Sunday, October 31, 2021

Wk.40- The House of Kontaveit

Anett Kontaveit's craving for blo-... err, wins was more than satisfied during her trip to Translyvania. With a title run that gives her 26 wins in her last 28 matches, the Estonian's stunning dash qualified her for her first trip to the WTA Finals and makes her appear to be prepared for anything.

Well, almost anything.







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*WEEK 40 CHAMPIONS*
CLUJ-NAPOCA (TRANSYLVANIA OPEN), ROMANIA (WTA 250/Hard Court Indoor)
S: Anett Kontaveit/EST def. Simona Halep/ROU 6-2/6-3
D: Ekaterine Gorgodze/Irina Bara (GEO/ROU) def. Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove/Aleksandra Krunic (NED/SRB) 4-6/6-1 [11-9]
COURMAYEUR, ITALY (WTA 250/Hard Court Indoor)
S: Donna Vekic/CRO def. Clara Tauson/DEN 7-6(3)/6-2
D: Wang Xinyu/Zheng Saisai (CHN/CHN) def. Eri Hozumi/Zhang Shuai (JPN/CHN) 6-4/3-6 [10-5]


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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Anett Kontaveit/EST
...needing to win yet another title (her fourth of the year, all since late August) to secure the eighth and final spot (well, as of now... who knows who might withdraw in the days leading up to the event) in the WTA Finals, it soon became clear what the future might hold. Ons Jabeur, who entered the week in the eighth spot, surely saw it coming (and didn't need a Magic 8 Ball to do so).



Kontaveit ran off wins over Aleksandra Krunic, Alison Van Uytvanck, Anhelina Kalinina and Rebecca Peterson to reach her tour lead-tying (w/ Barty) sixth final of the season, and her third straight in an indoor event. She handled Simona Halep 2 & 3 to take the crown, winning her 15th straight indoor match and fourth title of the season, not losing a set all week. Her remarkable grabbing of her maiden WTAF berth comes with a 26-2 regular-season ending sprint that began the week before the U.S. Open with a title run in Cleveland, the first (or many, it has come to pass) under new coach Dmitry Tursunov, who might just join his new charge by swooping in late in the game to pick up some Coach of the Year votes in the unofficial WTA awards season to come.



Jabeur will open as the alternate for the rr field in Guadalajara, so the odds are that she'll probably eventually make her debut, as well.
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RISERS: Rebecca Peterson/SWE and Jasmine Paolini/ITA
...Peterson is doing her best to close out her '21 season with as much momentum as possible.

The Swede came into '21 with zero wind beind her back. She'd injured her back early in '20 before the shutdown, but while the break helped her to not miss many playing opportunities she was hardly in good form in the Restart. She went just 1-6 when play resumed, and was only 3-10 on the season.

Peterson's time in Cluj-Napoca featured wins over Jana Fett, Irina Bara and Lesia Tsurenko (before a loss to Anett Kontaveit). Her semifinal finish is her third at tour level in the last two months (w/ Chicago and Nur-Sultan), a period which also included a $60K challenger title, and improves her mark during the recent stretch to 11-3.



In the midst of the closing moments of her career season, Paolini began the week in Courmayeur with some "advertureous" tennis with Liudmila Samsonova.



Paolini ended the week with her second semifinal run of the season -- this time on home soil -- after having posted a nice win over Dayana Yastremska in the QF. Her loss to Donna Vekic ("hitting partner" Samsonova fell vs. Clara Tauson at the same stage) prevented an Italian from reaching the final, but added yet another entry in Paolini's '21 tour bio.

This season, she's claimed her maiden tour titles in singles (Portoroz) and doubles (Hamburg), reached a pair of 125 finals (going 1-1) and the Indian Wells 3rd Round, while also following up her maiden Top 100 season in '20 with what could ultimately turn out to be a Top 50 campaign this time around (she'll edge up a few spots from #56 on Monday).

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SURPRISES: Jaqueline Cristian/ROU and Ekaterine Gorgodze/Irina Bara, GEO/ROU
...the Transylvania Open wouldn't have been the same without the tournament's personal "Dracula." Nor Cristian, either. The Romanian was the player who most took to heart the fun of playing up her native land's "bloody folklore" in the event held the week before Halloween.

Leaning into the fun, Cristian took to walking calmly onto court all week while sporting a long black cape (usually with a sneaky smirk) en route to adding the special memory of a QF run in Cluj to what had already been her best season on the WTA tour, including her maiden tour SF (Nur-Sultan) and two additional QF finishes (and a 125 semi) that have helped her to climb within mere points of her Top 100 debut (she entered Cluj-Napoca at an already career-high #105).

The 23-year old wild card took out Kaja Juvan in the 1st Round, saving two MP, and followed up with an upset of Ajla Tomljanovic before being handled (getting just 2 games) by the most accomplished Romanian player ever in Simona Halep (aka "Ms.Garlic"... or maybe "The Wooden Stake?"). There could be worse ways to go out, I suppose.



