Saturday, February 01, 2020

In Sofia We Trust

Sofia Kenin doesn't believe in what she *can't* do. So she just went out and did it.



The 21-year old Bannerette wasn't supposed to win this Australian Open. But somebody forget to tell Kenin about that. No matter that since she was a wide-eyed but dead serious six-year old she'd been sharing her grand slam dream with to any number of affable, eventual Hall of Famers -- from Kim Clijsters to Andy Roddick -- who'd surely heard such sentiments before from any number of talented, racket-wielding children, likely never *really* truly believing any of them. Surely, at the time, little Sofia seemed no different from all the other kids who now go nameless as adults. Ah, but she was, though.

Though small in stature, the Moscow-born Kenin has always been big in heart and desire, with the distinct lack of any ability to believe that she *can't* do anything. Raised by Russian immigrants, including longtime coach/dad Alex, who came to the U.S. seeking "the American dream," she was instilled with the notion that hard work could make it true. It helped her become a hard-driving, fiesty, never-say-die (win or lose) streetfighter of a tennis player willing to take on all comers and give back anything she gets without fretting about who precisely was on the other side of the net. Last season, she upset Serena Williams at Roland Garros and posted wins over two #1 players (Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty). At this AO, she outlasted talented 15-year old phenom Coco Gauff and, again, eliminated #1 Barty on her home court as she was trying to become the first Aussie to reach the women's final in four decades, staving off two sets points in two different sets to win in straights.

Clearly, Kenin doesn't particular care who stands in the way of her dreams, just that she gives it her all trying to achieve them. At the conclusion of this Saturday night in Melbourne, she was finally able to say, "My dream has officially come true."

As has become common in recent seasons on the WTA tour, this slam ultimately became *all* about the stories of the players who'd survived the two-week battle. This women's final match-up was hardly an expected one, as the #14-seeded Kenin's face off with unseeded former #1 and two-time slam champ Garbine Muguruza was the first Australian Open championship match ever without a Top 10 seed. The Spaniard was the first unseeded AO finalist since 2007 (Serena Williams, though Justine Henin did so as a wild card three years later, as well), while Kenin was the youngest finalist in a dozen years.

Unseeded at a major for the first time since 2014, the #32-ranked Muguruza showed at this slam that she may well have rediscovered her championship self with the addition of recently-elected Hall of Famer Conchita Martinez as coach. Re-climbing the ladder, perhaps as a "sequel" to her affirming offseason ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, far faster than either likely envisioned, Muguruza came into the final having started this AO while still recovering from a viral illness (she lost her opening set at love) before ultimately posting a trio of Top 10 wins (tying a career tournament high) over Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens and Simona Halep. She seemed possessed of the "Mugu" spirit all over again. The *good* one, not the head-slapping haunting trance that often overcame her far, far too often over the final two seasons of her longtime coach/player relationship with Sam Sumyk in 2018-19. But was she fully re-formed enough to finish off a title run that would put her three-quarters of the way to a Career Slam, with a major win possibly set to come in Melbourne on a *third* different surface?

While Muguruza would seek to have her say in the contest, it would be Kenin who'd eventually match and exceed her on the big stage. Soaking up knowledge like a sponge, as she'd done her entire tennis lifetime while going from top junior to young pro, from Fed Cup fighter to tour singles champ, and now soon-to-be Top 10er (no matter the result of this match), Kenin weathered both an early and late storm from the Spaniard, picking up more and more momentum all along the way until the finish line was finally in sight.

In the 1st set, Kenin opened strong with quick hold and love/30 lead on Muguruza's serve. But the Spaniard recovered quickly to hold. In game #3, Muguruza reached break point with a forehand crosscourt winner. Kenin saved it when she barely caught the line with a deep backhand to end a 19-shot rally. She soon saved another BP, but Muguruza's backhand return down the line off a second serve gave her a third opportunity. Kenin's wide forehand handed over a service break and a 2-1 lead.

By mid-set, Muguruza had increased her aggression and maintained a high winning percentage on her first serve. In her return game, she took a love/40 lead on Kenin's serve in game #7, but the Bannerette stepped inside the baseline and began firing. She saved five BP in the game, holding to keep close at 4-3 and not allow Muguruza to serve for the set. While Kenin had saved seven of eight BP in set, Muguruza had yet to face one. But, serving with new balls, the Spaniard had a error-filled game, with an unforced error and two double-faults, including the second on BP. The set was suddenly back on serve.

