Wk.41- Raise a Cup to a Russian Tennis Renaissance in the Re-making
Armed with a new name, with the finals delayed for over a year, as well as relocated, the inaugural edition of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals event finally took place in Prague this past week. In the spirit of the traditional/refreshed team competition, everything old turned out to be new again... as Team Russia (aka the Russian Tennis Federation, also newly named according to ITF rules) woke up the echoes of the Original Hordettes' former dominance to add a new chapter to the concept of the burgeoning Russian Tennis Renaissance, claiming the nation's fifth Cup title and first in thirteen years.
?? 2004
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 7, 2021
?? 2005
?? 2007
?? 2008
?2??0??2??1???
??????????#BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/gCeA72mLg3
Brilliant Bencic ??@swiss_tennis march on into the final for the first time since 1998!#BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/w6ultRYpmW
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 5, 2021
Collins gave every indication of maybe wishing to become captain Kathy Rinaldi's new right hand woman in Cup play, going undefeated on the week for what turned out to be an otherwise (barely) mediocre U.S. squad that still managed to reach the semis (and come within a win of the final) largely because of Collins' efforts. She allowed a total of six games to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (5) and Sara Sorribes Tormo (1, winning 83% of her first serves) in round robin play, then battled back after losing an 11-9 1st set TB to defeat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets in the semis (firing 50 winners), ending the Russian's seven-match Cup winning streak. If only she'd gotten some help from the U.S. doubles combos, which went a combined 0-3, losing two deciding matches.
It was a pity that the Czechs just weren't themselves in Prague. But Vondrousova tried to hold up her end of the deal. The Olympic Silver medalist went 2-0 in round robin singles, sweeping all four sets vs. Andrea Petkovic and Viktorija Golubic to extend her Cup singles win streak to five matches. She never got a shot at Gold medalist Belinda Bencic in the Group D finale (a tiring Barbora Krejickova did, but lost), though, and one wonders if that may have been the difference between also-ran status and yet another legendary Czech result in Cup play.
I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E!
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 2, 2021
On her #BJKCup debut, Storm Sanders records one of the results of her career to win the tie for @TennisAustralia #BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/KAqcTWUw39
Collins was the MVP of the group, but Kuzmova was a force to be reckoned with, and SVK was arguably the better team in Group C (even def. the advancing U.S. in their head-to-head). Kuzmova was 2-0 in singles, putting up wins over Carla Suarez-Navarro and Shelby Rogers, and came within mere points of carrying Slovakia into the semis with her doubles play alongside Tereza Mihalikova. Against ESP, they took the 1st set vs. Sorribes Tormo/CSN and rallied from 9-3 down in the match TB, saving four straight MP before falling 10-7. In SVK's second rr tie, the pair defeated Dolehide/Vandeweghe in a 12-10 match TB to down the U.S. 2-1, saving a MP and converting on MP #2 of their own.
That winning feeling ??@Daria_gav and @TennisAustralia win an EPIC opening match against Greet Minnen to take an early lead#BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/x73oLEjxJn
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 2, 2021
Meanwhile, the Russian Tennis Renaissance now officially has legs to stand on. And a new generation of depth is coming, too.
So, about last night... ??????#BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/7Nl9opKQ3J
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 7, 2021
Abanda, 24, has proven to be the sort of player who posts her very best results when playing for the national team, and her round robin play-opening win over Fiona Ferro, which keyed the 2-1 tie victory (completed with a deciding doubles win from Dabrowski/Marino), seemed to set the stage for a possible Cinderella run for the Bianca, Genie & Leylah-less Canadian squad. As it turned out, Canada would be swept in its only other tie (vs. RTF) and *Australia* would ultimately fill the role of being this BJK Finals week's most surprising team.
Playing without the heart of the roster (mainly Mladenovic and Garcia) that won the '19 Fed Cup title, and with the Pastries collectively suffering through a lackluster WTA season (to say the least), some good news from the next generation of potential Cup stars was needed. 20-year old Burel's win over Ekaterina Alexandrova to open the final Group A tie against Russia surely counts as such. We'll just choose to disregard that deciding doubles loss (w/ Alize Cornet) vs. Kudermetova/Samsonova.
True grit ??
