AO.1 - One for Seven
Seven. ??@TomBrady | #SBLV pic.twitter.com/HtrQfYRnNA
— NFL (@NFL) February 8, 2021
And when the Super Bowl and Day 1 of the Australian Open overlap for the first time ever, I'd say that's as good a connection as any.
"Feeling like having a hole punched into your chest.@BeccaMarino90 opens up about her struggle with depression.
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 7, 2021
Watch #TCLive now? https://t.co/tPoe44TDv0@Steve_Weissman @Martina @Jon_Wertheim pic.twitter.com/gNwqIP4nMg
Having entered the qualifying (in Dubai a few weeks ago) with a protected ranking, Marino's first event since the '19 Roland Garros, the 30-year old won three matches to reach her first slam MD in eight years ('13 AO). Today, after a bit of work, she recorded her first MD victory in a major in nearly a full decade ('11 WI). After winning the opening set at love over Aussie wild card Kimberly Birrell, then racing to a lead in the 2nd, it appeared that Marino might end up being the very first player to reach the 2nd Round at this Australian Open. But, come now, it wasn't going to back *that* easy. Marino led 6-0/5-4 and had a MP to be the first to advance. But when she failed to convert it, #3-seeded Naomi Osaka slipped in through the back door and converted *her own* MP to defeat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1/6-2 (the Russian had reached the QF in three of the last four AO, so this was an oh-so-Pavlyuchenkovian exit) to become the maiden player to advance. About a minute later, Marino had another MP. Nope. Birrell held for 5-5. Soon, Camila Giorgi ousted Yaroslava Shvedova (in her first slam since '17) to become the second to go through. Shvedova's fellow Kazkah, Zarina Diyas, had triple MP on Tamara Zidansek at 40/love moments later. She became the third to advance while Marino was still having a hard time converting match points (two more in game #12). Not long after that, 40-year old Venus Williams took down Kirsten Flipkens, making her the fourth woman to advance (and the fifth oldest to ever win a slam match) as she notched a 1st Round victory for the just second time in her last seven appearances in majors. Meanwhile, Marino and Birrell went to a 2nd set TB.
Vintage @Venuseswilliams ?
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 8, 2021
The American advances through to the second round with a 7-5 6-2 win over Flipkens.#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/11WKTtBFdQ
Reporter: "Look at you continuing to play at this high level, what do you think is behind that?"@Venuseswilliams: ???????#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/nZDCtRYHnS
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 8, 2021
At 40 years and 249 days old, Venus Williams the 5th oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles match.
— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) February 8, 2021
Beats Kirsten Flipkens 75 62 in straight sets. "I was trying to do more of the stuff that was working and less of what wasn't."
Obsessed with the perspective.#AusOpen
Marino fell behind Birrell 4-2 in the TB, but scrambled back to hold MPs at 7-6, 8-7 and 9-8. Birrell saved them all. With the breaker knotted at 9-9, elsewhere, Caroline Garcia defeated Polona Hercog to become the fifth woman to reach the 2nd Round. Finally, moments later, Marino held another MP (#8) at 10-9 before finally winning 6-0/7-6(9) to become the sixth to advance after having been a point away from being the very first. But, hey, who's counting?
REBECCA MARINO. ??
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) February 8, 2021
It’s the feel-good story we just can’t get enough of. The Vancouverite overcomes Kimberly Birrell 6-0, 7-6(9) to reach the second round of the #AusOpen
Brilliant play. Proud of you @beccamarino90! pic.twitter.com/B9YaHa1oYY
Of course, with every moment of great triumph usually comes one of great disappointment (I mean, unless you lie about it for months and pretend it didn't happen... but that's a whole *other* story, I guess). Such a thing came for Angelique Kerber in the early going on Monday, as the #23 seed and '16 AO champ was knocked off by Bannerette Bernarda Pera to become the "First Seed Out" of this slam. Pera led 6-0/3-0 before finally putting away the German 6-4 in the 2nd. It's just Kerber's second 1st Round loss in Melbourne since 2013, where she'd reached at least the AO Round of 16 seven of the last eight years.
