Saturday, July 10, 2021

Absolute Ash

For Ash Barty, Wimbledon has and always will be what dreams are made of.




Barty, at 25, arrived for today's Wimbledon final already the world #1 and a slam champion. Her big moment two years ago in Paris was remarkable. But for her, with a mindset like most of her Aussie compatriots, the All-England Club is where one needs to shine in order to fully cement and experience the life of an Australian tennis legend.

It's been a while, but her countrymen and women used to *rule* the courts in London. From Laver and Newcombe to Court, Cash and Hewitt, SW19 has played host to a vast array of Aussie tennis greats (or brilliant comets) who were crowned champions at Wimbledon. One in particular, two-time champ Evonne Goolagong, an Indigenous Australian like herself, served as an inspiration for Barty. While her title runs at the event came long before Barty was born, in 1971 and '80, Little Ash heard the stories... and she dreamed of being at the heart of her own someday, specifically at Wimbledon.

On this the fiftieth anniversary of a then 19-year old Goolagong's maiden Ladies title win, Barty has paid tribute to the tennis icon with a skirt patterned after Evonne's outfit as she hit her way to her first legend-making crown in London, nine years before she'd become the most recent Aussie woman to win there some forty-one years ago.

If one had been willing to go out a limb on such things at the time, they might have said two weeks ago that the connection was more than just one made through fabric, and was actually a transcendent hint about Barty's future destiny at this Wimbledon. But the fact was that Barty was a question mark coming into this slam, having not played since Roland Garros, during which she'd been forced to retire with a hip injury. No one really knew what she had to give, just that she'd show up and give it all she had. As it turned out, she wasn't in top form at the start of the fortnight, but the more she played the better she played.

As for the #8-seeded Karolina Pliskova, no one felt that *her* destiny was to battle for a Wimbledon title. While her fellow Czechs -- from Jan to Martina to Hana, Jana and Petra -- had had past success in London, the 29-year old former world #1 and '16 U.S. Open finalist hadn't had a lot, aside from a pair of Round of 16 results. Add to that that Pliskova had recently dropped out of the Top 10 for the first time in five years and was in the middle of what was looking like a career worst year made her easy to discount. But after rallying from 5-2 down in the opening set in the 1st Round against RG semifinalist Tamara Zidansek, the Czech pulled her game together and ultimately dropped just one set en route to the final, mowing down opponents and flashing her old "Ace Queen" skills (firing 14 in the SF alone vs. #2 Aryna Sabalenka).

It was bound to happen that representatives from two countries with such a rich tennis history at the event would face off for a singles title, but this was in fact the first time it's happened in the women's draw at Wimbledon. The only time on the men's side came back in 1987, when Pat Cash, black-and-white checkered handband and all, defeated Ivan Lendl. Thirty-four years later, Barty and Pliskova met to decide the winner in the first Ladies championship match at the AELTC with *two* first-time Wimbledon finalists since 1977 (Wade/Stove).



In the opening games, it was as if Pliskova were still waiting in the hallway to walk onto Centre Court, as the Czech appeared tense and stiff while her Aussie opponent played loose and safe (but also error-free). It took nine minutes for Pliskova to get on the board. Not by winning a game, but by recording her first *point*, courtesy of a Barty backhand error.

Prior to that, the #1 seed had won fourteen straight points, collecting four games at love and then taking a love/30 lead on the #8-seeded Czech's serve in game #5. In the first two games alone, the Aussie had opened up her entire tennis tool box. She fired an ace in the opening game, then completed her sweep of Pliskova's first service game by winning points via a forehand winner, lob, slice backhand (leading to an error from the Czech), and backhand down the line winner off the net cord. For good measure, Barty finished off game #3 with an ace, as well.

Barty's lead grew to that of a double-break as she reached 15/40 when a slice shot bounced oddly off the beaten-up backcourt dirt, inducing a Pliskova backhard error. She double-faulted moments later to fall behind 4-0.

The Aussie hit a bad patch in the proceeding game, committing multiple errors (including on a early-game swing volley) to drop serve at love and remove the bagel from beside Pliskova's name on the scoreboard. But the Czech couldn't get her first hold of the match, reaching 30/30 on serve but missing a forehand to be broken again for 5-1. A game later, Pliskova began to get her footing, with big return shots allowing her to gain early control of rallies. A return forehand winner broke Barty again, denying her the 1st set, then the Czech held at love for 5-3.

Serving for the set for a second time, Barty didn't waste her second chance. A forehand winner off a Pliskova return gave her a 30/love lead, then a put-away at the net gave her triple set point. Pliskova's forehand error ended the 1st at 6-3, putting Barty just one set away from achieving her childhood dream of lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish, fifty years after Goolagong had first done the same.