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 4, 2021
Team selection in a competition can be a true art and it is one Australia captain @aliciamolik seems to have mastered over the years.#BJKCupFinals | @tennisaustralia
De Groot swept her three round robin singles matches in Orlando, being pushed to three sets just once (the opener vs. Dana Mathewson), then handled Van Koot in straights in the semis. In an uneven final vs. #2 Yui Kamiji, de Groot rode mid-set waves of momentum to claim the 1st and 3rd and close out her fourth straight Masters singles crown. 41-1 on the season in singles, she ends the year on a 36-match winning streak.
Her 2021 accomplishments have been an amazing response to her "off" year of '20, which had begun with mentor Esther Vergeer beginning her bout with cancer, then later saw the pandemic push the sport to the sidelines for most of the year. Before and after the stoppage, de Groot (who struggled w/ her serve throughout) was surprisingly upset before the finals at two of the three slams (by Zhu and Ohtani) that were held. This year, de Groot was a combined 66-3 in ws/wd, winning seven (of 8) slam crowns, two Paralympic Golds, both season-ending Masters events and the WC tour's version of the BJK Cup. It's the greatest season the sport has ever seen. Yes, Vergeer had her share of season sweeps (and that unthinkable decade-long winning streak in singles), but the only true unchallenged tennis "GOAT" played before the advent of a full slam season for the wheelchair athletes, never playing in a Wimbledon singles event nor being challenged to pull off a Paralympic/U.S. Open sweep. This year, de Groot was able to take advantage of the very first season in which the Paralympics and Open were both held (they usually take place concurrently, meaning the WC event at Flushing Meadows was always cancelled every four year cycle), and rode that wave of opportunity to never-before-seen new heights in the sport. Thing is, as great and varied as de Groot season's was, she's *still* left a small door ajar for herself. No one has ever swept all *eight* slam titles in a season. Maybe that's what 2022 will be for.
Welcome back to the final, Robin Anderson!
— Dow Tennis Classic (@DowTennisCL) November 6, 2021
The 2016 finalist downs 2019 champion McNally 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to set a Sunday title date with top seed Brengle.@r_bizzeee pic.twitter.com/Bi0uzSedqF
The moment Madison Brengle captured her second Midland title!
— Dow Tennis Classic (@DowTennisCL) November 7, 2021
She defeats Anderson 6-2, 6-4. pic.twitter.com/av4ySYYHr7
Meanwhile, Dart/Muhammad grabbed the title in the WTA 125 Challenger in Midland, Michigan by taking a 10-7 match tie-break in the final over Peangtarn Plipuech/Aldila Sutjiadi. The win is the biggest of Dart's career (she's won 14 previous ITF crowns), while it's Muhammad's second ('20 Indian Wells w/ Taylor Townsend) at the tour challenger level. In other pro doubles finals, Muhammad sports a spotless 6-0 in WTA deciders (she's 2-3 in 125 events) and has claimed 33 wins on the ITF level (three $100K) during her career.
The moment @swiss_tennis reached the semi-finals ??
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 4, 2021
They're the only nation remaining who haven't won the title ??#BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/epsIYl557U
22 years old and won the Billie Jean King Cup on her debut ??
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 6, 2021
A day @LiudaSamsonova will never forget!#BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/0ILwpoc0cX
Belinda Bencic, unhappy about the late change in nomination that saw Samsonova replace an injured Pavlyuchenkova 20 minutes before the tie:
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) November 6, 2021
"I think it was ugly to be honest, and I just think in the end the good will win and we will come back and win this title."
Final EARNED ??
— Dow Tennis Classic (@DowTennisCL) November 6, 2021
2018 champion Madison Brengle outlasts Danielle Lao 6-7(2), 7-6(8), 6-0 in a 2 hour and 46 minute marathon to reach the title match! pic.twitter.com/9azykrGPty
???? 2?-1? ????
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 1, 2021
Suarez Navarro/Sorribes Tormo get it done for Spain! Surging back to take the tie over Slovakia 4-6 6-2 [10-7]. #BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/u9NIlxAXa1
A special send-off for Carla ????
— wta (@WTA) November 4, 2021
??: @BJKCup | @CarlaSuarezNavapic.twitter.com/MVvZJwtYLt
???? What a match. What a win. ????
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 2, 2021
Slovakia with a quite brilliant victory to edge past USA in a Centre Court classic ? #BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/VAqiNkC4EX
Dancing into the semi-finals, congratulations RTF ??#BJKCupFinals
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 3, 2021
Unbeaten this week ??
