Anisimova knocks out top seed in Charleston

Amanda Anisimova (photo by Daniel Ward)

It wasn't exactly a surprise. 15th seed Amanda Anisimova was 2-0 against Aryna Sabalenka before the Credit One Charleston Open began, having beaten the world number 5 at both the French Open and the Australian Open. Today, Anisimova defeated top seed Sabalenka 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the quarterfinals. In that round, she'll face countrywoman Coco Vandeweghe, a lucky loser who upset 5th seed Jessie Pegula today.

Belinda Bencic (photo by Daniel Ward)

10th seed Belinda Bencic defeated 9th seed (and 2019 champion) Madison Keys 6-4, 6-4,  and Anhelina Kalinina upset 12th seed Alizé Cornet 7-6, 7-5. So far, Kalinina has defeated Cornet, 5th seed Elena Rybakina and Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

An intense final game of a three-set match was contested by 7th seed Leylah Fernandez and Magda Linette in the last match of the second round, which could not be played yesterday because of rain. In that game, which lasted seventeen minutes, Linette--serving at 5-4--saved four break points, and won the match on her seventh match point.  

She didn't have much time to celebrate or to rest, though, because she had to return to the court later and play Kaia Kanepi, whom she also defeated, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

4th seed Ons Jabeur had to finish her second round match, which was interrupted by rain yesterday. She defeated Emma Navarro 6-3, 6-2. This evening, Jabeur was on court again, this time to play her third round match against Irina-Camelia Begu, whom she defeated 6-3, 6-2.

Paula Badosa (photo by Daniel Ward)

2nd seed Paula Badosa faced a tough opponent in Claire Liu, who won the first set, and was two points away from winning the match during four occasions during the second set tiebreak. Badosa defeated her 3-6, 7-6, 6-1.

Finally, Ekaterina Alexandrova upset 3rd seed Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-1.

Here is the quarterfinal draw:

Amanda Anisimova (15) vs. Coco Vandeweghe (LL)

Ons Jabeur (4) vs. Anhelina Kalinina

Magda Linette vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova

Belinda Bencic (10) vs. Paula Badosa (2)

Alizé Cornet on tennis, writing, honesty, independence, and more

photo by Daniel Ward

I spent a little time with the Credit One Charleston Open's twelfth seed Alizé Cornet today, and we talked about tennis and writing and what those things have to do with how we live our lives. The veteran French player is the author of Sans Compromis, translated last year into English with the title, Transcendence: Diary of a Tennis Addict. I wondered what caused Cornet to write a memoir/diary, and she said that "I just thought it was time to put on paper some things that I had on my mind—to talk a little bit more about what’s happening behind the scenes….

"I always liked the exercise of writing, it was something very natural for me, and one morning, I just thought that I could write a book. And I started without knowing really where I was going, but I wrote it really fast. In about four months, it was done."

Cornet said that didn't know why she chose that particular time of her life to write the book; it's obvious, however, that she was in a state of flow while writing it. 

"It’s more like a diary," she said, "because it was really putting on paper my thoughts, and putting a knee on the ground, showing people my vulnerability and my weaknesses, why maybe sometimes I was behaving this way on the court…and I’m just trying to explain why. …It’s very honest. Writing this book, my first goal was to be as honest as possible, and even though sometimes, it was a little bit ugly, that was okay, because we all have a dark side…."

photo by Daniel Ward

"I decided to translate at the very last moment; I didn’t want to at the beginning," Cornet explained when I asked her if she was pleased with the English translation of the book. She was afraid, naturally, that a translation would rob the manuscript of some of its meaning. But she had a friend translate it, and "He kept the soul of the book in English."

I asked Cornet to name one or two things that she had learned from being a professional tennis player. She thought for a moment, then came up with two significant qualities--resilience and independence.

About resilience, she said: "This is something I’m also applying in my private life."

And in discussing independence, Cornet said that "It’s a very lonely world, and it teaches you how to be alone with yourself. And in the tennis life, you need to be alone, and to feel good alone. On the court, you’re also alone, making decisions."

