Saturday, July 10, 2021

Hsieh and Mertens win Wimbledon in yet ANOTHER doubles thriller

There have been some outrageously exciting doubles matches at this year's Wimbledon tournament, and they've all had something in common: Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina played in them. One could say that the Russian pair took the scenic route to the final (and almost to the title), but it was really more like the "edge of the mountain very narrow road with no lights" route. 

Vesnina took a maternity leave from the tour in late 2018, and returned this year. Her results in both singles and doubles have been quite good; she reached the third round of the French Open in singles, and she reached the final in mixed doubles. At Wimbledon, she and countrywoman Veronika Kudermetova were unseeded, but they did a lot of damage.

In the quarterfinals, the pair took out top seeds and French Open champions Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, after saving three match points. And in the semifinals, they played an edge-of-the-seat thriller against Caroline Dolehide and Storm Sanders, in which they saved four match points. In that match, Kudermetova became despondent and appeared about to implode, but the veteran Vesnina (who has won three women's doubles majors) simply wouldn't let that happen, and eventually coaxed her partner back to life. 

We couldn't have asked for a better final--the talented and exciting Russian pair faced off against third seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens, who--between them--have doubles skills galore. Hsieh's regular partner, Barbora Strycova, announced her retirement and is pregnant, so Hsieh needed a new partner. Mertens, half of the tennis's "odd couple," was suddenly available because the other half of that couple, Aryna Sabalenka, decided to focus on her singles game. 

What with Hsieh's magician's hands and trickster moves (she's kind of the Radwanska of doubles), Vesnina's tricky serving and "been there, done that" approach to rallies, Mertens' accuracy and clutch play, and Kudermetova's fiery forehand and deft volleys, there was non-stop entertainment in this match. The Russians took the first set, 6-3. In the second set, Vesnina and Kudermetova served for the championship, and held two championship points at 40-15, but Hsieh and Mertens saved them both, then went on to win the set, 7-5.

The third set was everything spectators might have hoped for. Hsieh and Mertens served for the championship at 5-3, and were broken. The Russians served for the championship again at 7-6, but they, too, were broken. The tension was high (as was the quality of play). Hsieh and Mertens then took control of the match, winning ten of the final eleven points, taking the set at 9-7, and winning the title. 

This is Hsieh's third Wimbledon doubles title; she and Strycova won the event in 2018, and Hsieh won with Peng Shuai in 2013. Hsieh and Peng also won the French Open in 2014. It's Mertens' first Wimbledon title. She and Sabalenka won the 2021 Australian Open, and they won the U.S. Open in 2019.

By reaching the final, Mertens returned to the world number 1 doubles ranking.

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Oi Oi Oi!

Already a French Open champion, world number 1 Ash Barty is now a Wimbledon champion. Her 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 victory over Karolina Pliskova in today's final marked the realization of a lifelong dream for Barty, and brought the Venus Rosewater Dish to an Australian for the first time in 50 years. 

Throughout the tournament, Barty wore a scallop-hemmed dress in tribute to Evonne Goolagong, who wore a similar dress when she won her first Wimbledon title in 1971. Their bond is especially close, in that Goolagong is both a friend and mentor to Barty, and both women are of indigenous heritage. 

Pliskova had not played in a major final since 2016, when she lost the U.S. Open title to Angie Kerber. In today's match, the Czech star showed up in the first set appearing to be what used to be known as a "nervous wreck," unable to find her signature superior serve, and unable to control anything on the court. Down 0-3 in the opening set, Pliskova got on the scoreboard, but it was relatively easy for Barty to take the set, 6-3.

Pliskova found her game (most notably, her serve) in the second set, though she continued to lag behind. Barty served for the championship at 6-5, but was broken, and the set went to a tiebreak, which Pliskova won, 7-4, as Barty's forehand repeatedly broke down. The third set held the promise of being a tight one, but Barty would have none of it. Despite having to deal with a serious challenge from a now more in-form Pliskova, the world number 1 went on to win the set 6-3, and to claim the Venus Rosewater Dish.

Barty had to retire from her second-round match at Roland Garros because of a left hip injury. That may have turned out to be one of those "good luck, bad luck, who knows?" things, in that she she had some time to rest and recover. 

The 2021 Wimbledon champion has traveled her own unusual path to the number 1 ranking. A doubles star on the tour, Barty left for two and a half years and played professional cricket. Upon her return, she decided to focus on her singles game, and the rest is history. An all-around athlete, during 2020, she took the entire year off because of the Covid-19 crisis, and--during that time--won a golf tournament.

"To be able to be successful here at Wimbledon, to achieve my biggest dream, has been absolutely incredible," Barty said of her victory. "The stars aligned for me over the past fortnight." 

I don't think that the stars are going away any time soon.

