Sunday, September 08, 2019

Bold, Brilliant, Bianca: The Modern Tennis Prometheus

She is Bianca, of the North.



For ages, we were warned by the sages of the nature of her kind, and the danger she specifically presented our way of life.

Yet still, in the belly of the land of plenty, first-hand accounts of her past exploits on the vast frontier were sparse. But the very mention of her name brought reactions of intrigue to the faces of those who had heard the second hand stories of her name being whispered from the lips of her battlefield victims.

In the spring of our calendar, when she finally arrived under the cover of darkness on the outer edges of the kingdom, she struck with great and varied force, with a fierce will to win and a natural, theatrical flair. She left the conquered stunned, looking for answers to explain their dramatic defeats, yet finding none other than her unique desire and abilities. Her triumphs in the early battles were epic, yet the distance provided a cloak that sheltered our way of life, providing us with a false sense of security.

Then it happened. Her assault on our biggest city was not unexpected nor made without warning. Yet, she claimed it all. Swiftly, and without mercy, taking the land out from under our noses before we'd seen with our own eyes the true threat her presence presented. Afterward, she smiled at the breadth of her accomplishment, and we were oddly disarmed by the gesture.

As we surveyed what we'd once had and now lost, we could do nothing else but hold our head up high in the shadow of the great new warrior. We applauded her for her remarkable actions. We believed we were with her, and prayed to the Gods that she would be a just and kind ruler.

She is Bianca, of the North. And she is us.



This season, Bianca Andreescu has barely bothered with introductions. She's just decided to take what she wanted, no matter who gets in her way. After a complicated, injury-marred junior and very early pro career, the now 19-year old Canadian entered 2019 ranked #152. At the close of the '18 U.S. Open, in which she'd lost in the opening round of qualifying, she'd been #210. Over the course of the last eight-plus months, which included a three-month stretch during which she played just one match due to a shoulder injury, all she's done is reach her first tour final in Auckland, win Indian Wells, return from her long break and win in Toronto and, now, follow *that* up with a U.S. Open championship that made her Canada's very first grand slam singles champion. She'll be the #5-ranked player in the world on Monday.

What is this black magic, you wonder?

You see, that's the thing. There's nothing wicked at play here. Andreescu has always been an intriguing prospect with a varied game and a rare will to win, from her banner junior days (she won a pair of girls doubles slams, and an Orange Bowl title) to her early Fed Cup appearances. But her body, perhaps not yet up to pace with the rest of her, often balked before she could make the sort of move that would have put her name on the lips of many of the people who hadn't heart of her until recent months. Before "Call Me Coco" became a thing, we might have experienced "Call Me Bianca." But we, and she, had to wait.

This year everything has finally, and suddenly, come together. Boy, has it. It's as if Andreescu has been on a mission from the Tennis Gods the breadth and surreal scope of which no one (maybe not even her, no matter how often she dreamt of it) could have ever fully predicted. Not yet. Not until she'd proven her body was *physically* up to it. But as we've seen so often the last few seasons, especially at slam time, the members of Generation PDQ -- from Alona to Naomi, with the likes of a Coco, Amanda and others effortlessly weaving in and out of the WTA tapestry of achievers seemingly at will -- have no time to bide their time. In fact, there is no better time than, oh, RIGHT NOW, to do what they've always dreamed of. By this point, the notion has become a mantra.

But none of them may be as bold as Bianca. Nor do any have anything near the pack-full of weapons she possesses: the power of Capriati, the athleticism of Clijsters, the creativity of Hingis *and* the courage of a young Seles. It's as if she's some sort of tennis creation from the mind of Mary Shelley. I mean, if the British author had been a tennis fan... and, you know, been born around a century and a half later.

It's enough to make your head spin, if you stop and think about it.. that is, if one were able to pull oneself away from one of her matches for long enough to effectively do that sort of pondering.

Over the course of this season, Andreescu has proven capable of being all things to all people: fearless, fearsome, a mistress of grit *and* the grandiose, a purveyor of both touch *and* crush. Usually, even a very good young player is able to master just one subset of greatness. They don't generally *have* to. Warrior-like guile isn't often necessary when one has the firepower to make it obsolete, as it often serves as the "intangible" ingredient that helps elevate a player *lacking* some essential quality to an additional level beyond which their other abilities would traditionally dictate. Andreescu, in her first full season (though it hasn't even been that), has looked as if she's mastered them all. Her only lacking quality has been experience, and her results have shown that to be an overrated attribute when all other qualities are present.

Actually, there's really only one other player (or possibly two, if you prefer the German version) who is brought to mind when it comes to checking all those proverbial boxes (though even the games of *those* two weren't know for their deft touch... because, as noted before, it was never really developed it because it wasn't even necessary). Naturally, in the final of this U.S. Open, Andreescu found one of those two women on the other side of net from her.

But did it bother her in her maiden slam final, in her debut U.S. Open, to have a 23-time major champion staring back, seeking to tie the sport's all-time slam title mark, twenty years after she won her first on the same Ashe court on which the two women met today? (Heehee... surely you jest.) Bianca of the North, for all her mastered dialects, doesn't speak such a language. In fact, she hadn't yet been born when Serena Williams won her first slam title in New York at age 17, combining her own groundbreaking blend of fury and audacity which would soon change the sport. While the respect for Serena's standing in history was a given, Andreescu has no memory of any confidence-destroying browbeating by an in-form Williams to do battle with her nerves, and is the sort who views such a match-up as a challenge to relish rather than to agonize over.

