Thursday, September 08, 2016

US.11 - The Flushing Four


Soon, there will be but two.




=DAY 11 NOTES=
...both singles semifinals are tonight, so it'll be another late night post.



But a few notes from earlier in the day...

- a day after the Mixed Doubles final was set, the Women's Doubles followed suit on Thursday. In the opening semifinal, #12-seeded Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova defeated Rio Gold medalists Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina, 6-2/7-6(4), ending the Russians' 13-match winning streak. The Dynamic Duo, finally healthy (enough, at least) at the same time after a rough season, will now go for their third slam crown as a pair. A win would mean they've picked up three-quarters of a Career Doubles Slam, as they won in Melbourne and Paris after first teaming up last season.



They'll face off in the final with the #1 doubles team in the world -- Caroline Garcia & Kristina Mladenovic. The Roland Garros-winning Pastry duo took out Martina Hingis & CoCo Vandeweghe in straight sets, 6-3/6-4. So, after picking up seven WD & MX slam titles since the start of last season, Hingis ends 2016 by winning none in the final two majors of the year. Though she did pick the doubles Bronze in Rio with Timea Bacsinszky.



- Meanwhile, it's been a long time since the junior Bannerettes performed like this...



All ten remaining girls were scheduled to be in action in the 3rd Round today. As of this post, one has advanced to the quarterfinals, while there are two more all-Bannerettes matches that assure that at least three of the Final 8 slots will be filled by U.S. juniors.

In the first of those matches to finish, #5 Kayla Day defeated qualifier Kylie McKenzie. In the others, #8 Sonya Kenin is facing qualifier Ashley Lahey, while #16 Alexandra Sanford will play (LL) Vanessa Ong. Elsewhere, #4 Amanda Anisimova, Taylor Johnson and (WC) Carson Branstine are set to play non-U.S. opponents. #9 Usue Arconada fell to Canadian Bianca Andreescu. The #7 seed trailed 7-5/5-2, but rallied for a 5-7/7-5/6-3 victory.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon girls champ Anastasia Potapova (the #1 seed) handled Brit Katie Swan, 6-4/6-1 in the biggest match-up on the schedule.

- the Collegiate Invitational tournament began on the USTA grounds today, with a field of eight top NCAA players. #1-seeded Francesca Di Lorenzo (Ohio State) lost to Michigan's Ronit Yurovsky, while #3 Hayley Carter (North Carolina) was taken out by Virginia's Julia Elbaba.

#4 Breaunna Addison (Texas) defeated Brooke Austin (Florida), while reigning NCAA champ (#2 seed) Danielle Collins of Virginia advanced past Georgia's Kennedy Shaffer.






LIKE ON DAY 11: Twitter Tag.






LIKE ON DAY 11: Serena being Serena... but there not being ANOTHER Serena.




LIKE ON DAY 11: Tennis history dropping in like an Aga lob at this time of year at Flushing Meadows.



LIKE ON DAY 11: Unlike 99.5% of the men's tour, I can watch Juan Martin anytime and not have that nagging itch in the back of my brain...




LIKE ON DAY 11: The Paralympics draw is out for Rio, so it's just about time to get rollin'...




Just because I'm not parading doesn't mean I can't take an opening ceremony selfie!!! ??????

A photo posted by Jordanne Whiley (@jordanne_joyce) on





...and, finally... he's got the moves like Jagger. Go figure.





*WOMEN'S SINGLES SF*
#1 Serena Williams/USA vs. #10 Karolina Pliskova/CZE
Caroline Wozniacki/DEN vs. #2 Angelique Kerber/GER

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 Garcia/Mladenovic (FRA/FRA) vs. #12 Mattek-Sands/Safarova (USA/CZE)

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
#7 Vandeweghe/Ram (USA/USA) vs. Siegemund/Pavic (GER/CRO)

*GIRLS SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Anastasia Potapova/RUS def. Katie Swan/GBR
(Q) Ashley Lahey/USA vs. #8 Sonya Kenin/USA
#4 Amanda Anisimova/USA vs. #13 Viktoria Kuzmova/SVK
Tessah Andrianjafitrimo/FRA vs. Taylor Johnson/USA
#7 Bianca Andreescu/CAN def. #9 Usue Arconada/USA
#16 Alexandra Sanford/USA vs. (LL) Vanessa Ong/USA
#5 Kayla Day/USA def. (Q) Kylie McKenzie, USA
#15 Yuki Naito/JPN vs. (WC) Carson Branstine/USA

*GIRLS DOUBLES QF*
(WC) Hart/Shibahara (USA/USA) vs. Coppoc/Johnson (USA/USA)
Wang Xiyu/Zheng Wushuang (CHN/CHN) vs. #5 Juvan/Swiatek (SLO/POL)
Day/Dolehide (USA/USA) vs. #3 Arconada/C.Liu (USA/USA)
#7 Andreescu/Swan (CAN/GBR) vs. Hontama/Zarytska (JPN/UKR)

*COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL WOMEN'S QF*
Ronit Yurovsky (Michigan) def. #1 Francesca Di Lorenzo (Ohio State)
Julia Elbaba (Virginia) def. #3 Hayley Carter (North Carolina)
#4 Breaunna Addison (Texas) def. Brooke Austin (Florida)
#2 Danielle Collins (Virginia) def. Kennedy Shaffer (Georgia)













Dasha's wild Putintseva impersonation is worth a second look...










