I Know What You Did This Summer
2. Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalanka, BEL/BLR: singles players who are also big event doubles title hawks, they're the new Makarova/Vesnina
3. Serena Williams, USA: the wait continues
4. Diede de Groot, NED: swept the wheelchair titles at a major... again
5. Madison Keys, USA: briefly came alive in Cincinnati
6. Elina Svitolina, UKR: another slam semi. Now, can she put together another 4Q push, too?
7. Belinda Bencic, SUI: welcome back, new (again) Swiss Miss
8. Sofia Kenin, USA: Toronto and Cincinnati semi results saw her post wins over Barty, Osaka and Svitolina (twice) before losing close to both eventual champs (Andreescu & Keys)
9. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA: her U.S. Open MX crown runs her career slam total to nine
10. Jil Teichmann, SUI: won a second clay court title on the season
RISERS: Wang Qiang/CHN, Zheng Saisai/CHN and Camila Giorgi/ITA
SURPRISES: Jessica Pegula/USA, Kristie Ahn/USA and Katarzyna Kawa/POL
VETERANS: Svetlana Kuznetsova/RUS and Anastasija Sevastova/LAT
COMEBACKS: Taylor Townsend/USA, Patricia Maria Tig/ROU and Peng Shuai/CHN
FRESH FACES: Elena Rybakina/KAZ, Marie Bouzkova/CZE and Coco Gauff/USA
JUNIOR STARS: Maria Camila Osorio Serrano/COL
DOUBLES: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE), Diede de Groot/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED) and Coco Gauff/Caty McNally (USA/USA)
ITF: Heather Watson/GBR, Maja Chwalinska/POL and Tamara Korpatsch/GER
PAN-AMERICAN GAMES: Nadia Podoroska/ARG
TEAM: Czech Junior 14s
WHEELCHAIR: Zhu Zhenzhen/CHN
DOWN: Sloane Stephens/USA and Angelique Kerber/GER
MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS: Magda Linette/POL, Fiona Ferro/FRA and Caroline Dolehide/USA
...6-1/6-7(6)/6-4. The match that nearly derailed Andreescu's title run was the one that shouldn't have even gone three sets, but ended up being the longest match on tour this season. After taking the 1st set, Andreescu led 5-2 in the 2nd set TB, and held a MP at 6-5 before Bertens won 8-6. The teenager led 3-1 in the 3rd, but Bertens broke to get things back on serve at 4-3, then saved a BP in game #8. Up 5-4, Andreescu had MP's #2 and #3 on Bertens serve, with the Dutch world #5 saving the second with a well-timed ace. But on MP #4, Bertens' DF ended things after 3:29.
...1-6/7-6(3)/6-3. Svitolina led Sakkari 6-1/5-2 and held four MP.
...2-6/6-3/7-6(4). Qualifier Townsend changes tactics after dropping the 1st set, becoming a serve-and-volleying, net-rushing fiend (w/ 106 times approaches/charges!). #4 seed Halep never adjusted as the former junior slam champ (2012) posted her first career Top 10 win en route to her maiden slam Round of 16.
If Azarenka/Barty had won, Barty would have been the first woman to win back-to-back U.S. Open doubles titles with different partners since Nathalie Dechy in 2006-07 (w/ Zvonareva and Safina). Azarenka would have joined the Williams sisters and Sam Stosur in the select group of active players who have won slam singles, doubles and mixed titles.
Mertens will rise to a new career WD ranking high of #2, while Sabalenka will climb to a new high of #6.
...in the girls singles, #4-seeded Maria Camila Osorio Serrano wrapped up her junior career with a defeat of Bannerette qualifier Alexandra Yepifanova 6-1/6-0 to become the first Colombian girl to win a girls slam crown. The 17-year old is the first South American to win a girls major since Maria-Emilia Salerni won in New York in 2000 (and first ever from a nation on the continent other than Argentina).
A first Grand Slam title!
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2019
???? @CamiOsorioTenis claims the Junior Girls' Singles title 6-1, 6-0 over Alexandra Yepifanova.https://t.co/5ydKrsAOU5 | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/ai16cd6EiO
16-year old Yepifanova was born in the U.S., then at one point lived for five years in Moscow before moving to Florida. This spring she began to train at the IMG Academy. Before that, she'd spent several years working with Konstantine Anisimov, the recently deceased father of Amanda Anisimova. Yepifanova dedicated her run in this event to him.
