Wednesday, June 09, 2021

RG.11- Barbora's Best-Laid Plan

And on Day 11, Barbora Krejcikova once again proved that the best-laid plans of mice, men and Cocos are still capable of going awry. Her own, though, is turning out *quite* well.



Nearly two years ago, then 15-year old Coco Gauff was making her slam debut by defeating Venus Williams and playing into the Wimbledon 4th Round. Two days ago, now 17, she became the youngest slam semifinalist since 2006 (when she was two).

Meanwhile, just last fall, Krejcikova arrived in Paris for the off-schedule Roland Garros ranked #114 and searching for a sign that she should keep her dreams of being a top singles player alive for a while longer rather than "settling" for being maybe the best doubles player on tour. She, too, put on a significant run to a major Round of 16.

With this tournament's title there for the taking (even before Wednesday's second women's QF match had been played), the #24-seeded teenager and the unseeded 25-year old -- both clay court title winners this spring -- met for a berth in their maiden slam semifinal. It was Gauff who found her groove early, taking a 3-0 lead. Krejcikova got back into the set, but Gauff's game #8 break of serve gave her the chance to close out the opening set. She quickly reached SP, only to fly a backhand beyond the baseline, then netted another backhand moments later to drop serve.

In a flash, Krejcikova was suddenly back in play for the set.

Had Gauff managed to routinely hold serve, the story of this match (and, maybe, tournament ending) may very well have turned out quite differently. But she didn't and, as a result, Krejcikova, who claimed a singles career in the middle of a pandemic-scuttled schedule over the past year, would go forth to author a new and exciting chapter in her it's-not-too-late rise up the WTA ladder.

Krejickova's love hold officially knotted the set at 5-5, but Gauff held serve (with the help of, for one, a glorious passing shot off the Czech's racket and a big service winner) and carved out another SP at 6-5. She failed to convert it, or the third chance she'd have to secure the match lead moments later. On Krejcikova's GP, Gauff's long backhand sent things to a tie-break.

Gauff's DF gave Krejcikova an early mini-break edge at 3-2, but when someone in the stands talked during the Czech's backswing she netted a shot that tied things at 3-all. Gauff reached her fourth SP at 6-4 with a Krejcikova forehand error, but the Czech fired off a winner on the same wing to save it. Same with SP #5, with an angled forehand down the line. At 6-6, Gauff missed on a backhand shot and Krejcikova found herself at SP. On her first try, the Czech's wide serve set up a forehand winner that took the breaker 8-6.



While Krejcikova opened the 2nd set flashing her variety of shots, Gauff's mind seemed stuck in the previous set. Gauff reached GP in game #2, but the Czech prevailed in a rally that ended with a break and a 2-0 lead. After a love hold from Krejcikova, Gauff dropped serve at love, as well, ending the game with a DF. As she walked around the baseline, the teenager could hold it in no longer and smashed her racket on the terre battue. Krejickova's streak of points reached 15 before Gauff finally ended it, but the Czech still held to lead 5-0.

Then all the old "RoCoco" (Rollercoaster Coco) experiences from earlier this year seemed to throw Gauff a lifeline. With nothing to lose, she refused to *just* lose. An ace closed out a service game to get herself on the board, then she saved three MP (Krejcikova led 40/love) and got a break of serve. Up 30/love in game #8, Gauff still had to stave off MP #4 and #5, but got the hold to close within 5-3. Suddenly, the impossible comeback seemed a little bit possible.

But Krejcikova put her foot down. Grabbing hold of a branch and pulling herself back up the side of the cliff, she took a 30/love lead and soon had her sixth MP. She didn't need to fire off a winner to reach high ground, as Gauff sprayed a shot to end the 7-6(6)/6-3 quarterfinal. Krejcikova had yet another (singles) career accomplishment in her column, and her raised-arms "V" celebration is becoming a more and more common sight in these parts.



