Saturday, October 03, 2020

RG.7- The Simona Open

Even with all the redemption, breakthrough, comeback and long-overdue success stories floating around Paris this October, it has seemed as if this Roland Garros, so far, has been played out in two parts: the one with Simona Halep, and the other one.

With the so-far-dominating top-ranked Romanian and those tasked with preventing her from reaching her fourth RG final in seven years not in action on Saturday, Day 7's moving spotlight purposely shifted in order to help determine who'll emerge from the conglomeration of stories currently brewing in the increasingly wide-open bottom half of the draw.






=DAY 7 NOTES=
...#8 Aryna Sabalenka has been looking to make due on her career promise on the grand slam stage for a couple of seasons now, and after her loss today to #30 Ons Jabeur the Belarusian's quest for her overdue first QF-or-better result in a major will now have to be extended into 2021.



In the 1st set, Jabeur wrestled away the match advantage in a decidinng TB after having twice squandered break leads (and 3 SP at 6-5, 40/love up), erasing Sabalenka's 5-1 edge with five straight points to reach SP yet again at 6-5. Finally, on her fifth SP, Jabeur converted to win the breaker 9-7. After Sabalenka took the 2nd, Jabeur got the early break in the 3rd and led 3-0. Sabalenka dug out of a love/40 hole in game #4, but couldn't turn the tide, as Jabeur won 7-6(7)/2-6/6-3.

Though Sabalenka is a Top 10 player with several big tour titles under her belt, Jabeur (title-less to date, and not yet having ranked in the Top 30) has had the better slam career. She reached the QF in the Australian Open earlier this year, and now this. The Tunisian's victory today makes her the first Arab woman to ever reach the Round of 16 at Roland Garros.



...though she came into Paris as the only '20 slam champion in the women's draw, #4 Sofia Kenin has been a virtual Invisible Woman at this Roland Garros. But might that be changing?



In her 3rd Rounder against qualifier Irina Bara, Kenin played her very best match of the Restart, and very possibly her best since winning the AO crown (and, remember, she won a title in Lyon in February, but had to go three sets in four of her five matches, three of them vs. players ranked outside the Top 125).
After dropping her first service game today, and falling down 2-0 to the Romanian, Kenin ran off twelve straight game to end the match. Afterward, the Bannerette admitted to trying to close the match out on such a streak (and hurrying a bit too much in the process). Perhaps the accomplishment, at least in Kenin's mind, "erases" that disconcerting love & love loss to Vika Azarenka in Rome in her only pre-Paris match on clay this fall.

If so, well, we know what she's *capable* of doing in a major. Not only did she win one in 2020, but she's one of just two woman to have reached the Round of 16 at all three slams this season, and last year dusted off no less than Serena Williams in Paris en route to her first 4th Round appearance in this event.

...after Caroline Garcia's exciting comeback win to reach the Round of 16 yesterday, there was a chance that Day 7 would end with *three* French women in the 4th Round for just the second time (2017) since 1995.

Against Chinese vet Zhang Shuai, wild card Pastry teen Clara Burel had many opportunities to join her countrywoman. At the very least, the 19-year old former junior #1 put herself *in position* to do so. But it didn't happen.

Burel led 5-3 in the 1st, and held triple BP on Zhang's serve, but couldn't get the break as the 31-year old won five straight points. Burel was then broken when serving for the set at 5-4, *and* at 6-5. In the deciding TB, Zhang jumped out to a 4-1 lead, winning 7-2. In the 2nd set, Burel erased a Zhang break lead and knotted the set at 3-3 by taking a 10-minute, 16-point game (Zhang had held a GP after falling behind love/40), and the young French woman did it again two games later to make it 4-4.

While she was a point away from a hold on six occasions in game #9, Burel saw Zhang break on her third BP chance, ending a nearly 14-minute, 7-deuce game to get the chance to serve for the match. But, again, Burel broke the Chinese woman, at love (the last point via a DF) to level things (again) at 5-5. But Zhang posted still *another* break to once more serve for the match. This time she did so at love, winning 7-6(2)/7-5 to reach her first career RG Round of 16.

While it didn't work out for today, it's easy to sense that Burel very well may likely come this way (and more) again. (Zhang seems to think so, at least.)