The 2nd set saw Barty with a chance to put Pliskova away in two, ending this Wimbledon final in straights just like the last seven had been. At the same time, as the Czech's game level picked up throughout the set, the question was whether it would be too little, too late.

Twice Barty held break leads in the 2nd, at 2-1 after a love break in a game that began with back-to-back Pliskova DF as the Aussie strung together nine straight points, then again at 6-5 in a game that Pliskova had led 40/love. With the hold on her racket, Pliskova had remained cemented in the backcourt as Barty chased down multiple balls behind the baseline. When the Czech was forced to move into the net on a short ball, she missed an easy volley, then didn't win another point in the game, committing three more errors in the next four points and giving Barty a chance to serve for the championship.

But Barty opened game #12 with a DF, then fell behind 15/30 when she couldn't control a Pliskova return that landed at her feet. Two forehand errors followed and the set went to a tie-break.

The TB remained on serve until Pliskova's deep return of Barty's serve allowed her to seize control of the ensuing rally, taking a 4-2 lead. A point later, after Barty had raced to the far corner to retrieve a Pliskova net cord dribbler that had barely made it onto the Aussie's side of the court, Pliskova lobbed over her head and then put away an overhead for a commanding 5-2 edge. The Czech raised her fist to the sky, the raced into a 3rd set, winning the breaker 7-4 to force the Wimbledon Ladies final to go the distance for the first time since 2012 (S.Williams/A.Radwanska).



In the deciding set, Pliskova continually got close on Barty's serve, but couldn't break through. After the Aussie took a 40/love lead in game #1, the Czech got things to deuce, only to see Barty hold. She'd get to 30 in Barty's next three service games, but never closer. It made Pliskova's dropping of her own serve in game #2 all the more key. After falling behind love/40, Pliskova had netted an easy volley into an open court as she'd tried to be *too* fine as she could see Barty out of the corner of her eye, in position to track down whatever she offered her on the other side of the court.



Pliskova claimed the point of the match in the eighth game, running Barty around the court, forcing her to chase down both a drop shot and a lob -- while having to volley in between -- before the Czech finally put away a volley winner of her own to open the game on the right foot. She fired an ace to hold, but Barty again had the chance to serve for the title in the following game.

The Aussie stretched to reach a high backhand volley to open the game, and used a series of slices to lure Pliskova into firing a forehand wide to go up 30/15. Again, the Czech got to 30 on Barty's serve, and when Barty missed on a swing forehand volley she finally held her first BP of the set. But it went away with Pliskova's wide backhand. Barty's ace a point later gave her a MP, which ended after a five-shot rally concluded when Pliskova netted a backhand, confirming the Aussie's 6-3/6-7(4)/6-3 victory.



Her childhood dream suddenly realized, Barty appeared in total disbelief at the realization of her journey now being complete. Kneeling on the baseline with tears in her eyes, she put her face in her arm until she could emotionally manage to make the walk to the net. After greeting Pliskova and a brief stop in the changeover area, the Aussie returned to the court, crouching on the playing surface that had hosted her most grand coronation as the world's top player, holding her head and face in her hands as royalty of all stripes watched from the front row of the Royal Box, from Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova to Prince William.



Barty briefly caused the collective heart to rise into everyone's throat as she made her way to celebrate with the team she always makes a point to include as a key part of her efforts, as "we" is uttered during her acceptance speeches as often as "I." Attempting to travel the old "Cash route" from 1987 -- as in when the Aussie kicked off the now traditional stands-climbing post-match ritual via a death-defying scaling of the courtside commentary box -- until she was finally informed that a door had been installed in order to ensure safe travel after too many years of the AELTC dodging post-triumph disaster and no longer wishing to treat those two imposters just the same.



With the familiar vision of the Duke of Kent, the President of the All-England Club (and husband of his more "tennis-famous" wife, thanks to her personal post-match history with Jana Novotna years ago), arriving for the post-match ceremony for the final time (he's retiring from his position after this year) on Centre Court with Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, the instant when Barty would get her hands on the dish approached, and it was clear by her hard swallows as she waited beside Pliskova that the moment would be a big one.

Pliskova felt the moment first, stopping early on in her address to the crowd to catch her tears, then noting how she "never cries." Ah, the sound of Czech-accented English being spoken on Centre Court is something akin to soup for the soul. After first forgetting to do so, after a hug and a reminder from Sue Barker, Pliskova acknowledged the work of her team, from coach Sascha Bajin on down, in getting her there after a season that had not gone well over the first six months.



Barty, speaking to one of the first full crowds since the pre-pandemic life of Centre Court, told the assembled, "You've made my dream special." Noting that once she walked onto the court, she "felt at home," the Aussie said of her Indigenous inspiration back home in Australia, where it was well past 1 a.m. (and w/ Sydney back in lockdown, meaning any "Barty Parties" would have to be held in isolation indoors), "I hope I made Evonne proud."



