Thursday, June 10, 2021

RG.12- Barbora et Jana

On their face, the late stages of grand slam events often don't seem so much about the journey as they do the destination. The champion lives on in history, while a great deal of the rest fades from memory over time. But, on occasion, one's story is so compelling on a basic human level that it transcends the sport and speaks to the battles -- both internal and external -- that are universal and stretch far beyond the lines on a tennis court.

One of those stories was that of Jana Novotna, the torch of whose legacy continues to be carried today by Barbora Krejcikova... all the way into the Roland Garros final.



Some twenty-three years after her lone slam singles title, and nearly four years since her untimely passing, Novotna is still finding ways to drive the narrative. Her own journey from losing a huge lead in a Wimbledon final and then crying on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent to finally triumphing years later on the same patch of grass still rates as one of the most moving tennis stories of perseverence in memory.

25-year old Czech Krejcikova, a fan-turned-protégé who the Hall of Famer took under her wing and coached before her own death from cancer in 2017, has consistently over the past few years -- as she's risen to doubles #1, won slam titles, and then picked up the racket of a near-dormant singles career in an attempt to see if she could still achieve her childhood dreams -- taken the time to honor her late mentor and countrywoman, continuing to thank her for inspiring her as a girl and believing in her, and laying down a blueprint for her to achieve her goals, often dedicating her accomplishments to her memory and, as recently as less than two weeks ago, stating after winning her maiden tour title on clay in Strasbourg (where Novotna had also claimed her first win on the surface in' 89) a belief that, "Somewhere above me, during the match, (Jana) was watching over me and she was helping me, and she really wanted me to win, so I’m really happy I was able to do it."

After winning to reach today's semifinal, Krejcikova admitted, "I always think about her. Every time I go on court, I step out of the court, I always think about her." "I'm always wondering what she would tell me after such a run, all this winning matches and everything. I'm just really sad I cannot actually hear her and she cannot really say anything."

"I think she would just tell me that she's very proud," Krejickova added.

On Day 11 against #17 Maria Sakkari, seeking to become the first Greek to reach a slam singles final (a day before countryman Stefanos Tsitsipas gets his own shot in the men's semis), Krejcikova, less than a year after arriving at this slam last fall ranked #114 and still not assured that a successful singles career would ever go beyond the "hoping" stage, needed all the help she could get. Sakkari had already upset both of last year's RG singles finalists, ending Iga Swiatek's 11-match Paris winning streak in the QF. In today's match, Krejcikova stared down a MP and survived, then was tasked with having to win the instant-classic match TWICE in order to become a maiden slam singles finalist.

That she's *still* standing may go a long way toward backing up Krejickova's notion that, somewhere in the ether, Jana is still cheering her on, and maybe even giving her a little nudge whenever possible (as long it doesn't go against the tournament's coaching rules, that is).

Early in the 1st set, it was clear that both women were playing tight. They had a difficult time holding serve and errors were commonplace. After three consecutive breaks, Sakkari finally held to go up 3-1. A game later, up love/30 on Krejickova's serve, the Greek had the chance to grab what might have been a commanding lead. A backhand return winner off a second serve gave her double BP, but she squandered both with errors then saw Krejcikova put in an ace to reach GP. The Czech double-faulted there, but still got the hold for 2-3. The game seemed to finally settle her into the match.

Krejcikova saved a Sakkari GP in the next game with a backhand slice dropshot, and the Greek's forehand miss down the line gave her a BP. On her second BP chance, Krejcikova got the break when Sakkari netted a backhand, evening the set at 3-3. Two games later, Krejcikova took a love/40 lead. Correctly anticipating a Sakkari drop shot, the Czech easily retrieved the ball and lobbed it just over the Greek's swiping racket and just inside the baseline to win her fourth straight game and go up 5-3.

But Sakkari upped her intensity in the moment, breaking Krejickova at love (the final point via a DF) when she served for the set, then she held at love to tie things at 5-all. After the Czech held serve, she got another chance at the set when Sakkari's forehand sailed long to give Krejickova a double-SP lead at 15/40. Sakkari's forehand bounced off the net cord and out as Krejickova took the 1st at 7-5.