Zhang is now one U.S. Open 4th Round run away from having reach the second week at all four majors during her career, and she's come within one win of doing so three times in five years (2016-17, '19) at the only slam where she hasn't reached the second week. The only Chinese woman to have accomplished the feat is Hall of Famer Li Na.

What Burel *couldn't* do, Palermo champ Fiona Ferro *did*, making it two Pastries in the Final 16 with a three-set win over Patricia Maria Tig today. The Romanian had served for the opening set, only to see Ferro get the break and then win a 9-7 tie-break. After Tig pushed things to a deciding set, Ferro raced to a 4-0 lead in the 3rd en route to a 7-6(7)/4-6/6-0 victory and berth in her maiden slam Round of 16.



...three years after a knee injury robbed her of what might have been her best chance to make her singles slam mark at Roland Garros, 32-year old Laura Siegemund is threatening to make it happen *this* year.



After opening her play at this RG with a (semi-) controversial straight sets match against Kristina Mladenovic, the German has met every challenge, dropping the opening set against both countrywoman Julia Goerges and, today, #13 Petra Martic before then seizing control of the match in the final two sets, dropping just four and three games, respectively, in the pair of controlling two-set surges.

Martic staged a comeback of her own in the 1st set, erasing Siegemund's 3-0 lead, then breaking to take a 6-5 edge thanks to back-to-back DF from the German. The Croat served for the set, but was broken at love. In the TB, Martic edged Siegemund 7-5. Siegemund handily took the final two sets, though, winning 6-7(5)/6-3/6-0 to reach her first career slam Round of 16 eleven years after her maiden appearance in a slam qualifying draw ('09 US) and in her sixteenth MD spot in a major. 3-0 in Paris this week, Siegemund was a combined 9-15 in her previous MD outings.

...meanwhile, as Halep deals with a top half of the draw that, while having many seeded players ousted, *still* contains the likes of #3 Elina Svitolina and #5 Kiki Bertens, #9 Petra Kvitova's path to her best run in Paris since 2012 (when her opponent today was 9... as in nine-years old) continues to add unseeded players at seemingly every turn.

The Czech had to fight to escape going three sets against one of them today. The player was 2019 RG girls champ Leylah Fernandez, and the way Kvitova did it has to buoy the likelihood of her putting on just her second (w/ her AO runner-up last season) serious, deep run at a major since she last won Wimbledon in 2014.



18-year old Fernandez dropped serve to open today's 3rd Round match, but then proceded to run off five straight games in a truly stellar performance, breaking Kvitova's serve three times and leading 40/15 while serving for the set at 5-1. But she didn't put away the hold and, as tends to happen against future Hall of Famers in these situations, it came back to haunt her. Slowly but surely, Kvitova reeled the Canadian teen back in. Two games later, the Czech saved another SP and broke Fernandez again. Two games later, she did it again to take a 6-5 lead and served for the set herself. Staving off two BP, on her fourth SP, it was Kvitova who prevailed, 7-5.

Kvitova took an early break lead in the 2nd, as well. Having led 2-0 and 4-2, she saved two BP in game #8, then broke Fernandez one final time to win 7-5/6-3. It's her first Round of 16 in Paris, which she missed last year with an arm injury, since 2015. She joins #4 Kenin, the only higher-seeded player in the bottom half of the draw (#30 Jabeur is the only *other* seed at all in the group) as the only two women to have managed to reach the second week at all three of the majors held in this very unique 2020 season.

...well, it was fun while it lasted.

After having looking quite a bit like her 2017 self in recent days, former RG champ Alona Ostapenko couldn't complete her (re)transformation in this year's Paris event with Spain's Paula Badosa on the other side of the net. The Latvian fired 32 winners on the day, but they were outpaced by 43 unforced errors and 10 DF. Badosa, the '15 RG girls champ, had seven aces and just ten UE en route to securing her first slam Round of 16 appearance.



Badosa fended off nearly eleventh-hour attempts in both sets by Ostapenko to turn the proceedings in her favor. After Ostapenko had held for 4-5 in the 1st, Badosa saved BP and finally held on her fourth SP. In the 2nd, Ostapenko had a BP chance on the Badosa serve while behind 3-4, but failed to get the set back on serve. A game later, Badosa got the match-ending break to win 6-4/6-3.

...but while Kvitova, Badosa and several others battered back their opponents, in the final match of the day, #11 Garbine Muguruza opened the door for hers.