?? Upset alert! ??@bernarda_pera stuns 2016 champion Kerber, toppling the 23rd seed 6-0 6-4 to advance to the second round.#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/NO6n5X366l
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 8, 2021
...meanwhile, #10 Serena Williams -- in a nifty new outfit -- became the first woman to play 100 singles matches at the Australian Open, winning for the 88th time (also a record, and behind only Federer's 102 victories overall) with a 6-1/6-1 domination of Laura Siegemund. On Laver, natrually.
A swift win ?@serenawilliams defeats Siegemund, 6-1, 6-1.#AO2021pic.twitter.com/Ksqs0XBwCj
— wta (@WTA) February 8, 2021
?? x @serenawilliams #AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/Ed0vN88dsr
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 8, 2021
...did you know that at least one women's "lucky loser" has posted a 1st Round victory at a major in every single season going all the way back to 2003? That surely *seems* to be at least a tad surprising, right? Even 2020 couldn't deal a blow to that odd run, either, despite there being no LL's at last year's AO, no Wimbledon at all, no U.S. Open qualifying and just one LL in the RG draw. That woman, Astra Sharma, got a single MD win in Paris to keep the streak alive. Anna Karolina Schmiedlova took care to things "right quick" at this AO on Day 1, putting away qualifier Mayo Hibi in straight sets (after the 1st lasted well over an hour) to get her first MD win in Melbourne since 2015. Ah, but it's Schmiedy's *second* straight slam with a MD victory (she reached the RG 3rd Rd. in '20) after suffering through a streak of twelve consecutive MD losses in majors that had stretched back to 2016. ...after making her return to tennis after a three year absence and reaching the U.S. Open QF and RG 3rd Round last season, qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova didn't have such luck today in what has been her worst major (never past the 2nd Rd. in now 13 appearances), losing to one of the few players more consternating to play than herself -- Hsieh Su-wei. She fell to her fellow veteran 7-5/6-2. ...#19 Marketa Vondrousova comes into this AO looking to advance past the 2nd Round in a major for the first time since her RG final run in '19. She got one round closer to making that a reality with a win today over Rebecca Peterson. Of course, she had to battle back from a 6-2/3-1 hole to do it, winning 2-6/7-5/7-5. Other seeded players weren't so lucky in the first half of action on Monday, though, as #30 Wang Qiang lost to qualifier Sara Errani, and #24 Alison Riske fell to Anastasia Potapova. The Russian is playing in her first major since the '20 AO, having missed all of the Restart last season due to ankle surgery. #15 Iga Swiatek got her eighth straight slam win with a straight sets victory over Arantxa Rus.
— Iga Swiatek (@iga_swiatek) February 8, 2021
...in the afternoon in Melbourne, after 467 days away, #8 Bianca Andreescu *finally* returned to action after her WTAF knee injury, pandemic sidelining, foot injury and then (one final) delay with her late withdrawal from the pre-AO Melbourne Grampians event last week. Early on, the Canadian looked like her old self, taking the first set from LL Mihaela Buzarnescu.
BREAK, Bianca.
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) February 8, 2021
These forehands are ??
Up 4-1* in the first set. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/GWo8MMVu2h
The @Bandreescu_ Drop Shot™ is back too.
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) February 8, 2021
???? pic.twitter.com/y2MgflvI04
As Buzarnescu settled in, Andreescu's rust showed a bit in the 2nd as the Romanian forced a 3rd. The two remained on serve well into the set, then... well, there she was. Reminiscent of the lifting of her game at the most crucial times during her '19 U.S. Open run, Andreescu dug herself out of a love/40 hole to hold for 4-3, then broke Buzarnescu a game later. She then served things out at love for a 6-2/4-6/6-3 victory, Andreescu's first in a major since she defeated Serena in the final at Flushing Meadows some *seventeen* months ago.
LET’S GO. ??
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) February 8, 2021
Bianca Andreescu recovers from 0-40 to hold for 4-3 in the third set.
Massive play to save all three break points. It’s getting tense. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/u0Nl4xVEJz
Andreescu on soaking in the win after the match: “It means a lot. I took 15 months off. I’ve been through quite a bit in those 15 months. It wasn’t easy. That moment over there was me realizing it’s all worth it.”#AusOpen
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) February 8, 2021
Up next is... hmm, Hsieh Su-wei. (!!) ...in the later, non-big stage night matches, still to play on Monday, #7 Aryna Sabalenka and #17 Elena Rybakina will try to kick off what they hope will (finally) be their slam breakthrough events. ...in the scheduled evening match-ups on Night 1, still to finish are #9 Petra Kvitova facing qualifier Greet Minnen on MCA (obviously, that's *never* going away) while #2 Simona Halep vs. Aussie wild card Lizette Cabrera on Laver.