In the 2nd set, it was the Greek who jumped out in front, breaking Krejcikova in the opening game and again in game #3, then holding for 4-0 before the Czech got on the board. Sakkari held a GP for a 5-1 lead, but pulled an open-court forehand wide. Moments later, Krejcikova moved forward to retrieve a high-bouncing drop shot and placed a backhand down the line to get the break for 4-2.

Sakkari would ultimately prevail in the set, but that Krejcikova kept a measured pace throughout after such a slow start, rallying from 15/40 to pull within 4-3, while her opponent was being irriated by what seemed to be a television broadcasting another sporting event in the French TV section higher up in the Chatrier stands, spoke much to her ability to remain calm and not allow the pressure of the moment to take her off her game and lose focus. She held to force Sakkari to serve things out, which she finally did after committing two forehand errors on her first two SP, sending a passing shot off Krejcikova's racket to win the set 6-4 and knot the match.



After emerging from a long break between sets, Krejcikova came back onto the court and held serve, but fell down a break when Sakkari won her second straight game to go up 2-1.



Throughout the 3rd set, Krejcikova edged close to pulling back even with Sakkari, but the Greek's "Spartan fight" always seemed to pull her through. Sakkari saved a BP in game #4, and seemed to be "rollin' downhill." She came back from love/30 to hold two games later for 4-2. Krejcikova kept close, forcing the Greek to play things out. Sakkari took a 30/15 lead on serve in game #8 on a line shot that Krejcikova questioned but the chair umpire wouldn't overturn (replay showed it to indeed be out, as the Czech believed), holding for 5-3.

A game later, Krejcikova missed on a backhand to go down 15/30, then faced MP when her forehand shot bounced off the net cord onto her own side of the court. A bad call and a bad bounce... surely not the sort of spiritual help from Jana that Krejcikova was hoping for. Ah, but wait.

On MP, Krejcikova followed up a shot behind Sakkari with a swing volley winner to extend the match, and held for 5-4. Still, the Greek served for a spot in the final, only to open the game with back-to-back forehand errors. She battled back to 30-all, then saved a BP with a first-shot backhand winner. But a bad drop shot gave Krejcikova another BP opportunity. Pushing Sakkari well behind the baseline, at one point nearly to the back wall, with high bouncing shots, the Czech then dragged the Greek into to sidelines, from which Sakkari netted a backhand to complete the service break and tie the score at 5-5.

Starting to take over rallies more and more with well-constructed points, Krejcikova held for 6-5 and 7-6, putting pressure on Sakkari to hold in order to stay in the match. In game #14, as Sakkari rushed the net behind a deep groundstroke, the Czech sent back a shot that dipped over the net and at the feet of the Greek. The ball tied her up, giving Krejcikova two MP. The first went away with a Krejcikova error, and the second with a Sakkari backhand winner.

A Krejcikova shot that dribbled over the net (thanks, coach?) gave her a third MP, which Sakkari promptly saved with an ace. The Greek then held for 7-7, but two games later was back having to hold to stay alive once again. Krejcikova's backhand winner down the line got the game to 30/30, and Sakkari's DF gave her a fourth MP. Sakkari's forehand sailed long and Krejcikova lifted her arms into a "V" pattern, only to hear a linesperson call the ball out. The Czech immediately went to the wayward mark and circled it. Once again, the chair umpire ran across the court to check it. Once again he failed to overturn it. Once again replay showed his decision to be wrong, as Sakkari's ball had indeed sailed well out (some 19mm).

Suddenly, with the winner of the match still playing it, nightmare scenarios and the call for rules changes regarding replays on clay were bouncing all around the grounds and the virtual tennis world.



But while others were rightfully up in arms, Krejcikova simply played on. She got a fifth MP, saved by Sakkari with a backhand winner. Sakkari even held a GP of her own. But the Greek's wide error to give Krejcikova a sixth MP finally proved to be the final bridge the Czech was forced to cross. Moving to the net to reach a short ball, Krejcikova routinely placed a backhand winner down the line and -- for the second time in a matter of minutes -- she'd advanced to her maiden slam singles final, winning the longest women's semi at Roland Garros in the Open era by a 7-5/4-6/9-7 score in 3:18 as Spartan fight was not enough to overcome the heart of a Czech (or maybe two?).



The win improved Krejcikova's 2021 mark in three-setters to 9-1, and leaves her still in contention to become the first woman to sweep the singles and doubles in Paris since Mary Pierce in 2000.



