Tuesday, June 08, 2021

RG.10- The Z-Train Carries Onward

"I hear the Z-Train a comin', she's rolling round the bend
Her forehand's been a burnin' like since I don't know when
She's here at Roland Garros, and her time keeps stretchin' on...
Might that Z-Train keep a rollin' all the way to Coupe Leng-len?"
[J.Cash, sort of]




Everything seeemed to be pointing in Paula Badosa's direction.

As she stood prepared to play her maiden slam quarterfinal match on Tuesday, the Spaniard led the tour in clay court wins (17) this spring, recently won her maiden title, upset the world #1, was seeded at a major for the first time (at #33, after another seed pulled out late), slid into #2 Naomi Osaka's spot in the draw when the AO champ withdrew after the 1st Round, saved a MP in the 3rd Round last week against Ana Bogdan, experienced a subtle deja vu-ish moment when she (fatefully?) faced Marketa Vondrousova a round ago after having also done so en route to her junior Roland Garros title six years ago, and came into the day looking to extend her active winning streak to double-digits.

After enduring a 22-day hard quarantine in Melbourne after first being confined to her hotel room after a member of her flight to Australia tested COVID positive, then doing so herself seven days into her lockdown, the 23-year old's game has since found its groove between the lines. Off it, she was opening up about her struggles to overcome the early career pressure to succeed that had accompanied her successful junior career. Through it all, Badosa has been one of the triumphs of the spring, and she seemed on the verge of something more in an event where sudden stardom has become common over the course of the last few years.

But none of that dealt with Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek, the snowboarder-turned-#85-ranked player's lethal forehand, nor Badosa's inability to keep away from it at the most important moments of their match on Day 10.

It was Badosa who broke into the lead in the opening set, taking a two-break lead after three games of play. But Zidansek increased her aggressiveness, much of it centered around her best shot, a forehand that the Spaniard's (generally well-placed but) one-dimension slice serve went to far too often, allowing Zidansek to take control of the early portion of rallies. It also didn't help that Badosa's gameplan didn't seem to focus on feeding shots to her opponent's backhand and forcing her to win with her second-best shot. Badosa was able to get her break advantage back at 4-3, but couldn't back it up. She held a BP on Zidansek at 5-5, courtesy of a backhand winner into the corner. But Badosa failed to convert it, then saw the Slovenian's forehand drop shot get the hold. Badosa's miss on a drop shot on her opponent's second set point in game #12 allowed Zidansek to sneak in and grab what had been a winnable set from the Spaniard's POV. It would prove to be a key missed opportunity.

In the 2nd, it was Zidansek who let one slip away. With her forehand again leading the way, she broke Badosa in games #4 and #6, only to see her 3-1 and 4-2 edges evaporate when she couldn't hold her own serve in the games that followed her service breaks. With the semifinals in sight, Zidansek seemed to tighten up and pull back on her aggressive tactics. Badosa took full advantage, stringing together a 10-point winning streak that gave her a chance to serve out the set. Zidansek pulled within 30/30 in the Spaniard's service game, but Badosa held for 6-4.

Badosa's games won streak hit six early in the 3rd, as she broke Zidansek to open the set and then held for 2-0. But it was then that the Slovenian arrested her slide and got things back on serve. Tied at 4-4 in the set, the two women were knotted at 92 points apiece for the match. Zidansek's ace for 30/love powered her way to a 5-4 lead. Badosa held at love, then while again serving to stay in the match two games later overcame a DF to make it 6-6 as Zidansek engaged in another match (after her 9-7 3rd set win over #6 Bianca Andreescu in the 1st Round) forced to go extra games because neither woman could fully separate from the other.

Game #13 proved to be the key in determining the winner.

A Zidansek DF put her down 15/40, but with the chance to serve for the semifinals just one point away Badosa continued to allow the Slovenian's forehand to breathe gulps of life into her efforts. The Slovenian hit back-to-back forehand winners to save BP, but DF'd to give the Spaniard another. That's when those two missed BP chances came back to haunt Badosa, as a Zidansek shot took a bad bounce near the baseline, skipping under Badosa's racket to save her service game. Still holding on in the crucial moment, Zidansek fired three more forehand winners in the game, with the last -- on her fourth GP -- securing the hold for 7-6. Badosa wouldn't recover from *this* lost opportunity.

