AO.7 - It's Still Barty's Party

Party on, Ash.

First Grand Slam quarterfinal.

First Aussie woman in an #AusOpen QF in ten years.

?? pic.twitter.com/5PGeSOq2eg

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2019

The Round of 16 match on Sunday between #15 Barty and #30 Maria Sharapova was bound to ignite a storyline. It was just a matter of which one. Either the veteran Sharapova was going to provide further evidence for a career resurgence on the heels of her elimination of defending champion Caroline Wozniacki in the previous round, or the subject of just-barely-under-the-surface hopes and dreams for great things for the young Aussie was going to explode like fireworks over Sydney Harbor all over the grounds of Melbourne Park.

Well...

After formerly being a dominant tennis nation several generations ago, Australia, while it's had the occasional men's star since the "glory days," has seemingly been in a constant search for a true, flag-waving Aussie woman to inject the nation back into the discussion on the women's tour since the start of the 1990's. While many had occasional success over the years, Samantha Stosur has been by far the most successful, reaching two slam singles finals and winning Roland Garros in 2011, along with becoming a doubles #1 early in her career while picking up multiple WD/MX slam crowns. But Stosur's inability to be at her best in the Australian Open (or on Aussie soil at all, really) prevented her from ever lifting the entire enterprise onto her shoulders and starring in the sort of shared, communal and national moment that could be the starting point for even greater things.

Enter Barty, an all-court player who is Australia's best hope is several generations. Already a top doubles star, she seemingly lifts her singles game with each tournament. In recent months, she's ended one season by winning a title in Zhuhai, then opened another by recording her first #1 win and making a final run in Sydney, and following that up by posting what is now her best career slam result, as well as the best by any Aussie woman in Melbourne since 2009.

With Barty having to withdraw from the WD with an abdominal injury, there was a bit of trepidation when it came to truly believing that today's match was going to be as competitive as most hoped. Especially if the elevated game that Sharapova showed against the Dane was suddenly her new/old norm. As it turned out, the injury never played a part.

The match was one laced with slowly building drama, not to mention a few sudden plot twists before a scintillating conclusion.

Mid-way through the 1st set, three consecutive games in which servers were forced to deal with break points would determine which woman claimed the opening stanza. First Barty saved a BP to hold for a 4-3 lead, then Sharapova saved two a game later. At 4-4, Sharapova reached double BP at 15/40. Finally, on BP #3 in the game, Barty sailed a crosscourt backhand at the net and the Russian grabbed a 5-4 advantage. As she had vs. the Dane two days ago, Sharapova won the 1st set's biggest points down the stretch. After a Barty return bounced off the net cord and landed out of bounds to give the '08 AO champ a 40/love lead, Sharapova's ace took the set at 6-4.

And then everything changed.

Just as Sharapova had grabbed her opportunity in the 1st, Barty did so in the 2nd as Sharapova's sudden lapses led to her game seeming to virtually fall, floor after floor, from the top of a tall building with a wonderfully familiar view, heading toward the basement. After having previously continued to resemble her "old self" for a second straight big match, she no longer did. Barty got a break for 3-1 via a Sharapova backhand error and ran off with the set at 6-1. She opened the 3rd with a break, and after falling behind 15/30 in game #2 she held serve for 2-0, then saw Sharapova squander a 40/15 lead a game later. Two DF were followed by a long backhand error and the Russian found herself down BP again. A forehand error gave Barty a double-break lead at 3-0. The Aussie won her ninth consecutive game immediately after, holding at love for 4-0. Sharapova, her game badly off the rails, had ten winners vs. a whopping forty-two UE in the match.

A tournament narrative that was at once feel-good on her part had quickly turned ugly as her exit in a hail of errors seemed imminent. Ah, but the match had at least one more direction change remaining to play out.