Considering the trajectory of her own tennis lifeline, Novotna might sympathize with the notion about the importance of the destination when it comes to a player's slam career. After all, her journey was never really *complete* until she lifted the Venus Rosewater dish that had so often slipped through her fingers, usually in excrutiatingly spectacular ways, and once a player is a slam champion all the struggles that came en route evaporate, immediately replaced by the grand moment that was the goal all along.

But those struggles aren't forgotten, and indeed the rocky, tear-stained road that Novotna traveled over the years preceding her Wimbledon title *made* her championship the glorious moment that it was and still is. It wouldn't have quite been the same had the clock been turned back and she'd defeated Steffi Graf (or anyone else) years earlier, rather than having the quest itself become the focal point of her career.

So strong was that quest that, in many ways, it's been reignited by and linked to Krejcikova's own. A year ago, with or without the pandemic, Krejcikova's career path didn't seem likely to lead *here*. Yet here it is. The drama of today will now be set aside, as what's important is the *next* match, but her personal journey will give whatever happens next a weight that would do something akin to opening the skies should she find herself holding up the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen on Saturday. While the Czech wished for immediate singles success in her pro career, that she had to fight for it would make that moment a truly special one.



Novotna won't be on Court Chatrier to see Krejcikova try to live out her dream but, maybe, just maybe her lingering spirit will help to make it come true.

This is Krejcikova's chance. Will it be her time?




=DAY 12 NOTES=


...the first semifinal of the day was a case of two women who'd traveled far different career paths to get there.

While unseeded Tamara Zidansek (world #85) grew up a Slovenian snowboard star before making the switch to tennis, and was never tapped as a potential slam title contender from a nation that has never had one, #31-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was a three-time junior slam winner in 2006-07 who rose up into the pro game on the heels of the Russian Tennis Revolution (made official when three Hordettes claimed consecutive slam crowns in '04) and was thus *expected* to join her countrywoman by winning multiple majors in her career.

To date, the Slovenian has yet to win her maiden tour singles title, but simply by her run into the second week in Paris has already put down a significant footprint in her nation's tennis lore. The Russian has won a full dozen, but that fact has largely been obscured by the fact that (even with previous QF runs at all four slams) her record in majors has never placed her in the position of playing for a title.

Today Zidansek lived the opportunity she likely never thought she'd have, while the Russian was finally getting hers after more than a decade-long wait (and 0-6 mark in major QF before finally getting over that hump two days ago).

The match opened with a preview of the push and pull that would characterize the contest, as Pavlyuchenkova drifted from 40/15 up to BP down. She got away with going at Zidansek's forehand to save it, then on a second BP chance saw the Slovenian reach a mid-court ball and send back a slice backhand that the Russian pushed long. Zidansek followed up with a love hold to take the early 2-0 edge, but Pavlyuchenkova used some well-timed big serves to take Zidansek's forehand and speed out of the equation as she pulled herself back, holding at love and kicking off a stretch where *she* led the way. She broke Zidansek in game #4 and then held at 15 to nose ahead on the scoreboard for the first time.

In game #8, with Zidansek serving up 40/15, Pavlyluchenkova showed that her gameplan for this SF was far different from that of the Slovenian's QF opponent, Paula Badosa, who'd allowed Zidansek all the forehand shots she could eat and didn't live to tell about it. The Russian fired a deep shot to Zidansek's backhand, producing an error, then a point later fed six straight rally shots to that same backhand until it finally gave out with an error, bringing the game to deuce. A Zidansek DF gave Pavlyuchenkova a BP, then the Slovenian overhit the first forehand she'd seen in a while, giving the Russian a break lead at 5-3.

But it was here where Zidansek's multi-dimensional game flashed its brightest. The 23-year old got this far at this RG with her forehand leading the way, but her speed is possibly just as lethal. Her great footwork allows her to maneuver around in mid-rally to hit many of those forehands, as well as get to short balls and shots in the margins of the court. Her backhand isn't *bad*, it's just not her forehand, and is the dagger an opponent should prefer she's forced to use rather than the bazooka on the other side.

Serving for the set at 30/30, Pavlyuchenkova saw Zidansek scurry to a drop shot, sliding into the shot to get the ball back, then flailing at the Russian's lob, producing a "shankopotamus" off her racket frame that somehow floated into the back of the court and hit a line in the corner to give her a BP.



