Thursday, July 11, 2019

W.10- Shipping SimoLina

Sometimes two ships just can't avoid passing each other on the way to their ultimate destinations. Sea lanes -- or, in this case, grand slam draws -- are just "built" that way.



Two years ago in Paris, Simona Halep and Elina Svitolina met at what has turned out to be something of a "weigh station." Though the Romanian had had more slam success (a Roland Garros final in '14, and a pair of semis in London and New York), they were both at essentially the same stage of their careers: as former junior slam winners who'd experienced regular tour success, but who were now in their early twenties and both seeking their maiden slam crown. But one had to get through the other in a QF match in order to keep that dream alive that particular week, at that specific major.

As it turned out, what happened has sent both on a two-year (and counting) journey. Svitolina led Halep by a set and 5-1, and failed to convert a MP, before seeing the contest go to a 3rd set, which the Ukrainian promptly lost at love.

Both have been re-living that result, in various ways, on the slam stage ever since.

With the win, Halep's sustained march toward an inevitable slam title continued. The two years that have since passed have seen Halep become a Romanian sports legend, as well as maybe the most reliable, give-it-her-all, win or lose, player on tour. After that comeback defeat of Svitolina, Halep reached her second career slam final in Paris that year (losing, but getting an idea of how close she was in another three-setter), then put together back-to-back #1 seasons and reached two additional major finals, in Melbourne and Paris a season later, finally wining her maiden slam in the latter, twelve months after denying the Ukrainian her first slam semi berth.

Svitolina, save for a multi-layered step back over a large chunk of this season, has maintained her regular tour prowess since '17, but has never *fully* gotten past the QF choke vs. Halep. It seeped into her next two QF opportunities to reach a slam semi (making her 0-4, and looking over her shoulder at her past), as more often than not she quietly exited nearly every slam, always falling short of what had been within her grasp in '17. That finally ended two days ago when she overcame an already-exhausted Karolina Muchova, another in a line of physically compromised opponents at this Wimbledon that had helped finally put down a path that Svitolina could maneuver to become the first woman from her nation to reach the final four stage in a slam event.

As the two prepared to face off for a spot in the Wimbledon final, Halep was a reminder of Svitolina's past failures, but she also offered her a chance to turn back time. In a way, the moment presented an important moment of truth for both women. Svitolina could thwart the Romanian as she should have two years ago, perhaps erasing a nagging memory and replacing it with a confidence-providing security blanket down the line; while Halep had the chance to prove that winning a slam hasn't lessened her desire, but simply strengthened her perspective. With her Roland Garros reign now over, passed on last month to Ash Barty, this Wimbledon has provided her with the chance to begin again, only this time while spreading unweighted wings that she knows are capable of lifting her above the clouds. Except for a few unsteady moments, all put aside after sipping from her calming reservoir of still-recent success, Halep has had a mostly-clean right through the fortnight. But, again, she needed to get past Svitolina to make her relevant point heard.

The ships had come back around all over again. It seemed like the perfect match up for drama. Hmph... shows how much we know.

As it turned out, the semifinal that most thought was going to be "the close one" (well, technically, it *was* the closer of the two semifinals, but only by one game), was really just a stage to show just how much her slam triumph has settled Halep's previous restlessness, while Svitolina's lack of a similar career moment of epiphany continues to tie a restraint around her ankle when it comes to rising above the field in the four slam host cities.

It took nearly twenty minutes to play the first two games. Halep opened with a hold after saving three BP, then broke Svitolina a game later in a second nearly 10-minute game. The Romanian continually came out on top in the long, important rallies on which the games turned, showing a greater will to take the initiative than her opponent, who chose to remain steadily defensive (perhaps due to her more nervous state). Halep's gameplan was obviously to be aggressive, and she followed it by stepping in to change a shot's direction, going down the lines for winners when she had the chance, and throwing in an effective drop shot or two after driving her opponent back behind the baseline. It *all* worked.

For the most part, those two games were a microcosm of what the match would be, as Halep had arrived in mid-match form in game #1 and only fell below that level for a brief instant the rest of the way.

Halep, perhaps because she was tired and was the player who had to serve a second time after such a long opening stretch, quickly dropped game #3 in around ninety seconds. But it was her only lapse in the entire match (she'd never be broken again), as she was not to be denied on this day. With nearly every skill in her arsenal in top form, and with Svitolina too late in trying to change tactics (it took her into the 2nd set), Halep immediately broke back to lead 3-1. With Halep serving for the set at 5-1, the two again engaged in a series of long rallies, but again the former world #1 won the points that mattered most. After being unable to put away four SP, then denying Svitolina's only BP in the game, Halep won the set on SP #6.