While Simona Halep didn't give Romania a Transylvania Open champ, Irina Bara did. Teaming with Georgia's Ekaterine Gorgodze, the pair both claimed their first career tour-level doubles crowns with back-to-back clutch performances to end the week. After winning a 10-7 match TB in the semifinals against Swarmettes Irina-Camelia Begu & Andreea Mitu, they did it again (11-9) in the final over Kerkhove/Krunic, who'd reached their second '21 final as a duo (Portoroz RU).

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VETERAN: Simona Halep/ROU
...2021 hasn't been anything close to what we've come to expect of a Simona Halep season. While she's experienced several milestone events off the court (getting married, turning 30), her "moments" on tour haven't really been all that positive.

Injuries scuttled her spring/summer, causing Halep to miss Roland Garros as well as her long-awaited defense of her '19 Wimbledon title. She'd only missed one other slam MD ('20 US) since the 2010 U.S. Open. She decided against playing in Tokyo, possibly ending any dreams of winning an Olympic medal for Romania (though Paris '24 will surely dangle before her like a carrot she won't be able to resist thinking about taking a bite from). Halep fell out of the Top 10 for the first time in over 370 weeks (ending a tour-best run) in August, and hasn't posted a Top 10 victory in a season for the first time since 2012. She parted ways with longtime coach Darren Cahill after a prosperous partnership that included two major titles and 64 weeks at #1, all numbers that will eventually pave her path into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Prior to this week's final run in Cluj-Napoca, Halep hadn't reached a final for the first time since 2009.

Her feel-good week on home soil in Transylvania, though, *did* manage to give her a (likely) nice final flourish to her season. Wins over Gabriela Ruse (3 games allowed), Varvara Gracheva (6), Jaqueline Cristian (2) and Marta Kostyuk (1) put her into the final -- the 40th of her WTA career -- without having dropped a set. A tweaked back in the 2nd Round, though Halep played it down, was the lone down spot before her 2 & 3 defeat in the final against the now-white-hot Anett Kontaveit, who handed her her first lost final in nearly two and a half years (Madrid '19).

Since her post-grass season return, the Romanian has compiled an 11-5 mark. Not spectacular, but something to build on.

With her loss to Kontaveit, Halep now drops out of the Top 20 for the first time since 2013 (she entered more than 400 weeks ago, ending another streak that was the longest active run on tour). She'll likely end the season there, bringing to a close her remarkable streak of seven straight Top 4 seasons (well, that one was already long gone), as well as that of her eight consecutive Top 20 finishes (Top 11, really, starting with the '13 season).

Of course, Halep *could* still play one more event after having accepted a wild card into Linz earlier this week. But with her final run in Cluj, as well as a tweaked back, one would think she'll likely reconsider and we'll see her next in 2022.
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COMEBACK: Donna Vekic/CRO
...Vekic "completed" her comeback from February knee surgery this week in Courmayeur, reaching her first final in more than two years (Nottingham '19) and getting her first tour title in more than four (Nottingham '17), not dropping a set while posting a nice string of wins over the likes of three straight Chinese players (Zheng Qinwen/Zheng Saisai/Wang Xinyu), recent tour title winner Jasmine Paolini and two-time '21 champ Clara Tauson in the final, stopping the Dane's nine-match indoor winning streak.

Vekic had fallen to #97 (after ending '20 at #32) heading into the week, and was just 14-16 on the season before her five-win week. She'll jump into the Top 70 on Monday after improving to 3-6 in career tour finals.

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FRESH FACES: Clara Tauson/DEN and Marta Kostyuk/UKR
...finally back on the indoor hard courts on which she thrives, Tauson (shocking!) reached yet another final in Courmayeur, her third appearance this season in a tour-level championship match held under a roof. Wins over Stefanie Voegele and Giulia Gatto-Monticone were followed by a comeback victory from a set down over Tenerife champ Ann Li and another (in which she saved 5 MP) over Liudmila Samsonova in the semis. The tired Dane fell in straights in the final to Donna Vekic, just her second loss in seven pro finals in indoor events (she's 12-4 overall), to end her nine-match indoor winning streak.

Meanwhile, in Cluj, Kostyuk put the U.S. Open final behind her and began to take more steps toward making her own headlines.

The 19-year old Ukrainian admitted that watching fellow teenagers, and past junior foes, Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez battle it out for a major title was difficult. A past junior star herself as the '17 Australian Open girls champ, Kostyuk said, "I have to be honest, it was a bit rough for me to watch both of their runs. I want to be where they are. I am sure it’s going to happen, I didn’t feel nice looking at them playing finals (laughs). I realized that I can do the same." Later, she added that the scenario "left a footprint on my brain, and was motivating me not to stop."

Kostyuk, who lost in the 1st Round in New York to Maria Sakkari, came into Romania having gone 1-3 since watching that Open final (she *had* reached her first tour WD final in Tenerife, though). In the MD, she got wins over Bernarda Pera and Mona Barthel to set up, naturally, a meeting with Raducanu. Showing herself to be a woman of her word, Kostyuk handed the slam-winning Brit her first loss since Flushing Meadows, winning 6-2/6-1 to reach her third SF of the season. She then found herself blitzed by Simona Halep, putting just a single game on the board against the #1 seed, but will set another career high (previously #53) by moving to within a few points (as the likely #51) of her Top 50 breakthrough.