With Barty holding two BP for a 5-0 3rd set lead, Sharapova somehow found a way to hold on. She held for get on the board at 4-1, then seemed emboldened by her breath of life. Finding her range again and hitting big, she took a 15/40 lead on Barty's serve and got one of the breaks back. Adding in drops and a lob to points which saw her scrambling defense keep rallies alive, Sharapova saved two BP and held to pull to 4-3. Threatening to come all the way back, she went up 15/40 in game #4, as Barty -- if you squinted a little -- was beginning to get a certain "Stosur Down Under" look about her as a seemingly certain victory appeared to be slipping away.

But then Barty showed that she may just be different, after all.

She pulled back her service game to deuce, then used an ace and another big serve to get the crucial hold for 5-3. Sharapova held to force the Aussie to serve out her biggest slam win. Another big serve gave Barty her first MP. Sharapova saved it with a forehand winner, but another ace brought up a second MP. It came and went, too, but was replaced by a third due to a backhand error from the Russian. Finally, the third time was Barty's charm. She smacked another ace -- #30 in the event, more than anyone in the draw to date -- to close out the 4-6/6-1/6-4 victory, clinching her first appearance in a slam quarterfinal. On her way to the net, she whacked a ball into the stands in exuberant celebration.

Every day is a Barty Party now. Until it no longer is. But that *could* take a while.

The most famous victory of her young career.

Congratulations, @ashbar96 ??????#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/MEvPFeKZc7

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2019

Stepping up to the line to serve for the biggest win of her career, @ashbar96 reflects on that final thrilling game of the match. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/XhpndSLu2L

— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 20, 2019

As for Sharapova, her late surge allowed her to salvage something from a nearly two full set collapse that almost left an indelibly messy smudge on what had previously been a good and encouraging event for the 31-year old. While she wasn't able to complete the comeback, she showed that *that* type of competitiveness is still there, just as she had vs. Wozniacki in the 3rd Round. It's just a matter of being able to stay injury-free long enough to build, putting more matches upon those matches, and then still more results and efforts of their kind on top of those. It was a somewhat open question at the start of the week whether Sharapova still had the goods to compete for big titles. As her AO ends, she's now given every indication that she, indeed, does.

Aussie tennis players in the quarter-finals of the #AusOpen...#10YearChallenge #9WWOS pic.twitter.com/a3FM0KZ9tQ

— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) January 20, 2019

Meanwhile, Barty is a hop, skip and a jump from becoming the first Aussie woman to debut in the Top 10 in nine years (Stosur - March '10), and is two wins from becoming the first to play for the Australian title since 1980. Venus Williams was just six months old at the time when Wendy Turnbull was the most recent finalist, and Serena wouldn't be born for another nine months. But let's not ahead of things.

First up: another go with her Sydney final opponent Petra Kvitova, who defeated her in a 3rd set TB last weekend.

If Barty can get some measure of revenge (and she'll have some help in the quest from the stands), suddenly all things become possible.



=DAY 7 NOTES=...sometimes you're the truck, but sometimes you're the bug on the windshield of the truck. After being the former in her 3rd Round match against #11 Aryna Sabalenka, 17-year old Amanda Anisimova experienced being the latter today against #8 Petra Kvitova in what was the day's opening women's Round of 16 match.

Of course, the Czech knew what to expect from the Bannerette. While Sabalenka seemed to have no idea, Kvitova had come by her knowledge the hard way. By losing to a then 16-year old Anisimova last year at Indian Wells. She arrived knowing she had to be ready from the start. And she was, too.

Riding an eight-match winning that began with her Sydney title last weekend, Kvitova is looking to get her '19 slam season off to a good start after faltering on the big stage last year. Though she led the tour with five titles, she won just four matches at the majors in 2018. Right from the jump vs. Anisimova, she seized the initiative. Up love/30 in the opening game, she stopped a point mid-rally to challenge a line call. When the U.S. teen's shot was declared to have been long, Kvitova had triple BP. She got the break at 30, and proceeded to never relinquish control.

While Anisimova's game in her first truly HUGE match on a big stage was nowhere near as clean as it was against Sabalenka -- she had 9 UE by game #5, as many as she had the entire match vs. the Belarusian -- Kvitova was nearly perfect. Anisimova saved BP and held in a 7-minute game for 3-2, but it would prove to be her last moment of relief. Kvitova added on another break two games later, then served out the 1st at 6-2.

