W.12- The Day Before the Day

From 128 to 2 ??

Their path to the #Wimbledon final! pic.twitter.com/cTSUFi0R0P

— wta (@WTA) July 8, 2022

=DAY 12 NOTES= ...in Friday's wheelchair semifinals, we got both the usual and the new.

#1 Diede de Groot's 1 & love win over Momoko Ohtani puts her into her 18th slam singles final of the last 20, and she'll carry a 60-match winning streak into her attempt to win a seventh consecutive slam crown.

For the first time at Wimbledon, where de Groot has won three of the last four editions, she'll face longtime rival Yui Kamiji in the final. #2 Kamiji's 1 & 2 win today over former Wimbledon champ Jiske Griffioen puts the former WC #1 into her first career Wimbledon WC final after she'd gone 3-5 at SW19 in her career before this week (2-0 so far).

The final will be the 46th career meeting between de Groot and Kamiji, and the 13th in a major final. De Groot leads the series 30-15, going 28-4 in the last 32 with twelve straight victories. The Dutch great leads 10-2 in slam finals, including winning all nine meetings since the 2018 U.S. Open. The two played for the first time on grass two weeks ago, with de Groot winning 3 & 2.

Both will be going for a s/d sweep. Today, de Groot won her 27th straight doubles match as she and Aniek Voot defeated Griffioen/Ohtani in the semis, while Kamiji & Dana Mathewson upset #2 seeds KG Montjane & Lucy Shuker. Kamiji has won six of the last seven Wimbledon doubles titles, all with now retired Brit Jordanne Whiley. This will be Mathewson's second career slam final, but first since the 2017 U.S. Open (w/ Van Koot, a loss to Marjolein Buis & de Groot), and it comes shortly after she became engaged to boyfriend Dristin Hughes back in Orlando.

De Groot/Van Koot's loss in the '21 Wimbledon SF (to Montjane/Shuker) ultimately prevented de Groot from sweeping all eight major titles last year, something that has never been done in wheelchair slam history. In fact, that was the *last* time de Groot lost *any* match, as she's won all 72 s/d contests she played since then.

Meanwhile, men's WC #1 Shingo Kunieda has reached just his second career Wimbledon singles final. A victory in the final over Brit Alfie Hewett would provide the 38-year old Japanese veteran with the only major title to have so far eluded him, and would match de Groot's thus far unique mark of having won all eight slam crowns (as well as s/d at the Paralympics and Masters year-end event, as well). With his exceedingly long career (he became #1 in 2006), Kunieda is actually the all-time men's/women's WC slam title winner with 48 (27/21) crowns to Esther Vergeer's 42 (21/21).

Current world No.1 and three time Paralympic gold medalist @shingokunieda spoke ahead of his @Wimbledon campaign starting tomorrow.#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/M5YUhRqwpr

— Wimbledon Radio Channel (@WimbledonChnl) July 6, 2022

...the women's doubles final was set on Friday, as #2 Krejcikova/Siniakova will meet top-seeded Mertens/Zheng for the title.

Krejcikova and Siniakova win in dominant fashion. ?? They lock in their spot for the Ladies' Doubles Final! ??????????

?? Wimbledon | LIVE on Channel 9, 9Now and Stan Sport.#9WWOS #Tennis #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/OZXlgQUpq6

— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) July 8, 2022

Finals bound ??

Mertens and Zhang are into the ladies' doubles final after defeating Collins and Krawczyk 6-2, 3-6, 6-3#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/m1ttk93CtQ

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 8, 2022

Already the reigning '22 AO champs, and having won RG the last time they played it (2021), the Czechs will seek a fifth career slam crown that would tie them for fifth all-time in the Open era behind Navratilova/Shriver, G.Fernandez/Zvereva, Venus/Serena and Ruano Pascual/Suarez. The other five-win duos are (both half-retired) pairs of Errani/Vinci and Mattek-Sands/Safarova. Krejcikova/Siniakova are 4-1 in slam finals.

Zhang plays for a third leg of a Career Slam, having won the AO (2019) and US (2021) with Sam Stosur, while Mertens looks to defend the Wimbledon title she won with Hsieh Su-wei last year. Mertens/Zhang are a combined 5-0 (Mertens 3-0 and Zhang 2-0) in slam finals with other partners.