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DOWN: Jil Teichmann/SUI
...even in what is likely her "career season" (though she *did* win two titles in '19, and remains title-free in '21), Teichmann has nevertheless had a hard time (be it due to form or injury) maintaining her momentum for long.

This season, the Swiss has set her career-high ranking (#38), added four Top 10 wins (she'd previously had just one), reached her biggest final ever (Cincinnati) and recorded her first slam MD win since '18, but her campaign has had a distinctive ebb and flow pattern. After a 0-2 start, Teichmann went 10-3 (w/ Adelaide/Dubai SF), but followed up with a 3-8 slide. She then put together another 10-3 run (w/ Cincy), but her 1st Round loss this week in Cluj-Napoca to Anastasia Gasanova (after leading 5-3 in the 3rd and holding 2 MP) gives her three straight defeats as the curtain begins to officially fall on the '21 season.
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ITF PLAYER: Maryna Zanevska/BEL
...2021 had already been pretty good to the Waffle. Zanevska, 28, won her maiden tour singles title in Gdynia in July and set her career high (#101) earlier this month.

She added another entry into her season log in Les Franqueses del Vallas, Spain, picking up an $80K challenger title (her 19th on the ITF circuit) with a 7-6/6-4 win over Swiss Ylena In-Albon (who'd been 4-0 in '21 ITF finals). The Belgian had posted previous wins over Dalma Galfi and Nina Stojanovic.

Zanevska will make her Top 100 breakthrough on Monday, jumping a huge 22 spots from #103 to #81.

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JUNIOR STAR: Petra Marcinko/CRO
...no Czechs or Russians this week (mostly because top-seeded Brenda Fruhvirtova lost in the QF).

In the JA event in Cape Town, South Africa, 15-year old Marcinko (jr. #20) claimed her second big '21 title (w/ J1 Lambere in February) when she swept the singles and doubles titles without losing a set in either competition. The #3-seeded Croatian teen defeated Russian Yaroslava Bartashevich (the #7 seed had upset Fruhvirtova) in a 6-4/6-2 SF, then took out Bannerette Clervie Ngounoue 6-3/6-3 in the final. Marcinko has gone 11-2 in her last three junior events, reaching the JA Milan and U.S. Open QF before her result this week.

Marcinko teamed with Dane Johanne Christine Svendsen to defeat (ah, here you go...) Czechs Fruhvirtova & Barbora Palicova in the girls doubles final.

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DOUBLES: Wang Xinyu/Zheng Saisai, CHN/CHN
...in Courmayeur, Wang Xinyu and Zheng Saisai become the first Chinese duo in more than two years (since Wang and Zhu Lin won in Nanchang in September '19) to combine to claim a tour-level doubles title. After winning a pair of match tie-breaks en route to the final, the pair defeated Eri Hozumi & Zhang Shuai in another (10-5) to take the title.

The win is Wang's second career title, while it's #5 for Zheng, but her first since 2019 (she'd gone 0-4 in WTA finals since).



Zhang had been attempting to improve to 4-0 in '21 finals, having previously won titles this season alongside veterans Sam Stosur (Cincy/U.S.) and Sania Mirza.
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WHEELCHAIR: ---
......the singles and doubles season-ending Masters events take place this week in Orlando, as Diede de Groot attempts to continue her Vergeerian run of victories in 2021. On Sunday, the Dutch #1 entered the round robin part of the singles event (her Group A counterparts are KG Montjane, Momoko Ohtani and Dana Mathewson, against whom she enters a combined 8-0 in '21) riding a 31-match singles winning streak.

With her opening win over Mathewson, de Groot is 37-1 on the season, and is 20-2 in doubles (16-2 w/ Masters partner Aniek Van Koot).

Group B includes Yui Kamiji, Aniek Van Koot, Zhu Zhenzhen and Macarena Cabrillana.
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1. Courmayeur SF - Clara Tauson def. Liudmila Samsonova
...4-6/7-6(8)/6-4. In a match filled with 28 aces (Samonsova 16, Tauson 12), the Dane rallies from 6-2 down in the 2nd set TB, saving five MP. Ultimately, Samsonova won more points (108-106), but Tauson advanced to the final.

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2. Cluj-Napoca 1st Rd. - Jaqueline Cristian def. Kaja Juvan
...3-6/7-6(8)/7-6(3). The Countess Cristian makes her debut, and wins after saving two MP en route to the QF.

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3. Cluj-Napoca 1st Rd. - Anastasia Gasanova def. Jil Teichmann
...4-6/6-0/7-5. Gasanova was knocking off #6 Karolina Pliskova back in January, and as November was beckoning she was still at it, staging a comeback from 5-3 down in the 3rd, saving two MP, on her way to a win over #39 Teichmann for her biggest win since taking down the Czech.

