W.11- The Day Before the Day
Garbine Muguruza v Venus Williams in Saturday's #wimbledon final. Here's your ultimate stats guide for the match-up: https://t.co/iOZnljpgmR pic.twitter.com/voFNHwD7wj
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) July 14, 2017
=DAY 11 NOTES=
...before the women's singles final tomorrow, most of the other draws worked their way on Friday to setting up final match-ups for the weekend.
In the women's doubles, #2-seeded Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina defeated Chan/Hingis conquerors Anna-Lena Groenefeld & Kveta Peschke (#12 seeds) in straight sets, moving into their sixth slam final. They're seeking their third overall major title at a third different slam (they've won AO & US titles). The Hordettes lost the '15 Wimbledon championship match to Hingis & Sania Mirza, and Vesnina also reached the '10 final with Vera Zvonareva. If they win the title, a little surprisingly, they'd become the first two Russians to be crowned SW19 WD champs. The (then) all-Soviet duo of Larisa Savchenko Neiland & Natasha Zvereva (later LAT/BLR after the USSR break-up) won in 1991, but no others have lifted the trophy, losing in the three previous finals in which Hordettes have appeared (though Russian-born Kazakh Yaroslava Shvedova did take home the '10 title w/ Vania King).
In the final, they'll play the unseeded duo of Chan Hao-Ching & Monica Niculescu, so one of the Chan sisters will get a shot at a slam title, after all. They knocked off Makoto Ninomiya/Renata Voracova today in a nearly three-hour contest, winning 9-7 in the 3rd set. Both will be going for their maiden slam title, with Chan the one of the two to have played in a previous final ('15 Wimbledon MX w/ Max Mirnyi) at a major.
For us to understand what kind of great human being is Monica Niculescu! Gives all the credit to her "partner in crime", Chan! ?????? pic.twitter.com/d10B1Sjd4o
— Irina Aldea (@IrinaAldea) July 14, 2017
...Vesnina won't have the chance to sweep both doubles competitions, though. The last woman alive in both draws, she & Bruno Soares (#2 seeds) fell today to defending champs Heather Watson & Henri Kontinen, who'll now get the chance in the final to become the first duo to successfully defend a slam MX crown since the sister/brother combo of Helena Sukova & Cyril Suk did it at Wimbledon in 1997.
The streak of consecutive first-time slam winners in the MX competitions ends at four, as the last remaining potential maiden title winner was knocked out when Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (w/ Marcelo Demoliner) went out at the hands of top-seeded Martina Hingis & Jamie Murray. They'll now go for their first title as a pair, which would be Hingis' sixth Wimbledon MX crown and 23rd overall slam title (5 WS, 12 WD).
In the final again...
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 14, 2017
Kontinen/ Watson will play Murray/ Hingis in the mixed doubles final after beating Soares/ Vesnina 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3. pic.twitter.com/vGT0feKlTY
...it's STILL a Bannerette party at Wimbledon. Six advanced to the junior singles Round of 16, then five to the QF and two the SF. Now, it'll be an all-U.S. final for a second straight slam for the first since 1979.
#3-seeded Claire Liu, who reached the RG final and won the Roehampton tune-up event coming into Wimbledon, took out Russian Sofya Lansere 6-1/6-3 today, while unseeded giant-killer Ann Li defeated Swiss Simona Waltert 7-6(4)/6-1. Either Liu or Li will become the first Bannerette to take the Wimbledon girls title since Chanda Rubin did it in 1992.
?? Ann Li d. Waltert 7-6(4), 6-1 to join fellow American Claire Liu in an all-???? Wimbledon girls' final. https://t.co/LLqXg4UA1m #usta pic.twitter.com/dar7yeyHfs
— USTA (@usta) July 14, 2017
The chances for a U.S. junior girls sweep are still alive, as well. #4-seeded Caty McNally & Whitney Osuigwe reached the SF today, and will next face top-seeded Carson Branstine & Marta Kostyuk. Canadian Branstine is two wins away from winning a third leg of a Doubles Grand Slam, having won this year's AO and RG junior doubles with Bianca Andreescu before teaming with the AO singles-winning Ukrainian at SW19. In the other SF, still more North Americans are alive, another Bannerette (Sofia Sewing) is teamed with Mexico's Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez, who today combined to defeat the #2-seeded all-U.S. pair of Taylor Johnson & Liu. They'll next face fellow unseeded duo Olga Danilovic/Kaja Juvan (SRB/SLO) for a berth in the final.
Canada's Branstine advances to girls' doubles semis. VIDEO: https://t.co/zays1mp5UC pic.twitter.com/o4zyaVOo0J
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 14, 2017
...for the second straight day, big results took place in the wheelchair competition. After #1 seed and defending champion Jiske Griffioen fell to doubles partner Aniek van Koot yesterday, 10-time slam champ (2WS/10WD) van Koot lost today to yet another Dutch player. 19-year old Diede de Groot, who was looked at last year as quite possibly the next dominant WC star and who has been taken under her wing by none other than Esther Vergeer, destroyed her countrywoman in a 6-0/6-2 match to reach her first (of many) career slam finals.