Plus, while 37-year old Williams, the oldest slam finalist ever and with the largest age advantage over an opponent in a major final, is still HERSELF -- or, as long-ago Williams Family Antagonist Irina Spirlea might have said, she's still "Serena effin' Williams" -- she's not the player who dominated the tour for much of the last two decades. While this Open was her fourth major final in a six-slam stretch since her return to tennis after having a baby, her pursuit of #24 remains ongoing. Time is undefeated, and one of its secret weapons is, ironically, experience.

While Serena's teenage opponent on this night, as well as her still-striving-for-their-best opponents in her last two (and maybe three) finals, have the benefit of youth (real or relative) and the myth of "time on their side," Williams *knows* precisely what is at stake in moments such as these. She knows how it feels to lose on this sort of stage, as well as dread and maybe even fear it a little. For she understands by now -- through the passages of her own life -- that time is finite, plays no favorites, and assures no one of tomorrow let alone "next year." The notion of a time clock quickly running down to "00:00" on Williams' chances to knock down one of her few remaining career goals is now a reality. The lingering question nibbling on the edges of her mind has served to make her far more beatable on days such as this than she ever was in the past. While some often wonder on these occasions whether her opponents will be able to overcome their nervousness and tension in the moment, it's been Serena who has had the most difficulty doing so.

As things turned out, Andreescu, the first player to reach the U.S. Open final in her first try since Serena's sister Venus in 1997, would soon experience the same phenomenon that Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep have over the last two seasons. In becoming the latest woman to deny Williams another piece of history, Bianca of the North carved out a rather large piece of her own.

In her first act of psychological combat on the day, Andreescu won the opening coin toss and, on the eve of the NFL's opening weekend, "pulled a Belichick" by deferring, allowing Williams to open the match with her historic serve. If she were to hold, it would be the expected result. If not, and Williams wavered in the opening moments, it would prove to the first battle won, and perhaps a boon for Andreescu for the entire afternoon.

Proving her tactical chops, Andreescu saw Williams fire an ace on the first point and soon take a 40/15 lead. But it didn't last. In a game in which she committed four unforced errors, including two double-faults (one on break point), Serena dropped serve and the Canadian took an immediate lead. She took advantage, unleashing an ace of her own after falling behind 15/30, then using two more big serves to hold. While Williams found her range off the ground with any number of big shots in the next game, Andreescu didn't cower in fear at the prospect of Serena's power ala Elina Svitolina in the semifinals. She stepped into the court and fired back, and was rewarded when Williams' backhand became less and less reliable.

With her own power shots backing Serena up, Andreescu held for 4-2, then resumed taking full swings at many a Williams serve, landing them deep in the court... then throwing in a slice to change things up, resulting in a backhand error off Serena's racket that gave her a BP. Williams saved it with an ace, then rescued her service game on four more BP opportunities (w/ another ace on #4) until finally reaching game point for the first time. A big forehand secured the hold, but it was clear that the teenager was not going to genuflect at the mere presence and firepower of an all-time great trying to add to her legacy.

After falling behind 15/30, and facing a BP (erased w/ an ace), Andreescu continued to come out firing. A big forehand made it 5-3, and a game later she denied Williams on GP with a powerful return and volley combination. A forehand winner gave her SP. Williams double-faulted. Andreescu won the 1st set at 6-3.



Having finally completed a set vs. Andreescu (Williams had retired with back spasms down 3-1 in the 1st in their Toronto final match-up earlier this summer), Serena found herself down (again) on the scoreboard. Perhaps pressing a bit too much to compensate for her position on the scoreboard, she had a difficult time corralling her first serve. She failed to land a single one in her opening game of the 2nd set, then DF'd to hand Andreescu a break lead at 2-0. On her fourth BP chance in game #3, Williams got the break back on a net cord ball that landed mere inches onto the Canadian's side of the court. But the first serves remained a problem. Serena finally stopped a streak of nine straight point-opening faults, but then DF'd again on a GP. A missed forehand gave Andreescu a BP, and another miss ended a rally to make it 3-1. After being broken just three times all tournament en route to the final, Williams had already dropped serve three times in the final.

Andreescu raced to a 40/love lead in game #5, then saw Williams oddly hesitate (perhaps because of the sort of poor footwork that often accompanies her most tension-filled moments) on a high bouncing ball in the backcourt and get back a shot with only minimal power behind it. The teenager whacked a winner through the open court to take a 4-1 lead. Another Williams DF put her behind 15/40 a game later, and a forehand error gave Andreescu her fourth break of the match. Leading 5-1, she served for the title.

The Canadian seemed intensely focused as the game began. At 30/30, a big serve gave her a match point. But then Williams fired a return winner into the corner to save it, and much of the tension suddenly left her body. For a bit, the "old Serena" took back Williams' "older" body. After failing to convert a drop shot on her first BP, Williams got one of the breaks back when Andreescu fired a shot long.



With the (mostly) U.S. crowd going wild for the purple-clad great, and Andreescu having to sometimes hold her ears in defense against the deafening roars, Williams took a 40/love lead on serve, having suddenly won eight of ten points. She held for 5-3 with a big serve. With Andreescu serving for the match again, the Williams momentum continued. She led love/40 with a successful volley, then broke to get back on serve when the Canadian missed a forehand. In game #10, Williams was going for broke on nearly every serve. An ace (giving her 11 of 12 points) was followed by a DF, then an ace, and another DF. On GP, Andreescu sailed her return of a second serve and it was 5-5.

It would be here where some players of less mettle would capitulate and crumble. But after having had to collect herself amid the chaos of winners flying off Serena's racket and the crowd noise ringing in her ears, the teenager, after a DF to open game #11, went back to work. Make no mistake, little seems to phase this one, at least not for long. An ace gave her a 40/15 lead, and she held for 6-5, forcing Williams to hold to take things to a set-deciding tie-break.