Responding to a question about whether there is anything that she wishes she could change in her past, she quickly said, "I wouldn’t change anything because everything I did in the past makes me who I am." She elaborated that, of course, there are things that she (like all of us) could have done differently, but she made it clear that she is at peace with the person that she has become. "I’m very proud of my career, and very proud that I never gave up."

I wondered what Cornet would have done if she hadn't become a professional tennis player, and she smiled and said that it now seems pretty obvious--"maybe a writer." She plans to continue as an author once she retires from pro tennis, but she added: "I would like to be a Fed Cup captain, eventually, you know, just to stay in the tennis world and being able to help younger women and younger tennis players—that’s something that really drives me."

Next month, Cornet's first novel, La Valse Des Jours, will be published. Her first piece of fiction was inspired, she explained, by her mother's childhood. Set in the Sixties and Seventies, the story centers around a grandmother, aunt and mother--"their lives and what they've been through."

As of now, the plan is to publish the novel in French, but I'm sure that many of us in the English-speaking world hope that another translation will be in the works before too long.

Pliskova escapes trouble, Rybakina is upset, and the weather proves to be not too tough an opponent

Karolina Pliskova (photo by Daniel Ward)

Karolina Pliskova had to fight hard today to hold on to her place in the Credit One Charleston Open draw. Katarina Zavatska took the first set off of the 3rd seed, and led 5-3 in the second set. The players had to stop play at 3-2 in the second set yesterday because of rain, which only added to the drama. It took her two hours and 48 minutes, but Pliskova was able to end the match with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 victory. The Czech star missed the first two months of the season because of a right hand injury. For her part, Zavatska, who is from Ukraine, was out for six months because of a forearm injury.

Fifth seed Elena Rybanika was upset today by another Ukrainian player, Anhelina Kalinina, who defeated Rybanika 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. 

Madison Keys (photo by Daniel Ward)

Aryna Sabalenka (photo by Daniel Ward)

Top seed (and wild card) Aryna Sabalenka defeated Alison Riske 7-6, 6-4, 2nd seed Paula Badosa defeated Anna Bondar 6-1, 6-4, 6th seed Jessica Pegula defeated Jasmine Paolini, 9th seed Madison Keys defeated Ulrikke Eikeri 6-3, 6-1, and 10th seed Belinda Bencic defeated Linda Fruhvirtova 6-1, 7-6. Other seeds who won were Alize Cornet (12), Ajla Tomljanovic (14), and Amanda Anisimova (15). Lucky loser Coco Vandeweghe also won her match, Claire Liu upset 16th seed Zhang Shuai, and Kaia Kanepi won her match this evening.

Alize Cornet (photo by Daniel Ward)

Ekaterina Alexandrova advanced to the next round when her opponent, Zheng Qinwen, had to retire in the third set.

After the rain delay, things went well--until we were under a tornado warning. But--in keeping with a very fortunate Charleston tennis tradition--that warning turned into a watch, and the severe thunderstorm warning loomed over us, but nothing bad happened. After a break, late afternoon matches resumed.

Paula Badosa (photo by Daniel Ward)

Day 2 in Charleston: an upset, a thrilling match, foreboding weather, and a first-rate photo bomb

Zheng Qinwen (photo by Daniel Ward)

On the second day of the Credit One Charleston Open, 2016 champion Sloane Stephens lost her first-round match to Zheng Qinwen, who--in defeating Stephens 6-3, 4-6, 6-0--earned the first top 50 win of her career. It briefly rained during the match, so the players had to deal with a 30-minute delay.

Earlier, 10th seed Belinda Bencic had to resort to using every shot she could think of in order to hold off Wang Xiyu, who threw everything she had at the Swiss star--and then some. In fact, Wang came within two points of upsetting Bencic, who--after almost two and a half hours--ended the match with a 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 victory. Both players served well, and both put on a show of athleticism and shot-making that thrilled the crowd. 

Belinda Bencic (photo by Daniel Ward)

Bencic's next opponent will be Czech teen star Linda Fruhvirtova.