Just the second woman in the last twenty-four years ('06 Amelie Mauresmo), and just the fifth ever, to add a Ladies singles crown to a past Wimbledon girls championship, Barty is the first Australian woman to win Wimbledon since Goolagong picked up her last of seven career major crowns in 1980, and the first Aussie singles winner since Lleyton Hewitt won the Gentlemans title in 2002.



Barty's win only solidifies her hold on the #1 ranking, building up her lead over the idle world #2 Naomi Osaka (whose four slam wins have all come on hard courts, while she's never reached the second week in either Paris or London) to nearly 2300 points and hopefully silencing any remaining skeptics about her place atop the WTA standings after holding onto the spot despite not playing once the tour shut down for almost five months due to COVID last year. Assiduously fighting off all challengers throughout the '21 season (today's win makes her 12-1 vs. Top 20 players, as well as 6-1 vs. the Top 10), she leads the tour with four titles, five finals, and now a confidence newly instilled by reaching yet another career mountaintop after *already* having previously won a a major and risen to #1.

Due to the ongoing pandemic and Australia's quarantine protocols, the decision was made months ago that Barty would be, by definition, a "world traveler" for the remainder of the '21 season once the Australian Open had concluded. But while Barty won't be heading back Down Under until sometime after the U.S. Open, this summer's Olympics in Tokyo -- where she'll be part of the Australian team, albeit it with no Aussies or any other fans in the stands -- will at least get her as close to home and with as many compatriots nearby as has been the case since Melbourne in February.

But whether Barty hears "Advance Australia Fair" (the national anthem) played in her honor or not, or even if she adds a *third* different major to her column in New York come September, today would make all of that simply icing on an already-iced cake. The Aussie's "road warrior" season is already a special one.

Evonne is proud. Little Ash's dreams have been realized. And Barty's place atop the women's game is officially secure. Once more, good on ya, Ash.






=DAY 12 NOTES=
...the women's doubles championship followed on Centre Court, and once again the participants brought the goods.

While #3 Hsieh Su-wei & Elise Mertens had dropped just two sets en route to the final, after having a series of growing pains in their new partnership in recent weeks (including losing matches in which they held 7 and 5 MP, respectively), the all-Russian pair of Elena Vesnina (apparently playing in her final Wimbledon after returning to the tour after becoming a mother) & Veronika Kudermetova had had to fight through back-to-back drama-fests in the QF and SF, saving a total of seven MP (4 in the QF, 3 in the SF) over the two contests. Today, though, it was they who had to try to stave off a comeback, while also trying to formulate a third comeback of their own.

In the 2nd set, Vesnina served for the match as the Hordette pair led 6-3/5-4, holding two MP in the game. They failed to lock away the title, though, and back came Hsieh/Mertens, who swept the next last three games to close out the set at 7-5.

In the 3rd, it was the #3 seeds who broke late, giving Mertens the chance to serve for the crown. She couldn't do it, as the two teams then traded momenum seemingly willy-nilly down the stretch. After getting things back on serve, Kudermetova/Vesnina held but didn't convert a BP chance at 5-5, nor any of three more at 6-6. Finally, on their fourth BP of the thirteenth game they took a 7-6 lead and once again served for the title. Again, the job was left uncompleted, as Hsieh/Mertens broke and then held at love. At 8-7, Hsieh/Mertens quickly took a 40/15 lead on the Russians' serve, finally winning 3-6/7-5/9-7, with both women then collapsing onto the court.



The wins allows Hsieh to defend the title she won with Barbora Strycova in 2019, picking up her third Wimbledon crown with a third different partner (also Peng Shuai in '13), and her fourth doubles major overall. Mertens, who'll return to the doubles #1 ranking on Monday, has now won the WD at three different majors (AO/US) to bring herself within a Roland Garros title of the Career Doubles Slam.



...in the girls singles semis, bespectacled Spaniard Ane Mintegi del Olmo upset #8 Linda Fruhvirtova, using a big forehand to take out the Roehampton-winning Czech 6-3/7-5. She now has a chance to become the first girl from Spain to win the junior crown at Wimbledon.



In a battle of lefties, #1 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva battled back from 6-4/4-2 down against unseeded German Nastasja Schunk to force a 3rd, only to then DF on BP down at 3-3 in the decider to give her opponent an edge that this time she didn't relinquish. Schunk went on to win 6-4/4-6/6-4 to become the first German to reach the girls final at SW19 since Barbara Rittner won the crown in 1991.