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Friday, July 9, 2021

Barty and Pliskova to contest for Wimbedon title

World number 1 Ash Barty brought her number 1 game, and then some, to her Wimbedon semifinal match against 2018 champion Angie Kerber, who--during this grass season--has once again looked like the most dangerous of contenders for the 2021 title. After losing the first set, the German star was able to raise the level of her game, take a 5-2 lead, then--at 5-4--serve for the set. But Barty broke her, won her next game at love, and never looked back. Her 6-3, 7-6 victory places her in the final of a tournament she says she's always dreamed of winning.

As for Kerber--as disappointing as this loss had to be, she has definitely "returned," and in a big way, which is an exciting occurrence.

If there is a "complete" player, it has to be Barty. Her expert use of the backhand slice, and her ability to use keen strategy have always been there, but now she also has a deadly serve (she had a first serve win percentage of 88 against Kerber). And she feels at home on the grass.

Barty's opponent in the final will be eighth seed Karolina Pliskova, who defeated second seed Aryna Sabalenka 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals. Matches played between two "power hitters" are generally not my cup of tea, but in this match, it was interesting to watch Pliskova repeatedly do the one thing that she says has kept her from doing better on grass--getting really low to hit the ball. I remember, about five years ago, the Czech star said that her resolution for the coming year was to "bend my knees more." She's still working on that.

Pliskova, who has had some issues with her famous serve, was on fire against Sabalenka, hitting 14 aces (Sabalenka, I should note, hit 18), and coming away with very notable first and second serve win percentages of 78 and 69.

Barty is 5-2 against Pliskova, and the Australian player has won the last three matches that they played against each other.

Paths to the final:

ASH BARTY (1)
round 1--def. Carla Suarez Navarro
round 2--def. Anna Binkova
round 3--def. Katerina Siniakova
round of 16--def. Barbora Krejcikova
quarterfinals--def. Ajla Tomljanovic
semifinals--def. Angie Kerber (25)

KAROLINA PLISKOVA (8)
round 1--def. Tamara Zidansek
round 2--def. Donna Vekic
round 3--def. Tereza Martincova
round of 16--def. Liudmila Samsonova (WC)
quarterfinals--def. Viktorija Golubic
semifinals--def. Aryna Sabalenka (2)

In doubles, third seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Elise Mertens will play Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina in the final. Hsieh and Mertens defeated fifth seeds Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the semifinals. 

In their semifinal match, Kudermetova and Vesnina defeated Caroline Dolehide and Storm Sanders 7-6, 3-6, 7-5. This very high-quality match was a series of thrills that went on for two and a half hours. Down 2-5 in the third set, the Russians eventually saved three match points and went on to break and then win the match. That's the summary, but you had to see it to fully appreciate the incredible nature of this contest, which included an almost-meltdown from Kudermetova.

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Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Wimbledon semifinals set

Though we've seen some exciting matches throughout the Wimbledon tournament, none occurred in today's quarterfinals. 8th seed Karolina Pliskova made pretty easy work of Victorija Golubic. Pliskova's first and second serve win percentages were 83 and 56, and that kind of says it all. She also did well at the net and kept her unforced errors down, defeating Golubic 6-2, 6-2. One couldn't have asked much more from the Czech star.

2nd seed Aryna Sabalenka had more with which to contend in 21st seed Ons Jabeur, but the Tunisian player didn't bring quite her customary level of energy to this match, and she was ultimately outhit by Sabalenka, who was playing in her first major quarterfinal. 

25th seed and 2018 Wimbledon champion Angie Kerber also won her match in straight sets, defeating Karolina Muchova 6-2, 6-3. Kerber out-served Muchova, and was broken only once, though Muchova had eight break opportunities.

Finally, world number 1 Ash Barty defeated countrywoman Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 6-3. Tomljanovic hit only five winners (to Barty's 23), but she made 20 unforced errors.

Here is the semifinal draw:

Ash Barty (1) vs. Angie Kerber (25)
These two have played each other four times, with each of them winning twice. They have never played one another on a grass court. Barty is the 2019 French Open champion, and Kerber has won the Australian Open (2016), the U.S. Open (2026) and Wimbledon (2018).

Karolina Pliskova (8) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2
Sabalenka is 2-0 against Pliskova, and one of their matches (2018 Eastbourne) was played on grass.

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Monday, July 5, 2021

Kerber, Barty and Jabeur all advance to the Wimbledon quarterfinals

Throughout her career, Angie Kerber's serve has ranged from "needs improvement" to "good enough" to "very good." Most of the time, she's in the "good enough" range. Today, in her Wimbledon round of 16 match, she was in the "better than her opponent" range. Though she's known for her big serve, and though she did serve six aces, Coco Gauff didn't deliver quite as well as Kerber in the service department. She also made more unforced errors than her opponent.

