Sunday, August 29, 2021

Wk.31- ...To Those Who Wait

After trying, trying, trying, trying, (not being given the chance to try), trying and trying again, Anett Kontaveit finally becomes a champion once more.








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*WEEK 31 CHAMPIONS*
CLEVELAND (OHIO), USA (WTA 250/Hard Court Outdoor)
S: Anett Kontaveit/EST def. Irina Camelia Begu/ROU 7-6(5)/6-4
D: Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara (JPN/JPN) def. Christina McHale/Sania Mirza (USA/IND) 7-5/6-3
CHICAGO (ILLINOIS), USA (WTA 250/Hard Court Outdoor)
S: Elina Svitolina/UKR def. Alize Cornet/FRA 7-5/6-4
D: Nadiia Kichenok/Raluca Olaru (UKR/ROU) def. Lyudmyla Kichenok/Makoto Ninomiya (UKR/JPN) 7-6(6)/5-7 [10-8]


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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Anett Kontaveit/EST
...Kontaveit has been a seemingly drowsy potential force on tour for years, showing promise on multiple surfaces but never really winning anything. Despite reaching tournament finals every year since 2017, she came into the week having not lifted a trophy since back in 2017, going 0-5 (four times losing in straight sets) in finals played, and not even getting a chance to play in the cancelled Grampians final earlier this season. This week in Cleveland, though, the 25-year old Estonian broke that string.

Arriving on a five-match losing streak that had begun when she'd played in her most recent final in Eastbourne (def. by Ostapenko), Kontaveit opened up with a rare 1, love & love win over Lauren Davis, then added victories over Caroline Garcia, Katerina Siniakova and Sara Sorribes Tormo to reach her ninth career final and third of the season, matching her career-best total from the '17 campaign. There she bested Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6/6-4 to belatedly grasp her second career tour crown, her first since winning on the grass at Rosmalen four years ago.

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RISER: Alize Cornet/FRA
...playing in Chicago the week before she'll compete in her 59th consecutive slam, third on the all-time women's list (with a shot to assume the top spot in '22), Cornet reached her first final in over two years.

After opening with a nearly three-hour victory over Ann Li, Cornet followed up with additional wins over Jasmine Paolini, Marketa Vondrousova and Varvara Gracheva (winning 1 & 0 in the 2nd/3rd sets) before a straight sets loss in the final against Elina Svitolina.

Though still under .500 (19-20) for the year, the 31-year old Pastry has posted a 9-6 mark since Roland Garros, a span which has included four Top 50 wins (three vs. the Top 15 with wins over Muguruza and a pair against Andreescu). She next heads into the U.S. Open one year after reaching the Round of 16 there, Cornet's best result in fourteen appearances in New York.

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SURPRISE: Rebecca Peterson/SWE
...for the first time in nearly two years (when she won the Tianjin crown in '19), Peterson reached a tour-level semifinal in Chicago, ending a streak of four straight QF losses over the past two seasons (0-2 in '21).

Wins over Marie Bouzkova, Viktorija Golubic and Tereza Martincova, before a three-set loss to eventual champ Elina Svitolina, pushed the top-ranked Swede over .500 (17-15) for the season after she'd come into the week having lost three of four since her WTA 125 challenger semi result in early July.

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VETERAN: Irina-Camelia Begu/ROU
...in Cleveland, the 31-year old Romanian (#74) reached her first hard court SF in nearly three years and her first tour-level final on the surface since '16 (Florianópolis title) by stringing together wins over Ekaterina Alexandrova, Polona Hercog, Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Magda Linette.

Begu's eighth career final, her first since winning Bucharest in '17, saw her lose a pair of close sets in a 7-6/6-4 defeat at the hands of Anett Kontaveit. She climbs to #63 in the new rankings, her highest standing since October '18.

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COMEBACK: Elina Svitolina/UKR
...it wasn't always a smooth road in Chicago, but Svitolina finally managed to get into the tournament winner's circle for the first time in nearly a year (Strasbourg last September).



For a bit, the Ukrainian played the role of Public Enemy #1 for the Pastries, as she advanced past Clara Burel (who retired in the 3rd set), Fiona Ferro (winning 6-4/6-4 after play had been suspended at 4-4 a day earlier) and Kristina Mladenovic (who won just one game) to reach the semifinals. There it took three sets to dispatch Rebecca Peterson and reach her first final of the season.

Svitolina's 7-5/6-4 win over Alize Cornet (yet another French player!) gives her sixteen titles in her WTA career (with an impressive 16-3 mark in finals), but continues the seasons-long trend of "downgraded" title runs since what was her biggest career win at the WTA Finals to end the 2018 season. Rather than leading to *bigger* crowns (as has been the case with other slam-less winners of the event, such as Gabriela Sabatini, Jana Novotna and Caroline Wozniacki in the past), that win in the event's swan song in Singapore has proven to be the former title-hunter's zenith.

Since her WTAF title nearly three years ago, which had been preceded by six Premier or higher wins, all three of Svitolina's titles have come at the tour's lowest event level (International/250) in Monterrey, Strasbourg and now Chicago. After reaching twelve finals in the three-season 2016-18 timespan, Svitolina has played in just four in the time since with a pair of final-less stretches of over (or nearly) a year between those appearances (between the 2018 and '19 WTAF, and Strasbourg and Chicago).

Svitolina remains one of four champions in the 48-year history of the tour championships to have never won a major title, joining the likes of Sylvia Hanika (1982), Aga Radwanska (2015) and Dominika Cibulkova (2016).
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FRESH FACE: Varvara Gracheva/RUS
...the 21-year old Russian played herself into a career-best tour-level result in Chicago, adding a SF run to a WTA 125 semi (Saint-Malo) and Roland Garros 3rd Round result to what has been her best season to date.

Wins over Tamara Zidansek, Ana Bogdan and Marta Kostyuk, the latter after rallying from a set down in what was a two-day match, got the Hordette into the final four. She took the first set in the semis from Alize Cornet, but ultimately lost in three.



She'll rise from #88 to a new career high of #82 heading into the U.S. Open, where she posted her first career slam MD win on her way to the 3rd Round finish (w/ wins over Badosa and Mladenovic) last summer.
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DOWN: Venus Williams/USA
...Williams didn't win a match (and lost the one she played), and won't be playing another one for a while. But she still had a wild and crazy week.

