Monday, July 06, 2015

W.7- With Aga Comes Fun... and Fear


Serena and Venus got all the pre-Day 7 attention, but Aga Radwanska and Jelena Jankovic had all the fun. Well, check that... everyone who went out of their way to watch their Round of 16 match-up -- maybe the true "most anticipated clash" on Monday -- were the ones who had the very best time on Monday.

JJ, ummm, not so much.



Not that she had a lot of say in the matter, for the Pole was flying her malevolent entity flag rather high today. Or at least it sure looked that way.

When the Tennis Gods deign to place Radwanska and Jankovic on opposite sides of the net, especially in a major event, you KNOW you're going to get something memorable. It could by chaos, or maybe just simple craziness. It could be a display of lethal shot-making, or the sight of a player spinning around in place like a whirling dervish while she yells something unrecognizable at her brother in the stands because he just wasn't doing enough to help from his seat in the Player's Box.

Of course, we got all, or at least some, of that in today's 4th Round match, including Jankovic nearly wiping out a ball boy crouched next to the net post after scrambling to reach yet another Radwanska drop shot and, later, the Pole nearly cutting herself in half after running into the high part of the net, not to mention a series of great rallies, amazing drop shots, ridiculous angled winners that a certain Serb couldn't help but chase after even though she really had no earthly chance of getting the ball back over the net (ah, just as the Pole envisioned it) and at least a handful (or two) of stunning, I-can't-believe-she-just-did-that/that's-so-sick! shots from Aga, one of which will surely be the eventual "WTA Shot of the Month" winner because, you know, those are just the rules of this world.

But, mostly, on the whole, we got a really cool contest between two really cool players to watch... oh, and the glorious grass court return of what looked very much like the same Radwanska who reached the '12 Wimbledon final, then was the odds-on favorite to take the title (for a while, at least) after so many seeds had been "massacred" at the AELTC one year later.



Early on, Jankovic looked prepared to more than follow up her upset of defending Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova last round. After saving three BP in the first game of the match, she broke Radwanska to take a 3-1 lead. But in a set that saw one woman give as good or better than her opponent, Radwanska immediately broke back a game later. In game #9, on her fourth BP of the game, Radwanska broke the Serb to take a 5-4 lead, only to see JJ bounce right back a game later. Moving in to the net and hitting an overhead winner to end an 18-shot ralley, Jankovic took a 30/love lead on the Pole's serve. When Aga missed a swing volley forehand, JJ reached break point. Another overhead gave Jankovic the break to knot things at 5-5. But, once again, Radwanska refused to allow the momentum to go against her for long, breaking once again when Jankovic missed on a long backhand. Aga held to take the 7-5 set a game later with a backhand winner down the line.

With that, Radwanska was soon once again feeling her full grass court oats. Since collapsing in the Wimbledon semifinal two years ago, the Pole has spent the last twenty-fourth months often adrift, only occasionally bringing out the bag of tricks that has made her one of the most entertaining players to watch, and vexing to play, for years. Save for one great week in Montreal last summer, Aga hasn't been able to sustain success for very long for quite a while now. But that hasn't been the case so far at this Wimbledon. She came into the fortnight off an Eastbourne final run, and she entered the Round of 16 having lost just twelve games through her first three matches at SW19. After taking the 1st set from Jankovic, there was no hint of doubt in Radwanska's game the rest of the day, nor anything less than brilliance in her mind and magic in her racket. The drop shots were perfect, and the note of recognition of past memories behind her eyes ("yes, my dear, this is how it is supposed to be") as she wore down her opponent was, well, a little frightening. All over again.

Poor JJ. After appearing to be a potential quarterfinalist in the 1st set, over the course of the 2nd she just couldn't hold back the Radwanskian tide. Aga was too much for her, and it didn't long before she began to toy with the Serb like a cat would a mouse.

As Radwanska's drop shots, spins and angles combined with JJ's lost opportunity in the 1st set, it didn't take long for hints of frustration to begin to appear on the Serb's face in the 2nd. One moment Aga was breaking Jankovic while firing a down the line winner from her patented squat-and-butt-on-the-lawn position at the baseline to go up 3-2, then soon afterward she was somehow coming up with a short swing backhand drop shot from BEHIND the baseline that simply crossed the net by mere inches... and then died an unnatural death on the grass just a few feet away.

