Tomorrow, Naomi Osaka will attempt to win a fourth major. Her chances of doing that are excellent, yet standing in her way is an athlete just as serious and determined. The rise of Jennifer Brady has been dramatic and impressive, and--no matter what the result of the Australian Open final turns out to be--Brady is someone with whom to be reckoned.
Yesterday, she and the very talented Karolina Muchova played in the "other" semifinal, which actually turned out be the semifinal. Brady wasn't at her best during much of the match, and she was playing against the 2021 Australian Open's undisputed Comeback Queen, so things got dicey. She took the first set 6-4, Muchova took the second set 6-3, and the third set led to a final game that we'll be talking about for a while.
Ahead 4-2, Brady looked bound to grab a spot in the final, but, after all, it was Muchova on the other side of the net, and the Czech player doesn't care if you're up a break. Eventually, Brady served for the match at 5-4, and things became very tense. Muchova saved two match points, and then Brady threw away a third. Before it was over, there were half a dozen deuces, and Muchova had failed to convert three break points. Finally, on her ffith match point, Brady got the job done. That last game, however, was as thrilling as anyone could hope to see in a tennis match.
Certainly, that match was more "worthy" of being a final than the one that preceded it, which was predicted to be worthy of a final. Osaka again took on her idol, Serena Williams, who has looked excellent throughout her time in Melbourne.
Osaka got off to a slow start, but was able to calm her nerves fairly early in the opening set. Williams, however--after getting off to a strong start--made uncharacteristic errors from which she could not ultimately recover. The seven-time champion wound up hitting twelve winners and making 24 unforced errors; she broke Osaka once out of four tries. Osaka, who had a 75/57 first and second serve win percentage, emerged with a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Osaka and Brady have played each other three times, and Osaka won two of those matches. The notable contest between them took place in 2018 at the U.S. Open, when Osaka defeated Brady 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals.
Here are the players' paths to the final:
JENNIFER BRADY (22) round 1--def. Aliona Bolsova round 2--def. Madison Brengle round 3--def. Kaja Juvan round of 16--def. Donna Vekic (28) quarterfinals--def. Jessica Pegula semifinals--def. Karolina Muchova (25)
NAOMI OSAKA (3) round 1--def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova round 2--def. Caroline Garcia round 3--def. Ons Jabeur (27) round of 16--def. Garbine Muguruza (14) quarterfinals--def. Hsieh Su-Wei semifinals--def. Serena Williams (10)
The women's doubles championship will be played later today, as 3rd seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova compete against 2nd seeds Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka. Krejcikova, the defending champion, is also into the mixed doubles final.
Czech tennis will sneak up on you. Pin one down, another pops up--just ask anyone who ever played them in Fed Cup competition. While you're keeping your eye on Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova, Karolina Muchova will toss one of them (in this case, Pliskova) out of the tournament and then reach the semifinals.
Yesterday, Muchova--who had already beaten not just 6th seed Pliskova, but also Alona Ostapenko and 18th seed Elise Mertens--defeated world number 1 Ash Barty in the Australian Open quarterfinals. In doing so, she also dropped her first set of the tournament.
Much will be said about Muchova's nine-minute MTO, taken after she got on the scoreboard very early in the second set (after dropping the first set 1-6). The Czech player had symptoms of heat illness and was treated for them--all within the rules--after which she proceeded to significantly lift her game, while Barty simultaneously lost the plot. Muchova, the 25th seed, defeated Barty 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Should such an MTO be permitted? That's a discussion that stands on its own, and is being held as I write this. Another question worth asking is: How could the MTO have so significantly thrown the world number 1 off of her game? So many questions.
What isn't in question is that Muchova is a fine all-court player who can adapt to the tactics of all sorts of opponents. She's fun to watch, and her Chris Evert-style body language is a bonus.