— wta (@WTA) November 5, 2021
???? Danielle Collins keeps the dream alive for USA with a hard-fought three set win over Pavlyuchenkova!#BJKCupFinalspic.twitter.com/JQwtJ43avD
Collins flinching as Pavlyuchenkova beats up the net.#BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/A97zdg9dV8
— Tennis GIFs ???? (@tennis_gifs) November 5, 2021
Cagla Buyukakcay has been provisionally suspended for failing a doping test in Cluj in early August. Here’s her message on Instagram in response to the provisional suspension. Says the only conclusion she could reach is that she ate contaminated steak. pic.twitter.com/SvJ6qekDND
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) November 6, 2021
nobody beats gael monfils 18 times in a row ?????? https://t.co/Q9Z2ySwGlh
— nareh ?? (@roddickrambling) November 3, 2021
Monfils needs to be more serious on his game,trust me this dude can win a Grandslam only if he change his mentality.Always I give example of Patrick rafter was not a high Quality player like Jim courier,sampras,Agassi but he changed his mentality he won few Grandslams.
— Chiza Shungu (@chiza_shungu) November 4, 2021
Girls night ?? @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/yhIVveVNt9
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) November 5, 2021
#KingRichard's royal trio is ?? pic.twitter.com/mDwePndChU
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 2, 2021
12 days to go!??
— wta (@WTA) October 29, 2021
Throwback to 2004 when @MariaSharapova defeated S. Williams to claim the @WTAFinals title with her incredible forehand! ??#AKRONWTAFinals pic.twitter.com/C3CSo9JRO1
It's been 13 years, but the RTF have their hands back on the Billie Jean King Cup ????#BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/y5Ka23vubb
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 6, 2021
*FED CUP/BJK CUP FINALS*
1963 United States def. Australia 2-1
1964 Australia def. United States 2-1
1965 Australia def. United States 2-1
1966 United States def. West Germany 3-0
1967 United States def. Great Britain 2-0
1968 Australia def. Netherlands 3-0
1969 United States def. Australia 2-1
1970 Australia def. West Germany 3-0
1971 Australia def. Great Britain 3-0
1972 South Africa def. Great Britain 2-1
1973 Australia def. South Africa 3-0
1974 Australia def. United States 2-1
1975 Czechoslovakia def. Australia 3-0
1976 United States def. Australia 2-1
1977 United States def. Australia 2-1
1978 United States def. Australia 2-1
1979 United States def. Australia 3-0
1980 United States def. Australia 3-0
1981 United States def. Great Britain 3-0
1982 United States def. West Germany 3-0
1983 Czechoslovakia def. West Germany 2-1
1984 Czechoslovakia def. Australia 2-1
1985 Czechoslovakia def. United States 2-1
1986 United States def. Czechoslovakia 3-0
1987 West Germany def. United States 2-1
1988 Czechoslovakia def. USSR 2-1
1989 United States def. Spain 3-0
1990 United States def. USSR 2-1
1991 Spain def. United States 2-1
1992 Germany def. Spain 2-1
1993 Spain def. Australia 3-0
1994 Spain def. United States 3-0
1995 Spain def. United States 3-2
1996 United States def. Spain 5-0
1997 France def. Netherlands 4-1
1998 Spain def. Switzerland 3-2
1999 United States def. Russia 4-1
2000 United States def. Spain 5-0
2001 Belgium def. Russia 2-1
2002 Slovak Republic def. Spain 3-1
2003 France def. United States 4-1
2004 Russia def. France 3-2
2005 Russia def. France 3-2
2006 Italy def. Belgium 3-2
2007 Russia def. Italy 4-0
2008 Russia def. Spain 4-0
2009 Italy def. United States 4-0
2010 Italy def. United States 3-1
2011 Czech Republic def. Russia 3-2
2012 Czech Republic def. Serbia 3-1
2013 Italy def. Russia 4-0
2014 Czech Republic def. Germany 3-1
2015 Czech Republic def. Russia 3-2
2016 Czech Republic def. France 3-2
2017 United States def. Belarus 3-2
2018 Czech Republic def. United States 3-0
2019 France def. Australia 3-2
2020-21 Russia (RTF) def. Switzerland 2-0
[MOST TITLES]
18 - United States
11 - Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia
7 - Australia
5 - Russia