JJ could only watch, knowing she could do absolutely nothing to save her fuzzy yellow friend.

Jankovic knew it was hopeless, but she carried on the only way she knows how... with a bit more grumbling at her brother as the match slipped away. Oh, and a brief period that allowed for the hope of a 3rd set. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Jankovic reached double break point in game #8 after finally winning a point after having to hit five or six "winners" that Radwanska had managed to get back over the net. On BP #1, Aga pulled out some power with a forehand crosscourt winner from behind the doubles alley. On BP #2, she denied JJ with a big wide forehand that was followed up by her sneaking forward and hitting a shot down the line. JJ got a third opportunity, though, finally getting things back on serve at 4-4 with a running crosscourt backhand. JJ raised both her arms in victory.

Of course, both women knew it was only a temporary reprieve. The execution of the decisive order of defeat was destined to occur just moments later.

Perhaps Jankovic relaxed in game #9, or was just tired. Either was a big mistake in any post-(or current?) Radwanskian era of vigilance. After fighting to get back into the set, Jankovic hit a string of errors that gave Aga the chance to reclaim her advantage. The Serb seemingly saved her second of two BP in the game with a backhand down the line, only to see Radwanska immediately call for a challenge... and be proven correct, as the ball had landed outside the line to give Aga a break for 5-4. Jankovic was visibly crestfallen. The knew it was over. It was just a matter of time.



It didn't much longer for Aga to put her out of her misery. One game later, a long JJ forehand brought the official end of the match, a 7-5/6-4 contest that proved that Radwanska -- Aga, whether "The" is along for the ride or not -- is alive and well, and in the Wimbledon QF for the fifth time in her career, but the first time since the disappointing end of the 2013 event that may have been her last best chance to win her maiden slam.

Hmmm, or was it? Paranoia is still the name of the game at the All-England Club. So watch your back. A familiar feeling is beginning to creep up the collective spine.

It could be nothing. Maybe this is ALL Aga, in all her glory, with no "evil undertones" involved. But what if it isn't?





=DAY 7 NOTES=
...meanwhile, the "marquee" match of the day was the first meeting of the Williams Sisters at Wimbledon since the 2009 final. The conventional wisdom going in was that #16 Venus might have the best chance of anyone left in the draw to upend Serena's chances for history this weekend.

Well, if that was REALLY the case, then history belongs to Serena.



After slipping in and out of form over her first three matches at this Wimbledon, Serena was on her game from the start in the 26th edition of the Sister Series, winning by a 6-4/6-3 score. She now leads Venus in their head-to-head 15-11, and has won six times in their last seven meetings (Venus won last summer in Montreal, her first win over Serena since '09). As has usually been the case when they've met, there weren't any shouts of approval at winners or any "come on!" rallying yells from the younger Williams. She kept her head down and went about her business in this first-ever meeting of TWO five-time Wimbledon champions.



Serena opened the match with a break of serve and won the first eight points. Venus held in game #3, but only after Serena fired a passing shot past an outstretched Venus at the net is what really did provide as classic of a Wimbledon video clip on these two on Centre Court as any you'll likely to ever see. Venus did get back on serve when Serena yanked a backhand wide on BP as things closed to 2-2, but the #1 seed got it back one game later. Playing her best tennis of the tournament, and averaging 12-mph more on her serves than she did on Friday against Heather Watson -- Serena kept her serves deep and quickly went up 40/love while serving at 5-4. She won the set with an ace.

After saving three BP over two games in the 2nd, Venus was broken on Serena's sixth BP chance of the set to give Serena a 4-3 lead. Serena broke Venus, hardly in the same form she was last week, at love to close out the match.



In all, Serena served up ten aces against zero DF, won 25 of 32 of her 1st serves (10/16 2nd) and faced just two BP on the day (dropping serve just once). She outpaced Venus 36-15 in winners.

Could it be the last time they meet? Sure, at this point, that's always the case, as it has been for a while. After all, they already went nearly three-and-a-half years without facing each other from the end of the '09 season (when they met twice in the same event for the only time, at the WTA Finals) until the spring of '13 (Charleston). But we've got more than a full year until the Rio Olympics, through which we KNOW both Sisters will still be playing, and with Venus likely in the Top 15 after this event the chances seem good they'll meet again in a match that counts SOMEWHERE over the next thirteen months. After that, we'll see.