Or not. Andreescu's plans differed just a little.

The Canadian's return winner gave her a 15/30 lead, then Williams' backhand error gave her double-match point. On MP #2, Williams got off a "remember me?" ace, but on MP #3 Andreescu -- not making the same mistake twice -- smacked a second serve return winner past Williams to finally put a stop to any hopes of a miraculous comeback, wrapping up a 6-3/7-5 victory... and changing everything.

Bianca Andreescu is now a grand slam champion. Let that one sink in for a moment. Is this real life?




Rather than a look of absolute shock coming over face, Andreescu, after a brief flash of "can you believe it?" emotion, instantly let her confident inner warrior shine through, pumping her fists with "THIS is what I came here for!" conviction. After a warm greeting from Williams at the net (a leftover from the Canadian's consoling words after the Toronto retirement, as well as a level of sincere respect for an opponent's abilities not seen from Serena since perhaps the height of her rivalry with Vika Azarenka in the early years of this decade) the teenager kissed the blue court, then rolled over onto her back and stared into the sky looking back at her through the hole in the Ashe Stadium roof. Once, Andreescu saw her future in those same skies -- she admitted afterward that, as child, she'd written out a faux check to be presented to herself as the new U.S. Open champion -- and has she's made it come true.

Who knows what *new* plans were formulating in her head at that moment. But we can probably rest assured that few, if any, of them are small in stature. Bianca of the North only dreams big.

But what else should we expect from a player who just became the first to ever win the U.S. Open in her first appearance in the main draw, the first major champion born in the 2000's, the first teen slam champ since 2006 (Sharapova/U.S.), the youngest since 2004 (Kuznetsova/U.S.), and one who is now 8-0 (!) vs. Top 10 players in her career?



The act of "climbing the ladder" on this night -- not just metaphorically, as she *actually* did just that to get to her family and supporters in the stands -- was pulled off with the same sort of even-handed acumen that Andreescu showed in getting to this final. While the Canadian comes by her charisma naturally, her hard work has only enhanced her innate competitiveness.

As long as she (and whatever team of doctors, technicians, architects, safety inspectors and site contractors she deems necessary to accomplish the goal) can hold together physically, this could be the beginning of a very wild ride.

In fact, let's go buy another ticket so we can go 'round again before the park closes. Pretty please?





=DAY 12 NOTES=

O Bi-anca!
Your home and native land
True patriot love
In all our hearts command

With glowing hearts
We see thee rise
The North Queen, strong and free
From far and wide
O Bi-anca
We stand on guard for thee

Gods keep her mind
Glorious and free
O Bi-anca we stand on guard for thee!
O Bi-anca we stand on guard for thee!

...surely, one thinks, Andreescu won't be impervious to pressure forever. At least not quite the way she has been in 2019. After all, things happen. It's because of this that it's important that those around her make sure they do everything within their power to keep her pointed straight ahead.

But, of course, life tends to be all about handling what one *doesn't* see coming, doesn't it? While Andreescu sports some of the qualities of both a young Hingis and Seles, it's worth noting that both those two Hall of Famers at one time also seemed to have almost every base covered. They vexed and outplayed nearly all who crossed their paths early in their careers, only to be undone as major champions by the advent of the age of power (led by the Williamses, Lindsay Davenport and others) in the case of the Swiss Miss, and by a fanatic lathe operator in that of Seles.

Handling what she doesn't see coming may determine just how great Andreescu turns out to be.

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Meanwhile, this loss makes Williams 0-4 in slam finals since her return to tennis. While so many focused on her greatness leading into this final, not enough talked about the burden of it. Serena has surely felt that the last two years as she's attempted to satisfy her own desire between the lines, do her part for tennis history *and* make daughter Olympia proud by winning her first major since she sat on the surface of Rod Laver Arena nearly *three* years ago now, unbeknownst to all but a few to secretly have a virtual "Baby On Board" sign attached to her person.

At his point, the only true common denominator in her losses while seeking #24 has been Serena herself. And that makes for a potentially problematic scenario as we go forward.

Could the clock *really* run out on her?

Well, yeah. It could. While she's defied it for a long time, she will not *defeat* time. Not even Williams is that powerful.

Serena helped to "make" Osaka last year, then allowed Halep to lift herself perhaps to a Hall of Fame-level standing this summer at Wimbledon. Today it was Andreescu's turn to elevate herself at Williams' expense. While Serena's simple presence adds weight to any proceeding, her ability to be a "Serena/spanner in the works" in these moments won't last forever.

For the record, I brought forward the notion after her Wimbledon final loss that if there is a "deadline" for this quest it could very well be the end of 2020. You get the feeling that #24 may need to be in Serena's back pocket by the end of next year's U.S. Open or it very well may *never* be there. As we've seen this year, even while Serena has continued to reach slam finals, closing out titles is a different story, and that won't get any easier as the horde of new potential champions continues to flood the tour, getting better each and every time they hit the court. She can't depend on the likes of a "dream" final vs. a Svitolina or another player with a history of crumbling on the big stage, or maybe to face a surprise veteran player with bad memories of being owned by Williams on such a stage, to provide a better path to another trophy. She'll likely have to take down a more formidable foe to do it. And with the likes of Osaka and Andreescu downing Williams in slam finals, those sort of players will only be further emboldened in the thinking that *they* could be the next to do it. Serena is no longer "unbeatable," maybe even not when she's at "her best," a condition that her own tension has not allowed herself to ever quite be in any of these last four finals.