For 16-year-old qualifier Alexandra Yepifanova, this weekâs journey to the #USOpen juniors final has been a somewhat emotional experience...
— ITF (@ITF_Tennis) September 8, 2019
?? https://t.co/xQMPaFC58T pic.twitter.com/JOHvcIffhf
The Latvian-Russian duo of Kamilla Bartone & Oksana Selekhmeteva won the girls doubles with a 7-5/7-6(6) win over Pastries Aubane Droguet & Selena Janicijevic.
...after a rare slam defeat in the Wimbledon singles final, wheelchair #1 Diede de Groot got right back on her previous career path at Flushing Meadows. On Sunday the Dutch player once again swept both the singles and doubles titles at a major, first defeating rival Yui Kamiji (#2 seed) 4-6/6-1/6-4 to defend her Open crown from a year ago, and then teaming with Aniek Van Koot to defeat Sabine Ellerbrock & KG Montjane 6-2/6-0 in doubles to win her seventh straight slam doubles title *and* complete a Grand Slam in doubles (winning all four majors w/ countrywoman Van Koot) for 2019.
Repeat is complete! ??@DiedetheGreat defeats Yui Kamiji 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 to win her second straight #USOpen wheelchair womenâs singles title. pic.twitter.com/OR4OpzZ3Od
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2019
It's Van Koot's *second* doubles Grand Slam.
=WC DOUBLES "GRAND SLAM" SEASONS=
2009 Esther Vergeer & Korie Homan, NED/NED
2011 Esther Vergeer & Sharon Walraven, NED/NED
2013 Aniek Van Koot & Jiske Griffioen, NED/NED
2014 Yui Kamji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
2019 Diede de Groot & Aniek Van Koot, NED/NED
De Groot's win over Kamiji knots their career head-to-head series at 14-14, though she's gone 12-3 in the last fifteen. This was the fifth slam in the last six in which de Groot has swept both titles, and her slam final streak now stands at twenty in a row dating back to the 2017 Wimbledon. She's reached the final in 21 of her 24 overall career slam s/d draw appearances, winning 15 titles (7s/8d).
...at the WTA 125 Series event in New Haven, 20-year old Russian Anna Blinkova swept both titles, defeating Bannerette Usue Arconada in two finals. She won 6-4/6-2 in singles to claim her biggest career title, and teamed with Oksana Kalashnikova to outlast Arconada & Jamie Loeb in a 10-4 match-tie break to take home the doubles crown.
Relive Anna Blinkovaâs magic moment claiming her first WTA 125k title at the Oracle Challenger Series New Haven ?#RoadtoIndianWells pic.twitter.com/DAsTUUZs4b
— Oracle Challenger Series (@OracleChallngrs) September 8, 2019
...in Changsha, China it was Serb Nina Stojanovic claiming her eighth career title at the $60K challenger there, defeating Bulgarian Aleksandrina Naydenova 6-1/6-1 in the final.
Elsewhere on the ITF circuit, Serbian Olga Danilovic ($60K Montreux, SUI), Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto ($25K Trieste, ITA), Dutch Arantxa Rus ($25K Marbella, ESP) and South African Chanel Simmonds ($15K Sajur, ISR) all emerged with victories.
...of course, the remaining Decade's Best selections for this U.S. Open, or some form of them, will be going up soon, followed by another "Players of the Decade" cutdown post.
...back to #1 in the rankings, and still holding on atop this list. For now. It's not that the Aussie has performed poorly since winning RG -- two slam 4r's, a grass title, a Cincy semi and U.S. Open doubles final -- it's just that expectations were raised quite a bit in Paris. Barty's multi-discipline results (at the slams, on three surfaces and as the so-far Fed Cup MVP) give her a good shot to still be here come season's end. But...
=============================
2. Bianca Andreescu, CAN:
...the Canadian is coming on strong. With Indian Wells, Toronto and now the U.S. Open in her column, not to mention that 8-0 mark vs. the Top 10, Andreescu's got a shot to nip Barty at the finish line (say, if she wins *another* big title, or two, and AUS loses the FC final).
=============================
3. Simona Halep, ROU:
...the fight for #1 is on, and Simona is once again in the mix for a third straight season atop the computer rankings. Just 4-3 this summer hard court season since winning Wimbledon, she'll need something big to move any higher than #3 here after being crowned "Ms.Backspin" in '18.
=============================
4. Elise Mertens & Aryna Sabalenka, BEL/BLR:
...the doubles version of Andreescu, they've won three titles. BIG ones in Indian Wells, Miami and New York.