...Serena's next opponent, as it should be, will be #23 Vika Azarenka, who'll get her third chance this season to take out the world #1 after twice narrowly missing out on the opportunity in their two previous '15 encounters.

Azarenka, in relentless form, put an end to #30 Belinda Bencic's great grass court season with a 6-2/6-3 victory today that came about in progressively more impressive fashion. At the end of the match, Vika ran off eleven straight points to reach triple match point. Finally, on her third MP, a Bencic error put Azarenka into her first SW19 quarterfinal since 2012.

Speaking of triple match points and the third time being the charm, those both play into the Serena-vs.-Vika "it-used-to-be-a-legitimate-rivalry-and-maybe-can-be-again" round-about of '15. In Madrid, Azarenka held triple MP against Williams, only to eventually double-fault three straight times to break herself and lose twelve of the final thirteen points of the 7-6(5)/3-6/7-6(1) match. Then at Roland Garros, Azarenka led 6-3/4-2 before losing a crucial point that involved a "late" call, Serena being "hindered" by it (not really, as it came after the shot) and Vika failing to get the point. The moment completely changed the momentum of the match. Of course, that incident also involved this little moment between an incredulous Vika and an unapologetic Serena which I'm sure Williams hasn't forgotten.



Will THIS third time be the charm for Azarenka, or will the possible moment that would mark her OFFICIAL return to form get pushed back into the hard court season, and maybe even all the way to the U.S. Open, where she and Williams have already met in two very competitive finals in 2012-13? Serena looked strong today, but so did Vika. But the match tomorrow sure looks like it could be the REAL "last true challenge" en route to slam title #21.



...Americans Coco Vandeweghe and Madison Keys have already shared headlines during a grass court season, with both winning maiden tour titles on the same weekend just last year. "Bannerette Days" continued on Day 7 as the two advanced into their first career Wimbledon quarterfinals, giving the U.S. three of the final eight at SW19 for the first time since 2004 (Capriati, Davenport & Serena).



Vandeweghe knocked down the bigger foe of the two in #6 Lucie Safarova, a semifinalist at SW19 a year ago. Try as she might, the Czech had a devil of a time breaking Vandeweghe, who has gotten into even better shape and learned to more consistently control her power game since her title run of last June (apparently, especially since hiring Craig Kardon as coach before Roland Garros). Not that Safarova didn't have her chances. She did.

In the 1st set, Vandeweghe battled back from 15/40 down to hold for 4-3. Two games later, Safarova got the break on her fourth BP chance of the set, only to give it right back a game later when she was serving for the set at 5-4 (after the Czech had lost just six points on her serve in her previous four service games). The set went to a tie-break, and the American quickly went up a double mini-break at 3-0, then pulled off a successful serve-and-volley point to take a 5-0 advantage. She won 7-1 with a second serve ace.

In the 2nd set, after Vandeweghe saved four more BP in game #4, the two women exchanged breaks in games #7 and #8 (both converted on their first BP shot) and then went to yet another tie-break without either being able to carve out another BP. The first seven points were held by the server, then a Safarova error ended that string and gave Vandeweghe a 5-3 lead. It was the only lost serve of the TB, and Coco eventually closed things out by holding both her serves to win 7-5, completing the 7-6(1)/7-6(5) win with her second Top 11 victory at this Wimbledon (#11 Ka.Pliskova) to go along with other impressive wins over #22 Sam Stosur and Anna Schmiedlova.



Afterward, Vandeweghe said she didn't think her performance was one of her best, noting that she wasn't aggressive enough and Safarova, at times, "pushed me around."

While Vandeweghe was pulling off her best career slam result, #21 Keys was busy putting herself into position to play for her second 2015 major semifinal (w/ AO) by defeating qualifier Olga Govortsova. Although, it DID take Keys three sets to take down the world #122, as she was slow to get her serve going.

In the 1st set, Keys got just 41% of her 1st serves in play as the Belarusian took a 4-1 lead and served at 5-1. Govortsova finally served out the 6-3 set when Keys fired a backhand return long. Keys got her serve in better order in the 2nd, raising her 1st serve percentage to 63% and winning the same percentage of those points (12/19). Her 1st serve percentage dipped to 55% again in the 3rd (something to keep an eye on vs. A-Rad tomorrow, as Keys' power -- be it controlled or not -- will likely determine the winner), but Keys made up for it by winning 60% of Govortsova's 1st serves as she took the match 3-6/6-4/6-1, sweeping the final six games of the match.