Flashforward to this time next year. If Williams hasn't won #24 by then, she'll be 38 about to turn 39 by the end of September. Which means she'd likely be closer to 40 when she'd be seeking the elusive title in 2021, should she still be taking part in the chase (and one thinks she would be, barring unforeseen circumstances, if she's still stuck on "23"). If #24 comes, one could foresee #25 coming in short order as she rides the wave of the rediscovered "old Serena," and her aura once again (even if briefly) puts a final opponent's back against the wall before the first ball is struck in the match's opening game. But how long can Serena wait?

Is she going to play *into* her forties seeking one more elusive slam? Better question, is she going to be *able* to do so, not just physically but at such a consistently high competitive level against players such as Andreesu and the rising tide of competition both shoulder-to-shoulder with the Canadian and those looking over her shoulder?

With every lost opportunity is an opportunity lost, never to be replaced. How many more will there be? How many more CAN there be?

...earlier in the day, Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Jamie Murray became the first duo to repeat as U.S. Open Mixed doubles champions since Anne Smith & Kevin Curren's 1981-82 run. A wild card entry in the draw, they defeated top-seeded Chan Hao-ching & Michael Venus 6-2/6-3.



It's BMS' fourth career slam MX title, and the ninth overall major title (w/ 5 WD) in her career.



...the wheelchair competition played catch-up on Saturday, completing the QF and SF. World #1 and defending champ Diede de Groot dominated Sabine Ellerbrock 6-1/6-0, then defeated U.S. wild card Dana Mathewson (who'd upset KG Montjane) to reach her tenth consecutive slam singles final (in the doubles final, as well, she's reached both the s/d finals in each of the last ten majors).

#2-seeded Yui Kamiji defeated Wimbledon champ Aniek Van Koot 1 & 3, the ended Marjolein Buis' U.S. Open career in the semis.

De Groot and Kamiji's match-up in the final is their seventh in the last nine slam finals. Overall, Kamiji still leads the head-to-head series 14-13, though de Groot has won 11 of 13 and is 4-2 in 2019.

...all the rain pushed a lot of junior action to Saturday, with most players having to play multiple matches (sometimes in multiple disciplines).

When the dust had settled, #4 Maria Camila Osorio Serrano reached the final, where she'll try to become the first Colombian girl (and first South American from anywhere other than Argentina, with the most recent coming in 2000) to win a junior slam. She'll become the #1-ranked junior in the world with the title.

Osorio will face Bannerette qualifier Alexandra Yepifanova, who defeated #5 Zheng Qinwen in the semis. In her early QF vs. Reese Brantmeier, Yepifanova trailed 6-4/3-0, then took a medical time out. She then won 12 of the final 13 games and advanced. If she wins the title she'll be the third U.S. girl in the last four years to take the crown, and the sixth different Bannerette junior slam champ in the last thirteen majors.

#5 seeds Kamilla Bartone & Oksana Selekhmeteva (LAT/RUS) -- the latter also reached the singles semis, where she held a 3-0 lead on MCOS in the 3rd set, and gets the "Junior Breakout" honor for her combined results -- and Pastries Aubane Droguet & Selena Janicijevic reached the junior doubles final earlier in the day.

...in New Haven, Usue Arconada and Anna Blinkova advanced to the WTA 125 event singles final to be played on Sunday. Blinkova has already beaten Arconada once in the tournament, teaming with Oksana Kalashnkova to win the doubles title over Arconada & Jamie Loeb.




COUSINS... ON DAY 13:

Well, you know how cousin Cletus *is*...




DRAMA ON DAY 13:




MEANWHILE, TONIGHT ON AN ALL NEW EPISODE OF "SABALENKA ISLAND"... ON DAY 13:




TIMING IS EVERYTHING ON DAY 13:



Of course, one might point out that he was briskly walking toward the tracks in order to get away from her as she approached him. But still...


ALL I EVER NEEDED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN COMIC BOOKS ON DAY 13:




LIKE ON DAY 13:

Holy crap.





[NOTE: the videos with game footage won't play when embedded on a website, and instead provide a link that allows them to be viewed on YouTube]



I grew up getting the chance to go to Redskins games at RFK Stadium during the team's glory years, where the place was pretty much my favorite place to be on earth. So the news of its imminent destruction is bound to resurrect a lot of memories between now and 2021. Here's my list of my favorite gameday visits (compiled many years ago when the team left RFK for its current less-than-ideal home) from what I didn't realize at the time was actually a pretty glorious childhood experience of seeing your favorite team reach the ultimate success again and again.

=TOP 10 PERSONAL GAMEDAY MOMENTS AT RFK STADIUM=
1. Dec.18, 1982 - Washington def. NY Giants 15-14
..."Santa Claus" visited at halftime. Then, with the snow coming down, soon-to-be-named NFL MVP Mark Moseley nails the field goal that wins the game, breaks the league consecutive made kicks record, and sends the team into the playoffs for the first time in my memory (in just Joe Gibbs' second season as coach). They'd win the Super Bowl.

===============================================
2. Nov.18, 1985 - Washington def. NY GIANTS 23-21
...Monday Night Football, and I witness by childhood athletic idol's career end as QF Joe Theismann infamously breaks his leg when Lawrence Taylor comes down on it as he makes a sack. While backup Jay Schroeder (a bit of a jerk, even if he did sort of resemble my uncle, also named Jay) came in and fired a bomb to Art Monk on the first play, I watched through binoculars until Theismann was no longer visible as he was wheeled into a corridor off the playing field. We'd taken a portable B&W TV to the game (that was as good as it got at the time!), so we actually got to *see* the break as ABC replayed the video over and over and over and over again. Then the news came down in the radio broadcast call booth (Sonny, Sam & Frank): compound fracture of the right leg. Eek. I informed the section. Yeah, Schroeder led the team to a win. But hardly anyone remembers that.