=============================
5. Diede de Groot, NED:
...if she'd won the Wimbledon singles, the wheelchair #1 would be in the Top 3. Still, she became the first in the sport's history to win all eight slam crowns in a career, completed a 2019 Grand Slam in doubles with Aniek Van Koot, and ends the season as the reigning champ is seven of eight disciplines in the majors.
=============================
6. French and Austalian Fed Cup Teams:
...they'll meet in November to determine the last champions of the soon-to-end current version of Fed Cup.
=============================
7. Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova, TPE/CZE:
...still the season leaders with four doubles titles, and they've done it on three different surfaces (including the grass at Wimbledon).
=============================
8. Naomi Osaka, JPN:
...the reigning AO champ, and has been #1 for more weeks than any other player in '19. Osaka didn't repeat in NYC, but showed her mettle in handling the hubbub surrounding her 3rd Round match vs. Coco Gauff.
=============================
9. Karolina Pliskvoa, CZE:
...titles on three surfaces, though no QF+ results in slams after an Australian Open Semi.
=============================
10. Serena Williams, USA:
...still no titles since giving birth, but '19 finals in two slams and Toronto show how competitive she can still be even with limited action.
=============================
11. Belinda Bencic, SUI:
...her Dubai brilliance (a Performance of the Year contender) has been followed by her role as Osaka's personal kryptonite (*three* #1 wins), a U.S. Open semi and return to the Top 10.
=============================
12. Sofia Kenin, USA:
...two titles, Toronto and Cincy semis and five Top 10 (2 #1) wins.
=============================
13. Diede de Groot/Aniek Van Koot, NED/NED:
...a WC doubles Grand Slam is great, but that it consists of just eight matches lessens its impact just a tad.
=============================
14. Petra Kvitova, CZE:
...Petra's "lost summer" due a forearm injury sees her slipping. She missed RG and played just seven matches combined in the grass and hard court seasons. She hasn't reached a semi since winning Stuttgart in April, but *does* have that Australian Open final to fall back on.
=============================
15. Kiki Bertens, NED:
...Bertens' 2r-2r-3r-3r slam results can't help put place a black cloud atop an otherwise consistent season that has seen her post eight SF+ results and win two titles.
=============================
HM- Chan Hao-ching/Latisha Chan, TPE/TPE:
...three titles, with Latisha also winning two MX slams and Hao-ching reaching the U.S. Open MX final.
Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
...no titles, and with just three matches since her RG final run. After a 28-7 start, the Czech has been the anti-Bianca, going 1-2.
Jil Teichmann, SUI:
...the only player in '19 with two tour-level clay court titles.
=============================
#15 Bianca Andreescu/CAN def. #8 Serena Williams/USA 6-3/7-5
*WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#4 Mertens/Sabalenka (BEL/BLR) def. #8 Azarenka/Barty [DC] (BLR/AUS)
*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 def. (Q) Alexandra Yepifanova/USA 6-1/6-0
*GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL*
#5 Bartone/Selekhmeteva (LAT/RUS) def. Droguet/Janicijevic (FRA/FRA) 7-5/7-6(6)
*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED [DC] def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN 4-6/6-1/6-4
*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 de Groot [DC]/Van Koot (NED/NED) def. Ellerbrock/Montjane (GER/RSA) 6-2/6-0
Look at that smile! đ@Bandreescu_ 's @usopen champion photo shoot! ---> https://t.co/Kpr6BY3Sr5#USOpen pic.twitter.com/ujwcb3E85Y
— WTA (@WTA) September 8, 2019
2010 Vania King & Yaroslava Shvedova, USA/KAZ
2011 Liezel Huber & Lisa Raymond, USA/USA
2012 Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2013 Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka, CZE/CZE
2014 Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS
2015 Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza, SUI/IND
2016 Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE
2017 Chan Yung-Jan & Martina Hingis, TPE/SUI
2018 Ash Barty & CoCo Vandeweghe, AUS/USA
2019 Elise Mertens & Aryna Sabalenka, BEL/BLR
[2019]
AO: Samantha Stosur & Zhang Shuai, AUS/CHN
RG: Timea Babos & Kristina Mladenovic, HUN/FRA
WI: Hsieh Su-wei & Barbora Strycova, TPE/CZE
US: Elise Mertens & Aryna Sabalenka, BEL/BLR
*2019 WTA DOUBLES TITLES*
4 - Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
4 - Barbora Strycova, CZE
3 - Chan Hao-ching, TPE
3 - Latisha Chan, TPE