While Muguruza's resilience, presence and calm have consistently been at a fairly high level this season, a little bit of "old Mugu" slipped in today. After having taken advantage of opportunities in Melbourne in January and going all the way to the AO final, the Spaniard blew a big lead, not to metion a potentially huge chance to be in line to lift another Coupe Suzanne Lenglen at this RG, today against Danielle Collins.

Just *how* big of an opportunity she squandered will be more easily gauged by which player ultimately finds her way through the forest of opportunity that the bottom half of the draw -- now left with five unseeded players, a #30 seed, a player eight years removed from the RG semis, and another who has never reached the QF in Paris -- has become.

The regrets could be BIG.

Thing is, Muguruza seemed to HAVE this match. She opened the 1st set with a break of serve, then saw the rain suspend play and the contest shift from Lenglen to Chatrier. No matter, Muguruza held and nearly took a 3-0 lead (Collins saved a BP). But the failure to grab *that* even bigger edge proved to be a forehadowing moment in the match.

After Collins broke for 2-2, Muguruza again failed to convert a BP and lost game #7. Then she did it again in game #9. Collins, though, seized *her* moment with a game #12 break to steal the set 7-5.

Muguruza again opened the 2nd with a break, lengthened her lead with another for 4-1 and won the set 6-2. She started the 3rd with a break of serve, too, then saved a pair of BP to consolidate her lead a game later. Muguruza took a double-break lead at 3-0, and led 40/love in the very next game. And then it all started to go to hell in a handbasket (or, as dictionaries will define the term beginning in 2021: "see 2020").

Two double-faults and three UE later, rather than holding a commanding 4-0 lead, Muguruza was broken for 3-1. It opened the door just a crack for Collins, and the U.S. woman gradually shoved her shoulder through. The Bannerette saved two BP in game #7, holding to keep close at 4-3 on the scoreboard. A game later, on her second BP, Collins' big backhand return of a second serve bounced wide and out of Muguruza's range, giving Collins the break and putting the set back on serve. In two games' time, Muguruza, who should have been celebrating in the lockerroom by then, was serving to stay in the match down 4-5.

Muguruza DF'd to open the game, then had another to fall behind 15/40. Collins' final break ended the match. Her 7-5/2-6/6-4 win gives her her first slam second week result since she reached the AO semis last year, as well as her first since the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis the 26-year old has since received.



While Collins gets great credit for the fight she showed here, it's hard not to characterize this one more in terms of Muguruza's blown chance than anything else. In seemingly final-worthy form on the clay this fall, her exit means her streak of six straight Round of 16 runs in Paris ends with her worst RG result since 2013. For a player with such inconsistent, streaky results her ability to hold her own in this event has really been her career's lone True North. But not today.

One gets the feeling that that squandered double-break lead, and lost chance to hold for 4-0, is going to linger in Muguruza's playing mind for a while. And with the WTA schedule -- what there is of it -- in flux for the rest of 2020 it might be many months before we know whether she's fully put it behind her.

I suppose this is part of how Conchita Martinez will earn her paycheck for the '21 season, eh?

...in doubles, all the top seeds advanced to the Round of 16, save for one. #1 Hsieh/Strycova, #2 Babos/Mladenovic, #4 Krejcikova/Siniakova and #16 Gauff/McNally all won, but #3 Mertens/Sabalenka (topping off a doubly disappointing day for the Belarusian) fell to Bannerettes Asia Muhammad & Jessica Pegula.

...the "unnamed semifinalists" picks are nearly decimated now after Martic and Muguruza fell today. Ah, but I've still got ONE left... but some would say it's the "most important" one.




=WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16=
#1 Simona Halep/ROU v. Iga Swiatek/POL
(Q) Martina Trevisan/ITA v. #5 Kiki Bertens/NED
#3 Elina Svitolina/UKR v. Caroline Garcia/FRA
(Q) Nadia Podoroska/ARG v. Barbora Krejcikova/CZE
#30 Ons Jabeur/TUN v. Danielle Collins/USA
Fiona Ferro/FRA v. #4 Sofia Kenin/USA
#7 Petra Kvitova/CZE v. Zhang Shuai/CHN
Laura Siegemund/GER v. Paula Badosa/ESP


