sounds impressive--and it is--bear in mind that her mentor, Esther Vergeer, won 470 consecutive matches.</p><p>Some miscellaneous notes about this past week:</p><p>The WTA finally announced a location for the 2023 WTA Finals; the event will be held in Cancun, Mexico. Tomas Petera, negotiating for the Czech Republic's bid to have the finals held in Prague, had a lot to say. <br /></p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tomas Petera, the man behind CZE bid for the WTA Finals, commented the decision to give the event to Cancun<br /><br />"the WTA policy makes absolutely no sense to me". "they just prove that they are complete dilettantes".<a href="https://t.co/DwO9w00Seq">https://t.co/DwO9w00Seq</a></p>β Diego Barbiani (@Diego_Barbiani) <a href="https://twitter.com/Diego_Barbiani/status/1699863223078428763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote><p>Some advice: If you have no context whatsoever, and even less knowledge of the tour, please refrain from accusing a player of bigotry, and please refrain from automatically believing those with no context and even less knowledge. <br /></p><p>And finally--but not at all surprisingly--an ESPN commentator, i.e., <i>someone who is paid very well to say words</i>, told us that she has a hard time with pronunciation; it just isn't her thing, Well, okay.</p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-48003029794289009512023-09-06T20:01:00.001-05:002023-09-06T22:37:08.203-05:00We have our semifinalists!<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Madi delivers the goods πͺ<a href="https://twitter.com/Madison_Keys?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Madison_Keys</a> storms into the semifinals after defeating Vondrousova in their first career matchup!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/z6AwlW3w0p">pic.twitter.com/z6AwlW3w0p</a></p>β wta (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1699584438026268915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>In today's first U.S. Open semifinal, 2nd seed Aryna Sabalenka took control early, winning the first set against Zheng Qinwen 6-0. Sabalenka served about as well as one could serve, and--while Zheng managed to make the match more competitive in the secone set, she never saw a break opportunity. Sabalenka defeated her 6-0, 6-3. Zheng has been quite impressive at this tournament, but there wasn't a lot that she could do against an in-form Sabalenka.</p><p>Aryna Sabalenka, by the way, has now reached the semifinals of all four majors this year. <br /></p><p>In the last quarterfinal to be played, Madison Keys began business just the same as those in the quarterfinals before her did, getting a 6-1 first set against Marketa Vondrousova. In the second set, Vondrousova was able to be more competitive, but failed to convert nine break opportunities, The Wimbledon champion still had her shoulder taped and was presumably still dealing with an elbow issue, though she didn't appear to be especially hampered in her movement. <br /></p><p>Vondrousova saved two match points, but Keys prevailed, 6-1, 6-4. Vondrousova's failure to convert any break points was somewhat mystifying.</p><p>Keys last reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open in 2017, when she defeated Coco Vandeweghe in straight sets. She would go on to lose the final to Sloane Stephens, who defeated her 6-3, 6-0.</p><p>(And I'll take this opportunity to say that I think that Madi looks great in her stylish and colorful kit.)</p><p>Here is the singles semifinal draw:</p><p>Coco Gauff (6) vs. Karolina Muchova (10)<br />Madison Keys (17) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2)</p><p>And here is the doubles semifinal draw:<br /></p><p>Gaby Dabrowski/Erin Routliffe (16) vs. Hsieh Su-wei/Wang Xinyu (8)<br />Laura Siegemund/Vera Zvonareva (12) vs. Jen Brady/Luisa Stefani<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-86463709856941125672023-09-06T10:24:00.001-05:002023-09-06T11:04:20.242-05:00Gauff and Muchova drop just six games as they advance to the U.S. Open semifinals<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/CocoGauff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CocoGauff</a> on the move, sheβs through into the semis <a href="https://t.co/rVvPFQq8xZ">pic.twitter.com/rVvPFQq8xZ</a></p>β Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/JJlovesTennis/status/1699283509393674643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Coco Gauff is a talented player with a strategy-minded coach, and--while I don't know what her specific game plan was for yesterday's quarterfinal match--I know what it might as <i>well</i> have been: <i>Ostapenko dismantled the world number 1 in the last match, so--no worries! </i>Because, with rare exceptions (and yes, there was a big one in 2017), Ostapenko is the queen of inconsistency. She is brilliant in one match, and easily destructs in the next. To be fair, Gauff gave Ostapenko plenty to handle today, but hitting 12 winners and making 36 unforced errors says it all. Gauff defeated the errant Latvian 6-1, 6-2 in just and hour and eight minutes. (Also, to be fair, Ostapenko said that she had been told that she would play a night match, which certainly would have been more beneficial to her since she wasn't able to go to bed until 5 a.m. on Monday morning.)