US.14 - And So it Goes...

As The U.S. Open packs up its things and moves out of our collective consciousness, who's hot... and who's not?



Angelique Kerber - "...cause two out of three ain't bad!"
Karolina Pliskova - welcome to the jungle
SimonaShortz! - catch the fever!
The Junior Bannerettes - swept the junior titles, had 10 of final 16 girls
Anastasija Sevastova - for the love of the game
The NextGen - finally, even ESPN is recognizing that they exist
The new WTA template - age 24-28 is the new age 17-21, age 29-34 is the new 24-28
Mattek-Sands/Safarova - amazing what a little good health can do, huh?
Vinci! - further proof that last year's semi wasn't the "greatest upset ever"
The Roof - 8-10 years late, the USTA finally gets SOMETHING right
Caroline Wozniacki - she said, "see you next year." Are you SURE, Caro?
Ukraine & China - The next Czech Republic? The next Russia?
Madison Keys - okay, but this Open wasn't supposed to be remembered for 1:48 a.m.
Serena & Venus - it's not the end of the world, just a streak... and a summer filled with memories
Monica Puig - ditto
Bencic & Schmiedy - wake me up when it's 2017, already
Hingis & Mirza - welcome to the land of diminishing slam returns?
Garbine Muguruza - another bump in the road (but, really, this has to stop soon)
USTA v. Bouchard - leave it to the USTA to leave you with mouth agape at its comments and conduct, even when it would seem impossible by now. Katrina Adams for the GOP nomination in '20?
Ana Ivanovic - yeah, wake me when it's over... or is it already?
ESPN - never met a player, fan or anyone that values "professionalism" that it couldn't insult, demean or disappoint



Annnnnd... scene.



=DAY 14 NOTES=
...meanwhile, on the final day...

- The women's doubles championship went the the dynamic duo of Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova, who grabbed their third slam win as a pair (after opening up '15 by winning in Melbourne and Paris) with a come-from-behind victory over the top-seeded all-Pastry team of Caroline Garcia & Kristina Mladenovic, 2-6/7-6(5)/6-4.

Let the celebration begin! @BMATTEK and @luciesafarova are your 2016 #usopen Women's Doubles Champions! @Chase https://t.co/qx6dQT9A7F

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 11, 2016

?????? @BMATTEK @luciesafarova #usopen pic.twitter.com/Tw3Pys7UkL

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 11, 2016

They now only need a Wimbledon title to complete a Career Doubles Slam.

.@BMATTEK and @luciesafarova capture their 3rd career Grand Slam Doubles title --> https://t.co/NF6HnmgMW4 #USOpen pic.twitter.com/S6yZ4FFpAh

— WTA (@WTA) September 11, 2016

- Bannerette Kayla Day claimed the junior singles title, defeating Slovak Viktoria Kuzmova, 6-3/6-2 to become the first U.S. girl to win a major since Samantha Crawford grabbed the U.S. crown in 2012 (Taylor Townsend also took the AO title that year).

Kayla Day d. Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3 | 6-2 to win US Open juniors title (GETTY) pic.twitter.com/uQrsMe3jff

— Joe Fleming (@ByJoeFleming) September 11, 2016

16-year old Day has had quite the stay in New York, also reaching the junior doubles final (losing in a 13-11 3rd set TB) and, as a wild card, winning her first career slam women's MD match over Madison Brengle before losing to Madison Keys in the 2nd way back at the start of the first week. She said yesterday that she DID have a day off to be a tourist... but it rained.

Well, she'll STILL never forget New York, even if she only got to see a smart part of the city.

- At the WTA 125 Series event in Dalian, China, Kristyna Pliskova picked up the biggest title of her career less than twenty-four hours after her twin sister missed out on doing the same in the Open final.

Of course, it wasn't quite as simple as that. Pliskova seemed on her way to losing, serving down 2-5, love/30 in the 3rd, only to see Misa Eguchi suffer a bad fall. After getting some medical treatment, she tried to play but had to retire after a few points, and was carted off the court.

Dalian Final: Eguchi retires after getting stretchered off. Pliskova wins title trailing 2-5 in the third set. pic.twitter.com/7snVrJq4d6

— Graham (@juki_tennis) September 11, 2016

@TennisInsight She fell after hitting a running passing shot, they taped up her left leg, she played a few more points and went down again.

— Graham (@juki_tennis) September 11, 2016

So, "congratulations," I guess? Still, we could have done without this bit of ridiculousness:

@TheTennisTalker controversial question- should Kristyna have retired instead? Or was there still a big enough chance she'd win?

— James Carlile (@PSG_Schalke) September 11, 2016

I think Pliskova's lost enough matches in which she was points away from victory -- not to mention Karolina saving MP vs. Venus last week -- to know that no lead is "safe," no matter how big. It's a bad deal for Eguchi, but so be it. Everyone doesn't get a participation ribbon, win or lose, with the orange juice and cookie when it's over. Sorry.


- On the ITF circuit, the Hordettes ruled the land.