Pavlyuchenkova's three shots to the Zidansek backhand again paid off with an error to save the BP, but the Slovenian just kept on coming, racing to another drop shot and replying with a winner to get a second BP, then pulling off a big return and forehand winner combo for a third. Finally, Pavlyuchenkova's long backhand handed Zidansek the break.

At 5-5, Zidansek was flying free, hitting out and sliding into shots on both sides. She blasted a backhand pass behind Pavlyuchenkova to reach 15/40 on the Russian's serve. Pavlyuchenkova saved two BP with big serves, and managed to wrestle the Zidansek bear to the terre battue and hold for 6-5. It was a key hold. She opened Zidansek's service game with a perfectly disguised drop winner, and soon led 15/40. After multiple games of fire and fury, Zidansek ended the 1st with a whimper, DF'ing (#2 in the match) on BP to give Pavlyuchenkova the 7-5 set.

Pavlyuchenkova's late set surge carried over in the 2nd. After failing to put away two GP, Zidansek saved a GP in game #1, but then missed a crosscourt slice shot behind Pavlyuchenkova that bounced just out as the wrong-footed Russian slipped in the backcourt. On BP #2, Zidansek missed a backhand to go down 2-0. She broke back, but by now Pavlyuchenkova was matching the Slovenian in her forehand power and movement, with her increased aggression managing to keep Zidansek's forehand shots mostly at bay. Zidansek's netted backhand down the line put her behind 15/40 in game #4, and Pavlyuchenkova's big return got the break for a 3-1 lead. The Russian held at love with a big serve up the "T" and a forehand winner.

Zidansek didn't fold, holding at love to close to within 4-2. She took a love/30 lead on the Russian's serve a game later. Pavlyuchenkova stepped in to cut off the Slovenian's wicked crosscourt forehand return, firing a winner down the line to avoid triple BP, but Zidansek ended the next rally with a forehand winner to reach BP. Pavlyuchenkova's DF on BP #2 put the set back on serve.

But just as she'd gotten herself back in the set, Zidansek seemed to blink. Her timing couldn't have been any worse. A loose error at 30/30 put her BP down, and a wide forehand gave Pavlyuchenkova the break and the chance to serve for the win at 5-3. The Russian jumped to a 30/love lead with a backhand winner off a net cord return, then used another big serve to reach MP at 40/15.

Zidansek's missed backhand down the line ended the 7-5/6-3 match, sending the 29-year old Pavlyuchenkova into her maiden slam final in her 52nd career MD appearance (another win and she'd smash Flavia Pennetta's all-time mark of waiting until #49 to win her first major title), joining the list of now nine Soviet/Russian women who have reached slam singles finals in the Open era. She's the first to do so in Paris since Maria Sharapova in 2014.



...in the MX doubles final, Desirae Krawczyk picked up her first career slam crown alongside Brit Joe Salisbury, taking down Russians Elena Vesnina & Aslan Karatsev, completing a comeback bid by rallying from a set down to win 2-6/6-4 [10-5] (though Vesnina/Karatsev actually out-pointed them for the match 54-53). The result denies Vesnina her second career MX win. 27-year old Bannerette Krawczyk reached the WD final in Paris last fall (w/ Alexa Guarachi) and has gone 2-2 in tour-level doubles finals (w/ Guarachi, Giuliana Olmos and Bethanie Mattek-Sands) in 2021.



...in the juniors, the final four consists of three Russian teens.

#4 Diana Shnaider (def. #5 Robin Montgomery), #9 Oksana Selekhmeteva (def. Mara Guth) and Erika Andreeva (def. #3 Poilna Kudermetova) all advanced to the semis, where Czech Linda Noskova (def. #1 Victoria Jimeniz Kasintseva) will try to prevent the first all-Hordette girls slam final since the 2015 Wimbledon (Zhuk d. Blinkova).