===============================================
3. Nov.24, 1996 - San Francisco def. Washington 19-16 OT
...my final RFK visit
===============================================
4. Oct.2, 1983 - Washington def. L.A. Raiders 37-35
...see Jim Plunkett throw an NFL record-tying (forever) 99-yard TD pass to Cliff Branch (who just recently passed away) right in front of me. The Redskins trail and all hope seems lost. I remember a little girl standing in the aisle pleading with her mother (who thought it was a lost cause) to not leave the game early. They stayed, and the comeback was complete. So what if the Raiders ultimately demolished the Redskins in the Super Bowl that year, I remember *this* game. Sometimes I wonder where that little girl is now -- she'd be about 42 or 43.

===============================================
5. Jan.15, 1983 - Washington def. Minnesota 21-7
...the Redskins win a playoff game en route to their first Super Bowl title, and fullback John Riggins theatrically bows to the crowd after rushing for 180+ yards. Of course, I missed it -- everyone in the section stood up before I did, and by the time I got eyes on the field the moment was over. Dang it!

===============================================
6. Aug.17, 1990 - Washington def. Pittsburgh 27-24
...a preseason game, with possibly the worst seats we ever had, but memorable because linebacker Ravin Caldwell lost his helmet while covering a punt but continued running 50+ yards down the field without it anyway and got in on the tackle.
===============================================
7. Aug.12, 1994 - Kansas City def. Washington 17-14
...Joe Montana's last game at RFK. With the Chiefs, not the 49ers, but so what? A close loss by a Norv Turner coached team... shocker.
===============================================
8. Dec.5, 1982 - Dallas def. Washington 24-10
...the hated Cowboys. But the only loss in a 12-1 Super Bowl-winning year. Hence... memorable.
===============================================
9. Aug.13, 1981 - Washington def. Minnesota 27-13
...a preseason game, and my first RFK visit. We arrived mid-way through the 1st quarter. Even with all that, it was still awesome.
===============================================
10. Sept.28, 1986 - Washington def. Seattle 19-14
...Seahawk receiver Steve Largent breaks the NFL record for consecutive games with a reception. When it was announced, I alone stood up in the section and applauded his accomplishment. Not the sort of thing I'd normally do, but he deserved it.
===============================================
HM- 198?? - Cracker Jack Old Timer's Baseball Classic
...not football, but one of the first of the old timer's baseball games from the era. I'm not sure of the year (1987 maybe?), but it was the only time my mom alone took me to RFK for anything. Usually, it was just me and my father, or all three of us (and occasionally one of my mother's co-workers from the bank). We had seats in the mezzanine level around the middle ring of the stadium, but the seats were low and set so far back from the edge you had to look over to see the field you'd have to be hunched over the entire game to watch it. Plus, I wasn't the biggest baseball fan at the time. And it was *real* baseball. Anyway, we spent much of the game walking around inside the stadium, seeing the differently confgured-for-baseball field from various angles.
===============================================







*WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
#15 Bianca Andreescu/CAN def. #8 Serena Williams/USA 6-3/7-5

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#8 Azarenka/Barty [DC] (BLR/AUS) vs. #4 Mertens/Sabalenka (BEL/BLR)

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
(WC) Mattek-Sands/J.Murray (USA/GBR) [DC] def. #1 H.Chan/Venus (TPE/NZL) 6-2/6-3

*GIRLS SINGLES FINAL*
#4 Maria Camila Osorio Serrano/COL vs. (Q) Alexandra Yepifanova/USA

*GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL*
#5 Bartone/Selekhmeteva (LAT/RUS) vs. Droguet/Janicijevic (FRA/FRA)

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED [DC] vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 de Groot [DC]/Van Koot (NED/NED) vs. Ellerbrock/Montjane (GER/RSA)




City Sights...
























*RECENT WOMEN'S SLAM WINNERS*
2016 AO: Angelique Kerber, GER*
2016 RG: Garbine Muguruza, ESP*
2016 WI: Serena Williams, USA
2016 US: Angelique Kerber, GER
2017 AO: Serena Williams, USA
2017 RG: Alona Ostapenko, LAT*
2017 WI: Garbine Muguruza, ESP
2017 US: Sloane Stephens, USA*
2018 AO: Caroline Wozniacki, DEN*
2018 RG: Simona Halep, ROU*
2018 WI: Angelique Kerber, GER
2018 US: Naomi Osaka, JPN*
2019 AO: Naomi Osaka, JPN
2019 RG: Ash Barty, AUS*
2019 WI: Simona Halep, ROU
2019 US: Bianca Andreescu, CAN*
-
* - first-time slam champ

*RECENT WOMEN'S U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS*
2010 Kim Clijsters, BEL
2011 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2012 Serena Williams, USA
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2014 Serena Williams, USA
2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER
2017 Sloane Stephens, USA
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN
2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN

*ALL-TIME SLAM FINALS*
34 - Chris Evert (18-16)
33 - SERENA WILLIAMS (23-10)
32 - Martina Navratilova (18-14)
31 - Steffi Graf (22-9)
18 - Evonne Goolagong (7-11)
16 - Venus Williams (7-9)
13 - Monica Seles (9-4)
[U.S. Open - Open era]
10 - SERENA WILLIAMS (6-4)
9 - Chris Evert (6-3)
8 - Martina Navratilova (4-4)
8 - Steffi Graf (5-3)

*OLDEST WOMEN'S SINGLES SLAM FINALISTS*
SERENA WILLIAMS (37 yrs, 347 days) - lost '19 US to ANDREESCU
Serena Williams (37 yrs, 291 days) - lost '19 WI to 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

