Friday, January 26, 2024

The defending champion vs. the upstart--we have our Australian Open finalists

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 Dayana Yastremska 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 can be) against the young Chinese star. Zheng won the match 6-4, 6-4.

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.

Paths to the final:

Zheng Qinwen (12)

round 1--def, Ashlyn Krueger
round 2--def. Katie Boulter
round 3--def. Wang Yafan
round of 16--def. Oceane Dodin
quarterfinals--def. Anna Kalinskaya
semifinals--def, Dayana Yastremska (Q)

Aryna Sabalenka (2)

round1--def, Ella Seidel
round 2--def. Brenda Fruhvirtova (Q)
round 3--Lesia Tsurenko (28)
round of 16--def. Amanda Anisimova
quarterfinals--def, Barbora Krejcikova (9)
semifinals--def. Coco Gauff (4)

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).

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.

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.

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.

In wheelchair singles (all together now!), top seed and defending champion Diede de Groot will face off agianst 2nd seed Yui Kamiji.

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