When the week began, having already been awarded a U.S. Open wild card, she was set to compete in her 15th straight MD at Flushing Meadows and 23rd Open in her career. But, first, she had a 1st Round match-up-with Hsieh Su-wei -- a career-first meeting -- in Chicago. She lost 6-2/6-3. A few days later, the world #147 was upped from WC to automatic entry participant when Kirsten Flipkens withdrew. Soon after, on the same day that Serena announced that she'd be missing just her second U.S. Open in the past eleven years due to a hamstring injury, Venus also announced that *she* would miss the event due to a leg injury of her own. Venus' first missed home slam since 2006, just her third since her 1997 debut, will also be the first Open without either sister since 2003.

The loss to Hsieh dropped Williams to 3-9 on the year, after having gone 1-8 during the fractured '20 schedule. Since her 12-5 start to the '19 season, Venus has gone a combined 11-27.
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ITF PLAYERS: Linda Noskova/CZE and Nastasja Schunk/GER
...the junior stars continue the climb up the tennis ladder on the challenger level.

Noskova, 16, claimed her biggest pro title at the $60K event in Prerov, Czech Republic, defeating 31-year old Romanian Alexandra Ignatik in a 6-7(2)/6-4/6-3 final. It's this year's RG junior champ's third '21 ITF crown.



In the $25K in Braunschweig, Germany, 18-year old Schunk, this season's Wimbledon junior finalist, picked up her second $25K crown since her SW19 run, defeating fellow German Anna Klasen in a 6-3/6-1 final.

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JUNIOR STARS: Brenda Fruhvirtova/CZE and Ksenia Zaytseva/RUS
...while her big sister Linda (16) has made waves not only on the junior circuit but also the WTA tour in 2021, 14-year old Brenda is still rising (Serena-like?) behind her.

At this week's J1 event in College Park, Maryland it was Fruhvirtova the Younger winning her biggest career titles with a sweep of the singles and doubles. The #13 seed (junior #70) reeled off six straight victories to claim the solo title, taking the final ten sets she played as she got better and better as the week wore on. After going three sets in the first two rounds, Fruhvirtova allowed, 7, 5, 5 and 1 game in her final four matches. She dominated Russian Mirra Andreeva, the #8-seeded younger sister (14) of RG girls finalist and (this week) ITF finalist Erika (17), in a 6-1/6-0 final. Andreeva hadn't dropped a set en route to the championship match.

Fruhvirtova teamed with Croatian Lucija Ciric Bagaric to win the doubles.



In Pancevo, Serbia, yet another junior member of the Russian Tennis Renaissance put her name on the board as Zaytseva picked up her biggest career title with a J1 win (and s/d sweep). The 16-year old #46-ranked girl handled fellow Hordette Yaroslava Bartashevich 6-0/6-3 in the final, but joined up with her to win the doubles crown.

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DOUBLES: Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara, JPN/JPN
...while they've yet to claim a slam title (they reached the Wimbledon semis this year, and won Miami, though), the Japanese pair have been one of the most successful duos on tour since their teaming in late 2019. The pair's title run in Cleveland gives them a 5-0 mark in '21 finals and 8-1 record over the course of their partnership.

Aoyama & Shibahara won a pair of match TB on their way to the final (including in the SF vs. Mattek-Sands/Rogers) before defeating Christina McHale and Sania Mirza 7-5/6-3 in the final. The final run from Mirza was the 63rd of her tour career, her second since winning in Hobart early last season after coming back from having a baby in late 2018.

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WHEELCHAIR: Yui Kamiji/JPN
...Tokyo Opening Ceremonies, Part II.

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*TOP QUALIFIERS*
1. Rebecca Marino, CAN (30, #175) ...having already staged a 3rd Round run in Montreal (def. Keys and Badosa) and won a $25K challenger in Indiana this summer, the Canadian qualifies for her second '21 major (AO). Marino won three straight three-setters, including an upset over #6 seed Greet Minnen (who'd qualified for the three previous '21 slams) in the final round, to reach her first MD at Flushing Meadows since 2011 (and just her second overall major since 2013).

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2. Nuria Parrizas Diaz, ESP (30, #94) ...six years after a shoulder injury led doctors to tell her that she would never play tennis again (after more than a year away, she did... and hasn't been troubled by the old injury since), the Spaniard added another chapter to a breakthrough season that has seen her reach her first tour-level MD (reaching the QF), win her biggest titles (a WTA 125 and $100K), crack the Top 100 (the fourth oldest in WTA history to do so) and now reach her first slam MD (after 3Q losses in RG/WI qualifying this year). Parrizas Diaz didn't drop a set in the Open Q-rounds.

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3. Valentini Grammatikopoulou, GRE (24, ##234) ...the Greek makes her slam MD debut after finding her way through a trio of three-setters, and saving MP in the final round vs. Liang En-shou

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*OTHER US QUALIFIERS*

Katie Boulter, GBR (25/#190) - the Brit reaches her first U.S. MD after knocking off two Q-seeds, and coming back from 4-2 down in the 3rd in the final round vs. Kristina Kucova

Cristina Bucsa, ESP (23/#161) - another slam MD debut, the third Spaniard to do so at this Open, comes with back-to-back-to-back straight sets victories

Olga Danilovic, SRB (20/#145) - after making her slam debut in Melbourne in February (2r), the Serb makes her maiden U.S. Open MD

Harriet Dart, GBR (25/#151) - Dart is the only repeat qualifier from the last pre-U.S. Open qualifying tournament held in 2019. She had to win two three-setters and a double-TB two-setter to return to the MD.

Dalma Galfi, HUN (23/#152) - the '15 U.S. Open junior champ and former girls #1 finally makes her slam MD debut. Galfi is on a 17-5 run.