**2016 SLAM WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINALS**
AO: #1 Martina Hingis/Sania Mirza (SUI/IND) d. #7 Hlavackova/Hradecka (CZE/CZE)
RG: #5 Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic (FRA/FRA) d. #7 Makarova/Vesnina (RUS/RUS)
WI: Serena Williams/Venus Williams (USA/USA) d. #5 Babos/Shvedova (HUN/KAZ)
US: #1 Garcia/Mladenovic (FRA/FRA) vs. #12 Mattek-Sands/Safarova (USA/CZE)

**2016 WTA DOUBLES FINALS**
[duos]
7...Hingis/Mirza (5-2)
7...GARCIA/MLADENOVIC (4-2)
4...Makarova/Vesnina (2-2)
3...Medina-Garrigues/Parra-Santonja (3-0)
3...Chan/Chan (2-1)
[individuals]
9...Sania Mirza, IND (7-2)
9...Martina Hingis, SUI (5-4)
7...CAROLINE GARCIA, FRA (4-2)
7...KRISTINA MLADENOVIC, FRA (4-2)
4...Monica Niculescu, ROU (3-1)
4...BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS, USA (2-1)
4...Xenia Knoll, SUI (2-2)
4...Ekaterina Makarova, RUS (2-2)
4...Elena Vesnina, RUS (2-2)

*BACKSPIN 2016 "TEAM" WINNERS*
Preseason: Singapore Slammers (IPTL)
JAN: Australia Green [Gavrilova/Kyrgios] (Hopman Cup)
AO: Elena Vesnina/Bruno Soares, RUS/BRA
FEB/MAR: NED Fed Cup Team
1Q: NETHERLANDS FED CUP TEAM
SPRING: FRA Fed Cup Team
RG: Martina Hingis/Leander Paes, SUI/IND
2Q Clay Court: FRANCE FED CUP TEAM
JUN: Stanford Cardinal (NCAA)
JUL: Heather Watson/Henri Kontinen, GBR/FIN
2Q Grass Court: HEATHER WATSON/HENRI KONTINEN, GBR/FIN
JUL/AUG: San Diego Aviators (WTT)
JUNIOR: UKR 14s Team
OLYMPICS: Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Jack Sock, USA/USA



TOP QUALIFIER: Taylor Townsend/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #1 Serena Williams/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #10 Karolina Plsikova/CZE
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: Eri Hozumi/JPN d. (WC) Amanda Anisimova/USA 6-1/2-6/7-6(1) [Hozumi trails 4-0 in the 3rd, saves a MP vs. the 14-year old]
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - Kateryna Bondarenko/UKR d. Zheng Saisai/CHN (5-7/7-6(5)/7-5; Zheng served up 5-4 2nd and 5-3 in TB; 3:01)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 4th Rd. #10 Karolina Pliskova/CZE d. #6 Venus Williams/USA 4-6/6-4/7-6(3) [saved MP, on 5th MP]
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
TOP ASHE NIGHT SESSION MATCH: Nominee: QF - #1 S.Williams d. #5 Halep 6-2/4-6/6-3
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Cagla Buyukakcay/TUR (def. Falconi/USA)
FIRST SEED OUT: #30 Misaki Doi/JPN (lost 1st Rd. to Witthoeft/GER)
UPSET QUEENS: China
REVELATION LADIES: Ukraine
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Belgium (0-4 in 1st Rd.)
CRASH & BURN: #32 Monica Puig/PUR (Olympic Gold medalist; lost 1st rd. to Sai.Zheng/CHN)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: #10 Karolina Pliskova/CZE (4th Rd. - down set and 3-1 vs. V.Williams, saved MP in 3rd set, wins on 5th MP; in first career slam SF)
IT ("Teen"): Ana Konjuh/CRO
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Anastasija Sevastova/LAT
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: CiCi Bellis/USA (3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Lauren Davis/USA, Kayla Day/USA, Vania King/USA (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: Serena Williams/USA
COMEBACK PLAYER: Caroline Wozniacki/DEN
KIMIKO DATE-KRUMM VETERAN CUP (KDK CUP): Nominees: R.Vinci/ITA, S.Williams/USA
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Vandeweghe/USA, Siegemund/GER
BROADWAY-BOUND: Nominee: M.Keys/USA, S.Williams/USA, A.Kerber/GER
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominee: M.Keys/USA (won latest-ending women's match - 1:48 a.m.), S.Williams/USA (3-0 under the lights in "superhero" garb)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx




All for Day 11. More tonight.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 4:26 PM 

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