Muguruza had rebounded well from bad stretches all tournament long, and this case was no exception. Quickly, she took a love/30 on in game #9, then stepped in to put away a forehand winner for double BP. On her second chance, a big return and volley combination got the break back, finally giving her the chance to serve for the 1st set. She jumped out to a 40/15 lead and, unlike Kenin's semifinal opponent Barty, Muguruza held firm and got the game on her second when Kenin pulled a forehand wide.

Muguruza's 6-4 win was the result of a set in which she won a few more big points (though she needed far more opportunities to do so), winning 16/20 first serve points (while just 3/13 on her second) and putting away 10/14 net points. Though Kenin never held held a SP (and never led after holding in the opening game), the stat sheet was tight, as Muguruza's keys point wins allowed her to finish with a slim two-point edge (39-37).



With it being seven years since a player came back losing the 1st set in Melbourne to take the final (Azarenka vs. Li in '13), it was Kenin's turn to come back strong in 2nd. She strung together multiple exceedingly strong service games while Muguruza (perhaps tiring a bit, perhaps more) saw her service game drop off and her error totals rise. In the fourth game, at 30/30, the Spaniard failed to get to a low volley as Kenin reached BP for the first time in the match. A long backhand gave the Bannerette a break lead at 3-1. Playing quickly on serve following long rallies, Kenin kept up the pressure on Muguruza, holding for 4-1 and 5-2, emphatically spiking a ball as she walked to changeover area after game #7. Needing a hold in the subsequent game, Muguruza's error-strewn service game erased any remaining thoughts of a comeback from a break down. She avoided a love/40 hole with a correct challenge of a swing volley mark, but Kenin's backhand return winner orf a second serve got her to BP. A long Muguruza backhand ended the 6-2 set. After having seized the 1st set with a strong first serve, Muguruza put in just nine of twenty-one in the 2nd, while Kenin bettered her by winning eleven of fourteen on her end and facing no BP, holding a 10-point edge in the set.

In the 3rd, which began just after Muguruza was examined by a trainer, it was the hard-charging newcomer who stepped up to the occasion. While the first half of the set remained on serve, it was ostensibly a race to see if Muguruza could get a lead that might stop Kenin's momentum from becoming overwhelming. Down 2-1, 30/30, the Spaniard fired an ace up the "T" and put away an overhead to knot the score. A game later, as her shots suddenly became bigger again, she seemed to flip a switch. Was "the look" that won her two majors back? It seemed so, as she took a love/40 lead and threatened to get the scoreboard edge she needed.

But Kenin had other ideas.

From that point on, the first-time slam finalist forcefully took the game and, in a sense, the match. She ran off five straight points, ending four rallies with winners (two forehands, two backhands) and firing an ace. Her forehand passing shot gave secured a hold for 3-2, and it seemed as if the Daphne Akhurst Trophy was *already* within in her grasp though she "only" had a single break lead. But it was the lead that Muguruza had desperately needed. In a battle of wills, Kenin had delivered a knockout blow.



Facing a must hold, Muguruza went up 40/15, only to melt down in a series of errors and DF. At deuce, she moved in behind a big serve -- barely returned at all by a lunging Kenin -- only to miss on a short ball at the net to fall down BP. A double-fault gave Kenin a 4-2 lead. From there, Kenin sprinted to the finish. A severely spinning slice forehand drop shot set up a forehand pass for 30/love, and Kenin soon led 40/love. While Muguruza got things to 40/30, her error ended the game as Kenin got within a game of the title. Muguruza fired two aces and led 40/15 in game #8, holding on to one final hope of turning things around. But it was hopeless. Back-to-back DF snatched that away, too.

Kenin's backhand winner gave her a MP. A long return saw it go by the wayside, but a return winner moments later gave her a second look. Muguruza double-faulted again, giving Kenin a 4-6/6-2/6-2 win that throws yet another flavorful young champion into a WTA mix that continues to get more and more tangy by the moment.