A poorly executed drop shot and two more errors put Badosa behind 15/40 a game later. Zidansek missed wide on an angled forehand attempt to end the match on her first MP, but didn't on her down the line forehand a point later. It was her 48th winner on the day, and 39th put away by her forehand. Her 7-5/4-6/8-6 win made her the first Slovenian to ever reach a slam singles semifinal, and will (at least) secure her place in the Top 50 for the first time at the conclusion of this RG.



Once again proving just why she's climbed out of what was starting to become a disappointing pro career, Badosa was thoughtful in defeat, grateful for the opportunity, and likely will be tactically smarter the next time out when facing a player blessed with a killer shot that should be avoided at all costs rather than consistenly given oxygen over the course of a long, close match. If the Spaniard had just kept one of every three (heck, maybe four) forehand winners out of the Slovenian's sweet spot -- especially in Badosa's serve games -- it might be *she* who'd be moving on to try to knock down yet another career obstacle. At least she and coach Javier Marti know what to work on to take the next step.



As for Zidansek, a year after then-#54 Iga Swiatek became the lowest-ranked RG finalist in the Open era, Zidansek is a win away from "besting" that by more than thirty ranking spots and becoming the eighth unseeded women's finalist in Paris since 1968 (but the fourth in five years).

I mean, if she can stop smiling long enough to take her shot.






=DAY 10 NOTES=
...after yesterday's women's matches turned into across-the-board straight sets contests, the Zidansek/Badosa extended 3rd set was a trend picked up in the second QF of Day 10 between Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Rybakina.

In a big-hitting contest between two players who are still alive together as doubles partners at this RG, Pavlyuchenkova sought to erase the zero from her career 0-6 mark in slam QF, while a win from the Russian-born Kazakh Rybakina would make her first from her adopted nation to reach a slam semifinal. Whichever woman won would be the first born in Russia to reach the final four of a major since Elena Vesnina's Wimbledon run in 2016, ending a drought of seventeen consecutive slams. In the end, the more experienced player proved to have the edge.



Rybakina took the early lead in the 1st, but her 4-1 advantage disappeared as Pavlyuchenkova forced things to a TB. But Rybakina again got off to the quicker start, leading 5-0 and winning 7-2.

The Russian took the 2nd set, then got an early break in the 3rd to lead 2-0, but Rybakina surged to briefly hold a break lead of her own at 3-2. Pavlyuchenkova immediately got things back on serve, and had the serve-first edge as the set was pushed into extra games, with Rybakina having to hold to stay alive while a game down. The Kazakh held routinedly at 15 from 4-5 and 5-6 down, then ralled from 15/30 at 6-7 to keep the match going, but faltered down the final stretch.

Down MP at 8-7, Rybakina closed the match with a DF that handed Pavlyuchenkova the 6-7(2)/6-2/9-7 victory.



The tightness of the contest was apparent, just as with the day's previous match, and the final stats showed just how close they were, as well as the difference in the match. Rybakina's 46 winners were matched by Pavlyuchenkova's 44, but the Kazakh's 43 unforced errors (vs. the Russian's 28) proved to be just a few too many. Pavlyuchenkova broke Rybakina twice as many times (6 to 3) as she lost her own serve, as well as having more than twice as many (17 to 7) BP opportunities on the day. While both had similar first serve win percentages (AP 69-67), Rybakina's 52% first-serve-in percentage (vs. the Russian's 69%) put her tougher situations, and led to six overall DF (they both had five aces).

...#2-seeds Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova won the all-Czech QF match-up with Karolina & Kristyna Pliskova.



Meanwhile, #14 Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Iga Swiatek, off their seven MPs saved win over top-seeded Hsieh/Mertens, advanced to the semis (it's a return trip for Swiatek, as she did the same last year w/ Nicole Melichar while winning the singles) with a win over #11 Jurak/Klepac.

In MX, after Desirae Krawczyk & Joe Salisbury received a walkover into the final from Giulana Olmos/Juan Sebastian Cabal, they were joined by Elena Vesnina and Russian countryman Aslan Karatsev, who defeated #3-seeds Demi Schuurs/Wesley Koolhof.



