Thursday, January 14, 2021

Wk.1- Act 1, Scene 1 (2021)

In 2021, teams that win together, leap together...




With the pandemic quarantine protocols in place Down Under, the latest WTA season kicked off not in the usual environs, but instead did so in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi, to be specific, as well as Dubai, as the latter city hosted the Australian Open qualifying tournament. It's the first time a WTA season's opening week didn't include a points-garnering event in either Australia or New Zealand since 1995 (Jakarta, Indonesia).

But while the time and place, as well as the finishing date (in this case, a Wednesday) were different, one thing carried over into the new year from 2020. No, not the irksome "new normal" in the ongoing pandemic society, nor the maddening drift into third world displays and autocratic sequencing in the land of the world's oldest democracy, but the continued untouchable aspect of Aryna Sabalenka's tennis.

After ending the previous season on a nine-match, two singles title (plus one in doubles) run that saw her hop over none other than Serena Williams to finish the year in the Top 10, the Belarusian's tree of confidence only continued to grow new, leafy branches on the brilliantly colored Abu Dhabi courts.

Might the Boom that has for so long seemed possible in Sabalenka's game have finally found its proper footing and been unlocked and prepped for a true slam run?



Well, after a break of a few weeks before everyone convenes in February in Melbourne (first in two regular tour events, then the first major of the year), we'll soon begin to find out.



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*WEEK 1 CHAMPIONS*
ABU DHABI, UAE (WTA 500/Hardcourt Outdoor)
S: Aryna Sabalenka/BLR def. Veronikva Kudermetova/RUS 6-2/6-2
D: Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara (JPN/JPN) def. Hayley Carter/Luisa Stefani (USA/BRA) 7-6(5)/6-4


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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Aryna Sabalenka/BLR
...for Sabalenka, it was almost as if 2020 never ended. For most such a notion would be akin to a nightmare, but for the Belarusian it's a wonderful (and potentially lucrative) reality.



In Abu Dhabi, the 22-year old world #10 claimed her third straight title dating back to her nine-match run to close out last season, dropping just one set in six matches (in the QF) while getting victories over Polona Hercog, Ajla Tomljanovic, Ons Jabeur, Elena Rybakina (6-4/4-6/6-3), Maria Sakkari and Veronika Kudermetova in the final. Her 6-2/6-2 title-clinching win over the Russian give her nine for the WTA career and extends her winning streak to 15 matches, just two from matching Simona Halep's 2020-best run of 17, the longest winning streak on tour since 2013. Sabalenka jumps to a career-best #7 in the next rankings, and will surely arrive on Day 1 of the Australian Open as the hottest player on tour.

We'll see what happens then.

If the inherent pressure of the majors (well, and Naomi at the '18 Open in that Boom-shaka-Osaka Round of 16 clash) has held Sabalenka back to this point, well, she'll never have carried more on her shoulders than she will into Melbourne.

Will that prove be an obstacle, or an opportunity?
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RISERS: Maria Sakkari/GRE and Sara Sorribes Tormo/ESP
...over the last two seasons, 25-year old Sakkari has made huge strides by winning her maiden title ('19 Rabat), cracking the Top 20 (February '20) and posting eight Top 10 wins. Last season, even with just three majors on the schedule, she recorded a career-best eight combined wins, reaching the Round of 16 in both Melbourne and New York.



Noting her commitment to a more aggressive style of play, Sakkari sparked yet again in Week 1 of 2021, opening with an Abu Dhabi win over back-from-injury Anastasia Potapova and then reeling off what will surely be one of the more impressive non-major triptych of victories of the year over Coco Gauff (matching her win over the teenager last summer) and *both* of last year's Australian Open finalists, Garbine Muguruza and Sofia Kenin, running off ten straight games to close out the Bannerette and reach the semifinals with her fifth career Top 5 win (and, over the world #4, her biggest) before finally being knocked off by Sabalenka.

Sorribes Tormo, 24, took an interesting route through 2020, starting 4-6 before the shutdown, then honing her game during the unofficial exhibition-filled months, winning multiple Mapfre League titles in Spain. Once WTA play resumed, her improved form stuck as she reached QF in Prague and Ostrava!!! and won an $80K challenger crown (her biggest to date, as she's 0-4 in $100K title matches) on her way to a 13-7 finish (9-3 from mid-September forward).



In Abu Dhabi, the trend continued as the Spaniard reached another QF, taking down RG semifinalist Nadia Podoroska (her doubles partner for the week) in windy conditions, Bernarda Pera (in 3:20) and then upstart Russian Anastasia Gasanova. Sorribes won the 1st set at love over Marta Kostyuk in the QF, but eventually lost in three sets. She'll edge up a bit to a new career high in the new rankings, rising from #66 to #62.
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SURPRISES: Anastasia Gasanova/RUS and Tamara Zidansek/SLO
...the wave of GenPDQ Russians of note has been increasing in numbers and intensity the last couple of years, and Gasanova added her name to the Watch List in Abu Dhabi. The 21-year old, ranked #292, qualified to make her WTA MD debut, then backed it up (and then some) with wins over Mona Barthel and (wait for it) #6 Karolina Pliskova for her first career Top 100 win. She ultimately lost a round later to Sara Sorribes Tormo, but will jump 57 spots in the new rankings to #235 (putting her in the Russian Top 20).



Zidansek, 23, had her moments in singles in '20, including notching wins over Vika Azarenka (Monterrey) and Katerina Siniakova (Prague) and reaching the Acapulco QF, but found her biggest success in doubles, winning a pair of Restart titles alongside Arantxa Rus. In Abu Dhabi, she made the court her own with great back-to-back victories to open her season over Jennifer Brady (after dropping the 1st set at love) and Leylah Fernandez before going out at the hands of Marta Kostyuk in the 3rd Round.



The Slovenian (#87) has managed to win 1st Round matches in Melbourne in both her MD appearances the last two years (def. Gavrilova in '19, losing to Serena in the 2r in '20), and will soon get the chance to do so again.
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VETERANS: Laura Siegemund/Vera Zvonareva, GER/RUS
...the veteran pair put on a title run at last year's U.S. Open in their first doubles pairing. This week in their third outing (they lost in the 2r at Roland Garros) in Abu Dhabi they put their singles losses -- Zvonareva 2r vs. Svitolina, Siegemund 1r vs. Flipkens -- behind them and pushed all the way into the semifinals, winning back-to-back match TB over Podoroska/Sorribes and Brady/Muguruza before falling 10-8 in another to eventual runners-up Carter/Stefani.

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COMEBACK: Mihaela Buzarnescu/ROU
...Buzarnescu didn't ultimately reach the Australian Open main draw in the qualifing tournament held in Dubai, but the Romanian did cross yet another benchmark in yet another comeback.

After being off tour for years due to injury, a stretch during which she earned her doctorate, Buzarescu returned in '17 and soon after found great success. In 2018, she reached the RG Round of 16 and Wimbledon 3rd Round, reached three finals (winning her first tour title in San Jose), had her first three career Top 10 wins, and reached the Top 20. On a 28-10 run that summer, she injured her ankle just before the U.S. Open (days after winning the title and reaching the Top 20) and was forced to miss the season's final major. She's gone 1-5 in slam MD since, and has recently had to come back from another injury break.

In Dubai, she posted her first win since September '19 with a straight sets victory in AO qualifying over Lara Arruabarrena.



A pair of '17 Bannerette girls junior champs stood between Buzarnescu and the MD. She followed up her Q1 win with a three-set victory over Claire Liu ('17 WI), and led Whitney Osuigwe ('17 RG) 6-2/5-2 in the final round of qualifying before the 18-year old stormed back to get the win.

Not the ending that Buzarnescu would have liked, but surely an encouraging week to take into the rest of the 2021 season.
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FRESH FACES: Veronika Kudermetova/RUS and Marta Kostyuk/UKR
...23-year old Kudermetova's quest (well, it's at least that for the Prediction Blowout) to become the top-ranked Russian in the WTA (she entered the week as the fourth-best, at #46) got off to a very good start in Abu Dhabi as the Hordette clawed her way into her maiden tour singles final on the backs of victories over Anett Kontaveit, Bianca Turati, Paula Badosa, Elina Svitolina (she trailed 4-2 in the 3rd before securing her fifth career Top 10 win) and Marta Kostyuk.

Kudermetova fell in straights sets (welcome to the club) to Sabalenka in the final, but she'll shoot up to #36 in the next rankings, a career high that will position her as the new number-TWO Russian behind #33 Ekaterina Alexandrova.