In the 2nd, after serving well in the 1st, Halep was even more impressive. Aside from having just one ace, she would serve, numbers-wise, with Serena-like efficiency: 82% on first serves, and winning all but one point (16/17) -- on both first and second serves -- in the set.

After breaking to take a 4-3 lead, the Romanian fired her only ace of the set to hold for 5-3. With Svitolina serving to stay in the match, Halep pounced on the opportunity and smothered the life out of it. A poor drop shot from the Ukrainian was whacked down the line to go up 15/30, the Svitolina's sprayed high volley gave her a MP. Svitolina pulled off a handful of great defensive saves to extend the game, but on MP #2 Halep fired a big return off a second serve that the Ukrainian couldn't get back.



In the 6-1/6-3 win, Halep had an uncharacteristically high winner total (26), especially in just 16 games, and looked as confident and in control -- both inside and out -- as she has, well, maybe ever in such a big moment.



The win sends Halep into her fifth slam final, at a third different major. She'll be the first Romanian woman to play for a Wimbledon title, and a win would allow her to accomplish something that her idol, Justine Henin, was never able to add to her list of career triumphs.



For Svitolina, she can move forward knowing that Halep was in tip-top form today, but she also knows that she never stepped up to change the dynamic of a match in which she was consistently less prepared than her opponent. After seemingly being on a similar path toward slam success as Halep two years ago, the differences in their careers on the major stage are even more stark today with this result (and any further comparison of the two could become an untenable procedure for the foreseeable future should Halep win on Saturday).

Winning Wimbledon won't be an easy mission for Halep to complete two days from now. But her opponent *has* dropped her last two slam finals, and four of her last six. So don't go engraving anything just yet.

Well, maybe except for the "S."




=DAY 10 NOTES=
...in the second semifinal, an all-thirtysomething affair, 37-year old Serena Williams added another chapter to her Wimbledon legacy, and thus gives herself a chance for a whole lot more in two day's time. Her 6-1/6-2 win over 33-year old Barbora Strycova means Williams will get a *third* opportunity in the last year to tie Margaret Court's all-time mark of 24 major titles, having faced but lost slam finals in London and New York over the past year.



The result was never really in doubt today, as Strycova could rarely overcome the power difference in their games and utilize forward movement, slices and unpredictable shot selection in order to get Williams off balance (which she'd done with such skill vs. Johanna Konta a round ago). Serena mostly hit *through* her the entire match, keeping her behind the baseline with her power and never giving her the time to truly be creative. A break for 3-1 with a forehand passing shot by a serve-and-volleying Strycova (a version of herself she had to almost abandon today vs. the Serena return game) gave Williams a lead she never relinquished. After slipping and seeming to hurt her leg, Strycova lost eleven of twelve points in a stretch. Serving up 5-1, Williams fell behind love/40 on serve as, really for the only time in the match, the Czech was able to successfully string points together, as well as being given an assist by a helpful net cord. But it was of no matter, as Serena still reeled off five straight points to take the set, ending the game with an ace to win 6-1.

Williams broke Strycova for a 3-2 lead in the 2nd, and went on to win the set 6-2. The three BP she saved at the end of the 1st set were the only ones she faced all day, after she'd failed to save any of the five held by Alison Riske in the QF.

As usual, Williams' timing looks as if it may be impeccable at this slam.

So many times, she's rebounded from difficulty and disappointment to completely reverse her fortunes over the course of her career. In recent years, she's almost made a predictable game of it. After the 1st Round loss to Virginie Razzano at Roland Garros in 2012, she won the next two majors, then won in her return to Paris in 2013. In 2014, she was upset at SW19 by Alize Cornet and had that bizarre doubles retirement, then responded to the questions by winning the next four slam titles.

She's yet to win a major since her return from having a baby (and another health scare), but she's managed to find a way to improve her form over this fortnight and is a win on Saturday (a year after failing to claim #24 on Centre Court vs. Kerber) from being able to ride into New York at the end of the summer with *everything* on the table. I'd be her return to the site where she *also* lost in the final in another bid for #24 *and* had her meltdown vs. Naomi Osaka. In Serenaesque fashion, she could then leave Flushing Meadows with the title, as well as a record-breaking 25th slam crown.