Ana Konjuh, CRO (23/#87) - sweeping through six sets, she qualified for her third straight slam to reach her first U.S. MD since 2017

Jamie Loeb, USA (26/#194) - the '15 NCAA women's singles champ reaches her second career slam MD ('15 US 1r)

Rebeka Masarova, ESP (22/#231) - the '16 RG girls champ, who ended '20 at #717, improves to 29-3 since May to reach her maiden slam MD

Kristyna Pliskova, CZE (29/#115) - the Czech qualifies to reach her 19th consecutive slam MD (twin Karolina will be playing in her 35th straight)

Emma Raducanu, GBR (18/#150) - she reached the Wimbledon 4th Rd. as a WC, and a week after reaching the WTA 125 Chicago final swept her three U.S. Q-round matches in straights to make it two slam MD appearances in a row




Gabriela Ruse, ROU (23/#108) - a two-time WTA finalist this season (1-1), Ruse reaches her third career slam MD (0-2 1r Wimbledon)

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, SVK (26/#92) - winning a pair of marathon matches in the heat, AKS will play in just her second U.S. Open MD since 2016

Astra Sharma, AUS (25/#114) - a tour title winner (Charleston 250) in '21, the Aussie has now reached five straight slam MD in non-automatic berth fashion: 2020 RG lucky loser, 2021 AO wild card, 2021 RG wild card, 2021 WI lucky loser and 2021 US qualifier


*US LUCKY LOSERS*

Kristina Kucova, SVK (31/#111) - the '21 Gdynia finalist's first US MD since 2016, and first in a slam since the '19 RG

Mayar Sherif, EGY (25/#95) - the first Egyptian to... play in the U.S. Open MD

Viktoriya Tomova, BUL (26/#117) - she reached her first two tour level SF in '21, the second of those coming as a LL in Belgrade



*MULTI-SLAM QUALIFIERS IN 2021*
3 - Ana Konjuh, CRO (RG-WI-US)
3 - Greet Minnen, BEL (AO-RG-WI)
2 - Clara Burel, FRA (AO-WI)
2 - Olga Danilovic, SRB (AO-US)
2 - Rebecca Marino, CAN (AO-US)
2 - Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, COL (RG-WI)
2 - Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, SVK (RG-US)

*YOUNGEST 2021 SLAM...*
=Q=
AO - Whitney Osuigue, USA (18)
US - Emma Raducanu, GBR (18)
AO - Clara Burel, FRA (19)
AO - Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ITA (19)
AO - Olga Danilovic, SRB (19)
RG - Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, COL (19)
WI - Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, COL (19)
WI - Katie Volynets, USA (19)
WI - Wang Xinyu, CHN (19)
=LL=
RG - Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ITA (20)
WI - Astra Sharma, AUS (25)
US - Mayar Sherif, EGY (25)
=PR=
RG - Liang En-shuo, TPE (20)-Q
AO - Katie Boulter, GBR (24)
RG - Ivana Jorovic, SRB (24)
US - Ivana Jorovic, SRB (24)

=OLDEST 2021 SLAM...=
=Q=
RG - Varvara Lepchenko, USA (35)
AO - Sara Errani, ITA (33)
WI - Monica Niculescu, ROU (33)
AO - Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL (33)
WI - Olga Govortsova, BLR (32)
WI - Monica Niculescu, ROU (32)
RG - Stefanie Voegele, SUI (31)
US - Rebecca Marino, CAN (30)
AO - Rebecca Marino, CAN (30)
WI - Vitalia Diatchenko, RUS (30)
WI - Danielle Lao, USA (30)
US - Nuria Parrizas Diaz, ESP (30)
=LL=
WI - Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL (33)
AO - Mihaela Buzarnescu, ROU (32)
RG - Olga Govortsova, BLR (32)
US - Kristina Kucova, SVK (31)
=PR=
US - Samantha Stosur, AUS (37)
WI - Samantha Stosur, AUS (37)
AO - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (36)
WI - Elena Vesnina, RUS (34)
RG - Elena Vesnina, RUS (34)

=MAKING SLAM MD DEBUTS=
=Q=
AO - Olga Danilovic, SRB
AO - Francesca Jones, GBR
RG - Ekaterine Gorgodze, GEO
RG - Liang En-shuo, TPE
RG - Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, COL
US - Cristina Bucsa, ESP
US - Dalma Galfi, HUN
US - Valentini Grammatikopoulou, GRE
US - Rebeka Masarova, ESP
US - Nuria Parrizas Diaz, ESP
=PR=
RG - Liang En-shuo, TPE (Q)

=LOW-RANKED 2021 SLAM QUALIFIERS=
#312 - Rebecca Marino, CAN (AO)
#295 - Liang En-shuo, TPE (RG)
#290 - Katie Swan, GBR (WI)
#241 - Francesca Jones, GBR (AO)
#238 - Danielle Lao, USA (WI)
#236 - Clara Burel, FRA (AO)
#234 - Valentini Grammatikopoulou, GRE (US)
#231 - Ellen Perez, AUS (WI)
#225 - Valeria Savinykh, RUS (AO)
#222 - Ekaterine Gorgodze, GEO (RG)
#212 - Aleksandra Krunic, SRB (RG)
#200 - Katie Voynets, USA (WI)
=LL=
#138 - Mihaela Buzarnescu, ROU (AO)
#138 - Olga Govortsova, BLR (RG)
#135 - Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, SVK (AO)
#127 - Astra Sharma, AUS (WI)
#125 - Magarita Gasparyan, RUS (AO)
#123 - Wang Yafan, CHN (WI)
#122 - Ysaline Bonaventure, BEL (AO)
#118 - Kristie Ahn, USA (WI)
#117 - Viktoriya Tomova, BUL (US)
#103 - Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL (WI)

=2021 SLAM Q's BY NATION (28 diff.)=
7 - USA [1/2/3/1]
5 - GBR [1/0/1/3]
4 - ESP [0/1/0/3]
4 - RUS [2/0/2/0]
3 - AUS [0/1/1/1]
3 - BEL [1/1/1/0]
3 - CRO [0/1/1/1]
3 - FRA [2/0/1/0]
3 - ROU [0/1/1/1]
3 - SRB [1/1/0/1]
3 - UKR [0/2/1/0]
2 - CAN [1/0/0/1]
2 - CHN [0/1/1/0]
2 - COL [0/1/1/0]
2 - HUN [1/0/0/1]
2 - ITA [2/0/0/0]
2 - SVK [0/1/0/1]
1...AO: BUL,EGY,JPN,SLO
1...RG: GEO,SUI,TPE
1...WI: BLR,NED
1...US: CZE,GRE
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=LL=
1...AO: BEL,ROU,RUS,SVK
1...RG: BLR,ITA
1...WI: AUS,BUL,CHN,USA
1...US: BUL,EGY,SVK

