US.12- The Day Before the Day

We have a Top-5 matchup for the women's title! pic.twitter.com/l9iVzUOw8g

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022

=DAY 12 NOTES= ...a day after falling to Storm Sanders and her partner in the MX semis, Caty McNally got a second shot at the Aussie in a women's doubles semifinal today. Teaming with Taylor Townsend, the U.S. duo defeated #12-seeded Sanders & Caroline Dolehide to reach the final. It'll be McNally's second straight year in the WD final, after losing last year's championship match with Coco Gauff.

???? dream!@CatyMcNally & @TaylorTownsend are into the #USOpen women's doubles final. pic.twitter.com/xhxIhudkzP

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022

McNally/Townsend will face Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova, 20-2 together this year (25-2 back to last year's perfect run to the WTA Finals crown) and looking to complete a Career Doubles Slam and become the first women's duo to win all four majors, the WTAF and Olympic Gold.

...in the wheelchair semis, the top two seeds won to set up yet another slam final showdown.

#1 Diede de Groot (w/ her 64th consecutive win) defeated #3 Aniek Van Koot 6-3/6-1, while #2 Yui Kamiji took out Jiske Griffioen 6-1/6-3 to advance to the final. It'll be the 14th major final match-up between the two, with de Groot sporting an 11-2 record (winning 10 straight).

De Groot and Kamiji will also meet in the WC doubles final. De Groot & Van Koot defeated Manami Tanaka & Zhu Zhenzhen, ending Zhu's 20-match/8-title streak in doubles, in today's semis. Kamiji & KG Montjane got a walkover from Griffioen & Momoko Ohtani in the other semifinal.

...in junior play, #2 Lucie Havlickova advanced to her second '22 slam (she won RG) with a 4 & 4 win over #7 Diana Shnaider, giving her the chance to become the first girl to sweep the RG and U.S. junior crowns in a season since Magdalena Maleeva in 1990. It would also mean that three slam titles were taken in 2021-22 by the Crush of Czechs, along with Linda Noskova's win in Paris last year.

Havlickova will face Fiipino Alex Eala. The #10 seed defeated #9 Victoria Mboko, becoming the first girl from the Philippines to reach a junior slam singles final. Eala has won girls doubles titles at the Australian Open (2020) and Roland Garros (2021).

Growing before our very eyes. Dream tournament so far, and a major at that. She now faces the 2nd seeded Lucie Havlickova in the #USOpen Jr. Womens Finals. Amazing! Prayers up for Alex Eala. ?? pic.twitter.com/DOCryX6X51

— Noli Eala (@NoliEala) September 9, 2022

Top-seeded Havlickova & Shnaider teamed to reach the junior doubles final today, as well, and will face the all-German pair of Carolina Kuhl & Ella Seidel.

Shnaider will be seeking her third junior doubles slam win, having won the '21 Wimbledon (w/ Kristina Dmitruk) and '22 AO (w/ Clervie Ngounoue). Shnaider will soon play college tennis for North Carolina State.

...in this week's WTA 125 in Bari, Italy, the Italians are coming from everywhere to reach the semis.

While the top half of the draw features the sort of players one might expect in this type of event (during the second week of a major) in unseeded Julia Grabher (#120) and Reka-Luca Jani (#133), the bottom half has seen runs from home favorites Nuria Brancaccio (a 22-year old, #433-ranked qualifier) and #678-ranked wild card Matilde Paoletti, 19.

Brancaccio has posted upsets of Laura Pigossi and Tatjana Maria, while Paoletti has defeated Harmony Tan and Paula Ormaechea.




*WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
#1 Iga Swiatek/POL vs. #5 Ons Jabeur/TUN

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#3 Krejickova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE) vs. McNally/Townsend (USA/USA)

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
#4 Sanders/Peers (AUS/AUS) vs. (PR) Flipkens/Roger-Vasselin (BEL/FRA)

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

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED) vs. #2 Kamiji/Montjane (JPN/RSA)

*WHEELCHAIR JUNIOR SINGLES FINAL*
Jade Moreira Lanai/BRA vs. Yuma Takamuro/JPN

*WHEELCHAIR JUNIOR DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 Moreira Lanai/Phelps (BRA/USA) vs. #2 Bishop/Lautenschiager (GBR/USA)

*GIRLS SINGLES FINAL*
#10 Alex Eala/PHI vs. #2 Lucie Havlickova/CZE

*GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 Havlickova/Shnaider (CZE/RUS) vs. Kuhl/Seidel (GER/GER)

...COCO PROPS ON DAY 12:

The youngest player in 16 years to break into the singles Top 10 ??

Welcome to the club, @CocoGauff! pic.twitter.com/LFDXBiSz8d

— wta (@WTA) September 9, 2022

...TODAY'S WIMBLEDON TWITTER HEADER... ON DAY 12:

"End of the Road" (Boyz II Men, 1992)

We had a blast in NYC sharing the experience of enjoying @cincojotas, the best Jamón Ibérico in the world.@TasteofTennis pic.twitter.com/bXE7Ljnj3H

— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) September 9, 2022

????Keep believing. Keep fighting. Keep improving. What a night, What a feeling. See you in the @usopen final!

????Nie przestawaj wierzyc. Nie przestawaj walczyc. Nie przestawaj pracowac. Co za wieczór...Widzimy sie w finale US Open! pic.twitter.com/d9qWFVmWET

— Iga Swiatek (@iga_swiatek) September 9, 2022

*2022 - TOP 10 FINALS*
Sydney - #9 Badosa def. #4 Krejcikova
Saint Petersburg - #9 Kontaveit def. #7 Sakkari
Doha - #8 Swiatek def. #7 Kontaveit
Indian Wells - #4 Swiatek def. #6 Sakkari
Stuttgart - #1 Swiatek def. #4 Sabalenka
Rome - #1 Swiatek def. #7 Jabeur
US OPEN - #1 SWIATEK vs. #5 JABEUR

*RECENT U.S. OPEN TOP SEEDS*
2010 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (SF)
2011 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (SF)
2012 Victoria Azarenka, BLR (RU)
2013 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2014 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2015 Serena Williams, USA (SF)
2016 Serena Williams, USA (SF)
2017 Karolina Pliskova, CZE (QF)
2018 Simona Halep, ROU (1st)
2019 Naomi Osaka, JPN (4th)
2020 Karolina Pliskova, CZE (2nd)
2021 Ash Barty, AUS (3rd)
2022 Iga Swiatek, POL

*FIRST-TIME SLAM CHAMPS AT U.S. OPEN*
[Open Era]
1968 Virginia Wade, GBR
1979 Tracy Austin, USA
1990 Gabriela Sabatini, ARG
1998 Lindsay Davenport, USA
1999 Serena Williams, USA
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2005 Kim Clijsters, BEL
2011 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2017 Sloane Stephens, USA
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN
2019 Bianca Andreesu, CAN
2021 Emma Raducanu, GBR

*RECENT U.S. OPEN GIRLS FINALS*
2010 Daria Gavrilova/RUS d. Yulia Putintseva/RUS #
2011 Grace Min/USA d. Caroline Garcia/FRA
2012 Samantha Crawford/USA d. Anett Kontaveit/EST
2013 Ana Konjuh/CRO d. Tornado Black/USA
2014 Marie Bouzkova/CZE d. Anhelina Kalinina/UKR
2015 Dalma Galfi/HUN d. Sonya Kenin/USA
2016 Kayla Day/USA d. Viktoria Kuzmova/SVK
2017 Amanda Anisimova/USA d. Coco Gauff/USA
2018 Wang Xiyu/CHN d. Clara Burel/FRA
2019 Maria Camila Osorio Serrano/COL d. Alexandra Yepifanova/USA
2020 DNP
2021 Robin Montgomery/USA d. Kristina Dmitruk/BLR
2022 Lucie Havlickova/CZE vs. Alex Eala/PHI
--
#- (2010) players now represent AUS & KAZ

