Monday, November 04, 2019

Wk.44- Barty: A Party of One (More)

Once more, this time rising from the ashes of the Shenzhen field, it was Ash...

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Take it all in, @ashbarty! ???? @wtafinals

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*WEEK 44 CHAMPIONS*
WTA FINALS; SHENZHEN, CHINA (Hard Court Indoor)
S: Ash Barty/AUS def. Elina Svitolina/UKR 6-4/6-3
D: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA) def. Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova (TPE/CZE) 6-1/6-3


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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ash Barty/AUS
...by this point, should we really be all that surprised?



Through it all in 2019, often when not the focus of attention at the outset, Barty has found a way to prevail. Aside from her possibly historic Fed Cup heroics (one final chapter is set to unfold next weekend in Perth), the Aussie has lifted herself far above what even the most optimistic might have thought possible over the course of this single season. A title in Miami was followed by a maiden slam win in Paris and the #1 singles ranking. After wrapping up the season-ending #1 spot in Shenzhen, Barty closed out the WTA portion of her career season with a title run in her debut appearance in the WTA Finals field, tying Karolina Pliskova for the tour title lead in '19, and taking home the biggest winner's check ($4.42 million) in tennis history.

Four more Top 10 wins (over Bencic, Kvitova, Pliskova and defending champ Svitolina in the final) give her twelve for the year (she had five in her career before '19), and she still has left on her season table what might go down as her personal top highlight if she once more puts the Australian Fed Cup team on her back (she's 6-0 in s/d this year, providing all three points in both the team's 1st Round and SF victories, and has won 14 straight since '17) to take the nation's first crown since 1974.

So, "Ms.Backspin" for one final 2019 party, then?
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RISERS: Elina Svitolina/UKR and Belinda Bencic/SUI
...lingering knee injury or no, in seemed almost incongruous that Svitolina might have what could be considered a "groundbreaking" season (not one but two slam semis) without reaching even *one* final after winning at least one tour singles title every year since 2013 (and lifting *nine* trophies the last two seasons alone).

As it turned out, it *wasn't* possible.

While the WTA Finals shifted to Shenzhen this year, away from the event's recent home in Singapore, Svitolina picked up right where she left off when she won her biggest career title in 2018's edition. After playing an endless string of three-setters then, Svitolina was much more efficient this time around, going 3-0 in round robin action with three straight set victories over Karolina Pliskova (winning a 26-point 1st set TB), Simona Halep and Sofia Kenin (saving 2 SP and finally winning a 12-10 2nd set TB on her 6th MP). Belinda Bencic took a set off the Ukrainian in the semifinals, but the Swiss' efforts quickly faded as she was hit with multiple (at least three?) injuries before finally retiring down 4-1 in the 3rd. It was Svitolina's 10th straight WTAF win, and her 16 aces gave her 27 in a two-match stretch.

Svitolina wasn't able to successfully defend a title for the fourth time in her career, losing a closer-than-the-scoreline-looks 6-4/6-3 final to Ash Barty after having previously been 5-0 vs. the Aussie. Her #8 finish will be a slight step back from her #6 and #4 rankings the last two seasons, but her ability to be successful on the bigger stages even while not dominating on the *next* level down should serve her well as she tries once again in '20 to join the ever expanding club of major title winners.

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Striving for more ??????

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Bencic had to hustle just to make the WTAF field for the first time in her career, and her performance to close out her best season to date was just the sort of thing that could slingshot her into 2020. After opening with a loss to Ash Barty, Bencic rallied to defeat Petra Kvitova to stay alive in RR play and then outlasted an ill Kiki Bertens to reach the semis. She was the first to take a set off defending champ Svitolina once she got there, securing the 1st with a brilliantly converted SP that made one think she might be on her way to the sort of breakout title runs that have highlighted this event in recent years.



But what started as an MTO for a back injury while leading 6-5 in the 1st (Svitolina proceeded to drop serve after a long delay) devolved into another for her foot in the 2nd before she was soon having her hamstring iced in the 3rd. After limping around the court, a shell of her 1st set self, for several games, Bencic finally retired when trailing 4-1 (though down only a single break), unable to stay in any long rallies with the Ukrainian. She joined Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu and Kiki Bertens as players who withdrew or retired due to injury/illness in the event.

Still, Bencic finishes with her first Top 10 campaign (#8) after suffering through sub-.500 seasons from 2016-18 while dealing with a series of injuries.
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SURPRISE: Storm Sanders/AUS
...until a few weeks ago, 25-year old doubles specialist Sanders hadn't played singles in two full years, but the Aussie's recent medical diagnosis allowed her a path back.

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This week is a special one for me. Finally jumped back on the singles court after 2 years and had an awesome week in Bendigo qualifying and making QF. Honestly I didn’t know if I would ever be back playing singles after all the injuries I’ve had over the years. Last year, I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis. It was actually a huge relief to be diagnosed with AS as all the random injuries and health problems finally made sense. I’ve been receiving treatment ever since I was diagnosed and it has made a world of difference to my life. I am still searching to find ways to improve the state of my disease but I’m on the right path and have the most amazing support team around me. Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to message me this week, honestly the support has been amazing. Onwards and upwards ??

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In this past week's $60K Down Under challenger in Playford, Sanders swept *both* the singles and doubles (w/ Asia Muhammad) titles, picking up her first solo crown since 2013 with a victory in the final over countrywoman Lizette Cabrera, 6-3/6-4, ending the 21-year old's 14-match winning streak.