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4. Cluj-Napoca Final - Anett Kontaveit def. Simona Halep
...6-2/6-3. It's amazing what a few months can do. In June, Kontaveit could legitmately be seen as a big-match stumbler, having gone just 1-6 in career tour finals played (and having not been able to contest the Grampians match in February). Now she's a virtual "title-hawk," having gone 4-0 in finals in the summer/fall to improve to a more than credible 5-6 overall in her career.

She'll now become the fifth player to make her Top 10 debut in 2021.

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5. Cluj-Napoca 1st Rd. - Emma Raducanu def. Polona Hercog
...4-6/7-5/6-1. The U.S. Open champ records her first career victory in a *tour* event (in her first WTA three-setter, as her previous three tour matches -- as well as all 14 of her slam outings -- had ended in two or less), winning eight of the final nine games to oust the Slovenian veteran.

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6. Cluj-Napoca QF - Marta Kostyuk def. Emma Raducanu
...6-2/6-1. Raducanu noted before the match that Kostyuk had "destroyed" her in juniors, something that Kostyuk didn't remember. Turns out, their series was tied 1-1. Either way, the Ukrainian's win upended the possibility of a Romanian-tinged Halep/Raducanu semifinal.

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7. Courmayeur Final - Donna Vekic def. Clara Tauson
...7-6(3)/6-2. As if *another* Kontaveit title run (her third) hadn't already put things on the shelf, Tauson loss wraps up the unofficial Indoor Player of the Year crown for the Estonian. The Dane had been 2-0 in indoor WTA finals (w/ another win in a $25K challenger) in '21.

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8. Cluj-Napoca QF - Simona Halep def. Jaqueline Cristian
...6-1/6-1. Perhaps Simona had garlic in her tennis bag, because the cape's magic was gone for Cristian in this one. Of course, this sort of thing tends to happen when Halep plays fellow Romanians. She's now 32-4 as a pro on all levels, with sixteen straight victories over her countrywomen.

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9. $25K Istanbul TUR Final - Eva Lys def. Indy De Vroome
...6-3/7-6(4). The 19-year old German picks up her second pro title.

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10. $80K Poitiers FRA Final - Chloe Paquet def. Simona Waltert
...6-4/6-3. It just wasn't a good day for Simonas in finals.

Waltert had knocked off two Pastries (Hesse, Jacquemot) on her way to the final, but #3 (Paquet) proved to be too much to handle. The 27-year old Frenchwoman picks up her second straight circuit title, her fourth on the season and the biggest crown of her career.

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HM- $15K Sharm El Sheikh EGY Final - Bai Zhuoxuan def. Eudice Chong
...4-6/6-0/6-4. The singles component of Bai's sweep of the singles and doubles in Egypt, giving the 19-year old from China three straight singles title runs and a 15-match winning streak. Before this run, she had yet to win her first pro crown.

The former junior #9, she reached the girls singles semis at the Australian Open in 2020, defeating the likes of Linda Noskova, Diana Shnaider and Polina Kudermetova en route.
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1. $25K Kiryat Motzkin ISR Final - Lina Glushko def. Joanne Zuger
...6-3/6-4. Lina, younger sister of the retired Julia, picks up her biggest career title, and her first since 2018.

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Finally, a faint hint of the rediscovery of a process (or at least the desire for progress)...




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According the Magic 8 Ball (which was pretty accurate here), it looks like Alexandra Dulgheru will be playing in Cluj in 2022.



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=CLUJ-NAPOCA, ROMANIA=




=COURMAYEUR, ITALY=






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Unlike some (cough, cough... Hall of Fame), Nike seems to really committed to latching onto and growing the sport and personalities of wheelchair tennis. First, the individual promotion of Diede de Groot, and now she has her own ("ddg") logo (ala "RF") and, who knows, maybe a line of products down the line?








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*2021 WTA INDOOR TITLES*
3 - ANETT KONTAVEIT, EST
2 - Clara Tauson, DEN
1 - Ash Barty, AUS
1 - Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
1 - Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL
1 - DONNA VEKIC, CRO