Meanwhile, 18-year old Kostyuk (#99) reached her first tour-level semifinal after posting wins over Lucie Hradecka, Hsieh Su-wei (back from 3-1 down in the 3rd), Tamara Zidansek and Sara Sorribes Tormo (after losing the 1st at love). After fighting late in the season in '20 to finally make her Top 100 breakthrough, the Ukrainian now has new goals to hunt down with her coach/mom by her side, as she'll rise to a best-yet #78 as she heads to Melbourne (where she won the AO juniors in '17, and made her slam debut a year later with a headline-grabbing 3rd Round run at age 15).

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DOWN: Dayana Yastremska/UKR
...the past year hasn't been a good one for *many* people, but Yastremska's troubles may top the list when it comes to the WTA.

Yastremska, with new coach Sascha Bajin in her camp, coasted into '20 on a wave of promise and potential, and kicked things off with a final run in Adalaide in her second event that included victories over the likes of Babos, Kerber, Vekic and Sabalenka. She ulimately lost to world #1 Ash Barty. She soon after defeated new AO champ Sofia Kenin in Doha. Then things took a turn.

With the tour in shutdown mode due to the pandemic, Yastremska played with social media fire by staunchly defending Novak Djokovic immediately after his COVID Follies tour, then in short order found herself in the middle of a "black face" blowback due to an Instagram post. When play resumed, she parted ways with Bajin after a loss to Naomi Osaka in New York (he'd complimented Osaka, his charge during her '18 U.S. Open and '19 AO runs, after the match... and while it may not have been *the* cause, it likely didn't sit well). After wins over Amanda Anisimova and Camila Giorgi in Rome, Yastremska fell in the 1st Round at Roland Garros to wrap up her '20 slam season at 2-3 (she'd reached a Round of 16 and two 3rd Rounds in '19). She ended her season on a four-match losing skid, finishing at 15-12 and #29 after never having made it over the Top 20 hump (she was as high as #21). Since the end of the '20 season, Yastremska announced that she'd contracted COVID-19.

This week we learned that Yastremska failed an out-of-competition doping test in November and had been provisionally banned. She denies having knowingly ingested anything that led to the positive test. In the meantime, she'll likely miss the Australian Open while she awaits her fate in what amounts to her "day in court" in the whole ball-of-thickets that is the WADA procedural web.

So far, after so many wished for it to arrive, 2021 is displaying a personality that seems especially biting and lacking in remorse.

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ITF PLAYER: Jessica Bouzas Maneiro/ESP
...the 18-year old Spaniard claimed her maiden pro title at the $15K in Cairo. The unseeded teenager posted wins over four seeds on her way to the title: #5 Anastasia Nefedova, #1 Chanel Simmonds, #4 Fanny Ostlund, and #7 Chantal Skamlova in a three-set final which saw her rally from a set down to prevail 2-6/7-5/6-3.

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JUNIOR STAR: Gabriella Price/USA
...a hyped phenom since she was in single digits (as in years on earth, not in the rankings), the now 17-year old Price last week recorded her best pro result to date with a semifinal run at a $15K challenger in Monastir, Tunisia, in her fifteenth career event (she'd reached a QF in Cancun in December '19, where she'd lost to Marcela Zacarias). This time, Price fell to the eventual champ, Pastry Salma Djoubri.

Price won the USTA Girls Clay Court Nationals in 2019, and the Grade 1 Mundial Juvenil de Tenis in '18 in Ecuador.

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DOUBLES: Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara, JPN/JPN
...somewhat under the radar, the Japanese pair (California-born former UCLA Bruin star Shibahara represented the U.S. until '19) have become a true force on tour over the last few seasons. Week 1's Abu Dhabi title run, their fourth win as a duo, places them behind only the likes of Hsieh/Strycova and Babos/Mladenovic for the most tour titles claimed since the start of the 2019 season.

After winning a 12-10 match TB in their opening Abu Dhabi match over Klepac/Kostyuk, Aoyama & Shibahara didn't lose another set en route to the title, including winning 4 & 1 over top-seeded Hsieh/Krejcikova in the QF prior to dispatching Hayley Carter & Luisa Stefani 6 & 4 in the final. All of 22-year old Shibahara's tour titles have come while partnering Aoyama, while this win gives the 33-year old veteran thirteen crowns in her tour career.

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WHEELCHAIR: --
...Yui Kamiji, on the heels of her banner '20 season and with Japan scheduled to host the Olympics & Paralympics later this year, heads a list of home nation (potential) Gold medal favorites in tennis that include Naomi Osaka and fellow wheelchair star Shingo Kunieda (whose career slam title totals -- 24s, 21d -- have actually surged *past* the combined efforts of the legendary Esther Vergeer).

Kamiji and Kunieda recently appeared together on the court...



While, off the court, Kamiji got a new chair, as well as performed at least one other rather routine ritual...



=TRANSLATED=
Thank you for visiting Sports King! !!
Unfortunately I lost, but it was a fun match ✨
No, but regrettable! It ’s really frustrating! !!
Be sure to revenge 🔥
Please wait, Taka-san, Date-san 😤

Yesterday was the first hit of the new year 🎾
And clean the car that ran for a year
I'll have you run a lot this year 🚙

#First hit #Car wash #fj Cruiser
#Lucky color is blue #Smoky blue

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1. Abu Dhabi 3rd Rd. - Elina Svitolina def. Ekaterina Alexandrova
...6-2/6-7(5)/7-6(8). How the Svitolina Turns...

Svitolina, up a break three times in the 2nd set, served for the match at 5-4. Forced to a TB by Alexandrova, Svitolina held a mini-break lead three times before the Russian ultimately won it 7-5. In the 3rd, Alexandrova took a 3-1 lead and served for the win at 5-4. She DF'd on the first point and was quickly broken. Still, taken into a deciding TB by Svitolina, Alexandrova held two MP in the breaker, only to see Svitolina prevail on her own second MP.



One Round later...

Abu Dhabi QF - Veronika Kudermetova def. Elina Svitolina
...5-7/6-3/7-6(3). With the bottom half of the draw bereft of seeds other than herself, #2 Svitolina led *another* Russian 4-2 in the 3rd set. Broken in game #10, Svitolina broke back when Kudermetova served for the match at 6-5. In the deciding TB, Kudermetova took a quick 3-0 lead before finally winning 7-3 on MP #2.



Kudermetova fired eleven aces in the match and held a 50-19 edge in winners, but was knotted 108-108 with Svitolina in total points on the day. The Russian had no particular reason to fear the Ukrainian, having earlier recorded a win over her in the 2019 Kremlin Cup via a 7-5 3rd set.
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2. Abu Dhabi 1st Rd. - Bernarda Pera def. Donna Vekic
...7-6(10)/2-6/6-4. In the first nail-biter of the new season, Pera rallies from a 4-1 deficit in the 3rd to win in a three-hour contest that had seen Vekic earlier squander a 5-3 lead (and 3 SP) in the 1st as well as a 4-1 lead in the TB, then reel off nine straight games after falling behind 7-6/2-0 in the 2nd set en route to her 3rd set edge.



Of course, leave it to the WTA team to create even *more* drama around this and other matches, as one of the "new ideas" that was left out of the details regarding the tour's recent "comprehensive rebranding" was (apparently) the debut of an "alternate reality scoreboard." #ForTheGame



Ah, but have no fear... the WTA's team of brainiacs are on the case.



Sometimes you get the idea that a large part of the WTA organization collectively exists within one of those horror movies where the frightened teenager terrorized by a series of scary phone calls is told by an emergency hotline operator that the call has been traced... and it's coming from INSIDE THE HOUSE!
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3. Abu Dhabi 3rd Rd. - Sofia Kenin def. Yulia Putintseva 3-6/7-6(5)/6-4
Abu Dhabi QF - Maria Sakkari def. Sofia Kenin 2-6/6-2/6-0
...7-5/6-2. Kenin's season revved up early as she overcame a Putintseva MP at 6-5 in the 2nd set of the 3rd Round. The reigning AO champ then led Sakkari 6-2/2-2 before the Greek caught fire and pounded her into a rare submission, sweeping through the final ten games of the match.

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4. Abu Dhabi 2nd Rd. - Maria Sakkari def. Coco Gauff
...7-5/6-2. Sakkari follows up her win over Gauff in the opening round of last year's Cincy-at-New York event with another some 6,844 miles away.
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5. Abu Dhabi 1st Rd. - Dasha Kasatkina def. Wang Qiang
...6-2/3-6/6-2. Kasatkina opened the season with a three-set victory over Wang, who was playing in her first match since Doha last February. After a walkover from Karolina Muchova in the 2nd Round, the Hordette fell 3 & 4 to Elena Rybakina in the 3rd. Rybakina had been on the other side of the next in Kasatkina's final 2020 win in a 2nd Round match-up in Ostrava!!! last October.