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VETERAN: Karolina Pliskova/CZE
...while so many of those around her were breaking down, Pliskova showed a good season-ending kick (pity this year won't be available in the Fed Cup final) en route to her third straight WTAF semifinal result. After losing to Elina Svitolina, Pliskova outlasted an injured Bianca Andreescu and outmuscled Simona Halep in a round robin ending battle for tournament survival, often outplaying the Romanian by a good margin though it took three sets to get the job done. She went out to eventual champ Barty (in a #1 vs. #2 match-up) in the semis, but will finish behind the Aussie at #2 in the rankings. It's her best season-ending standing ever.


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COMEBACK: Alexa Glatch/USA
...the 30-year old Bannerette didn't end the week with her first singles title since 2015, when she defeated an up-and-coming 15-year old Canadian named Andreescu in a $25K in Gatineau, but the former junior star (Easter Bowl 14s/18s, Orange Bowl 16s and a double U.S. Open girls s/d finalist in '05) has overcome a mostly disappointing (just three career slam MD victories), injury plagued career with some encouraging "career back end" results this season.



Ranked #423 a week ago, Glatch reached a $25K final in Denver in June, and her wild card run in the Tyler, Texas $80K challenger this past week included wins over Astra Sharma, Shelby Rogers, Caroline Dolehide and Marcela Zacarias before her loss to Mandy Minella in the final.

The 33-year old from Luxembourg, by the way, had entered the week ranked #169 and having lost five straight (and 7 of 8) matches.
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FRESH FACE: Francesca Di Lorenzo/USA and Elisabetta Cocciaretto/ITA
...22-year old Di Lorenzo claimed her biggest career title at the $60K challenger in Toronto. The #2 seed, the Ohio State product took out #3 Bibiane Schoofs (SF) and #1 Kirsten Flipkens (F) to pick up her fourth career circuit crown, her first since January of last year. She climbs to a new career high of #123 this week.



In Paraguay, Cocciaretto won her biggest career title at the $60K in Asuncion. The 18-year old's third career crown came at the expense of her 32-year old Italian countrywoman, Sara Errani, in a 6-1/4-6/6-0 final. Errani, seemingly on an endless comeback trail, had another good week, posting wins over Anna Danilina, Allie Kiick and U.S. Open girls champ Maria Camila Osorio Serrano along the way.


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DOWN: Petra Kvitova/CZE and Simona Halep/ROU
...while both have had their in-season successes in recent years, neither Kvitova nor Halep have consistently been at their physical or game best in the WTA Finals.

Kvitova, especially so, has had a particularly difficult time closing out her singles season on a high note. This year, having already suffered through an injury-laden back half of her schedule, the event didn't prove to be anything like a "Greatest Hits" recap of her '19 season. Quite the opposite, in fact, as the Czech once again failed to win a WTAF match, extending her losing streak in the event to seven matches. After falling in three sets in a rehash of the Australian Open final vs. Naomi Osaka, Kvitova went down in three to Belinda Bencic, as well. Then, in her fifth match-up of the season vs. Ash Barty, Kvitova lost in straights to the Aussie for the first time in seven career meetings.

Halep outlasted Bianca Andreescu in their intriguing first meeting to open her play in Shenzhen, saving a MP, but never won again. After falling to Elina Svitolina, she lost out in three sets to Karolina Pliskova in a semifinal-or-bust round robin clash. After dropping the opening set at love, Halep rallied to win the 2nd and held an early break lead in the 3rd, only to soon find herself down 5-2 to the Czech after an especially uninspiring stretch that led coach Darren Cahill to berate her during a changeover for her lack of effort. Halep rallied to get to 5-4, but still fell to Pliskova to end her season. Since reaching the final in the WTA Finals debut in '14, Halep has failed to advance out of round robin competition in all four of her appearances in the event. Still, after back-to-back #1 seasons, her #4 finish in 2019 represents her sixth straight Top 4 season.


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ITF PLAYER: Arantxa Rus/NED
...Rus added to her circuit-best title total in Petange, Luxembourg. The 28-year old Dutch won the $25K crown in three sets over Romania's Laura Ioana Paar, winning her ninth straight 2019 ITF final in her tenth championship match this season.

The result won't allow Rus to complete her first Top 100 season since 2012, but as she comes in at #103 as the *official* final season rankings drop as this week begins. It's her best season finish since her #68 standing seven years ago (and if she plays a few more challengers over the next few weeks she could still be securely back in the Top 100 come January). For a few weeks in September/October, Rus dipped a toe back into the Top 100 at #97, which was her best ranking since May 2013.


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JUNIOR STAR: Wong Hong Yi Cody/HKG
...Wong, the #30-ranked girls, grabbed the Grade 2 title at the Causeway bay event in Hong Kong, defeated China's Li Zongyu in the final. The 17-year old won a Grade 1 title in Nanjing in July.
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DOUBLES: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic, HUN/FRA
...while Barbora Strycova managed to hold onto the season-ending #1 ranking over Mladenovic, Kiki & Babos walked off with the WTAF title, their second straight at the event (it's the first successful defense by a duo since Black/Huber won in 2007-08). For Babos, it's a *third* straight win in the tour championships, a first since Lindsay Davenport three-peated from 1996-98.