There is no player with a greater memory of defeats, disappointments, perceived slights and/or reasons to prove herself all over again. Serena doesn't forget when a player proves they can beat her, either. It focuses her, and usually means bad things for her opponent (the only player who has ever really seemed immune to having to continually be on the wrong side of Serena payback has been Garbine Muguruza, a fact which just makes the Spaniard all that much *more* intriguing and infuriating).



So add that to the list of things that Simona will have to overcome in the final, I guess.

...in juniors, the possibility of an all-Bannerette final remains, as #1 Emma Navarro and #10 Alexa Noel both advanced to the girls singles semis on opposite sides of the draw today. If it were to occur, it'd be second in three years at Wimbledon after a 37-year SW19 drought, and the fifth at a major since the 2017 Roland Garros.

**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
2018 Coco Gauff def. Caty McNally
[Wimbledon]
1977 Lea Antonpolis def. Mareen "Peanut" Louie
1979 Mary-Lou Piatek def. Alycia Moultron
2017 Claire Liu def. 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 Steven
2017 Amanda Anisimova def. Coco Gauff

#4 Diane Parry, a winner over fellow Pastry Elsa Jacquemot, and Roehampton champion Daria Snigur (UKR), who advanced over Russian Polina Kudermetova, will face off with Noel and Navarro, respectively.

...quarterfinal wheelchair play began on Day 10, with #1-seeded Diede de Groot being forced to three sets by fellow Dutch Marjolein Buis, but winning 7-6(3)/4-6/6-1 to record her 13th consecutive slam singles win (and 21st overall in s/d at the majors). She'll next face South African KG Montjane (def. Sabine Ellerbrock), who reached her second Wimbledon semi in as many MD appearances. On the other side of the draw, #2 Yui Kamiji (JPN) downed Jordanne Whiley in the Brit's first slam match in two years, while Aniek Van Koot made the Netherlands two players strong in the semis, defeating Italy's Giulia Capocci. A win over Van Koot would advance Kamiji, looking to join de Groot as the only players to win all eight slam crowns, to her first Wimbledon singles final.



...a day after defeating Serena Williams & Andy Murray, #1-seeded Nicole Melichar & Bruno Soares were upset in the MX QF by Yang Zhaoxuan/Matwe Middelkoop. Melichar was also the defending champ, having won a year ago with Alexander Peya.

Alona Ostapenko & Robert Lindstedt also won in, as expected with the Latvian involved, an entertaining match vs. Olaru/Skugor. And she even managed to not hit the 42-year old Swede in the head with one of her serves! They're a fun pair to watch, and he seems to be very helpful in reigning in some of her, well, you know, moments while they navigate the match together.

There were some really nice, complimentary quotes regarding Ostapenko from the Brits announcing the match on (I'm guessing) the international feed. They included, after she'd fearlessly fired a 99 mph second serve to secure a game in the 2nd set, "She has no fear of opponents, but sometimes it seems she fears herself," and after she'd served out the match in the 3rd, "She's a one-off -- there's really no one else like her."

...in the Legends Invitational competition, defending champs Kim Clijsters & Rennae Stubbs returned to the final. It looks like they'll play either Cara Black & Martina Navratilova (part of a wild point yesterday, see below) or Iva Majoi/Maggie Maleeva. Clijsters/Stubbs defeated Black/Navratilova is last year's final. While Navratilova is known for her many Wimbledon titles (9-7-4 + 4 Invitationals), Black has a slew of SW19 crowns of her own, including 3 women's doubles, 2 mixed doubles, a girls singles and 2 girls doubles, as well as the '17 Invitational (w/ Martina).






ALL RIGHT... ON DAY 10: We can take one more thing off the annual Wimbledon checklist: Beckham is in the house.




LIKE ON DAY 10: Whiley lost in singles to Kamiji today in her return to Wimbledon, but she'll play doubles *with* her tomorrow. I'm not sure why there's no background music or interviewer voiceover with this video (maybe it's why it's *not* restricted for viewers outside Europe?). Anyway, it's still interesting to hear Whiley talk about her condition, her son and her decision to not have a child who'd also be born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta.




LIKE ON DAY 10: Riske's reward...



Also, they should sell a print of that name-filled "8" design on the wall.


SUGGESTION ON DAY 10: Someone should take the idea of this (think New York Yankees pinstripes) and make a U.S. Open outfit from it...




