Wednesday, July 06, 2016

W.10- Middle Sunday Wednesday



*2016 WIMBLEDON FINAL FOUR*
[by career slam SF]
32 - Serena Williams
20 - Venus Williams
4 - Angelique Kerber
1 - Elena Vesnina
[by career WI SF]
10 - Serena Williams
9 - Venus Williams
2 - Angelique Kerber
1 - Elena Vesnina
[consecutive slam SF]
8 - Serena Williams
[consecutive WI SF]
2 - Serena Williams
[WTA most career slam SF - active]
32...SERENA WILLIAMS (27-4)
20...VENUS WILLIAMS (14-5)
20...Maria Sharapova (10-10)
7...Victoria Azarenka (4-3)
6...Jelena Jankovic (1-5)
5...Svetlana Kuznetsova (4-1)
5...Ana Ivanovic (3-2)
5...Petra Kvitova (2-3)
5...Samantha Stosur (2-3)
5...Caroline Wozniacki (2-3)
5...Aga Radwanska (1-4)
[WTA most slam SF since 2010 - active]
14...SERENA WILLIAMS (13-1)
10...Maria Sharapova (6-4)
7...Victoria Azarenka (4-3)
5...Petra Kvitova (2-3)
5...Aga Radwanska (1-4)
4...Samantha Stosur (2-2)
4...ANGELIQUE KERBER (1-2)
4...Caroline Wozniacki (1-3)
-
RETIRED: 6- Li Na (4-2)
[WTA Slam SF since 2010 - by nation - 27 slams]
19...USA (S.Williams,V.Williams)
17...RUS (Vesnina)
8...CHN,ITA
7...BLR,CZE
6...GER (Kerber)
5...BEL,POL
4...AUS,DEN
3...CAN,ROU
2...ESP,FRA,SRB
1...BUL,GBR,NED,SUI,SVK
[2016 Slam SF]
3...Serena Williams (2-0)
2...Angelique Kerber (1-0)
1...W: Muguruza
1...L: Bertens,Konta,A.Radwanska,Stosur
1...x: Vesnina,V.Williams
[2016 First-Time Slam SF]
AO - Johanna Konta, GBR
RG - Kiki Bertens, NED
WI - Elena Vesnina, RUS
[2016 Slam SF - by nation]
4...USA (1/1/2)
2...GER (1/0/1)
1...AUS (0/1/0)
1...ESP (0/1/0)
1...GBR (1/0/0)
1...NED (0/1/0)
1...POL (1/0/0)
1...RUS (0/0/1)
[2016 WTA SF]
6 - ANGELIQUE KERBER, GER (3-2)
5 - SERENA WILLIAMS, USA (4-0)
5 - Dominika Cibulkova, SVK (4-1)
5 - Aga Radwanska, POL (1-4)
4 - Caroline Garcia, FRA (2-2)
4 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (2-2)
3 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (3-0)
3 - Sloane Stephens, USA (3-0)
3 - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (2-0+L)
3 - Belinda Bencic, SUI (1-2)
3 - Kiki Bertens, NED (1-2)
3 - Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP (1-2)
3 - Monica Puig, PUR (1-2)
3 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (0-2+W)
[U.S. SF]
5 - SERENA WILLIAMS (4-0)
3 - Sloane Stephens (3-0)
2+1 - Alison Riske (2-0, 0-1 125)
2 - Madison Keys (2-0)
2 - VENUS WILLIAMS (1-0)
2 - Irina Falconi (1-1)
2 - CoCo Vandeweghe (1-1)
1 - Shelby Rogers (1-0)
1 - Madison Brengle (0-1)
1 - Louisa Chirico (0-1)
1 - Samantha Crawford (0-1)
1 - Christina McHale (0-1)
[Russia SF]
3 - Svetlana Kuznetsova (2-0+L)
2 - ELENA VESNINA (1-0)
1 - Daria Kasatkina (0-1)
[Germany SF]
6 - ANGELIQUE KERBER (3-2)
2 - Julia Goerges (1-1)
1+1 - Anna-Lena Friedsam (0-1, 1-0 125)
1 - Laura Siegemund (1-0)
1 - Annika Beck (0-1)
1 - Andrea Petkovic (0-1)
*Players w/ "Career SF Slam" - active; when completed*
Victoria Azarenka, BLR - 2013 RG (30th slam)
Maria Sharapova, RUS - 2007 RG (18th)
Serena Williams, USA - 2003 AO (18th)
Venus Williams, USA - 2001 AO (15th)



=DAY 10 NOTES=
...with the women's singles FINALLY with a day off (oh, did you hear that hardly-muted cheer from every cubicle at Backspin HQ?), the doubles and juniors shared the schedule with the men on Day 10. Unfortunately, the wheelchair competition has yet to start, as today would have been a less-hectic moment in time to enjoy that. But, you must go with the Wimbledon that you have, not the Wimbledon that you want, right?