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?????? 3x WORLD CHAMPION!!!

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A round robin win over Mertens/Sabalenka highlight their weekday results, assuring the pair of a semifinal berth. Wins over Stosur/Sh.Zhang (SF) and Hsieh/Strycova (F) followed as they claimed their third title of the season (including RG) and ninth overall together. Both have won 22 career tour titles.
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WHEELCHAIR: Maria Florencia Moreno/ARG
...the #14-ranked Argentine swept the singles and doubles titles at the Series 2 Brasil Open title, defeating #24 Saki Takamuro of Japan in straight sets in the final, as well as teaming with Colombian Angelica Bernal to take the WD.
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Hold off on at least one of those 2020 comeback stories...




Meanwhile...




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1. WTAF rr - Simona Halep def. Bianca Andreescu
...3-6/7-6(6)/6-3. Halep vs. Andreescu I, aka "You Don't Mess with the Zohan."




In truth, the 2:34 contest was pretty much everything we expected, complete with drama, injury, a MP saved, sideline inspiration, and a lesson in how-to-survive-and-live-to-close-out-a-match delivered by an expert to an acolyte who *does* still have something more to learn before she can reach her ultimate peak, after all.

Andreescu held a MP in the 2nd set, but Halep forced things to a TB and won it on her third SP. And though the moment was later forgotten by some at the end of the week, Darren Cahill's pep talk to Halep while Andreescu was treated for smacking her shin with her own racket was just the sort of thing that makes those coaching sessions worthwhile.




Some derisively said that Halep's comeback wouldn't have happened without Cahill's visit. Yeah, and...? Is that supposed to be some sort of ding to her and/or the process?

One can understand if some prefer the match aesthetic *without* coaching breaks, but what sport other than tennis doesn't include athletes consulting others for advice/info/a different set of eyes in mid-activity? All team sports have it, as do boxing, golf (via caddie), cycling, auto racing, etc. I swear, this is the only sport that twists self into a self-analytical pretzel by complaining about something that might foster even *better* competition on gameday.

Maybe if the men's tour had on-court coaching we'd have had at least one new slam winner outside the parade of usual suspects over the last fifteen years rather than an entire generation, half of another and working on the current "new batch" all coming up small when the stakes have been the biggest. Of course that Federling guy prefers the sport where the player just figures it out on their own -- because he's always been good, if not the best, at doing just that, and he'd have been giving up that advantage if it was more a "team effort." Honestly, he's not really the source one should look to for an unbiased testimonial on the benefits of such a practice. I'm just sayin'.
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2. WTAF rr - Kiki Bertens def. Ash Barty
...3-6/6-3/6-4. Barty's only blemish on the week in Shenzhen, as she fell to Bertens, who'd entered the fray (becoming the first to play both the Elite Trophy and WTAF Finals singles events) after Naomi Osaka pulled out with a shoulder injury. After Barty had saved a MP vs. Bertens in the Beijing SF a few weeks ago, the Dutch woman turned things around here after trailing the Aussie with her serving up 6-3/2-1, 40/15. After leading Barty 4-0 in the 3rd, with GP's for 5-1, the set tightened to 5-4 before Bertens prevailed.

But all her work to get here, playing every week since the U.S. Open but still coming up short and being forced to play the Elite Trophy (and reaching the final), ultimately saw Berten's "bonus week" come to a close in her next match. After not fully recovering from this win, she developed an illness and was forced to retire vs. Belinda Bencic in the final RR contest despite a SF berth being on the line.

Bertens' #9 finish matches her 2018 closing position, and she's announced that she's ending the coaching stint of Raemon Sluiter (who won the Netherlands' Coach of the Year award last season, while Bertens was ignored for Best Female Athlete) in favor of Elise Tamaela taking over the reigns on a solo basis in '20.




But before then...


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3. WTAF SF - Elina Svitolina def. Belinda Bencic
...5-7/6-3/4-1 ret. Bencic may have left her greatest career result on the table in Shenzhen due to injury. She certainly seemed capable of more after taking the 1st set off Svitolina, but back, foot and hamstring injuries ultimately left her a limping, barely competitive husk of her original self on the day before she finally threw in the towel down a break at 4-1 in the 3rd.
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4. WTAF rr - Elina Svitolina def. Sofia Kenin
...7-5/7-6(10). Kenin, becoming the second to pull the Elite/WTAF two-fer after Andreescu's withdrawal, served for both the 1st and 2nd sets, holding a SP in the 2nd in a game in which she tossed in three DF. She had SP #2 in the TB, in which Svitolina held five MP before finally finishing off the Bannerette.



Well, no one thought she'd learned that from a certain Frenchman, did they?
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5. WTAF Final - Elina Svitolina def. Simona Halep
...7-5/6-3. Svitolina takes over a slight 5-4 edge in her career head-to-head vs. the Romanian.
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6. WTAF rr - Ash Barty def. Petra Kvitova
...6-4/6-2. Said Barty, "Each time I've played Petra I've become a better player."

Based on her results this year, I doubt if that notion is confined to just her matches vs. Kvitova.
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7. $15K Cancun MEX Final - Adrienn Nagy def. Rachel Gailis
...6-3/6-2. The 18-year old Hungarian wins her maiden pro title over the 15-year old Bannerette, who reached the final in just her fourth pro event (and second MD).