She grabbed an early break in the 2nd and coasted to a 6-2/6-1 win in fifty-eight minutes, reaching her first AO QF since her best-ever Melbourne result (SF) in 2012. She never faced a BP in the match, served at 86%, and won 83% of her first serve points.

A player of the future runs into a brick wall.@Petra_Kvitova def. Anisimova 6-2 6-1. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/NXXEQLz95G

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2019

I got a tennis lesson today, but at least it was from one of the best in the world hey ??????? really though I had such an enjoyable week here, thank you so much for being such an amazing crowd. I am so looking forward to next year Melbs ?? #believe #cloud9over?? pic.twitter.com/Ti3jr5CtsB

— Amanda Anisimova (@AnisimovaAmanda) January 20, 2019

...sometimes you're the truck, but sometimes you're the bug on the windshield of the truck. Hmm, where have I heard that before?

Well, if such a notion applied to Anisimova, then what can we say about Angelique Kerber? That it wasn't a truck, but a supersonic train?

Danielle Collins had never won a Grand Slam match before this edition of the @AustralianOpen.

Now, the American is in the final eight after dispatching World No. 2 Angelique Kerber --> https://t.co/9N5mSkA913 pic.twitter.com/BoYfiVkgoO

— WTA (@WTA) January 20, 2019

In some respects, it was like the #2 seed's match with Danielle Collins didn't even happen. Starting in the wake of Barty/Sharapova, it was essentially over before most people probably even knew it'd begun. And it wasn't the three-time slam champ delivering the splattering force, either.

From her love break of Kerber in the opening game, to her misery-ending drop shot winner on MP, the two-time NCAA champ made this a day the German will be more than happy to forget. She never had a shot. She never got a look. Collins didn't allow it to happen, playing out of her mind en route to a love and two win that maybe wasn't even *that* close in practice The 1st set was over in twenty minutes, and the match in four mintues under an hour. Collins led 29-6 in winners en route to adding a third name (after #14 Goerges and #19 Garcia) to her list of seeded victims at this slam.

Afterward, she was the very picture of head-first confidence as the most unexpected member of the final eight.

"I think it's gonna keep happening."

Confidence level of Danielle Collins ??#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Jbz5OxVjd6

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2019

I wonder what show she'll watch an episode of tonight?

It's like the movie Ride-Along, but funny...
Tennis Channel takes a ride with the HYSTERICAL Danielle Collins ??

She will face #2 seed Angie Kerber today for a spot in the quarterfinal. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/eURI6IOUHt

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 19, 2019

The final Round of 16 match of the day will take place tonight on Laver, as Sloane Stephens (looking to make it an all-Bannerette QF vs. Collins) faces Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (looking to reach a *second* QF at a slam for the first time).

...junior action has been underway in Melbourne for two days, and the top seed comes in off winning a title.

Dane Clara Tauson picked up the Traralgon Grade 1 crown with a victory in the final over Leylah Annie Fernandez.

View this post on Instagram

Solid start of the year?? #G1 #yonex #itf

A post shared by Clara Tauson (@claratauson) on Jan 16, 2019 at 1:16am PST

Tauson posted a three-set 1st Round win today. Four seeded girls were upset: #10 Hong Yi Cody Wong (HKG), #13 Mariia Tkacheva (RUS), #14 Sada Nahimana (BDI) and #16 Emma Raducanu (GBR).

LAF isn't the only Canadian teenager making waves, either. And, no, I'm not talking about Bianca Andreescu. Melodie Collard is set to take on Bannerette Abigail Forbes in the G1 Coffee Bowl final in Costa Rica.

Additionally, 21-year old Canadian Franckie Abanda has reached the $25K Daytona Beach final against Hungary's Anna Bondar.

...meanwhile, it was a very big wheelchair tennis weekend, as world #2 Yui Kamiji won an epic encounter with #1 Diede de Groot in the Melbourne Open final.