Before Schunk has won the match, Kasintseva knelt down and was in tears after losing the rally to go down MP at 40/30. She netted a forehand to end the match a few moments later, then threw her racket across the baseline. Afterward, the Andorran had to reverse course after heading in the wrong direction off Court 1. But she righted herself and made her way to the exit, and will hopefully be back and even better, having already won a junior slam title in Melbourne last year.



After not having any since 2005 (A.Radwanska d. Paszek), this final's match-up of two unseeded players with be the second in three Wimbledons, coming just two tournments after Iga Swiatek took out qualifier Leonie Kung in the '18 junior final.

Fruhvirtova had double disappointment on this day, as after falling in the singles semis she and Polina Kudermetova (the #2 seeds) lost to Sofia Coustoulos & Laura Hietaranta (BEL/FIN) in a 10-8 match tie-break. Those two will next face top seeds Kristina Dmitruk & Diana Shnaider (BLR/RUS).

Hietaranta would be the first Fin to win a slam junior slam crown in fifty-five years, joining Birgitta Lindstrom (1966 WI singles) as the only girls from Finland to ever win a junior slam title.

...the mixed final will feature a match-up of the Roland Garros champions, Desirae Krawczyk and Joe Salisbury, playing against one another. Krawczyk & Neal Skupski (#7) defeated #17 Zhang Shuai & John Peers today to reach the final, where yesterday's SF winners (the all-Brit duo of Salisbury & Harriet Dart) will be waiting for them (with a lot of friends) on the final day of this Wimbledon.

...a day before playing in her maiden slam wheelchair singles final against Diede de Groot, South African KG Montjane joined with Brit Lucy Shuker to face #2-seeds Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley in the doubles final today. Kamiji/Whiley dominated the 1st set, winning it at love, then rallied from 5-3 down in the 2nd to force a TB, which they again dominated to the tune of 7-0 to pick up their fifth Wimbledon title as a pair.

It's Kamiji & Whiley's twelfth slam as a duo, and Kamiji's seventeenth in doubles (behind only Esther Vergeer's 21) to go along with her eight singles wins.

When the two last won at SW19 together, in 2017, Whiley was pregnant with her son Jackson, who was there on Court 3 after the match on Saturday. He sat in his mother's lap, and even got high-fives from Montjane and Shuker. Whiley & Shuker will play together at the Tokyo Paralympics later this summer, while Kamiji will likely team with Momoko Ohtani.



...in Hamburg, in the tour-level event essentially ignored during this second week of a major, news is again being made as it was with Johanna Konta's lost-in-the-headlines win on British soil in Nottingham during finals week at Roland Garros.

This week's event has a quite interesting pair in the final, as Romanian qualifier Gabriela Ruse upset #1-seeded Dayana Yastremska today to reach her maiden tour final. A win would make her the eleventh first-time champion on tour this season. She'll face none other than Andrea Petkovic. The German vet knocked off newcomer Jule Niemeier to reach her first WTA singles final since February 2015 (a walkover past Carla Suarez-Navarro in Antwerp).



In the 125 event in Bastad, Nuria Parrizas Diaz defeated Olga Govortsova to claim her biggest career title. The 29-year Spaniard, whose results have improved in leaps and bounds in '21, was 4-0 in ITF challenger event finals earlier this season (5-0 since December) and made her tour-level debut this spring in Bogota, reaching the QF. She's 35-10 on the season across all levels.








*LADIES' SINGLES FINAL*
#1 Ash Barty/AUS def. #8 Karolina Pliskova/CZE 6-3/6-7(4)/6-3

*LADIES' DOUBLES FINAL*
#3 Hsieh/Mertens (TPE/BEL) def. (PR) V.Kudermetova/Vesnina (RUS/RUS) 3-6/7-6/9-7

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
#7 Krawczyk/N.Skupski (USA/GBR) vs. Dart/Salisbury (GBR/GBR)

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S FINAL*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. KG Montjane/RSA

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#2 Kamiji/Whiley (JPN/GBR) def. Montjane/Shuker (RSA/GBR) 6-0/7-6(0)

*GIRLS SINGLES FINAL*
Nastasja Schunk/GER vs. Ane Mintegi del Olmo/ESP

*GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 Dmitruk/Shnaider (BLR/RUS) vs. Costoulas/Hietaranta (BEL/FIN)






...THE OLD PHOTO THAT NEVER GETS OLD... ON DAY 12:




...THE REAL ROYALTY IN THE ROYAL BOX... ON DAY 12:




...JUST A FAN... ON DAY 12:




...A DROP, A SURPRISING RISE AND ONE BIG JUMP... ON DAY 12:




...IT'S ABOUT TIME... ON DAY 12:




...SOME PLAYER(s) MIGHT HAVE JUST GIVEN A WALKOVER AND THEN CHOSEN NOT TO TALK ABOUT IT (or anything) AFTERWARD... ON DAY 12:





...WHEN YOU DON'T REALLY *NEED* TO INCLUDE A ROCKET, BUT YOU DO ANYWAY... ON DAY 12:




...WHEN YOU DON'T REALLY *NEED* TO CALL HER A BLOODY RIPPER, BUT YOU *HAVE* TO... ON DAY 12:







SW19 Memories...