...after saving a MP (via replay) in the 3rd Round, #1-seeded girl Liv Hovde has now played her way into the junior final with her 6-4/6-3 win today over #5 Victoria Mboko. With an 11-0 record this grass season, a title from Hovde would make her the 14th U.S. girl to win junior Wimbledon (but just the second since 1993, w/ Claire Liu in '17), as well as the tenth (8th since 2010) to claim both the Roehampton and Wimbledon singles crowns in the same season.

“It feels great to be a Junior Grand Slam finalist" ??

Congratulations, Liv Hovde ??????#Wimbledon

— ITF (@ITFTennis) July 8, 2022

Hovde will face #7-seeded Hungarian Luca Udvardy, who defeated her second of back-to-back Czech Crushers in #16 Linda Klimovicova. Udvardy would be the fourth different Hungarian to win a junior girls slam, but the first at Wimbledon.

Top Seed ????Liv Hovde and ????Luca Udvardy, both 16 will meet in the girls singles final at #Wimbledon.

Congratulations ??

?? @Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/16fOTlmFTd

— Sasha (@Sasha_WTA) July 8, 2022

#4-seeded Canadians Kayla Cross & Mboko, both of whom lost in singles to Hovde, defeated #1 seeds Nikola Bartunkova/Celine Naef in the girls' doubles SF, and will face Rose Marie Nijkamp & Angella Okutoyi (NED/KEN), who knocked off #3 Lucijia Ciric Bagaric/Nikola Daubnerova. Okutoyi, of course, is already living out the dream of Ons Jabeur about players from the African continent finding success on the tennis court. She's the first Kenyan to get so far.

Angella Okutoyi and her partner Nijkamp Rose Marie have reached the Wimbledon junior doubles final.

The duo beat Lucija Ciric Bagaric and Nikola Daubnerova 2- 0 (6-3, 6-4).

A legend is born today,

We have a Kenyan in the WIMBLEDON FINAL.
Congratulations Angella.#OriginSport pic.twitter.com/pDE8DPzo1N

— Carol Radull (@CarolRadull) July 8, 2022

Angela Okutoyi On Fire:

Angela Okutoyi and her partner Rose Marie book a ticket to the finals in the Wimbledon Juniors Girls' Doubles.#NTVWeekendEdition @DannMwangi pic.twitter.com/8xIwn2tLAY

— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) July 8, 2022

...in the WTA 125 in Bastad, Spain's Rebeka Masarova and South Korean Jang Su-jeong reached the singles final.

Jang's appearance matches her 125 final in Honolulu in '17 (a loss to Zhang Shuai), and a win would far outdistance her biggest career title ($60K) to date; while it's the bigget final yet for former junior star Masarova ('16 RG girls champ over Anisimova, '17 AO finalist vs. Kostyuk). Jang made her slam MD debut at the AO this year as a qualifier, while less than two weeks ago Masarova made her Wimbledon MD debut.

👏 This year's first final ticket goes to Su Jeong Jang. The South Korean made a brilliant effort against Viktoriya Tomova and won in two straight sets.

We congratulate Jang to the place in the final and wish to thank Tomova for a impressive week in Båstad💙#nordeaopen #båstad pic.twitter.com/KlMuyGPeia

— Nordea Open (@NordeaOpen) July 8, 2022

?? Rebeka Masarova takes the final spot in tomorrow's final. The Spaniard defeated the hard-working Lauren Davis in two straight sets.

Congratulations to Rebeka and a special thank you to Lauren for a well-conducted tournament??#nordeaopen #båstad #tennis #wta pic.twitter.com/1KRea50pLi

— Nordea Open (@NordeaOpen) July 8, 2022

*LADIES' SINGLES FINAL*
#17 Elena Rybakina/KAZ vs. #3 Ons Jabeur/TUN

*LADIES' DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 Mertens/Sh.Zhang (BEL/CHN) vs. #2 Krejcikova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE)

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
#2 Krawczyk/N.Skupski (USA/GBR) def. Ebden/Stosur (AUS/AUS) 6-4/6-3

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S FINAL*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED) vs. Kamiji/Mathewson (JPN/USA)

*GIRLS' SINGLES FINAL*
#1 Liv Hovde/USA vs. #7 Luca Udvardy/HUN

*GIRLS' DOUBLES FINAL*
#4 Cross/Mboko (CAN/CAN) vs. Nijkamp/Okutoyi (NED/KEN)

...SO I GUESS WE KNOW WHO WON THE POPULARITY POLL... ON DAY 12:

Because calling Alcaraz the "Breakthrough Inspiration" winner over the other three surely doesn't have any basis in, you know, actual "breakthrough" nor "inspiration."