*BIGGEST AGE DIFFERENCE IN SLAM FINAL*
18y, 9m (approx.) - ANDREESCU (19) d. S.WILLIAMS (37) = '19 U.S.
17y, 45d - Seles (17) d. Navratilova (34) = '91 U.S.
16y, 20d - Osaka (20) d. S.Williams (36) = '18 U.S.
15y, 180d - Martinez (22) d. Navratilova (37) = '94 WI
14y, 175d - Graf (18) d. Evert (33) = '88 AO
13y, 113d - Muguruza (23) d. V.Williams (37) = 17 WI

*U.S. OPEN FINALISTS BY NATION - 2010-19*
8 - USA (4-4) = S.Williams
2 - ITA (1-1)
2 - BLR (0-2)
1 - AUS (1-0)
1 - BEL (1-0)
1 - CAN (1-0) = Andreescu
1 - GER (1-0)
1 - JPN (1-0)
1 - CZE (0-1)
1 - DEN (0-1)
1 - RUS (0-1)
[overall slam finals in decade]
24 - USA (13-11) = S.Williams
8 - RUS (2-6)
6 - CZE (2-4)
5 - GER (3-2)
5 - ITA (2-3)
5 - ROU (2-3)
4 - BLR (2-2)
4 - CHN (2-2)
3 - AUS (2-1)
3 - BEL (2-1)
3 - ESP (2-1)
2 - JPN (2-0)
2 - CAN (1-1) = Andreescu
2 - DEN (1-1)
1 - FRA (1-0)
1 - LAT (1-0)
1 - POL (0-1)
1 - SVK (0-1)

*2019 WTA FINALS*
4 - BIANCA ANDREESCU, CAN (3-1)
4 - Ash Barty, AUS (3-1)
4 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (3-1)
4 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (2-2)
4 - Kiki Bertens, NED (2-2)
3 - Sofia Kenin, USA (2-1)
3 - Simona Halep, ROU (1-2)
3 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (0-3)
3 - SERENA WILLIAMS, USA (0-3)
[slams]
2 - SERENA WILLIAMS, USA (0-2)
1 - BIANCA ANDREESCU, CAN (1-0)
1 - Ash Barty, AUS (1-0)
1 - Simona Halep, ROU (1-0)
1 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (1-0)
1 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (0-1)
1 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (0-1)

*2019 LONG WTA WINNING STREAKS*
15 - Ash Barty (May-July)
13 - BIANCA ANDREESCU (AUGUST-current)
12 - Belinda Bencic (February-March)
11 - Ash Barty (March-May)
11 - Petra Kvitova (January)
10 - Karolina Pliskova (January)
10 - Bianca Andreescu (March)

*FIRST-TIME SLAM CHAMPS AT U.S. OPEN*
[Open Era]
1968 Virginia Wade, GBR
1979 Tracy Austin, USA
1990 Gabriela Sabatini, ARG
1998 Lindsay Davenport, USA
1999 Serena Williams, USA
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2005 Kim Clijsters, BEL
2011 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2017 Sloane Stephens, USA
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN
2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN
[reached first slam final at U.S., active players]
1997 Venus Williams, USA
1999 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (W)
2009 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
2016 Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2017 Madison Keys, USA
2017 Sloane Stephens, USA (W)
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN (W)
2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN (W)
--
ALSO: 2008 Jelena Jankovic, SRB

*WON IN FIRST SLAM FINAL - active*
1999 U.S. Open - Serena Williams
2004 Wimbledon - Maria Sharapova
2011 Wimbledon - Petra Kvitova
2012 Australian Open - Victoria Azarenka
2016 Australian Open - Angelique Kerber
2017 Roland Garros - Alona Ostapenko
2017 U.S. Open - Sloane Stephens
2018 U.S. Open - Naomi Osaka
2019 Roland Garros - Ash Barty
2019 U.S. Open - Bianca Andreescu

*LOW-SEEDED U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS - OPEN ERA*
Unseeded/Wild Card - Kim Clijsters, BEL (2009)
Unseeded - Sloane Stephens, USA (2017)
#26 - Flavia Pennetta, ITA (2015)
#20 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2018)
#15 - BIANCA ANDREESCU, CAN (2019)
#9 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (2011)
#9 - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (2004)
#7 - Serena Williams, USA (1999)
#6 - Virginia Wade, GBR (1968)

*RECENT TEEN SLAM CHAMPS*
1997 Martina Hingis - AO (16)*
1997 Iva Majoli - RG (19)*
1997 Martina Hingis - WI (16)
1997 Martina Hingis - US (16)
1998 Martina Hingis - AO (17)
1999 Martina Hingis - AO (18)
1999 Serena Williams - US (17)*
2004 Maria Sharapova - WI (17)*
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova - US (19)*
2006 Maria Sharapova - US (19)
2019 Bianca Andreescu - US (19)*
--
* - 1st time slam winner
[recent teen slam finalists]
2006 US - Maria Sharapova (19) - W
2019 RG - Marketa Vondrousova (19)
2019 US - BIANCA ANDREESCU (19) - W

*CAREER OVERALL SLAM TITLES - ACTIVE*
[singles/doubles/mixed]
39 - Serena Williams, USA (23-14-2)
23 - Venus Williams, USA (7-14-2)
9 - BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS, USA (0-5-4)
7 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (1-3-3)
6 - Sania Mirza, IND (0-3-3)
6 - Katarina Srebotnik, SLO (0-1-5)
5 - Sara Errani, ITA (0-5-0)
5 - Kristina Mladenovic, FRA (0-3-2)
5 - Maria Sharapova, RUS (5-0-0)
--
NOTE: Azarenka (2-0-2) plays for #5 in WD final

