RG.9- Iga in a Pinch

Four down in Paris. Three to go. But, today... whew!

The best find a way ??@iga_swiatek completes the final eight, battling by Zheng 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-2 and extending her win streak to 32 matches#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/R5tEWLqiDa

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022

Iga Swiatek has spent three months looking for real competition as she's built her current winning streak into what could be, by the end of this Roland Garros, tied for the longest in women's tennis this century. There have been hints of it on a few occasions over the run, but only once (Liudmila Samsonova in Stuttgart) did an opponent *truly* threaten to take down the #1-ranked Pole. Today *could* have been the day that it finally happened but, yet again at this slam, the fickle physical fate of foes of several favorites in France over the past week or so prevented it from becoming a reality. Or it at least prevented, in this case, Swiatek from truly being forced to rise to the occasion to battle her way out of a corner in heroic, near-iconic fashion and further gild her already-stable stature as the best the WTA has to offer. And, somehow, one feels that Iga is all right with that, because she's still playing in Paris.

As it is, we'll have to settle for Iga's mid-match rebound after leading, then being challenged by and ultimately losing a one-set battle to 19-year old Zheng Qinwen, who proved herself more than worthy of occupying the same court as the unquestioned world #1 during their Round of 16 encounter, a match in which Zheng clearly twisted the knife of tension into Swiatek's back and lived to tell about it before being slowed by injury, as she officially made her own a presence that will be accompanied by the threatening/lurking shark theme from "Jaws" playing in the background whenever she appears in a singles draw from here on out.

China's #74-ranked Zheng was ready and excited (hey, that's what you want to see) for today, arriving with a trail of praise from opponents behind her and the prospect of facing Swiatek and her 31-match winning streak directly in her path. Perhaps the strongest women's favorite to win the title in Paris since the zenith of Justine "La Petit Taureau" Henin's clay court prowess in the mid-2000s, or maybe that of Monica Seles in the early 1990s, Swiatek had looked shaky -- for about 10 minutes -- in her previous match against Danka Kovinic as the pressure of her position and a break in her run of perfection briefly seemed to fog her generally clear on-court process. Facing a new opponent with power and belief, and zero stress, there was a legitimate -- or juicy -- question lingering in the air going into today about a player that is already a slam champion, but one who at this major is staring down the beast of being the #1 seed who is *expected* to win for the very first time.

What would happen if Zheng got on top of Swiatek in the match, first forcing her to step back, then putting her back against the wall. Could Iga prevent herself from being pushing into a corner, and if she couldn't could she hit her way out of it?

As it turned out, Swiatek's exterior again showed a crack, not one as glaring as her short sleepwalk vs. Kovinic, but in a more long-lasting (perhaps more dangerous) way that will continue to give future opponents a breath of hope should they choose to take an aggressive gulp.

Zheng started slowly, as Swiatek grabbed an early break and took a 3-0 lead before the teenager got on the scoreboard. Once she did, though, the tenor of the set changed, as Zheng was solid off the ground, and maybe surprised Swiatek with the sting behind her shots. She got the break to get back on serve at 3-2, only to then play a sloppy service game to hand the break back. Swiatek served for the set at 5-3, 40/15, holding three SP in the game. But Zheng pushed the game to deuce, then held a BP, as the increasingly "stressy" Pole netted a backhand and the 1st went back on serve.

And, thus, Zheng had accomplished the first part of the pre-game equation, forcing the world #1 to "take a step back." Could she next push her back against the wall?

In a better follow-up to her break of serve, Zheng didn't donate points as she had moments earlier. Her big shots pushed Swiatek behind the baseline and kept her on the run, and she'd often pull out a drop shot and catch Iga in a poor position when it came to coming up with a good response or (on occasion) even an attempt at one. Zheng held for 5-5, and Swiatek took several big breaths to try and relieve the mounting tension inside her body.

Pressure player ??

Down 0-3, Zheng earns two breaks of serve to get back on track. All tied up 5-5#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/wIBkUKHu4R

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022

Zheng's big groundstrokes carved out a 15/30 lead a game later, then a "drop shot" that landed beyond the service line on Swiatek's side of the net -- but behind Iga as she was already racing to the other side of the court to catch up to another Zheng forehand -- gave the Chinese teen double BP. Tasked with "pushing back," Swiatek saved both, first with an ace and then with a big forehand. She got the hold, but couldn't take advantage of a love/30 lead on Zheng's serve in game #12. Zheng got to 30/30 with a blast into the corner and a slice forehand drop shot. Still, Swiatek held two more SP but couldn't close things out.