...HOW 'BOUT WE JUST KEEP IT THAT WAY?... ON DAY 1:
After many years of @AustralianOpen Down Under, our ESPN tennis team instead is gathered at the Mother Ship for remote coverage starting Sunday 7ET with @naomiosaka followed by @serenawilliams opener about 9ET. @DjokerNole debut approx 5am ET Monday pic.twitter.com/XC1S8964hr
— Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) February 7, 2021
I mean, Tom Rinaldi finally jumped the ESPN ship. Maybe it's at long last a time when wishes really do come true.
...LIKE ON DAY 1:
Watch it again: here is the incredible Super Bowl ad featuring 23-time Paralympic medalist @JessicaLong.@Toyota #LetsGoPlaces pic.twitter.com/Fvn2inYBpO
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) February 8, 2021
...LIKE ON DAY 1:
No cape (yet?), but has Serena ever dressed more like a superhero on the court?
...FASHION HISTORY ON ON DAY 1:
On-court 'fits ??@serenawilliams | #AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/xQFQU49qrZ
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 8, 2021
Can't stop, won't stop ??@serenawilliams | #AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/LpUExVfZls
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 8, 2021
...THE RETURN OF THE *REAL* MONFILS ON DAY 1:
A 5-set thriller finishes in an upset!
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 8, 2021
10th seed Gael Monfils has been knocked out by the 86th ranked @EmilRuusuvuori ??
3-6 6-4 7-5 3-6 6-3#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/PcfsdUtOWJ
...JUST TO BE CLEAR (though the attempt at comparison of athletic feats is beyond ridiculous... do we compare a great architect with a master painter just because both undertake artistic endeavors?) ON DAY 1:
Serena Williams has 23 Grand Slam titles. https://t.co/VCsIzh2ODa
— reggie (@kidnoble) February 8, 2021
...LIKE ON DAY 1:
Congratulations to the Northshore Bengals for winning the 2021 #KittenBowl! Those last few moments were filled with tension. Loved seeing the quarterback pause to groom himself #confidence
— Diane Elayne Dees (@WomenWhoServe) February 7, 2021
Northshore Bengals cinched the 2021 Title! Kitten Bowl Winners!!
— Jessica Hughes (@condemned_free) February 7, 2021
Highlights - Kitten Bowl VIII - The Winning Play https://t.co/NQ1BUq6Rsw
...THIS YEAR IS THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11... ON DAY 1:
I would watch the hell out of a documentary that explained how your brain broke.
— Molly Jong-Fast?? (@MollyJongFast) February 7, 2021
Who'd have thought that the then-mayor of New York City, not exactly adored (to say the least) at the time but who stood up tall when it mattered most, would now be seen as the crazed zealot willing to commit unspeakable acts for an ungodly cause? At this point, it's not even sad anymore. It's just pathetic.
Ah, another slam, another "And Finally..." adventure. A year ago, a Day 1 inclusion of an old INXS video after watching one of those 1980's music videos shows on MTV right before the start of the '20 AO turned into a "Six Degrees of Michael Hutchence" series of musical selections that took an extendend detour into the David Bowie corner of YouTube before eventually taking a circuitous route that ultimately landed on an old song about Evonne Goolagong right about the time Sofia Kenin was lifting the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. So... This year I'll *start* with Bowie and go from there. It seems as natural a time as any, I guess. After all, it was five years ago this past month that Bowie died in 2016, and we're now officially into the (less-than-a-year) countdown to what would have been Brit's 75th birthday *next* January. After not yet having come up with a topic for this AO's feature a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon *these* on Instagram and the foundation was thus put down for the next two weeks of this grand slam:
Last year I higlighted Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World," and I'm going to kick things off here by doing it again. It's been one of the most durable cover song selections for any numbers of artists for decades, and pretty much every version -- including the *many* different ones put forward by Bowie himself -- is good-bordering-on-great, or at least interesting. Like this almost-spoken-word performance from Bowie:
After using the well known Nirvana cover performance in '20, here's one from a more obscure source, the French band Øllebirde in 2018:
Here's the official lyric video from the David Bowie Channel on YouTube, which continues to post performances and other items.