5 - Spain
4 - Italy
3 - France
2 - West Germany/Germany
2 - Slovakia
1 - Belgium
1 - South Africa
*BACKSPIN FED CUP/BJK CUP AWARDS*
*-non-title winning nation
[FED CUP/BJK CUP PLAYER OF YEAR]
2005 Elena Dementieva, RUS
2006 Francesca Schiavone, RUS
2007 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2008 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2009 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2010 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2012 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2013 Roberta Vinci, ITA
2014 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2015 Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2016 Caroline Garcia, FRA*
2017 CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
2018 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2019 Ash Barty, AUS*
2020-21 Jil Teichmann, SUI*
[FED CUP/BJK CUP CAPTAIN OF YEAR]
2015 Amelie Mauresmo, FRA*
2016 Paul Haarhuis, NED*
2017 Kathy Rinaldi, USA
2018 Kathy Rinaldi, USA*
2019 Julien Benneteau, FRA
2020-21 Igor Andreev, RUS (RTF)
[FED CUP/BJK CUP FINALS MVP]
2002 Daniela Hantuchova, SVK
2003 Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
2004 Anastasia Myskina, RUS
2005 Elena Dementieva, RUS
2006 Francesa Schiavone, ITA
2007 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2008 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2009 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2010 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2012 Lucie Safarova, CZE
2013 Roberta Vinci, ITA
2014 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2015 Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2016 Barbora Strycova, CZE
2017 CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
2018 Katerina Siniakova, CZE
2019 Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2020-21 Liudmila Samsonova, RUS (RTF)
*FC/BJK CUP FINAL - SINGLES CLINCHER VICTORY; since 2000*
[finals event; 2000-2001]
2000 Lindsay Davenport, USA
2001 Kim Clijsters, BEL
[single-elimination bracket format; 2002-19]
2002 Janette Husarova, SVK
2003 Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
2007 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2008 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2009 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2010 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2012 Lucie Safarova, CZE
2013 Sara Errani, ITA
2014 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2018 Katerina Siniakova, CZE
[finals event; 2020/21-current]
2021 Liudmila Samsonova, RUS (RTF)
*WHEELCHAIR TENNIS MASTERS CHAMPIONS*
[singles]
1994 Monique Kalkman, NED
1995 Monique Kalkman, NED
1996 Chantal Vandierendonck, NED
1997 Maaike Smit, NED
1998 Esther Vergeer, NED
1999 Esther Vergeer, NED
2000 Esther Vergeer, NED
2001 Esther Vergeer, NED
2002 Esther Vergeer, NED
2003 Esther Vergeer, NED
2004 Esther Vergeer, NED
2005 Esther Vergeer, NED
2006 Esther Vergeer, NED
2007 Esther Vergeer, NED
2008 Esther Vergeer, NED
2009 Esther Vergeer, NED
2010 Esther Vergeer, NED
2011 Esther Vergeer, NED
2012 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2013 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2014 Aniek van Koot, NED
2015 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2016 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2017 Diede de Groot, NED
2018 Diede de Groot, NED
2019 Diede de Groot, NED
2020 DNP
2021 Diede de Groot, NED
[doubles]
2000 Daniela di Toro/Maaike Smit (AUS/NED)
2001 Maaike Smit/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2002 Maaike Smit/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2003 Maaike Smit/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2004 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2005 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2006 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2007 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2008 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2009 Korie Homan/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2010 Aniek van Koot/Sharon Walraven (NED/NED)