=USSR/RUS GIRLS CHAMPS AT RG=
1971 Elena Granatourova, USSR
1987 Natasha Zvereva, USSR
1998 Nadia Petrova, RUS
2014 Dasha Kasatkina, RUS

=TCH/CZE GIRLS CHAMPS AT RG=
1972 Renata Tomanova, TCH
1975 Regina Marsikova, TCH
1978 Hana Mandlikova, TCH

Noskova and VJK (AND) are doubles partners at this RG, and they advanced to the semis, where they'll meet the #8-seeded Russian-Hungarian duo of Maria Bondarenko & Amarissa Kiara Toth. The other semi will included #1 seeds Alex Eala (PHI) & Selekhmeteva, who'll face the defending champs from last year, Eleonora Alvisi & Lisa Pigato, who in '20 became the first all-ITA duo to win the RG girls doubles since 1999 (Pennetta/Vinci).




*WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
Barbora Krejcikova/CZE vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS

*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) def. (PR) Vesnina/Karatsev (RUS/RUS) 2-6/6-4 [10-5]

*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 SF*
Linda Noskova/CZE vs. #4 Diana Shnaider/RUS
Erika Andreeva/RUS vs. #9 Oksana Selekhmeteva/RUS

*GIRLS DOUBLES SF*
#1 Eala/Selekhmeteva (PHI/RUS) vs. Alvisi/Pigato (ITA/ITA)
#3 Jimenez Kasintseva/Noskova (AND/CZE) vs. #8 Bondarenko/Toth (RUS/HUN)






...LIKE... ON DAY 12:




...WHEN THEY SAY TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL, THEY DON'T MEAN IT LITERALLY... ON DAY 12:




...INTERESTING READ... ON DAY 12:




...FRUITS OF HER LABOR... ON DAY 12:




...THIS... ON DAY 12:




...LESSONS LEARNED... ON DAY 12:




...AND SO IT BEGINS... ON DAY 12:







A light match day tommorrow, so I'll throw the final "And Finally..." for this Roland Garros into a Friday edition that will feature the U.S. threesome who combined to win five straight French titles from 1950-54 -- in both in singles *and* doubles (and in MX from 1951-54, too).


Doris Hart, Shirley Fry & Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly














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kosova-font

*ACTIVE SINGLES PLAYERS - FIRST SLAM FINAL*
1997 U.S. Open - Venus Williams
1999 U.S. Open - Serena Williams (W)
2001 Roland Garros - Kim Clijsters
2004 U.S. Open - Svetlana Kuznetsova (W)
2010 Roland Garros - Samantha Stosur
2010 Wimbledon - Vera Zvonareva
2011 Wimbledon - Petra Kvitova (W)
2012 Australian Open - Victoria Azarenka (W)
2012 Roland Garros - Sara Errani
2013 Wimbledon - Sabine Lisicki
2014 Roland Garros - Simona Halep
2014 Wimbledon - Genie Bouchard
2015 Wimbledon - Garbine Muguruza
2016 Australian Open - Angelique Kerber (W)
2016 U.S. Open - Karolina Pliskova
2017 Roland Garros - Alona Ostapenko (W)
2017 U.S. Open - Sloane Stephens (W)
2017 U.S. Open - Madison Keys
2018 U.S. Open - Naomi Osaka (W)
2019 Roland Garros - Ash Barty (W)
2019 Roland Garros - Marketa Vondrousova
2019 U.S. Open - Bianca Andreescu (W)
2020 Australian Open - Sofia Kenin (W)
2020 Roland Garros - Iga Swiatek (W)
2021 Australian Open - Jennifer Brady
2021 Roland Garros - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
2021 Roland Garros - Barbora Krejcikova

*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)
2021 Barbora Krejciova, CZE

*MOST SLAMS BEFORE FIRST MAJOR FINAL*
52 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2021 Roland Garros)
49 - Flavia Pennetta (2015 U.S. Open)-W
44 - Roberta Vinci (2015 U.S. Open)
42 - Nathalie Tauziat (1998 Wimbledon)

*OLDEST FIRST-TIME SLAM CHAMPS*
33y,199d - Flavia Pennetta, 2015 U.S. Open
29y,346d - Francesca Schiavone, 2010 Roland Garros
29y,275d - Jana Novotna, 1998 Wimbledon
29y,154d - Kerry Melville-Reid, 1977 Australian Open
29y,98d - Li Na, 2011 Roland Garros
28y,277d - Marion Bartoli, 2013 Wimbledon
28y,12d - Angelique Kerber, 2016 Australian Open
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NOTE: Pavlyuchenkova born July 3, 1991 (29 yr., 49 wks)