Kerber, in every way imaginable, looked like--well, like Angie Kerber. She kept the ball in play for long periods of time, she hit wicked angles, and she solved problems on the run. The 2018 Wimbledon champion defeated Gauff 6-4, 6-4, to advance to the quarterfinals.

Also looking like herself--though it took her a while to get there--world number 1 Ash Barty defeated 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 7-5, 6-3. Later in the day, Krejcikova and partner Katerina Siniakova, played doubles against Viktoria Kuzmova and Arantxa Rus. 

The Czech pair, running behind in the first set, sneaked in and won it. The teams were on serve at 2-3 in the second set when the match was suspended, and this had to feel like a gift for Krejcikova, who looked like she was one rally away from collapsing. I suspect that both physical and mental fatigue finally caught up with Krejcikova, who won a WTA 250 event (her first singles title), then went straight to Paris, where she won both the singles and doubles titles.

2nd seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina, Victorija Golubic upset Madison Keys, Karolina Pliskova defeated Liudmila Samsonova, and Karolina Muchova defeated Paula Badosa (of whom we will definitely be seeing more). Sadly, the up-and-coming British player, Emma Raducanu became ill and had to retire in the middle of her second set against Ajla Tomljanovic.

And then there was Ons Jabeur, who lost her first set to 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek, but then pretty much ran over the Polish star in the next two sets, defeating her 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. Jabeur's service game was spot-on, and that description includes the nine aces that she hit. She hit 30 winners to Swiatek's 20, and she made 23 unforced errors. Good serving creates confidence, and confidence creates good serving. With every match, Jabeur steps farther into the zone.

Here is the quarterfinal singles draw:

Ash Barty (1) vs. Ajla Tomljanovic
Karolina Muchova (19) vs. Angie Kerber (25)
Karolina Pliskova (8) vs. Viktorija Golubic
Ons Jabeur (21) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2)

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Sunday, July 4, 2021

I hate Middle Sunday, and here's the evidence

I hate Middle Sunday because 1. It doesn't make sense (there's a lot of rain at Wimbledon, and especially this year, so matches are already backed up), and 2. I want to watch tennis. People who work outside the home all day during the week would also like to watch tennis.

Over the years, Women Who Serve has provided not only rants about Middle Sunday, but also some reading and viewing activities for those who need something of a Wimbledon nature to do. Here's the collection of my Middle Sunday rants and suggestions (you'll get to see a lot of Velma, and Roxie also makes an appearance; they were avid tennis fans):

https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2009/06/middle-sunday-blues.html

https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2014/06/those-middle-sunday-blues.html

https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-annual-i-hate-middle-sunday-rant.html 

https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2018/07/i-hate-middle-sunday-is-back.html

https://womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-almost-annual-i-hate-middle-sunday.html

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Saturday, July 3, 2021

One former champion still stands as Wimbledon round of 16 approaches

Before the 2021 Wimbledon event began, there were six former champions expected to contend--five-time champion Venus Williams, seven-time champion Serena Williams, two-time champion Petra Kvitova, Angelique Kerber, Garbine Muguruza, and Simona Halep. Sadly, Halep had to withdraw because of continuing problems with a calf tear.

Equally sad was the first round of exit of Petra Kvitova. The mercurial Czech champion was upset by the mercurial USA player, Sloane Stephens. Serena Williams slipped and hurt her leg during her first round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, and had to retire. Venus Williams made it to the second round, in which she was defeated by Ons Jabeur, and Garbine Muguruza was upset by Jabeur in the third round.

That leaves Kerber, who survived the match of the tournament (so far--but it's hard to imagine that a more thrilling one will come along) against Sara Sorribes Tormo--a three-hour and 19-minute extravaganza in which there was never a let-up. That the German champion is the lone survivor may surprise many, but it doesn't surprise me. Kerber's combination of fitness, determination and a willingness to make changes in her game has always put her in line for another comeback. (And if you haven't seen her "One on One" episode with Chris Evert, you've missed something good; it was one of my favorites of the series.)

Of note is that two wild cards--Emma Raducanu of the UK and Liudmila Samsanova of Russia--have advanced to the second week of the tournament. There are also two other unseeded players in the fourth round. Finally--and not surprisingly--there are three Czech players who are still in the draw.

Here is the round of 16 draw:

Ash Barty (1) vs. Barbora Krejcikova (14)
Emma Raducanu (wc) vs. Ajla Tomljanovic
Paula Badosa (30) vs. Karolina Muchova (19)
Coco Gauff (20) vs. Angie Kerber (25)
Karolina Pliskova (8) vs. Liudmila Samsanova (wc)
Madison Keys (23) vs. Viktorija Golubic
Iga Swiatek (7) vs. Ons Jabeur (21)
Elena Rybakina (18) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2)

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