Sunday, August 25, 2019

Wk.34- A Bronx Tale

Once more before...






*WEEK 34 CHAMPIONS*
BRONX, NEW YORK (Int'l/Hard Court Outdoor)
S: Magda Linette/POL def. Camila Giorgi/ITA 5-7/7-5/6-4
D: Darija Jurak/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (CRO/ESP) def. Margarita Gasparyan/Monica Niculescu (RUS/ROU) 7-5/2-6 [10-7]


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Magda Linette/POL
...27-year old Linette (#80) became the twelfth first-time singles champ of 2019, going from qualifier to WTA title winner in the Bronx by winning eight straight matches, dropping just two sets along the way as she posted MD wins over Kaia Kanepi, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Karolina Muchova (in a rare WTA three-setter in which there was but one break of serve), Katerina Siniakova and Camila Giorgi, coming from a set down in the final to defeat the Italian and claim her prize. The first Polish singles champ on tour since Aga Radwanska won Beijing in October 2016, Linette will be at a new career-high of #53 in the pre-U.S. Open rankings.

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That winning feeling. ????@magdalinette @nyjtl

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===============================================
RISERS: Karolina Muchova/CZE and Bernarda Pera/USA
...a year after reaching the 3rd Round in Flushing Meadows in her slam MD debut, 23-year old Muchova reached the Bronx QF after advancing past Viktoria Kuzmova and Kristie Ahn, only to be taken out by eventual champ Linette despite dropping her serve just once in the match.

Meanwhile, Pera, 24, took a WC into the same tournament and used it to reach her fourth '19 tour-level QF with wins over Veronika Kudermetova and Barbora Strycova. 3-0 in her previous quarterfinal matches this season, Pera fell to Katerina Siniakova this time around but will still inch up four spots to #65 heading into the Open, bringing the Bannerette within two of her career high ranking.
===============================================
SURPRISE: Katerina Siniakova/CZE
...Siniakova was just 6-12 on hard courts this season heading into the week, so her three-win week in the Bronx (w/ victories over Wang Yafan, Anastasia Potapova and Bernarda Pera) was a nice pre-Open gift to her confidence. It was also her first three-win HC tournament since back-to-back QF in Wuhan and Beijing last September that saw her post wins over Mladenovic, Garcia, Muguruza and Bertens before leading the Czechs to the Fed Cup title with wins in the final over Riske and Kenin in Prague.
===============================================
VETERAN: Camila Giorgi/ITA
...so, does a 27-year old count as a "veteran" in this category? Well, at least in this stingy week for events it does.

In the Bronx, Giorgi reached her second hard court final (a loss to first-time champ Jessica Pegula in Washington) of the summer, but after winning a 3rd set TB (vs. Andrea Petkovic in the 2nd Round, after trailing 4-2 in the set) and saving four MP (vs. Wang Qiang in the SF) to get there she still wasn't able to pick up career title #3. She won the 1st set in the final vs. Magda Linette only to still lose for the sixth time in eight career WTA finals as the Pole was the latest player to utilize the Italian as a stepping to her first tour title.
===============================================
COMEBACK: Wang Qiang/CHN
...Wang wasn't able to live up to her #1 seed in the inaugural Bronx event, but wins over Fiona Ferro and Anna Blinkova still helped her reach her first semifinal of the season, and her first since her Elite Trophy -- cough-cough -- "runner-up" finish to end 2018.

The #18 seed at the Open, this is essentially the calm before the storm for Wang, as once play ends in Flushing Meadows she'll be facing the defense of her crazy string of results from last fall: a 21-6 run that included back-to-back-back-to-back-to-back-to-back SF-or-better finishes in Asia.
===============================================
FRESH FACE: Anna Blinkova/RUS
...the 20-year old Hordette lost to eventual champ Linette in the final round of Bronx qualifying, but still turned her week into a positive as she reached her first 2019 tour-level QF with wins over Coco Vandeweghe and Mihaela Buzarnescu while living on as a lucky loser. She fell to Wang Qiang in three sets, but her Final 8 run was the fifth such finish by a LL on tour this season (only Blinkova's countrywoman, Liudmila Samsonova, has advanced deeper into a draw, reaching the Palermo semis). Blinkova's U.S. Open journey will begin vs. #1-seeded defending champ Naomi Osaka.
===============================================
DOWN: Yanina Wickmayer/BEL
...as we eye the ten-year anniversary of her U.S. Open semifinal run in 2009, Wickmayer failed to make a return to the MD, losing in the second round of qualifying to teenager Wang Xiyu.