*RECENT U.S. OPEN MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPIONS*
2010 Liezel Huber/Bob Bryan, USA/USA
2011 Melanie Oudin/Jack Sock, USA/USA
2012 Ekaterina Makarova/Bruno Soares, RUS/BRA
2013 Andrea Hlavackova/Max Mirnyi, CZE/BLR
2014 Sania Mirza/Bruno Soares, IND/BRA
2015 Martina Hingis/Leander Paes, SUI/IND
2016 Laura Siegemund/Mate Pavic, GER/CRO
2017 Martina Hingis/Jamie Murray, SUI/GBR
2018 Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Jamie Murray, USA/GBR
2019 Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Jamie Murray, USA/GBR
[2019]
AO: Barbora Krejcikova & Rajeev Ram, CZE/USA
RG: Latisha Chang & Ivan Dodig, TPE/CRO
WI: Latisha Chang & Ivan Dodig, TPE/CRO
US: Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Jamie Murray, USA/GBR

*SLAM MX TITLES - active*
5...Katarina Srebotnik, SLO
4...BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS, USA
3...Latisha Chan, TPE
3...Sania Mirza, IND
3...Samantha Stosur, AUS
2...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2...Gaby Dabrowski, CAN
2...Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
2...Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2...Serena Williams, USA
2...Venus Williams, USA
2...Vera Zvonareva, RUS

*RECENT U.S. OPEN GIRLS FINALS*
2010 Daria Gavrilova/RUS d. Yulia Putintseva/RUS #
2011 Grace Min/USA d. Caroline Garcia/FRA
2012 Samantha Crawford/USA d. Anett Kontaveit/EST
2013 Ana Konjuh/CRO d. Tornado Black/USA
2014 Marie Bouzkova/CZE d. Anhelina Kalinina/UKR
2015 Dalma Galfi/HUN d. Sonya Kenin/USA
2016 Kayla Day/USA d. Viktoria Kuzmova/SVK
2017 Amanda Anisimova/USA d. Coco Gauff/USA
2018 Wang Xiyu/CHN d. Clara Burel/FRA
2019 Osorio Serrano/COL vs. Yepifanova/USA
--
#- (2010) players now represent AUS & KAZ
[2019 finals]
AO: Clara Tauson/DEN d. Leylah Annie Fernandez/CAN
RG: Leylah Annie Fernandez/CAN d. Emma Navarro/USA
WI: Daria Snigur/UKR d. Alexa Noel/USA
US: Maria Camila Osorio Serrano/COL vs. Anastasia Yepifanova/USA

*U.S. GIRLS SINGLES CHAMPS AT U.S. OPEN*
1978 Linda Siegel
1979 Alycia Moulton
1980 Susan Mascarin
1981 Zina Garrison
1982 Beth Herr
1986 Elly Hakami
1988 Carrie Cunningham
1989 Jennifer Capriati
1992 Lindsay Davenport
1994 Meilen Tu
1995 Tara Snyder
2008 CoCo Vandeweghe
2011 Grace Min
2012 Samantha Crawford
2016 Kayla Day
2017 Amanda Anisimova

*JUNIOR SLAM SINGLES CHAMPS FROM SOUTH AMERICA*
1977 US - Claudia Casabianca, ARG
1984 RG - Gabriela Sabatini, ARG
1986 RG - Patricia Tarabini, ARG
2000 WI - Maria Emilia Salerni, ARG
2000 US - Maria Emilia Salerni, ARG

*U.S. OPEN "JUNIOR BREAKOUT" WINNERS*
2007 Kristina Kucova, SVK
2008 Gabriela Paz, VEN
2009 Heather Watson, GBR
2010 Yulia Putintseva, RUS & Sloane Stephens, USA
2011 Grace Min, USA
2012 Vicky Duval, USA
2013 Tornado Alicia Black, USA
2014 Marie Bouzkova, CZE
2015 Dalma Galfi, HUN
2016 Viktoria Kuzmova, SVK
2017 Maria Lourdes Carle, ARG & Emiliana Arango, COL
2018 Dasha Lopatetskaya, UKR
2019 Oksana Selekhmeteva, RUS
[2018]
AO: Clara Tauson, DEN and Anastasia Tikhonova, RUS
RG: Diane Parry, FRA and Emma Navarro, USA
WI: Daria Snigur, UKR
US: Oksana Selekhmeteva, RUS

*RECENT WC SLAM SINGLES FINALS*
2017 AO - #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. #1 Jiske Griffioen/NED
2017 RG - #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
2017 WI - Diede de Groot/NED def. Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
2017 US - #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. #2 Diede de Groot/NED
2018 AO - #2 Diede de Groot/NED def. #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2018 RG - #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. #2 Diede de Groot/NED
2018 WI - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. Aniek van Koot/NED
2018 US - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2019 AO - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2019 RG - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2019 WI - Aniek Van Koot/NED def. #1 Diede de Groot/NED
2019 US - #1 de Groot vs. #2 Kamiji