2011 Esther Vergeer/Sharon Walraven (NED/NED)
2012 Jiske Griffioen/Aniek van Koot (NED/NED)
2013 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley (JPN/GBR)
2014 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley (JPN/GBR)
2015 Jiske Griffioen/Aniek van Koot (NED/NED)
2016 Diede de Groot/Lucy Shuker (NED/GBR)
2017 Marjolein Buis/Diede de Groot (NED/NED)
2018 Marjolein Buis/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2019 Diede de Groot/Aniek van Koot (NED/NED)
2020 DNP
2021 Diede de Groot/Aniek van Koot (NED/NED)
*de Groot vs. Kamiji*
2021 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters Final - DE GROOT 6-3/2-6/6-2
2021 World Team Cup Final - DE GROOT 7-5/6-1
2021 US Open Final - DE GROOT 6-2/6-2
2021 Paralympics Final - DE GROOT 6-3/7-6(1)
2021 French Riviera Open Final - DE GROOT 6-2/6-1
2021 Roland Garros Final - DE GROOT 6-4/6-3
2021 Barcelona Open Final - DE GROOT 6-4/6-1
2021 Australian Open Final - DE GROOT 6-3/6-7(4)/7-6(10-4)
2021 Melbourne WC Open Final - KAMIJI 6-1/6-4
2021 Victorian WC Open Final - DE GROOT 6-1/7-5
----------------------------------------------------
2020 US Open Final - DE GROOT 6-3/6-3
----------------------------------------------------
2019 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters Final - DE GROOT 6-2/6-3
2019 US Open USTA WC Chsp. Final - DE GROOT 6-4/4-6/6-3
2019 US Open Final - DE GROOT 4-6/6-1/6-4
2019 British Open SF - DE GROOT 6-2/6-2
2019 Roland Garros Final - DE GROOT 6-1/6-0
2019 World Team Cup Final - KAMIJI 3-6/6-2/6-1
2019 Japan Open Final - DE GROOT 6-3/7-6(8)
2019 Australian Open Final - DE GROOT 6-0/6-2
2019 Melbourne Open Final - KAMIJI 3-6/7-5/7-6(11) - saved 5 MP
----------------------------------------------------
2018 NED Wheelchair Tennis Masters Final - DE GROOT 6-3/7-5
2018 US Open Final - DE GROOT 6-2/6-3
2018 British Open WC Tennis Chsps Final - DE GROOT 6-2/3-6/3-6
2018 BNP Paribas Open de France Final - DE GROOT 7-5/6-4
2018 Roland Garros Final - KAMIJI 2-6/6-0/6-2
2018 Australian Open Final - DE GROOT 7-6(6)/6-4
---------------------------------------------------
2017 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters Final - DE GROOT 7-5/6-4
2017 Open d'Amiens Hauts de France Final - DE GROOT 1-6/7-5/6-3
2017 US Open Final - KAMIJI 7-5/6-2
2017 US Open USTA WC Chsps Final - KAMIJI 5-7/6-3/7-6(12)
2017 British Open WC Tennis Chsps Final - KAMIJI 6-4/6-3
2017 BNP Paribas Open de France SF - KAMIJI 6-4/6-3
2017 Japan Open Final - KAMIJI 6-2/6-2
2017 Melbourne Wheelchair Tennis Open SF - KAMIJI 6-3/6-4
2017 Apia Int'l Sydney WC Tennis Open SF - DE GROOT 7-5/7-6(5)
---------------------------------------------------
2016 Paralympic Games Bronze - KAMIJI 6-3/6-3
2016 BNP Paribas Open de France Final - KAMIJI 6-3/7-6(4)
2016 Toyota Open Int'l de L'ile de Re SF - DE GROOT 4-6/7-5/1-0 ret.
---------------------------------------------------
2015 Sardinia Open QF - KAMIJI 6-1/6-1
2015 BNP Paribas Open de France QF - KAMIJI 6-2/6-4
2014 Swiss Open Starling Hotel Geneva 1st Rd. - KAMIJI 6-1/6-2
--
de Groot leads 26-15 (24-4 last 28); 22-8 in singles F (22-3 last 25); 8 con. wins; 9-1 in 2021 season
*WTA SEASON-ENDING #1's - w/ finish the following season*
1975 Chris Evert, USA (1)
1976 Chris Evert, USA (1)
1977 Chris Evert, USA (2)
1978 Martina Navratilova, TCH (1)
1979 Martina Navratilova, TCH (3)
1980 Chris Evert-Lloyd, USA (1)
1981 Chris Evert-Lloyd, USA (2)
1982 Martina Navratilova, USA (1)
1983 Martina Navratilova, USA (1)
1984 Martina Navratilova, USA (1)
1985 Martina Navratilova, USA (1)
1986 Martina Navratilova, USA (2)
1987 Steffi Graf, FRG (1)
1988 Steffi Graf, FRG (1)
1989 Steffi Graf, FRG (1)
1990 Steffi Graf, GER (2)
1991 Monica Seles, YUG (1)
1992 Monica Seles, YUG (8)
1993 Steffi Graf, GER (1)
1994 Steffi Graf, GER (1)
1995 (co) Steffi Graf, GER (1) and Monica Seles, USA (2)
1996 Steffi Graf, GER (28 = injury)
1997 Martina Hingis, SUI (2)
1998 Lindsay Davenport, USA (2)
1999 Martina Hingis, SUI (1)