So, since there won't be a legitimate opportunity to commemorate this during the Open...

===============================================
ITF PLAYERS: Maria Camila Osorio Serrano/COL and Cagla Buyukakcay/TUR
...for another week, 17-year old MCOS reigned supreme in Guayquil, Ecuador, winning her second straight $25K crown in the city with a second consecutive win in the final over the U.S.'s Katerina Stewart. The junior #8 (who reached the RG girls semis this spring) now has three career ITF singles crowns to her credit, though she *didn't* manage to sweep both the s/d this weekend, falling in the doubles final (w/ Yuliana Lizarazo) to Stewart and Gabriela Talaba.



In the $25K in Braunschweig, Germany 29-year old Buyukakcay defeated German Katharina Gerlach (0-3 in ITF finals this month) to top her runner-up result in a Spanish challenger from a week ago. In 2016-17, Buyukakcay set all sorts of Turkish tennis records, reaching the Top 100, winning a tour title in Istanbul, notching a Top 10 win (Ostapenko in FC) and winning three slam MD matches ('16 RG/US and '17 RG). Now ranked #262, she wasn't involved in U.S. Open qualifying in New York, having been unable to successfully play her way into a major MD in her last seven qualifying event attempts. Buyukakay has lost six straight slam Q-round matches, and hasn't played in a slam MD since getting that win in Paris in 2017.


===============================================
JUNIOR STAR: Kamilla Bartone/LAT
...in College Park, Maryland the #2-seeded Bartone, 17, defeated Thailand's Mai Napatt Nirundorn (#15 seed) 6-2/3-6/6-0 to pick up this weekend's Grade 1 crown. She also claimed the doubles title, teaming with Robin Montgomery to defeat Bannerette's Savannah Broadus & Abigail Forbes in the final. Broadus/Forbes had defeated Bartone & Oksana Selekmeteva in the recent Wimbledon girls final.

The win should move Bartone up to nearly a Top 10 girls ranking heading into the U.S. Open.


===============================================
DOUBLES: Darija Jurak/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (CRO/ESP)
...at 35 and 37, respectively, Jurak & MJMS are the season's oldest title-winning WTA duo in 2019, picking up the Bronx title with a win in the final over Margarita Gasparyan & Monica Niculescu. It's Jurak's fifth career crown, and the twenty-first for Martinez Sanchez (though it makes '19 the first season in which she's won two or more since 2011).


===============================================
WHEELCHAIR: ---
...most of the top wheelchair stars are either in Lima, Peru for the just-starting tennis competition at the Para Pan-American Games or in preparation for the U.S. Open. Meanwhile, Zhu Zhenzhen has advanced to the semifinals of the KL Open in Malaysia (which wraps up on Tuesday, for some reason) to improve her recent run to 39-1, and will be looking to add two more wins over the next couple of days.


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





1. Bronx QF - Magda Linette def. Karolina Muchova
...6-7(4)/6-4/7-6(3). 33 of 34 service holds.
===============================================
2. Bronx 2nd Rd. - Camila Giorgi def. Andrea Petkovic 3-6/7-5/7-6(3)
Bronx SF - Camila Giorgi def. Wang Qiang 4-6/6-4/7-6(6)
...after recovering from 4-2 down in the 3rd vs. Petko, then saving 4 MP (1 at 5-4 in the 3rd, then 3 in the TB) vs. Wang in the semis, Giorgi didn't get the weekend reward of a title for her efforts. Instead, she'll get Maria Sakkari in Flushing Meadows.
===============================================
3. Bronx 1st Rd. - Anna Blinkova def. CoCo Vandeweghe
...6-3/6-0. Comebacks are hard. CoCo gets Kenin in the 1st Round of the Open next.
===============================================
HM- Bronx Final - Magda Linette def. Camila Giorgi
...5-7/7-5/6-4. Even in an Aga-less season, Poland has produced three singles finalists in Linette, Swiatek and Kawa.