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6. Abu Dhabi 1st Rd. - Tamara Zidansek def. Jennifer Brady
...0-6/6-3/6-4. Brady burst out of the gates in '21 in a fashion similar to how she caught fire to begin last summer's Restart. But while she opened her season with a love set in Abu Dhabi, she wasn't able to sustain the same sort of form that saw her go 10-2 in North America last year as her low first serve percentage (47%), unforced errors and a low BP coversion rate (4-of-18) helped lead to a loss in a match in which she actually won more points (94-93) than Zidansek.

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7. $15K Antalya TUR Final - Tamara Curovic def. Aurora Zantedeschi
...7-5/7-6(4). The 26-year old Serb takes home her first singles title since 2013, and third of her career (she's managed to win 30 WD crowns, though). The win over the young Italian was preceded by Curovic ousting top-seeded Sofia Shapatava in the semis.

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8. Abu Dhabi 2nd Rd. - Sofia Kenin def. Kirsten Flipkens
...5-7/5-4 ret. Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch...

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1. Abu Dhabi Final - Aryna Sabalenka def. Veronika Kudermetova
...6-2/6-2. Sabalenka's title run continues to edge her to the front of the "in-waiting" line for a major title, as she moved two ahead of the field (well, Halep) for the most titles won since 2018, has now won nearly twice as many hard court crowns since '19 as the players with the second-most (7 to 4), as well as reaching the most tour finals since '18 and the most semis over the past year. Melbourne, here she comes.

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2. Abu Dhabi 2nd Rd. - Anastasia Gasanova def. Karolina Pliskova
...6-2/6-4. In Pliskova's first tournament under new coach Sascha Bajin, it took just two matches for the Czech to be ousted in straight sets, losing to #292-ranked qualifier Gasanova in her worst ranking defeat since falling to #444-ranked German Julia Kimmelman in the QF of a $25K challenger in Grenoble, France in February 2013.



By the way, Kimmelman (now #1137) lost this past week in the 1st Round of a $15K challenger in Antalya to eventual champion Tamara Curovic.
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3. Abu Dhabi 1st Rd. - Hsieh Su-wei def. Marketa Vondrousova
...3-6/6-3/7-6(3). Vondrousova, last seen becoming Iga Swiatek's first victim in her run to a Roland Garros title, had a chance to follow up her 5-10 '20 record ("salvaged" by her 4-win SF run in Rome) with an encouraging victory against the tricky veteran. She served for the match at 5-4 in the 3rd, only to drop serve and then lose a deciding TB.
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4. Abu Dhabi 2nd Rd. - Marta Kostyuk def. Hsieh Su-wei
...6-3/6-7(4)/6-3. A round later, Kostyuk pounced where Vondrousova did not. But it took some doing. After losing a 6-3/5-1 lead, the teenager was forced to battle back from a 3-1 3rd set deficit en route to her first career tour-level semifinal result.
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5. Abu Dhabi Q2 - Bianca Turati def. Martina Caregaro 6-0/6-3
Abu Dhabi 1st Rd. - Bianca Turati def. Yaroslava Shvedova 6-1/6-2
... The Texas Longhorn product qualified for her tour-level MD debut, then notched her first career WTA win over the returning Kazakh vet, playing in her first match in eleven months. After having 2019 ankle surgery, Shvedova became a mother (twins!) before briefly returning to action early last season. In March, she was the first tour player who went into mandatory COVID-19 quarantine. This was just Shvedova's second singles match since May 2017.

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*TOP Q-PLAYERS*



1. Francesca Jones, GBR (20, #141) ...the Brit was born with the rare genetic condition Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia, leaving her with three fingers and a thumb on each hand, and just seven toes. She was told she'd never be able to be a professional tennis player, but she's gone about proving the doubters wrong. Her Dubai run -- with wins over #28 Monica Niculescu, Jan Fett (in 3 sets) and Lu Jiajing (1 game allowed) -- puts her into her maiden slam MD.

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2. Rebecca Marino, CAN (30, #312/PR) ...Marino has had a rough go of things over the years, as she left the tour due to depression from 2013-17. After making a comeback, she suffered a bad foot injury, and while she was out with that her father died. Now 30, the Canadian returned in Dubai for her first event since the 2019 RG. Wins over Jaqueline Cristian, #24 Viktoriya Tomova and Maryna Zanevska put her into her first slam MD since the 2013 AO. Her most recent -- and only -- Australian Open win came in the 1st Round in 2011.

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3. Sara Errani, ITA (33, #131) ...Errani, with her second straight slam Q-run, battled through three three-setters in Dubai (def. Georgina Garcia-Perez and Ana Konjuh) to reach the MD, her first in Melbourne since 2017 (she lost in qualifying in both '18 and '20). The Italian reached the AO quarterfinals in '12.

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*OTHER AO QUALIFIERS*

Timea Babos, HUN (27/#115) - the 4-time slam WD champ has reached the 3rd Rd. just once ('16 US) in 31 singles MD appearances in majors
Clara Burel, FRA (19/#236) - 2019's junior #1 reached the 3rd Rd. at last year's RG
Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ITA (19/#132) - in her second straight slam Q run, she dropped no sets in Dubai
Olga Danilovic, SRB (19/#183) - the '18 Moscow champ (as a LL) finally makes her slam MD debut
Mayo Hibi, JPN (24/#182) - her only other slam MD came as a qualifier at the 2015 U.S. Open
Kaja Juvan, SLO (20/#104) - the AO is the only major where she's yet to win a MD match, but this is her second straight AO qualifying run. She swept all six sets in the UAE.
Greet Minnen,BEL (23/#110) - with back-to-back AO qualifying runs, her only slam MD win came last year in Melbourne (over Sasnovich)
Whitney Osuigwe, USA (18/#161) - 0-4 in slam MD matches, the teen had to fight back from 6-2/5-2 down (vs. Buzarnescu) in the final Q round to get a third chance
Chloe Paquet, FRA (26/#187) - her four previous slam MD appearances came as a WC in Paris (2017-20)
Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL (33/#136) - well, here she is again. Pironkova reached the U.S. QF and RG 3r last year after a long pregnancy break, but the AO (1r/2r in all 12 appearances, the last in '17) is the only major where she's yet to reach the final eight
Liudmila Samsonova, RUS (22/#127) - 0-4 in slam MD matches, she's qualified the last two years for the AO
Valeria Savinykh, RUS (29/#225) - after sweeping through her three Dubai matches, the Russian will play in her first slam MD since the 2013 AO (3rd Rd.)
Mayar Sherif, EGY (24/#128) - as a RG qualifier she was the first Egyptian to reach a slam singles MD, and now the same can be said for the Australian Open

*AO LUCKY LOSER*
Ysaline Bonaventure, BEL (26/#122) - 0-3 in slam MD


1. AO Q3 - Whitney Osuigwe def. #22 Mihaela Buzarnescu 2-6/7-6(1)/6-2
...Osuigwe stormed back from 6-2/5-2 down to win and reach her fourth slam MD. She took Bianca Andreescu to three sets in her only AO appearance in 2019.

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2. AO Q1 - Ellen Perez def. Caroline Dolehide 6-3/5-7/7-5
...Dolehide forced a 3rd set after trailing 6-3/4-2, then Perez turned the tables and recovered from a double-break down in the deciding set. The Aussie lost a round later in three sets to Varvara Lepchenko.

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3. AO Q1 - (WC) Ana Konjuh def. #4 Anna Lena Friedsam 6-2/6-7(5)/6-4
...Konjuh, still pushing on after four elbow surgeries, led 6-2/5-1 and had 3 MP in the 2nd, but was forced to go three to take out the #4-seeded German. The Croat eventually lost in the Q3 to Sara Errani, as the '18 Wimbledon remains her most recent major MD.
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4. AO Q3 - Clara Burel def. Maria Camila Osorio Serrano 6-4/6-4
AO Q1 - #9 Katarina Zavatska def. Clara Tauson 6-3/6-3
...the '18 junior #1 beats out the '19 U.S. Open girls champ to reach the AO MD, while '19 AO junior champ Tauson won't be making waves in a *second* straight slam 1st Round match.

