Sunday, June 16, 2019

Wk.24- The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side of Paris

When is a grass court tournament not a grass court tournament? Well, how about when about 90% of it is played on indoor hard courts because of unrelenting rain showers for most of the week.

Oh, my... what could this possibly mean when it comes to the Tennis Gods' plans for the *rest* of this grass season?

via GIPHY


Well, Kiki Bertens lost a 6-0-/4-1 lead on home soil and failed to convert five match points in the final of the *other* event on the WTA schedule this week.

So, you know... be prepared for anything.

via GIPHY





*WEEK 24 CHAMPIONS*
's-HERTOGENBOSCH (ROSMALEN), NETHERLANDS (Int'l/Grass Outdoor)
S: Alison Riske/USA def. Kiki Bertens/NED 0-6/7-6(3)/7-5
D: Shuko Aoyama/Aleksandra Krunic (JPN/SRB) def. Lesley Kerkhove/Bibiane Schoofs (NED/NED) 7-5/6-3
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND (Int'l/Grass Outdoor+HC Indoor)
S: Caroline Garcia/FRA def. Donna Vekic/CRO 2-6/7-6(4)/7-6(4)
D: Desirae Krawczyk/Giuliana Olmos (USA/MEX) def. Ellen Perez/Arina Rodionova (AUS/AUS) 7-6(5)/7-5


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Alison Riske/USA
...Riske has always found comfort on the grass courts. Her pro breakout came during the 2010 season when she sparked during the Wimbledon tune-up season and earned a WC into her debut slam MD at SW19. Still questioning her future on tour, the experience set the course for her career. But until this weekend, though she'd won three on the challenger circuit (including a $100K just last weekend), she'd never won a tour-level grass title. She finally did at the Rosmalen event in 's-Hertogenbosch, but her path to it was hardly a conventional one.



Riske came back from a set down against Karolina Muchova in the 1st ROund, then after defeating Polona Hercog survived Veronika Kudermetova serving for the match twice (at 5-4 and 6-5 in the 3rd) and leading the deciding TB 5-2 in the semis. In the final, home nation favorite Kiki Bertens led 6-0/4-1, and held five MP in the 2nd set. But Riske pulled out all the stops to save all five, won a TB to force a 3rd set, then played even with the world #4 until breaking her for 7-5 to take the match, giving her ten straight grass wins over the last two weeks.

It's Riske's first tour title since her maiden win in Tianjin in October 2014. She'd lost six straight WTA finals before her comeback win on Sunday, and she'll now climb back into the Top 50.
===============================================
RISERS: Caroline Garcia/FRA, Donna Vekic/CRO and Jennifer Brady/USA
...for most of the week, the Nottingham event looked like this...




With the "grasscourt" event being forced to play the majority of the draw (the 1st/2nd Rounds, two QF and part of a third) on indoor hard courts (sometimes to finish contests that had *started* outside on the grass, as through the QF only two full matches had been completed as intended on the lawns). Needless to say, it was a mess. Somehow, though, everyone got through it unscathed, and the final Sunday allowed the *three* remaining players in the draw to actually play on the green stuff.

Finishing up their semifinal, Garcia downed Brady (for the first time in four tries this season) to reach her second '19 final, completing a comeback from a set down against the Bannerette, who was playing in her first tour-level SF since October '17 after having won matches over Zhang Shuai, Sara Sorribes-Tormo (in 3:11) and Maria Sakkari. While Brady was unable to play in an event final even bigger than her career-best WTA 125 decider in Indian Wells earlier this season, her '19 surge continues. After finishing last season at #116, she'll climb to #66 this week.

Garcia advanced to the final, looking to add a second career grass title (Mallorca '16) with a win over Vekic. The Croat had won Nottingham two years ago and reached the Wimbledon Round of 16 last year, and was coming off a 4th Round run in Paris. With occasionally dominant wins during the week -- she bageled Dalila Jakupovic in the 3rd set in the 1st Rd., allowed Chloe Paquet three games in the 2nd, defeated Kristina Mladenovic in straights in the QF, and handed Tatjana Maria back-to-back love sets after dropping the opener in the SF -- Vekic came in at a career-high #22 in the rankings.



Garcia pulled out the oh-so-close contest, taking back-to-back TB sets after dropping the 1st, and ending things with an ace on MP to win her first title since last October. She'll return to the Top 25 tomorrow, coming in just one spot behind Vekic (now 25-11 on the season) at #23.