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TOP QUALIFIER: Peng Shuai/CHN
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #10 Madison Keys/USA (4th Rd.)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): Elina Svitolina, UKR (SF)
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): Bianca Andreescu/CAN (W)
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: Isabella Shinikova/BUL def. Sachia Vickery/USA 6-1/4-6/7-6(6) - Shinikova MTO down MP at 6-5 in 3rd set TB, then comes back and wins 3 con. pts. to advance. Shinikova limps to net for her handshake, then Vickery airs out her frustrations on Twitter after the leaves the court.
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - (Q) Taylor Townsend/USA def. #4 Simona Halep/ROU 2-6/6-3/7-6(4)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 4th Rd. - #23 Donna Vekic/CRO def. #26 Julia Goerges/GER 6-7(5)/7-5/6-3 (Goerges served for match and had MP in 2nd - has 3-DF game)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): SF - #15 Bianca Andreescu/CAN def. #13 Belinda Bencic/SUI 7-6(3)/7-5
TOP NIGHT SESSION WOMEN'S MATCH: SF - #15 Bianca Andreescu/CAN def. #13 Belinda Bencic/SUI 7-6(3)/7-5
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Ana Bogdan/ROU (def. Dart/GBR)
FIRST SEED OUT: #27 Caroline Garcia, FRA (1st Rd. - lost to Jabeur/TUN)
UPSET QUEENS: Russia
REVELATION LADIES: United States
NATION OF POOR SOULS: ESP (1-4 in 1st Rd.; seeded Muguruza and CSN/ret. out)
CRASH & BURN: #11 Sloane Stephens/USA (1st Rd. - '17 champ lost to qualifier A.Kalinskaya on Ashe for first career slam MD win)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEW YORK: Donna Vekic/CRO (4th Rd. - 1 MP saved vs. Julia Goerges, reaches first career slam QF)
IT ("Canadian"): Bianca Andreescu/CAN
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Belinda Bencic/SUI
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Taylor Townsend/USA (4th Rd.) (LL: Flipkens-2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Kristie Ahn/USA (4th Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: Serena Williams (RU)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Taylor Townsend/USA
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Serena Williams/USA
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Mattek-Sands, Azarenka/Barty, Mertens/Sabalenka
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Kristie Ahn/USA
BROADWAY-BOUND: "Call Me Coco" summer preview show
LADY OF THE EVENING: Serena Williams, USA
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Oksana Selekhmeteva/RUS




All for Day 13. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 2:00 AM 

5 Comments:

Blogger Hoergren said...

No shame in losing to the champion (thinking about Caro) but this is interesting too:
2009 - Clijsters beats Flipkens, Caro and Serena on her way to the US Open title.
2019 - Andreescu beats Flipkens, Caro and Serena on her way to the US Open title.😉

Sun Sep 08, 04:41:00 AM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

Hoergren, good similarity there.

"Did you ever have a secret yearning
Don't you know it could come true
Now's the time to set wheels turning
To open up your life for you"

The Scorpions-Make It Real(Not Fantasy).

Andreescu made it real. After an 18 yr stretch in which a every slam winner had previously made a slam QF before winning, Generation Veruca Salt showed up. They want it, and they want it now! A streak that started with Serena in 1999, and ended with Ostapenko in 2017 has now seen Osaka and Andreescu come in with authority.

And now for the humor section- Toronto Maple Leafs still waiting.

Sept 8 2018. If you told me a Canadian woman would win a slam in 2019(in singles), I would have said that it was more likely that Antonio Brown would end up on the New England Patriots.

Serena at 5 in the race. May need to play Wuhan or Beijing to lock that up. Maintaining some sort of sharpness going into 2020 would be beneficial.

One thing that has happened, not with Kerber or Halep, who are the class before, but with Osaka and Andreescu, you now have players who have modeled parts of their games after Serena. Where it is Osaka's groundstrokes and serves, for Andreescu, it is the mentality and passion. Some use the term "clutch gene", for those who can hit the big shot at the right time. Andreescu seems to be able to hit the game point ace, or save the break point ace similar to Serena.

Having Venus reach a slam final at 36 and 37, then Serena following and doing 2 each at 36 and 37 means that backsliding to 1 at 38 isn't a bad thing.

Bibi gets an A+, Serena gets a B. Truth be told, we knew that the winner of the first set would probably win. One, because Serena has been a slow starter in finals, and Andreescu needed the cushion, because of her second set lulls.

Stat of the Day- 14- Number of doubles titles for Canadian Jill Hetherington.

This is who Andreescu is chasing. As Bianca is already the most accomplished singles player in their history, the next target is Jill, the one time singles winner. That was against Katrina Adams in New Zealand. Having a North American tied into her history makes sense, as she played her college tennis at Florida.

Americans Patty Fendick and Kathy Rinaldi were her most successful partnerships, as she only won one of her 14 titles with a Canadian.

Sun Sep 08, 08:38:00 AM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

One thing I forgot to put was 23. Not the number of slams Serena has, but the 23 minutes that turned this match into a classic. That signifies the point when Andreescu had the match point at 5-1, to the end of the match.

Sun Sep 08, 08:53:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Diane said...

Imagine for a moment that Serena had spent some time with Maria Andreescu, and had entered the final with no pressure and a total sense of presence. She very well still may have lost the match. That's how good Andreescu is.

At any rate, mentality is one of the vital components a player has, and when it is shaky, physical and tactical skills are not enough (see "Ostapenko").

Sun Sep 08, 12:38:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

H-
The Nordic Outpost is always the go-to for good-but-obscure Caro-related facts. ;)

C-
Looks like the Argonauts (and the Jays) won't be holding up their end anytime soon.

So, 16-0 then for the Pats? I mean, if AB doesn't implode there, too. The last time Brady had a great WR (Moss)...

Hmmm, so should I go ahead and make a '20 prediction for Serena to win #24 next season... in a final vs. someone like Venus, Sharapova, Svitolina or Stephens (i.e. someone who's felt the sting of defeat against her)?

Ah, the rare playing career-related Adams and Rinaldi mentions. ;)

D-
Yeah, I felt that way, too, about Andreescu having a shot to win even if Serena had had control of all her game for much of the match.

Sun Sep 08, 01:55:00 PM EDT  

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