AO 8.5 - The Tradition Continues
The first surprise quarterfinalist of the night turned out to be Johanna Konta, the #47-ranked 24-year old whose hard court summer run in North American totally changed her career last year (and led to a Round of 16 result at the U.S. Open, after having previously been 1-7 in slam MD). Well, the changes just keep coming.
Facing off with '15 AO semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova, the Sydney-born Konta outlasted the Hordette in a 3rd set that, unlike some of the recent women's matches at this major, opened wiht eight straight holds of serve. Konta finally broke Makarova in game #9 and served for the match at 5-4. But the moment proved to be too much for her, and it was soon back to the grind at 5-5. Three games later, she got the break advantage back at 7-6, and went about her "do-over" moment. This time, Konta held true, easily holding to put away a 4-6/6-4/8-6 victory that makes her the first British woman to reach a slam Final 8 since Jo Durie at Wimbledon in 1984.
Jo Konta: "I'm just incredibly happy and humbled with the way I was able to compete today." https://t.co/U0hZWotG5z pic.twitter.com/mFrAdYhWVB
— Australian Open (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2016Konta has already assured herself of rising to #32 once this AO is over. She could climb even higher, depending on what happens in her QF match-up with another player who knocked off a '15 AO semifinalist. World #133 Zhang Shuai's dream run (somehow, though, that phrase seems to undersell what she's experiencing at this slam, doesn't it?) continued with a come-from-behind 3-6/6-3/6-3 win over Madison Keys, who broke from her '16 AO pattern and actually got off to a GOOD start this time, only to be later treated for a leg injury that hindered her movement the rest of the way.
Either way, the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific has yet another second week Chinese star. Following in the footsteps of Li Na and Zheng Jie, Zhang's result at this slam in the sixth QF-or-better performance by a Chinese woman in Melbourne since 2010.
*CHINESE QF+ RESULTS at AUSTRALIAN OPEN*
2010 Li Na (SF), Zheng Jie (SF)
2011 Li Na (RU)
2013 Li Na (RU)
2015 Li Na (W)
2016 Zhang Shuai (to QF)
The win assures Zhang, whose play through the first eight days of this AO has lifted her ranking seventy spots, of being the new top-ranked Chinese woman. After arriving in Melbourne on Day 1 with an career 0-14 mark in slam main draw outings (and thirteen failed qualifying attempts dating back to 2007, as well), Zhang has now won seven in a row in Melbourne, first winning three matches to qualify, and then running off four straight over the likes of #2 Simona Halep (a former RG finalist), Alize Cornet (a Week 2 champion), Varvara Lepchenko (who has 26 MD slam wins) and now #15 Keys.
Zhang Shuai: "Very exciting. Very happy, yeah. I don't want stop. I want more step." https://t.co/Z0j2584BXg pic.twitter.com/gK6kgur6JB
— Australian Open (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2016Naturally, Konta and Zhang will face off in QF contest to determine a semifinalist, as the Unexpected AO Semifinalist Club -- Sloane Stephens in '13, Genie Bouchard in '14 and Keys -- will get a new non-North American member.
#AusOpen Quarterfinals set! ??
Serena vs Sharapova
Radwanska vs Suarez Navarro
Kerber vs Azarenka
Konta vs Zhang pic.twitter.com/JjHiNglbTd
— WTA (@WTA) January 25, 2016*2016 AUSTRALIAN OPEN WOMEN'S FINAL 8*
[by career slam QF]
43...Serena Williams, USA
24...Maria Sharapova, RUS
16...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
12...Aga Radwanska, POL
5...Angelique Kerber, GER
5...Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP
1...Johanna Konta, GBR
1...Zhang Shuai, CHN
[by career AO QF]
10 - Serena Williams
8 - Maria Sharapova
6 - Aga Radwanska
5 - Victoria Azarenka
2 - Carla Suarez-Navarro
1 - Angelique Kerber
1 - Johanna Konta
1 - Zhang Shuai
[w/ consecutive slam QF]
6...Serena Williams
3...Victoria Azarenka
--
NOTE: Sharapova 2 straight (non-consecutive) slam QF ['15 US Open DNP]
[w/ consecutive AO QF]
2...Victoria Azarenka
2...Serena Williams
[WTA career slam QF - active]
43...SERENA WILLIAMS, USA
35...Venus Williams, USA
24...MARIA SHARAPOVA, RUS
16...VICTORIA AZARENKA, BLR
15...Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
12...AGA RADWANSKA, POL
9...Petra Kvitova, CZE
8...Ana Ivanovic, SRB
8...Jelena Jankovc, SRB