<br /></p><p>In Tuesday's other quarterfinal, French Open finalist Karolina Muchova faced off against Sorana Cirstea. Muchova not only put on her usual style clinic, she also put on a clinic in shot selection and accuracy. Muchova didn't allow Cirstea any games in the first set, and--while the Romanian player raised her level in the second set--she was defeated 6-0, 6-3. Muchova had a 70/60 first and second serve percentage stat, was successful at the net in 76% of her attempts, and hit 32 winners while making just 15 unforced errors.</p><p>Both Muchova and Czech countrywoman Marketa Vondrousova have had so many problems with injuries--in Muchova's case, she was told by doctors that she might now ever play tennis again--that the second half of 2023 feels like a long-delayed showcase of their considerable style and talent. Wimbledon champion Vondrousova will play her quarterfinal match tonight.<br /></p><p>In doubles, the team of Jen Brady and Luisa Stefani has reached the semifinals, as has the team of Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe. In mixed doubles, top seeds Jess Pegula and Austin Krajicek have reached the quarterfinals, as have Ena Shibahara and Mate Pavic.</p><p>And in wheelchair singes, defending champion Diede de Groot won her opening match, defeating Pauline Deroulede.<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-59565491402969022642023-09-04T19:37:00.006-05:002023-09-04T21:16:03.911-05:00Bandaged and wounded, Vondrousova prevails at the U.S. Open<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Marketa Vondrousova on her way into the US Open quarters <a href="https://t.co/TNWT6Ir3Fc">pic.twitter.com/TNWT6Ir3Fc</a></p>β Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/JJlovesTennis/status/1698799082934878251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova had to withdraw from doubles (a sad affair, since this was her partner Barbora Strycova's final event) because of an elbow injury. The Czech star stated that she thinks that the heavier ball was the cause. She also showed up for her singles round of 16 match with Kinesio tape all over her left shoulder, and--before too long--it was obvious that she was somewhat hampered by pain.<br /></p><p>Vondrousova's opponent, Peyton Stearns, hit the ground running, and took the first set 7-6. Things didn't look that good for Vondrousova, but right about the time that one would have expected the anti-inflammatory med that she took to kick in, there was indeed a noticeable difference. And as Vondrousova pulled herself together, Stearns began to fade, though she continued to put whatever pressure she could on her opponent. But Vondrousova's serving was too good, and she won the match 6-7, 6-3, 6-2. This is the Czech player's first time to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.</p><p>Another ailing star, 2022 finalist Ons Jabeur, who has felt ill throughout the tournament, finally ran out of fuel. Jabeur broke her opponent, Zheng Qinwen, when she served for the match, then went on to save three match points, but it wasn't enough. Zheng defeated her 6-2, 6-4.</p><p>Meanwhile, 3rd seed Jessica Pegula, the U.S.'s top ranked player, fell to countrywoman Madison Keys is straight sets. Montreal champion Pegula has never gotten past the quarterfinals of a major, and at this event, she didn't get<i> that</i> far. Keys didn't let her. The 2017 finalist dominated Pegula with her backhand and wound up hitting 21 winners in her 6-1, 6-3 victory.</p><p>Finally, soon-to-be world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka faced off against Daria Kasatkina. The Russian star, for all her graceful athleticism and strategic skill, doesn't have the kind of serve that can go far against Sabalenka (Kasatkina didn't even hold serve until the fifth game of the second set) unless Sabalenka is making a whole lot of errors, which--form time to time--she certainly does. But tonight, the 2nd seed was on point most of the time. She defeated Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3, hit 31 winners, and broke her opponent six times.<br /></p><p>Here is the quarterfinal draw:</p><p>Alona Ostapenko (20) vs. Coco Gauff (6) <br />Sorana Cirstea (30) vs. Karolina Muchova (10)<br />Marketa Vondrousova (9) vs. Madison Keys (17)<br />Zheng Qinwen (23) vs. </p><p>In other U.S. Open news, top seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova went out in the second round. Sadly, this wasn't exactly unexpected; Krejcikova is in the midst of a significant slump in both singles <i>and</i> doubles. And in mixed doubles, top seeds Jess Pegula and partner Austin Krajcek have advanced to the quarterfinals. If they win, they will play Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton.<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-40315933424460908052023-09-04T11:15:00.002-05:002023-09-04T21:26:24.375-05:00Those who remember the past are condemned to repeat it<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Emphatic β<a href="https://twitter.com/JelenaOstapenk8?