Semifinal Result
— Wheelchair Tennis (@ITFWheelchair) July 14, 2017
Diede de Groot (NED) d. Aniiek van Koot (NED) 60 62 to reach the ladies' final on her #Wimbledon debut#wheelchairtennis pic.twitter.com/hDXMGHzQ9w
But rather than face off with #2-seed (and current world #1) Yui Kamiji, who was seeking to claim the only slam title she's never won (and become the first to win all eight crowns), she'll get Germany's Sabine Ellerbrock, who won a 7-6(4)/1-6/7-6(4) battle with the Japanese woman in today's other semifinal. Ellerbrock has won two slam singles title, but has also been the runner-up in four other finals, including last month in Paris to Kamiji. At 41, Ellerbrock is by far the oldest of the women's WC athletes, but there's a reason for that. While most of the other players' conditions go back to childhood, the German played tennis for 25 years before a post-operation foot infection in '07 eventually led her to begin her WC tennis career two years later at age 33, older than the current age of any of the other women in the WC competition at this Wimbledon (32-year old Griffioen is the next oldest).
While de Groot, with a 22-year age difference in the final against her opponent, will be seeking the biggest title of her career, Kamiji's loss means that Griffioen (missing a U.S. Open singles win) will now get *her* chance to become the first to complete a full, 8-piece Career Wheelchair Slam at Flushing Meadows. Last summer, the Open didn't have a wheelchair competition due to the Paralympic Games in Rio, where Griffioen swept the singles and doubles Golds.
In the doubles semis, van Koot teamed up not with Griffioen, who pulled out after losing her singles match (not sure why, but I'd guess some sort of injury), but -- yes, they do exist at this level -- a real, live and breathing BANNERETTE wheelchair player, 19-year old Dana Mathewson. They lost to #2-seeds Kamiji & Jordanne while, but s-t-i-l-l. Hopefully she'll become the first of more to come.
Meanwhile, "Diede the Great" may just become the "It" star of this competition, with a chance to win both titles in her Wimbledon debut. She Marjolein Buis (#2 seeds) knocked out Ellerbrock & Lucy Shuker to reach the doubles final, too.
SINCE I MENTIONED RUSSIAN DOUBLES PLAYERS ON DAY 11: Kournikova's best Wimbledon WD results were two semifinals... but not with fellow "Spice Girl" Hingis. It was with Zvereva (2000) and Rubin (2002).
Of course, Kournikova also reached the Wimbledon singles semis in 1997. TWENTY years ago, making her SW19 debut at the same event where Venus Williams did the same. Kournikova is almost exactly one year younger than Venus, by the way.
HOLDING COURT ON DAY 11:
EGG-TERNAL SUNSHINE?? ON DAY 11:
THE AUSTIN AIM ON DAY 11:
Cracking shot by @thetracyaustin ??
— BBC Tennis (@bbctennis) July 14, 2017
Straight at our cameraman #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/iyo09TyXfo
Oops!!???? https://t.co/k4VfdN9o9h
— Tracy Austin (@thetracyaustin) July 14, 2017
WELL... ON DAY 11: ...at least the anniversary is being "celebrated" a little.
Remember my @Wimbledon victory 30 years ago? To celebrate, I'm giving away a load of cool prizes! Click to enter!https://t.co/4pa8lVztYx
— Pat Cash (@TheRealPatCash) July 5, 2017
...and, finally... ummm... (the one video you HAVE to watch this Wimbledon)
¡Genial! @Clijsterskim hizo que un espectador se ponga ropa femenina para jugar en #WIMBLEDONxESPN.https://t.co/r0JYV4pksM
— ESPN Tenis (@ESPNtenis) July 14, 2017
.@Clijsterskim and @conchitamartinz are making a new friend on @Wimbledon's Ladies invitation doubles! ?? #tennis #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/E75oEsBNaC
— Tennisplaza België (@tennisplazabenl) July 14, 2017
— Kim Clijsters (@Clijsterskim) July 14, 2017
I wonder how he'd do against the #700th-ranked woman on the WTA tour?