The second Czech to be first-time slam semifinalist this season (w/ Muchova at the AO), Krejcikova will now find herself (at least) on the outskirts of the Top 20 (#23 in the live rankings) even if her RG run ends in her next match. Just ahead of her is Gauff (#21). What Krejcikova has learned on the way to this place in her career has taken years, questions and, more recently, a leap of faith; while Gauff's singles path has seemingly been "set in stone" for quite some time, and came ever so close to becoming a reality at this RG after she's experienced -- and learned from -- what appears to be an entire career's education about highs and lows in just the last few weeks and months alone. She'll learn still more from today, too.

Depending on what Krejcikova's path turns out to be by the end of this weekend -- and she may never have a better opportunity that the one she has right now -- both the Czech and the Bannerette could ultimately rise to the same place in a major. It's just that while Gauff's future triumphs will have to wait, Krejcikova's best chance may be to fully live out her dream *right now*.






=DAY 11 NOTES=
...the day's second women's QF produced the "bigger" result, but considering that #8 seed Iga Swiatek was seemingly never quite right after a good start over the opening few games -- then was treated for an injury early in the 2nd -- the very act of #17 Maria Sakkari first ending the defending champ's 22-set run in Paris, then her 11-match winning streak, had something of a slightly anticlimactic feel to it in the end.

Still, with her bun tight, her Spartan brand in place, and the Greek press getting all it can handle at this RG (Stefanos Tsitsipas *also* alive in the men's QF *and* the son of the Greek Prime Minister in the players box), Sakkari becoming the first woman from her nation to reach the semifinals of a major in the Open era sort of carries it *own* weight. It's a good thing Sakkari has those naturally broad shoulders on which to support it all.



Swiatek jumped out to an early 2-0, 30/15 lead to start the match, but simply couldn't forestall the uncharacteristic errors that would begin to creep into her game from that point forward. In the blink of an eye, Sakkari had the set back on serve and, with a break in game #9, was serving at 5-4 to end Swiatek's set-winning streak in the tournament. At 30/30, she fired an ace to reach her first SP. Sakkari missed on a down the line shot, but got another chance after she followed up a wide serve with an unreturnable shot off the line. Displaying her great defensive speed, the Greek kept the proceding rally alive and then put away a clean backhand down the line to take the set 6-4. Commence the first pumps.



After falling behind 2-0 in the 2nd, one of the reasons for Swiatek being "off" like she hasn't been in her previous eleven matches in Paris seemed to come into view when she asked to see a trainer one full game before the scheduled changeover. After returning to the court with a new strapping on her right leg, after having lost eight of the previous ten games, the Pole held at love. Two games later, she dug herself out of a 15/40 home to hold for 2-3. But she remained a break down, and wasn't able to carve into Sakkari's serve. Sakkari held at love in game #6, then at 15 two games later.

Serving for the match at 5-4, the Greek opened the game by racing to a short ball and gently tapping it over onto Swiatek's side of the net. Next she blasted an ace, then fired a forehand winner to reach triple MP. Up until that point, she'd lost just two points on serve the entire 2nd set. Sakkari would lose the next two, but on MP #3 Swiatek's long service return ended the 6-4/6-4 match and put the Greek into the history books (maybe not for the last time this week).



Swiatek's quest to become the first repeat women's champ at RG since Justine Henin in 2007 goes unfullfiled, but the 20-year old has done more than enough since her star-making title run last fall to make it appear that she's going to be in the running for titles in Paris for most of the next decade.

Meanwhile, Sakkari has now taken out *both* of last year's singles finalist (w/ Sofia Kenin, 3r), dropped just one set through five matches in Paris and today extended her consecutive match streak to 17 without a straight sets loss. The last player to defeat her so handily? One Barbora Krejcikova, her next semifinalist opponent.

(Cue the dramatic music.)



...with today's results, all pretense has *officially* been thrown out the window. This really *is* the most wide open slam ever. For the first time in Paris om the Open (fittingly) era, four first-time major finalists will fight it out to become the *sixth* straight first-time slam champ crowned at Roland Garros.

It's only happened one other time since 1968 in *any* major, as the 1978 Australian Open featured Chris O'Neil (W), Betsy Nagelsen (F), Diane Evers and Christine Matison. All but the U.S.'s Nagelsen were Aussies, and it was your typical AO draw of the era -- i.e. few if any top players beyond #1-seed Sue Barker competing in a small 32-player field.