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

*2021 WTA CHAMPIONS BY RANKING*
#1 - Ash Barty (Yarra Valley Melb.)
#1 - Ash Barty (Miami)
#1 - Ash Barty (Stuttgart)
#1 - Ash Barty (Wimbledon)
#1 - Ash Barty (Cincinnati)
#3 - Naomi Osaka (Australian Open)
#6 - Elina Svitolina (Chicago 250)
#7 - Aryna Sabalenka (Madrid)
#9 - Garbine Muguruza (Chicago 500)
#10 - Aryna Sabalenka (Abu Dhabi)
#10 - Petra Kvitova (Doha)
#12 - Belinda Bencic (Olympics)
#13 - Barbora Krejcikova (Prague)
#14 - Anett Kontaveit (Cluj-Napoca/Transylvania)
#15 - Iga Swiatek (Rome)
#16 - Garbine Muguruza (Dubai)
#18 - Iga Swiatek (Adelaide)
#20 - Elise Mertens (Gippsland Melb.)
#20 - Johanna Konta (Nottingham)
#20 - Anett Kontaveit (Moscow)
#24 - Ons Jabeur (Birmingham)
#27 - Paula Badosa (Indian Wells)
#28 - Angelique Kerber (Bad Homburg)
#30 - Coco Gauff (Parma)
#30 - Anett Kontaveit (Cleveland)
#30 - Anett Kontaveit (Ostrava!!!)
#33 - Barbora Krejcikova (Roland Garros)
#36 - Danielle Collins (San Jose)
#38 - Veronika Kudermetova (Charleston 500)
#38 - Barbora Krejcikova (Strasbourg)
#42 - Yulia Putintseva (Budapest)
#43 - Alona Ostapenko (Eastbourne)
#44 - Paula Badosa (Belgrade)
#44 - Danielle Collins (Palermo)
#50 - Tamara Zidansek (Lausanne)
#60 - Ann Li (Tenerife)
#61 - Dasha Kasatkina (Saint Petersburg)
#67 - Sorana Cirstea (Istanbul)
#70 - Clara Tauson (Luxembourg)
#71 - Sara Sorribes Tormo (Guadalajara)
#71 - Camila Giorgi (Montreal)
#75 - Dasha Kasatkina (Phillip Island Melb.)
#87 - Jasmine Paolini (Portoroz)
#88 - Leylah Fernandez (Monterrey)
#89 - Alison Van Uytvanck (Nur-Sultan)
#91 - Andrea Petkovic (Cluj-Napoca)
#97 - Donna Vekic (Courmayeur)
#106 - Liudmila Samsonova (Berlin)
#139 - Clara Tauson (Lyon)
#150 - Emma Raducanu (US Open)
#154 - Gabriela Ruse (Hamburg)
#165 - Astra Sharma (Charleston 250)
#165 - Maryna Zanevska (Gdynia)
#180 - Camila Osorio (Bogota)
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vacant - Kontaveit (#23) vs. Li (#99) [Grampians Melb. not played]

*2021 WTA CHAMPIONS BY AGE*
17 - Coco Gauff (Parma)
18 - Clara Tauson (Lyon)
18 - Clara Tauson (Luxembourg)
18 - Emma Raducanu (US Open)
18 - Leylah Fernandez (Monterrey)
19 - Camila Osorio (Bogota)
19 - Iga Swiatek (Adelaide)
19 - Iga Swiatek (Rome)
21 - Ann Li (Tenerife)
22 - Aryna Sabalenka (Abu Dhabi)
22 - Liudmila Samsonova (Berlin)
23 - Paula Badosa (Belgrade)
23 - Paula Badosa (Indian Wells)
23 - Dasha Kasatkina (Phillip Island Melb.)
23 - Dasha Kasatkina (Saint Petersburg)
23 - Veronika Kudermetova (Charleston 500)
23 - Naomi Osaka (Australian Open)
23 - Aryna Sabalenka (Madrid)
23 - Gabriela Ruse (Hamburg)
23 - Tamara Zidansek (Lausanne)
24 - Ash Barty (Yarra Valley Melb.)
24 - Ash Barty (Miami)
24 - Belinda Bencic (Olympics)
24 - Alona Ostapenko (Eastbourne)
24 - Sara Sorribes Tormo (Guadalajara)
25 - Ash Barty (Stuttgart)
25 - Ash Barty (Wimbledon)
25 - Ash Barty (Cininnati)
25 - Anett Kontaveit (Cleveland)
25 - Anett Kontaveit (Ostrava!!!)
25 - Anett Kontaveit (Moscow)
25 - Anett Kontaveit (Cluj-Napoca/Transylvania)
25 - Barbora Krejcikova (Strasbourg)
25 - Barbora Krejcikova (Roland Garros)
25 - Barbora Krejcikova (Prague)
25 - Elise Mertens (Gippsland Melb.)
25 - Astra Sharma (Charleston 250)
25 - Jasmine Paolini (Portoroz)
25 - Donna Vekic (Courmayeur)
26 - Ons Jabeur (Birmingham)
26 - Yulia Putintseva (Budapest)
26 - Elina Svitolina (Chicago 250)
27 - Garbine Muguruza (Dubai)
27 - Garbine Muguruza (Chicago 500)
27 - Maryna Zanevska (Gdynia)
27 - Danielle Collins (Palermo)
27 - Danielle Collins (San Jose)
27 - Alison Van Uytvanck (Nur-Sultan)
29 - Camila Giorgi (Montreal)
30 - Johanna Konta (Nottingham)
30 - Petra Kvitova (Doha)
31 - Sorana Cirstea (Istanbul)
33 - Andrea Petkovic (Cluj-Napoca)
33 - Angelique Kerber (Bad Homburg)
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vacant - Kontaveit (25) vs. Li (20) [Grampians Melb. not played]