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5. AO Q2 - Yuan Yue def. #25 Genie Bouchard 6-2/6-4
...the #230-ranked Chinese played upends #141 Bouchard's AO hopes, preventing yet another Canadian from reaching a MD that will already sport the likes of Andreescu, Fernandez and Marino.
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HM- AO Q3 - #7 Timea Babos def. #20 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2/6-7(5)/6-2
...oh, Schmiedy.
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*AUSTRALIAN OPEN "Q-PLAYER OF THE WEEK" WINNERS*
2006 Ashley Harkleroad, USA
2007 Julia Vakulenko, UKR
2008 Julia Schruff, GER
2009 Elena Baltacha, GBR
2010 Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
2011 Vesna Manasieva, RUS
2012 Paula Ormaechea, ARG
2013 Lesia Tsurenko, UKR
2014 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2015 Renata Voracova, CZE
2016 Naomi Osaka, JPN
2017 Elizaveta Kulichkova, RUS
2018 Marta Kostyuk, UKR
2019 Astra Sharma, AUS
2020 Ann Li, USA
2021 Francesca Jones, GBR

=LOW-RANKED 2021 SLAM QUALIFIERS=
#312 - Rebecca Marino, CAN (AO)
#241 - Francesca Jones, GBR (AO)
#236 - Clara Burel, FRA (AO)
#225 - Valeria Savinykh, RUS (AO)

*YOUNGEST 2021 SLAM...*
=WC=
AO - Wang Xiyu, CHN (19)
AO - Destanee Aiava, AUS (20)
=Q=
AO - Whitney Osuigue, USA (18)
AO - Clara Burel, FRA (19)
AO - Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ITA (19)
AO - Olga Danilovic, SRB (19)
AO - Francesca Jones, GBR (20)
AO - Kaja Juvan, SLO (20)
=PR=
AO - Katie Boulter, GBR (24)

=OLDEST 2021 SLAM...=
=WC=
AO - Samantha Stosur, AUS (36)
AO - Arina Rodionova, AUS (31)
AO - Dasha Gavrilova, AUS (26)
=Q=
AO - Sara Errani, ITA (33)
AO - Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL (33)
AO - Rebecca Marino, CAN (30)
AO - Valeria Savinykh, RUS (29)
=LL=
AO - Ysaline Bonaventure, BEL (26)
=PR=
AO - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (36)
AO - Yaroslava Shvedova, KAZ (33)
AO - Mona Barthel, GER (30)
AO - Rebecca Marino, CAN (30)-Q

*AUSTRALIAN OPEN WILD CARDS*
Destanee Aiava, AUS (20) - 0-3 in AO 1r matches
Lizette Cabrera, AUS (23) - still looking for her first slam MD win in her 6th attempt (0-3 AO)
Dasha Gavrilova, AUS (26) - back from injury, the IG wunderkind in a two-time 4r (2016-17) and "Dasha Show" participant in Melbourne
Maddison Inglis, AUS (23) - gets her first MD spot in the AO since '16
Arina Rodionova, AUS (31) - the vet has played in the AO (Q or MD) in all but one year since 2008. She finally recorded her maiden 1r win last season.
Astra Sharma, AUS (25) - notched a 1r win in her slam debut in Melbourne two years ago. Won a round in Paris in '20 as a LL.
Samantha Stosur, AUS (36) - plays in her 19th AO in the last 20 years, and her 13th straight. Unfortunately, the new parent hasn't won a 1st Rounder since 2015.
Wang Xiyu, CHN (19) - the former junior slam champ ('18 US) makes her AO debut as she seeks her first career slam win (1r '19 US).
--
NOTE: Cabrera, Rodionova and Sharma all received WC at '20 AO

*AUSTRALIAN OPEN PR IN MD*
Mona Barthel, GER
Katie Boulter, GBR
Rebecca Marino, CAN (Q)
Yaroslava Shvedova, KAZ
Vera Zvonareva, RUS





=ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates=





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**BACKSPIN WEEK 1 PLAYERS-OF-THE-WEEK**
2002 Venus Williams, USA
2003 Serena Williams, USA
2004 Lindsay Davenport/USA, Eleni Daniilidou/GRE (co-PoW)
2005 Elena Dementieva, RUS
2006 Lucie Safarova, CZE
2007 Dinara Safina, RUS
2008 Li Na, CHN
2009 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2010 Kim Clijsters, BEL
2011 Vera Zvonareva, RUS
2012 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2014 Serena Williams, USA
2015 Maria Sharapova/RUS, Simona Halep/ROU (co-PoW)
2016 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2017 Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2018 Simona Halep, ROU
2019 Julia Goerges, GER
2020 Serena Williams, USA
2021 Aryna Sabalenka, BLR

**CAREER WEEK 1 TITLES - active**
3...Karolina Pliskova, CZE
3...Serena Williams, USA
2...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2...ARYNA SABALENKA, BLR
2...Venus Williams, USA
1...Ekaterina Alexandrova, RUS
1...Kim Clijsters, BEL
1...Lauren Davis, USA
1...Simona Halep, ROU
1...Kaia Kanepi, EST
1...Petra Kvitova, CZE
1...Katerina Siniakova, CZE
1...Katarina Srebotnik, SLO
1...Sloane Stephens, USA
1...Elina Svitolina, UKR
1...Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
--
ALSO: Jankovic (1)

**2019-21 HARD COURT TITLES**
7 - ARYNA SABALENKA, BLR (3/3/1)
4 - Sofia Kenin, USA (2/2/0)
4 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (3/1/0)
3 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (3/0/0)
3 - Ash Bartty, AUS (2/1/0)
3 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (2/1/0)

**MOST WTA FINALS, 2018-21**
12 - 4/4/3/1 = ARYNA SABALENKA (9-3)
12 - 6/3/3/0 = Simona Halep (7-5)
10 - 3/6/1/0 = Ash Barty (7-3)
10 - 5/4/1/0 = Petra Kvitova (7-3)
10 - 3/5/2/0 = Karolina Pliskova (7-3)
10 - 4/5/1/0 = Kiki Bertens (6-4)

**MOST WTA SF, 2020-21**
6 - 5/1 = ARYNA SABALENKA (4-2)
5 - 5/0 = Elena Rybakina (5-0)
4 - 4/0 = Simona Halep (3-1)
4 - 4/0 = Jennifer Brady (1-3)

**MOST 2019-21 WD TITLES - DUOS**
8...Hsieh/Strycova, TPE/CZE (4/4/0)
5...Babos/Mladenovic, HUN/FRA (3/2/0)
4...AOYAMA/SHIBAHARA, JPN/JPN (2/1/1)
4...Chan/Chan, TPE/TPE (4/0/0)
4...Mertens/Sabalenka, BEL/BLR (3/1/0)
3...Krejcikova/Siniakova, CZE/CZE (2/1/0)
3...Melichar/Peschke, USA/CZE (3/0/0)

**MOST WTA DOUBLES FINALS - DUOS, 2020-21**
5 - 5/0...Hsieh/Strycova (4-1)
3 - 2/1...CARTER/STEFANI (1-2)
3 - 3/0...Melichar/Xu (1-2)
2 - 1/1...AOYAMA/SHIBAHARA (2-0)
2 - 2/0...Babos/Mladenovic (2-0)
2 - 2/0...Rus/Zidansek (2-0)
2 - 2/0...K.Bondarenko/Fichman (1-1)
2 - 2/0...Guarachi/Krawczyk (1-1)

**MOST 2019-21 WD TITLES - INDIVIDUALS**
8- Hsieh Su-wei, TPE (4/4/0)
8- Barbora Strycova, CZE (4/4/0)
5- SHUKO AOYAMA, JPN (3/1/1)
5- Timea Babos, HUN (3/2/0)
5- Nicole Melichar, USA (3/2/0)
5- Kristina Mladenovic, FRA (3/2/0)
4- Chan Hao-ching, TPE (4/0/0)
4- Latisha Chan, TPE (4/0/0)
4- Elise Mertens, BEL (3/1/0)
4- Kveta Peschke, CZE (3/1/0)
4- Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (3/1/0)
4- ENA SHIBAHARA, JPN (2/1/1)
4- Katerina Siniakova, CZE (3/1/0)








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Remain vigilent.
All for now.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 12:35 AM 

33 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

In order to not go down the Trump rabbit hole, I will say one name- Monique Viele. Overhyped by Trump, even 20 years later, there is a six degrees tilt to her career, as she lost in a 10K to Sarah Riske.

Classy post by Flipkens. That reminds me, Mubadala is an investment company. They deserve some notice, as the past San Jose sponsor was one of few in Abu Dhabi.

Like the child's golf swing. And the smile that came with it.

Kostyuk and Danilovic both having good weeks show how to improve slowly after one big breakout. Ironic that they do so at the same it, as they are USO jr doubles champs from 2017.

Last August, Brady was the last woman with a mathematical chance to play her way into a slam seed. She did so by winning her first tournament at Lexington. Kudermetova had the same hopes, but as Johnathan Frakes would say, "Not this time. It's fiction."

With Yastremska still in the draw-I think, as it isn't confirmed who Bonaventure is replacing, Kudermetova is 3 away, behind Wang and Zheng. She does take her name off the list of being highest ranked player without a final. That goes back to Collins.

Kalinskaya could not qualify 4 years in a row. Neither could any Aussie, as all 8 go home.

Jamie Loeb gambled and won. Ranked 255, she was the lowest direct entrant in Abu Dhabi, though Eikeri got in with lower ranking as alternate. Had she waited for AO Q, she would not have made it, as cutoff was 254.

Sorribes Tormo will be a dangerous floater at AO. Seems her serve throws people off, and gives her and advantage early in a match.

