Tuesday, September 06, 2022

US.8- Jessie Pegula Lives Here


Eight days into the season's final slam, the U.S. women's #1 continues to do her thing, without fanfare, a huge spotlight, or nearly as much credit as she deserves.

But why would the U.S. Open be any different for Jessie Pegula?



While her mother Kim's health scare has surely occupied her mind off the court this year, Pegula has gone about having quite the season in 2022. Even while she's yet to win a singles title, her phenomenal consistency has made *her* -- not AO finalist Danielle Collins, nor RG finalist Coco Gauff -- the top-ranked Bannerette.

Additionally, Pegula leads the tour with four doubles titles this season after having come into this year without having ever won any. While her sometimes-doubles partner (they've won two WD titles together in '22, and reached a slam final in Paris) Gauff is currently the #1 doubles player in the world, it's Pegula who is the only woman on tour ranked in the Top 10 in both singles *and* doubles (at least until Gauff joins her in literally a matter of days),

Not that most people probably realize it, or get told such facts often enough.

Part of that falls on Pegula herself, as she's been stuck for a while at one tour singles titles in her career (won in Washington three summers ago), and has reached just a single final (though an important one in Madrid this spring) since her pre-pandemic runner-up in Auckland in January '20 when she became the future answer to a trivia question as the last player to lose to Serena Williams in a singles final.

That said, Pegula has maintained an admirable big-event consistency for, really, the past *two-plus* seasons. She's reached at least the QF nine times in her last fifteen 1000-level events, dating back to the Cincinnati/NYC event held at Flushing Meadows in '20 (where she reached her first big QF on the same courts on which she's playing this week). In addition to her Madrid clay final this year, Pegula has reached 1000 level SF on hard courts in both Miami and Toronto, not to mention slam QF in Melbourne (her second straight there) and Paris.

Quite simply, Pegula is the tour's most reliable big stage player not named Iga.

But even with all that, Pegula has been searching for a while now for the big "get" to serve as the "signature moment" that gives tangible, irrefutable evidence of where the Buffalo native stands in the sport in 2022. At least in its "unofficial" eyes... you know, like when it comes to being scheduled to play in important time slots on the biggest stages in your home slam, in your home state.

Nine months into the season, and eight days into the year's final major, Pegula is still seeking the big *moment* that would scream out to anyone who'll listen that...


JESSIE PEGULA LIVES HERE


Bu maybe she's getting *closer.*

After starting off this U.S. Open playing on Grandstand, Pegula was elevated to Armstrong for the 2nd Round, then Ashe in the 3rd. She was back on Ashe today, but once again not picked to play under the lights, even with a beloved multi-slam winner as an opponent.

Some might say the gentle "progression of recognition" is nice, and that beggars shouldn't be choosers. One can't totally disagree... not yet, anyway.

One game into this Labor Day Monday's opening Round of 16 match, after #8 Pegula had broken the serve of #21 Petra Kvitova, the match was stopped due to rain. No matter that skies were threatening, weather radar was available and, you know, the stadium *has a retractable roof.* Not long afterward, another longer delay occured after the court was drenched because the roof still hadn't been closed.

It's tempting to say that The Powers That Be within the USTA had simply forgotten that a match was scheduled to be played on Ashe at that hour on a holiday Monday, since it would line up fairly well with how Pegula has been generally ignored over the past week. But, you know, they'd never do that to Petra, right? So I guess it was just a simple case of short-term incompetence. (Though I'm not sure that conclusion is any more reassuring.)

After having given the opening break lead back to the Czech in game 2, the two remained on serve through the first five games. Then Pegula promptly seized control of the 1st set, winning 6-3 by sweeping the final four games, dropping just four total points and twice breaking Kvitova at love.

A somewhat similar pattern took place in the 2nd set, as Kvitova opened with a break, then consolidated it with a follow-up hold... but then saw Pegula race through the final six games without a single one going to deuce, taking the 6-3/6-2 match in just 73 minutes. Pegula dropped just nine total points in the six-game run, including twice breaking Kvitova at 15.