Three Russian woman claimed titles this weekend, with Irina Khromacheva ($50K Budapest), Viktoriya Kamenskaya ($25K Sofia) and Veronika Kudermetova ($25K Telavi, GEO) taking home titles. Elsewhere, still more sisters came out on top, as the U.S.'s ChiChi Scholl won her fourth circuit title of the summer ($10K Engis, BEL) and 17-year old Czech Magdalena Pantuckova won her third '16 crown ($10K Prague).




LIKE ON DAY 14: Angie shrugged, "It's okay, it ain't heavy."

World No. 1. pic.twitter.com/bwMmIMhcgg

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 11, 2016

When you wake up as world No. 1 and a #usopen champion! #Kerber (??: @mikeylpt )

A photo posted by @usopen on Sep 11, 2016 at 10:16am PDT

LIKE ON DAY 14: She'll never need to call an Uber in the city again... she can just ride the wave of humanity to wherever she wants to go.

Day after. I guess this girl is popular. [getty] pic.twitter.com/MC48Zv6UvU

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 11, 2016

"Rock star!"

LIKE ON DAY 14: Petko being Petko...

-Hey buddy, you know you gonna win 2 Slams and a silver medal next year, don't you?
-Wait....WHAT?!! pic.twitter.com/0aSIto8ql3

— Andrea Petkovic (@andreapetkovic) September 11, 2016

LIKE ON DAY 14: And Flavia hands over the scepter...

Congrats @AngeliqueKerber for an amazing #USOpen brava ragazza!!!??

— Flavia Pennetta (@flavia_pennetta) September 11, 2016

LIKE ON DAY 14: Somewhere over the rainbow...

“You have to believe in your dreams.” — 2016 champ @AngeliqueKerber, appropriately over the rainbow at the #USOpen pic.twitter.com/B04iPZQofy

— Richard Osborn (@RWOsborn) September 11, 2016

"HMMM..." ON DAY 14: ...so, Redfoo is hanging around the slams again, huh? Good, bad? Something, or not something?

They are the #USOpen women double #champions @BMATTEK & @luciesafarova defeated the French @Redfoo #fans #congrats pic.twitter.com/sRWTgLUbFM

— corinne dubreuil (@corinnedubreuil) September 11, 2016

"EVEN AFTER THE ESPN ANNOUNCERS EVISCERATED MONFILS THE OTHER DAY..." ON DAY 14: THIS is the photo put upon the network's tennis Twitter account. Let's see, I could think of about a million more worthy images to use along with this tweet.

What has been most exciting moment of this yr's US Open? Join Daily Debate using #AmexTennis & catch convo on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/iN6gfRZPVj

— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) September 11, 2016

Figures.


...and, finally...



QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC CAN (Int'l/Indoor Carpet)
15 Final: Beck d. Ostapenko
15 Doubles Final: Mestach/Krejcikova d. Irigoyen/Kania
16 Singles Top Seeds: Bouchard/Beck
=============================
=SF=
#4 Goerges d. #1 Bouchard
#3 Lucic-Baroni d. #2 Beck
=FINAL=
#3 Lucic-Baroni d. #4 Goerges

...three career titles: two in Bol, one in Quebec City. Let's make it 2 & 2.



TOKYO, JAPAN (Women's Tennis Open) (Int'l/Hard)
15 Final: Wickmayer d. Linette
15 Doubles Final: Chan/Chan d. Doi/Nara
16 Singles Top Seeds: Doi/Wickmayer
=============================
=SF=
Siniakova d. Osaka
#2 Wickmayer d. Zheng Saisai
=FINAL=
Siniakova d. #2 Wickmayer

...the rising Pliskova tide lifts all Czech boats?



*WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
#2 Angelique Kerber/GER def. #10 Karolina Pliskova/CZE 6-3/4-6/6-4

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#12 Mattek-Sands/Safarova (USA/CZE) def. #1 Garcia/Mladenovic (FRA/FRA) 2-6/7-6(5)/6-4

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
Siegemund/Pavic (GER/CRO) def. #7 Vandeweghe/Ram (USA/USA) 6-4/6-4

*GIRLS SINGLES FINAL*
#5 Kayla Day/USA def. #13 Viktoria Kuzmova/SVK 6-3/6-2

*GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL*
(WC) Hart/Shibahara (USA/USA) def. Day/Dolehide (USA/USA) 4-6/6-2 [13-11]

*COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL WOMEN'S FINAL*
#2 Danielle Collins (Virginia) def. Ronit Yurovsky (Michigan) 6-2/6-4

Big congrats to @AngeliqueKerber and her team. What a year!!! Amazing stuff

— victoria azarenka (@vika7) September 11, 2016

Yep, still looks familiar.

Staying focussed pays off. @adidas #FindFocus #ZNE pic.twitter.com/VvthTYAlb6

— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) September 10, 2016

Ate like a pig ??