3 - ELISE MERTENS, BEL
3 - ARYNA SABALENKA, BLR
2 - Nicole Melichar, USA
2 - Kveta Peschke, CZE
2 - Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2 - Timea Babos, HUN
2 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2 - Katerina Siniakova, CZE
2 - Aleksandra Krunic, SRB
2 - Viktoria Kuzmova, SVK
2 - Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, ESP
[teams]
4 - Hsieh/Strycova, TPE/CZE
3 - Chan/Chan, TPE/TPE
3 - MERTENS/SABALENKA, BEL/BLR
2 - Babos/Mladenovic, HUN/FRA
2 - Melichar/Peschke, USA/CZE
*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 Maria Camila Osorio Serrano/COL d. Anastasia 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 d. Anastasia Yepifanova/USA
*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
2019 US - Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, COL
*RECENT U.S. OPEN GIRLS DOUBLES CHAMPIONS*
2010 Timea Babos / Sloane Stephens, HUN/USA
2011 Irina Khromacheva / Demi Schuurs, RUS/NED
2012 Gabby Andrews / Taylor Townsend, USA/USA
2013 Barbora Krejcikova / Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2014 Ipek Soylu / Jil Teichmann, TUR/SUI
2015 Viktoria Kuzmova / Aleksandra Pospelova, SVK/RUS
2016 Jada Myii Hart / Ena Shibahara, USA/USA
2017 Olga Danilovic / Marta Kostyuk, SRB/UKR
2018 Coco Gauff / Caty McNally, USA/USA
2019 Kamilla Bartone / Oksana Selekhmeteva, LAT/RUS
[2019 finals]
AO: Natsumi Kawaguchi & Adrienn Nagy, JPN/HUN
RG: Chloe Beck & Emma Navarro, USA/USA
WI: Savannah Broadus & Abigail Forbes, USA/USA
US: Kamilla Bartone & Oksana Selekhmeteva, LAT/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 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
*U.S. OPEN WHEELCHAIR CHAMPIONS*
[singles]
2005 Esther Vergeer, NED
2006 Esther Vergeer, NED
2007 Esther Vergeer, NED
2008 --
2009 Esther Vergeer, NED
2010 Esther Vergeer, NED
2011 Esther Vergeer, NED
2012 --
2013 Aniek van Koot, NED
2014 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2015 Jordanne Whiley, GBR
2016 --
2017 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2018 Diede de Groot, NED
2019 Diede de Groot, NED
[doubles]
2005 Korie Homan & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2006 Jiske Griffioen & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2007 Jiske Griffioen & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2008 --
2009 Korie Homan & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2010 Esther Vergeer & Sharon Walraven, NED/NED
2011 Esther Vergeer & Sharon Walraven, NED/NED
2012 --
2013 Jiske Griffioen & Aniek van Koot, NED/NED
2014 Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
2015 Jiske Griffioen & Aniek van Koot, NED/NED
2016 --
2017 Marjolein Buis & Diede de Groot, NED/NED
2018 Diede de Groot & Yui Kamiji, NED/JPN
2019 Diede de Groot & Aniek Van Koot, NED/NED
--
NOTE: event not held in 2008/12/16 (Paralympics)
*2017-18 WHEELCHAIR SINGLES/DOUBLES CHAMPS*
[2017]
A: Yui Kamiji, JPN; Griffioen/Van Koot, NED/NED
R: Yui Kamiji, JPN; Buis/Kamiji, JPN/NED
W: Diede de Groot, NED; Kamiji/Whiley, JPN/GBR
U: Yui Kamiji, JPN; Buis/de Groot, NED/NED
[2018]
A: Diede de Groot, NED; Buis/Kamiji, NED/JPN
R: Yui Kamiji, JPN; de Groot/Van Koot, NED/NED
W: Diede de Groot, NED; de Groot/Kamiji, NED/JPN
U: Diede de Groot, NED; de Groot/Kamiji, NED/JPN
[2019]
A: Diede de Groot, NED; de Groot/Van Koot, NED/NED
R: Diede de Groot, NED; de Groot/Van Koot, NED/NED
W: Aniek Van Koot, NED; de Groot/Van Koot, NED/NED
U: Diede de Groot, NED; de Groot/Van Koot, NED/NED
*WHEELCHAIR SLAM TITLES*
[singles/doubles]
42 - Esther Vergeer, NED (21/21)
20 - Yui Kamiji, JPN (6/14)*
18 - Jiske Griffioen, NED (4/14)
17 - ANIEK VAN KOOT, NED (3/14)*
15 - DIEDE DE GROOT, NED (7/8)*
10 - Jordanne Whiley, GBR (1/9)*
-
*-active
*U.S. OPEN "DOUBLES STAR" WINNERS*
2006 Martina Navratilova, USA
2007 Nathalie Dechy, FRA
2008 Cara Black, ZIM
2009 Carly Gullickson, USA
2010 Liezel Huber, USA
2011 Melanie Oudin, USA
2012 Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
2013 Andrea Hlavackova, CZE
2014 Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR (WC)
2015 Martina Hingis, SUI
2016 Laura Siegemund, GER
2017 Martina Hingis, SUI
2018 Ash Barty & CoCo Vandeweghe, AUS/USA
2019 Diede de Groot & Aniek Van Koot, NED/NED (WC)
[2019]
AO: Astra Sharma, AUS
RG: Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
WI: Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova, TPE/CZE
US: Diede de Groot & Aniek Van Koot, NED/NED (WC)
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 STARS: Diede de Groot & Aniek Van Koot, NED/NED (WC)
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
posted by Todd.Spiker @ 1:30 AM
12 Comments:
Olmos lost, but first WTA MD without a WC.