Vandeweghe's next opponent will be #4 Maria Sharapova, who still has yet to lose a set. She did wobble slightly in her match against Zarina Diyas, though. She led the 1st set 5-2, and served at 5-3, holding two set points. The Kazakh got the break and made things interesting before Sharapova finally took the set with a break of serve one game later, finishing things off on her fifth SP. In the 2nd, Diyas jumped out to a 3-1 lead. Sharapova got back on serve at 3-3, and things stayed that way until late in the set, as Sharapova again got a break to end things, winning 6-4/6-4 to advance to her 23rd career major QF (her first at Wimbledon since 2011).



Could the slight Sharapova slips be a sign that the door is open for a Vandeweghe upset in the QF? If Coco can keep her service games tidy, umm, maybe. We've seen that sort of thing happen with Maria before, especially in this tournament.

...meanwhile, #15 Timea Bacsinszky took a bit of time figuring out Monica Niculescu's unorthodox game, but she eventually found her way through to her second straight slam quarterfinal with a 1-6/7-5/6-2 win.

The Swiss hit just seven winners in the 1st set, but rebounded to total twenty-four in the final two sets. Both players had trouble holding onto serve, as there were five consecutive breaks in the 2nd, a streak that finally ended with Bacsinszky's hold to win the set at 7-5. In the 3rd, Niculescu dropped serve three more times consecutively (making it six straight breaks by the Swiss).

Timea was just a little excited when the match was over, too. I'm sure you heard her... no matter where you might have happened to be.





...the the final women's Round of 16 match of the day, #20 Garbine Muguruza survived a temporary lapse (which sometimes lasts all the way until she blows a winnable match, but not this time) to take out #5 Caroline Wozniacki 6-4/6-4, as the Dane continues to fail to have a Wimbledon QF result on her career resume.




This is Muguruza's second straight major quarterfinal result, but she's the first Spanish woman to go so far at Wimbledon since Conchita Martinez in 2001. Of note, Martinez is the only woman from Spain to ever win the SW19 title, having defeated nine-time Wimbledon champ Martina Navratilova (in her last major slam singles final) in the 1994 championship match with a barrage of glorious passing shots that prevented the 37-year old from becoming the first player in the Open era to win ten titles at a single slam. Rafa Nadal became the first man to win nine last (at RG), but no other woman has ever reached that number since Navratilova and, unless Serena plays dominating singles until she's forty (which MAYBE she could, if only at Wimbledon... if she wanted to, as a '15 title would her sixth at SW19), it's quite possible none ever will.

Speaking of Conchita, she was just named the temporary Spanish Davis Cup captain until the end of '15. She replaces Gala Leon, the first woman ever named to the position, though she never actually captained a tie. Garcia's appointment was publicly criticized by Toni Nadal for what he said was her lack of knowledge of the men's game. We'll have to see what he says about Conchita, I guess.



...in contrast to the singles, the women's doubles has seen seven of the top nine seeds reach the quarterfinals, including the #1's...



and the AO and RG champs, as Bethanie Mattek-Sands helped Safarova get over her singles defeat with win later in the day.



The other Top 9 seeded team still in th draw is #9 Dellacqua/Shvedova, who took out what was left left of the 2014 Wimbledon championship duo of Errani/Vinci, knocking out Knapp/Vinci today. The only unseeded team remaining is the SuperVet combo of Black/Raymond, who'll next face #2 Makarova/Vesnina.

With today's singles loss from Safarova and doubles loss by Vandeweghe/Groenefeld (9-7 3rd set losers vs. Hsieh/Pennetta), no women are alive in both the singles and doubles draws. The same is true in the mixed, as Keys (in a really intriguing pairing with Nick Kyrgios) lost to to #16 Hlavackova/Kubot in a 10-8 3rd set today.