Japan's Kamiji, the most successful player in the post-Vergeer era, has recently fallen into the shadow of de Groot as the 22-year old Dutch woman has surpassed her for the #1 position and then pulled away as she's edged closer to some major WC tennis records while still in the early stages of her career. After winning eleven of her first fourteen career matches against the newcomer from 2014 up until late '17, Kamiji saw de Groot seize control on their head-to-head in 2018, winning five of six match-ups (seven of eight since Kamiji defeated her in the '17 U.S. Open final), and four in a row heading into the Melbourne final. There, Kamiji was down 5-4, 40/15 in the 3rd set, but saved both MP, then three more in a deciding TB that ended at 13-11.

Kamiji, already a previous '19 title winner, is now 8-0 on the season. This tournament was De Groot's season debut, and she didn't leave empty handed. She picked up the doubles crown with Aniek Van Koot.

*Kamiji vs. de Groot*
2019 Melbourne Open F - KAMIJI 3-6/7-5/7-6(11)
------------------------------------------------
2018 NED Wheelchair Tennis Masters F - DE GROOT 6-3/7-5
2018 US Open F - DE GROOT 6-2/6-3
2018 British Open WC Tennis Chsps Fl - DE GROOT 6-2/3-6/3-6
2018 BNP Paribas Open de France F - DE GROOT 7-5/6-4
2018 Roland Garros F - KAMIJI 2-6/6-0/6-2
2018 Australian Open F - DE GROOT 7-6(6)/6-4
------------------------------------------------
2017 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters F - DE GROOT 7-5/6-4
2017 Open d'Amiens Hauts de France F - DE GROOT 1-6/7-5/6-3
2017 US Open F - KAMIJI 7-5/6-2
2017 US Open USTA WC Chsps F - KAMIJI 5-7/6-3/7-6(12)
2017 British Open WC Tennis Chsps F - KAMIJI 6-4/6-3
2017 BNP Paribas Open de France SF - KAMIJI 6-4/6-3
2017 Japan Open F - KAMIJI 6-2/6-2
2017 Melbourne Wheelchair Tennis Open SF - KAMIJI 6-3/6-4
2017 Apia Int'l Sydney WC Tennis Open SF - DE GROOT 7-5/7-6(5)
------------------------------------------------
2016 Paralympic Games Bronze - KAMIJI 6-3/6-3
2016 BNP Paribas Open de France F - KAMIJI 6-3/7-6(4)
2016 Toyota Open Int'l de L'ile de Re SF - DE GROOT 4-6/7-5/1-0 ret.
------------------------------------------------
2015 Sardinia Open QF - KAMIJI 6-1/6-1
2015 BNP Paribas Open de France QF - KAMIJI 6-2/6-4
------------------------------------------------
2014 Swiss Open Starling Hotel Geneva 1st - KAMIJI 6-1/6-2
==
Kamiji leads 13-9

...meanwhile, in ITF action, Ula Radwanska finds herself one win away from her first title since taking a $75K challenger event in Nottingham, England in 2012.

After defeating Alize Lim in the semis, she'll next play in the final of the $25K Petit-Bourg, France event against Mexico's Ana Sofia Sanchez.

Radwanska was a Top 30 player seven years ago, but injuries have sent her well down the rankings (she was #330 last year, which was actually an improvement on her #524 finish a year earlier). She had four Top 100 seasons between 2009-2015, reaching two tour finals ('12 Rosmalen and '15 Istanbul) and posting three Top 10 wins (including one -- the first of her career -- over her sister Aga in '09 in Dubai). This week's event was her first of the '19 season.

The other day Ula shared hateful messages she'd received following a match, and pleaded for the spread of such thoughts to stop.