Baptiste has an odd game. Has movement, but footwork is poor, making her game similar to Garcia Perez and Broady. Serve isn't as good as those two, but has to dictate, as she is much less powerful when moving.

Eikeri was outclassed by Gauff. It is fair to use the Jankovic line and say she has no weapons, but she did volley and take advantage of Gauff playing too far back. This became more evident, when Sakkari did similar things, including drop shots, to catch Gauff off guard.

Despite all this, It should be Gauff's breakout year. She won her junior slam on clay, and due to the age rules and the pandemic, she has only played 2 WTA MD on the surface. French Open 2019 was not one as she lost in Q.

This leads me to believe that Madrid or Rome could be the events where she should be SF or better.

Due to the AO Q points being delayed, Gasanova will be higher ranked than 29 women who played Q.

Zidansek/Rus are 13-4 since teaming up right before stoppage- Acapulco.

Pera saved 13 of 22 BP vs Vekic.

Is it fair to ask if Yastremska is going to get a 20,000 suspended fine?

Schedule is out until July, and it raises some questions. Cologne getting the week before RG with 2 other events seemed unfair, but actually is a good idea. Similar to this week, the low ranked player that don't make RG Q will have a place to play. Especially since there don't seem to be any 125K events on the horizon.

Kunming in April seems like a test for the Asian Swing just like Abu Dhabi was for Doha and Dubai.

Another smaller event in Australia is a good thing.

Prague not being on the schedule is a surprise, but they went from April to August last year. Unlikely in an Olympic year, but it is possible that they try to be one of those clay events that plays the 2 weeks after Wimbledon. Gives the Czech women who can't play the Olympics because of quota's somewhere to play.

With IW delayed, Madrid expanding turns out to be a great move.

Sabalenka looks softer than last year, while Muguruza bulked up. Dolehide toned up, but game was rusty. Literally hit the back wall on the fly with her serve multiple times. Still in AO doubles draw.

*To be continued*

Thu Jan 14, 03:14:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Last bit of news is that WTA is copying ATP, and extending the ranking best of from March 8 to March 22. Yes, there is a question of if those 2019 IW points stay on, and it seems that if the ATP drops them, the WTA will also.

I actually agree with this out of fairness, because of the way this year's schedule is. Doha and Dubai are in March this season, and they are the obvious ones that would affect ranking. But it actually involves the 5 events that were played the last 4 weeks before shutdown, including St. Petersburg, Lyon and Monterrey.

So a player could have played 4 of those events. And there was one. The perpetually overplaying Mladenovic.

Stat of the Week- 3- Times Soviet Anna Dmitrieva reached the Wimbledon Plate final.

Why is an event that stopped in the 80's relevant? Because we will have the Australian Plate this year. Officially the Phillip Island Trophy, the event will be similar, with first and second round losers in the big event eligible to play this the second week of the Australian Open.

Will Mladenovic play this too? The way the wording is, there is an outside chance she could play in singles, even if she is still in the doubles draw. It wouldn't be the first time.

The Wimbledon Plate has even had some slam winners like Goolagong and Barker. Plus the trophy herself, Karen Krantzcke won it in 1972.

But this is about 1986. Wimbledon was so dominated by Navratilova that she won both singles and doubles without dropping a set. So she wasn't eligible. However, her partner was, as Pam Shriver came in as the 5 seed in singles and got bounced in the first round by Betsy Nagelsen. She then entered the Wimbledon Plate and won, technically winning two different events in the same week.

Thu Jan 14, 03:27:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Quiz Time!

Anna Dmitrieva played six former slam finalists in ITF finals. Which players has she defeated?

A.Olga Morozova
B.Ann Jones
C.Francoise Durr
D.Vera Sukova
E.Jan Lehane
F.Zsuzsa Kormoczy


Interlude- Todd, since you like creative advertising, here you go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IpdirLrlSY



Answer!

This question is tough to answer without context. Being that the WTA did not exist in this era, ITF events seemed to have a higher classification. This is why (B)Jones is the wrong answer, as she had already been in 4 slam finals before this ITF meeting in 1966. Ann won their only meeting.

Dmitrieva was kind of a lovable loser, breaking out on the scene with a finals loss at jr Wimbledon in 1958. However (C)Durr is a correct answer. A revenge match as Durr had defeated her for the Wimbledon Plate in 1963, they then faced off in Algeria in 1964. Durr lost, 3 years before her slam final.

(A)Morozova is wrong, and by the time she reached her slam finals in 1974, Anna was retired. Dmitrieva reached at least one ITF final every year from 1959-1968, playing and losing to Morozova 3 times in a 12 month span in 67-68.

(E)Lehane is wrong. They only met once, and like most others, it was after 2 of her 4 slam finals. (D)Sukova is also out, as Anna went 0-2, one before and one after Sukova's final.

That leaves (F)Kormoczy, and like the trend, their two meetings in 61 and 62 were after her French Open finals in the 50's. The dual surprise is not only did Dmitrieva split, she did so with both matches played in Hungary. Of her 26 ITF finals, 17 were in Soviet Union.

12-14 in ITF finals, 1-2 in Wimbledon Plate finals, reached 4th rd at 3 slams-never played Australia. Still pretty good for that era.

Thu Jan 14, 03:52:00 AM EST  
Blogger Percy said...

Not sure, but Gasanova is the fastest player (2nd WTA MD match ever) to have won against a current top 10 player from WTA MD debut since... Muguruza?

Thu Jan 14, 05:11:00 AM EST  
Blogger Diane said...

As always, thank you for promoting my poetry. I've been rather busy as a poet lately, which just goes to show you--you really don't know what's around the corner in your life. (I began writing poetry only as a "just write *something*" exercise to help me get back to writing fiction.)

I'm impressed with Sakkari's commitment to improve her game and become more competitive. I was fortunate to be there that one time that she beat Sabalenka (Cincinnati, 2019), What a match that was, and it produced my favorite-ever photo of Maria.

As for Sabalenka--dumping Tursunov was a very good step in her career.

Thu Jan 14, 10:58:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

C-
I seem to have a *very* vague recollection of Viele. Didn't recall the DJT connection, though. :/

I saw Bonaventure listed on a LL list, so I just went ahead and included her (someone else will probably end up pulling out, either way, so she'll likely get in for *someone*, right?).

Ah, a rare Frakes mention! (Makes me want season 2 of "Picard" to arrive soon.)

Note: Kostyuk's first SF checked off a Blowout pick, as did Kudermetova's final. So, good week there. ;)

It'll be interesting having that 250 Melbourne event taking place along with the second week of the AO. Just to see how they manage the court schedule (especially if a BIG name player upset in the opening rounds might end up playing that extra event on the grounds).

Quiz: I went with Morozova just because they were both Soviet and her standing as the best from the USSR in her era (as good a reason as any). Oh, well.

Haha - I don't remember that Vonn ad. Humor-to-humanize (if the subject is willing, ala say Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes w/ those insurance ads, or nearly ALL the SportsCenter ones) is always a good way to go. So, naturally, the WTA will never go that way.

That #ForTheGame thing has pretty much already died a quick death, hasn't it? Except as a punchline -- i.e. the scoreboard mishaps -- for the latest tour miscue. Hardly unexpected.

I didn't really know much about the Wimbledon Plate. I really like that whole concept, though. All the slams should do it, weather permitting.


P-
I wouldn't know how to even check that (w/o a LOT of research) but I wouldn't be surprised at all if that were true.


D-
You're welcome, of course. Ooh, can't wait for that! ;)

Do you have a link to that photo (or a description)?

I guess in order to stay in line with my Blowout picks, I sort of *have* to pick Sabalenka in a few weeks now, don't I?

Thu Jan 14, 01:36:00 PM EST  
Blogger Diane said...

Sadly, no link, but I have an un-credited copy on my hard drive that I'll send you.

Thu Jan 14, 04:51:00 PM EST  
Blogger Hoergren said...

First Happy New Year. Then an update on isolation in connection to Australian Open. Until now (Saturday 16/1) 47 players are in isolation for 14 days without possibillity to practice. Wonder what kind of slam this will be. In connection with rusty business among the rest ANY player can win who has been playing minor tournaments - well what a mess.

Sat Jan 16, 07:44:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Happy New Year Hoergren.

Still think this will be a great slam, as hiccups were expected. Thought that the US flights would have more problems than Abu Dhabi, but the full release shows that none were players.

The fact that Andreescu's coach is one, puts her status in jeopardy.

Even with quarantine, the players in Melbourne are there. Adelaide people will either have to drive, or fly, and is it worth the risk to fly?

My guess is that more people will pull out from the Gippsland and Yarra events to train.

Also- officially out are Anisimova and Keys due to COVID, Linette out due to knee issues.