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










'Bout time.


1. Bronx 1st Rd. - Margarita Gasparyan/Monica Niculescu def. HSIEH SU-WEI/HSIEH YU-CHIEH 6-1/7-5
Bronx SF - Darija Jurak/Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez def. CHAN HAO-CHING/LATISHA CHAN 1-6/6-3 [12-10]
...apparently, there was a "Must Defeat Sisters" prerequisite to reach the doubles final.
===============================================







Classy exit there, Kamau.




A look back at the U.S. Open qualifying rounds...

*U.S. OPEN "Q-PLAYER OF THE WEEK" WINNERS*
2006 Chan Yung-Jan, TPE
2007 Alina Jidkova, RUS
2008 Yaroslava Shvedova, KAZ & Barbora Strycova, CZE
2009 Eva Hrdinova, CZE
2010 Michelle Larcher de Brito, POR
2011 Romina Oprandi, ITA
2012 Magdalena Rybarikova, SVK
2013 Michelle Larcher de Brito, POR
2014 Aleksandra Krunic, SRB
2015 Jessica Pegula, USA
2016 Taylor Townsend, USA
2017 Kaia Kanepi, EST
2018 Genie Bouchard, CAN
2019 Peng Shuai, CHN
[2019 slams]
AO: Astra Sharma, AUS
RG: Elena Rybakina, KAZ
WI: Coco Gauff, USA
US: Peng Shuai, CHN






*TOP Q-PLAYERS*
1. Peng Shuai, CHN (33, #169)
...the '14 Open semifinalist reached the MD with wins over two qualifying seeds (#4 Christina McHale and #24 Nicole Gibbs), finding her way through her final match while fighting cramps in the closing moments. Peng's most recent slam MD win came in Paris last year, before she got caught up in that laughably ridiculous "coercion" suspension.
===============================================
2. Johanna Larson SWE (31, #172)
...the Swedish vet survived a 3rd set TB vs. Lesley Kerkhove in the first qualifying round, then knocked off #23 Nao Hibino and #5 Kirsten Flipkens. Five of the seven Q-round sets won by Larsson went to 7-5 or 7-6. She reached the 3rd Round in New York in both '14 and '16.


===============================================
3. Jana Cepelova, SVK (26, #155)
...well, Cepelova was actually healthy this past week (don't hold your breath, please), and found her way into her first slam MD since the '18 AO, dropping zero sets and knocking out #3-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu. The Slovak's last U.S. win was back in 2014.
===============================================
4. Elena Rybakina, KAZ (20, #67)
...the Kazakh nearly put together qualifying runs at the last three majors, but her U.S. Open berth at least gives her another to go along with her well-earned MD spot in Paris. The Bucharest champ last month, Rybakina swept all six sets this past week, losing a total of fourteen games (just five in the first four).
===============================================
5. Timea Babos, HUN (26, #112)
...since reaching the Open 3rd Round three years ago (her only such result in 27 career slam MD), Babos' doubles results have far outdistanced her work in singles. Her Q3 win over #11-seed Varvara Lepchenko gives her another chance in Flushing Meadows.

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???NY?? #bigapple

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


*OTHER U.S. OPEN QUALIFIERS*
Denisa Allertova, CZE (26/#279) - back from an injury (back) layoff, the Czech's career Open highlight is her upset of Ivanovic in AnaIvo's final pro match in 2016
Ana Bogdan, ROU (26/#147) - her second straight slam Q run was accomplished w/o dropping a set
Mariam Bolkvadze, GEO (21/#202) - the Georgian makes her slam MD debut after upsetting Heather Watson (the $100K Vancouver champ) in the opening Q-round early this past week
Harriet Dart, GBR (23/#140) - the Brit makes her U.S. debut, looking to follow up her 3rd Round result at SW19
Caroline Dolehide, USA (20/#214) - the Pan American Games singles runner-up after failing to convert a MP in the final, she's gone 8-0 since
Magdalena Frech, POL (21/#222) - the Pole makes her U.S. debut after taking down #2-seeded Paula Badosa in the final qualifying round
Richel Hogenkamp, NED (27/#208) - she lost no sets en route, and has gone 19-6 since mid-June
Anna Kalinskaya, RUS (20/#126) - the only three-time slam qualifier (AO-WI-US) in 2019, she's done it at four of the last five majors. So far, she's 0-4 in slam MD matches, though.
Tereza Martincova, CZE (24/#139) - two staight slam Q-runs, she's seeking her maiden MD win at a major
Taylor Townsend, USA (23/#116) - the '12 U.S. Open girls doubles champ, she won a 1st Round match in New York a year ago
Wang Xinyu, CHN (17/#167) - makes her U.S. debut (her only other slam MD is the '18 AO) after wins over #31 Barbara Haas, Olga Govortsova and Gabriela Ruse