=WOMEN'S DOUBLES ROUND OF 16=
#1 Hsieh/Strycova (TPE/CZE vs. #14 Guarachi/Krawczyk (CHI/USA)
#10 Carter/Stefani (USA/BRA) v. #7 Aoyama/Shibahara (JPN/JPN)
Muhammad/Pegula (USA/USA) v. #16 Gauff/McNally (USA/USA)
Melichar/Swiatek (USA/POL) v. #6 Peschke/Schuurs (USA/NED)
#8 V.Kudermetova/Sh.Zhang (RUS/CHN) v. #9 Kenin/Mattek-Sands (USA/USA)
#13 Kuzmova/Kr.Pliskova (SVK/CZE) v. #4 Krejcikova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
#5 Dabrowski/Ostapenko (CAN/LAT) v. Kostyuk/Sasnovich (UKR/BLR)
Mitu/Tig (ROU/ROU) v. #2 Babos/Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)






..."HOT TAKES" ON DAY 7:


...SO, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, THEN? ON DAY 7:


...MAKING A COACH PROUD ON DAY 7:


...LIKE ON DAY 7:

Those two just bring it out (whatever *it* is) in people...




...MORE JANA/BARBORA ON DAY 7:


...BUIS UPDATE ON DAY 7:



...STORYTELLING TIME ON DAY 7:








A young Lenglen with longtime doubles partner Elizabeth Ryan



With Molla Mallory



With Bill Tilden



With King Gustav V












kosova-font











kosova-font

*RG "LAST WILD CARD STANDING"*
2008 Mathilde Johansson/FRA & Olivia Sanchez/FRA (2nd Rd.)
2009 Olivia Rogowska/AUS (2nd Rd.)
2010 Jarmila Groth (Gajdosova/Wolfe)/AUS (4th Rd.)
2011 I.Bremond/FRA, C.Garcia/FRA & P.Parmentier/FRA (2nd)
2012 C.Feuerstein/FRA, M.Oudin/USA & I.Pavlovic/FRA (2nd)
2013 Virginie Razzano/FRA (3rd Rd.)
2014 Pauline Parmentier/FRA (4th Rd.)
2015 Virginie Razzano/FRA & Amandine Hesse/FRA (2nd Rd.)
2016 M.Georges/FRA, V.Razzano/FRA & T.Townsend/USA (2nd)
2017 Chloe Paquet/FRA (2nd Rd.)
2018 Pauline Parmentier/FRA (3rd Rd.)
2019 Lauren Davis/USA, Priscilla Hon/AUS & Diane Parry/FRA (2nd)
2020 Genie Bouchard/CAN, Clara Burel/FRA & Tsvetana Pironkova/BUL (3rd)

*BEST 2020 SLAM RESULTS*
[wild card]
RG 3rd Rd. - Genie Bouchard, CAN
RG 3rd Rd. - Clara Burel, FRA
RG 3rd Rd. - Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL
AO 2nd Rd. - Patricia Hon, AUS
AO 2nd Rd. - Arina Rodionova, AUS
US 2nd Rd. - CiCi Bellis, USA
US 2nd Rd. - Katrina Scott, USA
US 2nd Rd. - Sachia Vickery, USA
[protected ranking]
US QF - Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL
AO 3rd Rd. - CiCi Bellis, USA
RG 3rd Rd. - Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, SVK
US 2nd Rd. - Kateryna Bondarenko, UKR
US 2nd Rd. - Vera Lapko, BLR
RG 2nd Rd. - Dasha Gavrilova, AUS

*WTA "CAREER ROUND OF 16 SLAM" - active*
[with slam at which completed]
Victoria Azarenka - 2009 Wimbledon (15th)
Ash Barty - 2019 Wimbledon (20th)
Genie Bouchard - 2014 US Open (5th)
Kim Clijsters - 2001 US Open (10th)
Alize Cornet - 2020 US Open (57th)
Julia Goerges - 2018 Wimbledon (42nd)
Simona Halep - 2014 Wimbledon (17th)
Angelique Kerber - 2013 Australian (21st)
Madison Keys - 2016 Roland Garros (16th)
Johanna Konta - 2019 Roland Garros (22nd)
Petra Kvitova - 2011 Australian (11th)
Svetlana Kuznetsova - 2005 Australian (11th)
Petra Martic - 2019 US Open (32nd)
Elise Mertens - 2019 Wimbledon (12th)
Garbine Muguruza - 2017 US Open (20th)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - 2017 Australian (37th)
Karolina Pliskova - 2018 Wimbledon (25th)
Sloane Stephens - 2013 US Open (10th)
Carla Suarez-Navarro - 2013 US Open (20th)
Elina Svitolina - 2018 Australian (22nd)
Serena Williams - 2000 Wimbledon (8th)
Venus Williams - 1998 Wimbledon (6th)
Vera Zvonareva - 2004 US Open (11th)
--
ALSO: Jelena Jankovic - 2007 Roland Garros (15th)