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First pro title?????? #15k

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8. WTAF Final - Ash Barty def. Elina Svitolina
...6-4/6-3. A year after winning the Elite Trophy crown, Barty is the fifth newcomer to win the tour's season-ending championships in her first appearance in the field. She's the third to do it in the last four years.



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1. WTAF rr - KAROLINA PLISKOVA def. Simona Halep
...6-0/2-6/6-4. In a winner-take-all round robin battle to reach the SF, Pliskova dominated early, then found herself down 2-0 in the 3rd before a bad stretch by Halep saw the Czech take a 5-2 lead, precipitating coach Darren Cahill (mildly) berating Halep for her efforts. She managed to pull within 5-4 in response, but still fell.

Of course, Cahill was read for filth in many corners of the tennis Twitterverse for his comments. But Halep knows who she hired (back) and what he expects from her (and she from herself)...



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2. WTAF rr - KAROLINA PLISKOVA def. Bianca Andreescu
...6-3 ret. All of Pliskova's wins were overshadowed by her opponents, as Andreescu's struggle to determine whether she should play through a knee injury or retire because of the Czech's tendency for more quick points and unforced errors finally saw the Canadian's breakout season come to an end here, though she still held out hope for one more RR match until an MRI made her determine otherwise.


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3. WTAF rr - Elina Svitolina def. KAROLINA PLISKOVA
...7-6(12)/6-4. In one of the more entertaining sets of the season, Svitolina and Pliskova saw momentum swing back and forth. Svitolina had 5 SP, then Pliskova had one of her own. Finally, Svitolina won 14-12 on SP #7 despite the Czech holding a 23-8 advantage in winners for the set.
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4. WTAF SF - Ash Barty def. KAROLINA PLISKOVA
...4-6/6-2/6-3. Perhaps Barty's Shenzhen masterpiece in "figuring it out," as she saw Pliskova in control in the 1st (yet still managed to hold a BP for 5-5), then gradually turned the tide in her favor down the stretch en route to the title.
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5. WTAF Final - Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic def. HSIEH SU-WEI/Barbora Strycova
...6-1/6-3. Still, Strycova ends up as the fifth (not counting Navratilova) different Czech -- after Sukova, Novotna, Krejcikova and Siniakova -- to be the season-ending doubles #1.


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After all these years, still "Pretty Woman" and Richard Gere...











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@aradwanska + ?? = ?? #wtafinals

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No make up,no filter,sweaty and red. This is me after a 5 am workout. Yes 5 am because sometimes it’s the only time I have free to workout. I know I have been posting a lot of pictures from my vacation,events,tv work....but behind the scenes and behind all the pretty pictures,hair and make up looks done by pros,pretty clothes and fashion looks is a lot of hard work,dedication,motivation,focus and commitment. It’s not always easy to workout and eat well especially while traveling or working a lot.It’s also not always easy to train hard and be constantly motivated and that’s ok. I have good days but I also have bad days and that’s ok. Working out is never easy.Pushing yourself,your mind and your body out of it’s comfort zone is hard.Finding the motivation and discipline is the hardest thing for us all but you have to find it somehow and just get it done. I am still working on my health and fitness.I am a work in progress.I have good and bad days.Days where I love working out but I also have days where I find it hard to.I have days where it’s easy to eat well but also days where it’s not so easy to eat well and that’s ok.Consistency is key. As long as you are trying your best and doing the right things most of the time you will be fine.Don’t worry about a missed workout here and there or a bad meal here and there. Don’t dwell on the bad days.Pick yourself up and move on. So wherever you all are,let’s do this. Stay strong,positive and work hard. You can do this. I hope I have given you all a bit of motivation. ???????????????????????????? #fitness #fitnessmotivation #training #workout #exercise #motivation #inspiration #inspo #fitspo #health #healthy #healthylifestyle #weightloss #weightlossjourney #weightlosstransformation #transformation #workinprogress #melbourne #australia #journey #workinghard #fitnessjourney #instafit #getfit #gettingfit #traininghard #fitnesslife #fitnessinspiration #inspire #fit

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Dressed accordingly ??

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=REACHED FINAL IN WTA CHAMPIONSHIP/WTAF DEBUT=
1979 Tracy Austin, USA
1981 Andrea Jaeger, USA
1994 Lindsay Davenport, USA
1996 Martina Hingis, SUI
2001 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2004 Maria Sharapova, RUS (W)
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE (W)
2014 Simona Halep, ROU
2016 Dominika Cibulkova, SVK (W)
2018 Sloane Stephens, USA
2019 Ash Barty, AUS (W)

=MOST WTA CHAMPIONSHIP/WTAF WD TITLES=
11 - Martina Navratilova
10 - Pam Shriver
4 - Lisa Raymond
3 - TIMEA BABOS*
3 - Cara Black
3 - Lindsay Davenport
3 - Martina Hingis
3 - Liebel Huber
3 - Natasha Zvereva
2 - Margaret Court
2 - Gigi Fernandez
2 - Anna Kournikova
2 - Sania Mirza*
2 - KRISTINA MLADENOVIC*
2 - Jana Novotna
2 - Nadia Petrova
2 - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
2 - Samantha Stosur*
-
*-active

