Thursday, January 18, 2024

Four former champions out of Australian Open

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Third round matches of interest:

Alona Ostapenko (11) vs. Vika Azarenka (18)--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.

Anna Blinkova vs. Jasmine Paolini (26)--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 anyone.

Alycia Parks vs. Coco Gauff (4)--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.

Storm Hunter (Q) vs. Barbora Krejcikova (9)--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.

Amanda Anisimova vs, Paula Badosa--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.

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