The efficient (though "unspectacular," as she pulled it off with just 7 total winners on the day) dominance was clear on the stat sheet, as well. Pegula converted six of seven BP chances, winning 68% of her first serve points (vs. Kvitova's 47%).



Along with her consistent 1000-level results, Pegula can now add a *third* slam QF run this season, tied with world #1 Iga Swiatek for the most on tour. Half of the slams over the past two years have included a Pegula presence in the final eight. And now she'll get another chance to strive for that long-awaited signature moment that could come to finally give some clear definition to what has been Pegula's best season to date.

If the lingering question has been just *what* Pegula has to do to get noticed around here, well, one need look no further than the latest name next to hers in the women's draw to get something more than a small clue about the possible answer.

Her name starts with an "I" and ends with an "a," with a "g" in between.



Well, then let's go.




=DAY 8 NOTES=
...for a bit on Labor Day Monday, it looked as if #1 Iga Swiatek's comments a few weeks ago about not liking the tennis balls the women are forced to play with during the U.S. hard court swing might come back to provide a plot point in a mid-tournament upset.

But then Swiatek remembered that she's the world #1, and Jule Niemeier's day-long effort to get her serves inside the service box and avoid costly unforced errors came back to haunt her.

During her Wimbledon QF run, which included a win over world #2 Anett Kontaveit (well, a lesser version of her, but still), 23-year old Niemeier flashed a big game and on-court confidence that oozed "eventual slam champion" in just her second major MD appearance. In the first-third of her 4th Round match-up with Swiatek, very little had seemed to have changed as far as the world #108's career prospects go. After breaking Swiatek's serve to open the match, the German raced to a 5-2 lead. On her second SP, Niemeier fired a big forehand into the corner, and after Swiatek slid into the shot she netted a forehand that handed the set to her older (but more inexperienced) opponent.

Niemeier never faced a BP in the set, overcoming 4 DF and winning 60% of her *second* serves.



A Niemeier DF in game 2 of the 2nd gave Swiatek her first BP chance, but she wildly missed on a passing shot behind the German down the middle of the court that would have given her a 2-0 lead. Niemeier held with a forehand winner, then after Swiatek had led 30/15 a game later broke the visibly frustrated Pole to take a 2-1 lead. During the changeover, Swiatek draped a towel over her head, slapping her thigh in anger as she seemed to "privately" berate herself.

It didn't turn out to be a sign of any sort of Iga meltdown, though. Instead, it signaled her resurgence. She broke Niemeier in the next game. Even while still bedeviled by her serving issues, the German continued to hang onto the hope of finishing the match in straight sets. But, serving to stay in the set at 4-5, she fell behind 15/40 in game 10. Swiatek got the break to even the match.

Swiatek out-winnered Niemeier 12-10 in the set (she'd been out-hit 9-4 in the 1st), as the German added five more DF.

As has been the case so often in '22, Swiatek's confident roll carried over into the 3rd with such effectiveness that Niemerier couldn't keep up. After getting an early break, the Pole rolled to a 4-0 lead. Staving off three break points in the next game, Swiatek held to put down the German's final shot to get back in the set, then broke her to put up her 19th bagel set of the season, winning 2-6/6-4/6-0 to reach her first U.S. Open QF. She's the first Polish woman to get so far in the event in the Open era (Aga Radwanska was 0-5 in Round of 16 matches).



For the match, Niemeier had 45 UE, 13 of them coming via double-faults. The German is clearly still a *step* away from something big, but let's agree to reconvene at this time next year to see just how significantly she's closed the gap between her potential and her results. One has a sneaky suspicion that it'll be (at least) a neck-and-neck race.



Hee-hee... I like it.

...in a battle of veteran former U.S. Open finalists, #22 Karolina Pliskova outlasted #26 Victoria Azarenka, but only after (stop me if you've heard this before) the Belarusian squandered an opportunity that eventually came back to bite her in the end.