Working like a charm ??#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/0VuujVrU07

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022

Swiatek took the early mini-break edge in the tie-break, and served two at 5-2, only to drop both points as Zheng continued to nip at her heels on the scoreboard. An unreturnable Zheng serve up the T tied the TB at 5-5, then another strong point-starter resulted in an Iga return error. With her first SP at 6-5, Zheng grabbed the 1st set with a Swiatek backhand error, ending what had been a 20-set winning streak for the #1 seed, taking just the second set (of 50) lost by Swiatek since March.

No quit ??

Down 2-5 in the tiebreak, Zheng prevails to become the first player of the tournament to take a set off Swiatek 7-6(5)#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/AjQWXJPTQv

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022

Having served for the set at 5-3, holding five SP and leading 5-2 in the TB, Swiatek had lost the 1st. Her back was officially against the wall. Unfortunately, while she rebounded well, we never really got to see her response against a player who was fully able to battle her down the stretch.

Swiatek opened the 2nd with a love break. Zheng managed to get a pair of BP chances a game later, but Iga held and then broke again at love. Zheng called for a trainer, and ultimately returned with her quad heavily strapped. After having used her good movement to stay in rallies in the 1st, then end many with either power or the element of surprise, Zheng was hampered too much to do so now and seemed to have little hope. She dropped the set at love, and DF'd on BP down to hand the opening game of the 3rd to Swiatek, as well. Down 2-0, if she didn't find a way to win game #3 it was clear that Zheng might need to send up the white flag and retire, sacrificing today to save herself for her bright future. Thankfully, the teenager had removed some of the tape on her leg and by then seemed somewhat improved (but still not 100%) in her movement.

After saving a BP, Zheng did get the hold for 2-1. With her opponent suddenly stirring, Swiatek went down a BP at 30/40 a game later, but Zheng's attempt at a drop shot from the mid-court rather than smacking a forehand down the line seemed to be a case of a lost opportunity, letting Iga off the hook at precisely the worst time. She got a second BP chance, but Swiatek swatted it away with a forehand winner and held for 3-1.

With another missed drop shot (this time from a position close to the net), Zheng fell down a BP in game #5. The teenager staved off two BP and held, staying close enough to continue to hope for a stumble from the world #1, only to see Swiatek hold at love a game later. With Zheng's chances dwindling, Swiatek ended a rally with a big forehand down the line to reach BP. Zheng's DF gave Swiatek a 5-2 lead, and the Pole finally seemed in the clear. She held for 6-2, securing the three-set victory in 2:45.

Jazda @iga_swiatek ! ????

The World No.1 battles past Zheng 6-7(5) 6-0 6-2 to extend her win streak to 32 matches!

Faces Pegula next for a spot in the #RolandGarros semifinals. pic.twitter.com/najxXo55FI

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 30, 2022

Winning. It never gets old ??#RolandGarros | @iga_swiatek pic.twitter.com/qWdjbZrg7L

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022

While Zheng's first real shot at making a name for herself came up short, what she did was prove to herself and everyone else that we'll surely see her come this way again. Next time, Iga will see her coming even more clearly, too... and we'll see what that brings out in them. It should tell much about both.

Under different, even more trying, circumstances Swiatek likely would have found a way to win this match against a healthy, but still inexperienced (see the teenager's sometimes-too-eager attempts at drop shots when a more emphatic power response off the ground might have better served her cause) Zheng. She hasn't shown what she won't or can't do just that during this dominant stretch. Once she does, if she does, then the game changes all over again. But we're not there yet. Even with the muddy details of this win meaning that she didn't have to call on her very *best* to win, Iga has reason to feel good that she manuevered through it when things very easily could have gotten away from her had she hung her head after dropping the 1st. Her immediate response to losing the TB was precisely how a would-be great champion should go about things.

"I'm proud of myself that I'm still in the tournament"#RolandGarros | @iga_swiatek pic.twitter.com/wfTuguuT3g

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022

Really, though, the response to Iga's play today, not her "A"-game by any stretch, will surely suffer from overanalyzing. As the all-time greats know, it's not about *perfection* it's about winning the matches. Whenever it happens, and however, whether it be with panache or pluck or luck. In the end, the ledger will either show a "W" or "L," and the rest is simply white noise. And Swiatek is now 32 for her last 32.

She's still the overwhelming favorite to win her second RG crown, even if today managed to give the other seven women remaining the A-okay to dream. At least for a few minutes before they close their eyes for the night.