There are quite a few still harboring the hopes of doing what Mattek-Sands did in Paris, though. Namely, sweep the titles in both doubles disciplines. The women still alive in doubles and mixed:

Timea Babos, HUN
Cara Black, ZIM
Martina Hingis, SUI
Raquel Kops-Jones, USA
Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
Sania Mirza, IND
Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
Elena Vesnina, RUS

...meanwhile, there were some HUGE upsets in the juniors, including two authored by a pair of young Brits as BOTH the Roehampton finalists from this weekend -- #1 Marketa Vondrousova and #3 Dalma Galfi -- were sent out in their opening matches at the AELTC. Anna Brogan dominated Vondrousova, taking out the Czech by a 6-1/6-2 score, while Maia Lumsden took out Galfi, dumping the Roehampton champ 7-5/6-3.




Another Brit (and Roehampton semifinalist), #5 Katie Swan, had to battle back from a set down to defeat Aussie Seone Mendez.



The other weekend semifinalist, Bannerette Ingrid Neel, has advanced to the 2nd Round, where she'll face #10-seeded AO girls champ Tereza Mihalikova.

Slovak Viktoria Kuzmova defeated #4 Anna Kalinskaya, as well. The Russian was a RG girls finalist last month. Vondrousova's fellow top-seeded doubles partner (they've won the AO and RG), #8 singles seed Miriam Kolodziejova, was also upset by Belarusian Vera Lapko, while Bannerette Sonya Kenin (#9) defeated Canada's Bianca Andreescu.


"Well, yeah, there's that." FROM DAY 7: While everyone is in a (legitimate, up to a point) tizzy about what's happened in the bottom half, and act as if they're going to faint when they draw is show on screen, it should be noted that the group of eight women remaining in the battle to reach the final includes:

* - Two 2015 slam semifinalists (one who should have beaten Serena in Paris, and another who did defeat Kvitova in Australia)

* - The player who just last year dealt Serena Williams her worst-ever grand slam defeat and has reached back-to-back major QF

* - The 2012 Wimbledon finalist who was one set away from defeating Williams to take the SW19 title and becoming the world #1

Of course, I doubt all that gets brought up too much between now and tomorrow morning.


LIKE FROM DAY 7: Memories. (But not for Belinda Bencic, or Ana Konjuh, or Jelena Ostapenko, or...)




LIKE FROM DAY 7: Sisters. Yesterday, today and forever.



LIKE FROM DAY 7: You can't say the WTT's Philadelphia Freedoms don't support their own.




ALIZE LIM HUMOR FROM DAY 7:




LIKE FROM DAY 7: Memories, Pt.II




GOOD TO KNOW FROM DAY 7: Ever since she lost to Alize Cornet at last year's Wimbledon, Serena Williams is 25-0 in slams.


"Ummm, okaaaaaay" FROM DAY 7:



I guess we know who had the high bid at the auction for Michael Jackson's old outfits.


OUR BEST HOPE TO AVOID A RADWANSKIAN WINTER AS OF DAY 7?: Killer net cords.



Or cheesecake. Whichever proves the most effective.




...and, finally, there are some interesting similarities between the 2013 semifinals in which Radwanska lost to Sabine Lisicki and the quarterfinals in the bottom half of this Wimbledon's draw.

Aga, at #4, was the highest-seeded woman in that final four group two years ago. Of the four quarterfinalists in the bottom half this time, Radwanska (#13) is once again the player with the best seed. The other three semifinalists in '13 were seeded #15, #20 and #23. In these QF, they're seeded #15, #20 and #21.



Aga lost to the #23 seed in '13, and plays the #21 this time around. Of note, eventual champ Marion Bartoli was seeded #15. Bacsinszky holds that seed this year. Hmmm.

Of course, you could also point out that the #15 seed won in 2013, so it would seem perfectly reasonable for the #13 seed to win in 2015, right? The Tennis Gods, with malevolent assistance/influence or not, are tricky like that sometimes.