*GIRLS SLAM SINGLES - ASIAN FINALISTS*
1952 Wimbledon - Rita Davar, IND (RU)
1969 Roland Garros - Kazuko Sawamatsu, JPN (W)
1969 Wimbledon - Kazuko Sawamatsu, JPN (W)
1983 Wimbledon - Patricia Hy, HKG (RU)
1993 US Open - Yuka Yoshida, JPN (RU)
1994 Wimbledon - Jeon Mi-ra, KOR (RU)
1995 Wimbledon - Tamarine Tanasugarn, THA (RU)
1998 Australian Open - Wynne Prakusya, INA (RU)
1999 Wimbledon - Iroda Tulyagnova, UZB (W)
2002 Roland Garros - Angelique Widjaja, INA
2008 Wimbledon - Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, THA (RU)
2009 Wimbledon - Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, THA (W)
2010 Wimbledon - Sachie Ishizu, JPN (RU)
2018 Australian Open - Liang En-shuo, TPE (W)
2018 US Open - Wang Xiyu, CHN (W)
2022 US Open - Alex Eala, PHI

*GIRLS SLAM SINGLES - TCH/CZE WINNERS*
1948 Wimbledon: Olga Miskova
1972 Roland Garros: Renata Tomanova
1975 Roland Garros: Regina Marsikova
1978 Roland Garros: Hana Mandlikova
1985 Wimbledon: Andrea Holikova
1989 Wimbledon: Andrea Strnadova
1990 Wimbledon: Andrea Strnadova
1991 US Open: Karina Habsudova
2002 Australian: Barbora Strycova
2003 Australian: Barbora Strycova
2010 Australian: Karolina Pliskova
2010 Wimbledon: Kristyna Pliskova
2014 US Open: Marie Bouzkova
2021 Roland Garros: Linda Noskova
2022 Roland Garros: Lucie Havlickova

*RECENT U.S. OPEN "JUNIOR BREAKOUT" WINNERS*
2014 Marie Bouzkova, CZE
2015 Dalma Galfi, HUN
2016 Viktoria Kuzmova, SVK
2017 Maria Lourdes Carle, ARG & Emiliana Arango, COL
2018 Dasha Lopatetska, UKR
2019 Oksana Selekhmeteva, RUS
2020 [under 18] Katrina Scott, USA
2021 Robin Montgomery, USA
2022 Alex Eala, PHI
[2022]
AO: Angella Okutoyi/KEN and Meshkatolzahra Safi, IRA
RG: [Crush of Czechs] L.Havlickova, S.Bejlek, N.Bartunkova
WI: Liv Hovde, USA
US: Alex Eala, PHI

*U.S. OPEN WHEELCHAIR CHAMPIONS*
[singles]
2005 Esther Vergeer, NED
2006 Esther Vergeer, NED
2007 Esther Vergeer, NED
2008 --
2009 Esther Vergeer, NED
2010 Esther Vergeer, NED
2011 Esther Vergeer, NED
2012 --
2013 Aniek van Koot, NED
2014 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2015 Jordanne Whiley, GBR
2016 --
2017 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2018 Diede de Groot, NED
2019 Diede de Groot, NED
2020 Diede de Groot, NED
2021 Diede de Groot, NED
[doubles]
2005 Korie Homan & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2006 Jiske Griffioen & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2007 Jiske Griffioen & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2008 --
2009 Korie Homan & Esther Vergeer, NED/NED
2010 Esther Vergeer & Sharon Walraven, NED/NED
2011 Esther Vergeer & Sharon Walraven, NED/NED
2012 --
2013 Jiske Griffioen & Aniek van Koot, NED/NED
2014 Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
2015 Jiske Griffioen & Aniek van Koot, NED/NED
2016 --
2017 Marjolein Buis & Diede de Groot, NED/NED
2018 Diede de Groot & Yui Kamiji, NED/JPN
2019 Diede de Groot & Aniek van Koot, NED/NED
2020 Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
2021 Diede de Groot & Aniek van Koot, NED/NED
--
NOTE: event not held in 2008/12/16 (Paralympics)