As is sometimes the case, Vekic felt the pain of the loss after a long, trying week...




But she'll recover quickly... and will probably go on to make the Wimbledon quarters, now.
===============================================


SURPRISES: Greet Minnen/BEL and Gabriela Ruse/ROU
...for the most part, Minnen's "claim to (recent) fame" has been that she's the girlfriend of Alison Van Uytvanck, but the Waffle has actually been making an alternate name for herself between the lines. The 21-year old Belgian ended last season at #316, and her QF run this week at Rosmalen (her second in '19, w/ Hobart) will help lift her to a new career high of #128 on Monday. Already a winner of her biggest career title ($25K) this season, and with wins over the likes of Dominika Cibulkova, Anna Blinkova, Magda Linette, Natalia Vikhlyantseva and Katie Boulter, Minnen qualified this week with wins over Sabine Lisicki (from a set down) and Fiona Ferro, then recorded MD victories over Mona Barthel and Margarita Gasparyan. In the QF, she led Veronika Kudermetova 6-4/2-0 before the Russian battled all the way back for the win.

The other honoree here is the player that Minnen defeated in the final of that $25K in Yokohama, Japan in March: Gabriela Ruse.

The 21-year old Swarmette has proven herself to be something of a gnat-like opponent over the past year, without any truly BIG wins but usually a tough out for whomever she faces. She briefly made a name for herself last grass season, qualifying in Nottingham and then taking always-a-good-grass-player Magdalena Rybarikova to three sets. Then on Day 1 of Wimbledon, after making it through qualifying to reach her maiden slam MD, she took Aga Radwanska to three entertaining sets, holding six MP before the former SW19 finalist managed to survive to get what would be her final match win at the AELTC (in all, Aga was just 1-5 in her career after the Ruse win, as multiple injuries finally forced her retirement before this season). She followed up with a three-set Bucharest loss to Polona Hercog last July, then earlier this year in Monterrey she qualified again before losing a close 6-4/7-6 1st Round match to defending champ (and eventual title winner) Garbine Muguruza.



Ruse came into Nottingham ranked #211, and once again was forced to qualify, which she did with wins over Jana Cepelova and Chloe Paquet. In just her third tour-level MD since Wimbledon, she then posted additional wins over Evgeniya Rodina and Viktorija Golubic to reach her first WTA QF, where she grabbed the 1st set against eventual champ Caroline Garcia, then lost a 2nd set TB before falling in three.

Ruse will jump 35 spots to a new career high of #176 in the new rankings.

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Good fight this week here!??

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===============================================
VETERAN: Kirsten Flipkens/BEL
...the 33-year old Waffle came into 's-Hertogenbosch riding a six-match WTA losing streak, but the grass offered Flipkens a nice patch of lawn on which to recover. A former Wimbledon semifinalist (2013), $100K champ (2018) and two-time Rosmalan finalist (2013/18) on grass, Flipkens quickly avenged her final loss from a season ago to Aleksanda Krunic, defeating the defending champ in a 1st Round rematch this year, kicking off a QF run that also included a win over Lesia Tsurenko.


===============================================
COMEBACKS: Sara Errani/ITA and Vicky Duval/USA
...in Rome, Errani picked up a $60K challenger title as she continues the long climb back from a two-part suspension and a loss of all her ranking points last season. The 32-year old posted wins over Olga Danilovic and Francesca Di Lorenzo to reach the semis, where the Italian kept her recently massive DF totals (often 15-20+ per match in recent events) under control while defeating Varvara Flink (w/ just 2 DF) and Barbara Haas (w/ 8) to close out her title run with a 6-1/6-4 win over the Austrian. She'll jump 109 spots in the rankings on Monday, but will still only come in at #257.

It's a long way from Chatrier Court, but it's a(nother) start.

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Champpppppp ???? ??

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Ever since she was diagnosed with Hodgin's lymphoma at age 18 in 2014 (then qualified for Wimbledon anyway), Duval has seemingly been on the comeback trail. First from her diagnosis, then from knee surgery in 2016, and most recently from a stress fracture in her right foot as well as a partial ligament tear in her ankle last fall. A Top 100 player in '14, Duval's results have had a start-and-stop quality for quite a while, even as she's remained upbeat and thankful all along about having the opportunity to continue to pursue her tennis. One bubble-up moment included (until this weekend) her most recent final appearance in October' 17 (an $80K challenger in Macon, Georgia during which she posted wins over Danielle Collins, Ajla Tomljanovic and Kayla day).