=WTA CHAMPIONSHIP/WTAF WS FINALS=
1972 Chris Evert d. Kerry Reid
1973 Chris Evert d.Nancy Richey
1974 Evonne Goolagong d. Chris Evert
1975 Chris Evert d. Martina Navratilova
1976 Evonne Goolagong d. Chris Evert
1977 Chris Evert d. Sue Barker
1978 Martina Navratilova d. Evonne Goolagong
1979 Martina Navratilova d. Tracy Austin
1980 Tracy Austin d. Martina Navratilova
1981 Martina Navratilova d. Andrea Jaeger
1982 Sylvia Hanika d. Martina Navratilova
1983 Martina Navratilova d. Chris Evert-Lloyd
1984 Martina Navratilova d. Chris Evert-Lloyd
1985 Martina Navratilova d. Helena Sukova
1986a Martina Navratilova d. Hana Mandlikova
1986b Martina Navratilova d. Steffi Graf
1987 Steffi Graf d. Gabriela Sabatini
1988 Gabriela Sabatini d. Pam Shriver
1989 Steffi Graf d. Martina Navratilova
1990 Monica Seles d. Gabriela Sabatini
1991 Monica Seles d. Martina Navratilova
1992 Monica Seles d. Martina Navratilova
1993 Steffi Graf d. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1994 Gabriela Sabatini d. Lindsay Davenport
1995 Steffi Graf d. Anke Huber
1996 Steffi Graf d. Martina Hingis
1997 Jana Novotna d. Mary Pierce
1998 Martina Hingis d. Lindsay Davenport
1999 Lindsay Davenport d. Martina Hingis
2000 Martina Hingis d. Monica Seles
2001 Serena Williams w/o Lindsay Davenport
2002 Kim Clijsters d. Serena Williams
2003 Kim Clijsters d. Amelie Mauresmo
2004 Maria Sharapova d. Serena Williams
2005 Amelie Mauresmo d. Mary Pierce
2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne d. Amelie Mauresmo
2007 Justine Henin d. Maria Sharapova
2008 Venus Williams d. Vera Zvonareva
2009 Serena Williams d. Venus Williams
2010 Kim Clijsters d. Caroline Wozniacki
2011 Petra Kvitova d. Victoria Azarenka
2012 Serena Williams d. Maria Sharapova
2013 Serena Williams d. Li Na
2014 Serena Williams d. Simona Halelp
2015 Aga Radwanska d. Petra Kvitova
2016 Dominika Cibulkova d. Angelique Kerber
2017 Caroline Wozniacki d. Venus Williams
2018 Elina Svitolina d. Sloane Stephens
2019 Ash Barty d. Elina Svitolina

=WTA CHAMPIONSHIP/WTAF WD CHAMPIONS=
1973 Rosie Casals / Margaret Court
1974 Billie Jean King / Rosie Casals
1979 Francoise Durr / Betty Stove
1980 Billie Jean King / Martina Navratilova
1981 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1982 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1983 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1984 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1985 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1986a Hana Mandlikova / Wendy Turnbull
1986b Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1987 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1988 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1989 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1990 Kathy Jordan / Liz Smylie
1991 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1992 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario / Helena Sukova
1993 Gigi Fernandez / Natalia Zvereva
1994 Gigi Fernandez / Natalia Zvereva
1995 Jana Novotna / Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1996 Lindsay Davenport / Mary Joe Fernandez
1997 Lindsay Davenport / Jana Novotna
1998 Lindsay Davenport / Natasha Zvereva
1999 Martina Hingis / Anna Kournikova
2000 Martina Hingis / Anna Kournikova
2001 Lisa Raymond / Rennae Stubbs
2002 Elena Dementieva / Janette Husarova
2003 Virginia Ruano-Pascual / Paola Suarez
2004 Nadia Petrova / Meghann Shaughnessy
2005 Lisa Raymond / Samantha Stosur
2006 Lisa Raymond / Samantha Stosur
2007 Cara Black / Liezel Huber
2008 Cara Black / Liezel Huber
2009 Nuria Llagostera-Vives / Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez
2010 Gisela Dulko / Flavia Pennetta
2011 Liezel Huber / Lisa Raymond
2012 Maria Kirilenko / Nadia Petrova
2013 Hsieh Su-Wei / Peng Shuai
2014 Cara Black / Sania Mirza
2015 Martina Hingis / Sania Mirza
2016 Ekaterina Makarova / Elena Vesnina
2017 Timea Babos / Andrea Hlavackova
2018 Timea Babos / Kristina Mladenovic
2019 Timea Babos / Kristina Mladenovic

*PLAYED SINGLES IN BOTH SEASON-ENDING TOUR EVENTS*
2011: Marion Bartoli = rr (1-0) in WTA Chsp., then QF of Tour.of Champions
2019: Kiki Bertens = first to play in both Elite Trophy (RU) and WTAF (rr 1-1)
2019: Sofia Kenin = Elite Trophy (rr) and WTA Finals (rr 0-1)

*2019 WINS OVER #1*
Sydney 2nd Rd. - #15 Barty d. #1 Halep
Australian 4th Rd. - #16 S.Williams d. #1 Halep
Dubai 2nd Rd. - #67 Mladenovic d. #1 Osaka
Indian Wells 4th Rd. - #23 Bencic d. #1 Osaka
Miami 3rd Rd. - #27 Hsieh d. #1 Osaka
Madrid QF - #18 Bencic d. #1 Osaka
Roland Garros 3rd Rd. - #42 Siniakova d. #1 Osaka
Birmingham 2nd Rd. - #43 Putintseva d. #1 Osaka
Wimbledon 4th Rd. - #55 Riske d. #1 Barty
Toronto 1st Rd. - #29 Kenin d. #1 Barty
Cincinnati QF - #22 Kenin d. #1 Osaka
US Open 4th Rd. - #12 Bencic d. #1 Osaka
Wuhan SF - #14 Sabalenka d. #1 Barty
Beijing Final - #4 Osaka d. #1 Barty
WTA Finals rr - #10 Bertens d. #1 Barty