*U.S. OPEN LUCKY LOSERS*
Paula Badosa, ESP (21/#91) - a two-time '19 slam qualifier (AO/WI), she gets into her third career major MD
Kirsten Flipkens, BEL (33/#109) - extending her streak of consecutive slam MD to 29
Nicole Gibbs, USA (26/#135) - after a recent cancer scare, Gibbs takes the LL route to her eighth straight U.S. Open MD appearance
Priscilla Hon, AUS (21/#129) - the Aussie makes her U.S. debut, having been granted wild cards at the AO and RG this season
Varvara Lepchenko, USA (33/#118) - she reached the Round of 16 in NYC in '15, but is currently riding a seven-match MD losing streak in majors. She qualified this season in Melbourne and Paris.




1. US Q2 - Isabella Shinikova def. Sachia Vickery
...6-1/4-6/7-6(6). A wild one, as Shinikova led 4-2 in the 3rd set, only to see Vickery force a TB and lead 5-2. She reached MP at 6-5, but then the Bulgarian took (and was allowed) an MTO for cramping. When play resumed, Shinikova won three straight points to get the victory. Vickery shook Shinikova's hand in the changeover area, then went on a Twitter rant soon afterward.






By the way, Lorena Popa is *still* wickedly putting that pathetic WTA "promotional campaign" to shame when opportunities present themselves...



===============================================
2. US Q3 - #17 Anna Kalinskaya def. Asia Muhammad
...3-6/6-4/7-6(2). In the final qualifying match to finish, Muhammad saves 5 MP over five games, but loses the deciding TB.

This isn't from this match, but still...


===============================================
3. US Q3 - #13 Taylor Townsend def. Nina Stojanovic
...3-6/7-6(5)/6-1. From a set and 5-2 down, as well as a 5-1 hole in the 2nd set TB.


===============================================
HM- US Q3 - #29 Harriet Dart def. Wang Xiyu 6-2/5-7/6-3
US Q3: Wang Xinyu def. Gabriela Ruse 6-1/6-1
...2018 U.S. Open junior champ and '17 Open GD finalist Wang Xiyu doesn't reach her maiden slam MD (why no MD WC, USTA?), but her fellow '18 Wimbledon girls title-winning doubles partner does. After going 0-for-4 (Q2-Q2-Q2-Q3) in qualifying attempts in majors this season, things will surely have changed by this time next year for Xiyu.


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


=MULTI-SLAM QUALIFIERS IN 2019=
3 - Anna Kalinskaya, RUS (AO/WI/US)
2 - Paula Badosa, ESP (AO/WI)
2 - Ana Bogdan, ROU (WI/US)
2 - Ysaline Bonaventure, BEL (AO/WI)
2 - Harriet Dart, GBR (AO/US)
2 - Giulia Gatto-Monticone, ITA (RG/WI)
2 - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA (AO/WI)
2 - Varvara Lepchenko, USA (AO/RG)
2 - Tereza Martincova, CZE (WI/US)
2 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (RG/US)