*U.S. OPEN "Q-PLAYER OF THE WEEK" WINNERS*
2006 Chan Yung-Jan, TPE
2007 Alina Jidkova, RUS
2008 Yaroslava Shvedova, KAZ & Barbora Strycova, CZE
2009 Eva Hrdinova, CZE
2010 Michelle Larcher de Brito, POR
2011 Romina Oprandi, ITA
2012 Magdalena Rybarikova, SVK
2013 Michelle Larcher de Brito, POR
2014 Aleksandra Krunic, SRB
2015 Jessica Pegula, USA
2016 Taylor Townsend, USA
2017 Kaia Kanepi, EST
2018 Genie Bouchard, CAN
2019 Peng Shuai, CHN
2020 DNP Q
2021 Rebecca Marino, CAN
[2021 slams]
AO: Francesca Jones, GBR
RG: Varvara Lepchenko, USA
WI: Ana Konjuh, CRO



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1. Chicago Final - Elina Svitolina def. Alize Cornet
...7-5/6-4. 2021's week-before-a-major champions -- Barty (QF), Mertens (4r), Krejcikova (W), Kerber (SF) and Ostapenko (3r) -- have been unusually successful in the slam that followed this season. Where on the scale will #5-seed Svitolina fall in Flushing Meadows?
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2. Cleveland Final - Anett Kontaveit def. Irina-Camelia Begu
...7-6(5)/6-4. Kontaveit's ninth final ties fellow Estonian Kaia Kanepi's career total, but the still-active veteran maintains a twice-as-big lead (4 to 2) when it comes to tour titles.
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3. Chicago Q1 - Quinn Gleason def. Anastasia Potapova
...6-1/2-6/6-3. The 26-year old former Notre Dame player (#466) upsets the Chicago #1 Q-seed to make her tour-level MD debut. She lost to Marketa Vondrousova in her maiden match.
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4. Chicago QF - Varvara Gracheva def. Marta Kostyuk
...6-7(4)/6-3/6-4. After play was suspended with Kostyuk leading 7-6/3-5, the Russian rallies to win and reach her maiden tour SF.
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5. Cleveland 1st Rd. - Nagi Hanatani def. Anna Blinkova
...1-0 ret. Already a lucky loser in her maiden tour-level MD, 26-year old Hanatani picks up her first victory after just one game against the Hordette.

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6. Cleveland 1st Rd. - Magda Linette def. Emina Bektas 7-6(6)/6-4
Cleveland 2nd Rd. - Magda Linette def. Linda Fruhvirtova 7-6(2)/6-4
...Linette won something of a game of WTA Pick-up-Stix in Cleveland, first defeating Bektas, who'd defeated L.Fruhvirtova in the final round of qualifying, then also defeating lucky loser Fruhvirtova a round later.

After dominating top-seeded Dasha Kasatkina 1 & 2 to reach the QF, Linette lost out to Irina-Camelia Begu.
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7. U.S. Open Q1 - Anna-Lena Friedsam def. Allie Kiick
...6-3/6-0. Already a cancer survivor, Kiick was recently diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, a rare, benign brain tumor that will likely eventually require dangerous surgery to preserve her hearing.
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8. U.S. Open Q1 - Vicky Duval def. Aliona Bolsova
...6-7(5)/6-2/6-1. Duval made her U.S. Open MD debut in 2012 under the lights on Ashe against Kim Clijsters, and a year later upset former champ Samantha Stosur in the 1st Round. A year later, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma but still played Wimbledon qualifying, making it to the MD and winning a match. She was back once more at Flushing Meadows this week, after losing in Open qualifying in 2015 and from 2017-19. She got one Q-win, but lost to Caroline Dolehide a round later. Duval's last MD slam match was at SW19 five years ago.

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9. U.S. Open Q3 - Katie Boulter def. Kristina Kucova
...7-5/2-6/6-4. Boulter recovers from a 4-2 deficit in the 3rd, winning four straight games to reach her maiden U.S. Open MD and become the third British woman (Dart, Raducanu) to successfully make it through qualifying. Five British women are scheduled to compete in the Open draw for the first time since 1987.

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10. US Open Q1 - Federica Di Sarra def. Katharina Gerlach
...2-6/7-5/6-4. The German lost the match, but she'll always have this point.

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HM- $25K Vigo ESP Final - Olivia Gadecki def. Yuriko Lily Miyazaki
...6-2/6-4. The 19-year old Aussie, who made headlines in the opening week of the season with her upset of Sofia Kenin, wins her fourth and biggest '21 challenger crown while also claiming her fourth WD title of the year.

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1. Chicago Final - Nadiia Kichenok/Raluca Olaru def. Lyudmyla Kichenok/Makota Ninomiya
...7-6(6)/5-7 [10-8]. After going 26-23 in WTA/ITF finals as partners over the years, the Kichenok sisters face off in a doubles championship for the first time (Lyudmyla won their lone singles final clash in a '09 challenger, the first career singles final for either sister).

Though L.Kichenok/Ninomiya rallied to force a match TB after trailing 7-6/2-4 when play was suspended on Friday, snapping N.Kichenok & Olaru's no sets lost streak at the event, the Ukrainian/Romanian duo ultimately still managed to win out to improve to 2-1 in '21 WD finals. It's Lyudmyla's sixth career tour title, and Olaru's eleventh.

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2. Chicago 1st Rd. - Hsieh Su-wei def. Venus Williams
...6-2/6-3. After more than 1900 combined career singles matches, the meeting that the Tennis Gods could not prevent from happening.

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3. US Open Q1 - Urszula Radwanska def. Katarina Zavatska
...6-3/7-5. Playing in her first U.S. Open match since 2016, Ula had an interested courtside observer.



Unfortunately for the Polish sisters, the New York story ended a round later with a loss to Federica Di Sarra.
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HM- $25K Verbier SUI Final - Ylena In-Albon def. Erika Andreeva
...6-1/6-4. In the same week that her younger sister Mirra lost in her biggest junior final, Erika fell in her biggest final on the pro level. The 17-year old, who took the doubles with Ekaterina Makarova, fell to Swiss In-Albon, who picked up her fourth '21 crown while winning in her ninth consecutive final since early '18.
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Of course, if the Twitterverse (and some parts of the media, sports and otherwise) were *really* worth their weight in words they'd now attack *Osaka* with the same fervor that they did those who said *at the time* pretty close what she (finally) got around to saying this week. But we know that won't happen, as it was never really about "appropriateness" or "reality" in those corners and was instead more about mindless "fandom" and/or an elaborate act designed to show that they were on the "correct" side of the issue and that anyone who didn't think exactly the same way was uncaring, unsympathetic, evil and/or bigoted, whose ideas were obsolete in 2021 society and, in turn, was *part* of the problem rather than a solution to it.