Krawczyk reached the RG women's doubles final a season ago with Alexa Guarachi, and is 2-2 in WTA WD finals this season. She's seeking her maiden slam title. Vesnina will be going for a second MX crown ('16 AO) to go along with the three WD (at three different majors) she won with Ekaterina Makarova. Vesnina/Makarova came up an AO title short of a Career MX Slam, as they lost in two finals in Melbourne.

...in junior play, Spain's Ane Mintegi del Olmo, who nearly upset Kristina Mladenovic a few weeks ago, defeated #8 Natalia Szabanin (HUN), while Czech Linda Noskova knocked off #10-seeded Hordette Maria Bondarenko. Belarusian #7-seed Kristina Dmitruk defeated Bannerette Ashlyn Krueger.

With the final sixteen set, five girls hail from Russia, two each from the Czech Republic and U.S., and single representatives from seven other nations, including #1 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva from Andorra, and #6 Oceane Babel of France. If Babel, who led Elina Svitolina 5-2 and served for a set in the 1st Round in the women's MD, were to win she'd be the second consecutive Pastry to take the RG juniors crown, following Elsa Jacquemot (the first home winner since Mladenovic in '09) last year.






*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#24 Coco Gauff/USA vs. Barbora Krejcikova/CZE
#17 Maria Sakkari/GRE vs. #8 Iga Swiatek/POL
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS def. #21 Elena Rybakina/KAZ
Tamara Zidansek/SLO def. #33 Paula Badosa/ESP

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
#14 Mattek-Sands/Swiatek (USA/POL) def. #11 Jurak/Klepac (CRO/SLO)
Begu/Podoroska (ROU/ARG) vs. Martic/Rogers (CRO/USA)
Linette/Pera (POL/USA) vs. Pavlyuchenkova/Rybakina (RUS/KAZ)
#2 Krejcikova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE) def. Pliskova/Pliskova (CZE/CZE) vs.

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
Krawczyk/Salisbury (USA/GBR) vs. (PR) Vesnina/Karatsev (RUS/RUS)

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN 6-4/6-3

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED) def. #2 Kamiji/Whiley (JPN/GBR) 6-3/6-4

*GIRLS SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva/AND vs. Sebastianna Scilipoti/SUI
Linda Noskova/CZE vs. Ane Mintegi del Olmo/ESP
#4 Diana Shnaider/RUS vs. Darja Vidmanova/CZE
Michaela Laki/GRE vs. #5 Robin Montgomery/USA
#6 Oceane Babel/FRA vs. Erika Andreeva/RUS
#13 Madison Sieg/USA vs. #3 Polina Kudermetova/RUS
#7 Kristina Dmitruk/BLR vs. #9 Oksana Selekhmeteva/RUS
Mara Guth/GER vs. Polina Iatcenko/RUS

*GIRLS DOUBLES QF*
#1 Eala/Selekhmeteva (PHI/RUS) vs. x/x
x/x vs. x/x
x/x vs. x/x
x/x vs. x/x






...LIKE ON DAY 10:




...WELL... ON DAY 10:




...AS FAR AS COACHING CHANGE ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE CONCERNED... ON DAY 10:

This Roland Garros is starting to feel like a second offseason...








Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling won the French Championships three consecutive years from 1935-37.

The Essen-born Krahwinkel married Dane Svend Sperling in 1933. The Danish tennis federation has contended that she declared in January 1934 that from that point she would be representing Denmark, but both the French Championshps and International Tennis Hall of Fame maintain that there was no mid-career change and list her as playing for Germany during the Weimar Republic era of her early career (until 1933), as well as then-Nazi Germany during the bulk of it (including her three-year run in Paris).



Employing an attacking counterpuncher's game that revolved around her speed, Sperling is said to have worn down her opponents. U.S. player Helen Jacobs wrote that she was the third best player she ever played, behind only Suzanne Lenglen and Helen Wills Moody.

Said Jacobs, "Height and limb were two of her greatest assets. Where the average woman player covered the baseline in five strides, Hilde covered it in three. To lob against her required a shot of sufficient height and depth to evade the reach of the average man; and to pass her along the sidelines meant eluding a racquet that appeared to extend across the alley."

