No one saw it coming....

✅ 1ère Polonaise de l'ère Open à atteindre la finale
✅ 7e joueuse non tête de série en finale

À 19 ans et 4 mois, elle pourrait devenir la plus jeune gagnante du tournoi depuis Monica Seles en 1992.

5️⃣ choses à savoir sur Iga Swiatek.

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 10, 2020

....But maybe someone should have. Sofia Kenin hasn't exactly had a promising post-shutdown experience, but--not unlike Bianca Andreescu--she thrives on solving problems, and she brought that under-rated skill to the clay courts in Paris. As for Iga Swiatek--we've all been watching her for a while, so why not now? (Ask Alona Ostapenko!) 

The Polish teen, who--today--make quick work of impressive qualifier Nadia Podoroska, Swiatek has yet to drop a set, and she's dropped only 23 games on her way to the French Open final. Will the occasion finally get to her on Saturday, when she plays Kenin in the final? It might. Or she could just Ostapenko her way through.

As for Kenin, she theoretically had her hands full with an on-fire Petra Kvitova, but Kvitova's nerves got the best of her, she rushed way too many shots, and made too many errors. In contrast, the Australian Open champion took advantage of four out of five break opportunities, saved ten out of twelve break points against her, brushed off her own errors, and emerged the victor, 6-4, 7-5, marking her first defeat of Kvitova.

This should be an exceptional final. Swiatek has never won a tournament, and--though the tennis world has been aware of her talent for some time--she has never before put on a performance like she has put on in Paris (few have). The 19-year-old has a complete game, plus power, precision, and--so far--confidence to spare. On Saturday, she will face a tactician and problem-solver supreme. 

Kenin and Swiatek played each other at the 2016 French Open as juniors; Swiatek won that match, 6-4, 7-5. “I was not as comfortable on clay as I am now, as I started to feel last year,” Kenin said. “Of course, we’re both different players now.”

Here are the players' paths to the final:

IGA SWIATEK
round 1--def. Marketa Vondrousa (2019 finalist)
round 2--def. Hsieh Su-Wei
round 3--def. Genie Bouchard
round of 16--def. Simona Halep (1)
quarterfinals--def. Martina Trevisan
semifinals--def. Nadia Podoroska (Q)

SOFIA KENIN (4)
round 1--def. Liudmila Samsonova
round 2--def. Ana Bogdan
round 3--def. Irina Bara
round of 16--Fiona Ferro
quarterfinals--def. Danielle Collins
semifinals--def. Petra Kvitova (7)

An unforgettable victory 👏 🇯🇵

Momoko Ohtani stuns top seed and defending champion Diede de Groot at #RolandGarros #WheelchairTennis

— ITF (@ITF_Tennis) October 8, 2020

There was another big upset today in Paris. Top seed and defending wheelchair champion Diede De Groot was defeated in the semifinals by Monoko Ohtani of Japan. Playing in just her second major, Ohtani defeated De Groot 7-5, 6-4. The top seed's serve has been considerably off lately, and that was a major factor in her loss. 

Ohtani's oopponent in the final will be countrywoman and 2nd seed Yui Kamiji, who has won the French Open three times (and three times in doubles). In the semifinals, Kamiji defeated Aniek Van Koot, who has been struggling with an injury which she described as "a kind of carpal tunnel syndrome combined with a tendon sheath inflammation in my left wrist."

NOTE: Content on this blog from here on out is likely to be delayed because Hurricane Delta is coming my way and I expect to lose power. If I'm lucky, the cellular towers will withstand the storm and I'll be able to watch the final on my phone. If I'm really lucky,  power will be restored quickly--a possibility since I'm on the same grid as the local hospital.

Maybe not the semifinals we were expecting, but they're the semifinals we want!

.@SofiaKenin has booked her place in the @RolandGarros semifinal!

Taking in three sets against Collins —> https://t.co/Rfsx3IoNAL pic.twitter.com/ccPRK4BG2b

— wta (@WTA) October 7, 2020

Today, Australian Open champion and 4th seed Sofia Kenin defeated countrywoman Danielle Collins 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 to book a spot in the French Open semifinals, a situation many would not have predicted for her. The red clay, complete with rather harsh conditions, can bring a lot of good players down to earth. But Kenin is a problem-solver; problem-solving, is, in fact, a "weapon" for her (though the tennis world would never call it such). She just figures things out.