*2021 WEEKLY BACKSPIN PLAYERS OF THE WEEK*
Week 1: Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
AO Q: Francesca Jones, GBR
Week 2: Ash Barty, AUS
AO: Naomi Osaka, JPN
Week 4: Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
Week 5: Iga Swiatek, POL
Week 6: Petra Kvitova, CZE
Week 7: Garbine Muguruza, ESP
Week 8: Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (2)
Week 9/10: Ash Barty, AUS
Week 11: Veronika Kudermetova, RUS
BJK Playoffs: Magdalena Frech, POL
Week 12: Astra Sharma, AUS
Week 13: Ash Barty, AUS
Week 14/15: Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (2)
Week 16: Iga Swiatek, POL (2)
Week 17: Coco Gauff, USA
Week 18: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
RG Q: Varvara Lepchenko, USA
RG: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
Week 20: Johanna Konta, GBR
Week 21: Ons Jabeur, TUN
Week 22: Alona Ostapenko, LAT
WI Q: Ana Konjuh, CRO
WI: Ash Barty, AUS
Week 24: Gabriela Ruse, ROU
Week 25: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (3)
Week 26: Danielle Collins, USA
Olympics: Belinda Bencic, SUI
Week 28: Danielle Collins, USA (2)
Week 29: Camila Giorgi, ITA
Week 30: Ash Barty, AUS (5)
Week 31: Anett Kontaveit, EST
US Q: Rebecca Marino, CAN
US Open: Emma Raducanu, GBR
Week 34: Clara Tauson, DEN
Week 35: Anett Kontaveit, EST
Week 36: Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL
Indian Wells: Paula Badosa, ESP
Week 39: Anett Kontaveit, EST
Week 40: Anett Kontaveit, EST (4)





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All for now.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 7:53 PM 

12 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

Vekic had her booming serve working this week. Seems to have bulked up some. Needed the points, as she didn't initially make Linz Q. Now in due to withdrawals.

Cristian leaned in by wearing a cloak.

Gasanova had 4 Top 100 wins this year. Next year she should crack the Top 100 for the first time.

Kontaveit 2021 feels like Cibulkova 2016. But is it? Stay tuned.

2 125K events are this week, and Argentina has the more interesting field. BJK Cup star Maria Carle brings the hometown flavor. Ranked 430 she she got 2 wins vs KAZ, she is now 261. Also, Sherif is #1 seed, Arango-Haddad Maia is 1st rd, plus Bara/Gorgodze try to go back to back.

Speaking of rankings, Yastremska lands at 100, Vekic up to 67, along with Halep 22, Svitolina 14 and Kerber 9. In doubles, injured Stefani goes up to 9, while Mladenovic and Babos drop to 21 and 22.

Stat of the Week- 97- BJK Cup ranking for Iceland.

Iceland has a team? Yes! Mired near the bottom of the rankings, they have only won 4 ties in their history. They lost their first 31, ending the streak against Zimbabwe in 2008.

Other wins came against other vaunted teams such as Mozambique, Kosovo and Ghana, which was this year.

One of their mainstays has been Iris Staub. Her record may be putrid at 3-31, but you have to respect the dedication. The then 16 yr old made her debut in 1996, losing 2 matches. She went 0-7 in 2019 as a 39 yr old.

Quiz Time!

Annet Kontaveit had a closing stretch reminiscent of Dominika Cibulkova in 2016. Which won gained more points in their last 10 events before the YEC?

Interlude- Linz taste test from 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnFN0JiS2JY


Answer!

Kontaveit won more events down the stretch(4-2), but Cibulkova picked up more points losing the Wuhan final than Kontaveit did in any of her 10. Like Kontaveit, Cibulkova had to win her last event(Linz) to get in, and did so.

Points-Last 10:


2306- Cibulkova
1877- Kontaveit

Mon Nov 01, 04:35:00 AM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

BJK Cup Preview.

New format, same as the old format? Yes, as we go back to the system used up until 1995.

Some notes before picks, and there will be a separate post once we reach the SF.

The main court hold 12K, while second one holds 2K. The 4 seeds get the main court both times, the others get it once.

Round robin means best of 3, so #2's go first, then #1's, then doubles. So technically, there isn't a dead doubles rubber, as it will be used as tiebreaker. Though teams that have lost their first 5, or lost the same amount might have one.

Group A-FRA/RTF/CAN
MIP(Most Important Person)- Pavlyuchenkova


Russia comes in as the heavy favorite in this group. As the only team with 5 Top 40 players, heck, the only team with 5 Top 100 players, they get the only team with no Top 100 players in Canada.

Canada isn't supposed to be here, but replaced former host Hungary. Without Fernandez and Andreescu, they have a team light on success, with Marino as a clear #1, and Dabrowski being a legit 2 in singles, though others may play.

France is a threat, but only if they catch lightning in a bottle. Assume vets Cornet and Garcia lead as Ferro doesn't have a singles win.

The key to Russia winning is Pavlyuchenkova playing like she did at the French Open. A probable choice to pull double duty, she may get teamed with Kudermetova, who is sneakily ranked 11 in doubles.

Pick-Russia.

Group B-AUS/BEL/BLR
MIP-Mertens

Who can do the heavy lifting? Two teams have #1's in Mertens and Sasnovich that will probably be both singles and doubles, while Australia's lead Tomljanovic probably cedes doubles to an untested group.

Australia is the only team here with 3 new players in Sanders, Perez and Gadecki. Sanders/Perez should be the doubles team, with one of those also getting the #2 slot.