To this year's other nominees, congratulations on a memorable Championships#Wimbledon | @oppo pic.twitter.com/0CztMz1d29

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 8, 2022

...THE BLOWOUT BOWS TO ONS (no matter what happens tomorrow).. ON DAY 12:

????????, @Ons_Jabeur... ??

In January, we asked the #Wimbledon finalist for one prediction ?? pic.twitter.com/jFepRnno2Z

— wta (@WTA) July 8, 2022

...SO I GUESS GROUP D IS "THE GROUP OF DEATH" THEN?... ON DAY 12:

The Groups for the 2022 BJKCup Finals have arrived??!@BillieJeanKing see you in Glasgow ?????????????? November 8th!#BJKCup | #BJKCupFinals pic.twitter.com/4nToZPfV4y

— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) July 8, 2022

...THUMBS-UP TWEET OF THE DAY... ON DAY 12:

wish I could take a toilet plunger and violently suction all knowledge/awareness of anything ATP-related out my head and replace it with Ons Jabeur

— Hot Guillotine Summer (@glittersquirrel) July 8, 2022

This is one of those times when you wish they *would* schedule (ala the U.S. Open) the women's wheelchair singles final to be played at the same time as the men's championship match on Sunday.

And to finish up...



Remember, the original "The Producers" debuted only about 20 years after World War II. That'd be like doing a comedy/musical called "Springtime for Osama" today.

I’m thankful for the way I have improved since Roland-Garros.

Congrats to Elena Rybakina - you were too strong for me yesterday. Thanks to everyone for your support, and a big thank you to my amazing team ??

I know that I am on the right path. See you next year, @Wimbledon ?? pic.twitter.com/EIxgmx3sBA

— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) July 8, 2022

*USA - WIMBLEDON GIRLS' SINGLES CHAMPIONS*
1957 Miriam Arnold
1958 Sally Moore
1960 Karen Hantze
1964 Peaches Bartkowicz
1968 Kristy Pigeon
1970 Sharon Walsh
1973 Ann Kiyomura
1977 Lea Antonopolis
1978 Tracy Austin
1979 Mary-Lou Piatek
1981 Zina Garrison
1992 Chanda Rubin
2017 Claire Liu

*HUNGARY - GIRLS' SLAM SINGLES CHAMPIONS*
2000 Australian Open - Aniko Kapros
2004 Roland Garros - Sesil Karatantcheva
2015 U.S. Open - Dalma Galfi

*de Groot vs. Kamiji Slam Finals*
2017 US - #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. #2 Diede de Groot/NED
2018 AO - #2 Diede de Groot/NED def. #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2018 RG - #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. #2 Diede de Groot/NED
2018 US - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2019 AO - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2019 RG - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2019 US - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2020 US - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2021 AO - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2021 RG - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2021 US - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2022 RG - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
--
de Groot leads 10-2

*CAREER OVERALL SLAM TITLES - ACTIVE*
[singles/doubles/mixed]
39 - Serena Williams, USA (23-14-2)
23 - Venus Williams, USA (7-14-2)
9 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA (0-5-4)
9 - Kristina Mladenovic, FRA (0-6-3)
8 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (1-4-3)
8 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (1-4-3)
6 - Sania Mirza, IND (0-3-3)
6 - Katarina Srebotnik, SLO (0-1-5)
5 - Sara Errani, ITA (0-5-0)
5 - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (0-3-2)

*RECENT WD SLAM CHAMPIONS*
[2019]
AO: Samantha Stosur/Zhang Shuai (AUS/CHN)
RG: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
WI: Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova (TPE/CZE)
US: Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka (BEL/BLR)
[2020]
AO: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
US: Laura Siegemund/Vera Zvonareva (GER/RUS)
RG: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
[2021]
AO: Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka (BEL/BLR)
RG: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
WI: Hsieh Su-wei/Elise Mertens (TPE/BEL)
US: Samantha Stosur/Zhang Shuai (AUS/CHN)
[2022]
AO: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
RG: Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic (FRA/FRA)