=LADIES' SINGLES FINAL=
#14 Garbine Muguruza/ESP vs. #10 Venus Williams/USA
=LADIES' DOUBLES FINAL=
#9 H.Chan/Niculescu (TPE/ROU) vs. #2 Makarova/Vesnina (RUS/RUS)
=MIXED DOUBLES SF=
#1 Hingis/J.Murray (SUI/GBR) vs. Watson/Kontinen (GBR/FIN)
=GIRLS SINGLES SF=
Ann Li/USA def. Simona Waltert/SUI
#3 Claire Liu/USA def. Sofya Lansere/RUS
=GIRLS DOUBLES SF=
#1 Branstine/Kostyuk (CAN/UKR) vs. #4 McNally/Osuigwe (USA/USA)
Danilovic/Juvan (SRB/SLO) vs. Portillo Ramirez/Sewing (MEX/USA)
=LADIES WHEELCHAIR SINGLES SF=
Diede de Groot/NED def. Aniek van Koot/NED
Sabine Ellerbrock/GER def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
=LADIES WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES SF=
Kamiji/Whiley (JPN/GBR) def. Mathewson/Van Koot (USA/NED)
#2 Buis/De Groot (NED/NED) def. Ellerbrock/Shuker (GER/GBR)
*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
2016 [First WC Champ] Jiske Griffioen, NED
2017 [Wheelchair Teen] Diede de Groot, NED
*WIMBLEDON "JUNIOR BREAKOUT" WINNERS*
2007 Urszula Radwanska, POL
2008 Laura Robson, GBR
2009 Timea Babos, HUN & Miyabi Inoue, JPN
2010 Kristyna Pliskova, CZE
2011 Ashleigh Barty, AUS
2012 Eugenie Bouchard, CAN
2013 Louisa Chirico, USA
2014 Jelena Ostapenko, LAT
2015 Sofya Zhuk, RUS
2016 Dayana Yastremska, UKR
2017 Ann Li, USA
*WIMBLEDON GIRLS FINALS - since 2002*
2002 Vera Dushevina/RUS d. Maria Sharapova/RUS
2003 Kirsten Flipkens/BEL d. Anna Chakvetadze/RUS
2004 Kateryna Bondarenko/UKR d. Ana Ivanovic/SRB
2005 Agnieszka Radwanska/POL d. Tamira Paszek/AUT
2006 Caroline Wozniacki/DEN d. Magdalena Rybarikova/SVK
2007 Urszula Radwanska/POL d. Madison Brengle/USA
2008 Laura Robson/GBR d. Noppawan Lertcheewakarn/THA
2009 Noppawan Lertcheewakarn/THA d. Kristina Mladenovic/FRA
2010 Kristyna Pliskova/CZE d. Sachie Ishizu/JPN
2011 Ashleigh Barty/AUS d. Irina Khromacheva/RUS
2012 Eugenie Bouchard/CAN d. Elina Svitolina/UKR
2013 Belinda Bencic/SUI d. Taylor Townsend/USA
2014 Jelena Ostapenko/LAT d. Kristina Schmiedlova/SVK
2015 Sofya Zhuk/RUS d. Anna Blinkova/RUS
2016 Anastasia Potapova/RUS d. Dayana Yastremska/UKR
2017 Claire Liu/USA vs. Ann Li/USA
**ALL-U.S. JUNIOR GIRLS SLAM FINALS**
[Australian Open]
1989 Kim Kessaris def. Andrea Farley
[Roland Garros]
1980 Kathy Horvath def. Kelly Henry
2017 Whitney Osuigwe def. Claire Liu
[Wimbledon]
1977 Lea Antonpolis def. Mareen "Peanut" Louie
1979 Mary-Lou Piatek def. Alycia Moultron
2017 Claire Liu vs. Ann Li
[U.S. Open]
1979 Alycia Moulton def. Mary-Lou Piatek
1980 Susan Mascarin def. Kathrin Keil
1981 Zina Garrison def. Kate Gompert
1982 Beth Herr def. Gretchen Rush
1986 Elly Hakami def. Shaun Stafford
1992 Lindsay Davenport def. Julie Steve
*RECENT WC SLAM SINGLES FINALS*
2013 AO - #1 Aniek Van Koot/NED d. #2 Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
2013 RG - Sabine Ellerbrock/GER def. #2 Jiske Griffioen/NED
2013 US - #2 Aniek Van Koot/NED d. #1 Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
2014 AO - #1 Sabine Ellerbrock/GER def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2014 RG - #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. Aniek Van Koot/NED
2014 US - #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. #2 Aniek Van Koot/NED
2015 AO - Jiske Griffioen/NED def. #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2015 RG - #2 Jiske Griffioen/NED def. Aniek Van Koot/NED
2015 US - Jordanne Whiley/GBR def. Yui Kamiji/JPN
2016 AO - #1 Jiske Griffioen/NED def. Aniek Van Koot/NED
2016 RG - Marjolein Buis/NED def. Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
2016 WI - #1 Jiske Griffioen/NED def. Aniek Van Koot/NED
2016 PA - #1 Jiske Griffioen/NED def. #4 Aniek Van Koot/NED
2017 AO - #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. #1 Jiske Griffioen/NED
2017 RG - #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
2017 WI - Diede de Groot/NED vs. Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #6 Johanna Konta/GBR
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #14 Garbine Muguruza/ESP
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: Petra Martic/CRO def. #1q Aleksandra Krunic/SRB 3-6/7-6(4)/7-5 (saved 6 MP)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #6 Johanna Konta/GBR def. Donna Vekic/CRO 7-6(4)/4-6/10-8 (3:10; nearly 100 total winners)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 4th Rd. - #15 Garbine Muguruza/ESP def. #1 Angelique Kerber/GER 4-6/6-4/6-4
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Wang Qiang/CHN (def. K.Chang/TPE)
FIRST SEED OUT: #31 Roberta Vinci/ITA (1st Rd. - lost to Kr.Pliskova/CZE)
UPSET QUEENS: USA
REVELATION LADIES: GBR (two women -- Konta & Watson -- in 3rd Rd. for first time since '86; WC Boulter played well vs. McHale)
NATION OF POOR SOULS: CZE (0-6 2nd Rd., including"co-favorites" Kvitova & Ka.Pliskova w/ two other seeds; first time no Czechs in Wimb. 3r since '09, second time since '04)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Petra Martic/CRO (4th Rd.)