Well, Duval finally made her '19 debut this week in a $25K in Sumter, South Carolina, and the 23-year old ended up making it all the way to the final, posting wins over Alexa Graham, Carson Branstine, Usue Arconada and Katharine Fahey before falling to fellow Bannerette Hailey Baptiste in a 6-2/7-5 match. Thus, Duval's most recent title is still six years in the rearview mirror (2013 Toronto $50K), but she's (once again) back in the game.


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FRESH FACES: Elena Rybakina/KAZ and Veronika Kudermetova/RUS
...might Rybakina be a name to watch at Wimbledon, be it in qualifying or in a potential MD match or two? The big-hitting Russian-turned-Kazakh has been relatively quietly climbing the pro ladder throughout the year, picking things up substantially in recent weeks. She's won three ITF crowns, made her slam debut as a Q at RG (she was Backspin's top Q-player, actually) and this week at Rosmalen reached her maiden tour SF as a qualifier, notching MD wins over Varvara Lepchenko, Alison Van Uytvanck and '18 finalist Kirsten Flipkens in what was her grass event debut as a pro. While ranking as high as #3 as a junior, Rybakina posted two SF (AO/RG) and a QF (US) result in girls slam competition in '17. The 19-year old, who started the year at #191, will climb 21 spots to a new career high of #134 this week.



Coming in off her 3rd Round Roland Garros performance (which included a win over the newly-wed Caroline Wozniacki), the 22-year old Hordette reached the semis at Rosmalen, finally breaking her career 0-6 (0-4 in '19) run in tour-level QF with wins over Ons Jabeur, Destanee Aiava and Greet Minnen (from 6-4/2-0 down). She twice served for a berth in her first career WTA final against eventual champ Alison Riske, at 5-4 and 6-5, and led 5-2 in the deciding TB. *That* didn't work out in her favor, but the Russian, who has already claimed her biggest career title in '19 (a WTA 125 in March), as well as posting her first two slam MD wins, reaching her maiden WTA WD finals (2) and making her Top 100 breakthrough will climb to a new career high of #59 tomorrow.


===============================================
DOWN: Kiki Bertens/NED
...why Kiki, when she made the final? Well, partly because Aleks Krunic (the rather obvious choice here) rebounded by winning the doubles, and because it's difficult to single out any lone bad result in the first week of the suddenly-here-and-over-in-a-flash grass season. But Bertens *has* been a bit snakebit in recent weeks.

Remember, she came to Paris on the leading edge of the group of favorites to win Roland Garros, then was taken out in the 2nd Round by an "annoying" (in her words) illness. Only one Dutch woman (Michaella Krajicek in '06) has taken home the singles title at Rosmalen in the tournament's two decades-plus existence, but top-seeded Bertens seems poised to be the second. A Wimbledon quarterfinalist a year ago, she'd already proven her grass court ability, and wins over Johanna Larsson, Arantxa Rus, Natalia Vikhlyantseva and hard-hitting upstart Elena Rybakina, all without dropping a set, only further highlighted it.

While this was Bertens' first grass final, her 9-2 mark in tour-level championships matches showed that she's displayed an ability to close out events (ask Simona). In this one she led Riske 6-0/1-0 when she slipped and possibly injured her back. After being taken off court for treatment, she returned and raced to a 4-1 lead. She held five MP in the 2nd set, but lost a TB and was taken to a 3rd. On serve late and hoping to force a deciding TB, she dropped serve to end the match. It brought to a close what wasn't a *bad* week... but what surely turned out to be one with a disappointing conclusion under the circumstances.
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ITF PLAYER: Magda Linette/POL
...while the 27-year old has yet to post a MD win at Wimbledon (0-4 the last four years), her run this week as the #1 seed in the Manchester $100K put her into her second career final at one of the pre-SW19 tune-up events, having reached the Ilkley final four years ago (losing to Anna-Lena Friedsam). This time she won 7-6(1)/2-6/6-3 over Kazakh Zarina Diyas to claim her biggest title since claiming a $100K clay court crown in '16.