=DAY 9 NOTES= ...while everyone has been focusing on other things, #20 Dasha Kasatkina has just been taking care of business. Today, the Hordette's Return of the Fear tour included a 2 & 2 win over #28 Camila Giorgi, who committed more UE in the opening set (20) than Kasatkina has dropped games through the four rounds of this Roland Garros (14).

In all, while the Russian was safe and steady (largely because that's all she needed to be) it was the Italian whose racket told the tale of this one, as her 29 winners were subdued by 37 UE, just nine fewer than Kasatkina has had *the entire tournament* thus far (including just 10 today, after 7 in her last match). Kasatkina is one of three woman -- w/ Coco Gauff and Martina Trevisan -- yet to lose a set in the singles competition, and this will be her first slam QF since her second of back-to-back in Paris and London in 2018.

??@DKasatkina is through to the Roland Garros quarters! pic.twitter.com/7OcTAfAGJ0

— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) May 30, 2022

After no Hordettes had reached the RG semis for seven years until Anastasia Pavlychenkova's run to the final last year, we're assured of one in the Final 4 for a second straight year, as Kasatkina will face off with her countrywoman and first-time slam quarterfinalist Veronika Kudermetova after the #29 seed's three-set win over #22 Madison Keys today.

Her first Grand Slam quarterfinal ??

Kudermetova defeats Keys 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/3D33eFu2V4

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 30, 2022

After Keys' easy claiming of the 1st, Kudermetova raced to 3-0 lead in the 2nd, finally leveling the match on her seventh SP. Keys took a 40/love lead in the opening game of the 3rd, only to drop five straight points to lose serve. Up 3-0, Kudermetova changed her racket (Tennis Channel's Caroline Wozniacki wondered why, since she was playing so well with the other one) and immediately gave back one of her breaks thanks to a pair of big return shots from Keys. But it'd be the only game the U.S. veteran would win in the set as Kudermetova increasingly rolled to a 1-6/6-3/6-1 victory.

Meanwhile, #11 Jessie Pegula won't get an ounce of the attention that the Gauff/Stephens match (or the *other* one) will get tomorrow, but the Buffalo native's push for the #1 U.S. ranking (even with a win today she looks to still be just a few points behind #8 Danielle Collins... and then there's still possibly a title run from Gauff or Stephens that could factor in, as well) continued to pick up steam after she rallied from a set down to defeat Irina-Camelia Begu (who, again, shouldn't even be in this tournament and should have been DQ'd two rounds ago) in three to reach her first RG quarterfinal, and second straight in a major this season.

Comeback complete ??@JLPegula knocks out Irina Camelia Begu 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach her maiden #RolandGarros quarter-final. pic.twitter.com/CqwVXzt2oU

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022

...in doubles, while Kudermetova advanced in singles, she and fellow #2-seed Elise Mertens fell in the QF to #13 Xu Yifan & Yang Zhaoxuan in three sets in doubles, ending the possibility of the completion of a Career Doubles Slam for Mertens had they claimed the title.

...in junior play, a second and third Top 5 seed was sent packing in the early rounds, as Argentina's Solana Sierra (a U.S. Open girls' semifinalist last year and recent BJK Cup Heart Award nominee) upset #4 Brenda Fruhvirtova in a 1st Round match-up, while German qualifier Joelle Steur took out #5-seeded Hordette Diana Shnaider in a 2nd Rounder.

Top seed Petra Marcinko (also a Heart Award nominee for last month's action) ousted Kenyan Angella Okutoyi, while #10 Sara Bejlek (CZE) eliminated French wild card Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah.

...meanwhile, the wheelchair draw is out... and there's some big news. It's a 12-player draw rather than the usual eight, with the Top 4 seeds getting an opening round bye. Hopefully the other slams will (at least) follow suit in their next competitions... conceivably, they *could* go as high as 16.

As expected, defending champ and world #1 Diede de Groot is back, with #2 Yui Kamiji on the other side of the draw. Jiske Griffioen, the '15 champ, appears in her first RG draw since 2017, and will face Lucy Shuker in the 1st Round.