Azarenka broke Pliskova and served for the 1st set at 5-4, holding two SP before eventually DF'ing on a Pliskova BP to put the set back on serve. Serving down 5-6 to send the set to a TB, Azarenka dropped serve again as the Czech fired a forehand winner on her first SP chance to win 7-5. Azarenka smacked her racket on the court in anger.

In the 2nd, a 4-2 Azarenka lead turned into 4-4 as the set went to a TB. There, Azarenka served two up 6-3, only to lose *both* points. But on Pliskova's next service point, Azarenka's crosscourt winner finally claimed the set. She let out a relief-filled shout.

But not securing the 1st proved to be costly for Azarenka, as Pliskova took the break lead at 1-0 in the 3rd and never relinquished it, winning 7-5/6-7(5)/6-2 to reach her tenth career slam QF, with a full half of those coming at Flushing Meadows in the last seven years. Over that stretch, while the majority of her countrywoman have fallen short in the relatively "chaotic" atmosphere of NYC (as compared to the other three slam sites) Pliskova has gone a combined 26-6.

...in the night session, #6 Aryna Sabalenka faced off with #19 Danielle Collins on Ashe. For the record, when it comes to scheduled showcourt night session matches at this Open, the current standings show U.S. #1 Jessie Pegula with a "0" by her name, world #1 Iga Swiatek with a "1" and top (remaining, on the women's side) U.S. viewing draw Coco Gauff with a "0", as well. And U.S. women's #3 Collins with a "4." Huh?

Now, this isn't a *huge* complaint (well, at least not a vociferous one), since Collins' matches *have* been entertaining. But how has this been a fair or sensible pattern, or in any way made a lick of sense?

And this is coming after the slam season opened Down Under with the eventual champion playing six of seven rounds under the lights (w/ the one daytime match -- early on -- lasting all of 14 games) while everyone else was forced to try to make it through multiple rounds in the searing Melbourne heat. No one really complained at the time because, well, it was Ash Barty in Australia. But that was some of the most unfair scheduling at a major, well, ever.

But it made (some) sense. Collins being an every-other-day staple in primetime, while bigger names with larger followings had been almost shut out, does not. Maybe it's some sort of complicated Ash(e) thing? I don't know.

But as far as the actual match...

Collins seemed as if she was going to ride her nighttime showcase all the way into the QF, rallying from an early break down in both the 1st and 2nd sets as Sabalenka (as usual) fought her own serve as much as her opponent. Collins claimed the 1st at 6-3, and turned Sabalenka's 3-1 lead into 3-3 in the 2nd. But Sabalenka swept through the last three games in the set to tie the match, as Collins saw her W/UE ratios slip the rest of the way (after being 12/8 in the opener, they were 16/17 and 6/10 in the 2nd and 3rd). Collins got just 41% of her first serves in in the 2nd, and won just 26% on her second serve; in the 3rd, her first serve percentage was just 42% (w/ her winning 36%).

Sabalenka took a 4-1 lead in the 3rd. She blinked once, dropping serve to cut her double-break lead in half at 4-2, but Collins wasn't able to back up the break with a hold to put any pressure on Sabalenka to avoid a serving meltdown in the final moments. Sabalenka won 3-6/6-3/6-2 to reach her second straight U.S. Open QF, after playing into the semis a year ago.



Afterward, Sabalenka talked of how much she likes playing in New York, and her results show it. Tonight's win makes her 14-4 at Flushing Meadows in her career, by far her best numbers at any major.

While "Danimal After Dark" has been cancelled after four shows, a brand-new production starring Coco finally gets its first showcase under the lights tomorrow night. And, who knows, with the temptation of Collins gone, maybe Swiatek and Pegula will find their way there, as well, on Wednesday. Maybe.

...in today's junior action, Hordette Ekaterina Khayrutdinova upset #12 Sara Saito (JPN), who'd reached back-to-back J1 finals in College Park (W) and Repentigny (L) coming into the Open.

Elsewhere, Canada's Kayla Cross defeated Aussie Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (AO girls' SF), and Waffie Amelie Van Impe knocked off the U.S.'s Alexis Blokhina.