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

*SLAM DOUBLES TITLES, DUOS - Open Era*
20 - Martina Navratilova & Pam Shriver
14 - Gigi Fernandez & Natasha Zvereva
14 - Serena Williams & Venus Williams
8 - Virginia Ruano Pascual & Paola Suarez
5 - Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci
5 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova

*CAREER WOMEN'S DOUBLES SLAM TITLES - active*
14...Serena Williams, USA
14...Venus Williams, USA
6...Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
5...Sara Errani, ITA
5...Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
4...Timea Babos, HUN
4...Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
4...Samantha Stosur, AUS
4...Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
4...Katerina Siniakova, CZE
3...Elise Mertens, BEL
3...Sania Mirza, IND
3...Vera Zvonareva, RUS

Opinion | Special delivery for Pat Cipollone #Jan6thHearings https://t.co/sw2sMUuQ4i pic.twitter.com/Llc1axI6hM

— Ann Telnaes (@AnnTelnaes) July 8, 2022

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK debuted on US television in 1987 and came with this great intro to the film from Darth Vader. pic.twitter.com/8V1hdd64cr

— All The Right Movies (@ATRightMovies) July 8, 2022

CARRIE FISHER's hilarious roast of George Lucas. pic.twitter.com/5sJ0KALHhX

— All The Right Movies (@ATRightMovies) July 8, 2022

TOP QUALIFIER: Maja Chwalinska/POL
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #16 Simona Halep/ROU
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #16 Simona Halep/ROU
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1 - Jaimee Fourlis/AUS def. Dea Herdzelas/BIH 5-7/7-6(4)/6-4 (trailed 7-5/5-3, saved 2 MP)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - Harmony Tan/FRA def. (WC) Serena Williams/USA 7-5/1-6/7-6(7) (Williams for match at 5-4 in 3rd, up 4-0 in TB; first match in a year for SW; Tan Wimb. debut
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF/WD-MX): MX Doubles 2nd Rd. - (WC) Olivia Barnett/Jonny O'Mara (GBR/GBR) def. (WC) Venus Williams/Jamie Murray (USA/GBR) 3-6/6-4/7-6(18-16) (34-point TB ends match, Brits win on 5th MP in TB after saving 5 MP in TB)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #28 Alison Riske/USA (def. Y.In-Albon/SUI)
FIRST SEED OUT: #31 Kaia Kanepi/EST (1st Rd.-Diane Parry/FRA)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Maja Chwalinska/POL, Elisabetta Cocciaretto/ITA, Dalma Galfi/HUN, Catherine Harrison/USA, Mai Hontama/JPN, Katarzyna Kawa/POL, Jule Niemeier/GER, Panna Udvardy/HUN
UPSET QUEENS: France
REVELATION LADIES: Poland
NATION OF POOR SOULS: AUS (1-5 1st; DC Barty retired in March)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Maja Chwalinska/POL, Catherine Harrison/USA, Mai Hontama/JPN, Katarzyna Kawa/POL, Yanina Wickmayer/BEL (all 2nd Rd.) (LL 2r: Kerkhove/NED)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Katie Boulter/GBR (3r)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: Elisabetta Cocciaretto/ITA, Kirsten Flipkens/BEL, Yanina Wickmayer/BEL(Q) (all to 2r)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Heather Watson (4r)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: Harmony Tan/FRA Additional Nominee: Kamiji
IT "Groundbreakers": Ons Jabeur/TUN (1st TUN slam F) and Elena Rybakina/KAZ (1st KAZ slam F)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Simona Halep/ROU
CRASH & BURN: #23 Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA (1st Rd./Juvan; had won 2 grass titles); #9 Garbine Muguruza/ESP (1st Rd./Minnen; love 2nd lost when back; worst three-slam stretch of career
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: #24 Elise Mertens/BEL (2nd Rd.: P.Udvardy 2 MP in 2nd set, Mertens wins set and play susp; takes 3rd set a day later)
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Krawczyk, Mertens/Zhang, Krejcikova/Siniakova, Okutoyi (jr.)
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Tatjana Maria/GER and Alize Cornet/FRA
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Nominees: Hovde, P.Udvardy
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREES: Marie Bouzkova/CZE (1st career slam QF)






All for Day 12. More tomorrow.