...in women's doubles, #2-seeded Garcia/Mladenovic didn't have to work very hard to reach the QF, as Medina-Garrigues/Parra-Santonja retired just eight games into their match. Also advancing to the QF were Makarova/Vesnina and Babos/Shvedova. Atawo/Spears moved on to the semis.

...with the mixed doubles still in various stages of completion, there are currently two women who remain alive in both draws: Martina Hingis and Yaroslava Shvedova

Elena Vesnina (who is, of course, ALSO still to play in the SINGLES semis, as well), HAD been alive in the WD and MX, as well. But having not even yet played her first match in the MX draw with Bruno Soares, the duo withdrew today, sending Watson/Kontinen through to face Hingis/Paes. The Brit/Fin pair have now advanced through two rounds without playing a match, having also gotten a walkover in the 1st Round.

Still, this Wimbledon can hardy have gone better for Vesnina so far.



Of course, now she's going to be playing a Williams. Twice. So, then, does that mean she's playing THREE Williams Sisters?



...in junior action today, Round of 16 (6 USA, 3 RUS, 2 UKR, 1 CAN/GBR/GEO/SRB/SUI) action took place. Six of the Top 9 seeds advanced to the QF, with some notable exceptions.

Both RG girls finalists lost on Wednesday. First, runner-up #3 Amanda Anisimova (USA) fell to fellow Bannerette Claire Liu in a 13-11 3rd set in a 2:41 match in which the seeded girl had 13 DF (and 0 aces) while the day's winner put in 8 aces (w/ 5 DF). In the very next match on Court 17, #2-seeded RG champ Rebeka Masarova was knocked out by British wild card Gabriella Taylor 6-1/6-1. Having not played at Roehampton, this was Masarova's first grass court event of the year, as she continued to play clay events well after Roland Garros because, one would suspect, she just wasn't losing on the surface and was closing in on the #1 ranking. She won 16 straight clay matches this spring, including a 20-2 closing run, and went 26-3 on the surface from March to June, winning three additional titles other than the RG girls crown.

Liu is joined in the QF by three other USA juniors: Kayla Day (#5), Sonya Kenin (#8) and Usue Arconada (#9). The Russian contingent is still two strong, with #1 Olesya Pervushina ('16 RG Jr. SF) and #4 Anastasia Potapova (AO QF/RG SF). Of note, Potapova is in her second consecutive SW19 quarterfinal, having also advanced that far last year as a wild card before losing to eventual champ Sofya Zhuk The former Cold War-competing nations are joined by Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska (AO QF) and Crumpet Taylor.

Last year, only two seeds (#5 and #12) reached the Final 8, and just one advanced from there. There's still a chance for a second straight all-Russian final with Pervushina and Potapova. Last year's Zhuk over Anna Blinkova face-off was the first all-Hordette Wimbledon girls championship since Vera Dushevina took out Maria Sharapova in 2002.


DISLIKE ON DAY 10: I just realized that the Wimbledon website is listing today as "Day 9," even with the extra day of play added this past Sunday. So, the official Order of Play listing reads, for example, in order, "Day 6" (Saturday)..."MS" (Middle Sunday)..."Day 7" (Monday), etc.

Ummm, no. You don't get to change the way we count just because you're Wimbledon. It's Day 10 today, not Day 9.

See, even a British former player thinks so...



And SHE was on the court with Original Martina today...



A BRITISH "VICTORY" ON DAY 10:



Speaking of...

FINALLY A WORTHY MATCH ON THE MEN'S SIDE ON DAY 10: Just ask 'em...








LIKE ON DAY 10: And then there was Gibbsy... Tweeting with footnotes.