*2020 ROLAND GARROS WOMEN'S FINAL 16*
[by ranking]
#2 - Simona Halep
#5 - Elina Svitolina
#6 - Sofia Kenin
#8 - Kiki Bertens
#11 - Petra Kvitova
#33 - Ons Jabeur
#39 - Zhang Shuai
#45 - Caroline Garcia
#49 - Fiona Ferro
#54 - Iga Swiatek
#57 - Danielle Collins
#66 - Laura Siegemund
#87 - Paula Badosa
#114 - Barbora Krejcikova
#131 - Nadia Podoroska
#159 - Martina Trevisan
[by age]
19 - Swiatek
21 - Kenin
22 - Badosa
23 - Ferro, Podoroska
24 - Krejcikova
26 - Collins, Garcia, Jabeur, Svitolina, Trevisan
28 - Bertens
29 - Halep
30 - Kvitova
31 - Zhang
32 - Siegemund
[by nation]
2...CZE (Krejcikova,Kvitova)
2...FRA (Ferro,Garcia)
2...USA (Collins,Kenin)
1...ARG (Podoroska)
1...CHN (Sh.Zhang)
1...ESP (Badosa)
1...GER (Siegemund)
1...ITA (Trevisan)
1...NED (Bertens)
1...POL (Swiatek)
1...ROU (Halep)
1...TUN (Jabeur)
1...UKR (Svitolina)
[by career slam Round-of-16's]
21 - Kvitova
18 - Halep
11 - Svitolina
5 - Bertens, Garcia
4 - Kenin
3 - Swiatek, Sh.Zhang
2 - Collins,Jabeur
1 - Badosa, Ferro, Krejcikova, Podoroska, Siegemund, Trevisan
[w/ consecutive slam Round of 16's]
3 - Sofia Kenin (2020 AO/US/RG)
3 - Petra Kvitova (2020 AO/US/RG)
1+1 - Kiki Bertens (last 2 slam app - 2020 AO/RG)
1+1 - Simona Halep (last 2 slam app - 2020 AO/RG)
[w/ multiple career RG Round of 16's]
6 - Halep
5 - Kvitova
4 - Svitolina
3 - Bertens, Garcia
2 - Kenin, Swiatek
[w/ consecutive RG Round of 16's]
5 - Simona Halep
2 - Iga Swiatek
[WTA career slam Round of 16's - active]
62...Serena Williams
50...Venus Williams
32...Svetlana Kuznetsova
25...Kim Clijsters
24...Victoria Azarenka
[22...Jelena Jankovic]
21...Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova
18...Simona Halep
16...Carla Suarez-Navarro, Vera Zvonareva
14...Madison Keys, Garbine Muguruza
13...Sloane Stephens
12...Samantha Stosur
11...Elina Svitolina
10...Karolina Pliskova
[2020 slam Rd. of 16's - youngest]
15 - Coco Gauff (AO)
18 - Iga Swiatek (AO)
19 - Iga Swiatek (RG)
21 - Sofia Kenin (AO)
21 - Sofia Kenin (US)
21 - Sofia Kenin (RG)
[2020 slam Rd. of 16's - oldest]
38 - Serena Williams (US)
32 - Tsvetana Pironkova (US)
32 - Angelique Kerber (US)
32 - Angelique Kerber (AO)
32 - Laura Siegemund (RG)
31 - Victoria Azarenka (US)
21 - Zhang Shuai (RG)
30 - Alize Cornet (US)
30 - Petra Kvitova (RG)
30 - Petra Kvitova (US)
[2020 slam Rd. of 16's - unseeded]
AO - (4) Gauff, Jabeur, Swiatek, Muguruza
US - (4) Azarenka, Cornet, Pironkova (PR), Rogers
RG - (10) Badosa, Collins, Ferro, Garcia, Krejcikova, Podoroska, Siegemund, Swiatek, Trevisan, Sh.Zhang
[2020 slam Rd. of 16's - 1st-time GS 4th Rd.]
AO - Maria Sakkari, Ons Jabeur
US - none
RG - Paula Badosa, Fiona Ferro, Barbora Krejcikova, Nadia Podoroska, Laura Siegemund, Martina Trevisan
[2020 slam Rd. of 16's - lowest-ranked]
NR - Tsvetana Pironkova (US)-PR
#159 - Martina Trevisan (RG)
#131 - Nadia Podoroska (RG)
#114 - Barbora Krejcikova (RG)
#93 - Shelby Rogers (US)
#87 - Paula Badosa (RG)
#78 - Ons Jabeur (AO)
#67 - Coco Gauff (AO)
#66 - Laura Siegemund (RG)
#57 - Danielle Collins (RG)
#56 - Iga Swiatek (AO)
#56 - Alize Cornet (US)
[2020 slam Rd. of 16's]
3 - Sofia Kenin (AO/US/RG)
3 - Petra Kvitova (AO/US/RG)
2 - Kiki Bertens (AO/RG)
2 - Simona Halep (AO/RG)
2 - Angelique Kerber (AO/US)
2 - Anett Kontaveit (AO/US)
2 - Elise Mertens (AO/US)
2 - Maria Sakkari (AO/US)
2 - Iga Swiatek (AO/RG)
[2020 slam Rd. of 16's - by nation]
9 - USA (3 AO + 4 US + 2 RG)
5 - CZE (1+2+2)
3 - FRA (0+1+2)
3 - GER (1+1+1)
2 - BEL (1+1+0)
2 - CHN (1+0+1)
2 - ESP (1+0+1)
2 - EST (1+1+0)
2 - GRE (1+1+0)
2 - NED (1+0+1)
2 - POL (1+0+1)
2 - ROU (1+0+1)
2 - TUN (1+0+1)
1 - ARG (0+0+1)
1 - AUS (1+0+0)
1 - BLR (0+1+0)
1 - BUL (0+1+0)
1 - CRO (0+1+0)
1 - ITA (0+0+1)
1 - JPN (0+1+0)
1 - KAZ (0+1+0)
1 - RUS (1+0+0)
1 - UKR (0+0+1)
[2020 slam Rd. of 16's - by region]
21 (9 RG) - W.Europe/Scandinavia (BEL-CRO-CZE-ESP-FRA-GER-ITA-NED-POL)
9 (2 RG) - North America/Atlantic (USA)
8 (2 RG) - Eastern Europe/Russia (BLR-BUL-EST-ROU-RUS-UKR)
5 (1 RG) - Asia/Oceania (AUS-CHN-JPN-KAZ)
4 (1 RG) - Africa/Middle East/Mediterranean (GRE-TUN)
1 (1 RG) - South America (ARG)