Linette pushed Simona Halep to three sets in a 2nd Round match two weeks ago at Roland Garros, and will soon get the chance to finally post that first MD win at Wimbledon. She's reached the 3rd Round in Melbourne and Paris, and the 2nd Round in New York.
===============================================
JUNIOR STAR: Dasha Vidmanova/CZE
...the 16-year old Czech picked up her biggest career title at the clay court Grade 1 in Offenbach, Germany. The girls #120, #10-seeded Vidmanova added to a Grade 2 title in May by defeating #3-seeded Carole Monnet (FRA), then finished off #7 Ana Geller (ARG) in a 7-5/2-6/6-3 final. Geller had knocked off the #1 (Selena Janicijevic) and #4 (Annerly Poulos) seeds in the lead up to the championship match.

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Great week here in Offenbach winning itf g1 ????

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===============================================
DOUBLES: Shuko Aoyama/Aleksandra Krunic (JPN/SRB) and Desirae Krawczyk/Giuliana Olmos(USA/MEX)
...a year after winning her maiden tour singles title in the Netherlands, Krunic's return to Rosmalen didn't start out well this week. In a 1st Round rematch of last year's final, she lost to Kirsten Flipkens, dropping her to 6-13 on the year and 13-23 since her title run. She'll fall from #66 to #110 on Monday.

But the doubles proven to be Krunic's salvation, as she teamed with Japanese vet Aoyama to pick up her second title (Sydney w/ Siniakova) of the season, and the fourth of her career. The duo won a 13-11 match TB in the semis over Tsurenko/Wang Yafan, then took out the all-Dutch pair of Kerkhove/Schoofs in the final. It's Aoyama's ninth title, but her first since 2017 (it's also her first tour-level win on grass, though she's won one singles and five doubles crowns on the surface on the ITF circuit).



In Nottingham, Olmos become yet another of the lengthening list of former NCAA players (USC Trojans 2012-16) finding WTA success. Last year, the Austrian-born 26-year old became the first player representing Mexico to reach a tour-level final, doing so with doubles partner Krawczyk (Arizona State 2012-16) in Monterrey. The duo reached the Acapulco final earlier this season, but they did that one better this week as they picked up their first WTA title as a pair (Krawczyk won Gstaad in '18 w/ Alexa Guarachi) with a 7-6/7-5 win over Aussies Ellen Perez (Georgia 2014-17) & Arina Rodionova. It makes Olmos the first Mexican player to win a tour-level title in WTA history.


===============================================
WHEELCHAIR: Diede de Groot/NED
...a week after her historic sweep of the Roland Garros titles, de Groot was back in France competing in the hard court BNP Paribas Open de France Super Series event. Guess what... she swept the titles again.

After joining forces with RG doubles partner Aniek Van Koot to win the doubles with a 6-4/6-3 final victory over Marjolein Buis & Yui Kamiji, de Groot returned a day later and defeated Van Koot 6-1/7-6(1) to complete the two-fer. Van Koot has upset Kamiji in the semis, preventing another edition in the de Groot/Kamiji series.

The 22-year old de Groot had defeated Brits Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley in previous rounds, and improved her season mark to 27-3 in singles. She 16-2 in doubles.


===============================================


Great stuff here from Martina's somewhat-forgotten 1994 run to the final at age 37.



Of course, the postscript is that she ultimately game back as a doubles specialist, *and* played singles at Wimbledon (winning a 1st Round match) in 2004. She played competitive doubles at SW19 from 2000-2006, and still takes part in the Legends competition. She recently played under the new roof on Court 1.





1. Rosmalen SF - Alison Riske def. Kiki Bertens
...0-6/7-6(3)/7-5. Riske becomes the fifth champion this year to stave off MP en route to the title, recovering from Bertens holding a 6-0/4-1 lead, with five MP. Bertens slipped on a patch of grass up 6-0/1-0, but seemed to be fine after off-court treatment. After Riske won the 2nd set TB to force a deciding 3rd, a rain delay halted things at 3-3. Riske ultimately broke Bertens to close out the match, disappointing the Dutch fans who'd hoped to see the tournament's first home-grown singles champion since Michaella Krajicek in 2006.


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2. Rosmalen 1st Rd. - Kirsten Flipkens def. Aleksandra Krunic
...6-3/3-6/6-1. In a rematch of last year's final, this time (a wee bit earlier in the week) the Belgian prevails. The Bracelet will choose to remember 2018, when she came back from a set and two breaks down to win her maiden singles title...