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JelenaOstapenk8</a> stays undefeated against Swiatek, getting past the World No. 1 in three sets to reach the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USOpen</a> quarterfinals! <a href="https://t.co/mnuDA9X9Zb">pic.twitter.com/mnuDA9X9Zb</a></p>β wta (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1698545897431265774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Barbora Krejcikova has beaten her the last two times they've played each other. Jessica Pegula has beaten her three times, if you count the United Cup. However, both Krejcikova and Pegula have also lost to world number 1 Iga Swiatek; only Alona Ostapenko held a 3-0 record against her prior to their meeting in the roun of 16 at the U.S. Open. </p><p>2017 French Open champion Ostapenko is a planet unto herself. A ballroom dancer-turned tennis star, the player that <a href="https://wtabackspin.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">the Backspinner</a> calls "Latvian Thunder" is known for her hilarious facial expressions, her constant questioning of electronic line calls--and her blistering groundstrokes. During her 2017 French Open campaign, her average stroke speed was clocked at 76 mph. </p><p>Ostapenko goes for it, no matter what. She makes a lot of errors, but she hits a lot of winners. On a good day, she's full-out danger; on a bad day, she's just too error-prone to do anything. The world number 21 has, however, added something to her game that she needed--a really good serve. If she puts that serve together with "good day" Ostapenko tennis, she's practically unbeatable.</p><p>Ask Swiatek, who--despite winning the first set of their Sunday match--appeared flummoxed much of the time that she was on the court with the Latvian star. Ostapenko went after Swiaetek's forehand, she took time away from her, and she went on, as ESPN's Chris McKendry said, "one of her tears." She defeated the top seed 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, giving the baker a small (and almost a large) sample of her own famous baked goods.<br /></p><p>Later, in press, Ostapenko said: <span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">βI think the main thing is she doesnβt really like to play big hitters. She likes to have some time. When I play fast, aggressive and powerful, sheβs a little bit in trouble.β That sums it up pretty well.</span></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Of course, this is the Ostapenko Show, so there's more than one thing going on. Because of Swiatek's round of 16 departure--as of next week--Aryna Sabalenka will be the new world number 1. Latvian Thunder indeed.</span></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Also yesterday, 6th seed Coco Gauff had to fight with everything she had against comeback star Caroline Wozniacki (and against the nonstop mouthpiece otherwise known as Brad Gilbert). It paid off. Gauff defeated the former Australian Open champion 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.</span></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Meanwhile, 33-year-old Sorana Cirstea became the oldest player to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open when she defeated Belinda Bencic in straight sets. This is Cirstea's second time to reach a major quarterfinal; she reached the quarterfinal of the 2009 French Open. Cirstea, <a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2023/09/four-us-players-reach-round-of-16-at-us.html" target="_blank">as I've previously noted</a>, flies under the radar most of the time, but can be deadly at majors.</span></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova also had a fight on her hands. The new world number 10 (finally!) had to deal with an inpressive Wang Xinyu, but defeated her 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 in what was an enjoyable match to watch. Following the match, Muchova, who plays the guitar, was asked--for some reason--what song she would play if she were to play one right then, and her answer was perfect: "Highway to Hell"<br /></span></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-39590243418084368352023-09-02T23:31:00.001-05:002023-09-02T23:45:41.874-05:00Four U.S. players reach round of 16 at U.S. Open<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jessica Pegula is heading to Round 4. π <a href="https://t.co/6SqphUS5J4">pic.twitter.com/6SqphUS5J4</a></p>β US Open Tennis (@usopen) <a href="https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1698088995329032442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>The U.S.A.'s top player, 3rd seed Jessica Pegula, is set to compete in the U.S. Open round of 16. Montreal champion Pegula has defeated always-dangerous Camila Giorgi, Patricia Maria Tig, and the resurgent Elina Svitolina. Her next opponent will be friend, countrywoman and 2017 finalist Madison Keys. Keys, seeded 17th, defeated 14th seed Liudmila Samsonova in the third round. </p><p>Undoubtedly a highly anticipated fourth round match will be played by 6th seed Coco Gauff and Caroline Wozniacki, who has come out of retirement and is making quite an impact in New York. Wozniacki has already taken out Petra Kvitova and Jennifer Brady (who also just returned to the tour and who also looks like she never left). </p><p>Finally, Peyton Stearns--who played for the University of Texas and became that state's first NCAA champion in women's tennis--will face Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.