Sat Jan 16, 11:14:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

You wonder if there's even an option to push back the AO start another week (only Adelaide would be impacted), or even two (+Doha/Lyon, though maybe 1st week AO losers would be permitted to go there, as well as those not in Melbourne, so they *could* go on as scheduled).

Sat Jan 16, 05:40:00 PM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

So, *Djokovic* (of all people) now thinks he's the authority on how quarantines should be handled and believes that the AO should follow his expert pandemic advice? Really? Oh, that's a good one. (◔_◔)

Sun Jan 17, 10:37:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Week 1 of quarantine has commenced. So tennis news is light, but next week there are two 60K events. ITF players will have their only event over 25K for at least the next 6 weeks.

Gippsland/Yarra entry lists are supposed to be split soon. The big question is will Yastremska be on it. Maybe?

Stat of the Week- 2- Career high ranking for Petr Korda.

When Korda won the Australian Open in 1998, there was no scandal. Once he failed a test at Wimbledon later that year, there was. He was, and still is an Australian Open champion.

So could Yastremska win the Open? There is a gray area. If we look at recent cases like Cornet, she was allowed to enter the French Open before her case was finalized, while Wickmayer was blocked form entering the Australian Open. She then got in when cleared, but had to go through qualifying.

Errani's situation seems closest. Errani played until her hearing, but lost, meaning she had to give back both money and ranking points earned since her positive test. That was 10 tournaments worth.

So it is conceivable that Yastremska could win and not have to vacate title even if she loses ruling.

Korda was not suspected of anything at the time he won, because he had already been a French Open finalist back in 1992. That was after never getting past the 3rd rd of a slam in 12 tries.

Hindsight is 2020, but his records after the fact seem suspect. Take this 5 tournament stretch in 97-98 after a R16 in Ostrava. Yes, that Ostrava!!!

W - Stuttgart
R16- Paris
F - Moscow
W - Doha
W - Australian Open

R16 Paris loss was a quality one, as it was to #1 Sampras.

To say that the difference in his play for the 12 months before the failed test, and the 12 months after, were like night and day would be underselling it. More like going from the desert to Antarctica.

58-21 97-98 12 months through Wimbledon
10-23 98-99 12 months after Wimbledon

Korda then pulled a Hingis. Actually the other way around, as Korda did it first. He got suspended, then retired, only to return for one off events.

Quiz Time!

Dayana Yastremska is a rising talent. However, this talent has not shined at one slam. At which slam does she have 0 wins?

A. Australian Open
B. French Open
C. Wimbledon
D. US Open


Interlude- Women Bruin something up.

https://twitter.com/CharismaOsborne/status/1347663977573085184


Answer!

I will keep this short. Yastremska's junior breakout was at (C)Wimbledon, and it is her most successful slam to date, going 3-1 in her only appearance.

(D)US Open is wrong, though she has 3 wins there also. This is the only slam she has played 3 times.

The answer is (B)French Open. This is actually shocking, once you realize that she actually won a tournament on clay before she played in the main draw at RG.

That is because in 2019, after a poor start to the clay season, in which she lost her first match in Istanbul, Rome and Madrid, she then won Strasbourg.




Mon Jan 18, 05:25:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

I guess the biggest longshot of all those possibilities is likely Yastremska winning the AO. ;)

QUIZ: I displayed a Djokovician lack of awareness here, as I was drawing a complete blank and just picked Wimbledon. :/

Haha, I wonder how many takes it took to get all three shots through in order?

=ITF Update=
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro won her second $15K of '21 in Cairo, while 18-year old Zheng Qinwen ($25K Hamburg) won career title #5 over 15-year old Czech Linda Fruhvirtova.

=Wheelchair Update=
de Groot is en route

Mon Jan 18, 11:17:00 AM EST  
Blogger Hoergren said...

Were you aware of this:
2011-2020: Most wins WTA

Kvitova 404
Wozniacki 404
Kerber 395
Halep 394
S. Williams 369
Radwanska 362
Pliskova 321
Azarenka 307
Svitolina 301
Suarez Navarro 292

*Fed Cup included
— enrico maria riva (@enricomariariva) November 29, 2020

Fri Jan 22, 10:01:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Caro was always a tour workhorse. Also impressive from Aga, considering she didn't play either 2019 *or* 2020.

Off-week update:

=ITF=
Clara Tauson won the $25K in Fujairah City, UAE. The 18-year old Dane had wins over Anastasia Gasanova (the Wk.1 surprise, with her win over Pliskova), Maja Chwalinska, Kurumi Nara and top seeded Viktorija Golubic (in a three-set final). It's Tauson's eighth career win.


=JUNIORS=
Unseeded 15-year old Russian Anastasiia Gureva picked up her first career Grade 1 win in Svyatopetrivske Village, UKR; while Alexandra Eala (Jr. #3), 15, of the Philippines claimed her first pro challenger crown in the $15K in Manacor, ESP. Eala reached the semis in last year's girls SF competition.

Sun Jan 24, 01:32:00 PM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

*-Eala's SF was at Roland Garros. ;)

Sun Jan 24, 01:33:00 PM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Oh, and Yastremska's "no good dirty year" continues as she was denied her appeal to lift her provisional suspension before the AO... *after* she'd already flown to Melbourne, been on an infected plane and been sent into quarantine. :/

Really not a surprise, as WADA & Co. *never* give anyone a break, let alone admit to being wrong even when independent arbiters rule against them and *for* players. Errani "won" her appeal and was still punished a *second* time, after all.

Sun Jan 24, 09:12:00 PM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...



Stat of the Week- 1- Slam draws for Jelena Gencic.

Back when Novak was the voice of reason, not entitlement, Gencic was his coach. Born in Yugoslavia in the 30's, she reached her only slam draw at Wimbledon in 1959. She lost to, wait, that's your trivia question, then became more renown as a coach.

Known for working for Yugoslavian players like Jausovec and Seles, after the fall of Yugoslavia, she then worked with players from Slovenia, Serbia and Croatia, Djokovic and Majoli among them.

Quiz Time!

Jelena Gencic lost to which player at Wimbledon in 1959?

A.Yola Ramirez
B.Belmar Gunderson
C.June Byrne
D.Fran Marshall



Up/Down Side will be Saturday, because of the Sunday start for the first two events. Barring rain, as ATP Cup gets the roof.


The one good thing about an off week is the chance to do a deep dive on some of the untold stories. Doing a quiz with a low probability of getting right is one of them.

(C)Byrne is wrong, but is a choice just because she is form Ireland. Right now, Ireland's highest ranked player is Georgia Drummy at 865. Then again, Eala just won a tournament, is ranked lower, and is the highest ranked player from the Phillipines.

But I digress. Byrne is wrong as she lost in the 2nd rd, but was part of the Ireland wave. Surprisingly, in the 50's 6 different women from Ireland played Wimbledon, with Betty Lombard being the Wimbledon Plate RU in 1953.

Byrne played the event 6 times, with her biggest win being a 1st rd one over Nell Hopman in 1954.

A good guess would have been(A)Ramirez, who has been done wrong by history. The fact that Mexico hasn't had anybody with lasting success in recent years means that she doesn't get her due. Of the 4 choices, she went farthest in 1959, reaching QF. This should not be a shock, as she was QF or better at all slams, yes, even Australia. Having her slam success on clay, she is the wrong answer.

To back up her clay prowess, she won French Open doubles in 58, mixed in 59, then reached the singles final in both 60 and 61, losing to Darlene Hard and Ann Haydon respectively.

(D)Marshall is wrong, but has an interesting backstory. Born in what was then known as British Kenya, she then moved to England when her husband was in the British Army. Shen then played each year from 57-60, qualifying in both 57 and 59. She then won the British Open in 1961.

The British Open was not an LPGA event until 1994, so I am talking about squash. A 5 time RU in the 60's, she made her mark there. Ironically, the player that knocked her out in Jill Rook, has her own story.

England's Rook was a table tennis player of some ilk, Winning a silver medal in 1956 at the World Table Tennis Team Championships. One of her teammates was Ann Haydon.

By process of elimination, that leaves (B)Gunderson. Starting off playing college tennis at Women's College of North Carolina, now UNC Greensboro, she had a decent career, then made her mark in USTA Senior events, winning doubles over the years in the over 60, 65 and 70 classes. Byrne did the same in ITF events in the over 85 class.

Dr.Gunderson also made her mark as University of Minnesota's first AD for the women's athletic department back in the 1970's

Mon Jan 25, 10:09:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

I'm too long winded, so had to split post.

As long as the tour stays on track, those IW points finally coming off will have an effect. So long ago that 3 seeds in Wozniacki, Goerges, and Cibulkova are retired. However every player that made the final 16 are still active. Andreescu and Kerber are the obvious ones that need to bank points in Australia, but two other QFists were Venus Williams and Vondrousova.

Feel bad for Putintseva having Stuart Little as her partner.