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=CLEVELAND, OHIO (USA)=



=CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (USA)=



=NEW YORK, NEW YORK (USA)=





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*2021 WTA FINALS*
6 - Ash Barty, AUS (5-1)
4 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (3-1)
4 - Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (2-2)
3 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (2-1)
3 - ANETT KONTAVEIT, EST (1-1-1)
3 - Belinda Bencic, SUI (1-2)
3 - Garbine Muguruza, ESP (1-2)
3 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (0-3)

*2021 WTA DOUBLES FINALS*
5...AOYAMA/SHIBAHARA, JPN/JPN (5-0)
5...Krejcikova/Siniakova, CZE/CZE (4-1)
4...Jurak/Klepac, CRO/SLO (2-2)
4...Melichar/Schuurs, USA/NED (2-2)
3...Bouzkova/Hradecka, CZE/CZE (2-1)
3...Dabrowski/Stefani, CAN/BRA (1-2)
3...Carter/Stefani, USA/BRA (0-3)

*2021 OLDEST WTA FINALISTS*
35 - Kaia Kanepi, EST (Gippsland-L)
33 - Angelique Kerber, GER (Bad Homburg-W)
33 - Andrea Petkovic, GER (Cluj Napova-W)
33 - Andrea Petkovic, GER (Hamburg-L)
32 - Zhang Shuai, CHN (Nottingham-L)
31 - IRINA-CAMELIA BEGU, ROU (Cleveland-L)
31 - Sorana Cirstea, ROU (Strasbourg-L)
31 - Sorana Cirstea, ROU (Istanbul-W)
31 - ALIZE CORNET, FRA (Chicago-L)
31 - Kristina Kucova, SVK (GDYNIA-L)
30 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (Doha-W)
30 - Johanna Konta, GBR (Nottingham-W)

*2021 TOP JUNIOR EVENT CHAMPIONS*
SVYATOPETRIVSKE VILLAGE UKR J1: Anastasiia Gureva/RUS
SALINAS ECU J1: Natalia Szabanin/HUN
ASUNCION BOWL PAR J1: Petra Marcinko/CRO
PORTO ALEGRE BRA J1: Natalia Szabanin/HUN
BANANA BOWL BRA GA: Oceane Babel/FRA
BARRANQUILLA COL J1: Johanne Christine Svendsen/DEN
SAN DIEGO USA J1: Alexandra Yepifanova/USA
VILLENA ESP J1: Diana Shnaider/RUS
PLOVDIV BUL J1: Michaela Laki/GRE
YELTSIN CUP RUS J1: Alina Shcherbinina/RUS
RICANY CZE J1: Julia Middendorf/GER
BYTOM POL J1: Dominika Salkova/CZE
ROLAND GARROS: Linda Noskova/CZE
ROEHAMPTON GBR J1: Linda Fruhvirtova/CZE
WIMBLEDON: Ane Mintegi del Olmo/ESP
MILAN ITA GA: Alexandra Eala/PHI
EUROPEAN 18U CHSP. (CLOSED B1) SUI: Antonia Ruzic/CRO
PANCEVO SRB J1: Ksenia Zaytseva/RUS
COLLEGE PARK USA J1: Brenda Fruhvirtova/CZE





**YOUNGEST/OLDEST IN 2021 US OPEN WS MD**
[youngest]
17 - Ashlyn Krueger, USA (WC)
17 - Coco Gauff, USA
18 - Leylah Fernandez, CAN
18 - Emma Raducanu, GBR (Q)
18 - Clara Tauson, DEN
19 - Amanda Anisimova, USA
19 - Hailey Baptiste, USA (WC)
19 - Marta Kostyu, UKR
19 - Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, COL
19 - Katie Volynets, USA (WC)
[oldest]
37 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (PR)
36 - Kaia Kanepi, EST
36 - Vera Zvonareva, RUS
35 - Hsieh Su-wei, TPE

**CAREER SLAM MD APPEARANCES - WOMEN**
90 - Venus Williams *
79 - Serena Williams *
71 - Svetlana Kuznetsova *
71 - Francesca Schiavone
71 - Amy Frazier
67 - Martina Navratilova
64 - Conchita Martinez
63 - Ai Sugiyama
62 - ALIZE CORNET *
61 - Daniela Hantuchova

**CONSECUTIVE SLAM MD APPEARANCES - WOMEN**
62 - Ai Sugiyama
61 - Francesca Schiavone
59 - ALIZE CORNET (active)
56 - Jelena Jankovic
54 - Nathalie Dechy
54 - Elena Likhovtseva
52 - Patty Schnyder

**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

**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 (W)

**RECENT WOMEN'S U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS**
2010 Kim Clijsters, BEL
2011 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2012 Serena Williams, USA
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2014 Serena Williams, USA
2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER
2017 Sloane Stephens, USA
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN
2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN
2020 Naomi Osaka, JPN

**U.S. OPEN FINALS - ACTIVE**
10...Serena Williams (6-4)
4...Kim Clijsters (3-1)
4...Venus Williams (2-2)
3...Victoria Azarenka (0-3)
2...Naomi Osaka (2-0)
2...Svetlana Kuznetsova (1-1)
1...Bianca Andreescu (1-0)
1...Angelique Kerber (1-0)
1...Sloane Stephens (1-0))
1...Samantha Stosur (1-0)
1...Madison Keys (0-1)
1...Karolina Pliskova (0-1)
1...Vera Zvonareva (0-1)

**RECENT U.S. OPEN TOP SEEDS, w/ result**
2010 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (SF)
2011 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (SF)
2012 Victoria Azarenka, BLR (RU)
2013 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2014 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2015 Serena Williams, USA (SF)
2016 Serena Williams, USA (SF)
2017 Karolina Pliskova, CZE (QF)
2018 Simona Halep, ROU (1st)
2019 Naomi Osaka, JPN (4th)
2020 Karolina Pliskova, CZE (2nd)
2021 Ash Barty, AUS

**EARLIEST EXIT BY SLAM #1 at U.S. OPEN**
2018 1st Rd. - Simona Halep (lost to Kaia Kanepi)
1966 2nd Rd. - Billie Jean King (lost to Kerry Melville)
2008 2nd Rd. - Ana Ivanovic (lost to Julie Coin)
2020 2nd Rd. - Karolina Pliskova (lost to Caroline Garcia)