What the photographer who took the Queen's last picture says about the 'unposed' moment

FULL STORY: https://t.co/lfUyXomtfr pic.twitter.com/M6eBJMGhdm

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) September 9, 2022

Cartoon from 1997#QueenElizabeth pic.twitter.com/f4LZbcA8oL

— Ann Telnaes (@AnnTelnaes) September 9, 2022

Happy birthday to #Redskins Super Bowl winning QB Joe Theismann #Commanders pic.twitter.com/3SZO1KaMED

— thom loverro (@thomloverro) September 9, 2022

I don’t want to even know how it got up there…just get it down! ???????? pic.twitter.com/bxMKjLEwkw

— Fred Schultz (@FredSchultz35) September 9, 2022

pic.twitter.com/tvRAJrKHd8

— Best Videos ???? (@30SECVlDEOS) September 9, 2022

TOP QUALIFIER: Sara Bejlek/CZE (16; youngest in MD)
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): Serena Williams/USA (PR/#413; def. #2 Kontaveit; into 3rd Rd. at age 40) and Liudmila Samsonova/RUS (off back-to-back titles; def. '21 RU Fernandez 2r; 12 con. wins/14 con. sets)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #17 Caroline Garcia/FRA
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3 - #28 Clara Burel/FRA def. #7 Misaki Doi/JPN 2-6/6-4/7-6(10) - Doi led 6-2/3-1, Burel up 4-2 in 3rd; Burel saves 4 MP at 5-6 down in 3rd (rain before MP #1) and 5th in TB before winning 12-10
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - (Q) Daria Snigur/UKR def. #7 Simona Halep/ROU 6-2/0-6/6-4 (#124-ranked qualifier gets upset in slam debut)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 3rd Rd. -#21 Petra Kvitova/CZE def. #9 Garbine Muguruza/ESP 5-7/6-3/7-6(10) (Mugu wins 1st from 4-2; Mugu up 5-2 in 3rd, and Kvitova saves 2 MP at 6-5, then won 12-10 MTB on own MP #4)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Anna Kalinskaya/RUS (def. Peterson/SWE)
FIRST SEED OUT: #7 Simona Halep/ROU (1st Rd./lost to qualifier Snigur/UKR in slam MD debut; 3rd 1r U.S. exit in last five app.)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Cristina Bucsa/ESP, Linda Fruhvirtova/CZE, Elli Mandlik/USA, Daria Snigur/UKR, Yuan Yue/CHN
PROTECTED RANKING MD WINS: Evgeniya Rodina/RUS (2r), Serena Williams/USA (3r)
UPSET QUEENS: China
REVELATION LADIES: Ukraine
NATION OF POOR SOULS: GER veterans (Maria/Petkovic/Siegemund 0-3, pregnant Kerber DNP; Petkovic to retire)
CRASH & BURN: #7 Simona Halep/ROU (1r- lost to #124-ranked qualifier Snigur/UKR in slam MD debut)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEW YORK: #6 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR (2nd Rd. - trailed Kanepi 6-2/5-1, Kanepi twice for match and 2 MP in 2nd set TB)
IT ("??"): Nominee: Havlickova, Jabeur
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Garcia, Jabeur, Kamiji (WC)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Clara Burel/FRA and Yuan Yue/CHN (both 3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Elli Mandlik/USA (2nd Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: Coco Gauff/USA and Jessie Pegula/USA (both QF)
COMEBACK: Nominees: Rodina, Garcia, Townsend, Marino
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Alize Cornet/FRA (63rd con. slam; def. DC Raducanu 1r)
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: McNally, Sanders, Krejickova/Siniakova, Flipkens
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Nominees: Mandlik, Townsend, McNally
BROADWAY-BOUND: "Danimal After Dark" (Danielle Collins/USA - all four matches in night session)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Serena Williams: The End
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Alex Eala/PHI







All for Day 12. More tomorrow.