LIKE ON DAY 10: Good points (of the non-Halep variety).




HONESTLY DIFFICULT TO BE UPSET... ON DAY 10: ...when you *already* knew this guy was a spineless coward who'd eventually jump at the first opportunity to wag his finger at the mess he was silently complicit in not lifting a finger to clean up when he was possession of nearly all the brooms, mops and buckets. This is just, essentially, the confirmation of a morning sunrise in the middle of the afternoon.





AND THE ESPY FOR BEST PLAYER GOES TO... ON DAY 10: a player who didn't win a title in the previous year. Or the previous year before that, for that matter. All right, then.



Why not just rename the award "Favorite U.S. Player" and there wouldn't be an eyebrow to raise. If you want a real kick, read through the thread on the tweet. It's like listening to people trying to explain to a 3-year old that the magician didn't *really* make the little bunny disappear.



Of course, ESPN is also the network that has been using the same incorrect graphic anytime Serena is in a slam final for going on at least three years. It was wrong in 2017. And 2018. And still is in 2019, too. Helen Wills Moody was not, is not and never will be British. She's was a Californian, for crap's sake. An *entire* book was written about her and Suzanne Lenglen called "The Goddess and the American Girl." Guess which one was Wills.


And, yes, that's *today's* image -- not that it's changed at all since Serena won #23. And it won't -- other than maybe saying "24" -- come Saturday, either.






=WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL=
#11 Serena Williams/USA vs. #7 Simona Halep/ROU

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES SF=
#1 Babos/Mladenovic (HUN/FRA) vs. #3 Hsieh/Strycova (TPE/CZE)
#4 Dabrowski/Xu (CAN/CHN) vs. #2 Krejcikova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE)

=MIXED DOUBLES SF=
Yang Zhaoxuan/Middlekoop (CHN/NED) vs. Ostapenko/Lindstedt (LAT/SWE)
#5 Peschke/Koolhof (CZE/NED) vs. #9 L.Chan/Dodig (TPE/CRO)

=GIRLS SINGLES SF=
#1 Emma Navarro/USA vs. Daria Snigur/UKR
#4 Diane Parry/FRA vs. #10 Alexa Noel/USA

=GIRLS DOUBLES QF=
Bartone/Selekhmeteva (LAT/RUS) vs. #7 Beck/Navarro (USA/USA)
P.Kudermetova/Morlet (RUS/FRA) vs. Kozaki/Toth (JPN/HUN)
Droguet/Janicijevic (FRA/FRA) vs. #4 Garland/Park So-hun (TPE/KOR)
Broadus/Forbes (USA/USA) vs. #2 Charaeva/Tikhonova (RUS/RUS)

=WHEELCHAIR SINGLES SF=
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. KG Montjane/RSA
Aniek Van Koot/NED vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

=WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES SF=
#1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED) vs. Kamiji/Whiley (JPN/GBR)
Ellerbrock/Montjane (GER/RSA) vs. #2 Buis/Capocci (NED/ITA)

=WOMEN'S INVITATIONAL DOUBLES=
Kim Clijsters/Rennae Stubbs vs. x










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*CAREER SLAM FINALS - ACTIVE*
32...SERENA WILLIAMS (23-8)
16...Venus Williams (7-9)
10...Maria Sharapova (5-5)
5...SIMONA HALEP (1-3)
4...Angelique Kerber (3-1)
4...Svetlana Kuznetsova (2-2)
4...Victoria Azarenka (2-2)
3...Garbine Muguruza (2-1)
3...Caroline Wozniacki (1-2)
3...Petra Kvitova (2-1)

*WIMBLEDON FINALS - active*
11..SERENA WILLIAMS (7-3)
9...Venus Williams (5-4)
2...Maria Sharapova (1-1)
2...Petra Kvitova (2-0)
2...Angelique Kerber (1-1)
2...Garbine Muguruza (1-1)
1...SIMONA HALEP (0-0)
1...Vera Zvonareva (0-1)
1...Sabine Lisicki (0-1)
1...Genie Bouchard (0-1)

*MOST WIMBLEDON TITLES - ALL-TIME*
9 - Martina Navratilova
8 - Helen Wills-Moody
7 - SERENA WILLIAMS
7 - Steffi Graf
7 - Dorothea Douglass-Lambert Chambers
6 - Blanche Bingley-Hillyard
6 - Billie Jean King
6 - Suzanne Lenglen
5 - Venus Williams
5 - Charlotte Cooper-Sterry
5 - Lottie Dodd
[Open era]
9 - Martina Navratilova
7 - SERENA WILLIAMS
7 - Steffi Graf
5 - Venus Williams
4 - Billie Jean King
3 - Chris Evert
2 - Petra Kvitova
2 - Evonne Goolagong