*LADIES' SINGLES QF*
#1 Serena Williams/USA vs. #23 Victoria Azarenka/BLR
#4 Maria Sharapova/RUS vs. Coco Vandeweghe/USA
#20 Garbine Muguruza/ESP vs. #15 Timea Bacsinszky/SUI
#21 Madison Keys/USA vs. #13 Aga Radwanska/POL

*GENTLEMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#1 Novak Djokovic/SRB or #14 Kevin Anderson/RSA vs. #9 Marin Cilic/CRO
#4 Stan Wawrinka/SUI vs. #21 Richard Gasquet/FRA
Vacek Pospisil/CAN vs. #3 Andy Murray/GBR
#12 Gilles Simon/FRA vs. #2 Roger Federer/SUI

*LADIES' DOUBLES QF*
#1 Hingis/Mirza (SUI/IND) vs. #9 Dellacqua/Shvedova (AUS/KAZ)
#3 Mattek-Sands/Safarova (USA/CZE) vs. #5 Kops-Jones/Spears (USA/USA)
#7 S.Hsieh/Pennetta (TPE/ITA) vs. #4 Babos/Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
C.Black/Raymond (ZIM/USA) vs. #2 Makarova/Vesnina (RUS/RUS)

*GENTLEMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
#1 B.Bryan/M.Bryan (USA/USA) def. Pavic/Venus (CRO/NZL)
#9 Bopanna/Mergea (IND/ROU) vs. #7 Matkowski/Zimonjic (POL/SRB)
#8 Peya/Soares (AUT/BRA) vs. #13 J.Murray/Peers (GBR/AUS)
(Q) Erlich/Petzschner (ISR/GER) def. (LL) Daniell/Demoliner (NZL/BRA)
#2 Dodig/Melo (CRO/BRA) def. (WC) Marray/Nielsen (GBR/DEN)

*MIXED DOUBLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Mattek-Sands/M.Bryan (USA/USA) vs. Olaru/Venus (ROU/NZL)
#9 C.Black/Cabal (ZIM/COL) vs. #8 Mladenovic/Nestor (FRA/CAN)
#3 Vesnina/Matkowski (RUS/POL) vs. #16 Hlavackova/Kubot (CZE/POL)
An.Rodionova/Sitak (AUS/NZL) vs. #7 Hingis/Paes (SUI/IND)
#6 Srebotnik/Tecau (SLO/ROU) vs. #10 Kops-Jones/Klaasen (USA/RSA)
Medina-Garrigues/Lindstedt (ESP/SWE) vs. Gajdosova/Zimonjic (AUS/SRB)
Savchuk/Marach (UKR/AUT) vs. #5 Babos/Peya (HUN/AUT)
Konjuh/Draganja (CRO/CRO) vs. #2 Mirza/Soares (IND/BRA)

*WOMEN'S WC DOUBLES SF*
#1 Kamiji/Whiley (JPN/GBR) vs. Hunt/Kruger (GBR/GBR)
Ellerbrock/Shuker (GER/GBR) vs. #2 Griffioen/Van Koot (NED/NED)

*MEN'S WC DOUBLES SF*
#1 Houdet/Kunieda (FRA/JPN) vs. Fernandez/Peifer (ARG/FRA)
Gerard/Hewett (BEL/GBR) vs. #2 Jeremiasz/Reid (FRA/GBR)







??

A photo posted by Victoria Azarenka (@vichka35) on












*WIMBLEDON "IT" WINNERS*
2006 Li Na, CHN
2007 Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2008 Agnieszka Radwanska, POL
2009 Sabine Lisicki, GER
2010 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2011 Sabine Lisicki, GER
2012 [Alter Ego] "The Radwanska"
2013 [Upstart] Michelle Larcher de Brito, POR
2014 [New Wheelchair Star] Yui Kamiji, JPN
2015 [Vandeweghe] Coco Vandeweghe, USA

*WIMBLEDON "ZOMBIE QUEEN" WINNERS*
2007 Venus Williams, USA
2008 Nicole Vaidisova, CZE
2009 Dinara Safina, RUS
2010 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2011 Marion Bartoli, FRA
2012 Tamira Paszek, AUT
2013 Eugenie Bouchard, CAN
2014 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova & Lucie Safarova, RUS/CZE
2015 Serena Williams, USA