<br /></p><p>The third round wasn't without drama. A sick Ons Jabeur played an injured Marie Bouzkova, and--at times--it was painful to watch them struggle. I thought that Bouzkova was going to retire, but she took an anti-inflammatory and was able to carry on. And it took her almost three hours, but perennial giant-killer Sorana Cirstea was at it again--this time taking out 4th seed Elena Rybakina. The 33-year-old Romanian has won only two tournaments, yet--over and over--she has upset the biggest names at majors. </p><p>Top seed and defending champion Iga Swiatek has lost nine games so far, and the scoreline for two of her matches was 6-0, 6-1.</p><p>Here is the round of 16 draw:</p><p>Iga Swiatek (1) vs. Alona Ostapenko (20)<br />Caroline Wozniacki vs. Coco Gauff (6)<br />Sorana Cirstea (30) vs. Belinda Bencic (15)<br />Karolina Muchova (10) vs. Wang Xinyu<br />Peyton Stearns vs. Marketa Vondrousova (9)<br />Madison Keys (17) vs. Jessica Pegula (3)<br />Ons Jabeur (5) vs. Zheng Qinwen (23)<br />Daria Kasatkina (13) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2)</p><p>Wang's and Zheng's place in the draw marks the first time that two Chinese women have ever advanced to the round of 16 at the U.S. Open.<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-14056093312142621742023-08-28T21:19:00.004-05:002023-08-31T16:48:36.645-05:00The less things change, the more they stay the same<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbmCkMNzrFOKk4Y1EHIuFhh5fPh2Dxgxi6WmiDtmYwNQY7PHuVz2jrttWtnSwhvYQvODqc8tIPobiuFOCnFilL29Fcvrt_jcvBcFK3ofTLk1f-eVrV4F9qiDAjUSDxKfq7MSqMoR6qgAsFeIufrKmfQp8o02YkGOcgw2pCesgLJk6buSZUIOVEcD1krE/s644/yoursign.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="644" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbmCkMNzrFOKk4Y1EHIuFhh5fPh2Dxgxi6WmiDtmYwNQY7PHuVz2jrttWtnSwhvYQvODqc8tIPobiuFOCnFilL29Fcvrt_jcvBcFK3ofTLk1f-eVrV4F9qiDAjUSDxKfq7MSqMoR6qgAsFeIufrKmfQp8o02YkGOcgw2pCesgLJk6buSZUIOVEcD1krE/w400-h299/yoursign.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Bakers will bake....</b><p></p><p>Few would argue that New York City is the world capital of bagel consumption, and who is better prepared to participate than world number 1 Iga Swiatek? Swiatek, however, likes to be on the production end of the bagel experience, and her first customer in Flushing Meadows was Rebecca Peterson, whom Swiatek defeated 6-0, 6-1 in just under an hour.</p><p>Swiatek wasn't the only one delivering bagels in the opening day of U.S. Open play. Danielle Collins defeated Linda Fruhvirtova 6-2, 6-0, Daria Saville defeated Clervie Ngounoue 6-0, 6-2, and Karolina Muchova defeated Storm Hunter 6-4, 6-0.<br /></p><p><b>Grinders will grind.... </b></p><p>I can't imagine any player being happy to learn that either Sara Sorribes Tormo or Beatriz Haddad Maia is going to be on the other side of the net. They both display the kind of grit that was the signature of such WTA stars as Arantxa Sanchez and Francesca Schiavone, and Haddad Maia doesn't mind how long she stays on the court; she is--in fact--the queen of three-set matches. </p><p>Today, the Brazilian defeated 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in just under three hours--in other words, it was a typical Haddad Maia match. After the match, which had some very well-played points, Haddad Maia said that the key to winning it was "...to forgive myself when I was doing bad tennis." I like that.</p><p>Sorribes Tormo, for her part, defeated Anhilina Kalinina (does anyone on the tour have a better name?) 6-4, 7-5. </p><p><b>Maria Sakkari will lose in the first round....</b></p><p>World number 8 Maria Sakkari lost in the third round of the Australian Open. That must have been disappointing, but the worst was yet to come. She lost in the first round of the French Open and the first round of Wimbledon. And today, the Greek star lost in the first round of the U.S. Open. Sakkari lost to world number 71 Rebeka Massarova, who defeated her 6-4, 6-4. </p><p>The normally easygoing Sakkari hasn't been "herself" lately, for sure. She called for the banning of Amarissa Toth, which--no matter how you "saw" the incident in Budapest--was ridiculously over the top. Then, in Montreal, she spiked a ball into the crowd. It didn't hit anyone, but Sakkari's opponent, Danielle Collins, wasn't pleased that the chair umpire let the incident go. The ensuing discussion became unpleasant, and Collins--of course--took the brunt of the criticism for telling Sakkari to "shut your mouth." But the chair umpire was indeed derelict in letting the incident go while Sakkari continued to yell "But it didn't hit anyone!"</p><p>These things aren't important in and of themselves, but I'm looking at them through a wider lens, and it appears that perhaps all of the "almosts" and "should haves" may have taken their toll on Sakkari. Indeed, she indicated today that she may need to take a break from competition.<br /></p><p><b><i>Also of note on day one....</i></b></p><p>4th seed Elena Rybakina--who sustained an injury in the disaster that was Montreal and then had to retire in Cincinnati--looked really good today when she defeated Marta Kostyuk (in her fantastic yellow Wilson dress) 6-2, 6-1. </p><p>Coco Gauff won a contentious match against Laura Siegemund, whom she defeated 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. She will next face 16-year-old Russian phenom Mirra Andreeva.