--
ALSO: Petrova (9)
[WTA slam QF in 2010's - active]
15...SERENA WILLIAMS, USA
14...VICTORIA AZARENKA, BLR
11...MARIA SHARAPOVA, RUS
9...Petra Kvitova, CZE
9...AGA RADWANSKA, POL
7...Sara Errani, ITA
6...Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
6...Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
*UNSEEDED/WC/Q in AO QF SINCE 32-SEED DRAW (2002-present)*
2002 Adriana Serra-Zanetti/ITA
2003 Meghann Shaughnessy/USA, Virginia Ruano-Pascual/ESP
2006 Martina Hingis/SUI (wc)
2007 Serena Williams/USA [won title], Lucie Safarova/CZE
2009 Jelena Dokic/AUS (wc), Carla Suarez-Navarro/ESP
2010 Justine Henin/BEL (wc) [reached final], Zheng Jie/CHN, Maria Kirilenko/RUS
2012 Ekaterina Makarova/RUS, Sara Errani/ITA
2013 Svetlana Kuznetsova/RUS
2015 Madison Keys/USA
2016 Johanna Konta/GBR, Zhang Shuai/CHN (q)
*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#1 Serena Williams/USA vs. #5 Maria Sharapova/RUS
#4 Aga Radwanska/POL vs. #10 Carla Suarez-Navarro/ESP
#7 Angelique Kerber/GER vs. #14 Victoria Azarenka
Johanna Konta/GBR vs. (Q) Zhang Shuai/CHN
*MEN'S SINGLES QF*
#1 Novak Djokovic/SRB vs. #7 Kei Nishikori/JPN
#3 Roger Federer/SUI vs. #6 Tomas Berdych/CZE
#23 Gael Monfils/FRA vs. #13 Milos Raonic/CAN
#8 David Ferrer/ESP vs. #2 Andy Murray/GBR
*WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
#1 Hingis/Mirza (SUI/IND) vs. #12 Groenefeld/Vandeweghe (GER/USA)
#13 Goerges/Ka.Pliskova (GER/CZE) vs. King/Kudryavtseva (USA/RUS)
Rodionova/Rodionova (AUS/AUS) vs. #15 Xu Yifan/Zheng Saisai (CHN/CHN)
#7 Hlavackova/Hradecka (CZE/CZE) vs. #2 Chan/Chan (TPE/TPE)
*MEN'S DOUBLES QF*
#1 Rojer/Tecau (NED/ROU) vs. Mannarino/Pouille (FRA/FRA)
#13 Klaasen/Ram (RSA/USA) vs. #7 J.Murray/Soares (GBR/BRA)
Nestor/Stepanek (CAN/CZE) vs. #14 Huey/Mirnyi (PHI/BLR)
#9 Pospisil/Sock (CAN/USA) vs. #16 Cuevas/Granollers (URU/ESP)
*MIXED DOUBLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Mirza/Dodig (IND/CRO) vs. Shvedova/Qureshi (KAZ/PAK)
Hingis/Paes (SUI/IND) vs. Stephens/Rojer (USA/NED)
#4 Srebotnik/J.Murray (SLO/GBR) d. Groenefeld/Farah (GER/COL)
#5 Vesnina/Soares (RUS/BRA) d. SW.Hsieh/Peya (TPE/AUT)
Klepac/Huey (SLO/PHI) d. Kudryavtseva/Lindstedt (RUS/SWE)
#3 YJ.Chan/Bopanna (TPE/IND) d. Hlavackova/Kubot (CZE/POL)
Vandeweghe/Tecau (USA/ROU) vs. Errani/Fognini (ITA/ITA)
#2 Mattek-Sands/B.Bryan (USA/USA) d. Stosur/Peers (AUS/AUS)
All for Day 8.5 -- more tonight.
posted by Todd.Spiker @ 3:19 PM
6 Comments:
Also Zheng and Kirilenko, both unseeded, played a QF at the '10 AO. I'm guessing you got so carried away typing in Justine Henin you forgot to check if there was any others. :-)
I was sure Makarova was going to make at least the QF this year with this draw.
I had Makarova in the final.
W-
Thanks! I've have those lists for so long now I just cut-and-paste them w/o re-checking the older slams. Don't know why those got cut off that one at some point. (Though the Henin idea is as good as any!) :D
D-
And I had her in the semis.
Welcome all to the Land of the Curse Makers. ;)
i thought makaora was a lock in that quarter. turning out to be a very-opportunity land for those who step up. it was difficult to watch keys playing hurt. very sportsmanship for her to finish the match.
next match, i like konta's game, it would be fairytale for either to move to semis. so this time it's not a teenager story.
watching maria-serena, sometimes it seems boring as we all know how it would go. i actually think aga has a better chance this year as she is quite solid and if (a big if) she can get serena to run more.
kerber claimed she has a new tactic against vika. i wonder what that is. i thought strycoa did well in 2nd set when she intentionally moved forward with every point.
interesting, eh?
'Following second-round exit in Melbourne, Kvitova fires coach' - tennis.com
It was time for Kvitova to make a change--just for the sake of making a change, if no other reason. DK coached her through 2 Wimbledon titles and 15 other titles. Quite commendable--but she is capable of so much more.
Jo, I thought Strycova's forward movement against Vika was a great tactic, too. Vika isn't used to that.
Kerber's serve is often unreliable. Unless she has one of her good serving days, I don't think she has much chance against Vika. But if her serve is working, then she relaxes more and gets really aggressive. I just hope the match is shown when I can see it.
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