THE BIG NUMBERS JUST KEEP COMING ON DAY 10: First Serena's 300 wins (and 300 weeks), Venus' 36 and 1994, and Federer's #306. Today makes it #307 (one more than Original Martina on the all-time slam win list), and also #84.




WONDERING ON DAY 10: Is it going to be a thirtysomething throwback weekend?



LIKE ON DAY 10: Oh, my. What a photo.



LIKE ON DAY 10: This...




LIKE ON DAY 10: Bartoli update...



Hmmm... ON DAY 10: What does she have in store for us tomorrow...?



...and, finally, with the Hall of Fame ceremonies in Newport set to take place ten days from now, we're not that far away from Backspin's "La Petit Taureau Week" to honor 2016 inductee Justine Henin.



I'll soon scour the Backspin archives for some re-posts for next week, as well as be posting a few other things (along with the usual grass court recap, of course).

So, just to get things started on a small scale, here's the link to her HoF site profile. And here are some choice excerpts from it...

...Sports pundits use the term “total package” to describe athletes who have no discernible weaknesses and excel in all facets of their craft. Henin was the female tour’s “total package,” possessing a game so versatile and complete that it drew comparisons to the standard bearer of mastering every facet of the game – the legendary Roger Federer.

..."I don't know why we're not talking about Justine Henin all the time because, for her size, she's the greatest athlete we've ever seen,” said the legendary Billie Jean King. “I don't know why she's not more appreciated - she's not cutesie-wootsie - but the way she has evolved as a tennis player is unbelievable."

...Her backhand featured pace, power, topspin, underpin, slice and flat strokes, prompting John McEnroe, the owner of perhaps the best backhand in history, to suggest that Henin had “the best single-handed backhand in the women's or men's game.”




*LADIES' SINGLES SF*
#1 Serena Williams/USA vs. Elena Vesnina/RUS
#4 Angelique Kerber/GER vs. #8 Venus Williams/USA

*LADIES' DOUBLES QF*
#1 Hingis/Mirza (SUI/IND) vs. #5 Babos/Shvedova (HUN/KAZ)
#10 Atawo/Spears (USA/USA) def. Groenefeld/Peschke (GER/GER)
Williams/Williams (USA/USA) vs. #4 Makarova/Vesnina (RUS/RUS)
#8 Goerges/Ka.Pliskova (GER/CZE) vs. #2 Garcia/Mladenovic (FRA/FRA)

*MIXED DOUBLES ROUND OF 16*
#14 Shvedova/Qureshi (KAZ/PAK) def. (WC) A.Smith/Skupski (GBR/GBR)
#11 Srebotnik/Matkowski (SLO/POL) def. Parra-Santonja/S.Gonzalez (ESP/MEX)
#15 Groenefeld/Farah (GER/COL) def. Dabrowski/Monroe (CAN/USA)
#10 Klepac/Peya (SLO/AUT) def. #6 Hlavackova/Kubot (CZE/POL)
#9 Safarova/Stepanek (CZE/CZE) def. Ostapenko/Marach (LAT/AUT)
Duque/Cabal (COL/COL) def. #13 An.Rodionova/Bopanna (AUS/IND)
Kudryavtseva/Lipsky (RUS/USA) def. #5 YJ.Chan/Zimonjic (TPE/SRB)
#16 Hingis/Paes (SUI/IND) vs. Watson/Kontinen (GBR/FIN)

*GIRLS' SINGLES QF*
#1 Olesya Pervushina/RUS vs. #8 Sonya Kenin/USA
Claire Liu/USA vs. #7 Dayana Yastremska/UKR
#9 Usue Arconada/USA vs. #4 Anastasia Potapova/RUS
#5 Kayla Day/USA vs. (WC) Gabriella Taylor/GBR

*GIRLS' DOUBLES QF*
x vs. x
x vs. x
x vs. x
x vs. x

*WOMEN'S WC SINGLES QF*
#1 Jiske Griffioen/NED vs. Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
(WC) Louise Hunt vs. Marjolein Buis/NED
Jordanne Whiley/GBR vs. Lucy Shuker/GBR
Aniek Van Koot/NED vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

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









So much fun playing with this girl! Looking forward to our next tournaments together ??@kasatkina