*YOUNGEST 2019 SLAM...*
=WC=
US - Coco Gauff, USA (15)
RG - Diane Parry, FRA (16)
US - Diane Parry, FRA (16)
AO - Whitney Osuigwe, USA (16)
RG - Selena Janicijevic, FRA (16)
AO - Clara Burel, FRA (17)
US - Caty McNally, USA (17)
US - Whitney Osuigwe, USA (17)
US - Katie Volynets, USA (17)
AO - Destanee Aiava, AUS (18)
US - Francesca Di Lorenzo, USA (18)
=Q=
WI - Coco Gauff, USA (15)
WI - Caty McNally, USA (17)
AO - Iga Swiatek, POL (17)
US - Wang Xinyu, CHN (17)
AO - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (18)
RG - Sofya Zhuk, RUS (19)
RG - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (19)
=LL=
RG - Kaja Juvan, SLO (18)
RG - Marie Bouzkova, RUS (20)
WI - Marie Bouzkova, RUS (20)
US - Paula Badosa, ESP (21)
US - Priscilla Hon, AUS (21)

=OLDEST 2019 SLAM...=
=WC=
US - Samantha Stosur, AUS (35)
AO - Peng Shuai, CHN (33)
WI - Monica Niculescu, ROU (31)
=Q=
RG - Varvara Lepchenko, USA (33)
US - Peng Shuai, CHN (33)
AO - Varvara Lepchenko, USA (32)
WI - Giulia Gatto-Monticone, ITA (31)
RG - Giulia Gatto-Monticone, ITA (31)
US - Johanna Larsson, SWE (31)
=LL=
US - Kirsten Flipkens, BEL (33)
US - Varvara Lepchenko, USA (33)
WI - Christina McHale, USA (27)
RG - Timea Babos, HUN (26)
WI - Lauren Davis, USA (25)

=MAKING SLAM MD DEBUTS=
=WC=
AO - Kimberly Birrell, AUS
AO - Clara Burel, FRA
AO - Zoe Hives, AUS
RG - Audrey Albie, FRA
RG - Selena Janicijevic, FRA
RG - Diane Parry, FRA
US - Katie Volynets, USA
=Q=
AO - Paula Badosa Gibert, ESP
AO - Ysaline Bonaventure, ESP
AO - Veronika Kudermetova, RUS
AO - Astra Sharma, AUS
AO - Iga Swiatek, POL
RG - Aliona Bolsova, ESP
RG - Giulia Gatto-Monticone, ITA
RG - Jasmine Paolini, ITA
RG - Elena Rybakina, KAZ
RG - Liudmila Samsonova, RUS
WI - Varvara Flink, RUS
WI - Coco Gauff, USA
WI - Caty McNally, USA
US - Mariam Bolkvadze, GEO
=LL=
RG - Kaja Juvan, SLO

=LOW-RANKED 2019 SLAM QUALIFIERS=
#301 - Coco Gauff, USA (WI)
#279 - Denisa Allertova, CZE (US)
#240 - Jessika Ponchat, FRA (AO)
#236 - Kurumi Nara, JPN (RG)
#230 - Astra Sharma, AUS (AO)
#222 - Magdalena Frech, POL (US)
#214 - Caroline Dolehide, USA (US)
#212 - Arina Rodionova, AUS (WI)
#210 - Jasmine Paolini, ITA (RG)
#208 - Richel Hogenkamp, NED (US)
#203 - Lesley Kerkhove, NED (WI)
#202 - Mariam Bolkvadze, GEO (US)
=LL=
#138 - Timea Babos, HUN (RG)
#135 - Nicole Gibbs, USA (US)
#132 - Kaja Juvan, SLO (RG)
#129 - Priscilla Hon, AUS (US)
#121 - Marie Bouzkova, RUS (RG)
#118 - Varvara Lepchenko, USA (US)
#116 - Marie Bouzkova, RUS (WI)
#109 - Christina McHale, USA (WI)
#109 - Kirsten Flipkens, BEL (US)
#96 - Lauren Davis, USA (WI)
#91 - Paula Badosa, ESP (US)

**Q/WC SLAM STREAKS - through 2019 US**
Kristie Ahn, USA - WI Q + US WC
Paula Badosa, ESP - WI Q + US LL
Ana Bogdan, ROU - WI Q + US Q
Harriet Dart, GBR - WI WC + US Q
Francesca Di Lorenzo, USA - 2018 US Q + 2019 US WC
Coco Gauff, USA - WI Q + US WC
Nicole Gibbs, USA - 2018 US Q + 2019 US LL
Anna Kalinskaya, RUS - 2 consecutive US Q, 2 con. slam Q
Tereza Martincova, CZE - 2 consecutive slam Q
Caty McNally, USA - WI Q + US WC
Whitney Osuigwe, USA - 2 consecutive US WC