A photo posted by Daria Gavrilova (@daria_gav) on Sep 10, 2016 at 5:47pm PDT

Maria Sharapova out and about pic.twitter.com/lI2pv36e5E

— Celeb Lover (@celeblover8) September 11, 2016

**RECENT U.S. OPEN GIRLS FINALS**
2005 Victoria Azarenka/BLR d. Alexa Glatch/USA
2006 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS d. Tamira Paszek/AUT
2007 Kristina Kucova/SVK d. Urszula Radwanska/POL
2008 Coco Vandeweghe/USA d. Gabriela Paz/VEN
2009 Heather Watson/GBR d. Yana Buchina/RUS
2010 Daria Gavrilova/RUS d. Yulia Putintseva/RUS
2011 Grace Min/USA d. Caroline Garcia/FRA
2012 Samantha Crawford/USA d. Anett Kontaveit/EST
2013 Ana Konjuh/CRO d. Tornado Alicia Black/USA
2014 Marie Bouzkova/CZE d. Anhelina Kalinina/UKR
2015 Dalma Galfi/HUH d. Sonya Kenin/USA
2016 Kayla Day/USA d. Viktoria Kuzmova/SVK
[2016]
AO: #5 Vera Lapko/BLR def. #2 Tereza Mihalikova/SVK
RG: #12 Rebeca Masarova/SUI def. #2 Amanda Anisimova/USA
WI: #4 Anastasia Potapova/RUS def. #7 Dayana Yastremska/UKR
US: #5 Kayla Day/USA def. #13 Viktoria Kuzmova/SVK

**U.S. OPEN "JUNIOR BREAKOUT" WINNERS**
2007 Kristina Kucova, SVK
2008 Gabriela Paz, VEN
2009 Heather Watson, GBR
2010 Yulia Putintseva, RUS & Sloane Stephens, USA
2011 Grace Min, USA
2012 Vicky Duval, USA
2013 Tornado Alicia Black, USA
2014 Marie Bouzkova, CZE
2015 Dalma Galfi, HUN
2016 Viktoria Kuzmova, SVK
[2016]
AO: Sara Tomic, AUS
RG: Rebeka Masarova, SUI
WI: Dayana Yastremska, UKR
US: Viktoria Kuzmova, SVK

**RECENT GIRLS SLAM CHAMPIONS**
[2010]
AO: Karolina Pliskova, CZE
RG: Elina Svitolina, UKR
WI: Kristyna Pliskova, CZE
US: Daria Gavrilova, RUS
[2011]
AO: An-Sophie Mestach, BEL
RG: Ons Jabeur, TUN
WI: Ashleigh Barty, AUS
AO: Grace Min, USA
[2012]
AO: Taylor Townsend, USA
RG: Annika Beck, GER
WI: Eugenie Bouchard, CAN
US: Samantha Crawford, USA
[2013]
AO: Ana Konjuh, CRO
RG: Belinda Bencic, SUI
WI: Belinda Bencic, SUI
US: Ana Konjuh, CRO
[2014]
AO: Elizaveta Kulichkova, RUS
RG: Darya Kasatkina, RUS
WI: Jelena Ostapenko, LAT
US: Maria Bouzkova, CZE
[2015]
AO: Tereza Mihalikova, SVK
RG: Paula Badosa, ESP
WI: Sofya Zhuk, RUS
US: Dalma Galfi, HUN
[2016]
AO: Vera Lapko, BLR
RG: Rebeka Masarova, SUI
WI: Anastasia Potapova, RUS
US: Kayla Day, USA

**U.S. OPEN "BROADWAY-BOUND" WINNERS**
2010 Vania King, USA
2011 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2012 "Future Sloane" (Stephens), USA
2013 Camila Giorgi, ITA
2014 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2015 Lisa Raymond, USA
2016 Kayla Day, USA

**RECENT U.S. OPEN WOMEN'S DOUBLES CHAMPIONS**
2009 Serena & Venus Williams, USA/USA
2010 Vania King & Yaroslava Shvedova, USA/KAZ
2011 Liezel Huber & Lisa Raymond, USA/USA
2012 Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2013 Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka, CZE/CZE
2014 Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS
2015 Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza, SUI/IND
2016 Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE
[2016]
AO: Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza, SUI/IND
RG: Caroline Garcia & Kristina Mladenovic, FRA/FRA
WI: Serena Williams & Venus Williams, USA/USA
US: Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE

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



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): #2 Angelique Kerber/GER
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.): Final - #2 Angelique Kerber/GER d. #10 Karolina Pliskova/CZE 6-3/4-6/6-4 (third 3-set final in 21 years)
TOP ASHE NIGHT SESSION MATCH: QF - #1 Serena Williams/USA d. #5 Simona 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): Angelique Kerber/GER (at 28, oldest debut at singles #1)
DOUBLES STAR: Laura Siegemund/GER
BROADWAY-BOUND: Kayla Day/USA (Jr.singles champ/Jr.doubles finalist/1st Rd. women's MD win)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Madison Keys/USA (won latest-ending women's match - 1:48 a.m.)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Viktoria Kuzmova/SVK





All for Day 14. Whew! 3Q Awards this week.