2000 Martina Hingis, SUI (4)
2001 Lindsay Davenport, USA (12 = injury)
2002 Serena Williams, USA (3)
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne, BEL (8)
2004 Lindsay Davenport, USA (1)
2005 Lindsay Davenport, USA (25 = injury)
2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne, BEL (1)
2007 Justine Henin, BEL (retired)
2008 Jelena Jankovic, SRB (8)
2009 Serena Williams, USA (4)
2010 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (1)
2011 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (10)
2012 Victoria Azarenka, BLR (2)
2013 Serena Williams, USA (1)
2014 Serena Williams, USA (1)
2015 Serena Williams, USA (2)
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER (21)
2017 Simona Halep, ROU (1)
2018 Simona Halep, ROU (4)
2019 Ash Barty, AUS (1)
2020 Ash Barty, AUS (1)
2021 Ash Barty, AUS
Opinion | Democrats’ wake-up call https://t.co/j0q1yZ4TzT pic.twitter.com/fHlhq9KGta
— Ann Telnaes (@AnnTelnaes) November 3, 2021
Heck of a job, Virginia ??
— Max Weiss (@maxthegirl) November 3, 2021
Thanks to @PoetrySuperHwy for giving me another opportunity to read on PHS Live today. For those who want to hear a new poem, "Recalling the Narrow Way," my spot begins at 15:45. https://t.co/BKXnlisAqz
— Diane Elayne Dees (@WomenWhoServe) November 7, 2021
Dr. Oz: I’m the only peddler of pseudoscience to ever guest host Jeopardy!
— James Holzhauer (@James_Holzhauer) November 5, 2021
Aaron Rodgers: Hold on a minute playa
Blood pressure lowered from just imagining the relief the “Jeopardy!” people have to feel at not having hired Aaron Rodgers
— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) November 5, 2021
Remember, waaay back in 2021, after Alex Trebek died and Jeopardy was looking for an intelligent, affable replacement and those MFs tried to convince us that Aaron Rodgers was smart? https://t.co/3yPtNf08MN
— Michael Harriot (@michaelharriot) November 6, 2021
maybe he thought Jeopardy! was a show about endangering himself or others
— Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) November 5, 2021
Aaron Rodgers on his recovery:
— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) November 5, 2021
"I consulted a good friend of mine, Joe Rogan, and I've been doing a lot of the stuff he recommended in his podcast"
I think we'll be able to trace the official fall of Western civilization to whenever it was on the timeline that Joe Rogan -- a less-than-mediocre one-time comedian who was the *only* unfunny person on the sitcom "NewsRadio" before becoming the host of the do-stupid-things-on-camera show "Fear Factor" -- somehow became someone that anyone looked to to help them decide what they believed about anything at all, let alone to assist in the maintenance of one's own health.
Aaron Rogers consults with Joe Rogan for medical advice! pic.twitter.com/23TbMlfdiW
— Lazy Circles, Esq. Thank you Buster Posey (@LazyCircles) November 5, 2021
Literally they are laughing at him but trying not to actually burst out laughing. https://t.co/bJCTxdrJX0
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) November 5, 2021
So, Rodgers is going to be Randy Quaid in about twenty years, right? Or maybe Ted Kaczynski?
The first 1??
— USTA (@usta) November 3, 2021
On this day in 1975, @ChrissieEvert became World No. 1 in the inaugural edition of the @WTA rankings. pic.twitter.com/nCKOwzw08V
Senior cat begs her mom to watch movies every day — watch what movie always makes her calm down ?? pic.twitter.com/b1D9UGpTYE
— The Dodo (@dodo) November 4, 2021
We LOVE everything about this poster ??
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 6, 2021
The Original Nine continue to inspire generations ?? #BJKCupFinals | @BillieJeanKing | @WTA pic.twitter.com/DsvtTb0JWm
Tiny tabby kitten befriends the wild deer who visit her yard — and ends up snuggling with them ?? pic.twitter.com/5FQ7Za1yvH
— The Dodo (@dodo) November 4, 2021
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Linz has a decent field, could see anycombo of Raducanu, Collins, Kudermetova or Halep reaching the final.