Kenin is the eighth first-time women's slam champ in the last twelve majors Yes, a member of "Generation PDQ" has again won a slam in their first major final appearance. At this point, should we ever expect anything less, after the likes of Alona Ostapenko, Naomi Osaka, Ash Barty and Bianca Andreescu have done precisely the same thing in recent seasons?

Two seasons ago, U.S. Fed Cup captain Kathy Rinaldi revealed a strong belief through her actions that Kenin, whom she'd known through their USTA developmental relationship since she was that precocious, ambitious kid with a dream that was on its way to becoming a reality, was someone to have faith in. While "In Rinaldi We Trust" has been a telling motto for the U.S. team's efforts with the former teen tennis star in command, the captain's trust in Kenin always felt like some sort of imprimatur that signaled a bright future, very soon, for her. Turns out, it was.



Ah, but now what? What do you do after you've achieved your lifetime goal, and are now -- suddenly -- the first major tennis champion of the 2020's?

I suppose we'll find out. Just don't tell Kenin what *isn't* still in that tennis future of hers. At least you shouldn't... if you know what's good for you.





=DAY 13 NOTES=
...before the women's final, more champions were crowned on Saturday.

In the girls singles, 14-year old Andorran Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (#9 seed) rallied from a set down vs. Poland's Weronika Baszak to become the maiden slam champion hailing from the European microstate ("a sovereign state having a very small population or very small land area"). Before her 5-7/6-2/6-2 win today, VJK had saved three MP in her 3rd Round match vs. Italy's Melania Delai. She was the youngest player in the girls draw.




Baszak's loss was a rarity for a Polish girl in a slam singles final. The sixth different player to reach such a stage, the previous girls finalists had gone a combined 6-1, with the most recent win coming from Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon in '18.

...meanwhile, rain pushed the Court 3 scheduled women's wheelchair final to Sunday, when Yui Kamiji, seeking her first slam singles/doubles title sweep since the '17 Roland Garros, will face Aniek Vak Koot, looking for her first AO singles crown since 2013.

...the mixed doubles final, Barbora Krejcikova defended the title she won a year ago with Rajeev Ram, joining with Nikola Mektic to defeat Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jamie Murray 5-7/6-4 [10-1]. The Czech now has four career slam crowns, two WD with Katerina Siniakova and the two MX wins in Melbourne.



...at this week's WTA 125 challenger in Newport Beach, a title won by Bianca Andreescu a year ago before her Indian Wells title run, is down to the semifinals. In one, Taylor Townsend (def. CoCo Vandeweghe in the QF) will face Stefanie Voegle, while Madison Brengle (def. #1-seed Jessica Pegula) will meet Nadia Podoroska, now on a 14-match winning streak to open the '20 season after winning back-to-back ITF titles in January.






...NOTE ON DAY 13:

Just because Chris Evert and the other ESPNers talk *now* about how "overlooked" Sofia Kenin has been when compared to some of the other young U.S. players on tour doesn't alter the fact that the entity that has *most* overlooked her has been... (drumroll, or not) ESPN itself.

In fact, it was positively eye-rolling to listen to them pour on the praise after this match as they tried desperately to jump onto the back of the Kenin train -- which they'd willfully ignored in favor of a flashier one, as recently as a few days ago -- before it left the Melbourne station.






=SINGLES FINAL=
#14 Sofia Kenin/USA def. Garbine Muguruza/ESP 4-6/6-2/6-2

=DOUBLES FINAL=
#2 Babos/Mladenovic (HUN/FRA) def. #1 Hsieh/Strycova (TPE/CZE) 6-2/6-1

=MIXED DOUBLES FINAL=
#5 Krejcikova/Mektic (CZE/CRO) def. Mattek-Sands/J.Murray (USA/GBR) 5-7/6-4 [10-1]

=WHEELCHAIR SINGLES FINAL=
Aniek Van Koot/NED vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

=WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES FINAL=
Kamiji/Whiley (JPN/GBR) def. #1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED) 6-2/6-4

=GIRLS SINGLES FINAL=
#9 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva/AND def. Weronika Baszak/POL 5-7/6-2/6-2

=GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL=
#4 Eala/Nugroho (PHI/INA) def. Falkner/Mutavdzic (SLO/GBR) 6-1/6-2

=LEGENDS DOUBLES=
Hantuchova/Navratilova (SVK/USA)



