*2019 WTA INDOOR TITLE WINNERS*
Saint Petersburg (HC) - Kiki Bertens, NED
Budapest (HC) - Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL
Stuttgart (RC) - Petra Kvitova, CZE
Linz (HC) - Coco Gauff, USA
Moscow (HC) - Belinda Bencic, SUI
Luxembourg (HC) - Alona Ostapenko, LAT
Elite Trophy (HC) - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
WTA Finals (HC) - Ash Barty, AUS

*2019 WTA SINGLES TITLES*
4 - ASH BARTY, AUS
4 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE
3 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN
3 - Sofia Kenin, USA
3 - Naomi Osaka, JPN
3 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
2 - Kiki Bertens, NED
2 - Madison Keys, USA
2 - Petra Kvitova, CZE
2 - Rebecca Peterson, SWE
2 - Jil Teichmann, SUI
2 - Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL
2 - Dayana Yastremska, UKR

*WTA YEARLY SINGLES TITLES LEADERS - 2010's*
2010 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (6)
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE and Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (6)
2012 Serena Williams, USA (7)
2013 Serena Williams, USA (11)
2014 Serena Williams, USA (7)
2015 Serena Williams, USA (5)
2016 Dominika Ciblkova, SVK (4)
2017 Elina Svitolina, UKR (5)
2018 Petra Kvitova, CZE (5)
2019 Ash Barty, AUS and Karolina Pliskova, CZE (4)
[doubles - individual]
2010 Gisela Dulko, ARG (8)
2011 Kveta Peschke, CZE and Katarina Srebotnik, SLO (6)
2012 Sara Errani, ITA and Roberta Vinci, ITA (8)
2013 S.Hsieh/TPE, S.Mirza/IND, S.Peng/CHN, K.Mladenovic/FRA (5)
2014 Sara Errani/ITA, Peng Shuai/CHN, Roberta Vinci/ITA (5)
2015 Martina Hingis/SUI and Sania Mirza/IND (10)
2016 Sania Mirza, IND (8)
2017 Latisha Chan, TPE (11)
2018 Demi Schuurs, NED (7)
2019 H.Chan/TPE, L.Chan/TPE, S.Hsieh/TPE and B.Strycova/CZE (4)
[doubles - duo]
2010 Gisela Dulko & Flavia Pennetta, ARG/ITA (7)
2011 Kveta Peschke & Katarina Srebotnik, CZE/SLO (6)
2012 Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA (8)
2013 Hsieh Su-Wei & Peng Shuai, TPE/CHN (5)
2014 Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA (5)
2015 Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza, SUI/IND (9)
2016 Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza, SUI/IND (5)
2017 Latisha Chan & Martina Hingis, TPE/SUI (9)
2018 Babos & Mladenovic, HUN/FRA and Mertens & Schuurs, BEL/NED (3)
2019 H.Chan & L.Chan, TPE/TPE and S.Hsieh/Strycova, TPE/CZE (4)

*2019 SLAM-WTAF/PREM.MANDATORY/PREM.5 CHAMPIONS*
Australian Open - Naomi Osaka, JPN
Dubai - Belinda Bencic, SUI
Indian Wells - Bianca Andreescu, CAN
Miami - Ash Barty, AUS
Madrid - Kiki Bertens, NED
Rome - Karolina Pliskova, CZE
Roland Garros - Ash Barty, AUS
Wimbledon - Simona Halep, ROU
Toronto - Bianca Andreescu, CAN
Cincinnati - Madison Keys, USA
US Open - Bianca Andreescu, CAN
Wuhan - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Beijing - Naomi Osaka, JPN
WTAF - Ash Barty, AUS
[doubles]
Australian Open - Stosur/Sh.Zhang, AUS/CHN
Dubai - Hsieh/Strycova, TPE/CZE
Indian Wells - Mertens/Sabalenka, BEL/BLR
Miami - Mertens/Sabalenka, BEL/BLR
Madrid - Hsieh/Strycova, TPE/CZE
Rome - Azarenka/Barty, BLR/AUS
Roland Garros - Babos/Mladenovic, HUN/FRA
Wimbledon - Hsieh/Strycova, TPE/CZE
Toronto - Krejcikova/Siniakova, CZE/CZE
Cincinnati - Hradecka/Klepac, CZE/SLO
US Open - Mertens/Sabalenka, BEL/BLR
Wuhan - Duan/V.Kudermetova, CHN/RUS
Beijing - Kenin/Mattek-Sands, USA/USA
WTAF - Babos/Mladenovic, HUN/FRA