View this post on Instagram

#stophejt #stopnienawisci Wczoraj po meczu dostalam wiadomosc, która widac na zdjeciu obok-pelna nienawisci i obrazajaca mnie. Jak widac nie tylko w Polsce hejt jest ogromnym problem. Nie rozumiem jak czlowiek moze napisac takie rzeczy do drugiego czlowieka? Jak mozna zyczyc drugiej osobie, zeby ktos jej polamal nogi? My sportowcy dostajemy takich wiadomosci mnóstwo, czasem mam wrazenie ze ludzie uwazaja, ze jestesmy maszynami stworzonymi do rywalizacji. A my jestesmy zwyklymi ludzmi, którzy równiez maja uczucia i tak samo bola nas zawistne komentarze w nasza strone. Dlatego mówie glosno #stophejt ! Yesterday I got a message which can be seen in the picture - full of hatred and insulting me. And I can see that hate is a huge problem not only in Poland. I don’t understand how a man can write such things to another human being? How can he wish the other person to break his legs? We athletes get so many messages like this and sometimes I have the impression that people think that we are machines created for competition. But we are ordinary people who also have feelings and the insulting comments in our direction hurts us the same. That’s why I say loud #stophate !!!

A post shared by Urszula Radwanska (@ularadwanska_official) on Jan 18, 2019 at 8:06am PST

...HEY... ON DAY 7: Hmmm, I like walking through graveyards. Yeah, not the same thing. ;)

Sloane talking about death will weirdly (?) be the highlight of your day. #AusOpenhttps://t.co/ynCctFFv3t

— Courtney Nguyen (@FortyDeuceTwits) January 19, 2019

...LIKE ON DAY 7: The Apple liquid retina display "human flood of color" ad.

For weeks, every time it comes on I've have to stop and watch (or listen) to it. I don't give a whit about the product, but the Bollywood-like feel of the whole thing is really fun, I think.



...UPDATE ON DAY 7: As for the other teen...

View this post on Instagram

Learned here in AO ???? a great lesson for the future to come. The season has just started! ???????? ??-Arata Yamaoka #DY2019#alwaysthankful#nolimits#nofear#fight#emotions

A post shared by Dayana Yastremska (@dayana_yastremskay) on Jan 19, 2019 at 2:07am PST

...NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED ON DAY 7: So says Arina Rodionova, at least.

View this post on Instagram

You throw a party for them and they throw you in the pool in return ?? #thereisnofriendshipsintennis

A post shared by Arina Rodionova (Vickery) (@arinarodio) on Jan 18, 2019 at 2:47pm PST

...Hmmm... ON DAY 7: I don't get it. How is this any different from what Monfils has pretty much always done on a tennis court? For, like, his entire career.

When bae watches you play ??.@Gael_Monfils @ElinaSvitolina #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/m0QamTPK6c

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2019

If she manages to win this title and people -- you know the usual suspects -- somehow try to give some sort of "credit" and/or undeserved attention to the most underachieving men's player of his generation...



...LIKE ON DAY 7: Saw Li Na play a little tennis today.


...LIKE ON DAY 7: I don't know if I've ever seen this in a doubles match, save for maybe a Legends competition or exhibition.

??????????? @AustralianOpen @WTA #tweener #heretocreate pic.twitter.com/RXIPbB5PAS

— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) January 20, 2019

After a hard day at work I came home and found this! pic.twitter.com/PKNdGFB0tD

— Back To Nature (@backt0nature) January 19, 2019

=WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16=
#1 Simona Halep/ROU vs. #16 Serena Williams/USA
#18 Garbine Muguruza/ESP vs. #7 Karolina Pliskova/CZE
#13 Anastasija Sevastova/LAT vs. #4 Naomi Osaka/JPN
#17 Madison Keys/USA vs. #6 Elina Svitolina/UKR
#8 Petra Kvitova/CZE def. Amanda Anisimova/USA
#15 Ash Barty/AUS def. #30 Maria Sharapova/RUS
#5 Sloane Stephens/USA vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS
Danielle Collins/USA def. #2 Angelique Kerber/GER