<br /></p><p>French vereran AlizΓ© Cornet quietly made an exit, defeated 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 by famous lucky loser Elina Avanesyan.</p><p>Jen Brady won her first U.S. Open match since 2020; the comeback continues.<br /></p><p>Also making a comeback is Ajla Tomljanovic, who has struggled on and off for with a knee injury for some time. She will play Rybakina in the next round.<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-89716410616981322742023-08-25T12:33:00.004-05:002023-08-25T12:51:42.540-05:00Swiatek leads contenders, but there's fierce competition to win the U.S. Open<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">WOMEN'S DRAW HAS ARRIVED!<br /><br />Iga Swiatek's quarter includes three Grand Slam champions. <a href="https://t.co/YYDxmpub0w">pic.twitter.com/YYDxmpub0w</a></p>β US Open Tennis (@usopen) <a href="https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1694742597653217745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Six
months ago, I would have said that the three women most likely to win
the U.S. Open were Iga Swiatek, Barbora Krejicova and Aryna Sabalenka,
with the first two being more likely. Despite winning the French Open in
2021, hard courts appear to be the Czech star's best surface,
and--serving as Swiatek's kryptonite on that surface--her confidence
kept growing.</p><p>But something has happened to Krejcikova in both singles <i>and</i>
doubles, and as I write this, the slump continues. Whatever it is, I
hope she gets it straightened out soon. However--short of a very fast
cure--Krejcikova is no longer a serious U.S. Open contender.</p><p>Wbo is? </p><p>Well,
the defending champion, of course. Though more players are figuring out
ways to beat the world number 1, she's still extremely likely to
successfully defend her title. </p><p>Two other players are also big contenders, but there are caveats. Elena Rybakina's chances are excellent--<i>if </i>she's
healthy, following the debacle that was Montreal; Rybakina's retirement
in Cincinnati may turn out to be her saving grace. Then there's
reigning Australian Open champion Sabalenka, who has recently shown
those old tendencies to let her head get the better of her in big
matches.</p><p>Last year's runner-up, Ons Jabeur. Jabeur was the
runner-up at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and this year, she was
the runner-up at Wimbledon again. Jabeur is a wonderful competitor, but
all this coming in second must surely be taking some kind of toll on
her. Nevertheless, she's a contender, and this could very well be the
event at which she finally gets the big trophy.</p><p>Also high on the
list are U.S. players Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff. Gauff just won in
both Washington, DC and Cincinnati (her first 1000 event victory). Her
new coach, Brad Gilbert, says that they haven't had time yet to work on
Gauff's errant forehand, but winning DC and Cincinnati was a statement
in itself. The 19-year old has indeed arrived, and she should be a major
threat in New York. She may have to be: She's theoretically drawn to
meet Swiatek in the quarterfinals, and if that match occurs, she'll have
to call on whatever got her past the world number 1 in the Cincinnati
semifinals.<br /></p><p>Pegula won Montreal, and while winning a pre-major
tournament doesn't really mean that much statistically, the victory was
undoubtedly a boost to her confidence. Pegula doesn't have an enviable
first round--she plays perennial giant-killer Camila Giorgi.<br /></p><p>Finally,
the physically vulnerable Karolina Muchova--if she stays healthy (and
oh, how I hope she does)--belongs in this circle of U.S. Open
contenders.</p><p>But who else could cause big trouble? My first pick is
Jen Brady. Yes, she's just coming back from a two-year injury hiatus,
but her game looks great; it's almost as though she never left. Brady
has that easy, fluid power that makes her a hard court threat. Another
potential trouble-maker is Liudmila Samsonova, whose long-examined
potential has recently blossomed on U.S. hard courts.</p><p>Certainly,
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova could put the hurt on someone
with a high seed, and--if the planets so align themselves--Alona
Ostapenko can be quite dangerous. Given her splendid performance at
Wimbledon, Elina Svitolina now looks like a serious threat, and former
finalists Madison Keys and Karolina Pliskova are not to be ignored.<br /></p><p>There
have been a lot of injuries in the last several weeks. Rybakina
sustained an injury in Montreal and, as stated, had to retire in
Cincinnati. Paula Badosa's back injury returned (stress fracture), Venus
Williams recently sustained a knee injury, and Belinda Bencic rolled
her ankle in Montreal. </p><p>This year's U.S. Open poster honors Billie
Jean King and the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Open's decision to give
equal prize money to men and women. Had it not been for King, we have no
way of knowing when--if ever--the U.S. Open would have done so.</p><p>September
will also mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Sexes, which I
have always opposed, and which I wish hadn't happened. The event fed
right into the false belief that men's and women's tennis (and sports,
in general) are the same, and that therefore men--who are stronger and
usually faster--are "better" tennis players and "better" athletes.