Belarus seems to be outmanned here, as for them to advance, somebody other than Sasnovich would pick up their first singles win. And that probably isn't Marozava, the only woman in the field without a singles ranking.

Belgium will go as far as Mertens does. Mertens/Tomljanovic should be the best match of this section, and as the highest ranked player in this group, she needs to take advantage.

Pick-Belgium.

Group C-USA/ESP/SVK
MIP-Collins

This is the group most likely to go off the rails.

What could have been. Spain would be the favorite with Muguruza and Badosa. Instead, Sorribes Tormo is the clear cut #1. Number 2 could be anybody. I'm not sure that they want to play Suarez Navarro more than once, but no surprise if she is a replacement if Parrizas-Diaz or Bolsova fails in singles.

Slovakia probably loses because of roster flexibility. The lack of it. They have Kucova, who might be their #2, but is one of 3 women without a doubles ranking(Abanda, Niemeier) in the field. This probably means Kuzmova with whichever woman is healthy at the moment.

Vandeweghe has the BJK Cup pedigree. Likely in doubles, she might be a patch if Collins fails. Collins is the key to this tie. Having being skipped before for singles, even with a higher ranking, you would assume she gets at least one match. Rogers/Stephens may share the other slot.

Pick-USA.

Con't next post

Mon Nov 01, 05:32:00 AM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...


Group D-CZE/GER/SUI
MIP-Bencic

Is Bencic healthy? The only tie in which each #1 is a Top 20 player may depend of how many times Bencic can go.

Germany has a solid #1 in Kerber, but they too have roster issues. Kerber is probably singles only, and Niemeier doesn't have a doubles ranking. That means Petkovic might have to pull double duty. Expect to see those 3, plus Friedsam for doubles.

Switzerland is one of the few teams with only 4 players, so Bencic being unavailable would leave Teichmann and Golubic overworked. Don't expect to see Voegele unless a disaster happens.

No Kvitova. No Pliskova. No Muchova. Czech Republic still has a good team, and home court, but this isn't a slam dunk. With Krejcikova making her singles debut, we might actually see Siniakova/Hradecka in doubles, just to get her some rest. If she does both, CZE might need to flip Vondrousova/Krejcikova, and let's be honest, I wouldn't mind a Vondrousova Bencic rematch.

Pick- Czech Republic.

Mon Nov 01, 05:32:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Hmmm, is it more of a surprise that Iceland *has* a BJK Cup team, or that the country actually has four *wins* in its history?

Quiz: went with Cibulkova because I thought she maybe had runs in somewhat bigger events. Yes!

Video: and I do believe those would be considered "forks" they're tasting the torte with, too (I say that because it was consistently vexing during the airing of "Toy Story 4" the other night that a character named "Forky" was actually a spork and should have been named "Sporky"). ;)

I didn't do BJK picks for this event, largely (this year, at least) because I really don't like how the RR almost makes the captain irrelevant with only two singles matches (and w/ the WD playing choices seemingly less intriguing).

Good win by CAN on Monday over FRA, with Abanda (who's sparked in the past in FC ties) getting the big opening win over Ferro.

BEL really seems in the driver's seat in B (though they did lose WD, even if it ends up being meaningless).

CSN in for *two* three-setters on Monday (s/d), though it did get a little dicey at the end when her and Sorribes' 9-3 MTB lead was suddenly down to 9-7 (ESP they won 10-7).

Czechs' depth really saved them vs. GER (w/ Kerber knocking off Krejcikova, but Hradecka/Siniakova getting the WD win).

Mon Nov 01, 11:45:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

=Day 2=
A: Russia (RTF) eliminates CAN w/ Pavlyuchenkova's three-set win over Marino.

B: Meanwhile, huge upset from AUS over BEL, as Gavrilova plays her first match since February (def. Minnen in 3) and Sanders (in Cup debut) knocks off Mertens for first career Top 20 win.

C: Kuzmova is proving to be a force for SVK, going 2-0 in singles w/ win over Rogers, then (w/ Mihalikova) saving MP in the deciding doubles vs. Dolehide/Vandeweghe to win 12-10.

D: GER ends up 0-2 after losing 3-0 to SUI, with Bencic clinching the win w/ a three-set win over Kerber.

Tue Nov 02, 07:39:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Diane said...

Navratilova predicts that Anett will win the WTA Finals. It wouldn't surprise me.

Wed Nov 03, 04:43:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

The week off shouldn't hurt her, either. ;)

I wonder if the altitude in Guadalajara that Tyzzer initially complained about might make a difference?

-----------------

=Day 3=
A: Russia eliminates remaining (and DC) FRA, with Kudermetova/Samsonova winning 6-2/6-1 in the deciding doubles over Burel/Cornet. Pavlyuchenkova (2-0 in two three-setters) is the MVP, extending her Cup winning streak to seven matches after having had a streak of four straight losses from 2015-18, and a 1-8 mark from 2012-18 (largely under former RUS captain Anastasia Myskina).

C: USA advances to SF with 2-1 win over ESP (Collins blitzed Sorribes 1 & 0, winning 83% of 1st serves). Dolehide/Vandeweghe lost in the doubles, going 0-2 in the rr.