Into the early evening, a pair of crazy finishes saw Aussie #8 seed Taylah Preston and unseeded Bannerette Iva Jovic advance.

Preston led Angella Okutoyi 6-2/5-0, twice serving for the match in the 2nd set, holding a MP on her own serve at 5-3 and then two more in the following game on that of the Kenyan's. Okutoyi took a 6-5 lead, but was then broken by Preston to force a TB, which Okutoyi won 7-4 to force a 3rd set. Once there, Preston regrouped and won it 6-1.

Later, wild card Bannerette Iva Jovic, 14, upset #5 Solana Sierra -- a girls' semifinalist at last year's Open, RG junior finalist this year and a winner of back-to-back ITF titles in recent weeks -- ralling from 5-0 down in the 3rd, with the Argentine up 15/40 on Jovic's serve. After failing to convert the two MP, Sierra served at 5-1 and 5-3 but couldn't get the hold. The set went into a MTB, where Sierra led 9-8, but saw Jovic save a 3rd MP before Sierra DF'd on the U.S. girls' first MP, handing Jovic an 11-9 win.



...with the (larger-than-ever) wheelchair competition set to begin this week, the weekend saw #2 Yui Kamiji warm up for the effort to unseat four-time defending U.S. Open champ Diede de Groot by winning her second straight event. While the Dutch #1 has yet to play since winning her seventh straight slam singles crown at Wimbledon, Kamiji has gone 8-0.

Kamiji claimed the Series 3 event in Thailand with a 6-1/6-2 win in the final over Zhu Zhenzhen, the same Chinese player she defeated in the final a week earlier, but *again* fell to Zhu in the doubles final. Zhu picked up her 19th straight double victory, and eighth straight title (with a fifth different partner, including Kamiji herself in one event) alongside Guo Luoyao, defeating Kamiji & Park Ju-youn in straights.

This week, de Groot will attempt to win a second consecutive season Grand Slam in singles by sweeping all four major titles (last year, she also won Paralympic Gold).




*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#1 Iga Swiatek/POL vs. #8 Jessie Pegula/USA
#22 Karolina Pliskova/CZE vs. #6 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR
#12 Coco Gauff/USA vs. #17 Caroline Garcia/FRA
#5 Ons Jabeur/TUN vs. Ajla Tomljanovic/AUS

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
Flipkens/Sorribes Tormo (BEL/ESP) vs. #10 Melichar-Martinez/Perez (USA/AUS)
#3 Krejickova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE) vs. #5 Dabrowski/Olmos (CAN/MEX)
#12 Dolehide/Sanders (USA/AUS) vs. #14 Garcia/Mladenovic (FRA/FRA)
#6 Krawczyk/Schuurs (USA/NED) vs. McNally/Townsend (USA/USA)

*MIXED DOUBLES QF*
(WC) McNally/Blumberg (USA/USA) vs. Ostapenko/Vega Hernandez (LAT/ESP)
#4 Sanders/Peers (AUS/AUS) vs. Fernandez/Sock (CAN/USA)
(PR) Flipkens/Roger-Vasselin (BEL/FRA) def. Stosur/Ebden (AUS/AUS)
#2 Sh.Zhang/Pavic (CHN/CRO) def. (PR) Shibahara/Skugor (JPN/CRO)







...SERIOUSLY, LIKE, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?... ON DAY 8:



How embarrassing.

What's the point of having *two* courts with roofs -- and radar!, with threatening skies above! -- if you *still* can't see the rain coming in time to close the roof, drench the court and then have to go old-school with drying machines and kids dragging towels under their feet while the players (and everyone else) waits around (w/ an annoyed look) for more than half an hour? And there was even a long delay for the drying efforts to start... probably because no one thought TPTB would be stupid enough -- as I said, with a roof and radar! -- to allow this situation to occur. In *2022.*

ESPN needs to work a deal for the old Jimmy Connors coverage from 1991, which was always CBS' fallback presentation under such circumstances.


...DOG DAY AFTERNOON ON DAY 8:



Coco Andreescu, Tofu Saville and Balenciaga Ostapenko would like a word.