*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#1 Iga Swiatek/POL vs. #11 Jessie Pegula/USA
#29 Veronika Kudermetova/RUS vs. #20 Dasha Kasatkina/RUS
Martina Trevisan/ITA vs. #17 Leylah Fernandez/CAN
#18 Coco Gauff/USA vs. Sloane Stephens/USA

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES ROUND OF 16=
Bondar/Minnen (HUN/BEL) def. Rosolska/Routliffe (POL/AUS)
#10 Hradecka/Mirza (CZE/IND) vs. #8 Gauff/Pegula (USA/USA)
Kostyuk/Ruse (UKR/ROU) def. #4 McNally/S.Zhang (USA/CHN)
(PR) Keys/Townsend (USA/USA) def. #9 Muhammad/Shibahara (USA/JPN)
Zanevska/Zimmermann (BEL/BEL) def. L.Chan/Stosur (TPE/AUS)
#14 L.Kichenok/Ostapenko (UKR/LAT) def. #3 Dabrowski/Olmos (CAN/MEX)
(WC) Garcia/Mladenovic (FRA/FRA) def. Doi/Tomljanovic (JPN/AUS)
#13 Xu Yifan/Yang Zhaoxuan (CHN/CHN) def. #2 V.Kudermetova/Mertens (RUS/BEL)

=MIXED DOUBLES QF=
Melichar-Martinez/Krawietz (USA/GER) def. Haddad Maia/Soares (BRA/BRA)
Eikeri/Vliegen (NOR/BEL) def. #4 Krawczyk/N.Skupski (USA/GBR)
Hradecka/Escobar (CZE/ECU) vs. #3 Dabrowski/Peers (CAN/AUS)
#2 Shibahara/Koolhof (JPN/NED) def. Stosur/Ebden (AUS/AUS)

...MEMORIAL DAY... ON DAY 9:

...means a trip to old graveyards, which this year included getting photos of a rather awkwardly positioned door...

...a few 125+ year old decorative metal items which have likely been in front of one of a small collection of headstones tucked away in the far and forgotten corner, almost in the woods under trees that have surely grown from saplings they were first installed there, of an old church. The graves are for family members from long ago...

...the family same is Saville. Yes, I've mentioned before that there are a ton of Savilles on my particular ancestral tree, so I thus hold onto the notion that, maybe, just maybe, Dasha recently "married into the family."

...TENNIS GODS... grrrr, we have to talk ON DAY 9:

?? pic.twitter.com/pkaSRsGXH6

— Diego Barbiani (@Diego_Barbiani) May 30, 2022

...BUT COULDN'T THEY HAVE GOTTEN A GRAY-HAIRED, 60-ish ACTOR TO PLAY LEONARD BERNSTEIN? ON DAY 9:

I mean, since so many people these days yelp so much about a so-and-so role not being given to someone who is exactly like that character (i.e. an autistic character being portrayed by an austistic actor, and so forth... and if that's not the case attacking whomever made the decision to give the part to, I don't know, the best actor in the running). Those people seem to forget about the *acting* part of acting.

Your eyes aren't deceiving you. Here's Bradley Cooper fully transformed into Leonard Bernstein for #Maestro, his directorial follow-up to "A Star Is Born." More first look details here: https://t.co/zqNlCSP37M pic.twitter.com/AG1xQfiI1p

— Variety (@Variety) May 30, 2022

...A THOUGHT ON DAY 9:

Wimbledon has that Kipling quote just off of Centre Court. Rather than the whole "victory goes to the most tenacious" line they put inside Chatrier they should replace it with what Alize Cornet said about her treatment by French fans the other day: "People have dared to boo me on the court when I give up. The French public, sometimes, amazes me. It almost hurt me more than the injury. It sucks because it's unfair and the injustice hurts. This handful of morons hurts my heart."

"Des gens ont osé me huer sur le court quand j'abandonne. Le public français, parfois, m'étonne. Ça m'a presque fait plus mal que la blessure. Ça fait chier parce que c'est injuste et l'injustice fait de la peine. Cette poignée de crétins fait mal au cœur."

Sure, it'd take up the entire ring of the stadium, but so what? (They could just go with the morons part, though.)

Also Cornet: "When you see what I've been giving on the court for all these years, how much I care about it... It would have been much easier for me not to go on the court, not to go vulnerable with this injury. I've been true to who I am."

I rarely tweet about my own matches ?? I tweet more about other tennis players. I’m a tennis fan ??