To be continued...
1998 vs. 2021.
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 8, 2021
Today, @Venuseswilliams took the court for her 21st @AustralianOpen. ??#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/7ByP3ZhPYS
The amount of hate, racism, and blame for COVID towards the Asian community is disgusting. The fact that this topic is not very widely covered makes me concerned. I only found videos and information because I was scrolling through my IG feed and by some algorithm it appeared.
— NaomiOsaka????? (@naomiosaka) February 7, 2021
2009 Patricia Mayr, AUS (def. Schruff)
2010 Dinara Safina, RUS (def. Rybarikova)
2011 Evgeniya Rodina, RUS (def. Rogowska)
2012 Victoria Azarenka, BLR (def. Watson)
2013 Maria Sharapova, RUS (def. Puchkova)
2014 Kirsten Flipkens, BEL (def. Robson)
2015 Julia Goerges, GER (def. Bencic)
2016 Petra Kvitova, CZE (def. Kumkhum)
2017 Monica Puig, PUR (def. Tig)
2018 Duan Yingying, CHN (def. Duque Marino)
2019 Rebecca Peterson, SWE (def. Cirstea)
2020 Paula Badosa, ESP (def. Larsson)
2021 Naomi Osaka, JPN (def. Pavlyuchenkova)
*RECENT AO "FIRST SEED OUT"*
2005 #16 Ai Sugiyama, JPN (lost to Sucha)
2006 #9 Elena Dementieva, RUS (lost to Schruff)
2007 #25 Anabel Medina-Garrigues, ESP (lost to Vesnina)
2008 #32 Julia Vakulenko, UKR (lost to Vesnina)
2009 #23 Agnes Szavay, HUN (lost to Voskoboeva)
2010 #14 Maria Sharapova, RUS (lost to Kirilenko)
2011 #28 Daniela Hantuchova, SVK (lost to Kulikova)
2012 #19 Flavia Pennetta, ITA (lost to Bratchikova)
2013 #32 Mona Barthel, GER (lost to Pervak)
2014 #7 Sara Errani, ITA (lost to Goerges)
2015 #32 Belinda Bencic, SUI (lost to Goerges)
2016 #17 Sara Errani, ITA (lost to Gasparyan)
2017 #4 Simona Halep, ROU (lost to Rogers)
2018 #13 Sloane Stephens, USA (lost to Sh.Zhang)
2019 #14 Julia Goerges, GER (lost to Collins)
2020 #32 Barbora Strycova, CZE (lost to Cirstea)
2021 #23 Angelique Kerber, GER (lost to Pera)
True statement. https://t.co/IDxvBCX9q9
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) February 7, 2021
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: Whitney Osuigwe/USA def. #22 Mihaela Buzarnescu/ROU 2-6/7-6(1)/6-2 (trailed 6-2/5-2)
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/WC/Doub.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Naomi Osaka/JPN (def. Pavlyuchenkova/RUS)
FIRST SEED OUT: #23 Angelique Kerber/GER (1st Rd.-Pera/USA)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Day 1: Stojanovic/SRB
UPSET QUEENS: xx
REVELATION LADIES: xx
NATION OF POOR SOULS: xx
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Day 1 wins: Babos, Errani, Marino (LL: Schmiedlova)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Day 1 wins: x
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: Day 1 wins: Tomljanovic
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: xx
IT (TBD): xx
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominees: Marino, Andreescu
CRASH & BURN: xx
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE: xx
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: xx
LADY OF THE EVENING: xx
"G'DAY/GOOD ON YA, MATE" AWARD: xx
DOUBLES STAR: xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: [jr. event to be held later in '21]
3 Comments:
Rybakina escapes. Match deserved a better court.
As of now, Kerber is not in either the second chance or Adelaide event.
Stat of the Day- 83- The number of women that have been Top 5 since the computer rankings started in 1975.
The legend. The myth. The reality? Bianca Andreescu is back! What should be expected of someone who missed a whole season? Well, in order to figure that out, I looked at every Top 5 player that had missed 4 consecutive slams.
*Note- Andreescu only missed 3, but a full season, so i'm going with that.