*ALL-TIME SLAM FINALS - OPEN era*
34 - Chris Evert (18-16), 1973–1988
32 - SERENA WILLIAMS (23-8), 1999–2019
32 - Martina Navratilova, (18-16), 1975–1994
31 - Steffi Graf (22-9), 1986–1999
18 - Evonne Goolagong (7-11), 1971–1980
16 - Venus Williams (7-9), 1997–2017
13 - Monica Seles (9-4), 1990–1998
12 - Margaret Court (11-1), 1969–1973
12 - Billie Jean King (8-4), 1968–1975
12 - Justine Henin (7-5), 2001–2010
12 - Martina Hingis (5-7), 1997–2002
12 - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (4-8), 1989–1998

*SLAM FINALS - ROMANIA*
1977 Roland Garros - Florenta Mihai
1978 Roland Garros - Virginia Ruzici (W)
1980 Roland Garros - Virginia Ruzici
2014 Roland Garros - Simona Halep
2017 Roland Garros - Simona Halep
2018 Australian Open - Simona Halep
2018 Roland Garros - Simona Halep (W)
2019 Wimbledon - Simona Halep

*OLDEST WTA SINGLES CHAMPIONS*
Billie Jean King: 39 yrs, 7 mo, 23 days (1983 Birmingham)
Kimiko Date-Krumm: 38 yrs, 11 mo, 30 days (2009 Seoul)
Martina Navratilova: 37 yrs, 4 mo, 2 days (1994 Paris Indoors)
Martina Navratilova: 37 yrs, 20 days (1993 Oakland)
Martina Navratilova: 36 yrs, 301 days (1993 Los Angeles)
Francesca Schiavone: 36 yrs, 9 mo, 3 wks (2017 Bogota)
-
NOTE: S.Williams (approx) 37 yrs, 9 mo, 2 wks
[OLDEST WOMEN'S SINGLES SLAM FINALIST]
SERENA WILLIAMS (approx. 37 yrs, 9 mo, 2 wks) - '19 WI vs. Halep
Martina Navratilova (37 yrs, 258 days) — lost '94 WI to C.Martinez
Venus Williams (37/28) - lost '17 WI to Muguruza
Serena Williams (36/347) - lost '18 US to Osaka
Serena Williams (36/291) - lost '18 WI to Kerber
Venus Williams (36/226) — '17 AO, lost to S.Williams
Serena Williams (35/125) — '17 AO, def. V.Williams
Martina Navratilova (34/325) — '91 US, lost to Seles
Serena Williams (34/287) — '16 WI, def. Kerber
Serena Williams (34/252) — '16 RG, lost to Muguruza
Serena Williams (34/127) — '16 AO, lost to Kerber
[OLDEST WIMBLEDON FINALIST]
37,9mo,2wk (approx.) - SERENA WILLIAMS, 2019
37,258d - Martina Navartilova, 1994
37,28d - Venus Williams, 2017
36,291d - Serena Williams, 2018
34,287d - Serena Williams, 2016 (W)

*2010-19 WIMBLEDON FINALS - BY NATION*
7 - USA (4-2)*
3 - GER (1-2)
2 - CZE (2-0)
2 - ESP (1-1)
2 - RUS (0-2)
1 - FRA (1-0)
1 - ROU (0-0)*
1 - CAN (0-1)
1 - POL (0-1)

*2010-19 SLAM FINALISTS - BY NATION*
23 - USA
8 - RUS
6 - CZE
5 - GER,ITA,ROU
4 - BLR,CHN
3 - AUS,BEL,ESP
2 - DEN,JPN
1 - CAN,FRA,LAT,POL,SVK

*MOST WTA FINALS in 2019*
4 - Ash Barty, AUS (3-1)
4 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (3-1)
4 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (2-2)
3 - Kiki Bertens, NED (2-1)
3 - Sonya Kenin, USA (2-1)
3 - SIMONA HALEP, ROU (0-2)
3 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (0-3)