**FIRST-TIME SLAM CHAMPS AT U.S. OPEN - OPEN ERA**
1968 Virginia Wade, GBR
1979 Tracy Austin, USA
1990 Gabriela Sabatini, ARG
1998 Lindsay Davenport, USA
1999 Serena Williams, USA
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2005 Kim Clijsters, BEL
2011 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2017 Sloane Stephens, USA
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN
2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN

**LOW-SEEDED U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS - OPEN ERA**
Unseeded/Wild Card - Kim Clijsters, BEL (2009)
Unseeded - Sloane Stephens, USA (2017)
#26 - Flavia Pennetta, ITA (2015)
#20 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2018)
#15 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (2019)
#9 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (2011)
#9 - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (2004)
#7 - Serena Williams, USA (1999)
#6 - Virginia Wade, GBR (1968)

**LOW-RANKED U.S. OPEN FINALISTS - since 1975**
Unranked - Kim Clijsters, 2009 (W)
#83 - Sloane Stephens, 2017 (W)
#66 - Venus Williams, 1997

**RECENT U.S. OPEN WOMEN'S SEMIFINALISTS**
2010 Clijsters (W), Zvonareva (F); V.Williams/Wozniacki
2011 Stosur (W), S.Williams (F); Kerber/Wozniacki
2012 S.Williams (W), Azarenka (F); Errani/Sharapova
2013 S.Williams (W), Azarenka (F); Li/Pennetta
2014 S.Williams (W), Wozniacki (F); Peng/Makarova
2015 Pennetta (W), Vinci (F); Halep/S.Williams
2016 Kerber (W), Ka.Pliskova (F); S.Williams/Wozniacki
2017 Stephens (W), Keys (F); Vandeweghe/V.Williams
2018 Osaka (W), S.Williams (F); Keys/Sevastova
2019 Andreescu (W), S.Williams (F); Bencic/Svitolina
2020 Osaka (W), Azarenka (F); Brady/S.Williams

**LOW-SEEDED U.S. OPEN SEMIFINALISTS - since 2000**
[unseeded]
2000 Elena Dementieva, RUS
2009 Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
2009 [WC] Kim Clijsters, BEL (W)
2011 Angelique Kerber, GER
2013 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2014 Peng Shuai, CHN
2015 Roberta Vinci, ITA (RU)
2016 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
2017 Sloane Stephens, USA (W)
2020 Victoria Azarenka, BLR (RU)
[seeds]
#28 - 2011 Serena Williams, USA (RU)
#28 - 2020 Jennifer Brady, USA
#26 - 2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA (W)
#20 - 2017 CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
#20 - 2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN (W)
#19 - 2006 Jelena Jankovic, SRB
#19 - 2018 Anastasija Sevastova, LAT
#17 - 2018 Serena Williams, USA (RU)
#16 - 2014 Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
#15 - 2017 Madison Keys, USA (RU)
#15 - 2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN (W)
#14 - 2018 Madison Keys, USA
#13 - 2019 Belinda Bencic, SUI
#12 - 2005 Mary Pierce, FRA (RU)
#12 - 2007 Venus Williams, USA

**RECENT U.S. OPEN GIRLS FINALS**
2010 Daria Gavrilova/RUS d. Yulia Putintseva/RUS #
2011 Grace Min/USA d. Caroline Garcia/FRA
2012 Samantha Crawford/USA d. Anett Kontaveit/EST
2013 Ana Konjuh/CRO d. Tornado Black/USA
2014 Marie Bouzkova/CZE d. Anhelina Kalinina/UKR
2015 Dalma Galfi/HUN d. Sonya Kenin/USA
2016 Kayla Day/USA d. Viktoria Kuzmova/SVK
2017 Amanda Anisimova/USA d. Coco Gauff/USA
2018 Wang Xiyu/CHN d. Clara Burel/FRA
2019 Maria Camila Osorio Serrano/COL d. Alexandra Yepifanova/USA
2020 DNP
--
#- (2010) players now represent AUS & KAZ

**BEST U.S. OPEN GIRLS/WOMEN'S RESULTS**
[won Girls & Women's titles]
Lindsay Davenport (1992 Jr. Champion; 1998 Women's champion)
[others]
Martina Hingis (1994 Junior RU; 1997 Women's Champion)
Svetlana Kuznetsova (2001 Junior RU; 2004 Women's champion)
Victoria Azarenka (2005 Junior champion; 2012-13/20 Women's RU)

**BACK-TO-BACK WIMB/US TITLES - OPEN ERA**
1970 Margaret Court, AUS
1972 Billie Jean King, USA
1976 Chris Evert, USA
1982 Chris Evert-Lloyd, USA
1983 Martina Navratilova, USA
1986 Martina Navratilova, USA
1987 Martina Navratilova, USA
1988 Steffi Graf, GER *
1989 Steffi Graf, GER
1993 Steffi Graf, GER
1995 Steffi Graf, GER
1996 Steffi Graf, GER
1997 Martina Hingis, SUI
2000 Venus Williams, USA *
2001 Venus Williams, USA
2002 Serena Williams, USA
2012 Serena Williams, USA *
--
* - also won Olympic Gold

*RG/US TITLES IN SEASON - OPEN ERA*
1969 Margaret Court, AUS
1970 Margaret Court, AUS
1972 Billie Jean King, USA
1973 Margaret Court, AUS
1975 Chris Evert, USA
1980 Chirs Evert, USA
1984 Martina Navratilova, USA
1988 Steffi Graf, FRG
1991 Monica Seles, YUG
1992 Monica Seles, YUG
1993 Steffi Graf, GER
1994 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, ESP
1995 Steffi Graf, GER
1996 Steffi Graf, GER
2002 Serena Williams, USA
2003 Justine Henin, BEL
2007 Justine Henin, BEL
2013 Serena Williams, USA

*AO/US TITLES IN SEASON - OPEN ERA*
[Sept/Dec finals; 1977-86]
1982 Chris Evert, USA
1983 Martina Navratilova, USA
[Jan/Sept finals]
1969 Margaret Court, AUS
1970 Margaret Court, AUS
1973 Margaret Court, AUS
1988 Steffi Graf, FRG
1989 Steffi Graf, FRG
1991 Monica Seles, YUG
1992 Monica Seles, YUG
1997 Martina Hingis, SUI
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER

**RECENT U.S. OPEN WOMEN'S DOUBLES CHAMPIONS**
2010 Vania King / Yaroslava Shvedova, USA/KAZ
2011 Liezel Huber / Lisa Raymond, USA/USA
2012 Sara Errani / Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2013 Andrea Hlavackova / Lucie Hradecka, CZE/CZE
2014 Ekaterina Makarova / Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS
2015 Martina Hingis / Sania Mirza, SUI/IND
2016 Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE
2017 Latisha Chan / Martina Hingis, TPE/SUI
2018 Ash Barty / CoCo Vandeweghe, AUS/USA
2019 Elise Mertens / Aryna Sabalenka, BEL/BLR
2020 Laura Siegemund / Vera Zvonareva, GER/RUS

**RECENT U.S. OPEN MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPIONS**
2010 Liezel Huber / Bob Bryan, USA/USA
2011 Melanie Oudin / Jack Sock, USA/USA
2012 Ekaterina Makarova / Bruno Soares, RUS/BRA
2013 Andrea Hlavackova / Max Mirnyi, CZE/BLR
2014 Sania Mirza / Bruno Soares, IND/BRA
2015 Martina Hingis / Leander Paes, SUI/IND
2016 Laura Siegemund / Mate Pavic, GER/CRO
2017 Martina Hingis / Jamie Murray, SUI/GBR
2018 Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Jamie Murray, USA/GBR
2019 Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Jamie Murray, USA/GBR
2020 DNP

**RECENT U.S. OPEN GIRLS DOUBLES CHAMPIONS**
2010 Timea Babos / Sloane Stephens, HUN/USA
2011 Irina Khromacheva / Demi Schuurs, RUS/NED
2012 Gabby Andrews / Taylor Townsend, USA/USA
2013 Barbora Krejcikova / Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2014 Ipek Soylu / Jil Teichmann, TUR/SUI
2015 Viktoria Kuzmova / Aleksandra Pospelova, SVK/RUS
2016 Jada Myii Hart / Ena Shibahara, USA/USA
2017 Olga Danilovic / Marta Kostyuk, SRB/UKR
2018 Coco Gauff / Caty McNally, USA/USA
2019 Kamilla Bartone / Oksana Selekmeteva, LAT/RUS
2020 DNP

**U.S. OPEN WHEELCHAIR CHAMPIONS**
[singles]
2005 Esther Vergeer, NED
2006 Esther Vergeer, NED
2007 Esther Vergeer, NED
2008 --
2009 Esther Vergeer, NED
2010 Esther Vergeer, NED
2011 Esther Vergeer, NED
2012 --
2013 Aniek van Koot, NED
2014 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2015 Jordanne Whiley, GBR
2016 --
2017 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2018 Diede de Groot, NED
2019 Diede de Groot, NED
2020 Diede de Groot, NED
[doubles]
2005 Korie Homan & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2006 Jiske Griffioen & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2007 Jiske Griffioen & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2008 --
2009 Korie Homan & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2010 Esther Vergeer & Sharon Walraven, NED/NED
2011 Esther Vergeer & Sharon Walraven, NED/NED
2012 --
2013 Jiske Griffioen & Aniek van Koot, NED/NED
2014 Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
2015 Jiske Griffioen & Aniek van Koot, NED/NED
2016 --
2017 Marjolein Buis & Diede de Groot, NED/NED
2018 Diede de Groot & Yui Kamiji, NED/JPN
2019 Diede de Groot & Aniek van Koot, NED/NED
2020 Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
--
NOTE: event not held in 2008/12/16/21 (Paralympics)

**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

**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)

**TEEN SLAM CHAMPS - since 1997**
1997 Martina Hingis, 16 (AO)*
1997 Iva Majoli, 19 (RG)*
1997 Martina Hingis, 16 (WI)
1997 Martina Hingis, 16 (US)
1998 Martina Hingis, 17 (AO)
1999 Martina Hingis, 18 (AO)
1999 Serena Williams, 17 (US)*
2004 Maria Sharapova, 17 (WI)*
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova, 19 (US)*
2006 Maria Sharapova, 19 (US)
2019 Bianca Andreescu, 19 (AO)*v 2020 Iga Swiatek, 19 (RG)*
--
* - first-time slam winner

**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

**FIRST-TIME SLAM SEMIFINALISTS SINCE 2018**
=2018=
AO: Elise Mertens/BEL
RG: -
WI: Julia Goerges/GER
US: Naomi Osaka/JPN (W), Anastasija Sevastova/LAT
=2019=
AO: Danielle Collins/USA
RG: Amanda Anisimova/USA, Ash Barty/AUS (W), Marketa Vondrousova/CZE (RU)
WI: Barbora Strycova/CZE, Elina Svitolina/UKR
US: Bianca Andreescu/USA (W), Belinda Bencic/SUI
=2020=
AO: Sofia Kenin/USA (W)
US: Jennifer Brady/USA
RG: Nadia Podoroska/ARG, Iga Swiatek/POL (W)
=2021=
AO: Jennifer Brady/USA (RU)
RG: Krejcikova/CZE (W), Pavlyuchenkova/RUS (RU), Sakkari/GRE, Zidansek/SLO
WI: Aryna Sabalenka/BLR

**CAREER SLAM #1 SEEDS - active**
20...Serena Williams
6...ASH BARTY
6...Simona Halep
3...Victoria Azarenka
3...Angelique Kerber
2...Naomi Osaka
2...Karolina Pliskova
1...Kim Clijsters
1...Venus Williams

**RECENT SLAM JUNIOR CHAMPS**
[2018]
AO: Liang En-shuo, TPE
RG: Coco Gauff, USA
WI: Iga Swiatek, POL
US: Wang Xiyu, CHN
[2019]
AO: Clara Tauson, DEN
RG: Leylah Annie Fernandez, CAN
WI: Daria Snigur, UKR
US: Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, COL
[2020]
AO: Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, AND
US: DNP
RG: Elsa Jacquemot, FRA
[2021]
AO: POSTPONED
RG: Linda Noskova, CZE
WI: Ane Mintegi del Olmo, ESP





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4th
#1 Barty def. Sorrribes Tormo
#23 Pegula def. #7 Swiatek
#4 Ka.Pliskova def. #24 Badosa
#17 Sakkari def. #6 Andreescu
#19 Rybakina def. #5 Svitolina
#16 Kerber def. #3 Osaka
#18 Azarenka def. #8 Krejcikova
#2 Sabalenka def. #20 Jabeur
QF
#1 Barty def. #23 Pegula
#4 Ka.Pliskova def. #17 Sakkari
#19 Rybakina def. #16 Kerber
#2 Sabalenka def. #18 Azarenka
SF
#1 Barty def. #4 Ka.Pliskova
#2 Sabalenka def. #19 Rybakina
FINAL
#1 Barty def. #2 Sabalenka




All for now.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 1:41 PM 

4 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

You went safe on the picks, though Barty is on the short list for every slam.