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*AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINALS - ACTIVE*
8...Serena Williams (7-1)
4...Maria Sharapova (1-3)
2...Victoria Azarenka (2-0)
2...Kim Clijsters (1-1)
2...Venus Williams (0-2)
1...SOFIA KENIN (1-0)
1...Angelique Kerber (1-0)
1...Naomi Osaka (1-0)
1...Simona Halep (0-1)
1...Petra Kvitova (0-1)
1...GARBINE MUGURUZA (0-1)

*SLAM SINGLES FINALS - ACTIVE*
33 - Serena Williams, USA (23-10)
16 - Venus Williams, USA (7-9)
10 - Maria Sharapova, RUS (5-5)
8 - Kim Clijsters, BEL (4-4)
5 - Simona Halep, ROU (2-3)
4 - Angelique Kerber, GER (3-1)
4 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (2-2)
4 - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (2-2)
4 - GARBINE MUGURUZA, ESP (2-2)
3 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (2-1)
2 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2-0)
2 - Sloane Stephens, USA (1-1)
2 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (1-1)
2 - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (0-2)
1 - Ash Barty, AUS (1-0)
1 - Alona Ostapenko, LAT (1-0)
1 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (1-0)
1 - SOFIA KENIN, USA (1-0)
1 - Genie Bouchard, CAN (0-1)
1 - Sara Errani, ITA (0-1)
1 - Madison Keys, USA (0-1)
1 - Sabine Lisicki, GER (0-1)
1 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (0-1)
1 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (0-1)

*LOW-SEEDED AO CHAMPIONS - OPEN ERA*
Un - 1978 Chris O'Neil, AUS
Un - 2007 Serena Williams, USA
#14 - 2020 SOFIA KENIN, USA
#12 - 2001 Jennifer Capriati, USA
#7 - 2016 Angelique Kerber, GER
#7 - 2005 Serena Williams, USA
#5 - 1979 Barbara Jordan, USA
#5 - 2008 Maria Sharapova, RUS
#4 - 1995 Mary Pierce, FRA
#4 - 1997 Martina Hingis, SUI
#4 - 2014 Li Na, CHN
#4 - 2019 Naomi Osaka, JPN

*ACTIVE SINGLES PLAYERS - FIRST SLAM FINAL*
1997 U.S. Open - Venus Williams
1999 U.S. Open - Serena Williams (W)
2001 Roland Garros - Kim Clijsters
2004 Wimbledon - Maria Sharapova (W)
2004 U.S. Open - Svetlana Kuznetsova (W)
2010 Roland Garros - Samantha Stosur
2010 Wimbledon - Vera Zvonareva
2011 Wimbledon - Petra Kvitova (W)
2012 Australian Open - Victoria Azarenka (W)
2012 Roland Garros - Sara Errani
2013 Wimbledon - Sabine Lisicki
2014 Roland Garros - Simona Halep
2014 Wimbledon - Genie Bouchard
2015 Wimbledon - Garbine Muguruza
2016 Australian Open - Angelique Kerber (W)
2016 U.S. Open - Karolina Pliskova
2017 Roland Garros - Alona Ostapenko (W)
2017 U.S. Open - Sloane Stephens (W)
2017 U.S. Open - Madison Keys
2018 U.S. Open - Naomi Osaka (W)
2019 Roland Garros - Ash Barty (W)
2019 Roland Garros - Marketa Vondrousova
2019 U.S. Open - Bianca Andreescu (W)
2020 Australian Open - Sofia Kenin (W)

*FIRST-TIME SLAM CHAMPS AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN - OPEN ERA*
1977 Kerry Melville-Reid, AUS
1978 Chris O'Neil, AUS
1979 Barbara Jordan, USA
1980 Hana Mandlikova, CZE
1995 Mary Pierce, FRA
1997 Martina Hingis, SUI
2001 Jennifer Capriati, USA
2006 Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
2012 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER
2018 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
2020 Sofia Kenin, USA