*2019 WTA CHAMPIONS BY RANKING*
#1 - Ash Barty, AUS (WTA Finals)
#2 - Ash Barty, AUS (Birmingham)
#2 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (Zhengzhou)
#3 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (Stuttgart)
#3 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (Eastbourne)
#4 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (Australian Open)
#4 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (Osaka)
#4 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (Beijing)
#7 - Kiki Bertens, NED (Madrid)
#7 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (Rome)
#7 - Simona Halep, ROU (Wimbledon)
#8 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (Brisbane)
#8 - Kiki Bertens, NED (Saint Petersburg)
#8 - Ash Barty, AUS (Roland Garros)
#9 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (Sydney)
#10 - Belinda Bencic, SUI (Moscow)
#11 - Anastasija Sevastova, LAT (Jurmala)
#12 - Ash Barty, AUS (Miami)
#13 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (Shenzhen)
#14 - Julia Goerges, GER (Auckland)
#14 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (Wuhan)
#14 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (Elite Trophy)
#15 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (U.S. Open)
#18 - Madison Keys, USA (Charleston)
#18 - Madison Keys, USA (Cincinnati)
#19 - Garbine Muguruza, ESP (Monterrey)
#20 - Sofia Kenin, USA (Guangzhou)
#21 - Elise Mertens, BEL (Doha)
#27 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (Toronto)
#28 - Caroline Garcia, FRA (Nottingham)
#30 - Sofia Kenin, USA (Mallorca)
#39 - Yulia Putintseva, KAZ (Nuremberg)
#40 - Petra Martic, CRO (Istanbul)
#42 - Dayana Yastremska, UKR (Strasbourg)
#45 - Belinda Bencic, SUI (Dubai)
#45 - Karolina Muchova, CZE (Seoul)
#47 - Dayana Yastremska, UKR (Hua Hin)
#50 - Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL (Budapest)
#51 - Maria Sakkari, GRE (Rabat)
#55 - Zheng Saisai, CHN (San Jose)
#56 - Sofia Kenin, USA (Hobart)
#59 - Rebecca Peterson, SWE (Tianjin)
#60 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (Indian Wells)
#61 - Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL (Tashkent)
#61 - Alison Riske, USA (Rosmalen)
#63 - Alona Ostapenko, LAT (Luxembourg)
#65 - Wang Yafan, CHN (Acapulco)
#76 - Amanda Anisimova, USA (Bogota)
#78 - Rebecca Peterson, SWE (Nanchang)
#79 - Jessica Pegula, USA (Washington)
#80 - Magda Linette, POL (Bronx)
#82 - Jil Teichmann, SUI (Palermo)
#89 - Polona Hercog, SLO (Lugano)
#98 - Fiona Ferro, FRA (Lausanne)
#106 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (Bucharest)
#110 - Coco Gauff, USA (Linz)
#146 - Jil Teichmann, SUI (Prague)
#146 - Nao Hibino, JPN (Hiroshima)

*WTA SEASON-ENDING DOUBLES #1's*
1984 Martina Navratilova, USA
1985 Pam Shriver, USA
1986 Martina Navratilova, USA
1987 Martina Navratilova, USA
1988 Martina Navratilova, USA
1989 Martina Navratilova, USA
1990 Helena Sukova, TCH
1991 Jana Novotna, TCH
1992 Helena Sukova, CZE
1993 Gigi Fernandez, USA
1994 Natasha Zvereva, BLR
1995 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, ESP
1996 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, ESP
1997 Natasha Zvereva, BLR
1998 Natasha Zvereva, BLR
1999 Anna Kournikova, RUS
2000 Ai Sugiyama, JPN
2001 Lisa Raymond, USA
2002 Paola Suarez, ARG
2003 Paola Suarez, ARG
2004 Virginia Ruano Pascual, ESP
2005 Cara Black, ZIM
2006 Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur, USA/AUS
2007 Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2008 Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2009 Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2010 Gisela Dulko, ARG
2011 Liezel Huber, USA
2012 Roberta Vinci, ITA
2013 Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2014 Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2015 Sania Mirza, IND
2016 Sania Mirza, IND
2017 Latisha Chan/Martina Hingis, TPE/SUI
2018 Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2019 Barbora Strycova, CZE




View this post on Instagram

If you know me, then you know that this is NOT something that I would normally do, but I feel that it’s time to set the record straight about Chicago’s Kamau Murray of XS Tennis Academy. I can no longer remain silent while he continues to deceive professional players, aspiring players, sponsors, and the tennis community by misrepresenting himself and taking credit for things he has not done. @monicaace93 is a recent victim of his deception. I started my tennis with Donald Young SR. and Illona Young, who taught me to play tennis from 4 years old and assisted in me being number 1 in junior in the world. From 2010- August 2013, I trained at the USTA under the instruction of Kathy Rinaldi and briefly Juan Todero. Zina Garrison was my primary coach from September 2013- March 2015. Zina brought Kamau on board as an assistant coach during that time. I did not to go public in the past because I had hoped to resolve this matter directly with Kamau Murray. I will no longer remain silent while he continues his lies and false advertisement. I did not give Kamau consent to use my name and likeness for his ongoing personal and business monetary gain. Kamau is currently stating that he is my coach in promotion of the upcoming USPTA Illinois Mini Conference on November 17, 2019 held at XS Athletic Club. His latest actions have prompted me to expose his past and ongoing pattern of deceit. If you are a fan of mine, please support me and have my back regarding this matter. In doing this, I am clearing my conscience and telling another piece of my story! Thank you so much! I love you guys! ??

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All for now.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 12:20 PM 

6 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

"Let the bodies hit the floor." Drowning Pool should have been the theme song for the finals, as it turned into The Hunger Games.

Barty was the last one left standing, as she did what she has done for most of the year, wearing people down.