A photo posted by Daria Gavrilova (@daria_gav) on





*ALL-TIME SLAM SF*
52 - Chris Evert
44 - Martina Navratilova
37 - Steffi Graf
36 - Margaret Court
32 - SERENA WILLIAMS

*WIMBLEDON SEMIFINALISTS - last 5 years*
2012 #6 S.Williams d. #2 Azarenka, #3 A.Radwanska d. #8 Kerber
2013 #15 Bartoli d. #20 Flipkens, #23 Lisicki d. #4 A.Radwanska
2014 #6 Kvitova d. #23 Safarova, #13 Bouchard d. #3 Halep,
2015 #1 S.Williams d. #4 Sharapova, #20 Muguruza d. #13 A.Radwanska
2016 #1 S.Williams/#4 Kerber, #8 V.Williams/Vesnina

*RUSSIAN WIMBLEDON SEMIFINALISTS*
1974 Olga Morozova (RU) - USSR
1997 Anna Kournikova
2004 Maria Sharapova (W)
2005 Maria Sharapova
2006 Maria Sharapova
2008 Elena Dementieva
2009 Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina
2010 Vera Zvonareva (RU)
2011 Maria Sharapova (RU)
2015 Maria Sharapova
2016 Elena Vesnina

**LOW-SEEDED WIMBLEDON SEMIFINALISTS - Open Era**
unseeded - Ann Jones, 1968
unseeded - Rosie Casals, 1969
unseeded - Francoise Durr, 1970
unseeded - Judy Dalton, 1971
unseeded - Yvonne Vermaak, 1983
unseeded - Catarina Lindqvist, 1989
unseeded - Gigi Fernandez, 1994
unseeded - Lori McNeil, 1994
unseeded - Meredith McGrath, 1996
unseeded - Anna Kournikova, 1997
unseeded - Natasha Zvereva, 1998
qualifier - Alexandra Stevenson, 1999
unseeded - Mirjana Lucic, 1999
unseeded - Jelena Dokic, 2000
wild card - Zheng Jie, 2008
unseeded - Petra Kvitova, 2010
unseeded - Tsvetana Pironkova, 2010
wild card - Sabine Lisicki, 2011
unseeded - Elena Vesnina, 2016
#23 - Lucie Safarova, 2014
#23 - Sabine Lisicki, 2013 (RU)
#23 - Venus Williams, 2007 (W)
#21 - Vera Zvonareva, 2010 (RU)
#20 - Garbine Muguruza, 2015 (RU)
#20 - Kirsten Flipkens, 2013
#18 - Marion Bartoli, 2007 (RU)
#16 - Nathalie Tauziat, 1998 (RU)
#16 - Kathy Rinaldi, 1985
#15 - Marion Bartoli, 2013 (W)
#14 - Venus Williams, 2005 (W)
#13 - Aga Radwanska, 2015
#13 - Genie Bouchard, 2014 (RU)
#13 - Maria Sharapova, 2004 (W)
#12 - Billie Jean King, 1982
#12 - Kimiko Date, 1996
#11 - Bettina Bunge, 1982
#10 - Billie Jean King, 1983
#10 - Gabriela Sabatini, 1986

**WC SLAM TITLES - since 2013**
[singles]
3 - Jiske Griffioen, NED
2 - Yui Kamiji, JPN
2 - Aniek Van Koot, NED
2 - Sabine Ellerbrock, GER
1 - Marjolein Buis, NED
1 - Jordanne Whiley, GBR
[doubles - duos]
7 - Kamiji/Whiley, JPN/GBR
6 - Griffioen/Van Koot, NED/NED
1 - Buis/Kamiji, NED/JPN
[doubles - individuals]
8 - Yui Kamiji, JPN
7 - Jordanne Whiley, GBR
6 - Jiske Griffioen, NED
6 - Aniek Van Koot, NED
1 - Marjolein Buis, NED