2020 Olympic teams? Dabrowski/Andreescu? Sabalenka/Azarenka? The Top 10 get to pick their partners, and both Dabrowski and Sabalenka could choose. Dabrowski for some time looked like she was going to have to go the Mirza route, and just pick a name. Now she has a legit partner.
Should they meet at the YEC, Williams hasn't beat Kvitova in 6 years.
Stat of the Week- 8- The number of slam winners this decade born in the 1990's.
If you think this is because of Medvedev, you are correct. The fact that he is the first ATP player born in the 90's to even win one set at a slam is both amazing and disappointing at the same time.
While we have 8 from the 90's, we don't even have to wait for the 00's to catch up as Andreescu already put them on the board.
Quiz Time!
8 women born in the 90's won slams. But how many total slams did they win this decade?
A.9
B.10
C.12
D.15
More Up/Down Side with a Premier.
Answer!
I wanted to draw this one out, but the number I wanted to use as the wrong answer is also the right answer. (C)12 is the number of slams Serena won on her own, out of the 27 won by the 80's women, but is the correct one also, as Kvitova, Osaka, Muguruza, and Halep each won two slams.
Ms. Backspin Top 10.
1.Barty- Fed Cup brilliance, titles on 3 surfaces and the current #1 make her my #1.
2.Serena- I kid, Andreescu goes here having a Serena type year. Dominating in big events, winning even with lack of match play, and winning at home. Rogers Cup may be her version of Serena in Miami.
3.Halep- 1700 pts out of first with nothing to defend. Wimbledon winner is the toughest out week to week on tour.
4.Osaka- Has been up and down, but still has a A game that can take down anyone. Also need the put the 4th slam winner here.
5.Bertens- Underwhelming in slams, but has 8 SF. Second on tour in aces. Gets credit for not playing well and still putting up good results in non slam weeks.
6.S.Williams- Name any other player that reached 2 slam finals this year, you can't. Has reached the final of her last 3 tournaments.
7.Svitolina- Without a title, but back to back slam SF runs. Keeps affecting tournaments in a positive way.
8.Strycova- #1 in doubles, Wimbledon SF, for somebody in the twilight of their career, having a career year.
9.Konta- Relevant on clay, she has translated that everywhere. Similar to Vandeweghe in 2017, when she did everything but win a title, the Fed Cup star is 11th in the race, and will have a chane to win a title either in Zhuhai or YEC.
10.Bencic- Won in the Middle East, but has been a threat everywhere. Tipping point to making it here is beating Osaka multiple times.
5 On the Up Side.
1.Peterson- Swede with the ATP style forehand is in line to win her first title soon. First chance is in Jianqxi. Shockingly, even coming from the Land Of Borg, she would only be the 4th Swede this century tot win a singles title, after Asa Svensson, Sofia Arvidsson, and Johanna Larsson.
2.Diyas- She was my Hiroshima pick when I saw the draw, now doubling down once I realized that her other 2 career finals were in Japan. Lost in Osaka back in 2014, won in Tokyo-2017.
3.Riske- Has a tough match with Kerber, but Riske in China is a thing. 5 of her 8 career finals have been there, and she is playing well enough to expect another in the next month.