**2019 SLAM QUALIFIERS BY NATION**
9 = (3/3/2/1)...Russia
8 = (1/2/3/2)...United States
4 = (1/0/1/2)...Czech Republic
3 = (1/0/2/0)...Belgium
3 = (1/0/0/2)...China
3 = (0/2/1/0)...Italy
3 = (0/0/2/1)...Romania
3 = (1/1/1/0)...Spain
2 = (1/0/1/0)...Australia
2 = (1/0/1/0)...Brazil
2 = (1/0/0/1)...Great Britain
2 = (1/1/0/0)...Japan
2 = (0/1/0/1)...Kazakhstan
2 = (0/0/1/1)...Netherlands
2 = (1/0/0/1)...Poland
2 = (0/1/0/1)...Slovakia
1...AO: CAN,FRA,SUI
1...RG: GER
1...WI: SLO
1...US: GEO,HUN,SWE











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New York ??

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So... SpongeBob for the win in a 3rd set TB, right?













*WTA FIRST-TIME CHAMPIONS in 2019*
Hobart - Sonya Kenin, USA (20/#56)
Acapulco - Wang Yafan, CHN (24/#65)
Indian Wells - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (18/#60)
Bogota - Amanda Anisimova, USA (17/#76)
Istanbul - Petra Martic, CRO (28/#40)
Prague - Jil Teichmann, SUI (21/#146)
Rabat - Maria Sakkari, GRE (23/#51)
Nuremberg - Yulia Putintseva, KAZ (24/#39)
Bucharest - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (20/#106)
Lausanne - Fiona Ferro, FRA (22/#98)
Washington - Jessica Pegula, USA (25/#79)
BRONX - MAGDA LINETTE, POL (27/#80)

*2019 Q/LL/UNSEEDED WC IN WTA FINAL*
Auckland - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (Q)
Indian Wells - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (WC) - W
Prague - Jil Teichmann, SUI (Q) - W
Prague - Karolina Muchova, CZE (WC)
Bucharest - Patricia Maria Tig, ROU (Q)
Jurmala - Katarzyna Kawa, POL (Q)
Cincinnati - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (WC)
BRONX - MAGDA LINETTE, POL (Q) - W

*2019 WTA ALL-UNSEEDED PLAYERS FINALS*
Hobart - Kenin/USA def. Schmiedlova/SVK
Lugano - Hercog/SLO def. Swiatek/POL
Bogota - Anisimova/USA def. Sharma/AUS
Prague - Teichmann/SUI (Q) def. Muchova/CZE (WC)
Bucharest - Rybakina/KAZ def. Tig/ROU (Q)
Washington - Pegula/USA def. Giorgi/ITA
BRONX - LINETTE/POL (Q) def. GIORGI/ITA

*2019 SUB-.500 WINNING PCT. IN 3+ WTA FINALS*
.000 = Vondrousova (0-3)
.000 = GIORGI (0-2)
.000 = Kerber (0-2)
.000 = Konta (0-2)
.000 = Vekic (0-2)
.000 = S.Williams (0-2)
.333 = Halep (1-2)

*BEST WTA LUCKY LOSERS RESULTS in 2019*
SF = Palermo / Liudmila Samsonova, RUS
QF = Bogota / Sara Errani, ITA
QF = Prague / Tamara Korpatsch, GER
QF = Lausanne / Han Xinyun, CHN
QF = BRONX / ANNA BLINKOVA, RUS

*WINLESS IN 2+ WTA SEMIFINALS IN 2019*
0-4...Barbora Strycova, CZE
0-4...Elina Svitolina, UKR
0-3...Bernarda Pera, USA
0-2...Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
0-2...Anastasia Potapova, RUS
0-2...KATERINA SINIAKOVA, CZE
0-2...Vera Zvonareva, RUS