*OLDEST WTA FINALISTS IN 2019*
37 - SERENA WILLIAMS, USA (WIMBLEDON)
31 - Angelique Kerber, GER (Eastbourne-L)
31 - Angelique Kerber, GER (Indian Wells-L)
30 - Julia Goerges, GER (Birmingham-L)
30 - Julia Goerges, GER (Auckland-W)





TOP QUALIFIER: Coco Gauff/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #1 Ash Barty/AUS
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #11 Serena Williams/USA
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: #20 Kaja Juvan/SLO def. Basak Eraydin/TUR 4-6/7-6(3)/6-3 (trailed 6-4/4-1 40/15)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - Alison Riske/USA def. #22 Donna Vekic/CRO 3-6/6-3/7-5 (Vekic led 4-1 in 3rd; first Ct.1 roof closure)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 3rd Rd. - (WC) Coco Gauff/USA def. Polona Hercog/SLO 3-6/7-6(7)/7-5 (down 6-3/5-2; Hercog 3 MP in 2nd)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Madison Keys/USA (1st Rd. def. Luksika Kumkhum/THA)
FIRST SEED OUT: #10 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR (lost 1st Rd. to Rybarikova/SVK)
UPSET QUEENS: Slovenia
REVELATION LADIES: Russia
NATION OF POOR SOULS: BLR (1-3 1st; 3/4 of "Dream Team" lose, including #10 Sabalenka)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Coco Gauff/USA (4th Rd.) (LL: L.Davis/USA - 3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Harriet Dart/GBR (3rd Rd.)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Johanna Konta (QF)
IT ("Kid"): Coco Gauff, USA
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Halep, Kamiji (for WC Career Slam)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominee: Kamiji/Whiley (WC), Ostapenko (MX), S.Williams (if no other contender pans out)
CRASH & BURN: #2 Naomi Osaka/JPN (1st Rd. - lost to Putintseva/KAZ)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: Elina Svitolina/UKR (2nd Rd.: Gasparyan two points from win at 7-5/5-4, cramps, retires when leading match)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Barbora Strycova/CZE
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: (Bad Donna) Vekic/CRO + Nominee: Krejcikova (Brno-born, Novotna-coached)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
RAD REMEMBRANCE DAY malevolent activity notes...
June 26 official: In Eastbourne, a day after her first Top 10 victory in over a year (and first consecutive wins in back-to-back events since last grass season), '18 Wimbledon semifinalist (and former SW19 girls champ) Alona Ostapenko is forced to retire from her 3rd Round match with a hip injury.
Day 3 observed: Margarita Gasparyan, having overcome three knee surgeries and missing most of two years between 2016-18, comes within two points of defeating #8-seeded Elina Svitolina at 7-5/5-4. Five minutes later, she serves and lands awkwardly on her "bad" leg and immediately doubles over in pain. She is treated for cramping, and ultimately, in tears, retires while still leading 7-5/5-6, with an 82-81 points edge and 42-15 lead in winners.




All for Day 10. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 6:39 PM 

1 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

The Whiley piece is interesting.

Picking Halep, but no surprise if Serena wins. It is a 51/49 match to me, as Halep should target Serena's backhand. Not a liability, just not as good as the forehand right now. The other good thing for Serena? She has had to play 4 days in a row, and it isn't an issue.

The match is on Serena's racket. She really didn't need to get out of second gear today, and if she brings her A game, she will get 24. The irony of her not facing any Top 10 players her, or anybody that had ever beaten her before, is that she only has 1 Top 10 win this year. When she beat Halep in Australia.

Stat of the Day- 50- The amount of combined slam finals played by Serena Williams.

A staggering number, the beauty of the numbers is something that could be done again, but is highly unlikely.

4 mixed finals(2-2), which in Serena style were consecutive back in 1998-99. Why did I mention this first? Because it started with the 1998 French and ended at the 1999 Australian Open.

The very next slam, she reached her first women's doubles final. Of course she won, as she has never lost, winning 14 times in a 17 year span.

So including this final, she will have reached 32 singles finals. Halep being the 17th different woman she has faced, going 11-5 in her first final vs each so far.

Just putting up more numbers, you have 20 years, and 21 seasons between her first and current final.

This is the storyline we deserve. Halep has been the litmus test for the tour the way Serena has been for years. So it only seems fitting that Serena, who has now been in 3 slam finals since the start of 2018, faces Halep, who has done the same.

You will either get the first Romanian to win Wimbledon, or the first woman to win 24 solely in the Open Era. Should be fun.

Thu Jul 11, 07:44:00 PM EDT  

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