Margaret Court had already made the mistake of playing Bobby Riggs and
had lost to him, which took nothing away from Margaret Court as an
athlete, but--instead of challenging the sexism of believing that male
players are "better"--there was a rush to play another match so that
Riggs could be defeated.</p><p>Having said that, I <i>do </i>recommend the film, <i>Battle of the Sexes</i>,
not because of its enactment of the event, but because of the acting,
which is superb, and because it gives viewers a very good look at the
ugliness of sexism in sports, which hasn't really changed that much
since 1973. In Billie Jean King's wonderful memoir, <i>All In</i>, she
describes how acting in the film changed Emma Stone forever. Playing the
role of BJK (and putting on several pounds of muscle) empowered Stone
to believe in herself on a new level and to become a feminist activist
in the film industry.<br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-12118076999727097122023-07-16T18:20:00.003-05:002023-07-17T16:31:17.617-05:00My Wimbledon top 10<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">You better believe it!<br /><br />Marketa Vondrousova is a Grand Slam champion! <a href="https://t.co/ew3OAn3v3r">pic.twitter.com/ew3OAn3v3r</a></p>β Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/JJlovesTennis/status/1680272848126898177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Here are my top 10 Wimbledon occurrences, in ascending order:</p><p><b>10. Who'll Stop the Rain?:</b> It rained and rained, and then it rained some more, and all kinds of matches got backed up. Then there was the wind, which caused the roof to be closed for the women's final. Every tournament has a bit of rain, but this was excessive.</p><p><b>9. Keep Off the Grass:</b> Three players--Venus Williams, Karolina Muchova (of course) and AlizΓ© Cornet--slipped and fell on the grass. Williams hurt her knee, Muchova injured her hip, an Cornet twisted her knee. Both Paula Badosa (who has a history of back problems) and Beatriz Haddad Maia sustained back injuries. Barbora Krejcikova sustained an ankle injury, and Veronika Kudermetova sustained a hip injury. That's a <i>lot </i>of injury, and a lot of suffering for some of the best players on the tour.</p><p><b>8. But What a Streak It Was: </b>Alina Korneeva won the junior Australian Open and the junior French Open. But she was taken down in the Wimbledon semifinals by Nikola Bartunova, who is Czech, and we all know what can happen when a Czech player shows up across the net. But a 16-match win streak in consecutive majors is nevertheless very impressive, especially for a 16-year-old.</p><p><b>7. I'm Still (barely) Standing:</b> Lesia Tsurenko and Ana Bogdan treated the crowd to a show that probably was anything but a treat for <i>them</i>. Their third round third set tiebreak consisted of 38 points. Both women were constantly bending over and both looked to be in some anguish after slogging through for 3 hours and 40 minutes. Tsurenko won the tiebreak (20-18) and the match, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6. </p><p><b>6. Veteran Glory:</b> It was a long time coming, but 30-year-old Lyudmyla Kichenok, with her partner, Mate Pavic, won the mixed doubles title, defeating Xu Yifan and Joran Vliegen in the final. This is Kichenok's first major title.</p><p><b>5. Re-Inventing the Wheel: </b>Diede de Groot, aka Diede the Great, won her fifth Wimbledon singles title this past week, which gives her 19 major singles title. And playing with Jiske Griffioen, whom she defeated in the singles final, she won her third Wimbledon doubles title, and her 17th major doubles final. de Groot, who is the protegΓ© of the great Esther Vergeer, is already a legend in her own right.</p><p>Also notable is Griffioen's return to the elite ranks of wheelchair tennis. She retired from the sport in 2017, but came back in 2019, and has had to work her way back to the top of the game. This Wimbledon was a showcase for the work that she has done.</p><p><b>4. Farewell Way Too Soon: </b>I've watched Anett Kontaveit for a long time, and have always been impressed by her tennis. But Kontaveit is one of the unlucky ones whose body just wouldn't cooperate with her skills and desires. Sadly, Kontaveit has had to retire from professional tennis because of lumbar disc degeneration. The affable Estonian, who is only 27, reached her highest rank of number 2 in the world only last year. She won six singles titles, and also played for the Estonian Fed Cup team. It looked like things were finally picking up for her, but instead, we got a very sad ending: She played her final match at Wimbledon.</p><p>This was also the final Wimbledon for Barbora Strycova, who returned to the tour briefly after having a baby, and it was the final doubles match (she had already retired from singles) for Kirsten Flipkens.