In yesterday's other quarterfinal, good friends Jen Brady (seeded 22nd) and Jessica Pegula faced off. Pegula took the first set, but then Brady cleaned up her game and emerged with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory. Jen Brady has been on a dramatic upward spiral for the last several months, and is clearly headed toward a higher ranking. And during this Australian Open, we were able to also witness Pegula's steady rise as a talent on the tour. When I saw her play in Charleston in 2019, I was impressed with what she had done to improve her game, and I look forward to seeing much more of her.
In the previous quarterfinal matches, 3rd seed and champion Naomi Osaka defeated Hsieh Su-Wei in straight sets, and--in a much anticipated contest--10th seed Serena Williams defeated 3rd seed Simona Halep, also in straight sets.
(On playing the very tricky Hsieh, Osaka had remarked: "It's actually fun when I'm not really angry.")
In doubles, 3rd seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova will play 2nd seeds Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka for the title (if the Czechs win, I still want to see a repeat of the fabulous dance they did when they were juniors).
We already have some champions. Diede De Groot won the singles title when she defeated 2nd seed Yui Kamiji 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 . Top seeds DeGroot and Aniek Van Koot defeated 2nd seeds Kgothatso Montjane and Lucy Shuker 6-4, 6-1.
These victories (especially that close one against Van Koot) have to bring some relief to De Groot, who had been off her game for a while and notably, off her serve. Her double victory in Melbourne marks the sixth time that De Groot has swept both the singles and doubles field at a major event.
In other news, 2020 champion Sofia Kenin, who lost to Kaia Kanepi in the second round, underwent an appendectomy Monday in a Melbourne hospital.
Here is the singles semifinal draw:
Karolina Muchova (25) vs. Jennifer Brady (22) Naomi Osaka (3) vs. Serena Williams (10)
French Open champion Iga Swiatek, who upset Simona Halep on her way to the championship in Paris, met her again last night in the Australian Open round of 16, and for one set, Swiatek looked like the human wrecking ball that we saw at the French Open (indeed, she has looked good throughout this event). But Halep would have none of it. "I knew I had to change something," the 2019 Wimbledon champion said after the match. Her second set strategy (which she extended to the final set) was to stop hitting the ball so flat, and to make Swiatek take as many balls on the run as possible.
Swiatek on Halep: "I have a lot of respect b/c it seems she has a lot of options. When something is not right for her she just changes the tactics and that's great. That's the difference b/w the champions and less-experienced players, b/c I didn't feel like I had many options."
It worked. Halep's 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory moved her to the quarterfinals, and she is obviously a strong contender for the title.
It's hard to believe that, before yesterday, Naomi Osaka and Garbine
Muguruza had never played each other before. Their Australian Open round
of 16 match was every bit as good as I expected it to be, and--while it
could have easily gone either way--it was Osaka who kept finding ways
to win big points. The more tense the situation became, the more
strategic risks the 2019 champion took. Her strategy (which is really
just her on-court nature) paid off: She defeated Muguruza (who was the
2020 runner-up) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.
I still consider Muguruza to be "back," though, and think that it's only a matter of time before she wins another major.
Seven-time champion Serena Williams and Aryna Sabalenka went at each other in the kind of match that made me tired just to watch it. Sabalenka is every bit the hard hitter and big server that Williams is, but she isn't yet the problem-solver that Williams is. And while the Belarusian has been the hottest player on the tour for the past several months, she still hasn't figured out how to get to the second week of a major (in fairness, she would likely have beaten many other players, but that's not how the draw works).
Williams, looking both calm and fierce in an inspired Flo-Jo tribute catsuit, weathered whatever storm her opponent put forth into the atmosphere, and then remained patient while Sabalenka became an unforced error machine. When it was over, Williams walked away with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory.
In yesteday's other round of 16 match, Hsieh Su-Wei's maddening game got the best of Marketa Vondrousova, but the Czech player was also struggling with an injured knee, which was an obvious distraction.
There were also a few notable third round matches. In the Battle of the Czech Karolinas, Muchova upset Pliskova 7-5, 7-5. Muchova helped herself by displaying a surprisingly good second serve. One is left wondering--as always--what does Pliskova need to do to win a major? (Or is this even a question anymore?)