Also winning today was Emma Navarro, who advanced when Madison Brengle retired at 0-3 in the third round. Also winning today were Alison Riske, Yulia Putintseva, Coco Vandeweghe, Lauren Davis, Magda Linette (who saved a match point), and Hailey Baptiste. 

Wang Xiyu (photo by Daniel Ward)

After her match, Baptiste did an interview with Pam Shriver in which she named a list of shots (almost all of them), and said that she wants to play like a man because men are better at making these shots.

Though there was little rain today, the night matches were canceled because of impending bad weather.

And--news from yesterday: Defending champion Veronika Kudermetova had to withdraw from the tournament because of illness, and Petra Kvitova had to retire in her opening round because of a left thigh injury. Also, Alize Cornet won her opening match, as did Amanda Anisimova. 

Finally, Emma Navarro had a press conference after her match today, and--while she had several worthy things to say--Major Tom was having none of it:

photo by Diane Elayne Dees

When the Minister speaks, we listen

clockwise from top: Jabeur, Keys, Badosa, Fernandez (photos by Daniel Ward)

Ons Jabeur, who is seeded fourth at the Credit One Charleston Open, joined other top players in a round table talk today with the media, and informed us that, in Tunisia, she's known as the "Minister of Happiness." So widespread is her fame that Tunisia's prime minister refers to her as " the Minister." 

The Minister of Happiness spread some of her joy today, talking with us about wanting to overcome her usual routine at a tournament. “I’m not a great tourist,” she said. “I come here every year and do nothing.” She does have a plan, though: She has always wanted to see the spots where The Notebook was filmed. “I have to make a deal with you guys—if I win the tournament, then I take the trophy and make the photos there.”

Sounds like a plan.

Jabeur, like all the other players at today's round table, talked about the difficulty of focusing on tennis during a pandemic, and at a time when there are major world crises. She also echoed something that several other players said: "Tennis is not the most important thing in the world."

Asked if she had a strategy for playing doubles with Aryna Sabalenka (the two paired spontaneously right before the tournament because Jabeur's scheduled partner could not play), the Tunisian star was quick to respond, "I hope she doesn't hit me with the ball."

2019 champion Madison Keys was candid about her struggles last year. "Tennis felt so insignificant," she said, and added that "it still feels that way sometimes." But, she said, she keeps in mind that entertainment for fans is important, and also--playing tennis is her job. 

Keys said that "just knowing how bad everything felt last year, and how overwhelmed I got" has helped her to commit to not letting herself feel that way again. She also talked about her goals, and said that--in the past--some of them were too outcome-specific, so now she thinks only about what she can control. This idea would also be expressed by several of the other players.

Someone reminded Keys about the time that she wore some virtual goggles and was able to "see" the new stadium. She said that when she arrived in Charleston and came out of the elevator, she wondered why everything looked so familiar--and then she realized that it wasn't the first time that she had seen her surroundings.

clockwise from top: Pliskova, Peguula, Bencic, Stephens (photos by Daniel Ward)

Belinda Bencic was especially philosophical. She told us that "You have to accept that--all the things that are happening--it's for a reason, and it's only going to do you good." 

Bencic also pointed out something that makes this tournament special--that the Charleston crowd goes all out to support women's tennis.

Asked if she had had the opportunity to respond to the question, "how did you do at the Olympics?" Bencic said that she had an opportunity almost immediately after her victory. She was boarding her flight out of Tokyo, and the crew noticed her Olympic bag, and asked how things had gone for her. And then she showed them her gold medal.

Jessica Pegula (who once lived in Mount Pleasant) talked a little about her job as a member of the Players' Council, and how she's glad that she can contribute to the game that way, to help start conversations about new topics and solutions. She also told us that she loves to play tennis and also enjoys practicing very much. 

Karolina Pliskova revealed that she loves to watch tennis. “Even if I lose in the tournament, I still watch.” Pliskova said that--while she sometimes learns important infornation about players that she hasn't competed against--she primarily watches for fun.