*AUSTRALIAN OPEN GIRLS FINALS - since 2010*
2010 Karolina Pliskova/CZE def. Laura Robson/GBR
2011 An-Sophie Mestach/BEL def. Monica Puig/PUR
2012 Taylor Townsend/USA def. Yulia Putintseva/RUS
2013 Ana Konjuh/CRO def. Katerina Siniakova/CZE
2014 Elizaveta Kulichkova/RUS def. Jana Fett/CRO
2015 Tereza Mihalikova/SVK def. Katie Swan/GBR
2016 Vera Lapko/BLR def. Tereza Mihalikova/SVK
2017 Marta Kostyuk/UKR def. Rebeka Masarova/SUI
2018 Liang En-shou/TPE def. Clara Burel/FRA
2019 Clara Tauson/DEN def. Leylah Annie Fernandez/CAN
2020 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva/AND def. Weronika Baszak/POL

*RECENT JUNIOR SLAM CHAMPS*
[2017]
AO: Marta Kostyuk, UKR
RG: Whitney Osuigwe, USA
WI: Claire Liu, USA
US: Amanda Anisimova, USA
[2018]
AO: Liang En-shuo, TPE
RG: Coco Gauff, USA
WI: Iga Swiatek, POL
US: Wang Xiyu, CHN
[2019]
AO: Clara Tauson, DEN
RG: Leylah Annie Fernandez, CAN
WI: Daria Snigur, UKR
US: Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, COL
[2020]
AO: Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, AND

*SLAM GIRLS SINGLES FINALS - POLAND*
1995 Wimbledon - Aleksandra Olsza (W)
1996 Australian Open - Magdalena Grzbowska (W)
2005 Wimbledon - Aga Radwanska (W)
2006 Roland Garros - Aga Radwanska (W)
2007 Wimbledon - Ula Radwanska (W)
2007 US Open - Ula Radwanska
2018 Wimbledon - Iga Swiatek (W)
2020 Australian Open - Weronika Baszak

*AO MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPIONS - since 2009*
2009 Sania Mirza & Mahesh Bhupathi, IND/IND
2010 Cara Black & Mahesh Bhupathi, ZIM/IND
2011 Katarina Srebotnik & Daniel Nestor, SLO/CAN
2012 Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Horia Tecau, USA/ROU
2013 Jarmila Gajdosova & Matthew Ebden, AUS/AUS
2014 Kristina Mladenovic & Daniel Nestor, FRA/CAN
2015 Martina Hingis & Leander Paes, SUI/IND
2016 Elena Vesnina & Bruno Soares, RUS/BRA
2017 Abigail Spears & Juan Sebastian Cabal, USA/COL
2018 Gaby Dabrowski & Mate Pavic, CAN/CRO
2019 Barbora Krejcikova & Rajeev Ram, CZE/USA
2020 Barbora Krejcikova & Nikola Mektic, CZE/CRO

*RECENT MX SLAM CHAMPIONS*
[2017]
AO: Abigail Spears/Juan Sebastian Cabal (USA/COL)
RG: Gaby Dabrowski/Rohan Bopanna (CAN/IND)
WI: Martina Hingis/Jamie Murray (SUI/GBR)
US: Martina Hingis/Jamie Murray (SUI/GBR)
[2018]
AO: Gaby Dabrowski/Mate Pavic (CAN/CRO)
RG: Latisha Chan/Ivan Dodig (TPE/CRO)
WI: Nicole Melichar/Alexander Peya (USA/AUT)
US: Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Jamie Murray (USA/GBR)
[2019]
AO: Barbora Krejcikova/Rajeev Ram (CZE/USA)
RG: Latisha Chan/Ivan Dodig (TPE/CRO)
WI: Latisha Chan/Ivan Dodig (TPE/CRO)
US: Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Jamie Murray (USA/GBR)
[2020]
AO: Barbora Krejcikova & Nikola Mektic, CZE/CRO

*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...BARBORA KREJCIKOVA, CZE
2...Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2...Serena Williams, USA
2...Venus Williams, USA
2...Vera Zvonareva, RUS