History foreshadowing history (2011/2021/1971)
















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*RECENT WOMEN'S WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONS*
2010 Serena Williams, USA
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE*
2012 Serena Williams, USA
2013 Marion Bartoli, FRA*
2014 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2015 Serena Williams, USA
2016 Serena Williams, USA
2017 Garbine Muguruza, ESP
2018 Angelique Kerber, GER
2019 Simona Halep, ROU
2021 Ash Barty, AUS
--
* - first-time slam champ

*RECENT WOMEN'S SLAM WINNERS*
2018 AO: Caroline Wozniacki, DEN*
2018 RG: Simona Halep, ROU*
2018 WI: Angelique Kerber, GER
2018 US: Naomi Osaka, JPN*
2019 AO: Naomi Osaka, JPN
2019 RG: Ash Barty, AUS*
2019 WI: Simona Halep, ROU (2)
2019 US: Bianca Andreescu, CAN*
2020 AO: Sofia Kenin, USA*
2020 US: Naomi Osaka, JPN
2020 RG: Iga Swiatek, POL*
2021 AO: Naomi Osaka, JPN (4)
2021 RG: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE*
2021 WI: Ash Barty, AUS (2)
--
* - first-time slam champ

*WOMEN'S WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONS - AUSTRALIA*
1963 Margaret Smith
1970 Margaret Court
1971 Evonne Goolagong
1980 Evonne Goolagong
2021 Ash Barty

*WIMBLEDON FINALS - ACTIVE*
11..Serena Williams, USA (7-4)
9...Venus Williams, USA (5-4)
2...Petra Kvitova, CZE (2-0)
2...Angelique Kerber, GER (1-1)
2...Garbine Muguruza, ESP (1-1)
1...ASH BARTY, AUS (1-0)
1...Simona Halep, ROU (1-0)
1...Genie Bouchard, CAN (0-1)
1...Sabine Lisicki, GER (0-1)
1...KAROLINA PLISKOVA, CZE (0-1)
1...Vera Zvonareva, RUS (0-1)

*RECORD IN GRAND SLAM SINGLES FINALS--ACTIVE*
33 - Serena Williams (23-10)
16 - Venus Williams (7-9)
8 - Kim Clijsters (4-4)
5 - Victoria Azarenka (2-3)
5 - Simona Halep (2-3)
4 - Naomi Osaka (4-0)
4 - Angelique Kerber (3-1)
4 - Garbine Muguruza (2-2)
4 - Svetlana Kuznetsova (2-2)
3 - Petra Kvitova (2-1)
2 - ASH BARTY (2-0)
2 - Sofia Kenin (1-1)
2 - Sloane Stephens (1-1)
2 - Samantha Stosur (1-1)
2 - KAROLINA PLISKOVA (0-2)
2 - Vera Zvonareva (0-2)

*SLAM FINALS IN 2020's*
2 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2-0)
2 - Sofia Kenin, USA (1-1)
1 - ASH BARTY, AUS (1-0)
1 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (1-0)
1 - Iga Swiatek, POL (1-0)
1 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (0-1)
1 - Jennifer Brady, USA (0-1)
1 - Garbine Muguruza, ESP (0-1)
1 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS (0-1)
1 - KAROLINA PLISKOVA, CZE (0-1)

*WON WIMBLEDON GIRLS & LADIES TITLES*
Karen Susman, GBR (1960 Jr. Champion; 1962 Ladies Champion)
Ann Haydon Jones, GBR (1956 Jr. Champion; 1969 Ladies Champion)
Martina Hingis, SUI (1994 Jr. Champion; 1997 Ladies Champion)
Amelie Mauresmo, FRA (1996 Jr. Champion; 2006 Ladies Champion)
Ash Barty, AUS (2011 Jr. Champion; 2021 Ladies Champion)

*RECENT WIMBLEDON SEMIFINALISTS*
2010 S.Williams(W)/Zvonareva(RU); SF-Kvitova/Pironkova
2011 Kvitova(W)/Sharapova(RU); SF-Azarenka/Lisicki
2012 S.Williams(W)/Radwanska(RU); SF-Azarenka/Kerber
2013 Bartoli(W)/Lisicki(RU); SF-Radwanska/Flipkens
2014 Kvitova(W)/Bouchard(RU); SF-Safarova/Halep
2015 S.Williams(W)/Muguruza(RU); SF-Sharapova/Radwanska
2016 S.Williams(W)/Kerber(RU); SF-Vesnina/V.Williams
2017 Muguruza(W)/V.Williams(RU); SF-Konta/Rybarikova
2018 Kerber(W)/S.Williams(RU); SF-Ostapenko/Goerges
2019 Halep(W)/S.Williams(RU); SF-Svitolina/Strycova
2021 Barty(W)/Ka.Pliskova(RU); SF-Kerber/Sabalenka