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES ROUND OF 16=
#1 Krejcikova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE) vs. Mertens/Sabalenka (BEL/BLR)
Cornet/Maric (FRA/CRO) vs. Stosur/Sh.Zhang (AUS/CHN)
Strycova/Vondrousova (CZE/CZE) def. Hibino/Krawczyk (JPN/USA)
#5 Klepac/Martinez Sanchez (SLO/ESP) def. Christian/Santamaria (USA/USA)
#7 Chan/Chan (TPE/TPE) def. Sasnovich/Townsend (BLR/USA)
Brady/Riske (USA/USA) vs. #4 Melichar/Pescke (USA/CZE)
#9 Atawo/Srebotnik (USA/SLO) def. Bara/Niculescu (ROU/ROU)
#13 Flipkens/Larsson (BEL/SWE) vs. Babos/Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)

=MIXED DOUBLES ROUND OF 16=
x/x vs. H.Chan/Rojer (TPE/NED)
Martinez Sanchez/Skupski (ESP/GBR) vs. (WC) Moore/Whittington (AUS/AUS)
x/x vs. (WC) Swiatek/Kubot (POL/POL)
(WC) Stosur/Paes (AUS/IND) vs. #5 Groenefeld/Farah (GER/COL)
Klepac/Roger-Vasselin (SLO/FRA) vs. (WC) Sharma/JP.Smith (AUS/AUS)
Mladenovic/Lindstedt (FRA/SWE) vs. Mattek-Sands/J.Murray (USA/GBR)
#6 Spears/Cabal (USA/COL) vs. Schuurs/Middelkoop (NED/NED)
Babos/Fucsovics (HUN/HUN) vs. #2 Melichar/Soares (USA/BRA)

"In this moment, I'm No.1 in the world, so I will take that.

"But for sure she's the best player in the world because she won so many Grand Slams.”

Simona Halep looks ahead to her big Round of 16 clash with Serena Williams.

Read: https://t.co/wvdfnKjHQm#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/DHVpWhL4Mx

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) January 19, 2019

Haha she still is!! https://t.co/yLsQhZsax0

— Daria Gavrilova (@Daria_gav) January 20, 2019

View this post on Instagram

#10yearschallenge ??what do u think guys?????? ?? ???????????? ?? ?????-?? ?????????? ???????

A post shared by Aryna Sabalenka (@sabalenka_aryna) on Jan 18, 2019 at 9:14pm PST

*AO "IT" WINNERS*
2006 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2007 Shahar Peer, ISR
2008 Casey Dellacqua, AUS
2009 Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP
2010 Maria Kirilenko, RUS
2011 An-Sophie Mestach, BEL (jr.)
2012 Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
2013 [Fortysomething] Kimiko Date-Krumm, JPN
2014 [Teen] Genie Bouchard, CAN
2015 [Madisons] Madison Keys/USA & Madison Brengle/USA
2016 [NextGen Belarusian] Vera Lapko, BLR
2017 [Party] (Ash) "Barty Party"
2018 [Teen] Marta Kostyuk, UKR
2019 [Teen] Amanda Anisimova, USA

*TRARALGON (Jr.) G1 EVENT - RECENT WINNERS*
2013 Anna Danilina, KAZ (lost AO 3rd)
2014 Varvara Flink, RUS (lost AO 2nd)
2015 Katherine Sebov, CAN (lost AO 2nd)
2016 Vera Lapko, BLR (won AO jr. title)
2017 Iga Swiatek, POL (lost AO 1st)
2018 Liang En-shou, TPE (won AO jr. title)
2019 Clara Tauson, DEN

*UNSEEDED/WC/Q in AO QF SINCE 32-SEED DRAW*
[2002-present]
2002 Adriana Serra-Zanetti/ITA
2003 Meghann Shaughnessy/USA, Virgina Ruano Pascual/ESP
2006 Martina Hingis/SUI (wc)
2007 Serena Williams/USA [W], Lucie Safarova/CZE
2009 Jelena Dokic/AUS (wc), Carla Suarez-Navarro/ESP
2010 Justine Henin/BEL(wc)[RU], Maria Kirilenko/RUS, Zheng Jie/CHN
2012 Sara Errani/ITA, Ekaterina Makarova/RUS
2013 Svetlana Kuznetsova/RUS
2015 Madison Keys/USA
2016 Johanna Konta/GBR, Zhang Shuai/CHN(q)
2017 Mirjana Lucic-Baroni/CRO, CoCo Vandeweghe/USA
2018 Elise Mertens/BEL, Carla Suarez-Navarro/ESP
2019 Danielle Collins/USA
--
NOTE: Pavlyuchenkova to play 4th Rd.