<br /></p><p><b>3. Reunited--and It Feels Awesome: </b>Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova, who won the Wimbledon doubles title in 2019, both took lengthy breaks from the tour. Toward the end of the 2021 season, Hsieh announced that she was taking an extended break so that she could deal with an injury. Earlier in the season, Strycova announced that she was retiring from the sport, but left the door open for one final Wimbledon appearance in 2022. She also announced that she was going to have a baby.</p><p>Strycova did not return to Wimbledon in 2022, but she returned this year, with her partner, Hsieh. She made it clear that this would be her final Wimbledon, and she and Hsieh (each of whom is 37 years old) made it count, winning the title by defeating 3rd seeds Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens in the final. Hsieh holds four Wimbledon doubles titles (with four different partners) and two French Open doubles titles.<br /></p><p><b>2. A Comeback for the Ages: </b>Elina Svitolina, who at one time was in the top five, took a year and half off so that she could deal with some back pain, work on behalf of the Ukrainian cause---and have a baby. She returned in April of this year and played in Charleston. Shortly after, she won her 17th WTA title in Strasbourg. But few could have predicted what she had in store for her return to Wimbledon. Svitolina--with a new serve and new aggression--began her campaign by defeating five-time champion Venus Williams, and then she took out Elise Mertens, Sofia Kenin, Victoria Azarenka, and top seed and world number 1 Iga Swiatek. She was finally stopped, in the semifinals, by eventual champion Marketa Vondrousova, but she had one of the most dramatic and emotional comeback runs we've seen in a while.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYp2Tiy6xDHUQjie4xkRRNDtlXra3vBwolyU8PPmBnik8C7V3lK8yf9nG_GkyT2eKyAEXzGbiPEMS1szC6RQusvHY_q3xwI6GBn2yJ5mCWOG7o_-GGdYlhNgApZk4FKmzTqHPEltRRxj9LZPfmVepCUi-pDDuLyY9DbFMpL1aQYZJx4baWictxfSCEy0/s260/kisspng-sphynx-cat-donskoy-cat-peterbald-cornish-rex-devon-jewelry-cat-advertising-5aade3fd33a8e4.6379647715213455332116.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="260" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYp2Tiy6xDHUQjie4xkRRNDtlXra3vBwolyU8PPmBnik8C7V3lK8yf9nG_GkyT2eKyAEXzGbiPEMS1szC6RQusvHY_q3xwI6GBn2yJ5mCWOG7o_-GGdYlhNgApZk4FKmzTqHPEltRRxj9LZPfmVepCUi-pDDuLyY9DbFMpL1aQYZJx4baWictxfSCEy0/s1600/kisspng-sphynx-cat-donskoy-cat-peterbald-cornish-rex-devon-jewelry-cat-advertising-5aade3fd33a8e4.6379647715213455332116.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b>1. No Rain, No Flowers/No Seed, No Worries: </b>One of the tattoos on Marketa Vondrousova's arm reads <i>no rain no flowers</i>. Vondrousova should know about that. Twice, since she made her 2019 run to the French Open final, she has had to have wrist surgery. Last year, the 2020 Olympic silver medalist sat in the Wimbledon stands with a big cast on her arm. </p><p>This year, she got the flowers. Vondrousova served, hit, sliced, and lobbed her way through the draw, taking out several players of note, inlcuding 12th seed Veronika Kudermetova, the especially dangerous Donna Vekic and Marie Bouzkova, 4th seed Jessica Pegula, and an impressively resurgent Elina Svitolina. The Czech player--who had the most break point conversions of any WTA player at the tournament--then handled a nervous Ons Jabeur with what appeared to be relative ease, taking away Jabeur's usual creative shot advantage. And before you could say "lefty Czechs are coming for you again," Marketa Vondrousova was the 2023 <a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2023/07/no-seed-no-problem.html" target="_blank">Wimbledon champion</a>. </p><p>The generously inked Czech with the Sphinx cat named Frankie (who, according to Vondrousova, will soon be getting some celebratory fish) had won only three grass court matches in her career before she entered the 2023 Wimbledon event. She was ranked number 42 in the world--the lowest ranked woman ever to win in London--and she is the first unseeded woman in history to win the tournament. The new champion summed it all up better than I ever could: "Tennis is crazy." <br /></p>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229616072187725718.post-55875104382478216152023-07-15T13:25:00.005-05:002023-07-15T16:10:30.864-05:00No seed? No problem<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">DID YOU KNOWβ<br /><br />With her win over Ons Jabeur today, Marketa Vondrousova became just the fifth left-hander to win the women's singles event at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a>. π<br /><br />Vondrousova is projected to make her Top 10 debut on Monday. π</p>β TENNIS (@Tennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tennis/status/1680253389421137923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>Today, Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman in history to win Wimbledon. (Before Vondrousova's run, the last unseeded woman to reach the final was Billie Jean King, in 1963.) The Czech player--who has had to deal with two wrist injuries since her 2019 run to the French Open final---has reached six finals in her career, and she was unseeded in five of them. This is how Vondrousova rolls. <br /></p><p>Her opponent was 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur, who played her way through a particularly nasty draw to reach the final again. She had to beat 2020 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu, two-time Wimbledon champion and 9th seed Petra Kvitova, defending champion and 3rd seed Elena Rybakina, and 2023 Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka. That was a lot of heavy lifting.