*2019 WTA SEMIFINALISTS BY COUNTRY*
21 = CZE,USA
10 = GER,RUS
8 = AUS,CRO,NED
7 = FRA,SUI
6 = BLR,ROU,UKR
5 = CHN
4 = CAN,POL
3 = BEL,ESP,GBR,GRE,ITA,JPN,KAZ,SLO,SVK
2 = EST,LAT,TPE
1 = BRA,DEN,PUR,TUN

*OLDEST TITLE-WINNING WTA DOUBLES DUOS IN 2019*
72 - JURAK/MARTINEZ-SANCHEZ (35/37) = BRONX
70 - Melichar/Peschke (26/44) = San Jose
68 - Melichar/Peschke (25/43) = Brisbane
67 - Hradecka/Klepac (34/33) = Cincinnati
66 - Groenefeld/Rosolska (33/33) = Charleston
66 - Hsieh/Strycova (33/33) = Wimbledon
66 - Hsieh/Strycova (33/33) = Birmingham
66 - Hsieh/Strycova (33/33) = Madrid
65 - Hsieh/Strycova (33/32) = Dubai

**2019 TOP JUNIOR EVENT CHAMPIONS**
TRARALGON AUS G1: Clara Tauson/DEN
COFFEE BOWL BRA G1: Abigail Forbes/USA
RPM JUNIOR OPEN CZE G1: Kristyna Lavickova/CZE
AUSTRALIAN OPEN JUNIORS: Clara Tauson/DEN
COPA BARRANQUILLA COL G1: Savannah Broadus/USA
MUNDIAL JUVENIL DE TENIS ECU G1: Abigail Forbes/USA
ASUNCION BOWL PAR G1: Charlotte Chavatipon/USA
BANANA BOWL BRA G1: Diane Parry/FRA
PORTO ALEGRE BRA G1: Ane Mintegi Del Olmo/ESP
YELTSIN CUP RUS G1: Alina Charaeva/RUS
NONTHABURI, THA G1: Bai Zhuoxuan/CHN
CASABLANCA MAR G1: Selena Janicijevic/FRA
SARAWAK MINISTER'S CUP MAL G1: Joanna Garland/TPE
VILLENA JUAN CARLOS FERRERO ESP G1: Alexandra Vecic/GER
INT'L SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS USA G1: Hurricane Tyra Black/USA
PERIN MEMORIAL CRO G1: Daria Frayman/RUS
BEAULIEU-SUR-MER FRA G1: Elsa Jacquemot/FRA
SANTA CROCE ITA G1: Diana Shnaider/RUS
MILAN ITA GA: Alexa Noel/USA
CHARLEROI-MARCINELLE BEL G1: Leylah Annie Fernandez/CAN
ROLAND GARROS JUNIORS: Leylah Annie Fernandez/CAN
OFFENBACH GER G1: Dasha Vidmanova/CZE
BERLIN GERMAN JUNIORS G1: Polina Kudermetova/RUS
NOTTINGHAM ENG G1: Sada Nahimana/BDI
ROEHAMPTON ENG G1: Daria Snigur/UKR
WIMBLEDON JUNIORS: Daria Snigur/UKR
NANJING JPN G1: Wong Hong Yi Cody/HKG
COLLEGE PARK USA G1: Kamilla Bartone/LAT
REPENTIGNY CAN G1: ..
US OPEN JUNIORS: ..


































All for now.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 3:32 PM 

7 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

Linette following the old adage of a first time winner at a new facility.

Even though I didn't mention them in the previous post, Kenin and Giorgi have been the best supporting acts this summer.

Flipkens in for Barthel as LL #5.

I am ready for a US Open more shocking than Andrew Luck's retirement.

Stat of the Day- 6- The amount of finals reached by Polish women in 2012.

All Radwanska, all the time. At least for the last decade. 2012 was the pinnacle, as Aga went 3-2, winning Miami and reaching the Wimbledon final, while Ula reached the Den Bosch final.

The funny thing is that I have pointed out how Kazakhstan is finally having a breakthrough, but Poland is having on this year too. With Swiatek, Kawa, and Linette reaching finals, it is the first time that they have had 3 different women reach a final in the same season.