Elise Mertens, who has become much more of a threat in the last couple of years, defeated Belinda Bencic in straight sets. And Big Stage Specialist Shelby Rogers upset Anett Kontaveit in straight sets.
The match of the third round, however, was the one contested by another Big Stage Specialist, Kaia Kanepi, and 28th seed Donna Vekic. It went on for over two and a half hours, during which time the powerful Kanepi threw everything but her chair at Vekic. The tension was high, and Vekic was almost always playing catch-up.
Vekic had 17 break chances, but converted only four of them. Her opponent hit 46 winners (Vekic hit 38). But the Croatian player never gave up, never allowed herself to stop believing. In the end, they each won a total of 115 points, but it was Vekic's match, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4. And it was an absolute thrill to watch.
The other four round of 16 matches will be played today
Watching the Australian Open is difficult for me, since so many matches that I really want to see are played in what is, for me, the middle of the night or very early in the morning. Here are some first round matches (one in particular) I think are worth watching:
Leylah Fernandez vs. Elise Mertens (18): Mertens is the favorite, and not just because she's seeded, but Fernandez is a really tough player to draw in the first round, and she could make Mertens uncomfortable. At any rate, it's likely to be a fun match to watch.
Karolina Muchova (25) vs. Alona Ostapenko: In this case, the unseeded player is likely to advance, but Muchova is capable of pulling a "reverse" upset. Also, when isn't it a good time to watch Ostapenko?
Anastasija Sevastova vs. Kaia Kanepi: I'm interested in this match for its unpredictability. Kanepi has been fierce lately, but Sevastova is tricky.
Yulia Putintseva (26) vs. Sloane Stephens: Oh, how things have changed, with regard to seeding. Which Sloane will show up? Putintseva has become a formidable opponent, and this could be interesting. (Or not.)
Polona Hercog vs. Caroline Garcia: I enjoy watching both of these players and think that this could be a good match.
And my top pick (and fingers crossed that I'll actually get to see it):
Hiesh Su-Wei vs. Tsvetana Pironkova (Q): The trickster faces off against the trickster in what almost has to be a highly entertaining contest. The latest version of the Bulgarian Woman of Mystery is one in which that great serve is now much more consistent. She's also cleaned up some other parts of her game, so Hsieh will have a lot with which to contend.
I've never been to Australia, so it would seem that it shouldn't matter to me that--this year--the Brisbane and Sydney tournaments won't be played. But as a long-time viewer, I have a "feel" for those two tournaments, and I miss them. The season began with an event in Abu Dhabi--a new tournament--then everything shifted to Melbourne for the Yarra Valley Classic and the Gippsland Trophy. Since these are all new events (though two of them are temporary), it all feels alien to me.
For the past few years, I've had a hard time getting started with the new season, anyway. Unlike a lot of tennis fans, I need the off-season--to stop blogging, to stop watching, to take a rest.
The good news, of course, is that have tennis at all. 2020 was a disaster in many ways, though it's obvious that the WTA handled it better than the other professional tennis organization. Three of the four majors were played, Cincinnati moved temporarily to Flushing Meadows, and there were also some good exhibition events, especially the team event held in Charleston.
My gut feeling is that the 2020 semi-haitus may have been a blessing in disguise for 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andresscu, who had time for her body to fully heal. I remain concerned, however, about the fragility of the Canadian star's body, and I really hope that her team has figured out a way to keep her on the court. She and Iga Swiatek are, in my opinion, the two most interesting young players to watch.
2021 feels more like a "clean slate" than the calendar says it should (at least, it does for me). There are so many questions:
Will Serena Williams win a major?
Will Garbine Muguruza win a major? It felt right that she made it to the final in last year's Australian Open, and it feels right that 2021 will be an even better year for her.
Will Naomi Osaka continue to dominate?