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3. Rosmalen SF - Alison Riske def. Veronika Kudermetova
...6-4/3-6/7-6(5). Riske's comeback in the final couldn't have happened without her comeback in the semis. Kudermetova served up 5-4 adn 6-5, and held a 5-2 lead in the deciding tie-break.
===============================================


4. Nottingham Final - Caroline Garcia def. Donna Vekic
...2-6/7-6(4)/7-6(4). After a week of rain and spectator-less indoor hard court matches on echo-y adjoining courts, a pretty good show to bring down the curtain on a trying endeavor.


===============================================
5. Rosmalen 1st Rd. - Margarita Gasparyan def. Viktoria Kuzmova
...2-6/7-6(5)/6-4. In Gasparyan's first grass match since the 2016 Wimbledon (from which she retired, and didn't play again for fifteen months), Kuzmova served for the match in the 2nd. But as she often has, Gasparyan found a way to survive and thrive, recording her first career victory on the surface.


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6. Rosmalen 1st Rd. - Destanee Aiava def. Aryna Sabalenka
...7-6(3)/1-6/6-4. Hmmm, might Barty's Paris triumph inspire the other Aussies? This is once-called-the-Next-Great-Aussie-Hope's first career Top 10 win. Good thing she got it now, since Sabalenka might not have that ranking for *too* much longer.



Aiava lost in Birmingham qualifying to Iga Swiatek this weekend.
===============================================
7. Rosmalen Q1 - Greet Minnen def. Sabine Lisicki 6-7(5)/6-1/6-4
Mallorca Q1 - Sabine Lisicki def. Mona Barthel 6-2/6-7(2)/6-2
...former Wimbledon finalist Lisicki continues to keep up her spirits on the grass. She'll face Kaja Juvan next for a berth in the MD.


===============================================
8. Nottingham 1st Rd. - Sara Sorribes-Tormo def. Shelby Rogers
...6-4/5-7/7-6(4). Shelby fell in 3:12, but Kiki's karmic force field is still strong (barely)...


===============================================
9. $15K Cancun MEX Final - Patricia Maria Tig def. Melany Krywoj
...6-2/4-6/6-3. The 24-year old Romanian, back in April from a year-long absence (reportedly due to a back injury, as well as then becoming a mother), wins her second title in two weeks (in her fourth '19 final through nine events since her return). Prior to this three-set final, Tig had delivered eight bagels in her previous eighteen sets of play.

Here's a story from when Tig's "mysterious" absence from the tour was finally explained upon her return earlier this spring. Obviously, things have improved results-wise since then.
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10. $60K Barcelona ESP Final - Allie Kiick def. Cagla Buyukakcay
...7-6(3)/3-6/6-1. On the same weekend that Vicky Duval reached her first final in years, fellow cancer survivor Kiick picked up career title #6.


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11. $15K Kaltenkirchen GER Final - Yuki Naito def. Clara Tauson
...4-6/6-4/6-0. On the same weekend that Dane Caroline Wozniacki got married, "Next Big Thing" Dane Tauson (a three-time pro title winner this season, to go along with her AO girls crown) was on the wrong end of Naito's second career title in her *sixth* ITF final of 2019.
===============================================
12. Nottingham 1st Rd. - Maia Lumsden def. Tara Moore
...6-3/7-6(3). Well, it's that time of year... 21-year old Brit Lumsden made her tour MD debut, and notched a win over a countrywoman in the 1st Round.


===============================================





The more things change...




1. Nottingham Final - Desirae Krawczyk/Giuliana Olmos def. Ellen Perez/ARINA RODIONOVA 7-6(5)/7-5
$25K Akko ISR Final - Susan Bandecchi def. JULIA GLUSHKO 6-4/6-2
$15K Tabarka TUN Final - Margaux Rouvroy def. MARIA PAULINA PEREZ 6-4/6-3
...it wasn't a good weekend for sisters in finals.
===============================================
2. $15K Wesley Chapel USA Final - ALLURA ZAMARRIPA/MARIBELLA ZAMARRIPA def. Kylie Collins/Sofia Sewing
...3-6/6-4 [13-11]. Well, unless you were named Zamarripa. Now with Allura "action sleeve."


===============================================








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#goodtobehome??

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Kiki is pulling out all the karmic stops... remember when she disparaged Ostapenko on social media a couple of years back? Well, lookee here...