The other whining was excessive. Though there is a difference in the tour schedule that should be noted. ATP players have a 2 week lockdown, then 3 events next week(ATP Cup + 2 250's), and the AO after. That's it, as their tour is in better financial shape, so the week after AO, they have 3 250's, one each in France, Argentine, and Singapore.

WTA players need to see the bigger picture. After their 14 day lockdown, they have 3 WTA 500 events, then the AO, plus the second chance event, plus another event after that.

Some clarification on the upcoming week's events. The event for the hard lockdown players will be a 500, even with a 28 player field. Gippsland/Yarra/Grampians events will be split Wednesday/Tuesday US time. Draw will be Friday.

2 60K events are running this week. One day before Q draw, last player in France was ranked 310, while in USA, last was 805. There wasn't an American in either the MD or Q, we will see if that holds up.

Cleveland is trying to get an event the week after Cincinnati. There may be an option there, as Connecticut moved a couple of years ago. Since then, Bronx had an event, and Albany was on for last year, but no clue if they are willing to try again.

Mon Jan 25, 10:11:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Quiz: I was thinking that maybe Althea Gibson was going to be a choice... but, nope. So I just took a guess w/ June Byrne.

Truth: Gibson retired in 1958. So... :/

These deep dives of late have the feel of one of Bud Collins' history segments on NBC back in the day. That's a good thing, of course. ;)

Yeah, while there wasn't any WTA action last week... we did have Stubbs vs. Putintseva (w/ Stuart as a "supporting character"), which was quite entertaining.

Realized this week that Day 1 of the AO will be taking place *during* the Super Bowl, so I'm thinking "AO.1" will be the least inclusive Daily Backspin post in quite some time.

Mon Jan 25, 12:47:00 PM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

12 hours to liftoff!

Stat of the Week - 4 - The amount of events won in Australia by Evonne Goolagong in the 1978 season.

43 years from now, people will look back at a strange season with a two week break. So why don't we go back 43 years and look at a season just as strange.

Previously, we have looked at 1978, a season so strange that none of the Top 10 showed up to the French Open. That was mainly because of World Team Tennis, which had a 44 game season.

In order not to conflict with the end of the season, the tour took a 4 week break after Wimbledon. When they resumed, the playoffs were not done, so they came back in Indianapolis with a light field, leading to Viviana Gonzalez reaching her first final, plus Dana Gilbert winning her first. The 1978 UCLA All American could not claim the 5,000 dollar prize, as she was still an amateur. She repeated as an All American in 1979.

So don't be surprised if there is a random result this week.

Another reason that they had time for a break, is that Goolagong didn't win those events in 1978, but a season that started in November 1977.

This year, players could play 4 events in Australia, but can only win 3. Goolagong won all 4 played, both consecutively and non consecutively. Confused?

Well, she did win all 4 in Australia consecutively, but she won the first two in November, then the tour went to South Africa and London, then came back in December for the last two, finishing up with the Open.

The Aussie results, all on grass, foretold most of what would happen at the Open. In the first event at Sydney, Kerry Reid was the runner up, and then reached AO SF, as did Sue Barker, who was runner up at the 3rd event, also in Sydney.

What about the second event in Melbourne? The runner up there was Wendy Turnbull, so if this trend plays out, she would have reached the final, right?

No, because in a 4 event stretch in the late 70's, she didn't even enter the Open. That left a spot open, and Goolagong beat Cawley in the final. Helen Gourlay Cawley, that is. Sad for Cawley, Helen in this case, the only other slam final she had played was 6 years prior, where she also played Goolagong.

1978 turned out to be an incredible season for Australian women, with 4 ending up in the year end Top 10. Goolagong ended up at 3, Turnbull 7, Reid 9, plus Fromholz at 10.

Goolagong was the only one to win a title, as she grabbed 10. The reason she wasn't #1 is that Navratilova won 11.

Quiz Time!

Wendy Turnbull reached 3 slam finals in singles. Which slam final did she fail to reach?

A.Australian Open
B.French Open
C.Wimbledon
D.US Open


Interlude- Kiwi romance.

https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1352425932989083648



Answer!

This one you may get right by accident. (A)Australian Open seems like the obvious one to take out, and you would be right, but overall, it was her worst slam. She did reach the final in 1980 after skipping the last 4 editions. However, she reached 15 slam finals, going 4-11, and won 5 mixed, winning each of those at every slam but Australia.

(D)US Open is wrong, though she needed to reach the final on clay back in 1977. That would then make the (B)French Open more reachable, which she did in 1979, even though she only played the event 4 times.

That makes (C)Wimbledon correct, an exercise in futility in which she entered 18 times, topping out at the QF in 79, 80, and 81.

Sat Jan 30, 05:05:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

5 On the Up Side- The Warmup Act.

1.Barty- Yarra pick, she has reached a final in Australia the last 3 years. Even as an exhibition, she got a match out of the way.
2.Begu- Gippsland pick seems as random as Rezai winning Madrid. But you might think that she has a chip on her shoulder. A curious choice for an exo with 5 slam winners, her match got scrapped. Plus in the tournament which seems to have more big manes going for a tuneup than a win.
3.Putintseva- Grampians draw doesn't come out until tomorrow, but since the restart, Putintseva has played 6 events. She has one at least one match in all. Plus this is the event that ends the day before the Open. The theory is that for the last event before a slam, pick someone not slated to make it past the QF. So a B/C favorite like Yulia fits here.
4.Garcia Perez- The highest ranked in singles of the hard Q doubles players, if she signs in for the Grampians event, she could pick up her first WTA MD singles win since Sept 2018, when she beat Rodina in Quebec City.
5.Kostyuk- Another player in hard Q, she lucks out. Before the events were split, she was still in qualifying. Her run a couple of weeks ago got her to 78, but at the time this entry list closed, she was at 99. 10 out then, even Yastremska's removal couldn't get her over the top.

Sat Jan 30, 05:17:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

5 On the Down Side.

1.S.Williams- Due to everybody in the field playing the week before a slam, and I mean that literally, Serena has to play the week before the Open for the first time in 11 years. That means that a streak will probably end, as the last 3 times she did so(07,09,10)she won the Open title.
2.Flipkens- Took a set off Kenin in Abu Dhabi. Only on this list because of the momentum lost by her ankle injury. And she needs some, as she hasn't been past the 2nd rd on her last 24 slams.
3.Brady- In hard Q, that knocks her down from a favorite to a question mark. 1100 pts out of 13th, if she can reach it, she would be the highest ranked singles player that came from UCLA, passing Kimberly Po, who reached 14. This seems that it will happen sooner than later, as she lost to Halep in AO 1st rd last year and has nothing to defend. Plus only loses 65 IW points, which was so long ago that she lost more points from the 125K that was played there the week before.
4.Badosa- 9-4 since USO, she is the one question mark. Unclear if she will be cleared in time for both Grampians and AO, this is a blow to someone showing Top 50 talent.
5.Mertens- Pulled out of Abu Dhabi with a bad shoulder. Better than the illness designation that Ferro and Muchova has, but she would have been a favorite, as she has been QF or better in at least one event in Australia every year. Minor red flag is that these are 500 events, and 7 of her 8 singles finals have been at 250 level. Also gets Klepac instead of Sabalenka for doubles.

Sat Jan 30, 05:32:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Those old seasons were always crazily scheduled. It's no wonder many top players didn't travel to AUS for the major most of those years. Hmmm, if they had, maybe Australia would have been spared Court being given that award this month.

QUIZ: went with Wimbledon because I didn't *think* she ever had.

I generally find those public proposal videos a bit tiresome/repetitive, but kudos to that guy on the planning for that one. ;)

=ITF update=
Pastry Harmony Tan defeated Swarmette Jaqueline Cristian to take the Andrézieux-Bouthéon $60K. Wild card Tan had earlier defeated #5 Tereza Martincova and #4 Katarina Zavatska. It's the 23-year old seventh career title. Urszula Radwanska qualified and reached the SF in this event.

Spainish qualifier Irene Burillo Escorihuela defeated Grace Min in the $60K Rome final, winning her third career ITF crown (first since '17). IBE had come back back from 5-0 in the 3rd set to defeat Ana Sofia Sanchez in the semis. She also defeated Robin Montgomery (QF) along the way.

Cairo's $15K title went to Slovakia's Chantal Skamlova (27), her first challenger win in four years; and 20-year old Swiss Simona Waltert won her fifth career ITF crown in Manacor ($15K).

=Jr.=
Robin Montgomery (Rome $60K) and Alexandra Eala (Manacor $15K) reached singles QF.

Just because (via CollegeTennisRanks)...