...REALLY... ON DAY 8:

If she'd just stepped on the bug a case could have been made that they should have just brought out the trophy and called the whole thing off.




Kidding. (Sorta.)











While 18-year old Coco Gauff is in the U.S. Open quarterfinals, she's hardly the first teenager to hit it big in the season's final slam. Hit songs from teens, especially during the late summer when the Open is traditionally held, are hardly uncommon occurrences, either.

Here are a sampling of a few from U.S. Open summers past, including "Ben" (1972, from a 14-year old Michael Jackson), "MMMbop" (1997, from the singing siblings of Hanson, aged 11-16), "Genie in a Bottle" (1999, an 18-year old Christina Aguilera), "Complicated" (2002, Avril Lavigne at 17) and "Party in the U.S.A." (2009, Miley Cyrus at 16)...


















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*2022 US FINAL 8*
[by career slam QF]
10 - Karolina Pliskova
5 - Iga Swiatek
4 - Ons Jabeur
4 - Jessie Pegula
3 - Coco Gauff
3 - Aryna Sabalenka
3 - Ajla Tomljanovic
2 - Caroline Garcia
[by career US QF]
5 - Karolina Pliskova
2 - Aryna Sabalenka
1 - Caroline Garcia
1 - Coco Gauff
1 - Ons Jabeur
1 - Jessie Pegula
1 - Iga Swiatek
1 - Ajla Tomljanovic
[w/ consecutive slam QF]
2 - Ons Jabeur (WI/US)
2 - Ajla Tomljanovic (WI/US)
[w/ consecutive US QF]
2 - Karolina Pliskova
2 - Aryna Sabalenka
[2022 slam QF - unseeded]
AO - Alize Cornet/FRA
AO - Kaia Kanepi/EST
AO - Madison Keys/USA
RG - Sloane Stephens/USA
RG - Martina Trevisan/ITA
WI - Marie Bouzkova/CZE
WI - Tatjana Maria/GER
WI - Julie Niemeier/GER
WI - Ajla Tomljanovic/AUS
US - Ajla Tomljanovic/AUS
[2022 1st-time GS QF]
AO - Alize Cornet/FRA
RG - Veronika Kudermetova/RUS
WI - Marie Bouzkova/CZE
WI - Tatjana Maria/GER
WI - Julie Niemeier/GER
US - none
[2022 multiple slam QF]
3 - Jessie Pegula (AO/RG/US)
3 - Iga Swiatek (AO/RG/US)
2 - Coco Gauff (RG/US)
2 - Ons Jabeur (WI/US)
2 - Ajla Tomljanovic (WI/US)
[2022 slam QF - by nation]
9...USA (3/3/1/2) - Gauff,Pegula
3...AUS (1/0/1/1) - Tomljanovic
3...CZE (1/0/1/1) - Ka.Pliskova
3...POL (1/1/0/1) - Swiatek
2...FRA (1/0/0/1) - Garcia
2...GER (0/0/2/0)
2...RUS (0/2/0/0)
2...TUN (0/0/1/1) - Jabeur
1...BLR (0/0/0/1) - Sabalenka
1...CAN (0/1/0/0)
1...EST (1/0/0/0)
1...ITA (0/1/0/0)
1...KAZ (0/0/1/0)
1...ROU (0/0/1/0)
[WTA career slam QF - active]
54...Serena Williams, USA (ret)
39...Venus Williams, USA
17...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
16...Simona Halep, ROU
16...Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
13...Petra Kvitova, CZE
11...Angelique Kerber, GER
10...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
5...Iga Swiatek, POL
[WTA slam QF & W/L in 2020's - 11 events]
5 - Swiatek (3-1) *
4 - Barty (3-1)
4 - Jabeur (1-2) *
4 - Pegula (0-3) *
3 - Gauff (1-1) *
3 - Halep (2-1)
3 - Krejcikova (1-2)
3 - Ka.Pliskova (1-1) *
3 - Sabalenka (2-0) *
3 - Tomljanovic (0-2) *
2 - Brady (2-0)
2 - Collins (1-1)
2 - Fernandez (1-1)
2 - Kenin (2-0)
2 - Kvitova (1-1)
2 - Muchova (1-1)
2 - Osaka (2-0)
2 - Pavlyuchenkova (1-1)
2 - Rybakina (1-1)
2 - Sakkari (2-0)
2 - Svitolina (0-2)
2 - Trevisan (1-1)
2 - S.Williams (2-0)
1 - Anisimova (0-1)
1 - Azarenka (1-0)
1 - Badosa (0-1)
1 - Bencic (0-1)
1 - Bouzkova (0-1)
1 - Cornet (0-1)
1 - Garcia (0-0) *
1 - Golubic (0-1)
1 - Hsieh (0-1)
1 - Kanepi (0-1)
1 - Kasatkina (1-0)
1 - Kerber (1-0)
1 - Keys (1-0)
1 - Kontaveit (0-1)
1 - V.Kudermetova (0-1)
1 - Maria (1-0)
1 - Mertens (0-1)
1 - Muguruza (1-0)
1 - Niemeier (0-1)
1 - Pironkova (0-1)
1 - Podoroska (1-0)
1 - Putintseva (0-1)
1 - Raducanu (1-0)
1 - Rogers (0-1)
1 - Siegemund (0-1)
1 - Stephens (0-1)
1 - Zidansek (1-0)
[WTA slam QF by nation in 2020's - 11 slams/88]
19 - USA (2)
11 - CZE (1)
7 - AUS (1)
5 - POL (1)
4 - BLR (1)
4 - GER
4 - RUS
4 - TUN (1)
3 - KAZ
3 - ROU
2 - CAN
2 - ESP
2 - EST
2 - FRA (1)
2 - GRE
2 - ITA
2 - JPN
2 - SUI
2 - UKR
1 - ARG,BEL,BUL,GBR,SLO,TPE