Of those 83, 25 women have missed 4 consecutive slams, with 30 instances.
Normally they fall into one of 4 categories- pregnancy, injury, suspension, or retirement. The exception is Seles. You know why.
Due to space limitations, the notes will be first, the raw data in the next post.
Stosur only missed 1 slam due to Lyme Disease.
Venus has never missed more than 2 slams in a row.
Stephens isn't on the list. Missed 3 consecutive slams, then won US Open in 2nd slam back.
Wade isn't on the list, as she played Wimbledon for 24 consecutive years.
Li is not reflected, even with her Barty type retirement. She missed 9 slams, but had not been in the main draw of any.
10 won a slam before break.
10 of 30 played all 4 slams upon return.
Only 6 won in first 4 slams upon return.
Asterisk for Errani is because this is her 4th event back.
18 of 31(including Andreescu)missed one of last 4 slams before break. So there were already problems.
Clijsters is the only woman on the list not to have won her last 4 before break, and win in first 4 after. Then did it again.
What the numbers show, is the we, and by we, I mean me, do a disservice to Clijsters 2003 season, in which she won 90 matches.
Pliskova led the tour in 2018 with 49.
Clijsters went 90-13, 6 of those losses in finals. Due to last week, you will learn more about one of her losses later this week.
Now onto the numbers.
1965-66 W-W-SF-SF Court
1968 F-A-QF-QF
1966-67 A-3R-2R-2R Stove
1969-70 2R-A-A-1R
1970-71 W-W-3R-F Court
1972-73 SF-W-W-SF
1973 W-W-SF-W Court
1975 QF-A-SF-QF
1974-75 W-A-A-W King
1977-78 QF-QF-A-QF
1976 W-A-F-F Goolagong
1977-78 W-A-SF-A
1977 A-A-QF-4R Casals
1979 1R-3R-1R-A
1979-80 SF-A-QF-QF King
1982 3R-SF-1R-QF
1982-83 QF-QF-A-QF Austin
1994 2R-1R
1987 A-A-1R-1R K.Jordan
1990 1R-1R
1992-92 W-F-W-W Seles
1995-96 F-W-QF-2R
1993 QF-QF-QF-1R Capriati
1996-97 1R-A-1R-1R
1993-94 4R-A-1R-F Navratilova
2004 1R-2R
1996 2R-4R-SF-1R Date
2009 1R-Q-1R-Q
1996-97 W-W-4R-QF Graf
1998-99 3R-4R-QF-W
1999-00 2R-2R-4R-2R Zvereva
2002 1R
2002 F-A-A-4R Hingis
2006 QF-QF-3R-2R
2003-04 F-SF-F-F Clijsters
2005-06 4R-4R-W-SF
2004 A-1R-1R-1R Dokic
2006 1R-A-Q-A
2005-06 A-1R-A-Q Dokic
2008 Q-A-A-A
2006 QF-A-A-QF Davenport
2008 2R-A-2R-3R
2006-07 SF-SF-A-SF Clijsters
2009-10 W-3R-A-QF
2007-07 W-SF-W-QF Henin
2010 F-4R-4R-A
2011-12 QF-3R-A-3R Zvonareva
2014 1R-A-3R-A
2014 1R-1R-Q-1R Barty
2017 3R-1R-1R-3R
2014-15 A-3R-A-2R Zvonareva
2017-18 Q-Q-A-1R
2015-16 4R-SF-A-QF Sharapova
2017-18 4R-3R-QF-1R
2015-16 QF-QF-QF-1R Azarenka
2017-18 4R-A-A-1R
2016-17 F-W-SF-W S.Williams
2018-19 4R-F-F-QF
2017-18 1R-A-Q-1R Errani
2020-21 Q-A-2R-*
2019 2R-2R-A-W Andreescu
2021 TBD
Most regressed. Andreescu's sample size is small, so expect more total wins, but no slam title this year.
Really interesting one: "10 of 30 played all 4 slams upon return."
It'll be interesting to see where Andreescu falls in that one by the end of '21.
You didn't include the ages of the players involved when they came back, but I suspect Andreescu (at 20) is probably the youngest returnee of the bunch, and the likely other two closest (Seles and Barty) weren't taking the traditional comeback-from-injury route, so she has the chance to put down something of a new template in this scenario.
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