How will Jennifer Brady continue to raise her WTA profile? What about Maria Sakkari? And for how long will Aryna Sabalenka continue her very hot streak?
What's next for 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, and what will we see from 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek?
What about world number 1 Ash Barty, and what about Elina Svitolina?
And no, I'm not forgetting 2019 Australian Open finalist Petra Kvitova, the resurgent Vika Azarenka, and--drum roll.......Si-Mo-Na!
The WTA has so many really good players--and so many really good up-and-coming players--that it's hard to predict anything at this point, though brave souls do go for it from time to time. Players have had more time to train than usual, and also more time to make mental shifts (for better or worse). I find the unpredictability quite interesting.
So now, I'll just sit back and try to get my brain to adjust to this new schedule. In the end, it will be the excitement of the tennis that makes it okay for me.
I don't usually write much about USA tennis because my interest in women's tennis is global, but the U.S. situation is quite interesting at this point, and is worth discussing. Over the years, many fans and onlookers have asked "What will happen when the Williams sisters retire?," "Who will 'succeed' Serena Williams (as if)?," and "Why doesn't the USA have more top players?"
Then along came Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys, and--while the landscape didn't shift--it did become more spacious. Keys has yet to win a major, but her back-to-back Charleston-Cincinnati victory run in 2019 was quite impressive. Stephens, of course, won the U.S. Open in 2017 (Keys, of course, was the runner-up). An unpredictable player, Stephens could make another big run very soon--or not.
With Serena Williams still in the mix, and Keys and Stephens climbing up the rankings, the USA scene looked solid. But here's the thing about tennis--just when fans and the media assume they know who's going to do what, when--someone sneaks in and takes a place at the front of the line. This time around, that someone is Sofia Kenin.
Fans saw Kenin in Fed Cup (now Billie Jean King Cup) play, and got a taste of her superior brand of mental strength. In Cincinnati in 2019, she made it to the semifinals. Kenin lost to Keys in the third round of the U.S. Open, but came back in 2020 and won the Australian Open, defeating Ash Barty in the semifinals and Garbine Muguruza in the final. She went on another big run at the French Open (not a tournament at which she was expecting to excel), but lost in the final to Polish force of nature Iga Swiatek (also, having an injured leg certainly didn't help).
While Sofia Kenin is undeniably the top U.S. star (and also WTA Player of the Year) at this time, she wasn't the only one insisting on becoming a force. Jennifer Brady started 2020 with a bang, getting victories over Maria Sharapova, Ash Barty, Elina Svitolina, and Garbine Muguruza. She was the only undefeated player at the exhibition even that was played in Charleston, and she went on to win in Lexington. Brady made it all the way to the semifinals at the U.S. Open, where she lost to eventual champion Naomi Osaka.
The 25-year-old, believing that she needed to do something different in order to meet her potential, spent the 2019 off-season training in Germany, and it paid off.
Finally, there's Coco Gauff, who turned pro only two years ago and is only sixteen years old, but she has clearly announced herself on the tour. The former junior world number 1 won the 2019 Linz tournament, and--with Caty McNally--has won two doubles tournaments. As a qualifier (the youngest in history) she reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2019, taking out both Venus Williams and Palona Hercog. Her defeat was at the hands of eventual champion Simona Halep.
Those are the current stars, but there are other very good stories. Late in her career, Alison Riske has experienced a resurgence. And--while things may not have gone that well for her in 2020--Amanda Anisimova is definitely a player with great potential, and I believe that she will impress us even more in the next year or so. Then there's Danielle Collins, who reached the quarterfinals of the French Open this year, taking out 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza.
The USA won Fed Cup (now Billie Jean King Cup) in 2017, and should be quite competitive when play resumes.