*SOVIETS/RUSSIANS IN SLAM FINALS*
1974 Roland Garros - Chris Evert def. OLGA MOROZOVA
1974 Wimbledon - Chris Evert def. OLGA MOROZOVA
1988 Roland Garros - Steffi Graf def. NATALIA ZVEREVA
2004 Roland Garros - ANASTASIA MYSKINA def. ELENA DEMENTIEVA
2004 Wimbledon - MARIA SHARAPOVA def. Serena Williams
2004 US Open - SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA def. ELENA DEMENTIEVA
2006 Roland Garros - Justine Henin-Hardenne def. SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA
2006 US Open - MARIA SHARAPOVA def. Justine Henin-Hardenne
2007 Australian Open - Serena Williams def. MARIA SHARAPOVA
2007 US Open - Justine Henin def. SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA
2008 Australian Open - MARIA SHARAPOVA def. Ana Ivanovic
2008 Roland Garros - Ana Ivanovic def. DINARA SAFINA
2009 Australian Open - Serena Williams def. DINARA SAFINA
2009 Roland Garros - SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA def. DINARA SAFINA
2010 Wimbledon - Serena Williams def. VERA ZVONAREVA
2010 US Open - Kim Clijsters def. VERA ZVONAREVA
2011 Wimbledon - Petra Kvitova def. MARIA SHARAPOVA
2012 Australian Open - Victoria Azarenka def. MARIA SHARAPOVA
2012 Roland Garros - MARIA SHARAPOVA def. Sara Errani
2013 Roland Garros - Serena Williams def. MARIA SHARAPOVA
2014 Roland Garros - MARIA SHARAPOVA def. Simona Halep
2015 Australian Open - Serena Williams def. MARIA SHARAPOVA
2021 Roland Garros - ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA vs. Barbora Krejcikova
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W/L: 8-17 (1 TBD)

*RECENT RG CHAMPIONS*
[Mixed Doubles]
2010 Katarina Srebotnik & Nenad Zimonjic, SLO/SRB
2011 Casey Dellacqua & Scott Lipsky, AUS/USA
2012 Sania Mirza & Mahesh Bhupathi, IND/IND
2013 Lucie Hradecka & Frantisek Cermak, CZE/CZE
2014 Anna-Lena Groenefeld & Jean-Julien Rojer, GER/NED
2015 Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Mike Bryan, USA/USA
2016 Martina Hingis & Leander Paes, SUI/IND
2017 Gaby Dabrowski & Rohan Bopanna, CAN/IND
2018 Latisha Chan & Ivan Dodig, TPE/CRO
2019 Latisha Chan & Ivan Dodig, TPE/CRO
2020 DNP
2021 Desirae Krawczyk & Joe Salisbury, USA/GBR







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
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); Krejcikova (SF-MP vs. Sakkari)
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Krawczyk, 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 12. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 7:09 PM 

3 Comments:

Blogger Rajendra Parihar said...

Correction plz: Olga morozova (Soviet Union) never reached US Open final.

Thu Jun 10, 11:01:00 PM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

Ostapenko is 24? Time flies. Still amused that Pavlyuchenkova is south of 30.

This has been an enjoyable French Open. Even if the matches have had shaky play, they have been dramatic. Krejcikova/Sakkari is an instant classic.

Stat of the Day- 57- Number of errors by Serena Williams in her 2004 US Open match vs Jennifer Capriati.

Sometimes, stats can be misleading. I know, shocking coming from me. Today, we had a great match that almost got botched by a bad line call at a critical time.

Back then, Serena went 25/57, while Capriati went 12/28. As bad as Serena's numbers look, Capriati only won one more point, 93-92. Krejcikova's numbers don't look good either, ending at 31/58, but was clutch, especially late in a set. Sakkari went 27/53.

Time for electronic line calls on clay.

Thu Jun 10, 11:15:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

R-
Thanks for catching. That should be the '74 RG final, not the US.

C-
They at least seemed to be doing some sort of replay on clay courts this spring. That was such a near-miss disaster they really should make this the last time we have to sit through chair umpires traipsing across the court to try to divine marks in the dirt. Not holding my breath, though. :/

Fri Jun 11, 03:55:00 PM EDT  

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