=Current Top 10 former college players=
1. #24 Jennifer Brady (UCLA)
2. #43 Danielle Collins (Virginia)
3. #102 Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov (Okla.St./Fla.Atlantic)
4. #108 Kristie Ahn (Stanford)
5. #130 Mayar Sherif (Pepperdine/Fresno St.)
6. #132 Astra Sharma (Vanderbilt)
7. #143 Francesca Di Lorenzo (Ohio State)
8. #172 Nicole Gibbs (Stanford)
9. #197 Samantha Murray (Northwestern)
10. #203 Robin Anderson (UCLA)

Hmmm... trade possibility? Jags' #1 pick (and some combination of other things, of course) to Houston for Watson.

Sun Jan 31, 03:40:00 PM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

You know I like that college list.

Now questionable for AO? Flipkens, Hibino and Diyas, as all pulled out of this week's events. Note that Grampians has not started, and Badosa is not in draw.

Escorihuela has her points this week. Not a given, as Eala's points are now on a week late. L.Fruhvirtova's were late a couple of weeks ago.

Jags- Want the current Clemson QB from GA, instead of the former.

PS-Does Bobby Beathard have disciples in the Rams front office?

Mon Feb 01, 11:34:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

You know, with the incredible seasons streak *without* a 1st Round pick the Rams have got going, you'd almost think so.

Washington actually *does* have a Beathard guy -- as well as another who was signed as a player by a Beathard guy -- in the front office now. Not sure if that means *they'd* be willing to sell a farm-load of 1st's to get a QB or not. I'm afraid they might dismantle the defensive line -- esp. the best DE combo the team's had in 30 years -- in a potential deal along with it. :/

You've got a lot of DC radio hosts pushing to get Watson -- even at the expense of giving up Chase Young (uh, *no*) -- on the belief he'd make them a SB contender (in the NFC, so...) next year even if the defense was given a gut-punch in a trade-away. But, really? Watson is very good, but is he *that* sort of a QB, even with this career prime probably a few seasons off? I know I'm not *sure* of it, and I think you'd *need* to be.

After 20 years of seeing the team screwed into ground, I just think way too many people are a little too willing to roll the dice right when there's a little light at the end of the tunnel.

After how much the Lions got for Stafford, it seems like the Watson price tag would be too insane for anyone to jump on (barring the #1 pick QB notion to lessen things a *bit*... though I figure Urban Meyer would think he wouldn't need to make a drastic QB move right out of the gate w/ Lawrence sitting there to be had). If it happens with *some* team, it seems like it'll be a jaw-dropper that had *better* work, or everyone will be fired within 2-3 years.

Mon Feb 01, 11:36:00 PM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

And Yastremska loses another appeal and will be out of the AO.

Again, they *never* give any breaks. Even if it eventually gets overturned, the punishment will have been imposed, and the doping agencies will never admit to having been anything other than right (and will probably try to suspend her longer).

She should have just stayed home, but she's been pretty tone-deaf about a lot of things over the past year, so...

Wed Feb 03, 01:01:00 PM EST  
Blogger Diane said...

And she--and not the agencies--will be blamed for any fallout.

Wed Feb 03, 09:19:00 PM EST  
Blogger Hoergren said...

Sorry for this complaint which is following. Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka have also retired and made a so-called walkover. I think it's a little strange that you allow it, because the so-called injuries the players claim to have do not last. If in a worry players should line up for the announced match and at least lose to the other player. As I have previously suggested, you should introduce a playing quarantine of about 5 days so people can recover IF they are injured. This is to make fun of people who pay to watch the sport. If a player thinks that the subsequent tournament is more important than the one you are registered for, then you must withdraw before the tournament starts as, for example, Bianca Andreescu has done, who as you know did not show up this week. But maybe I'm the only one who thinks this?

Sat Feb 06, 07:13:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Well, since this event will finally be starting in 12 hours, might as well get this in before the upsets start.

10 On the Up Side.

1.Mertens- Less about this week, and more about last year. The last 3 years, the previous year's leader in wins(Wozniacki,Pliskova,Barty) reached SF or better here, and that applies to Mertens. Plus reaching the final here, like Osaka and Azarenka did in the New York leadup helps. Also, she's due. Henin's first slam final was her 5th career final, and for Clijsters, it was her 7th. This would be her 10th.
2.Halep- Back scares me, but isn't she always nicked up before a slam? If it really were a problem, she would not have taken a WC for doubles.
3.Osaka- Best pick from the redemption quarter. Seriously, every player coming off injury or retirement showed up in the 3rd qtr. Normally this happens because of Serena, but since she skipped the French, she, along with Swiatek and Andreescu, won their last slam match. Always a threat on hard, has a chance to do her US-AO double again.
4.Sakkari- The most consistent player this season. Should be QF at worst, which would be a first after 2 4th rd last year. Another goal for this season? Reach 13, and become the highest ranked woman from Greece, as Daniilidou was 14.
5.Collins- Hit 3 consecutive aces against Pliskova, and her serve is now about 105. It has become a weapon, and with a probable rematch, has a fighting chance. Her mission? To play as well the rest of the year the way she does in Australia.
6.Bolsova- Not built for a deep slam off of clay, the stiffness in her game gives her chance for an upset. With a playing style close to Oprandi, she throws people off. The weird thing is that she is good at net, but she acts like she is allergic to the service box, so don't expect her there once a match.
7.Boulter- Used her PR to get in, yet has 3 more WTA wins that Andreescu in the past year. More importantly for her, she has the same amount of wins as Andreescu here-1. They both got them in 2019, when Boulter-97, was higher ranked than Andreescu-106.
8.Marino- Almost impossible, but she gets someone lower ranked than her. Due to Wang Xiyu getting COVID, her WC was given to Birrell a week ago. So Marino should be favored to get her first WTA MD win since beating Garcia Perez in Quebec City-2018, an event that does not exist anymore. Her last out of Canada? Before her retirement in 2011- Luxembourg- Pavlyuchenkova.
9.Li- Junior Wimbledon RU has her breakout event. She gets screwed without a chance to play for a final, but all 4 SF did. Kontaveit, Brady and Sakkari each only have one title, while Li has none. Would have been nice for their careers to win, plus good publicity for the tour that, believe it or not, has other players besides Williams and Osaka.
10.Bouzkova- Tough draw, but rounding into shape. Will be a tough out, and as a defensive player, her serve is now more useful.

Sun Feb 07, 08:08:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

10 On the Down Side.

1.Sabalenka- Realistically, she should be on your favorites list. The red flag is the venue. After lasting 2 matches at "Cincinnati", she only lasted 2 at the Open. This week, she played one.
2.Mladenovic- This was originally about singles, where she isn't a threat since 4 of her last 5 wins have been against players ranked below 100. Also on a 3 match losing streak. Now due to injury, she is skipping doubles, which was a decision made easier because she won last year and cannot gain any points. What this does is put Babos/Mladenovic on the clock, as this felt similar to the end of Vesnina/Makarova. Speaking of Vesnina, she is coming back, so might Babos/Vesnina happen? I'm trying to speak that into existence.
3.Stosur- Slight underdog to Aiava, she is on a 5 match LS, and has gone 2-9 since reaching the Guangzhou final. Needs matches.
5.Strycova- Way overranked in terms of her current singles play, she needed a seed, but missed by 2. On a 5-10 stretch, she's already dropping hints that if the Olympics are played, this may be her final year. One this that stuck out- she won't be a doubles only player.
6.Vekic- Play has been uninspiring as of late, but as someone who played under the roof at Wimbledon and Nottingham, she has a fighting chance if she can get on a show court.
7.Shvedova- She's playing both singles and doubles, and that is a good thing. However, 5 match LS in singles leaves her looking for first win since Nurnberg 2017. The silver lining is that in her last match, she made it to 3 sets for the first time since her return.
8.Rybakina- Has a questionable back issue, and is a slight underdog to Zvonareva. One of the many players not in mid season form yet.
9.Sorribes Tormo- Good enough to win a couple of matches, she has the worst draw. Has played 14 slams and has never made it to the 3rd rd. That should finally happen this year, but she would need some luck to have it happen this week.
10.Rodionova- Looking for her 2nd MD win here in her 5th attempt. Only reason she is on this list, is that she plays her BFF Brengle. No word on if either are bringing mini bottles to celebrate this matchup.

Sun Feb 07, 08:31:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

4.Yastremska- She was removed, so I left her out on purpose.

Sun Feb 07, 08:33:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

D-
Exactly.


H-
I think this was probably to be expected, what with the AO lead-up being almost event-less, then players having to play the week before a slam (which most top stars wouldn't do), and then the one-day delay mid-week just made it that much more worse than usual. I *is* a bad look, though. :/


C-
And Boulter has almost as many wins as Sloane in the last year, and she hasn't even been out injured. ;)

Felt like I *had* to pick Sabalenka into the final just because of my preseason picks. Otherwise... I don't know.

Sun Feb 07, 05:23:00 PM EST  

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