Here are the current WTA rankings for the top U.S. players:
Sofia Kenin (4) Serena Williams (11) Madison Keys (16) Alison Riske (26) Amanda Anisimova (30) Sloane Stephens (39) Danielle Collins (45) Coco Gauff (48)
Perhaps there was a stranger tennis year than 2020, but I don’t recall it, and I’ve been paying attention for a long time. We had no Wimbledon (not a great loss, from my standpoint, though very bad for the sport), we had bubbles, bubbles in bubbles, spontaneously produced exhibition matches, an absent defending champion, and some heartbreaking retirements. The talented Ons Jabeur became the first Arab player to reach a major quarterfinal (Australian Open). Petra Kvitova defied her own long-held expectations and reached the semifinals of the French Open, and Garbine Muguruza reached the final of the Australian Open. Oh—and, of course, Tsvetana Pironkova popped up (with an improved game) after a three-year absence from the tour, and reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.
Here is my list of the top 2020 occurrences and phenomena, in ascending order: 10. The Original 9—Women with Spine: 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of the act that would change tennis forever. Nine determined women each gave promoter Gladys Heldman one dollar to seal a contract to compete in a women’s-only tournament in Houston. This simple transaction led to the eventual formation of the Women’s Tennis Association, arguably the most successful women’s sports organization in the world.
But it wasn’t an easy decision. When the Original 9 made it clear that getting 1/8 of the prize money given to men was unacceptable, and that they would have to break away, they were threatened with being banned from majors and from all meaningful tournaments. Male players who the women thought were their friends turned against them (no one ever mentions it, but Arthur Ashe was a leader of the charge against women earning any kind of reasonable prize money). So, knowing that they would probably have no career to which they could return, these nine brave women changed the sports world for women.
To celebrate the Original 9, the WTA put together a very fine series of articles, tributes and media about the women and the history that they made. The International Tennis Hall of Fame presented an Original 9 exhibit, and there were a number of charity events and panel discussions dedicated to the recognition of the Original 9.
9. Diede De Very Good: We call Diede De Groot “Diede De Great,” but this year, she had what, for her, was a slump. The defending champion at both the Australian Open and the French Open, she won neither of them. In Australia, De Groot was upset in the opening round by China’s Zhenzhen Zhu, playing in the first major of her career. At the French Open, the Dutch star was upset in the semifinals by Momoko Ohtani of Japan. Yui Kamiji of Japan won both titles.
De Groot and her partner, Aniek Van Koot, were the defending champions at all four majors (Wimbledon, of course, was not played, nor were the Paralympic Games). They won the French Open, but lost the Australian Open to Yui Kamiji and Jordanne Whiley. De Groot teamed with Marjolein Buis (Van Koot did not play) for the U.S. Open, and they made it to the final, but were defeated by Kamiji and Whiley.
One obvious problem with De Groot’s 2020 tennis was the disintegration of her serve. She double-faulted repeatedly, which cost her a lot of games. One hopes that the serving issue (often caused by nerves) will be resolved by 2021.
8 Look who’s back!: During many periods throughout her career, it seemed like Victoria Azarenka just couldn’t catch a break. Injuries (a few of them out of the ordinary), ongoing sexism, a vicious child custody battle—so many things kept getting in her way. It hasn’t looked that good for the Belarusian star in the last few years, but—after a shaky start—2020 was a different story. Azarenka withdrew from the Australian Open for personal reasons. She won the Western & Southern Open, and then reached the final of the U.S. Open.
7. We’re here!: Are they ever. Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Dayana Yastremska, Karaolina Muchova, Leylah Fernandez, Iga Swiatek, Anett Kontaveit—we’ve been watching them for a while. This year, there were even more upstarts with which established players had to contend.
Jennifer Brady began 2020 by beating both Maria Sharapova and Ash Barty in Brisbane, where she was a qualifier. She upset Elina Svitolina in Dubai, and reached the semifinals, a first for her at a Premier event. She was also the only player to go undefeated at the Credit One Bank Invitational in Charleston. Brady won her first WTA title in Lexington, then reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open. In the 2019 off-season, the U.S. player, determined, she said, to maximize her potential, trained in Germany, and emerged with increased fitness. She’s definitely someone to watch in 2021.