<br /><br />And, as <a href="https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2023/07/throw-down-one-czech-another-pops-up.html" target="_blank">I wrote yesterday</a>, Vondrousova's draw was tougher than it looked like on paper. She had to take out some very tough opponents, including 20th seed Donna Vekic, Marie Bouzkova and wild card (and Wimbledon symbol of inspiration) Elina Svitolina. She also defeated 12th seed Veronika Kudermetova and 4th seed Jessica Pegula. <br /><br />Needless to say, 6th seed Jabeur was the strong favorite to win the title. She was serving well, returning well, using her considerable bag of tricks against a variety of opponents, and she appeared to be filled with confidence. Perhaps most important, she had vanquished Rybakina, the woman who had prevented her from winning the title last year.<br /><br />But something went wrong. <i>Something going wrong</i> tends to occur when there's a Czech player present (especially a lefty), and today was no exception. Actually, two things went wrong for Jabeur. One--the only one that people seem to be noticing--was that she had an obvious mental lapse, bringing to mind memories of a "former Ons." But the other thing that went wrong (and no doubt contributed to the first thing) was that her opponent had opened the aforementioned bag of tricks, examined the contents, and made appropriate preparation.<br /><br />Jabeur likes to zing groundstrokes into the corners. Vondrousova picked them up and returned them, over and over. Jabeur is known for executing some of the tour's best drop shots. Vondrousova not only anticipated them, but returned them like a boss. The seemingly popular belief that Vondrousova "didn't have to do anything" is--to use a highly technical sports term--pure nonsense.<br /><br />Then there was the matter of the serve. Jabeur ended the match with a 48/45 first and second win serve percentage stat--a huge comedown from her service game against Sabalenka. When Jabeur broke Vondrousova's serve early in the second set, there was reason to believe that the 6th seed could use her defensive skills to help her get her game back on track. But it wasn't to be, partly because Vondrousova stayed cool and collected throughout the match. Jabeur converted only 40% of her break chances. Her opponent converted 86%, and put together a 6-4, 6-4 victory in an hour and 20 minutes.<br /><br />Vondrousova, ranked number 42 in the world, is the lowest-ranked woman to win Wimbledon. Prior to entering this tournament, she had won only three matches on grass in her career, which is even more remarkable than her unseeded status. When the Olympic silver medalist held up the Venus Rosewater Dish for the crowd, she also gave waiting fans a thumbs-up. (My hope is that she had easy access to the balcony. The last "unknown" Czech to win Wimbledon, Petra Kvitova, in 2011, was told by Wimbledon staff that she wasn't allowed to approach the balcony. The fact that she was holding the Venus Rosewater Dish apparently didn't impress the guards--someone had to come and tell them that Kvitova had <i>just won Wimbledon</i>.) <br /><br />Ons Jabeur is a great athlete, an outstanding tennis player, and is beloved by peers and fans. She plays for her country as well as for herself. She was "supposed" to win. Sport is brutal. At the end of her trophy ceremony speech, she promised that she would come back and win the tournament. I think that she will. And right now, the person who comes to my mind is yet another Czech player--a beloved one who is no longer with us--who lost two Wimbledon titles, but came back strong on her third try. I also thought of Novotna today when the Princess of Wales comforted Jabeur, much as the Duchess of Kent had offered comfort to Novotna thirty years ago.<br /></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Marketa Vondrousova Wins Wimbledon Ladies' Single Title | CHAMPIONSHIP POINT | Wimbledon 2023 <a href="https://t.co/6NDvRREUPu">https://t.co/6NDvRREUPu</a> <a href="https://t.co/UssBVXfAWN">pic.twitter.com/UssBVXfAWN</a></p>β Bective Tennis (@BectiveTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/BectiveTennis/status/1680279731696967680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124489754017593105noreply@blogger.com0