TOP QUALIFIER: Mayar Sherif/EGY (first EGY woman in slam MD)
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #25 Amanda Anisimova/USA (lost 4 games)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1: #17q Barbara Haas/AUT def. Diana Snigur/UKR 6-0/5-7/7-5 [Haas led 6-0/5-0 40/30, then DF; won on 4th MP on 5th attempt to serve out match]
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd.- (Q) Clara Tauson/DEN def. #21 Jennifer Brady/USA - 6-4/3-6/9-7 (17/slam debut; saved 2 MP, wins on MP #5)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): Nominee; 3r-Garcia d. #16 Mertens
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Kamilla Rakhimova/RUS (def.Rogers/USA)
FIRST SEED OUT: #17 Anett Kontaveit/EST (1st Rd./Garcia)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Bara/ROU, Burel/FRA, Paolini/ITA, Podoroska/ARG, Rakhimova/RUS, Tauson/DEN, Trevisan/ITA, Zarazua/MEX
UPSET QUEENS: Australia
REVELATION LADIES: Romania
NATION OF POOR SOULS: United States (4 of 7 seeds failed to reach 3r, Serena w/d 2r, US QF/SF Rogers & Brady 1r, Venus 1r, Gauff 2r w/ 19 DF)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: In 4r: Podoroska, Trevisan (+LL Sharma-2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Genie Bouchard/CAN, Clara Burel/FRA, Tsvetana Pironkova/BUL (all 3rd Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: Gavrilova/AUS (2r), AK.Schmiedlova/SVK (3r)
LAST PASTRY STANDING: In 4r: Ferro, Garcia
Ms./Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITY: xx
IT "New Dane on the Block": Clara Tauson/DEN
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominees: Schmiedlova (had 12 con slam MD L), Ostapenko (had no RG wins since '17 title), Siegemund (4r three years after knee injury)
CRASH & BURN: 2020 U.S. Open semifinalists (Osaka DNP; Brady out 1st Rd., Serena w/d 2nd Rd., Azarenka upset 2nd Rd. within 24 hrs. on Day 3/4)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Kiki Bertens/NED (2nd Rd.: injured; Errani up a break 5 times in 3rd, served for match 3 times, 1 MP at 6-5; 3:11; collapses and wheeled off court after 9-7 win)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Halep (29), Sh.Zhang (31), Siegemund (32), Kvitova (30)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Martina Trevisan/ITA
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
Légion de Lenglen HONOREE: Court Chatrier roof (+night tennis) debuts
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: Simona Halep/ROU [not able to be awarded on LPT Day/June 1, Justine Henin's birthday -- but Halep wins on Day 1 on *her* own birthday]