*2015 WIMBLEDON WOMEN'S FINAL 8*
[by career slam QF]
41...Serena Williams, USA
23...Maria Sharapova, RUS
14...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
11...Aga Radwanska, POL
3...Garbine Muguruza, ESP
2...Timea Bacsinszky, SUI
2...Madison Keys, USA
1...Coco Vandeweghe, USA
[by career WI QF]
11...Serena Williams
5...Aga Radwanska
5...Maria Sharapova
4...Victoria Azarenka
1...Timea Bacsinszky
1...Madison Keys
1...Garbine Muguruza
1...Coco Vandeweghe
[w/ consecutive slam QF]
4...Serena Williams
2...Timea Bacsinszky
2...Garbine Muguruza
[w/ consecutive WI QF]
none
[2015 slam QF - unseeded]
AO - Madison Keys, USA
RG - Timea Bacsinszky, SUI
RG - Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL
WI - Coco Vandeweghe, USA
[2015 1st-time GS QF]
AO - Madison Keys, USA
RG - Timea Bacsinszky, SUI
RG - Elina Svitolina, UKR
RG - Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL
WI - Coco Vandeweghe, USA
[2015 slam QF]
3 - Serena Williams, USA
2 - Timea Bacsinszky, SUI
2 - Madison Keys, USA
2 - Garbine Muguruza, ESP
2 - Maria Sharapova, RUS
[2015 slam QF - by nation]
7...USA (Keys,Vandeweghe,S.Williams)
3...RUS (Sharapova)
2...ESP (Muguruza), SUI (Bacsinszky)
1...BEL,BLR(Azarenka),CAN,CZE,ITA,POL(A.Radwanska),ROU,SRB,SVK,UKR
[WTA career slam QF - active]
41...SERENA WILLIAMS, USA
34...Venus Williams, USA
23...MARIA SHARAPOVA, RUS
15...Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
14...VICTORIA AZARENKA, BLR
11...AGA RADWANSKA, POL
9...Nadia Petrova, RUS
8...Ana Ivanovic, SRB
8...Jelena Jankovc, SRB
8...Petra Kvitova, CZE
[WTA slam QF - 2010-15 - active]
13...SERENA WILLIAMS, USA
12...VICTORIA AZARENKA, BLR
10...MARIA SHARAPOVA, RUS
8...AGA RADWANSKA, POL
8...Petra Kvitova, CZE
6...Sara Errani, ITA
6...Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
6...Caroline Wozniacki, DEN

*ACTIVE PLAYERS WITH ONE CAREER SLAM QF*
Belinda Bencic, SUI
Sorana Cirstea, ROU
Kirsten Flipkens, BEL
Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
Michaella Krajicek, NED
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, CRO
Melanie Oudin, USA
Peng Shuai, CHN
Alexandra Stevenson, USA
Barbora Strycova, CZE
Elina Svitolina, UKR
Tamarine Tanasugarn, THA
Coco Vandeweghe, USA (2015 Wimbledon)
Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL
Yanina Wickmayer, BE

*UNSEEDED/WC/Q in SLAM QF SINCE 32-SEED DRAW*
[began w/ 2001 Wimbledon]
01 US - Bedanova
02 AO - Ad.Serra-Zanetti
02 RG - Pierce,C.Fernandez,Suarez
02 WI - Likhovtseva
02 US - Bovina
03 AO - Shaughnessy,Ruano-Pascual
03 RG - Pierce
04 WI - Sprem
04 US - Asagoe
05 RG - Karatantcheva
06 AO - Hingis(wc)
06 WI - Bremond(q)
07 AO - S.Williams(champion),Safarova
07 US - Szavay
08 RG - Kanepi,Suarez-Navarro(q)
08 WI - Zheng(wc),Tanasugarn
09 AO - Dokic(wc),Suarez-Navarro
09 RG - Sharapova,Cirstea
09 WI - Lisicki,Schiavone
09 US - Wickmayer,K.Bondarenko,Oudin,Clijsters(wc=champion)
10 AO - Henin(wc) [Henin reached final]
10 RG - Shvedova
10 WI - Kvitova,Kanepi(q),Pironkova
10 US - Cibulkova
11 WI - Lisicki(wc),Paszek
11 US - Kerber
12 AO - Makarova,Errani
12 RG - Shvedova(q)
12 WI - Paszek
13 AO - Kuznetsova
13 RG - Kuznetsova
13 WI - Kanepi
13 US - Hantuchova
13 US - Pennetta
14 RG - Muguruza
14 WI - Zahlavova-Strycova
14 US - Bencic
14 US - Peng
15 AO - Keys
15 RG - Van Uytvanck
15 WI - Vandeweghe