BJK Cup will be in Prague on hard. Two things that stand out from the announcement? One is that it is listed as Nov 1-6, which is the same week as Zhuhai. Will that be pushed back or cancelled? The other is with Prague hosting, #18 Hungary lost it's spot to #10 Canada. Not surprised, figured a non qualifying nation would try to steal a spot.

10 On the Up Side- The Baskin Robbins Edition.

Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors, and we might have 31 contenders if the big 2 don't win.

1.Bencic- The pick is the Olympic champ goes to the only slam in which she has reached QF, though things should be different a year from now. Defending SF points from 2019, she might have a great QF match with Barty in which is a surprisingly balanced draw.
2.Rybakina- One of 2 Kazakh players(Putintseva)seeded here, she tries to become the first from her nation to be SF or better at any slam. With a slam QF and Olympic F4 in recent memory, she could go deep.
3.Kostyuk- She may not make it by Sakkari, but Kostyuk was giving off 2019 Andreescu vibes this week. Both with body type, questionable health and disdain for her own game. Watching her antics remind me that she is 16 days younger now than Andreescu was when she won in 2019.
4.Collins- The old adage in tennis was never pick someone to win 7 matches in a slam if they haven't done so on tour. She met that standard by winning back to back events, and is playing the best tennis of her career. One of 3 NCAA Champs(Navarro, Loeb) in the field, she needs to change her 1-5 record here. 4 of those losses were to seeds, so having one might make the difference in a big run.
5.Barty- The big bad. Most titles with 5, most wins with 40. Wimbledon finalists normally go deep, as well as Cincinnati. Since she won both, she should have a deep run. The red flag? Brady spent 6 months away from home and started to break down physically. Barty is at that now. Did the French Open loss buy her time, or will she be out of gas?
6.Masarova- Until a month ago, Masarova had gone just as far in a WTA event as Collins. 2016 Jr.French Open winner finally makes good, joining other Spaniards Busca and Parrizas Diaz in qualifying. Galfi(2015 US) was another junior winner that made it, as did Konjuh, who did so for the 3rd time this year.
7.Raducanu- The British are coming! Actually, the British are here. Raducanu keeps building off her Wimbledon run, having had a good month in the states. Even though they struggle to qualify at Wimbledon, doing so here isn't a new thing. Raducanu, joined by Boulter and Dart, are just the latest going back to 2015, starting with Robson(15), Konta(16), Watson(18) and Dart(19).
8.Giorgi- Within the first 3 hours of the tournament, 2 of Keys, Stephens, Giorgi and Halep will will be out. Winning in Canada puts her on the short list, while Halep's health leaves her performance as unknown. Can she better her previous best- 4th rd 2013?
9.Krejcikova- The next Sam Stosur? Stosur won doubles in 2005, then singles in 2011. Though it would have made for a great headline if a former US Open doubles winner made her singles debut, she actually hasn't even reached the final here. Which is eye catching when you realize that Siniakova has with Hradecka. Still the doubles favorite.
10.Marino- In a year where 30 somethings like Petkovic, Kanepi, Cirstea among others, have stepped back into the limelight, how about Marino? Trying to get her first win here since defeating Ksenia Pervak in 2010, plus playing her first MD match since 2011, she's done it the hard way.

Sun Aug 29, 04:58:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Diane said...

It won't happen again--right. It already happened again, with terrible consequences.

Sun Aug 29, 05:10:00 PM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

10 On the Down Side.

Not everything down is bad, just different.

1.Kontaveit- Probably kicking herself that she didn't play Strasbourg. Never a bad time to win an event, but it probably has no bearing on the slam QF she should have reached by now. You see, her winning at Cleveland the weekend before the US Open is her thing. Her other 2 finals? Eastbourne, the weekend before Wimbledon, and the unplayed Grampians, the weekend before the Australian Open. Best slam result? 3rd rd.
2.Osaka- Can't be counted out, but the aura of invincibility she had in Australia is long gone. She could win, but most likely opens the door for someone else.
3.Teichmann- Reached Cincinnati final, so she should be on the other list. But now that I have retired the Sabalenka hasn't reached a slam QF, I have to fall back on one of my other 2 go to's. Teichmann has never been past the 2nd rd of a slam. Has lost 8 straight slam matches. This also should end soon, but when?
4.Sorribes Tormo- I did say two, didn't I? She also hasn't been past the 2nd rd of a slam, more than doubling Teichmann's effort with 17. The silver lining is that she reached the 3rd rd at the Olympics.
5.Venus & Serena- For ruining the full circle story. Sad to see them pull out, especially since Venus played in Chicago. I wanted to say Venus going back to Chicago for the first time since 1997, but it was actually Serena that played, reaching the SF after defeating Likhovseta, Pierce and Seles.
6.Pavlyuchenkova- Will coming to the US late hinder her prep? Will she be forced to take two weeks off after the Open and stay here to play Chicago(500) and IW? Her silver lining is that with Andreescu and Brady losing a chunk of points, Pavlyuchenkova may reach her career high of 13 set 10 years ago.
7.Andreescu- Needs a good run, or her ranking will be between 20-25. Fun fact- Andreescu is 16-13 since winning here, Bouchard went 17-23 in the 12 months after Wimbledon.
8.Zvonareva- Had a brace on her wrist and will defend her doubles title with Ostapenko as Siegemund had surgery. No real threat to go deep, but is in a draw with some different combos including Rodionova x2, Carter/Sharma, H.Chan/Dart and Mirza/Vandeweghe.
9.Hsieh- Hasn't done much in singles since Australia. Loses 2020 Rome points from doubles, so may drop down to 8 without a good result. Also means the end of #1 seeds that she keeps getting over Krejcikova/Siniakova.
10.Shibahara- The next Krejcikova? Watching her in her first singles MD was a revelation. No real weaknesses to limit her to a doubles court, she could win singles matches if she put more time in. Coming off her best doubles slam result(SF) can the #3 seed do more?

Sun Aug 29, 05:24:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

C-
Yeah, I almost didn't do picks at all because it felt like that'd be the way to go, but I want ahead. :/

(I at least -- again -- went with a deep run for Rybakina.)

Mon Aug 30, 12:49:00 PM EDT  

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