Not everyone agreed. In 1938, Allison Danzig wrote, "She is one of the best yet most hopeless looking tennis players I have ever seen. Her game is awkward in the extreme, limited to cramped unorthodox ground strokes without volley or smash to aid her, yet she has been the most consistent winner in women’s tennis each year since 1934. She is another proof of that great tennis truth that it is where and when you hit a tennis ball, not how, that wins matches."

Even so, many consider Sperling to be the second-best German women's player behind only Steffi Graf. Though, in recent years, former #1 and three-time slam champ Angelique Kerber -- whose own game has similiarities to the description of Sperling's -- has likely entered that conversation. Sperling is one of only four women to win the French title three straight years, joined by only Wills Moody, Monica Seles and Justine Henin.

1933 Margaret Scriven/GBR
1934 Margaret Scriven/GBR
1935 Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling/GER
1936 Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling/GER
1937 Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling/GER
1938 Simonne Mathieu/FRA
1939 Simonne Mathieu/FRA




Nearly unbeatable on clay, Sperling lost just one match on the surface from 1935-39, to Simonne Mathieu in Beaulieu, France in 1937. Despite the short 7-5/6-1 scoreline, the match took 2:45 due to the long rallies. Two games alone lasted an hour. Mathieu ended up 1-19 in her career against the German/Dane.

Sperling wasn't quite as proficient on the grass, reaching the Wimbledon final twice and the semis four additional times (the last in 1939 in her final slam appearance), though never winning the title.



More from Jacbobs: "Hilde’s strokes were made in the same manner that the direction of the ball was concealed until it left her racquet. ... Neither by footwork, body-position nor the position of the racquet was it possible to tell whether the shot would be cross-court or down the line. I think that was one of the most disconcerting features about her game."

Sperling's last international singles title came at the 1950 Scandinavian Covered Courts Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark when she was 41 years old. She died in Sweden in 1981 at age 72, and was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013. To be continued...















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*RECENT FIRST-TIME SLAM SEMIFINALISTS*
=2019=
AO: Danielle Collins/USA
RG: A.Anisimova/USA, A.Barty/AUS (W), M.Vondrousova/CZE (RU)
WI: Barbora Strycova/CZE, Elina Svitolina/UKR
US: Bianca Andreescu/CAN (W), Belinda Bencic/SUI
=2020=
AO: Sofia Kenin/USA (W)
US: Jennifer Brady/USA
RG: Nadia Podoroska/ARG, Iga Swiatek/POL (W)
=2021=
AO: Karolina Muchova/CZE
RG: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS, Tamara Zidansek/SLO
--
POSSIBLE FIRST-TIMERS TO PLAY QF: Gauff vs. Krejcikova, Sakkari

*LOW-SEEDED RG SEMIFINALISTS - since 2010*
unseeded...Kiki Bertens, 2016
unseeded...Alona Ostapenko, 2017 (W)
unseeded...Amanda Anisimova, 2019
unseeded...Marketa Vondrousova, 2019 (RU)
unseeded...Iga Swiatek, 2020 (W)
unseeded...TAMARA ZIDANSEK, 2021
qualifier...Nadia Podoroska, 2020
#31...ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA, 2021
#30...Timea Bacsinszky, 2017
#28...Andrea Petkovic, 2014
#26...Johanna Konta, 2019
#23...Timea Bacsinszky, 2015
#21...Samantha Stosur, 2016
#21...Sara Errani, 2012 (RU)
#18...Genie Bouchard, 2014
#17...Francesca Schiavone, 2010 (W)
#13...Madison Keys, 2018
#13...Lucie Safarova, 2015 (RU)
#11...Marion Bartoli, 2011
#10...Sloane Stephens, 2018 (RU)
--
TO PLAY QF: #17 Sakkari, #24 Gauff, UN Krejcickova

*RUSSIANS IN SLAM SF - post-USSR*
20..Maria Sharapova (10-10)
8...Elena Dementieva (2-6)
5...Svetlana Kuznetsova (4-1)*
5...Dinara Safina (3-2)
4...Vera Zvonareva (2-2)*
2...Ekaterina Makarova (0-2)
1...W: Myskina
1...TO PLAY: Pavlyuchenkova
1...L: Chakvetadze,Kournikova,Likhovsteva,Petrova,Vesnina*