Right now, WTT rosters have an American slant, but Clijsters is on the list.
Gavrilova can play, but her willingness to be the Liesel Huber type cheerleader cannot be understated. Another known for that role? Timea Bacsinszky, who was at the final.
Ranking madness- Kerber down to 17, Bencic 23, Andreescu 46, Wang Q. 102, and someone with a title this season, Konta 112.
Jabeur is wearing a sling due to her shoulder, so is out as alternate. So is injured Pavlyuchenkova. So unconfirmed reports have Pegula and Mertens. If true, Svitolina also declined.
Stat of the Week- 6- Common events played by Elite Eight.
Picks for singles and doubles will come out after draw, which is supposed to be today.
The events are the 4 slams, plus Cincinnati and Miami. Sabalanka didn't play IW due to COVID, also Swiatek skipped Montreal.
Points-Common Events:
2965- Krejcikova
2345- Pliskova
2146- Sabalenka
2013- Sakkari
1216- Swiatek
975 - Badosa
845 - Muguruza
466 - Kontaveit
In 2019, the 2 highest players(Andreescu,Osaka) withdrew, leaving the 3rd highest in Barty to win.
Points-Last 10 Events:
3655- Krejcikova
3387- Pliskova
2347- Sabalenka
2326- Badosa
2296- Sakkari
2291- Swiatek
1877- Kontaveit
1166- Muguruza
Dubai was so long ago. Muguruza's numbers are shockingly low, and it will be curious to see what form she brings.
Quiz Time!
How many times did Gabriela Sabatini win the YEC?
A.0
B.2
C.4
D.11
Interlude- The finals are here. Well, in 2 days, why not pump up music?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx69XXobpN8
Answer!
I won't draw this out too much. (D)11 is the number of finals she played. All consecutive, but only 10 years, as she played the 85 event in 86, the last March YEC.
(C)4 is the number of finals reached, but (B)2 is the total she won. That is impressive, going from an Evert/Navratilova era to a Graf/Seles one.
8 On the Up Side- Singles Edition.
Listed will be name, titles, record vs Top 10, player to avoid.
1.Pliskova- 0(2-2). Picking Pliskova is always risky. It is also a pick against history, as no player winless during the season has walked away with the title since Gabriela Sabatini in 1994. At the very least, should reach the final 4. Player to avoid- Sakkari(1-2).
2.Sakkari-0(7-4). In the group least likely to have the winner go 3-0. The red flag for her is not just that she belongs to the same category as Pliskova in not having a win this season, it is that she only has 1 in her career. That would make her the winner with the fewest amount of titles ever, set by Sylvia Hanika in 1982. YEC was her 4th. Krejcikova, Swiatek and Badosa could also tie or break record. Fun fact- Hanika's last title? Athens 1986, against Angeliki Kanellopoulou, Maria's mother. Player to avoid- Sabalenka(1-4).
3.Kontaveit- 4(4-5). The hottest player on tour, her run reminds us of Cibulkova in 2016. That is fitting, as Kontaveit is trying to be the first since Cibulkova to win this without winning an event higher than a 500 in her career. Like the first 2 categories, that also includes Sakkari. She hasn't played well in slams, but seems to be in the easier group. Player to avoid- Sabalenka(0-4).
4.Badosa- 2(4-3). Sneaky good year. Got better as she went along, and like Kontaveit, won her last event. Player to avoid- Pliskova(0-2).
5.Sabalenka- 2(3-3). The fact that she has not reached a final since Madrid is surprising. A threat to win, she is down the list because of COVID. Player to avoid- Muguruza(1-2).
6.Krejcikova- 3(3-3). If I believed that she was healthy, she would be the favorite. She seems out of gas, which is strange when you realize that she has only played 6 times since Roland Garros. Also has RR doubles, so most likely to pull out of singles if eliminated before 3rd match. Player to avoid- Badosa(0-2).
7.Muguruza- 2(3-7). More losses vs Top 10 than anyone in field. Lowest amount of points in last 10 events. Hasn't had a Top 10 win since Dubai. Her one path to final four is upsetting Pliskova. Player to avoid- Pliskova(2-8).