*AO "DOUBLES STAR" WINNERS*
2006 Yan Zi & Zheng Jie, CHN/CHN
2007 Liezel Huber, USA
2008 Alona & Kateryna Bondarenko, UKR/UKR
2009 Sania Mirza, IND
2010 Cara Black, ZIM
2011 Gisela Dulko & Flavia Pennetta, ARG/ITA
2012 Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
2013 Jarmila Gajdosova, AUS
2014 Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2015 Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE
2016 Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza, SUI/IND
2017 Abigail Spears, USA
2018 Timea Babos & Kristina Mladenovic, HUN/FRA
2019 Astra Sharma, AUS
2020 Barbora Krejcikova, CZE


kosova-font



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TOP QUALIFIER: #31 Ann Li/USA
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): #8 Serena Williams/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): Garbine Muguruza/ESP
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): #14 Sofia Kenin/USA
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3 - #5 Anna Kalinskaya/RUS def. Wang Xiyu/CHN 4-6/7-6(2)/6-2 (down 6-4/5-3, MP at 5-4)
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - Caroline Wozniacki/DEN def. #23 Dayana Yastremka/UKR 7-5/7-5 (double-break down in both sets, 5-1 in 1st; staves off retirement)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 3rd Rd. - #27 Wang Qiang/CHN def. #8 Serena Williams/USA 6-4/6-7(2)/7-5 (first first week HC slam loss since '06)
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr./WC/Doub.): WC QF - Zhu def. #1 de Groot 6-7(3)/6-3/7-5 (on 10th MP; first match by CHN in WC slam history)
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Paula Badosa/ESP (def. Larsson/SWE)
FIRST SEED OUT: #32 Barbora Strycova/CZE (1st Rd. - lost to Cirstea/ROU)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Paula Badosa/ESP, Barbora Krejcikova/CZE, Ann Li/USA, Greet Minnen/BEL, Elena Rybakina/KAZ
UPSET QUEENS: Spain
REVELATION LADIES: Kazakhstan
NATION OF POOR SOULS: BLR (0-2 1st Rd., #11 Sabalanka highest seed out, Azarenka absent)
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: Harriet Dart/GBR, Nao Hibino/JPN, Barbora Krejcikova/CZE, Ann Li/USA, Caty McNally/USA, Greet Minnen/BEL (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARDS STANDING: Patricia Hon/AUS and Arina Rodionova/AUS (both 2nd Rd.) [PR: CiCi Bellis/USA - 3rd Rd.]
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: Ash Barty (first Aussie in SF since '84)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: Sofia Kenin/USA
IT (Arab): Ons Jabeur, TUN (first Arab in slam QF)
COMEBACK PLAYER: CiCi Bellis/USA
CRASH & BURN: #8 Serena Williams/USA (3r/Q.Wang - out of first week of HC slam for first time since 2006)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE: Coco Gauff (2nd Rd. - down 3-0 in 3rd vs. Cirstea/ROU)
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: Nominees: Van Koot (WC), Whiley (WC)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Garbine Muguruza/ESP (announced return to form w/ dominating 3rd Rd. win over #5 Svitolina)
"G'DAY/GOOD ON YA, MATE" AWARD: Aces for Bushfire Relief program
DOUBLES STAR: Barbora Krejcikova/CZE
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva/AND




All for Day 13. January BSA Awards tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 8:36 AM 

2 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

Muguruza lost because of the first set. Had chances to win easier than she did, and that left her out on court too long.

WTA Budapest may not go off as scheduled. Real curious if the ITF has a contingency plan for Fed Cup.

Stat of the Day- 106- Fed Cup ranking for Barbados.

Why would Barbados show up in today's post? Because of Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva from Andorra. You see, Barbados is the lowest ranked team, and Andorra doesn't have one!

Barbados has only been playing since 2000, and the last time they won was in 2015, when they beat Uruguay. Still did not make it out of Group 2.

Andorra does have a Davis Cup team, of which Kasintseva's dad, Joan Jimenez-Guerra, played for 20 years ago. This is the main reason how someone from a country of 77,000 could make it.

And those odds are still extremely low. Andorra's Davis Cup ranking is 129 out of 135.

It will be interesting to see her development from here.

Sat Feb 01, 09:10:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Well, you hit that final pick on the head. ;)

It would have been interesting to see how Kenin reacted if Muguruza got that mid-3rd set break. But, then again, recovering from love/40 with a string of winners and an ace *was* sort of the reaction one would have been looking for, I guess, huh? :)

Glad they had the rain that pushed the WC final to Sunday. It should have been there, anyway. There were too many matches clumped together on a day with hardly any on Saturday. Both the WC and girls finals *had* originally been scheduled to start at the same time, which was just unnecessary.

Sat Feb 01, 01:28:00 PM EST  

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