*RUSSIANS IN SLAM SF SINCE '04 ROLAND GARROS*
2004 RG: Dementieva, Myskina
2004 WI: Sharapova
2004 US: Dementieva,Kuznetsova
2005 AO: Sharapova
2005 RG: Likhovtseva,Petrova
2005 WI: Sharapova
2005 US: Dementieva,Sharapova
2006 AO: Sharapova
2006 RG: Kuznetsova
2006 WI: Sharapova
2006 US: Sharapova
2007 AO: Sharapova
2007 RG: Sharapova
2007 WI: -
2007 US: Chakvetadze,Kuznetsova
2008 AO: Sharapova
2008 RG: Kuznetsova,Safina
2008 WI: Dementieva
2008 US: Dementieva,Safina
2009 AO: Dementieva,Safina,Zvonareva
2009 RG: Kuznetsova,Safina
2009 WI: Dementieva,Safina
2009 US: -
2010 AO: -
2010 RG: Dementieva
2010 WI: Zvonareva
2010 US: Zvonareva
2011 AO: Zvonareva
2011 RG: Sharapova
2011 WI: Sharapova
2011 US: -
2012 AO: Sharapova
2012 RG: Sharapova
2012 WI: -
2012 US: Sharapova
2013 AO: Sharapova
2013 RG: Sharapova
2013 WI: -
2013 US: -
2014 AO: -
2014 RG: Sharapova
2014 WI: -
2014 US: Makarova
2015 AO: Makarova,Sharapova
2015 RG: -
2015 WI: Sharapova
2015 US: -
2016 AO: -
2016 RG: -
2016 WI: Vesnina
2016 US: -
2017 AO: -
2017 RG: -
2017 WI: -
2017 US: -
2018 AO: -
2018 RG: -
2018 WI: -
2018 US: -
2019 AO: -
2019 RG: -
2019 WI: -
2019 US: -
2020 AO: -
2020 US: -
2020 RG: -
2021 AO: -
2021 RG: Pavlyuchenkova
--
NOTE: 32/37 slams, 6/23 since

*UNSEEDED RG FINALISTS IN OPEN ERA*
1971 Helen Gourlay, AUS
1976 Renata Tomanova, TCH
1977 Florenta Mihal, ROU
1983 Mima Jausovec, YUG
2017 Alona Ostapenko, LAT (W)
2019 Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
2020 Iga Swiatek, POL (W)

*LOW RANKED IN SLAM FINAL - Open era*
NR - Evonne Goolagong, 1977 Australian (W)
NR - Kim Clijsters, 2009 US Open (W)
NR - Justine Henin, 2010 Australian
#181 - Serena Williams, 2018 Wimbledon
#111 - Chris O'Neil, 1978 Australian (W)
#83 - Sloane Stephens, 2017 US Open (W)
#81 - Serena Williams, 2007 Australian (W)
#78 - Betsy Nagelson, 1978 Australian
#68 - Barbara Jordan, 1979 Australian (W)
#66 - Venus Williams, 1997 US Open
--
LOW-RANKED RG WINNER: #54 Iga Swiatek, 2020

*RG "IT" WINNERS*
2006 Nicole Vaidisova, CZE
2007 Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2008 Dinara Safina, RUS
2009 Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
2010 Ons Jabeur, TUN (Jr.)
2011 Caroline Garcia, FRA
2012 Sara Errani, ITA
2013 [post-Vergeer WC champ] Sabine Ellerbrock, GER
2014 [Spaniard] Garbine Muguruza, ESP
2015 [Swarmette] Andreea Mitu, ROU
2016 [Turk] Cagla Buyukakcay, TUR
2017 [Teen] Alona Ostapenko, LAT
2018 [NextGen Hordette] Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
2019 [GenPDQ Teens] Amanda Anisimova/USA, Iga Swiatek/POL, Marketa Vondrousova/CZE
2020 [New Dane on the Block] Clara Tauson, DEN
2021 [Teen] Coco Gauff, USA