TOP QUALIFIER: Petra Cetkovska, CZE
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #2 Petra Kvitova/CZE
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1: #21 Michelle Larcher de Brito/POR d. Ysaline Bonaventure/BEL 1-6/6-3/12-10 (saved 4 MP)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - #6 Lucie Safarova/CZE d. Alison Riske/USA 3-6/7-5/6-3 (Riske up set and 4-2, served 5-4, 2-0 in 3rd)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): Nominee: 3rd Rd. - #1 S.Williams d. H.Watson 6-2/4-6/7-5 (Watson up dbl-bk 3-0 in 3rd, served at 5-4, 2 pts from win)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
=============================
FIRST WINNER: #23 Victoria Azarenka/BLR (def. Kontaveit/EST)
FIRST SEED OUT: #24 Flavia Pennetta/ITA (lost 1st Rd. to Diyas/KAZ)
UPSET QUEENS: The Bannerettes
REVELATION LADIES: The Swiss
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Italy (Pennetta "FSO" - ITA 4/6 FSO at Wimbledon; Schiavone another 1st Rd; Knapp ret.; Vinci disappoints)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Olga Govortsova/BLR (4th Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Jelena Ostapenko/LAT (2nd Rd.)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Heather Watson/GBR (3rd Rd.)
IT ("??"): ("Vandeweghe") Coco Vandeweghe/USA (1st slam QF, lives up to family history w/ New York Knick commentary)
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: A.Radwanska, Keys, Bacsinszky, Muguruza, Azarenka
COMEBACK: Nominees: A.Radwanska, Black/Raymond, Azarenka, Bacsinszky, The Rad???
CRASH & BURN: #12 Genie Bouchard/CAN (1st Rd. loss to qualifier #117 Duan; was '14 finalist; two con. slam 1st Rd. losses) & #3 Simona Halep/ROU (1st Rd. loss to #106 Cepelova; lost to Bouchard in '14 SW19 semi)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: #1 Serena Williams (3rd Rd. - down double-break 3-0 in 3rd set vs. Watson, who served for match at 5-4 and was two points from victory)
THE RADWANSKA AWARD (June 26): Aga Radwanska & the seagull (in Eastbourne, bird swoops at Radwanska as she serves... one day later, she loses in the final)
THE RADWANSKA AWARD (Day 3): Day 3 is the hottest day ever recorded in Wimbledon history (35.7 C / 96 F), fire alarm evacuates Centre Court
DOUBLES STAR: xx
KIMIKO DATE-KRUMM VETERAN CUP (KDK CUP): Nominees: Black/Raymond (combined 77 years old), S.Williams, M.Hingis, K.Srebotnik, C.Black
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx



All for Day 7. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 6:57 PM 

7 Comments:

Blogger Eric said...

I don't understand why they move some matches to Centre Court when it gets late...and other matches are just suspended... it especially doesn't make sense later on in the tournament.

--------

not that this is a bad thing...but why is spain pushing so hard for there to be a female davis cup captain? there are absolutely no male options? jose higueras isn't around or something?

Mon Jul 06, 07:03:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Eric said...

Rafa "only" has 9 FO titles. Not 10. No person has ever won 10 of the same slam.

Mon Jul 06, 07:14:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Eric said...

Your seeding comments (13/15 Aga/Bacs) are gold.

Mon Jul 06, 07:25:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Diane said...

To answer your question, Eric: P.R. This way they can say they "tried" having a woman. And I'm suspicious that they'll extend the sexism--Garcia is a bitch, but Conchita is "one of the guys"--that kind of thing.

Mon Jul 06, 07:54:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Eric-
Whoops. Fixed that. Thanks. Another reason for paranoia. ;)

Mon Jul 06, 08:44:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Hoergren said...

The fourth round curse hit again. The only reason to Carolines defeat was herself, and it must be frustrating to loose for the fifth time in wimbledons fourth round, so I must admit it's all mental. And Todd - NO it was not the Radwanska.

Tue Jul 07, 05:00:00 AM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

The Radwanska is going up against history, even if she doesn't play Serena. Sharapova may have a ghastly 2-17 record against Serena, but at least she has beaten her at least once. So Muguruza is covered too. But with Radwanska at 0-8, it should be noted that there hasn't been a slam winner that hasn't beaten Serena in their career since Myskina won the French in 2004(0-5) career.

Tue Jul 07, 02:58:00 PM EDT  

Post a Comment

<< Home