No Greek or Slovenian has *ever* was a major singles crown in the Open era, so both Sakkari and Zidanek can make history, while it's been 40 years since a Czech won in Paris (Hana Mandlikova '81) should Krejcikova do it now, and a title run by Pavlyuchenkova would break the record for most slam MD played in a career before winning a maiden title. The record is 49 (Pennetta '15 U.S. Open), while this is the Russian's 52nd MD.



...at least one of the singles semifinalists assured herself of a lighter workload, as Pavlyuchenkova & Elena Rybakina were eliminated in the QF by Bernarda Pera & Magda Linette in today's WD QF. In the other match today, Irina Camelia Begu/Nadia Podoroska def. Petra Martic/Shelby Rogers.



...in juniors, four Hordettes have reached the singles QF. Four of the top five seeds are still alive, with #1 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva advancing today along with #3 Polina Kudermetova, #4 Diana Shnaider and #5 Robin Montgomery.



Linda Noskova is the last remaining Czech hope, and that angle is about the only similarity there is between the junior singles draw and that of the women's. Namely, that the last Czech girls winner was *also* Hana Mandlikova, only it was in 1978.




*WOMEN'S SINGLES SF*
Barbora Krejcikova/CZE vs. #17 Maria Sakkari/GRE
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS vs. Tamara Zidansek/SLO

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES SF*
#14 Mattek-Sands/Swiatek (USA/POL) vs. Begu/Podoroska (ROU/ARG)
Linette/Pera (POL/USA) vs. #2 Krejcikova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE)

*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 QF*
#1 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva/AND vs. Linda Noskova/CZE
#4 Diana Shnaider/RUS vs. #5 Robin Montgomery/USA
Erika Andreeva/RUS vs. #3 Polina Kudermetova/RUS
#9 Oksana Selekhmeteva/RUS vs. Mara Guth/GER

*GIRLS DOUBLES QF*
#1 Eala/Selekhmeteva (PHI/RUS) vs. #5 Marcinko/Szabanin (CRO/HUN)
Barkova/Falei (RUS/BLR) vs. Alvisi/Pigato (ITA/ITA)
Hasegawa/V.Xu (JPN/USA vs. #3 Jimenez Kasintseva/Noskova (AND/CZE)
#8 Bondarenko/Toth (RUS/HUN) vs. #2 L.Fruhvirtova/P.Kudermetova (CZE/RUS)






...LIVING, BREATHING HUMAN. NOT A SCIENTIST...BUT APPARENTLY A SO-CALLED DOCTOR... ON DAY 11:




...CONGRESSMAN, (SOMEHOW) BREATHING HUMAN. NOT A SCIENTIST... ON DAY 11:




...GREAT DEFENSIVE END. ALSO NOT A CONGRESSMAN, SCIENTIST NOR DOCTOR... BUT, THANKFULLY, A GREAT DEFENSIVE END... ON DAY 11:




...YEP... ON DAY 11:




...PARTING WORDS... ON DAY 11:




...LIKE... ON DAY 11:




...COMING SOON... ON DAY 11:




...MEMORIES... ON DAY 11:




...MEANWHILE, THE *NEXT* TIME THE FFT LECTURES EVERYONE ABOUT HOW THEY KNOW BEST WHEN IT COMES TO RUNNING A MAJOR TOURNAMENT... ON DAY 11:



via GIPHY







Simonne Mathieu, one of the most beloved as well as prolific figures in French tennis history, won the French Championships twice (1938-39) and reached the singles final six more times (all *before* she finally won her maiden crown in Paris). In those finals, she was beaten by a who's-who of the era: Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling (3 times), Helen Wills Moody (2) and Margaret Scriven (1). In all, she won eleven combined slam WD/MX championship titles at the French and Wimbledon, including a sweep of the singles, doubles and mixed in Paris in 1938. Her thirteen major titles trail only Suzanne Lenglen (21) for the most in French women's tennis history.