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Guess who deserves special piece in my story? @robsteckley ..He was not only a coach with who I had my best tennis memories but he is like a family to me! He is somewhat crazy and the most funny person I met..we had countless laughs together on and off the court! He has a great eye and knowledge as a coach and has the ability to make the everyday hard drill fun and enjoyable! Many people think a coach should be serious but he proofs that coach can be serious when needed and also fun and crazy! We came a long way together and it wasn’t always easy but we managed to get through it all and achieved our goals with a smile on the face! We had the trust in each other and we had each others back! Thats #teamsafi!! Part of it is also my canadanian family who came along when they could and supported us! Thank you guys love u all and miss u! ???? @jenfior #mystory #tennis #thankyou

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Best weekend of my life ??

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*2019 WTA FINALS*
4 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (2-2)
3 - KIKI BERTENS, NED (2-1)
3 - Ash Barty, AUS (2-1)
3 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (2-1)
3 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (0-3)
2 - Dayana Yastremska, UKR (2-0)
2 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (1-1)
2 - CAROLINE GARCIA, FRA (1-1)
2 - Sonya Kenin, USA (1-1)
2 - ALISON RISKE, USA (1-1)
2 - Simona Halep, ROU (0-2)
2 - Johanna Konta, GBR (0-2)
2 - DONNA VEKIC, CRO (0-2)

*2019 FROM MATCH POINT DOWN TO TITLE*
Auckland: Julia Goerges, GER (1 MP - QF/Bouchard)
Dubai: Belinda Bencic, SUI (6 MP - 3r/Sabalenka)
Budapest: Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL (5 MP - SF/Alexandrova)
Strasbourg: Dayana Yastremska, UKR (1 MP - F/Garcia)
Rosmalen: ALISON RISKE, USA (5 MP - F/Bertens)

*MOST WTA SF in 2019*
6 - KIKI BERTENS, NED (3-3)
4 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (4-0)
4 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (3-1)
4 - DONNA VEKIC, CRO (2-2)

*2019 WTA FIRST-TIME SEMIFINALISTS*
Auckland - Bianca Andreescu, CAN [RU]
Lugano - Iga Swiatek, POL [RU]
Lugano - Fiona Ferro, FRA
Bogota - Astra Sharma, AUS [RU]
Prague - Jil Teichmann, SUI [W]
Prague - Karolina Muchova, CZE [RU]
Strasbourg - Chloe Paquet, FRA
Rosmalen - ELENA RYBAKINA, KAZ
Rosmalen - VERONIKOVA KUDERMETOVA, RUS

*2019 LOW-RANKED SEMIFINALISTS*
#223 - Chloe Paquet, FRA (Strasbourg)
#165 - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA (Bogota)
#152 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (Auckland) [RU]
#146 - Jil Teichmann, SUI (Prague) [W]
#138 - Astra Sharma, AUS (Bogota) [RU]
#134 - ELENA RYBAKINA, KAZ (Rosmalen)

*2019 WTA FINALS - NORTH AMERICANS*
2 - Sonya Kenin, USA (1-1)
2 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (1-1)
2 - ALISON RISKE, USA (1-1)
1 - Madison Keys, USA (1-0)
1 - Amanda Anisimova, USA (1-0)

*2019 WTA CHAMPIONS BY AGE*
30 - Goerges
29 - Kvitova
28 - Hercog,Kvitova,Martic,RISKE
27 - Bertens (2), Ka.Pliskova
26 - Ka.Pliskova
25 - GARCIA,Muguruza
24 - Keys,Putintseva,Van Uytvanck,Wang Yafan
23 - Barty,Mertens,Sakkari
22 - Barty
21 - Bencic,Osaka,Teichmann
20 - Kenin,Sabalenka
19 - Yastremska
18 - Andreescu,Yastremska
17 - Anisimova

*WTA GRASS TITLES - ACTIVE*
8...Serena Williams, USA
6...Venus Williams, USA
4...Petra Kvitova, CZE
3...Maria Sharapova, RUS
2...CAROLINE GARCIA, FRA
2...Angelique Kerber, GER
2...Madison Keys, USA
2...Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2...CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
2...Caroline Wozniacki, DEN

*2019 $100K FINALS*
Midland, USA (hci) - Caty McNally/USA (#411) d. Jessica Pegula/USA (#104)
Charleston USA (gco) - Taylor Townsend/USA (#108) d. Whitney Osuigue/USA (#139)
Bonita Springs, USA (gco) - Lauren Davis/USA (#132) d. Ann Li/USA (#218)
Trnava, SVK (rco) - Bernarda Pera/USA (#115) d. Anna Blinkova/RUS (#123)
Surbiton, ENG (g) - Alison Riske/USA (#62) d. Magdalena Rybarikova/SVK (#74)
Manchester, ENG (g) - Magda Linette/POL (#96) d. Zarina Diyas/KAZ (#101)



Hmmm, "good look" job or "somewhat awkward look" job? At least Heather didn't get rained on.