We also heard from Leylah Fernandez, who said what was the most surprising thing that I heard today--that many people had told her that “I’m not gonna make it.” She said that hearing this helped her to grow her own self-belief. (This, of course, nicely pairs with Bencic's statement about acceptance.)

Fernandez talked about the other sports in which she has participated--soccer, baseball, track and field. She said that she liked all of them, but  that it was tennis that won her heart. The U.S. Open finalist said that she can express herself better on a tennis court than anywhere else.

2016 champion Sloane Stephens spoke with us about the pandemic and its effects, reminding us that it wasn't just difficult for the players, but also for the support staffs, and for the WTA. Also, she said, it was easy to enjoy just being at home. Stephens went on to talk about the rhythms of professional tennis--the hot streaks that players get on, and then the difficulty of trying to keep those streaks going.

Her goals for the season? "To win matches and get out of my hotel room."

Paula Badosa had similar thoughts. She said that this was her first time to play in Charleston outside of the bubble, and that she's finally getting to see the city. Charleston has meaning for the Spanish player because it was here that she defeated former world number 1 Ash Barty. 

Quite a lot changed for Badosa after that, and she went from being number 70 in the world to number 3 in the world in a relatively brief period of time. That brought pressure, she said, but "It's the kind of pressure I like."

How does it feel, she was asked, to see that number 3 after your name? Badosa quickly responded, "To be honest, I wanted number 2."

Ash Barty leaves at the top of her game

We'll miss you out there, @ashbarty 👋#ThankYouAsh pic.twitter.com/wegc0KkwrT

— wta (@WTA) March 23, 2022

World number 1 Ashleigh Barty, at 25 years of age, has retired from professional tennis. Her announcement this week was—on the one hand—a bit of a shock, but—on the other hand—totally in line with the way that Barty lives her life.

When I first saw Ash Barty playing doubles on the tour, I thought that she was on her way to becoming a huge doubles star. Indeed, the Australian would go on to win twelve doubles titles, including one major—the 2018 U.S. Open (with Coco Vandeweghe); she would also be part of the runner-up team in five other majors.

But Barty had singles on her mind, and—while she continued to play doubles—her focus switched to her singles performance. But it wasn’t a conventional transition; in 2014, after playing for just a few years on the tour, Barty announced that she taking an indefinite leave. She was eighteen at the time, and said that she didn’t like traveling all the time, and missing out on experiencing a more normal teenage life.

It was startling to hear an adolescent display this much autonomy, especially in a field in which you can be a star one day and a “didn’t she used to be top 20?” the next. But Ash Barty did what she thought was the healthy thing to do. And she did it with style, becoming a member of the Women’s Big Bash League’s Brisbane Heat cricket team, which led to her eventually entering the league’s top 20.

Two years later, she quit cricket and returned to tennis. Barty won fifteen singles titles, including the 2019 French Open, the 2021 Wimbledon tournament, and the 2022 Australian Open. She also won the WTA Finals in 2018, and was a member of the Australian Fed Cup (now Billie Jean King Cup) team for five years.

During the most intense period of the Covid pandemic, Barty took the year off and played golf—and won a tournament. When she won Wimbledon the next year, I wrote this:

A doubles star who leaves tennis behind for two years in order to sort things out and to play professional cricket, then returns to become number 1 in the world in singles--wins the French Open, then takes a year off because of the pandemic, during which time she wins a golf tournament. Then injures her hip at the French Open, but shows up at Wimbledon--and wins the title.

Oh, that movie is too over-the-top to be made! It was, however, exactly what happened in the professional life of Ash Barty, 2021 Wimbledon singles champion, and world number 1. 

We await the sequel.

The sequel was pretty good. Barty not only went on to win the Australian Open, she also ended three straight seasons as number 1 in the world in singles, which is a rare feat. The Australian star is only the second WTA player to retire while she still holds the number 1 ranking (Justine Henin was the other one). 

In announcing her retirement, Barty said: “I don’t have the physical drive, the emotional want, and  kind of everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top of the level anymore….I am spent. Physically, I have nothing more to give….I’ve given everything I can to this beautiful sport of tennis.”