A couple of dramatic introductions occurred at the French Open, when Italian player Martina Trevisan and Nadia Podoroska of Argentina blazed through the first week of the event, and then reached the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
Trevisan wasn’t fooling around. She took out Coco Gauff, Maria Sakkari and Kiki Bertens. Podoroska’s story was even more dramatic: She was a qualifier, so she had to win three matches before the tournament even began. In the main draw, she upset the likes of an on-fire Yulia Putintseva and 3rd seed Elina Svitolina. Both of these amazing players were eventually defeated by someone on that “watch” list (more on that later).
6. It was the best of seasons, it was the worst of seasons: Timea Babos and Kiki Mladenovic, one of the two hottest doubles teams on the tour, had a rather dramatic season. They won both the Australian Open and the French Open. Unfortunately, though they were the top seeds, they were forced to withdraw from the U.S. Open when the county government stepped in and declared that their “bubble within a bubble” status disqualified them (an ATP player who had also been double-bubbled because of a Covid contact had been allowed to play the day before).
And now, a brief interlude to present my metaphor for 2020:
5. It hurts to say goodbye: The great Maria Sharapova retired this year, and that would have been enough for me, in terms of sadness, but so many other players also chose 2020 to say goodbye. Caroline Wozniacki retired from the sport, as did Julia Goerges. But these stars weren’t the only ones to leave: We also lost Ekaterina Makarova, Magdalena Rybarikova, Johanna Larsson, Pauline Parmentier, Teliana Pereira, Jamie Hampton, Vania King, Silvia Soler-Espinosa, Jessica Moore, Rika Fujiwara, and Anna Tatishvili.
4. The strength behind the mask: Naomi Osaka won her second U.S. Open title this year, further establishing herself as the player to beat at a major. She also further established herself as a force for equality and justice, which was a breath of fresh air. Not that long ago, Osaka was an awkward young woman who was afraid to speak in front of a crowd, but then she found her voice, and what a voice it is. Tennis history will long remember the U.S. Open champion’s array of face masks; each represented an individual who was murdered by the police. Osaka brought seven masks to New York, and she was able to wear every one of them. 3. The value of attitude: Perhaps no one on the tour is a better “forgetter” than Sofia Kenin. She makes a mistake, she moves on. She loses a big point, she moves on. She loses a tournament, she moves on. This mindset has enabled the U.S. star to scrap her way to the top five (she is currently number 4 in the world). It also helped her to win the 2020 Australian Open and to reach the final of the French Open. Kenin possesses a wide variety of skills and an aggressive style that do a lot to create a champion. But her other “weapon,” mental toughness, is just as significant.
2. Time violation: Covid-19, and the accompanying denial and mismanagement of it, wreaked havoc on everything this year, including professional tennis. Several elite players opted not to play at the U.S. Open, including world number 1 Ash Barty, Simona Halep, Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens, and defending champion Bianca Andreescu. Andreescu, who seems perpetually injured, missed the entire 2020 season (a source of great disappointment for me). Barty, after reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open, also opted out of the remainder of the season because of the pandemic.
The Wimbledon event was canceled, and the French Open was rescheduled so that it began shortly after the U.S. Open ended. On the up side, some exhibition events popped up, including the entertaining Credit One Bank Invitational in Charleston (from which Andreescu also withdrew). For the most part, the U.S. Open was credited with having handled health and safety issues well; the French Open, not so much. There was no Fed Cup (now the Billie Jean King Cup) and no Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The pandemic is still raging, so it remains to be seen what type of damage it will do to the 2021 season. 1. The Wonder Woman sequel arrives early: We knew that Iga Swiatek was very talented. What we didn’t know was that she would go to Paris and mow down the anticipated champion, Simona Halep. And we didn’t know that she would play seven matches without dropping a set, losing only 28 games—and make it all look effortless. But that’s what happened, and it was stunning. Moreover, the Polish teen (not unlike that other young wonder, Andreescu) appeared to have such a good time doing it. Swiatek is now number 17 in the world—keep an eye on that number.