Oh, my dears, that money is gone 4-evvah.



Talk to the contrators and companies in New York... they know.











Let that sink in for a moment. 90. That really struck me this week when I read it. Anne Frank, even as we've been reminded by her own words over the years that she was a flesh-and-blood teenager, often seems simply an historical figure plucked from history. And at that, a long ago history that we only read about, and can easily maintain some personal distance from with minimal effort. But if she had lived, she'd only have turned 90 this week. Granted, 90 isn't 16... but it's currently younger than the likes of, just to name a few, Kirk Douglas (102), Betty White (97), Carl Reiner (97), Norman Lear (96), Jimmy Carter (94), Dick Van Dyke (93), Mel Brooks (92), and Tony Bennett (92). Christopher Plummer, just nominated for an Oscar earlier this year, turns 90 this December.

Which is just to say, the exertions of "history" are a lot closer to today than we tend to realize, and so are its repercussions. And that's always a sobering thing to remember.


All for now.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 8:36 PM 

6 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

Rybakina has beefed up her game. Like a right handed Kvitova. And she turns 20 today. She also shares a birthday with the ageless one, Venus Williams.

Is Kerber really going to stay in the draw?

Stat of the Week-34- The number of active players with a grass title.

Admittedly, that number is bolstered by players like Jankovic and Danilidou, but it shows there are many pick when it comes to grass events.

When we start leaning toward a player because of a surface change, it isn't just hype. In fact, 3 of the 4 women that reached the finals this week had previously reached at least one on grass prior to this, with Bertens being the newbie.

This means that those who see Bertens in a Wimbledon SF will see that she fits the profile. What profile, you may ask? Well, including Bertens, 14 other women have reached a grass final. And in the last 10 years, 36 of 40 Wimbledon SF spots have been taken by a woman who has previously reached a grass final. The 4?

2015-Muguruza
2010-Pironkova
2014-Bouchard
2018-Ostapenko

This means that the "random" SF like Goerges last year, Rybarikova, Vesnina, and Flipkens all reached finals before then. It means that fans of Barty should not worry as she already has a grass title, Bertens has her grass final. On the other hand, Stephens, Svitolina, and Osaka do not. So more likely, Vekic or Sabalenka make a deep run.

Most Grass Titles-Active:
8-S.Williams
5-V.Williams
4-Kvitova
3-Sharapova
2-Wozniacki
2-Keys
2-Vandeweghe
2-Kerber
2-Ka.Pliskova
2-Garcia
24-1 title

Most Grass Losses-Active:
4-Sharapova
4-V.Williams
3-Jankovic
3-S.Williams
3-Kerber
2-Vekic
2-Wickmayer
2-Konta
2-Sevastova
2-Ka.Pliskova
2-Strycova
2-Flipkens
19-1 loss

Quiz Time!
Rosemalen has had multiple women win the title more than once. Who was the only woman to win in back to back years?

A.Michaella Krajicek
B.Tamarine Tanasugarn
C.Miriam Oremans
D.Coco Vandeweghe



Up/Down Side returns with a premier.






Answer?

Todd's column knocks out (A)Krajicek, who painted the lines on the way to her 2006 title. With Bertens' loss, she is the last Dutch woman to win the title.

It is not (C)Oremans. The 2000 Olympic Silver medalist in doubles w/Kristie Boogert, the Dutch player reached the final in back to back years, but lost both.

Nor is it (D)Vandeweghe, who won twice, but not back to back.

Going with this week's recurring theme, it was (B)Tanasugarn, who won in 2008 and 09. Safina's fans are probably mad at me, as both Krajicek's and Tanasugarn's 08 win were against her.

Tanasugarn, the highest ranked Thai player ever at 19, was known for her grass proficiency. Two of her 4 career titles were on the surface, along with another Birmingham final. But Wimbledon was her best slam by far. In 59 slams, she reached the 4th rd or better 9 times, 7 of them at Wimbledon, where she reached her only slam quarter.