But will she figure out Petra Kvitova? The beloved Czech star defeated clay specialist Laura Siegemund today and now awaits Kenin in the semifinals. This "I like red clay!" Petra has been slicing, happily moving forward to the net, and even executing serve-and-volley since she has been in Paris. Kvitova, in short, looks fierce, and has yet to drop a set. (This morning, a commentator said that Kvitova's success here could get people to think about her as someone other than a grass specialist. Hello! She was the 2019 runner-up at the Australian Open, and has won several premier hard court events, but how quickly commentators forget.)

One of these players will be a first-time French Open (and Grand Slam) finalist

*Nadia Podoroska 🇦🇷 Qualifier, ranked 131
Martina Trevisan 🇮🇹 Qualifier, ranked 159
Iga Swiatek 🇵🇱 19 years old, ranked 54

* Getty pic.twitter.com/oFs8XQV01S

— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) October 6, 2020

Yesterday, qualifier Nadia Podoroska defeated 3rd seed Elina Svitolina in straight sets, putting Svitolina's performance in majors under a rather huge lens. The Ukrainian star wins other tournaments with ease, and has an impressive record in finals, but when she gets to the majors, she turns into a different player--one who loses when she "should" win. Of course, the more something like this happens, the harder it is for Svitolina to change the course of her performance in majors. Something needs to change.

Podoroska, incidentally, is the first qualifier ever to advance to the semifinals of Roland Garros.

Finally, Iga Swiatek just keeps on rolling. Yesterday, she defeated qualifier Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-1. She's also still a major factor in the doubles draw: She and partner Nicole Melichar (the USA's most ignored tennis star) have advanced to the semifinals. 

Melichar and Swiatek, who are unseeded, will face 14th seeds Alexa Guarachi and Disirae Krawczyk. In the other semifinal, 4th seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katarina Siniakova will compete against 2nd seeds Timea Babos and Kiki Mladenovic. Babos and Mladenovic are the defending champions.

In the meantime, wheelchair competition has begun. Top seed and defending champion Diede De Groot won her quarterfinal against Jordanne Whiley, with the unusual score of 6-3, 0-6, 6-1. 2nd seed Yui Kamiji (last year's runner-up) defeated Marjolein Buis, and Aniek Van Koot defeated French wild card Charkotte Famin. In the remaining quarterfinal, Kgothatso Montjane defeated Momoko Ohtani. 

The French Open website could certainly do better by wheelchair players in terms of publishing the draws.

Women's singles semifinals will be played tomorrow, and here is the draw:

Iga Swiatek vs. Nadia Podoroska (Q)
Sofia Kenin (4) vs. Petra Kvitova (7)

It will be the first meeting between Swiatek and Podoroska. Kenin and Kvitova have played each other twice (once on clay), and Kvitova won both of those matches.

Another big upset--this one overlooked

Three wins down, three to go.

On Tuesday Miramar Beach native Alexa Guarachi will bid for a spot in the French Open Semifinals.https://t.co/RJHlKoKKpp

— Seth Stringer (@SethSnwfdn) October 5, 2020

With all the surprises going on in the singles draw, I suppose it makes an unfortunate kind of sense that a huge third round upset in doubles has been all but ignored. Yesterday, top seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Barbora Strycova were defeated in straight sets (6-4, 7-5) by 14th seeds Alexa Guarachi and Desirae Krawczyk. 

2nd seeds Timea Babos and Kiki Mladenovic not only won their third round match--as of today, they have advanced to the semifinals with a victory over Marta Kostyuk and Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Babos and Mladenovic are the defending champions.

#petrainparis!

First time into the Roland-Garros quarter-finals since 2012.

Welcome back @Petra_Kvitova.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/WK7z2uFoN2

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 5, 2020

What a pleasure it is to use that hashtag again, and to have it infused with so much meaning. Yesterday, Petra Kvivova reached the quarterfinals of the French Open for the first time since 2012. And when she won her match against Zhang Shuai, there on Court Philippe Chatrier--where she made her triumphant (and earlier than expected) return in 2017--she was clearly overcome with emotion. 

After that return (in which she won her opening round match), I nominated Kvitova for the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award. She didn't win, which disappointed me (though the winners, I should add, were quite worthy, in my opinion), but she was recognized by her peers, and by the tennis world, for her courage.

Also advancing to the quarterfinals today was Laura Siegemund, whose career has been riddled with serious injury. The German is an outstanding clay competitor, and it's nice to see her finally reach the quarterfinals. She defeated Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-2.