And that is such an Ash Barty statement—candid and to the point, and minus the flourishes and TV-speak that characterizes so much of what celebrities (and many others) say. 

I don’t especially like the idea that athletes are automatically considered to be “role  models,” but—in many cases—they are. And for little girls and teen girls, there could be no better role model than a woman who always does what she knows is best for her, no matter how “different” it may appear to others, and no matter what others think about it, or what others expect her to do. Girls are still conditioned to do what’s best for others, often at their own expense.

There’s also a lot to emulate in Barty’s level-headed approach to life, calm demeanor, gracious sportswomanship, and vocal respect for everyone on her team. 

It’s always sad when a beloved player leaves the tour, and Ash Barty will be sorely missed. We were so fortunate to have her on the tour. As she said when she explained why she decided to announce her retirement via an interview with dear friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua: “There’s no right way, there’s no wrong way—it’s just my way.”

Her way has served Barty quite well so far, and will undoubtedly continue to do so. In the meantime, we are all lucky to have been guests at the glorious Barty Party.

The WTA--wonderfully unpredictable

Iga's Doha DOMINANCE ✊

🇵🇱 @iga_swiatek stops Kontaveit's win streak and clinches her second WTA 1000 title with a 6-2, 6-0 victory!#QatarTennis pic.twitter.com/KHEKdLAilq

— wta (@WTA) February 26, 2022

There are fans who complain that there is no "big" rivalry on the WTA tour. There are fans who complain that there is no one big, consistent champion on the tour. To each her own, but neither of those things bothers me; in fact, I rather like everything just the way it is. This is a tour with great depth, and depth brings unpredictability. 

It's the same on the LPGA tour. Occasionally, a consistent champion will arise, but most of the time, there are various elite players who win tournaments, including the majors. 

This year is likely to be a shiny mirror of the tour's current depth. World number 1 Ash Barty won her home major in Australia, which was thrilling, and Barty is likely to be a threat at all the majors. But the start of the 2022 season shows us that there are threats (not just at majors, but at all tournaments) popping up in all corners. For example, there is no bigger story right now than the rise of Anett Kontaveit. I'm happy to say that I was expecting big things of the Estonian for years, and she finally found a way to rise to those expectations.

Kontaveit, playing a more aggressive game than in the past--and with an improved serve-- announced herself as a top player in 2021, and she recently won her sixth WTA title. She is now number 5 in the world.

Then there's the resurgence of Alona Ostapenko, which also began in 2021, but has strengthened since the current season began. She recently won Dubai, while demonstrating the ferocious form that earned her the 2017 French Open title. But Ostapenko (who is still having trouble with her serve) has also learned to use a bit of finesse, which may be a result of her successful doubles career.

Bring in Iga Swiatek, who has never had the "typical" post-first major title letdown. After winning the 2020 French Open, Swiatek just kept rolling, reaching at least the fourth round of every major in 2021, and the semifinals of the 2022 Australian Open. Swiatek, who is ranked number 4 in the world, recently won the Doha tournament.

Also in the mix is Paula Badosa, the defending Indian Wells champion. The Spaniard, with her big serve and explosive style, reached the semifinals of the 2021 WTA Finals, and is already ranked number 6 in the world. 

We've also seen a steady resurgence, since 2021, from two-time major champion and world number 9 Garbine Muguruza. World number 2 Barbora Krejcikova remains a threat to all opponents, and both Maria Sakkari (number 7 in the world) and Ons Jabeur (number 10) are continuing to rise in both skill and confidence. Toss in Aryna Sabalenka, Karolina Pliskova and Danielle Collins, and you have a recipe for "anything can happen."

It doesn't end there, of course. It's logical to expect Simona Halep to return to form; she always does. Madison Keys is another player who has been playing more to form lately, and it will be interesting to see what Elina Svitolina has to offer this season. It will also be a pleasure to keep our eyes on the 2021 U.S. Open surprise finalists--Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez. 

There are others, of course, who could break through in various ways--too many to list here. The point is that we are likely to have some new champions, and to also have some surprises. What's not to like?