**RECENT U.S. OPEN "BROADWAY-BOUND" WINNERS**
2017 Sharapova vs. Halep ("Opening Night")
2018 Kaia Kanepi, EST
2019 "Call Me Coco" summer preview shows
2020 "Three Moms & the Quarterfinals" (Serena, Vika and Pironkova)
2021 "Oh Canada!" (Fernandez, Andreescu, Dabrowski... +Auger-Aliassime men's SF)
2022 "Danimal After Dark" (Danielle Collins)

**U.S. OPEN "KIMIKO CUP" VETERAN WINNERS**
2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER
2017 Venus Williams, USA
2018 Serena Williams, USA
2019 Serena Williams, USA
2020 Serena Williams, USA and Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2021 Samantha Stosur/Zhang Shuai, AUS/CHN
2022 Alize Cornet, FRA

**BACKSPIN 2022 DOWN-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN (pre-AO): Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
AO: Leylah Fernandez, CAN
FEB: Elena Rybakina, KAZ
MAR: Victoria Azarenka, BLR
1Q...SABALENKA, BLR
APR: Maria Sakkari, GRE
MAY: Sloane Stephens, USA
RG: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
2Q Clay Court...KREJCIKOVA, CZE
JUN: Garbine Muguruza, ESP
WI: Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA
2Q Grass Court...MUGURUZA, ESP
JUL: Iga Swiatek, POL
AUG (pre-U.S.): Jil Teichmann, SUI
U.S.: Simona Halep, ROU
[2022 Multiple Weekly DOWN Award Wins]
5 - Garbine Muguruza, ESP
4 - Anett Kontaveit, EST
3 - Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
3 - Sloane Stephens, USA
3 - Jil Teichmann, SUI
2 - Camila Giorgi, ITA
2 - Kaja Juvan, SLO
2 - Petra Kvitova, CZE
2 - Elise Mertens, BEL
2 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
2 - Maria Sakkari, GRE




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Yeah, never once in 16 years have I *ever* thought, "You know, I'd really like to see the Steve Irwin death video." I guess it's the same people who long to see the Diana car crash photos and Kobe Bryant helicopter wreckage.