In poor health, a 12-year old Simonne was advised to take up regular exercise. With her brother being a talented young tennis player and a member of the Stade Français, Simonne took up the sport, as well. She won the French Junior Championships in 1925, and competed in the French Championships for the first time. That same year, at 17, she married René Mathieu, son of one of the founders and secretary general of the Stade Français. A journalist and former atlete, he ran the tennis magazine Smash and was chairman of the French Tennis Federation’s Press and Propaganda Committee.

Mathieu had an impulsive personality, and it sometimes ran afoul of the strict tennis "rules." In a Monte-Carlo tournament in 1939, an umpiring error in her final against Sperling caused the French woman to walk out on the match. Additionally, her fits of anger often caused a stir at Wimbledon. After losing to Cilly Aussem in the 1931 semifinals, Mathieu left the court immediately after the match, eschewing the traditional handshake at the net.

"On the court, my opponent is my enemy," Mathieu once said.

In 1936, it was reported that after being unable to reach several shots, Mathieu threw her racket down in a rage and shouted, "Even this damned net is English!" Her language was considered a "serious breach of decorum."




After the 1939 French Championships and Wimbledon, Mathieu traveled to the U.S. to play the year's final major event in August. As she stepped onto court at the Forest Hills Tennis Club in New York, France and Great Britain were declaring war on Nazi Germany. Mathieu immediately pulled out of the event and returned to France.



French General Charles de Gaulle's Appeal of 18 June speech in London following the fall of France is considered to have represented the origin of the French Resistance in World War II and is seen as one of the most important speeches in the nation's history. Upon hearing the speech, Mathieu put her tennis career on hold and headed to London to join the Free French Forces. She was given the job of setting up her own army, an auxiliary corps of French female volunteers called the "Corps des volontaires féminines françaises (French Women’s Volunteer Corps). She became the corps’ commanding officer and dealt with recruitment and training.

On French Liberation Day on August 26, 1944, Mathieu, by then a captain in the French Army, marched up the Champs Elysées alongside de Gaulle. For her service, she was named an Officer of the Legion of Honor.


Gen. de Gaulle honors Mathieu


In September 1944 a tennis match was organized to celebrate the French liberation. French players Henri Cochet and Yvon Pétra played each other, with Mathieu returning to Roland Garros to act as the chair umpire. She wore her French Free Forces uniform for the occasion.


Cochet, Mathieu and Pétra at Liberation Match


The Roland Garros women's doubles championship trophy is named after Simonne, though her name was mispelled when the cup was engraved.



But Mathieu would be given an even greater honor later, as in 2019 the striking new Court Simonne-Mathieu debuted at the Roland Garros event, complete with an attached living garden beneath the stands. And, even better, all the signs were spelled correctly.




Mathieu died in 1980 at age 71, and in 2006 was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

1938 Simonne Mathieu/FRA
1939 Simonne Mathieu/FRA
1940 - No competition/World War II
1941 Alice Weiwers/LUX
1942 Alice Weiwers/LUX
1943 Simone Iribarne Lafargue/FRA
1944 Raymonde Jones Veber/FRA
1945 Lolette Payot/SUI
1946 Margaret Osborne duPont/USA

During the German occupation of France during World War II, no official French Championships were held. But for five years (1941-45) there was a Tournoi de France, restricted to French nationals, that took place at Roland Garros. Following the war, the French Tennis Federation did not recognize the winners of those events as "official" champions, and to this day lists RG in those years as having been "cancelled."


French player Robert Abdesselam and 1941-42 winner Alice Weiwers


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: B.Krejcikova/CZE, A.Pavlyuchenkova/RUS, M.Sakkari/GRE, T.Zidansek/SLO

*MULTIPLE UNSEEDED IN SLAM SF (OPEN ERA)*
=3=
1978 Australian - Chris O'Neil, Diane Evers, Christine Matison Dorey(Q)
1976 R.Garros - Renata Tomanova, Florenta Mihai, Virginia Ruzici
=2=
2021 R.Garros - Barbora Krejcikova, Tamara Zidansek
2020 R.Garros - Nadia Podoroska(Q), Iga Swiatek
2019 R.Garros - Amanda Anisimova, Marketa Vondrousova
2017 Australian - Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, CoCo Vandeweghe
2010 Wimbledon - Petra Kvitova, Tsvetana Pironkova
2010 Australian - Justine Henin(WC), Zheng Jie
2009 US Open - Kim Clijsters(WC), Yanina Wickmayer
1999 Wimbledon - Alexandra Stevenson(Q), Mirjana Lucic
1994 Wimbledon - Lori McNeil, Gigi Fernandez
1983 R.Garros - Mima Jauvosec, Jo Durie
1975 Australian - Natasha Chmyreva, Sue Barker
1971 R.Garros - Marijke Schaar, Helen Gourlay