Sofia Kenin stuck to her own playbook in her round of 16 match against France's Fiona Ferro (what a great name!). Ferro easily won the first set, 6-2, and the crowd--of course--was ecstatic. But in true Kenin form, the Australian Open champion approached the second set as if nothing amiss had occurred, and won it 6-2. Totally in control, she then won the third set 6-1. 

The unfortunate occurrence was that Kenin's coach (who is her father) was constantly gesturing and speaking in Russian, and the chair umpire gave Kenin several warnings about illegal coaching. This is not the first time that Kenin's father has inappropriately interfered with his daughter's performance, and it needs to stop; Kenin needs to put a stop to it. Possessed of a steely nature and an enviable ability to forget the last point, the U.S. star doesn't need this kind of distraction, and it reflects poorly on her.

Ons Jabeur and Danielle Collins tried to play their match, but rain interfered, so they played it today. Collins dominated for a set and a half, going up 6-4, 3-0, but Jabeur staged a comeback and won the second set. The third set was tense, and Jabeur--serving at 4-5, committed her first double fault at 30-all. Collins took advantage, broke her, and emerged the winner, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. There was probably little expectation for the U.S. player to do this well on clay; perhaps her brand new coaching partnership with Nico Almagro is already paying off.

Here is the quarterfinal singles draw:

Iga Swiatek vs. Martina Trevisan
Elina Svitolina (3) vs. def. Nadia Podoroska
Danielle Collins vs. Sofia Kenin (4)
Petra Kvitova (7) vs. Laura Siegemund

Revenge is a dish that is best served at 81/69 in just over an hour

👍 @iga_swiatek
👍 @MartinaTrevisa3

Premier direct de la journée ⤵️#RolandGarros

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 4, 2020

Last year at the French Open, 2018 champion Simona Halep and Iga Swiatek met in the round of 16. Halep, who was seeded third, defeated the young Polish player 6-1, 6-0. Today, they met again at the French Open, again in the round of 16, and the results were similar--but with a huge twist. Swiatek--in a stunning display of Andresscu-style show-offy tennis--upset top seed Halep 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour.

This wasn't about Halep; she played well. Swiatek was simply on a mission, hitting 30 winners (with 20 unforced errors) and delivering impressive 81/69 first and second serve winning percentages. Swiatek looked completely in control throughout the match. She aimed at her targets with maximum spin on the ball, used the lob/drop shot combination, and generally flummoxed her clever, athletic opponent--which isn't that easy to do.

In 2017, Halep lost the final to the upstart of upstarts--Alona Ostapenko, who had celebrated her 20th birthday two days earlier. Last year, she lost in the quarterfinals to 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova. Today, it was an 18-year-old rising star who is currently ranked number 54 in the world. Clearly, the kids are alright--and they like to beat up on Halep.

It was odd to watch this dramatic match and not hear "Si-mo-na!" chanted from the stands. Anyone who has been paying attention would have known that Swiatek wasn't going to go away quickly this time, but I doubt if anyone was expecting the blow-out that was this match.

Meanwhile, 5th seed Kiki Bertens--who has seen plenty of drama during this tournament--also met an unfortunate fate in the form of Italian upstart (and world number 159) Martina Trevisan, who upset her 6-4, 6-4. 

3rd seed Elina Svitolina defeated Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-3, and Nadia Podoroska defeated Barbora Krejcikova 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

There was another big upset today: In doubles, 14th seeds Alexa Guarachi and Disirae Crawczyk defeated top seeds defeated top seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Barbora Strycova 6-4, 7-5 in the third round. Meanwhile, 2nd seeds Timea Babos and Kiki Mladenovic advanced to the quarterfinals when they defeated Andreea Mitu and Patricia Maria Tig.

Bouleversements!

Danielle Collins wins a late-night thriller 🕚

The American completes the round of 16 lineup with a victory over former @rolandgarros champion Muguruza --> https://t.co/zrFEOIfYyW pic.twitter.com/siyOS1kURs

— wta (@WTA) October 3, 2020

The third round of the French Open saw the exit of a number of seeded players, plus the exit of two of my quirkier favorites, Tsvetana Pironkova and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. 

Todaym, 30th seed Ons Jabeur, a shot-maker of considerable estimation, defeated 8th seed Aryna Sabalenka. Jabeur, the junior champion in 2011, is the first Arab woman to reach the round of 16 of a major. Joining Jabeur in pulling an upset was Laura Siegemund, who defeated 13th seed Petra Martic. And while neither of them was seeded, it was notable that Paula Badosa defeated 2017 champion (and resurgent) Alona Ostapenko.