Mon Jun 17, 10:37:00 AM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

5 On the Up Side-The grazing edition

1.Sabalenka-In the third set as I write this, which is fitting. Sabalenka is the Birmingham pick, as she like a young Sharapova on grass. Has the talent to win Wimbledon, or any grass event. Also has Sharapova's flaws, a problem with double faults, and has trouble standing up. A combo of those things made her dominant at times against Aiava, but then cost her the match.
2.Sevastova- Not in as good form as the last couple of years, but 3 straight finals, and a 13-2 record in Mallorca make her the pick.
3.Doubles- Birmingham has Barty/Goerges, and Goerges started to play better after the Pliskova pairing in 2016, this will only help her. Then we have Dart/V.Williams. Williams/Keys has happened, so less of a shock, but a concession that she needs more match play. Then add Buzarnescu without a Romanian in Watson, and you have people trying to jump start their seasons in a creative way.
4.Vikhlyantseva-Darkhorse for a Wimbledon QF? Already has a grass final-Rosemalen 2017- and enough touch to make up for her slow footwork
5.Mladenovic- Draw breaks pretty well for her, starting to become more consistent, and has already reached a grass final.

Mon Jun 17, 10:51:00 AM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

5 On the Down Side.

1.Kasatkina- Not playing this week, and is 29th in the rankings. Should be noted that this is the last week to affect Wimbledon seeding. Six players could pass her, leaving her to defend her QF points as an unseeded player. No drama at the top, as Osaka, Barty, Pliskova, Bertens locked into top 4 slots. Of those in reach that could pass her, probably most important for Yastremska, going for her first ever slam seed.
2.Sharapova- Not a down, just a huge question mark. Mallorca is a shock. First grass event outside of Wimbledon(2012 Olympics were there) since Birmingham 2010. No clue what type of form she is in.
3.Wozniacki- Up in life, but if she doesn't play Eastbourne, it would be the first time that she hasn't played a warmup grass event since 2011, when she played Copenhagen in June on hard. On a 4 match losing streak, and 9-8 on the season. The silver lining is that in 2016, she was 8-7 at this point, then turned it on.
4.Kvitova- Defending champion out. And this injury seems serious enough that she may have no match play heading into Wimbledon. Even more than Halep, she feeds off of tournament wins, and coming in cold probably means a 3rd rd exit.
5.Kuzmova- She is stiff. That is the only reason that she loses so many close matches. Eventually her movement will improve, but it is the one glaring weakness in her game.

Mon Jun 17, 11:03:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Quiz: Yes! I got that one. :)

Sabalenka out. Svitolina (the tennis energy vampire strikes again), too. :\

With a good draw, Mladenovic might be interesting at SW19.

For some reason, I'm feeling a "good" (even if only by her '19 standards, which aren't nearly as high) grass season for Dasha K. Maybe I'm crazy, though.

When you think Wimbledon in the 2010's, you probably think Serena and Petra first and foremost. But if Kvitova goes out in the first week again (or maybe doesn't play?) that'll be the entire back half of the decade without a Round of 16 result there.

Mon Jun 17, 05:45:00 PM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

And Sabalenka was up a set in the 3rd.

For the first time in 6 years, and first time in a WTA main draw, Kristyna and Karolina will face off. They have played 9 times, 8 ITF, and 2013 Eastbourne-Q. Kristyna won, but Karolina leads 5-4.

Seed update week-Top 8 are locked due to Sabalenka's loss.

9-16 starts with Stephens, and ends with Vondrousova. Her first slam seed, but could be bumped to 17-24 bracket by Konta or Goerges.

17-24 has the Andreescu question mark. At 24 if she plays, she could be passed by Martic, Anisimova(her first seed), or Hsieh.

Last 4 in-Kasatkina, Suarez Navarro, Kenin, Sakkari.

Last 5 out- Tsurenko, Collins, Yastremska, Sasnovich, Ostapenko. Yes, less than a year later, one of the Wimbledon SF may come back unseeded.

Tue Jun 18, 09:17:00 AM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

Obviously I meant break with Sabalenka.

FYI, The Eastbourne result comes up on Matchstat, but not the WTA's own site. How does that happen?

Tue Jun 18, 09:22:00 AM EDT  

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