Plus they did it the hard way. 2 of the 3 came through qualifying, and Swiatek was the last player accepted into Lugano's main draw.

Linette was able to do what Domachowska, U.Radwanska, Swiatek(for now), and Kawa could not, and that is to be only the second woman from Poland to have won a singles title.

Quiz Time!
How many of the 32 women seeded at the US Open in 2018 remained a seed in 2019?

A.18
B.21
C.24
D.30



Sharapova has the moment she wants. Monday night spotlight after opening ceremonies, a chance to wear Vera Wang or other name designer, Sugarpova in the stands, you feel she will bring her best. Serena will be subdued, at least at the start, since it is the first match there since The Incident.

Sharapova has nothing to lose, as she style hasn't been working vs Serena anyway, so it will be interesting to see if she alternates some high and low balls just to see how Serena reacts. Serena will probably try to move Maria more than in the past, as she has lost a step.

Won't be the best match of the day, as there are so many, but like the NFL, sometimes the night game has the most drama.

Answer!

(D)30 is wrong, because that is the number of seeds that returned to the tournament. The 2 that are out are Cibulkova, who withdrew and Rybarikova, who lost in qualifying.

(B)21 is correct, as players like Gavrilova, Ostapenko, and Kasatkina fell from seeding.

Sun Aug 25, 04:34:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Added Flipkens. I've never seen SO MANY LL's as there have been this slam season.

Quiz: knew it was fairly stable, but went with 24 rather than 21. :(

Sun Aug 25, 06:13:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Oh... but the bigger upset is that Robert Griffin's career will thus last *longer* than Luck's. Someone could've made some money with a bet on that one a few years ago. Heck, he could even one day have his "Desmond Howard moment" (esp. if he stays w/ a contending Blt. team) that could forever be his pro career calling card.

Sun Aug 25, 06:30:00 PM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

Agree on RG3. Reluctance to slide, or throw the ball away, got him blown up at times.

Doubles draw is out, and the Serena type watch is out. Not for her, but for Andreescu, who plays with Fichman. One other interesting name is Noel, who probably deserved a singles WC, but has been steamrolled by the Gauff train.

Sun Aug 25, 08:03:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Diane said...

I just watched the last half of the 2018 final again, and it really stirred up a lot of emotion, just as it did the first time I saw it. Yes, Serena handled it poorly (she should have waited until after the match to say what she had to say), but I also stand by my belief that calling the umpire a liar is small potatoes in the history of things said to umpires. CR did nothing wrong, but he could have been more "right," imo. What really impressed me, on second view, was the astonishing poise with which Naomi served out the match. She was fierce.

Sun Aug 25, 10:23:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

C-
Inability to slide, too, almost as much as reluctance. Strange, but true... it was one of the weirdest things you'll ever see. :\

Of course, much of what ended Luck probably goes back to his early years with the Colts. I can remember in his rookie season and soon after, while all the highlights focused on his great throws people always overlooked him getting plastered immediately after throwing so many of them because the Colts refused to collect offensive linemen to keep him off his back. Ultimately, in retrospect (or maybe as feared), it probably started him down an inevitable path to a short career.

D-
Oh, you're giving me an upset stomach with that first line. I couldn't ever imagine putting myself through such an experience. I had to immediately turn the channel this weekend when I accidentally caught three seconds of ESPN's documentary style rehash of the final in the new "Backstory" series.

For me, even w/ all the "if's" and "also's" involved, of which there *are* many, it still goes back to the actions by Patrick M. that started it all. He admitted he was indeed doing what Ramos thought he was, and Serena's whole deal spun out from her denying the legitimacy of the penalty. If she'd focused her anger and frustration on *PM* and his actions, rather than those of Ramos, maybe things would have been very different.

Mon Aug 26, 01:49:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Diane said...

I agree with you completely, of course. Patrick cheated, and Serena’s anger was misdirected. I just can’t help remembering all the times Serena has been accused of cheating, and I think something very old and primitive got triggered on her, Doesn’t make what she did right. But I also don’t think it was that terrible. As for the “Backstory” show, there’s no way I would ever watch THAT :)

Mon Aug 26, 10:05:00 AM EDT  

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