*CAREER WOMEN'S DOUBLES SLAM TITLES - active*
14...Serena Williams, USA
14...Venus Williams, USA
5...Sara Errani, ITA
5...Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
5...Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
4...Timea Babos, HUN
4...HSIEH SU-WEI, TPE
3...Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
3...ELISE MERTENS, BEL
3...Sania Mirza, IND
3...Katerina Siniakova, CZE
3...Samantha Stosur, AUS
3...Elena Vesnina, RUS
3...Vera Zvonareva, RUS

*RECENT WIMBLEDON DOUBLES CHAMPIONS*
2008 Serena Williams & Venus Williams, USA/USA
2009 Serena Williams & Venus Williams, USA/USA
2010 Vania King & Yaroslava Shvedova, USA/KAZ
2011 Kveta Peschke & Katarina Srebotnik, CZE/SLO
2012 Serena Williams & Venus Williams, USA/USA
2013 Hsieh Su-Wei & Peng Shuai, TPE/CHN
2014 Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2015 Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza, SUI/IND
2016 Serena Williams & Venus Williams, USA/USA
2017 Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS
2018 Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2019 Hsieh Su-wei & Barbora Strycova, TPE/CZE
2021 Hsieh Su-wei & Elise Mertens, TPE/BEL

*RECENT WD SLAM CHAMPIONS*
[2017]
AO: Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Lucie Safarova (USA/CZE)
RG: Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Lucie Safarova (USA/CZE)
WI: Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina (RUS/RUS)
US: Latisha Chan/Martina Hingis (TPE/SUI)
[2018]
AO: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
RG: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
WI: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
US: Ash Barty/CoCo Vandeweghe (AUS/USA)
[2019]
AO: Samantha Stosur/Zhang Shuai (AUS/CHN)
RG: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
WI: Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova (TPE/CZE)
US: Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka (BEL/BLR)
[2020]
AO: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
US: Laura Siegemund/Vera Zvonareva (GER/RUS)
RG: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
[2021]
AO: Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka (BEL/BLR)
RG: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
WI: Hsieh Su-wei & Elise Mertens (TPE/BEL)

*WIMBLEDON "JUNIOR BREAKOUT" WINNERS*
2007 Ula Radwanska, POL
2008 Laura Robson, GBR
2009 Timea Babos, HUN and Miyabi Inoue, JPN
2010 Kristyna Pliskova, CZE
2011 Ash Barty, AUS
2012 Genie Bouchard, CAN
2013 Louisa Chirico, USA
2014 Alona Ostapenko, LAT
2015 Sofya Zhuk, RUS
2016 Dayana Yastremska, UKR
2017 Ann Li, USA
2018 Wang Xinyu/CHN & Wang Xiyu/CHN
2019 Daria Snigur, UKR
2021 Ane Mintegi del Olmo, ESP and Nastasja Schunk/GER

*WIMBLEDON "KIMIKO CUP FOR VETERAN ACHIEVEMENT" WINNERS*
2015 Martina Hingis, SUI
2016 Venus Williams, USA
2017 Venus Williams, USA
2018 Angelique Kerber, GER
2019 Barbora Strycova, CZE
2021 Karolina Pliskova, CZE and Hsieh Su-wei, TPE

*WIMBLEDON "SPIRIT OF JANA" ANNUAL HONOREES*
[2018]
Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
...Brno-born; wins WD title in first Wimbledon since ex-coach Novotna's death
Nicole Melichar, USA
...born in Brno, CZE (like Jana); wins MX title in first Wimbledon since death
Donna Vekic, CRO
..."Good Donna"
[2019]
Donna Vekic, CRO
..."Bad Donna"
[2020]
RG Special: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
...to RG 3rd Rd. (Oct.) on Novotna's 52nd birthday; dedicates to Jana
[2021]
RG Special: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
...wins maiden slam singles crown w/ Jana as inspiration; also wins WD

*2021 WTA FINALS*
5 - ASH BARTY, AUS (4-1)
3 - Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (2-1)
3 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (2-1)
3 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (2-1)
3 - Garbine Muguruza, ESP (1-2)
2 - Iga Swiatek, POL (2-0)
2 - Sorana Cirstea, ROU (1-1)
2 - Ons Jabeur, TUN (1-1)
2 - Veronika Kudermetova, RUS (1-1)
2 - Elise Mertens, BEL (1-1)
2 - Anett Kontaveit, EST (0-1-1)
2 - Belinda Bencic, SUI (0-2)
2 - Viktorija Golubic, SUI (0-2)
2 - KAROLINA PLISKOVA, CZE (0-2)