*CAREER SLAM SF - active*
40 - Serena Williams, USA (33-7)
23 - Venus Williams, USA (16-7)
16 - Kim Clijsters, BEL (8-8)
8 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (5-3)
8 - Simona Halep, ROU (5-3)
7 - Angelique Kerber, GER (4-3)
7 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (3-4)
5 - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (4-1)
5 - Garbine Muguruza, ESP (4-1)
5 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (2-3)
4 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (4-0)
4 - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (2-2)
4 - Madison Keys, USA (1-3)
3 - Sloane Stephens, USA (2-1)
3 - Sara Errani, ITA (1-2)
3 - Genie Bouchard, CAN (1-2)
3 - Johanna Konta GBR (0-3)
3 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (1-2)
2 - Sofia Kenin, USA (2-0)
2 - Ash Barty, AUS (1-1)
2 - Sabine Lisicki, GER (1-1)
2 - Alona Ostapenko, LAT (1-1)
2 - Jennifer Brady, USA (1-1)
2 - Timea Bacsinszky, SUI (0-2)
2 - Elina Svitolina, UKR (0-2)
2 - CoCo Vandeweghe, USA (0-2)
1 (W) Andreescu,Swiatek,Vondrousova
1 (-) KREJCIKOVA,PAVLYUCHENKOVA,SAKKARI,ZIDANSEK
1 (L) Anisimova,Bencic,Bertens,Collins,Flipkens
1 (L) Mertens,Muchova,Peng,Petkovic,Pironkova
1 (L) Podoroska,Sevastova,Vesnina,Wickmayer

*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
unseeded...BARBORA KREJCIKOVA, 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)
#17...MARIA SAKKARI, 2021
#13...Madison Keys, 2018
#13...Lucie Safarova, 2015 (RU)
#11...Marion Bartoli, 2011
#10...Sloane Stephens, 2018 (RU)

*SLAM SF BY NATION*
[2020-21]*
6 - USA
3 - CZE
2 - JPN
1 - ARG,AUS,BLR,ESP,GRE,POL,ROU,RUS,SLO
[2021]*
2 - CZE
2 - USA
1 - GRE, JPN,RUS,SLO

*MOST WTA SF in 2021*
4 - Ash Barty, AUS (3-0+W)
4 - Paula Badosa, ESP (1-3)
4 - MARIA SAKKARI, GRE (0-3)
3 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (3-0)
3 - Garbine Muguruza, ESP (2-0+W)
3 - BARBORA KREJCIKOVA, CZE (2-0)
3 - Elise Mertens, BEL (1-1+W)
3 - Veronika Kudermetova, RUS (2-1)
3 - Coco Gauff, USA (1-2)
3 - Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, COL (1-2)

*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
NOTE: #85 Zidansek to play SF

*MOST SLAMS BEFORE FIRST TITLE*
49 - Flavia Pennetta (2015 U.S. Open)
47 - Marion Bartoli (2013 Wimbledon)
45 - Jana Novotna (1998 Wimbledon)
43 - Caroline Wozniacki (2018 Australian Open)
39 - Francesca Schiavone (2010 Roland Garros)
34 - Samantha Stosur (2011 U.S. Open)
33 - Angelique Kerber (2016 Australian Open)
32 - Simona Halep (2018 Roland Garros)
32 - Amelie Mauresmo (2006 Australian Open)
-
NOTE: Pavlyuchenkova in 52nd slam