All for Day 7. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 8:19 PM 

1 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

This French Open is wild. Buy what else do you expect from a year in which Serena did not reach a slam final for the first time since 2006.

Ranking corrections will be interesting next year. Jabeur probably won't get a bounce until IW. Riske, who hasn't won a clay match in 2 1/2 years, will have to do something before she gets her beloved grass. Rybakina is front loaded, but can make that up with slam improvements.

Tig's level dropped a little in the 3rd set, but still fought Ferro(and the crowd)well.

Just imagine Fernandez playing a regular clay season before that match. She isn't far off.

Don't really see more exhibitions happening. I am curious to see if a woman can do what Djokovic once did on the ATP side for Serbia, and put on a tournament.

Stat of the Day- 7- Women in the sweet sixteen without a clay title.

Most inexperienced field in years. As others have already said, first time French Open finalist from the bottom half.

Was 10 2 years ago, and 9 last, though Barty got her first clay title at a slam.

As usual, WTA clay titles first, then the rest. Notes after.

2016 Garcia- Strasbourg
2017 Siegemund-Stuttgart
2019 Kvitova- Stuttgart
2019 Bertens- Madrid
2020 Palermo- Ferro
2020 Halep- Italian Open
2020 Svitolina- Strasbourg

2017 Krejcikova- Nurnberg RU/2019 ITF Macha Lake-W
2018 Zhang- Prague SF/2019 125K Kunming RU
2018 Podoroska- Nurnberg R16/2019 Pan Am Games-W
2018 Jabeur- Bucharest QF/2016 ITF Nana Trophy- W
2019 Swiatek- Lugano RU/2018 ITF Montreaux-W
2019 Collins- Charleston QF/2017 ITF Bethany Beach- W
2019 Trevisan- Charleston R32/2019 ITF Pula- W
2019 Kenin- French Open R16/2016 ITF Wesley Chapel- W
2020 Badosa- Istanbul SF/2015 Jr RG champ

These numbers are what you normally see on grass, but with the exception of slam winner Kenin, plus Zhang, the ones without titles on clay don't have titles at all.

Krejcikova's final was the tournament in which she beat Siegemund after her injury(R16).

Siegemund's best result since her injury was SF- Bucharest 2019. Lost to Tig.

Badosa's only other SF was 2019 Palermo loss to Bertens.

19 of Krejcikova's 21 ITF finals have been on clay.

Not to be outdone, all 16 of Trevisan's ITF finals are on clay. Last one was a loss to Podoroska.

Before RG, 2019 Charleston was the only time, out of 7 tournaments, that Trevisan won a main draw match on clay. Lost to Bertens.

Halep going for 4th French Open final.

Svitolina 5-0 in clay finals.

Kvitova has won her last 4 finals on clay. Last loss was 7 years ago.

Kvitova has never played anybody with a career high ranking lower than 30 in a final. No randoms for her. Lowest are Niculescu-28, and Benesova-25.

One reason for that is that her last 12 finals have been Premier or higher.






Sat Oct 03, 09:24:00 PM EDT  

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