Wed Nov 03, 06:47:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Diane said...

The altitude is going to mess up some players, I'm sure. Anett, theoretically, is one of them, since she hits so flat. But she's capable of varying her shots, and may be one of the players who can adapt.

Wed Nov 03, 08:50:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

=Day 4=
B: The Barty-less AUS squad completed its stunning upset win in the group, taking out BLR by (again) sweeping the singles (this time with Storm Sanders, 2-0, and Ajla Tomljanovic getting wins) to return to the semifinals after falling in the last FC final vs. FRA in 2019. Credit to captain Alicia Molik for digging into the team's depth, using three players to win four singles matches and then using Ellen Perez (twice) and Olivia Gadecki (1) is what turned out to be meaningless WD matches that got them much-needed experience.

D: In the final group rr tie, the longstanding depth of the Czechs *didn't* pull them through. SUI won a 6-3/6-3 match in the deciding doubles (Bencic/Teichmann d. Hradecka/Siniakova) to advance to the SF. Bencic improved to 2-0 in singles with a straight sets defeat of Krejcikova to send things to the third match (Vondrousova had won match #1 to go 2-0 on the week). Without Pliskova or Kvitova, with Strycova no longer around for such things, and Krejcikova (0-2 on the week in singles) not playing doubles, captain Petr Pala's moves just didn't work out as the 11-time champion Czechs fail to reach a second straight Cup SF (on home soil, no less) after having reached ten straight from 2009-18. Might Siniakova have been a better Match #2 play than Krejcikova? We'll never know.

So the semifinals feature the 17-time champion U.S. (last in '17) vs. the Russian Tennis Federation (4 wins, last in '08); while Australia (7 wins, and runners-up in '19 in first final since '93) face the title-less Swiss, who've made just one previous Cup final (1998).

---

Meawwhile, de Groot is into the season-ending Masters doubles final w/ Van Koot, as well as the singles semis.

Thu Nov 04, 08:45:00 PM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

Exciting RR play this week. Of those eliminated early, Slovakia and Canada had their moments.

The costliest moves so far? Belgium going for the kill and playing Mertens in doubles. Good idea, but it didn't work, with Mertens running out of gas in her next singles match.

The other was a slightly compromised Krejcikova not being flipped with Vondrousova against SUI.

SUI captain Guenthardt has his nails painted. Wonder which team member was responsible?

SF- RTF vs USA
MIP-Stephens

Projected Lineup:
Stephens vs Kasatkina
Collins vs Pavlyuchenkova
Vandeweghe/Rogers vs Kudermetova/Samsonova

This should be a really good tie. Stephens has had success vs Kasatkina, and I would be surprised if Rogers gets that match. Also think that a deciding doubles rubber would get Dolehide replaced.

Pick- RTF, but I could see USA winning before doubles.

SF- AUS vs SUI
MIP-Bencic

Projected Lineup:
Sanders vs Golubic
Tomljanovic vs Bencic
Gavrilova/Sanders vs Bencic/Teichmann

Sanders probably deserves the number 1 spot, but won't get it. Golubic lost 9 straight games to Vondrousova, but didn't play badly. If SUI does as expected, Voegele will replace Bencic in doubles.

Pick- SUI, as Bencic scrapes through again.

Fri Nov 05, 12:33:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

=SF=
So, a Russia/Switzerland final emerges from the dust of the first BJK Cup Finals event.

For the second time this week, Kudermetova/Samsonova pulled off the clinching point for the RTF against the U.S., this time with a straight sets win over Vandeweghe (0-3 WD on the week) and Rogers. Collins had improved to 3-0 in singles with a comeback win over Pavlyuchenkova in Match #2, firing 50 winners. Samsonova, 3-0 in doubles this week, added her first singles win with a Match #1 victory over Stephens in three sets.

For the second time in three ties, the Swiss swept their opponents, taking both singles matches vs. Australia as Teichmann saw her first WS action this week (she's 7-0 in her Cup WS/WD career) and handily defeated Sanders (winning 16 consecutive points in one stretch), while Bencic (3-0 week) easily took down Tomljanovic to send Switzerland into its first Cup final in 23 years.

Russia will be playing in its fourth final since 2011, but will be seeking a first title (#5 overall) since 2008 (when it won four of five years from 2004-08) in a move that will only further add fuel to the idea of a Russian Tennis Renaissance.

Fri Nov 05, 06:06:00 PM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

F-RTF vs SUI
MIP-Pavlyuchenkova

Projected Lineup:
Kudermetova vs Teichmann
Pavlyuchenkova vs Bencic
Samsonova/Kasatkina vs Bencic/Golubic

Kudermetova is a longshot, but in the other 3 ties, Kasatkina, Alexandrova and Samsonova have each been the opener. On the other hand, Voegele will keep being a cheerleader for SUI.

This could go either way, SUI seems like a slight favorite, but like the US today, needs to win before it gets to doubles.

Pick- SUI

Sat Nov 06, 01:32:00 AM EDT  

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