*RG "MADEMOISELLE/MADAM OPPORTUNITY" WINNERS*
2004 Anastasia Myskina, RUS & Elena Dementieva, RUS
2005 Mary Pierce, FRA
2006 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2007 Maria Sharapova, RUS
2008 Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2009 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2010 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2011 Francesca Schiavone, ITA & Li Na, CHN
2012 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2013 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2014 Simona Halep, ROU
2015 Timea Bacsinszky, SUI & Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL
2016 Kiki Bertens, NED & Shelby Rogers, USA
2017 Simona Halep, ROU & Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2018 Simona Halep, ROU
2019 Ash Barty, AUS & Diede de Groot, NED (WC)
2020 Iga Swiatek, POL
2021 4 First-time Slam SF: B.Krejcikova/CZE, A.Pavlyuchenkova/RUS, M.Sakkari/GRE & T.Zidansek/SLO









TOP QUALIFIER: Varvara Lepchenko/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #8 Iga Swiatek/POL
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #17 Maria Sakkari/GRE (def. both '20 finalists: Kenin/Swiatek)
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): QF - Tamara Zidansek/SLO def. #33 Paula Badosa/ESP 7-5/4-6/8-6 (1st SLO slam SF; 39 forehand winners)
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: Four first-time slam SF (Krejcikova/CZE, Pavlyuchenkova/RUS, Sakkari/GRE, Zidansek/SLO)
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, WD champs
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 11. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 6:47 PM 

2 Comments:

Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

11 days... and 11 *different* lead topic players. If Sakkari wins and gets the spot tomorrow, that might be the first time I've ever "pitched a perfect game" at slam time. :P

(Of course, I know that won't happen now since I just broke the cardinal rule.)

Wed Jun 09, 07:13:00 PM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

If Vesnina wins, that might keep the streak going.

Gauff may have been up 3-0, but it was the 3-1 and 5-3 games that cost her. Too many errors and double faults when she was ahead. Just like yesterday, feels like a missed opportunity, but she will be back.

Swiatek didn't look off until 2-2. Again, seemingly everybody the last 2 days has been up a break, then given it back. Another missed opportunity, but W-QF for a 19 and 20 yr old is pretty impressive. Onto grass!

Stat of the Day- 4- Number of first time slam SF.

Final Four Stats.

Sakkari will be 9 with title, 14 with final.

Pavlyuchenkova will be 14 with title, 18-19 with final.

Krejcikova will be 15-17 with title, 21-22 with final.

Zidansek will be 23-24 with title, 32-33 with final.

Sakkari would be first woman from Greece to win or reach a final.

Zidansek would be first woman from Slovenia to win or reach final. Note-Mima Jausovec won in 1977 representing Yugoslavia.

Pavlyuchenkova would be first Russian since Maria Sharapova in 2014 to win French Open. First at any slam since same.

Krejcikova would be first Czech since Hana Mandlikova in 1981 to win French Open. First at any slam since Petra Kvitova won Wimbledon in 2014.

H2H

2-0 Krejcikova over Sakkari/1-0 clay
1-1 Sakkari/Pavlyuchenkova(Sakkari 1-0 clay)
1-0 Zidansek leads Krejcikova

0-0 Zidansek/Sakkari
0-0 Zidansek/Pavlyuchenkova
0-0 Pavlyuchenkova/Krejcikova

Top 10 Wins- Last 3 years

12- Sakkari
8 - Pavlyuchenkova
2 - Krejcikova
1 - Zidansek

None left, but each got at least one win here. No soft draws.

Clay- Last 3 years

44-11 Krejcikova
32-16 Zidansek
26-10 Sakkari
15-10 Pavlyuchenkova

WTA Only

26-10 Sakkari
26-14 Zidansek
19-7 Krejcikova
13-10 Pavlyuchenkova

Seems my crystal ball is a prism, in that I could see everybody's light shine through.

60/40 Pavlyuchenkova over Zidansek. Zidansek would be a one slam wonder if she pulls this off. Her defense to offense style means that she would be favored if it went to 3 sets. However, I think Pavlyuchenkova can do this in 2. If she does, the points will be short.

75/25 Sakkari over Krejcikova. Sakkari was impressive today, and Krejcikova struggled with her ball toss repeatedly. If Sakkari does this right, she will make this a physical match and wear Krejcikova down.

Thu Jun 10, 01:01:00 AM EDT  

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