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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): xx
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): xx
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: Nominees: Sabalenka (2r- trailed Kanepi 6-2/5-1, Kanepi twice for match and 2 MP in 2nd set TB); Ka.Pliskova (1r- trailed Linette 4-1 3rd; 7-2 MTB lead to 7-8 down, wins 10-8); Jovic (Jr 2r- down 0-5, 15/40 in 3rd vs. Sierra, saved 2 MP and 3rd in TB)
IT ("??"): x
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: x
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: in QF: Gauff, Pegula
COMEBACK: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Alize Cornet/FRA (63rd con. slam; def. DC Raducanu 1r)
DOUBLES STAR: x
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Nominees: Davis, Mandlik, McNally (WD/MX)
BROADWAY-BOUND: "Danimal After Dark" (Danielle Collins/USA - all four matches in night session)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Serena Williams: The End
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x







All for Day 8. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 2:38 AM 

2 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

Samsonova has good instincts, so not really worried about her loss. The knee must have been bothering her, as she rarely came to net after 4-2. The limping wasn't evident until 5-5.

What should change is her schedule. Ranked 60 when she won Washington, she has been high enough that she hasn't played qualifying all year, but had a 5 week break before she won Washington, then 2 more before winning Cleveland.

Next year she probably goes Montreal-Cinci-US Open.

Collins won 2 games after Sabalenka's MTO. Sabalenka has not retired from a match in her career.

Compared to both Raducanu and Fernandez last year, players seem to be struggling to bring their best in every match. Sabalenka, among others, made it over the finish line, even when it wasn't pretty.

Stat of the Day- 25- The number of slam QF this season.

With Swiatek, Pegula, Gauff, Jabeur and Tomljanovic doing so multiple times, it is one less than last year.

As usual, winners, finalists and SF listed, with most recent best result outside of slams.

Title Holders 2022:

Barty- Adelaide 1
Keys- Adelaide 2
Anisimova- Melbourne- 2
Fernandez- Monterrey
Stephens- Guadalajara
Maria- Bogota
Swiatek- Rome
Trevisan- Rabat
Jabeur- Berlin
Bouzkova- Prague
Halep- Toronto
Garcia- Cincinnati
Kasatkina- Granby

Finalists:

Rybakina- Adelaide
Krejcikova- Sydney
Kudermetova- Istanbul
Pegula- Madrid
Sabalenka- Rosmalen
Kanepi- Washington

Semifinalist:

Gauff- Berlin
Pliskova- Toronto
Cornet- Cleveland

That leaves 3.
Niemeier gets a pass as one ranked so low that she had to play qualifying in 7 of her first 8 events.
Collins is a repeat offender as in 2019, after her run to the AO SF, she only reached 1 QF all season.
Tomljanovic is also a repeat offender, as in 2021, her only QF of the season was at Wimbledon.

Swiatek/Pegula meeting for the second time this year in a slam QF.

And to close it out, the dubious honor of being a Top 10 player without a slam QF this year comes with a twist. Sakkari and Badosa join Kontaveit and Muguruza, who have both done this in back to back years.

So what is the twist? Those 4 comprised your YEC SF.


Tue Sep 06, 07:45:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

At least Gauff made the RG final and Rybakina won Wimbledon, and likely that's all anyone will remember (barring something better from Coco here) anyway.

Just look at Pliskova, a forgettable season has almost been "saved" by a single slam run. So interesting, by the way, that the Czech who gets dinged the most for not showing enough emotion is the one who thrives the most in the maelstrom of the Open. Maybe a player needs to be either always emotional, or largely reserved, to avoid the pitfalls of riding the emotional rollercoaster there, where everything could get supercharged? That would maybe explain Halep's wildly inconsistent Open results, since she's always susceptible to crazy in-match swings (Mugu, too).

Oh, and I saw a story where the Djokovic cultists are apparently mocking Nadal for losing. So, pretty typical behavior from that corner, I guess.

Tue Sep 06, 12:28:00 PM EDT  

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