*CAREER WTA GRASS TITLES - active*
8 - Serena Williams, USA
6 - Venus Williams, USA
4 - Petra Kvitova, CZE
3 - ASH BARTY, AUS
3 - Angelique Kerber, GER
3 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2 - Kim Clijsters, BEL
2 - Caroline Garcia, FRA
2 - Simona Halep, ROU
2 - Madison Keys, USA
2 - CoCo Vandeweghe, USA

*WIMBLEDON WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES WINNERS*
2009 Korie Homan/Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2010 Esther Vergeer/Sharon Walraven, NED/NED
2011 Esther Vergeer/Sharon Walraven, NED/NED
2012 Jiske Griffioen/Aniek van Koot, NED/NED
2013 Jiske Griffioen/Aniek van Koot, NED/NED
2014 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
2015 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
2016 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
2017 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
2018 Diede de Groot/Yui Kamiji, NED/JPN
2019 Diede de Groot/Aniek Van Koot, NED/NED
2021 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR

*WHEELCHAIR SLAM DOUBLES TITLES*
21 - Esther Vergeer, NED [7-5-3-6]
17 - YUI KAMIJI, JPN [5-3-6-3]
17 - Aniek van Koot, NED [4-7-3-3]
14 - Jiske Griffioen, NED [5-3-2-4]
12 - JORDANNE WHILEY, GBR [3-2-5-2]
10 - Diede de Groot, NED [1-4-2-3]
7 - Sharon Walraven, NED [2-1-2-2]

*2021 SLAM/WTA 1000 CHAMPIONS*
Australian Open - Naomi Osaka, JPN
Dubai - Garbine Muguruza, ESP
Miami - Ash Barty, AUS
Madrid - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Rome - Iga Swiatek, POL
Roland Garros - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
Wimbledon - Ash Barty, AUS
[doubles]
Australian Open - Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka, BEL/BLR
Dubai - Alexa Guarachi/Darija Jurak, CHI/CRO
Miami - Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara, JPN/JPN
Madrid - Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
Rome - Sharon Fichman/Giuliana Olmos, CAN/MEX
Roland Garros - Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
Wimbledon - Hsieh Su-wei/Elise Mertens, TPE/BEL

*WIMBLEDON GIRLS FINALS - since 2010*
2010 Kristyna Pliskova/CZE d. Sachie Ishizu/JPN
2011 Ashleigh Barty/AUS d. Irina Khromacheva/RUS
2012 Genie Bouchard/CAN d. Elina Svitolina/UKR
2013 Belinda Bencic/SUI d. Taylor Townsend/USA
2014 Alona Ostapenko/LAT d. Kristina Schmiedlova/SVK
2015 Sofya Zhuk/RUS d. Anna Blinkova/RUS
2016 Anastasia Potapova/RUS d. Dayana Yastremska/UKR
2017 Claire Liu/USA d. Ann Li/USA
2018 Iga Swiatek/POL d. Leonie Kung/SUI
2019 Daria Snigur/UKR d. Alexa Noel/USA
2021 Nastasja Schunk/GER vs. Ane Mintegi del Olmo/ESP

*GIRLS SLAM CHAMPIONS - ESP*
1999 RG: Lourdes Dominguez Lino
2015 RG: Paula Badosa
-
NOTE: Rebeka Masarova, ESP ('16 RG) won while rep. SUI

*GIRLS SLAM CHAMPIONS - GER*
1957 RG: Ilse Buding
1993 AO: Heike Rusch
2003 RG: Anna-Lena Groenfeld
2012 RG: Annika Beck
1991 WI: Barbara Rittner