TOP QUALIFIER: Varvara Lepchenko/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #8 Iga Swiatek/POL
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: Jaqueline Cristian/ROU def. #13 Mayar Sherif/EGY 7-5/5-7/7-6(1) (Sherif saves 2 MP in 2nd, rallies from 5-3 in 3rd, but Cristian ends 3-hr. match w/ TB win)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - Tamara Zidansek/SLO def. #6 Bianca Andreescu/CAN 6-7(1)/7-6(2)/9-7 (3:20; Andreescu broke for 5-4 lead in 3rd)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Ana Bogdan/ROU (def.Cocciaretto/ROU)
FIRST SEED OUT: #26 Angelique Kerber/GER (1st Rd./Kalinina)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Hailey Baptiste/USA, Tereza Martincova/CZE, Harmony Tan/FRA
UPSET QUEENS: Slovenia
REVELATION LADIES: Czech Republic
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Germany (0-3 in 1st Rd.; Kerber FSO 2 con GS/2 of 3 RG; Siegemund 1r)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Hailey Baptiste/USA, Anhelina Kalinina/UKR, Varvara Lepchenko/USA (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Astra Sharma/AUS and Harmony Tan/FRA (2nd Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: Mihaela Buzarnescu/ROU (2r), Elena Vesnina/RUS (3r)
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Fiona Ferro, Caroline Garcia, Kristina Mladenovic, Harmony Tan (all 2nd Rd.)
Ms./Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITY: Nominee: Krejcikova, Sakkari, Zidansek
IT "Teen": Coco Gauff/USA
COMEBACK PLAYER: Sloane Stephens/USA +Nominee: Vesnina
CRASH & BURN: Ash Barty/AUS and Naomi Osaka/JPN (#1 seed ret. 2r; #2 seed w/d 2r; second time in Open era top two out before 3r)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS (early-round): Katerina Siniakova, CZE (2nd Rd.: down 5-1 in 3rd vs. V.Kudermetova, saved 2 MP)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS (mid/late-round): Nominees: Mattek-S./Swiatek (3rd Rd.-5-1 down in 3rd, saved 7 MP vs. #1 Hsieh/Mertens)
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Krawczyk, Vesnina
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS
Mademoiselle/Madame OF THE EVENING: Serena Williams/USA vs. Irina-Camelia Begu/ROU (first official night session match)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
Légion de Lenglen HONOREE: Naomi Osaka/JPN (press drama and tournament withdrawal)
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: Carla Suarez Navarro, ESP (June 1 - returned after '20 cancer diagnosis)






All for Day 10. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 6:57 PM 

1 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

Sounds like Bruneau had Team Canada commitments that he needed more time for.

Andreescu probably needs a Patrick M. type, someone that has an academy, but doesn't need to overhaul her game.

Badosa was up a break in the 1st and 3rd and didn't win either set. The impressive thing is that she almost won with her B game. Should take her less than 10 years to get to the SF.

Rybakina got blitzed in the 2nd set. Wasn't her best, but like Badosa, she will be back sooner than later.

Stat of the Day- 10- The number of 125K events won by WC.

That is out of 57. Since the category started in 2012 with 2 events, it has slowly expanded to 11 in 2019, the last full season.

With Ana Konjuh in Bol, I wondered how successful WC's are. Ironically she lost, but it was to Samsonova, who has a better ranking. Note:Fett lost, but Lukas and Mrdeza still have a mathematical chance.

WC Loss in Final:

2- Zhang Shuai
1- Catalina Castano
1- Latisha Chan
1- Caroline Garcia
1- Peng Shuai
1- Sabine Lisicki
1- Coco Vandeweghe

Now for the winners, they will be listed with title, ranking and seed. As you will see, one person stands out for having a shockingly high ranking.

125K WC Winners:

50/4 2014 Jiangxi- Peng Shuai
25/1 2015 Jiangxi- Jelena Jankovic
35/3 2015 Limoges- Caroline Garcia
49/1 2015 Carlsbad- Yanina Wickmayer
120/U 2017 Taipei- Belinda Bencic
36/1 2017 Hawaii- Zhang Shuai
162/U 2018 Newport Beach- Danielle Collins
296/U 2018 Houston- Peng Shuai
49/2 2019 Kunming- Zheng Saisai
42/1 2019 Limoges- Ekaterina Alexandrova

Collins win was notable because she defeated Q Sofya Zhuk, which was the first time a qualifier reached the final. In their next event a month later, Sara Errani became the first Q to win title.

Still waiting for the second.

Tue Jun 08, 10:43:00 PM EDT  

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