— Daria Saville (@Daria_gav) May 29, 2022

Kasatkina is a beast

— Daria Saville (@Daria_gav) May 29, 2022

Iga avengers, assemble ????#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/acbOzEuIvU

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022

*MOST CONSECUTIVE WINS, since 2000*
35 - Venus Williams (2000)
34 - Serena Williams (2013)
32 - Justine Henin (2007-08)
32 - IGA SWIATEK (2022) - active

*MOST LOVE SETS IN A SEASON, since 2000*
25 - Serena Williams (2013)
18 - Kim Clijsters (2003)
17 - Martina Hingis (2000)
16 - Vera Zvonareva (2008)
16 - IGA SWIATEK (2022)
15 - Victoria Azarenka (2012)
15 - Kim Clijsters (2005)

*USSR/RUS IN RG SF*
1974 USSR - Olga Morozova (RU)
1975 USSR - Olga Morozova
1988 USSR - Natasha Zvereva (RU)
2003 Nadia Petrova
2004 Elena Dementieva (RU), Anastasia Myskina (W)
2005 Elena Likhovtseva, Nadia Petrova
2006 Svetlana Kuznetova (RU)
2007 Maria Sharapova
2008 Svetlana Kuznetova, Dinara Safina (RU)
2009 Svetlana Kuznetsova (W), Dinara Safina (RU)
2010 Elena Dementieva
2011 Maria Sharapova
2012 Maria Sharapova (W)
2013 Maria Sharapova (RU)
2014 Maria Sharapova (W)
2021 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RU)
2022...Dasha Kasatkina or Veronika Kudermetova

*RUSSIANS IN SLAM SF - post-USSR*
20..Maria Sharapova (10-10)
8...Elena Dementieva (2-6)
5...Svetlana Kuznetsova (4-1)*
5...Dinara Safina (3-2)
4...Vera Zvonareva (2-2)*
2...Ekaterina Makarova (0-2)
1...W: Myskina,Pavlyuchenkova
1...L: Chakvetadze,Kournikova,Likhovsteva,Petrova,Vesnina
1...either Kasatkina or Kudermetova will reach maiden SF
--
OVERALL: 23-28

*2022 RG FINAL 8*
[by career slam QF]
7 - Sloane Stephens, USA
4 - Iga Swiatek, POL
3 - Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
3 - Jessie Pegula, USA
2 - Leylah Fernandez, CAN
2 - Coco Gauff, USA
2 - Martina Trevisan, ITA
1 - Veronika Kudermetova, RUS
[by career RG QF]
3 - Sloane Stephens
3 - Iga Swiatek
2 - Coco Gauff
2 - Dasha Kasatkina
2 - Martina Trevisan
1 - Leylah Fernandez
1 - Veronika Kudetmetova
1 - Jessie Pegula
[w/ consecutive slam QF]
2 - Jessie Pegula (AO/RG)
[w/ consecutive RG QF]
3 - Iga Swiatek
2 - Coco Gauff
[2022 slam QF - unseeded]
AO - Alize Cornet/FRA
AO - Kaia Kanepi/EST
AO - Madison Keys/USA
RG - Sloane Stephens/USA
RG - Martina Trevisan/ITA
[2022 1st-time GS QF]
AO - Alize Cornet/FRA
RG - Veronika Kudermetova/RUS
[2022 slam QF]
2 - Jessie Pegula (AO/RG)
2 - Iga Swaitek (AO/RG)
[2022 slam QF - by nation]
6...USA (3/3) - Gauff,Pegula,Stephens
2...POL (1/1) - Swiatek
2...RUS (0/2) - Kasatkina,V.Kudermetova
1...AUS (1/0)
1...CAN (0/1) - Fernandez
1...CZE (1/0)
1...EST (1/0)
1...FRA (1/0)
1 - ITA (0/1) - Trevisan
[WTA career slam QF - active]
54...Serena Williams, USA
39...Venus Williams, USA
17...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
16...Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
15...Simona Halep, ROU
13...Petra Kvitova, CZE
11...Angelique Kerber, GER
9...Karolina Pliskova, CZE
8...Madison Keys, USA
8...Garbine Muguruza, ESP
8...Elina Svitolina, UKR
7...Sara Errani, ITA
7...Kaia Kanepi, EST
7...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
7...Sloane Stephens, USA
7...Samantha Stosur, AUS
6...Vera Zvonareva, RUS
5...Sabine Lisicki, GER
4...Genie Bouchard, CAN
4...Naomi Osaka, JPN
4...Andrea Petkovic, GER
4...Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL
4...Iga Swiatek, POL
4...CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
[WTA slam QF & W/L in 2020's - 9 events]
4 - Barty (3-1)
4 - Swiatek (2-1) *
3 - Krejcikova (1-2)
3 - Pegula (0-2) *
2 - Brady (2-0)
2 - Collins (1-1)
2 - Fernandez (1-0) *
2 - Gauff (0-1) *
2 - Halep (1-1)
2 - Jabeur (0-2)
2 - Kenin (2-0)
2 - Kvitova (1-1)
2 - Muchova (1-1)
2 - Osaka (2-0)
2 - Pavlyuchenkova (1-1)
2 - Ka.Pliskova (1-1)
2 - Sabalenka (2-0)
2 - Sakkari (2-0)
2 - Svitolina (0-2)
2 - Trevisan (0-1) *
2 - S.Williams (2-0)
1 - Azarenka (1-0)
1 - Badosa (0-1)
1 - Bencic (0-1)
1 - Cornet (0-1)
1 - Golubic (0-1)
1 - Hsieh (0-1)
1 - Kanepi (0-1)
1 - Kasatkina (0-0) *
1 - Kerber (1-0)
1 - Keys (1-0)
1 - Kontaveit (0-1)
1 - V.Kudermetova (0-0) *
1 - Mertens (0-1)
1 - Muguruza (1-0)
1 - Pironkova (0-1)
1 - Podoroska (1-0)
1 - Putintseva (0-1)
1 - Raducanu (1-0) *
1 - Rogers (0-1)
1 - Rybakina (0-1)
1 - Siegemund (0-1)
1 - Stephens (0-0) *
1 - Tomljanovic (0-1)
1 - Zidansek (1-0)
--
* - to play QF
[WTA slam QF by nation in 2020's - 9 slams/72]
16 - USA (3)
9 - CZE
5 - AUS
4 - POL (1)
4 - RUS (2)
3 - BLR
2 - CAN (1)
2 - ESP
2 - EST
2 - GER
2 - GRE
2 - ITA (1)
2 - JPN
2 - KAZ
2 - ROU
2 - SUI
2 - TUN
2 - UKR
1 - ARG,BEL,BUL,FRA,GBR,SLO,TPE