This week was a win for Halep as she beat Andreescu, but more importantly, gets to prepare for next season instead of having to rehab. On the other hand, Osaka and Andreescu now go into this offseason the way Halep did last year.

Kenin played both postseason tournaments, and dropped 2 places in the rankings as she could only count 1 result.

Adrienn Nagy is not the daughter of Hungarian born former WNBA player Andrea Nagy. Yes Todd, she is a former Mystic. She does have a sports lineage as her mother(Virag Csurgo) played tennis in the 1996 Olympics.

Babos three-peating is special. Davenport was the last to do it from 96-98, but Black/Stubbs were RU in 04-06. Even tougher to do was to be RU 4 years in a row, which Novotna did from 91-94, w/G.Fernandez, Neiland(92-93), and Sanchez-Vicario.

Stat of the Week- 43- Years it had been since Australia had a woman win the singles final.

Barty has put an end to some rather long streaks, and with Fed Cup upcoming, there might be another one. As the #1 player, she will get 2 or 3 matches, and they go in as the favorite over a French team without a Top 20 player. No Fed Cup team since the computer rankings have started has won without one.

Quiz Time!

Ashleigh Barty ended a 43 year drought of WTAF winners in singles. Who was the last Australian to reach the final?

A.Evonne Goolagong Cawley
B.Margaret Court
C.Wendy Turnbull
D.Kerry Reid



Fed Cup thoughts later in the week.





Answer!

Todd listed the finalists, so this should be easy.

(C)Turnbull is wrong, but used instead of Stosur just to point out how long it has been.

One time finalist (D)Reid is wrong, though she reached the very first final back in 1972.

(B)Court is wrong. Due to her greatness being mostly before the finals existed, she only played in them once.

That leaves fellow Aboriginal (A)Goolagong Cawley, who won twice, but lost her last final in 1978.

Mon Nov 04, 01:54:00 PM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Ace count:
Pliskova ends up short of 500 at 488. Only 14 in finals.

Barty cracks the 400 barrier and ends up 3rd behind Bertens as she had a whopping 32 last week to reach 409.

Mon Nov 04, 02:32:00 PM EST  
Blogger tennisings said...

Small correction to make, Todd — you have Pliskova, rather than Bertens, in the final entry for wins over #1 in 2019. (Love your work as always!)

Mon Nov 04, 03:06:00 PM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

C-

Ah, so I guess the only-count-one thing is the reason they didn't have official rankings last week and handled it like a two-week slam event period. Bertens would have really been shortchanged had she reached the semis.

Quiz: I didn't get the benefit of listing the finals since I just used the same list I did last year. I went with Turnbull just because it felt a little odd that she and Reid were listed as possible "extras" rather than, say, Stosur. Brrrrr. Wrong.

T-
Whoops! Thanks. Correction made. ;)

Mon Nov 04, 04:08:00 PM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Pliskova needed a new fitness trainer, not a new coach.

Fed Cup 2019-Australia/France-Hard.

This may be about Molik more than anything. The Aussies have the best player, and everybody knows Barty is the #1, literally. So let's first look at the recent results for both squads.

Last 10 Matches-Singles
Australia
8-2 Barty
6-4 Hon
5-5 Stosur
4-6 Tomljanovic
3-7 Sharma

France
6-4 Mladenovic
5-5 Cornet
4-6 Parmentier
3-7 Garcia
3-7 Ferro

Both teams have questions. Aussies have gotten nothing from the #2 spot all year. Hon seems to be the biggest loser here, as live doubles is some combo of Barty/Stosur/Sharma, while if not, Stosur possibly gets a Fed Cup swan song. Tomljanovic seemingly has waited forever to be eligible, so assume she gets matched vs Mladenovic.

France has problems. Ferro is on a 5 match losing streak. With that said, she still deserves the #2 spot over a slumping, listless Garcia, and Cornet, who not even considering her Fed Cup history, pulled out of late season events due to injury. Assume Mladenovic will be #1, with the odd fact that she matches up vs Barty better than she does against either #2.

H2H- Note Hon 0-0 vs field.
5-3 Stosur leads Cornet/5-2 Hard
4-1 Stosur leads Mladenovic/2-1
3-0 Tomljanovic leads Ferro/2-0
2-0 Tomljanovic leads Mladenovic/1-0
2-1 Barty leads Garcia/2-1
2-1 Parmentier leads Stosur/2-1
1-0 Mladenovic leads Sharma
1-0 Ferro leads Stosur
1-0 Garcia leads Stosur/1-0
1-0 Barty leads Parmentier
1-1 Barty vs Mladenovic
1-1 Barty vs Cornet/1-0 Barty
1-1 Tomljanovic vs Cornet/1-1

Notes-Mladenovic won on clay, Barty on grass, this is first on hard.

Tomljanovic hasn't played Mladenovic in 5 years.

Veteran Stosur is the only person to have played all 5 French women.

Aussies win 3-1/3-2. They have managed to win even when dropping matches they were favored in.

Thu Nov 07, 07:02:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

A bunch of agrees: on Pliskova, and on AUS 3-1.

Oh, and I said last summer that I was hoping that Dokic would maybe end up playing in the Wimbledon Invitational event next year. Well, she's announced she'll take part in the one for the Australian Open. So, maybe "half-way" there. ;)

Thu Nov 07, 08:47:00 AM EST  

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