LAST WILD CARDS STANDING: Heather Watson/GBR and Zarina Diyas/KAZ (3rd Rd.)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Johanna Konta (in SF, best British result since 1978)
IT ("WC TEEN"): Diede de Groot/NED
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Magdalena Rybarikova/SVK
COMEBACK: Victoria Azarenka/BLR
CRASH & BURN: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS (1st Rd. loss to Ar.Rodionova after having 7 MP, one year after Wimb. QF and "Career QF Slam" completed at this year's AO; won two titles '17)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: Arina Rodionova/AUS (1st Rd. - qualifier saved 7 MP vs. Pavlyuchenkova; won 9-7 3rd for first career GS MD win; lost 2nd Rd.)
DOUBLES STAR(s): x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Venus Williams/USA (37 - oldest finalist since 1994)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Ann Li/USA
THE RADWANSKA DAY REMEMBRANCE AWARD
June 26 official: Eastbourne DC Dominika Cibulkova loses opening match to WC Heather Watson; 4 LL's win MD matches (one LL vs. LL match-up); LL Tsvetana Pironkova advances to 2nd Rd. w/ 1st Rd. bye when Petra Kvitova withdraws, gets 2nd Rd. win
Day 3 observed: On "Flying Ant Day," newly-emerged insects swarm the AELTC grounds. Meanwhile, six women's seed fall, including two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
"Alternate" Rad Day (Day 4): In muggy conditions, four women's seeds (and four men's) fall, including "favorite" #3 Karolina Pliskova, as no Czech woman reach the 3rd Round for the first time in eight years. Bethanie Mattek-Sands suffers a devastating knee injury. Aga Radwanska saves two MP vs. Christina McHale to advance.
All for Day 11. More tomorrow.
posted by Todd.Spiker @ 6:18 PM
3 Comments:
Griffioen must be banged up. Compared to last year when she had played 9 tournaments up to this point, Wimbledon is only the 5th this year.
Picking Muguruza, but it has just as much to do with Venus. 2007-09 really isn't relevant to tomorrow's match, but the fact that Venus' biggest slam losses in the last two years are. Venus lost the SF to Kerber last year, and Kerber eventually became #1. Venus lost the AO final to Serena, who became #1 again.
So do I think Muguruza could be #1? As others pointed out, she has made a slam 3 consecutive years, which is a great sign. And at 23, still has time to become more consistent. Muguruza in two.
Stat of the Day-33-Amount of WTA singles titles for Conchita Martinez.
With Martinez and Medina Garrigues having coaching success, I am predicting a copycat run, in which any male or female Spaniard will get hired soon.
Conchita won her titles over a 17 yr span, plus 13 doubles titles for good measure. The last 3 of her finals opponents are still relevant-as in today. Last title was Pattaya 2005 vs Anna-Lena Gronfeld. Last finals loss? 2004 Charleston to Venus! Last final before that? A loss to Chanda Rubin, less than a year after she won the Jr Wimbledon title.
Hopefully Griffioen will be good to go for the Open, though. (Whatever it was, at least it allowed a U.S. WC player to slip in through an open crack, though.
Too bad for Kamiji (maybe next time... Pliskova whispers somewhere), but it's nice to see de Groot living up to all the promise (finally in a slam) that seemed to be attached to her future last year.
Maybe ASV will be getting a call soon (she ALMOST got into it w/ Wozniacki a while back).
I'm almost with Colt--sticking with Mugu in 3. The semifinals were boring, but the final should make up for that. Also hoping to hear that Mugu gets a new coach soon (and Conchita would be fine).
I'm appalled at the trash being thrown at Jo Konta. Every nation should wish it had a Jo Konta.
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