But--as long as we're speaking of resurgent players--the big news was that 11th seed and 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza was upset by Danielle Collins in a two-and-a-half-hour match that looked---until almost the end--like it was Muguruza's match. That match began on Court Suzanne Lenglen but was later moved to Court Philippe Chatrier, under the roof. 

Down two breaks in the third set, Collins fought back against a suddenly error-prone Muguruza. And then she fought back some more. The Spanish star had begun each set with a break, and she looked like the old/new Muguruza until she was almost at the point of victory. Collins saw an opening and took it, defeating Muguruza 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.

"I felt she couldn't have been serving any better in that second set and in the beginning of the third set, and I needed to do something different," Collins said after the match. "So I needed to put some more pressure on her. That's exactly what I did the rest of the way through."

This is Collins' first time to reach the second week of the French Open.

Earlier in the day on Philippe Chatrier, Fiona Ferro and Patricia Maria Tig played their hearts out, though you might not perceive it from the final score, a 7-6 (7), 4-6, 6-0 victory for the Frenchwoman. It was a spirited affair, and--though there were only a thousand of you--now you know, French crowd, what it feels like to be booed and heckled. Job done.

7th seed Petra Kvitova defeated Leylah Fernandez 7-5, 6-3, and reached the second week of the French Open for the first time in five years. Fernandez, for her part, continues to impress with her athleticism and court poise.

Also, Zhang Shuai (remember when she almost retired from pro tennis?) defeated France's Clara Burel 7-6 (2), 7-5. And quietly and efficiently, 4th seed Sofia Kenin defeated Irina Bara 6-2, 6-0.

Yesterday, both 13th seed Elise Mertens and 20th seed Maria Sakkari were upset, by Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia and Martina Trevisan, respectively.

Things went more to form in doubles, as top seeds Timea Babos and Kiki Mladenovic won their 2nd round match, as did 2nd seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Barbora Strycova and 3rd seeds Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka (which had to be a relief, since both of them were upset in singles play). Also winning were 4th seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katarina Siniakova.

Here is the round of 16 singles draw:

Simona Halep (1) vs. Iga Swiatek*
Martina Trevisan vs. Kiki Bertens (5)
Elina Svitolina (3) vs. Carolina Garcia
Nadia Podoroska vs. Barbora Krejcikova
Ons Jabeur (30) vs. Danielle Collins
Fiona Ferro vs. Sofia Kenin (4)
Petra Kvitova (7) vs. Zhang Shuai
Laura Siegemund vs. Paula Badosa

*They met in the round of 16 last year, and Swiatek won only one game.

"I experienced beautiful emotions and I met fabulous people"

Après 17 ans de carrière @ppauline86 tire sa révérence. Revenons ensemble sur sa carrière. #WTA #PaulineParmentier #MerciPauPau
Plus d'infos ici 👉: https://t.co/cSMo4ZHh1W pic.twitter.com/xZOve0GFbZ

— We Tennis (@We_Tennis) October 1, 2020

 

It's easy to overlook a player's retirement from the sport when it occurs during a major, but I don't want to overlook Pauline Parmentier's. The Frenchwoman played her last match this week, losing in the first round to Veronika Kudermetova, and then going out in the first round of doubles when she and partner Alize Cornet lost to 12th seeds and U.S. Open champions Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareava.

Parmentier won four WTA singles titles and was a seven-time member of the French Fed Cup team, as well as being a member of the 2008 French Olympic team. Parmentier's highest singles ranking, number 40 in the world, occurred in 2008. 

The 34-year-old Parmentier, who said, in retiring, that she was "at the end of my tennis adventure," cited her 2019 Fed Cup team participation as the highlight of her career. France won the Fed Cup championship in 2019, defeating Australia in the finals. In the fourth rubber of the 2019 semifinals against Romania--with France down 1-2--Parmentier defeated Irina-Camelia Begu, giving her country a chance to stay in the competition.

Parmentier said that the tour's shutdown because of Covid-19 helped her to make her decision about retiring because she realized that she could have a life outside of tennis. The Frenchwoman says of her years on the tour: "I experienced beautiful emotions and I met fabulous people.

"There were difficult times, moments of doubt, but I only remember that happiness and positive memories from all these years.”