8.Swiatek- 2(2-2). There is always a newbie that goes 0-3. Bouchard, Kerber, etc. Though she could get hot, her best part of the season was on clay, so she has an uphill battle. Player to avoid- Sakkari(0-2).
8 On the Up Side- Doubles Edition.
Listed are name, titles, record, record vs field.
1.Stosur/Zhang- 2- 11-2(3-0). Odd pairing in the fact that they lost 2 matches, split for 6 months, then won 11 matches in a row. Even with the low win total, seem like the favorite.
2.Hsieh/Mertens- 2- 19-7(2-2). Not dominant, but like Stosur/Zhang, won their last event. #1 is in play for Hsieh, the question is will Mertens being a singles alternate affect this pairing?
3.Siniakova/Krejcikova- 3 34-9(1-0). Would be the favorite, but how healthy is Krejcikova? Without Babos/Mladenovic, probably most scribes favorite as the most familiar team, but faces an uphill battle.
4.Aoyama/Shibahara- 5- 39-16(3-6). More wins and titles than any team in the field. Most losses against the field. Has a chance in a group that seems rather even.
5.Fichman/Olmos- 1- 22-11(2-2). There is a split between the top teams and the bottom group. So why not give the home country boost to Fichman/Olmos? Playing with house money, I assume the fan support will be highest for them, a team that didn't initially qualify, but gets in since Dabrowski/Stefani are out. So are Gauff/McNally.
6.Melichar-Martinez/Schuurs- 2- 27-16(1-4). The swan song for this team, as they have announced a split for 2022, it is unclear how they will do. Melichar/Xu made a better pair, so maybe they reunite.
7.Jurak/Klepac- 2- 26-13(2-0). Seems like Klepac keeps grinding along. I might be underrating them just a tad, as this combo didn't even start until Charleston. Jurak also has a title this year with Guarachi.
8.Guarachi/Krawczyk- 2- 25-19(0-2). Lowest winning percentage in the field, most losses in the field, only team without a win vs field this season. Still, the field is similar to the point that there should not be a winless team. Enjoy Chile having a representative in the field.
Incidentally, Badosa officially made her Top 10 debut on Monday (the sixth newcomer in '21). I didn't say anything about it in the post because, with the rankings changes still nuts on a weekly basis, I don't totally trust the "live rankings" site numbers at the moment and the WTA didn't put anything out on social media about it on the weekend (they finally did on Monday).
Quiz: I knew Sabatini won it at least once (before she'd won a slam), so I went with 2. (!)
Or one could go with an even more classic lead-in.
I hadn't realized that the WTAF is a Wednesday-to-Wednesday (???) event. Weird (one of many odd things about this event -- from location, altitude, being outdoors, and coming in North America a week after a big BJK event in Europe).
WTAF field: would be much better to be in Kontaveit's group, it seems, considering her three opponents are either so light on play or (in Krejcikova's case) maybe too heavy on it.
Sabalenka/Sakkari/Swiatek/Badosa might come down to sets won. Wouldn't normally pick Krejcikova, Pliskova or Muguruza as SF possibilities at the moment, but at least one of them will make it that far (maybe two if Kontaveit lost her edge with a week+ away, or is a bit "off" playing outdoors in a big event after doing so much indoors in mostly semi-smaller ones).
Picks: SF: Badosa d. Kontaveit; Sabalenka d. Pliskova; Final: Sabalenka d. Badosa (tempted to pick Badosa, playing in a Spanish-speaking nation... but Sabalenka has that late-season title thing going for her in past seasons, winning at least one post-U.S. Open title three years running but w/o one yet in '21).
If Krejcikova/Siniakova were to win the title (or even reach the final), it'd be easy to second guess Pala for not using them as the BJK doubles duo and just not playing Krejcikova in singles at all.
Oh, by the way, you notice I finally came up with s more comfortable way to get around the too-many-letters-and-words thing with the newest name of the big team event, and went with the more all-encompassing "Cup" as the (mostly) regular reference in order to pull in the *entire* history of the event rather than always call old Fed Cup history "BJK Cup" things when they actually weren't.
It's sort of like how I cringe a little when people -- mostly national media -- refer to past WFT results when they weren't actually "WFT" results at the time. It'll be more strange starting in '22 when players like Theismann, Riggins and Green will be referred to as part of Washington (whatever... probably Redwolves) history.
(Speaking of the NFL... how did the Jags pull *that* off this weekend, anyway?)
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