4.Bertens- 8 SF, but poor slam results mean that she is rested, and ready to close the year strong.
5.Tig- Qualified and picked up where she left off.
5 On the Down Side.
1.Anisimova- Life off the field should be a priority, so this isn't a down. Just depends on what she wants. If she wants to play Zhuhai, she is 20th, which because of the WC there, is the first spot out. To gain enough points without playing Wuhan or Beijing, she would have to go Linz/St.Petersburg.
2.Svitolina- Has a favorable draw, but running out of time to reach YEC field. Defending champ is 10th, which is a red flag in a year that Andreescu pulled a Serena. Andreescu is 4th playing 9 events, while Serena is 5th playing 8.
3.Kvitova- She is 6th in the race, and has played more than I thought, with 13 events. Year 3 after her attack, she did not finish either of the first two strongly, and the arm issue is lingering. Most likely to be the one to fall out of the Top 8.
4.Ostapenko- Guess who leads the tour in double faults? You are right! Not surprisingly this season, Sabalenka is 2nd. I did say she projects as a random finalist in Asia, but she will need a walkover as she has been too inconsistent in back to back matches.
5.Muguruza- I was going to put Garcia, but because of the time difference, she has already won. This applies to both, as both are in danger of not even making Zhuhai. That would continue the backward trend of both from 2017 YEC to 2018 Zhuhai to an early offseason.
Well, I'm guess I'm going to have to make that "Mexican player in a slam singles MD" prediction *again* for 2020 now. One of these days...
Though, remember, Bouchard has a doubles title this year. I suppose she could be an option, too.
QUIZ: tried to noodle through in my head (and count on my fingers, of course) and came up with 9 or 10... then realized I (!!!) forgot to add Simona! Blasphemer!! Do I have to go to confession now? But have no fear, there's enough room around here for *two* favored players with Romanian blood.
Ms.B Rankings: agree with adding Konta (esp. w/ FC), not with Svitolina. Bertens I could go either way, as I had her in positions all over my list until she ultimately settled far lower than anticipated (and maybe than she should have). That said, while Bertens has the biggest title between them (Madrid), Pliskova winning on three surfaces and having better slam results (1 SF) would always lead me to list her higher than Kiki (and surely Elina).
"Ms.B" could come down to the wire. Like, literally, the Fed Cup final, depending on what BA/AB (hope they play soon, too) do in the 4Q.
Weird thing about Clijsters is I had been thinking about her. Mainly because Andreescu won a slam without having any WTA level wins the previous season. Only person I could think of was out of retirement Clijsters.
Tennis is the new boxing.
Sheesh! Didn't see that one coming. Good analogy with boxing.
Apparently, ala w/ Hingis, the Wimbledon Legends competition is the new Triple AAA ball/warm-up for a comeback league.
I guess this is one time that Justine won't have a counter move. Well, unless she finally makes that leap into coaching...
As I Tweeted earlier today, my main takeaway is that in 2019, a woman making such an announcement still feels she has to convince everyone that she wonât be a bad mother. The video made me kind of ill.
As for the actual comeback: She came back last time because she was watching tennis and believed she could beat everyone on the tour. If she believes that this time, sheâs in for a surprise. But maybe she just misses the tour and wants to be back. But I donât get why she would put her body through this.
2010 Backspin: Hmm, I wonder if she's seen how much attention Serena has gotten from coming back after having a baby. "That's *my* thing! And I did it better, too. How can I remind everyone of that? Oh, I know!"
2019 Backspin: I do wonder if playing in the Wimbledon Invitational event the last few years sparked something, and this is a do-it-now-or-it'll-be-too-late line of thinking. She was clearly well above everyone she was playing, and it had to make her think.
2020 Backspin: "Hmm, maybe I was onto something about that attention-grab thing..."
Although, I could see a certain fan base fully taking the 2010 view if and when she starts to get a percentage of the attention that was Serena's the last two seasons.
Absolutely. Some of them are already down with the âIf Andreescu can win a major, of course Kim knows she can come back and winâ message. They are in for a rude surprise
I will put up my full thoughts and projections about Kim Clijsters on Monday.
On the other hand, when people who never were #1 or grand slam winners come back, they get less help. So a healthy Tatiana Golovin(yes, checked multiple sites and this seems legit) would project to have a Zvonareva/Schnyder type comeback.
Plus it seems she will have support from FFT.
You should include your probability chart for the *next* most likely comebacks, too.
Radwanska, Szavay, Hingis, etc. ;)
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