TOP QUALIFIER: Ana Konjuh/CRO
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #25 Angelique Kerber/GER
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #25 Angelique Kerber/GER
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): #1 Ash Barty/AUS
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3 - Lesley Pattinama Kerhkove/NED def. Jule Niemeier/GER 6-4/2-6/9-7 (saved 2 MP)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #25 Angelique Kerber/GER def. Sara Sorribes Tormo/ESP 7-5/5-7/6-4 (3:19; wins on MP #2 1:20 after first MP)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 3rd Rd. - #21 Ons Jabeur/TUN def. #11 Garbine Muguruza/ESP 5-7/6-3/6-2 (first Arab woman to reach Wimbledon QF)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): Nominee: WD SF: (PR) V.Kudermetova/Vesnina (RUS/RUS) def. #1 Krejcikova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE) 6-7(6)/6-5/9-7 (saved 4 MP)
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Aryna Sabalenka/BLR (def. Niculescu - first official match at AELTC in 715 days)
FIRST SEED OUT: #10 Petra Kvitova/CZE (1st Rd.-Stephens)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove/NED, Maria Camila Osorio Serrano/COL, Emma Raducanu/GBR
UPSET QUEENS: Czech Republic
REVELATION LADIES: South America
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Canada - 0-2 1st Rd. (#5 Andreescu, Fernandez), while Bouchard (injured) DNP
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Maria Camila Osorio Serrano/COL (3rd Rd.) (LL 2r: Ahn)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Emma Raducanu/GBR, Liudmila Samsonova/RUS (both 4th Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: Andrea Petkovic/GER, CoCo Vandeweghe/USA, Elena Vesnina/RUS (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Emma Raducanu (4th Rd.)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: Aryna Sabalenka/BLR and KG Montjane/RSA (WC)
IT "Teen Brit": Emma Raducanu/GBR
COMEBACK PLAYER: Angelique Kerber/GER
CRASH & BURN: #6 Serena Williams, USA & #10 Petra Kvitova, CZE (both 1st Rd;. won 6 of last 11 Wimbledon; Williams ret. for second career 1r slam exit)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON (early-round): Kristie Ahn/USA (already a lucky loser, also saved MP vs. Watson/GBR in 1st Rd.)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON (mid/late-round): --
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Kamiji/Whiley (WC), Dart
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Karolina Pliskova/CZE and Hsieh Su-wei/TPE
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Ane Mintegi del Olmo/ESP and Nastasja Schunk/GER
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREES: --
RAD REMEMBRANCE DAY malevolent activity notes...
=June 26 official=
All quiet, but on 25th Ula Radwanska loses in final qualifying round and on 27th top-ranked Brit Konta w/d due to COVID quarantine
=Day 3 observed=
After two days of rain following a 715-day break since the last Wimbledon, the Day 3 schedule includes 39 women's (23 1r/16 2r) and 41 men's (27 1r/14 2r) singles matches. Slips and falls that led to back-to-back Centre Court retirements (including S.Williams) on Day 2 continued, and the day began with the unusual news that a pair of lucky losers -- Astra Sharma and Tsvetana Pironkova -- were being added to the draw three days into the event due to injuries (both former semifinalist Tsvetana Pironkova and Astra Sharma lost, the latter after holding a 4-2 3rd set lead). In all, three Top 10 women's seeds (#4 Kenin, #5 Andreescu and #9 Bencic) were ousted, longtime Wimbledon "marathon" man John Isner *lost* a five-setter, and 41-year old five-time champ Venus Williams was defeated a day after her sister left the tournament due to injury (marking just the fourth time in their long slam history that neither reached the 3rd Round of a major, and the first time ever at Wimbledon, where Venus became the first Williams to make her debut 24 years ago).






All for Day 12. Grass Court Awards tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 8:38 PM 

2 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

Love Whiley and Son clip.

Barty won this match by jumping in front in all 3 sets. Her getting broken when serving out sets brought to mind that BJK CUP final, but she held on in the 3rd set.

Obviously a great 2 weeks for Pliskova. Didn't get the title she wanted, but there were probably 15 players that should have been favored over her when this started.

Rybakina looks like a future winner here. So does Krejcikova, as her loss to Barty looks even better.

Stat of the Day- 13- Number of times the doubles #1 changed hands in 1992.

That is the most in history, with Novotna, Neiland, Zvereva, Sanchez Vicario and Sukova doing so.

Mertens will take over the #1 spot for a second time this year, giving us 5 different women. But the gold standard is 2000, in which 8 women held the top spot, switching 12 times.

Weeks at #1- 2000*

14- Julie Halard-Decugis
13- Lisa Raymond
7 - Corina Morariu
7 - Martina Hingis
5 - Lindsay Davenport
4 - Anna Kournikova
3 - Rennae Stubbs
2 - Ai Sugiyama

*Weeks add up to 55 as Raymond/Stubbs were co- #1's for 3 weeks.

I don't know if we will get to 8 this year, but slams have shaken the order this year. With Siegemund/Zvonareva winning the US Open with only half the points offered, it is unlikely that they can make a run to #1 like other slam winners.

Sat Jul 10, 11:41:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Meanwhile, Barty is pushing to around 80 straight ranking weeks (not counting the shutdown, as it'd over two full years in real time"), with no one likely close enough to challenge for a while.

I hope Rybakina is playing well heading into the Open, since she hasn't come into a hard court major in good form since last year's AO (and she had to face Barty in the 3rd Rd. in that one).

Sun Jul 11, 09:50:00 AM EDT  

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