*AO WC SINGLES CHAMPIONS*
2002 Esther Vergeer/NED
2003 Esther Vergeer/NED
2004 Esther Vergeer/NED
2005 Sharon Walraven/NED
2006 Esther Vergeer/NED
2007 Esther Vergeer/NED
2008 Esther Vergeer/NED
2009 Esther Vergeer/NED
2010 Korie Homan/NED
2011 Esther Vergeer/NED
2012 Esther Vergeer/NED
2013 Aniek Van Koot/NED
2014 Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
2015 Jiske Griffioen/NED
2016 Jiske Griffioen/NED
2017 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2018 Diede de Groot/NED
2019 ?

*AO WC DOUBLES CHAMPIONS*
2004 Maaike Smit/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2005 Florence Gravellier/Maaike Smit (FRA/NED)
2006 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2007 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2008 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2009 Korie Homan/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2010 Florence Gravellier/Aniek van Koot (FRA/NED)
2011 Esther Vergeer/Sharon Walraven (NED/NED)
2012 Esther Vergeer/Sharon Walraven (NED/NED)
2013 Jiske Griffioen/Aniek van Koot (NED/NED)
2014 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley (JPN/GBR)
2015 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley (JPN/GBR)
2016 Marjolein Buis/Yui Kamiji (NED/JPN)
2017 Jiske Griffioen/Aniek van Koot (NED/NED)
2018 Marjolein Buis/Yui Kamiji (NED/JPN)
2019 ?




TOP QUALIFIER: Astra Sharma/AUS
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): #16 Serena Williams/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3 - Astra Sharma/AUS def. #25 Irina Khromacheva 5-7/7-6(7)/7-6(10) (saved 3 MP, makes slam debut)
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #18 Garbine Muguruza/ESP def. Johanna Konta/GBR 6-4/6-7(3)/7-5 (ended at 3:12 a.m.)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr./Doub.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Rebecca Peterson/SWE (def. Cirstea/ROU)
FIRST SEED OUT: #14 Julia Goerges/GER (1st Rd. - lost to D.Collins/USA)
UPSET QUEENS: United States
REVELATION LADIES: Teens - six teenagers win 1st Round matches - Andreescu/Anisimova/Potapova/Swiatek/Vondrousova/Yastremska; Anisimova and Yastremska reach 3rd Rd.
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Romania - 2-4 1st Rd., losses to two teens, #25 seed
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: Bianca Andreescu/CAN, Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA, Astra Sharma/AUS, Iga Swiatek/POL, Natalia Vikhlyantseva/RUS (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Kimberly Birrell/AUS (3rd Rd.)
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: Ash Barty (in QF)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: Nominee: Barty, Collins
IT (Teen): Amanda Anisimova/USA (first player born in 2000s to reach slam 4th Rd.)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominees: Kvitova (in slams), Sharapova
CRASH & BURN: #10 Dasha Kasatkina/RUS (after leading 3-0 in 1st set, loses 12 con. games in 1st Rd. loss vs. Bacsinszky)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: Nominees: Halep (1st Rd. - down set and a break vs. Kanepi; 2nd Rd. - down 4-2 in 3rd set vs. Kenin); Osaka (3rd Rd. - down 7-5/4-1 vs. Hsieh); Svitolina (3rd Rd. - down double-break 3-0 in 3rd vs. Sh.Zhang; MTO's); Collins (1st Rd. - Goerges served for match)
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: Nominees: S.Williams, Kvitova
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominees: Halep, Muguruza
DOUBLES STAR: xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx





All for Day 7. More tomorrow.