TOP QUALIFIER: Mandy Minella/LUX
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #5 Simona Halep/ROU
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #4 Angelique Kerber/GER
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: #7 Tamira Paszek/AUT d. Andrea Hlavackova/CZE 6-3/5-7/10-9 ret. (Paszek MP in 2nd, ankle injury; Paszek up 5-3 3rd; Hlavackova ret. w/ cramps, collapses onto back after match)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. #3 Aga Radwanska/POL d. Ana Konjuh/CRO 6-2/4-6/9-7 (3 MP, one on net cord; Konjuh rolled ankle stepping on ball)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 4th Rd. - #19 Dominika Cibulkova/SVK d. #3 Aga Radwanska/POL (6-3/5-7/9-7; 3:00; Radwanska MP, Cibulkova served for match three times, on MP #3)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): Nominee: Girls 3rd Rd. - C.Liu d. #3 A.Anisimova 4-6/6-2/13-11
=============================
FIRST WINNER: #29 Daria Kasatkina/RUS (def. Duval/USA in :51)
FIRST SEED OUT: #25 Irina-Camelia Begu/ROU (lost 1st Rd. to Witthoeft/GER)
UPSET QUEENS: Germans
REVELATION LADIES: Russians
NATION OF POOR SOULS: China (1-4 1st Rd.; only win by LL Duan Yingying)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Jana Cepelova/SVK, Marina Erakovic/NZL, Julia Boserup/USA (all 3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Tara Moore/GBR and Evgeniya Rodina/RUS (both 2nd Rd.)
LAST BRIT/CRUMPET STANDING: Johanna Konta/GBR and Tara Moore/GBR (both 2nd Rd.)
IT ("??"): Nominees: H.Watson/GBR (d), first WC singles champ, Ka.Pliskova/CZE (d), G.Taylor (jr.)
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Elena Vesnina/RUS
COMEBACK: Nominees: Y.Shvedova, S.Williams/V.Williams
CRASH & BURN: #2 Garbine Muguruza/ESP (reigning RG champ and '15 Wimbledon finalist; lost 1st Rd. in under an hour to qualifier Cepelova/SVK)
ZOMBIE QUEEN (TBD at QF): #19 Dominika Cibulkova/SVK & #3 Aga Radwanksa/POL (Cibulkova saved MP and won 9-7 3rd vs. Radwanska in 4th Rd.; Radwanska won 2nd Rd. vs. Konjuh, saving 3 MP, one on a net cord; Konjuh turned ankle stepping on a ball in game #15 of 3rd set, Radwanska won 9-7)
THE RADWANSKA DAY REMEMBRANCE AWARD (June 26 official/Day 3 observed): 74 s/d matches are scheduled: due to rain, 41 are cancelled, 15 suspended and 18 completed. Only 6 matches were both started and finished solely on Day 3, with 4 of those played under the Centre Court roof. But Aga Radwanska opens the Centre Court schedule and wins without incident, while her '16 RG conqueror Tsvetana Pironkova loses in previously unscheduled C.C. match.
DOUBLES STAR: xx
KIMIKO DATE-KRUMM VETERAN CUP (KDK CUP): Venus Williams/USA
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Nominees: C.Liu/USA, G.Taylor/GBR, Junior Bannerettes, Junior Hordettes





All for Day 10. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 4:17 PM 

2 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

Today's thought/stat of the day was inspired by yesterday's post about Jordanne Whiley, although I put Buis as a slight favorite to win it all.

Stat of the Day- 68- Number of major titles won in wheelchair tennis by women from the Netherlands-out of 76.

Do they have their version of the Botteltieri Academy? Don't know, but I do know that the dynasty started before Esther Vergeer. The first 12 of those(starting in 1991), were with 3 different players, Maaike Smit, Chantal Vandierendonck, and the very first winner Monique Kalkman(91 USO) who not only has a Paralympics gold in wheelchair tennis, but also in table tennis. She now sits on the ITF board.

When I say major titles, I am counting US(began 91), Olympics (92), Masters (94), AO (02), and French(07). Should be noted that the USO did not hold tournaments the last two times the Olympics were held, so there hasn't been a true Golden Slam, although The One aka Esther Vergeer did win the three regular titles played, plus the Olympics in 08.

Since the Vergeer Era ended, Aniek van Koot(3 titles), Jiske Griffioen(4), and Marjolein Buis(1) have continued the amazing run.

Wed Jul 06, 05:35:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

You wonder if, as the sport gradually becomes bigger, if other nations might somewhat lessen the Dutch domination. Whiley's success, for example, could lead to a larger contingent from English-speaking nations as there might be a larger awareness. It's odd that the U.S. doesn't really have a major presence, at least as far as players at the very top of the sport are concerned.

Wed Jul 06, 06:17:00 PM EDT  

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