TOP QUALIFIER: #2q Jule Niemeier/GER (slam MD debut; 7 games lost in 3 Q-matches)
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #1 Iga Swiatek/POL
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: #10q Viktoriya Tomova/BUL def. Marina Melnikova/RUS 2-6/7-5/6-0 (trailed 6-2/5-1; reached MD as LL)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - #21 Angelique Kerber/GER def. Magdalena Frech/POL (2-6/6-3/7-5; Kerber saves 2 MP, fans chant name)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #26 Sorana Cirstea/ROU (def. Maria/GER)
FIRST SEED OUT: #6 Ons Jabeur/TUN (1st Rd. to Magda Linette/POL)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Fernanda Contreras/MEX, Elsa Jacquemot/FRA, Leolia Jeanjean/FRA, Katie Volynets/USA
UPSET QUEENS: France
REVELATION LADIES: Czech Republic
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Hungary (0-4 1st Rd., Galfi 2 MP in loss)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Fernanda Contreras/MEX, Olga Danilovic/SRB, Aleksandra Krunic/SRB, Donna Vekic/CRO (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Leolita Jeanjean/FRA, Dasha Saville/AUS (3rd Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING BEST: Bianca Andreescu/CAN (2nd Rd.)
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Alize Cornet, Leolia Jeanjean, Diane Parry (all 3rd Rd.)
Ms./Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITY: Nominee: Trevisan, V.Kudermetova, Kasatkina, Pegula
IT "TBD": Nominees: Q.Zheng, Gauff, Fernandez, Teens (3 in 4r)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominee: Kasatkina, Stephens, Townsend (d), Garcia/Mladenovic
CRASH & BURN: #6 Ons Jabeur/TUN (1st Rd. to Linette; Madrid W/Rome RU - previous three who reached both finals also reached RG final); #2 Barbora Krejcikova/CZE (DC; 1st Rd. to Parry, led 6-1/2-0)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Sloane Stephens/USA (lost to #306 Nefisa Berberovic pre-RG; 1r: set and 4-4, sitter for love/30 vs. Niemeier; 2r: Cirstea led 6-3/2-0, Stephens 12 con. games; 4r: Teichmann 2-0, Stephens 12 con. games)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Hradecka/Mirza
Mademoiselle/Madame OF THE EVENING: Nominee: Cornet vs. Ostapenko
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
Légion de Lenglen HONOREE: Alize Cornet/FRA
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: Diane Parry, FRA (one-handed backhand) Additional nominee: Swiatek

All for Day 9. More tomorrow.