Tuesday, December 13, 2022

2022 Season in Review: Matches of the Year, Pt.3


One final dip into the seasonal review waters...











1. Ostrava!!! Final - Barbora Krejcikova def. Iga Swiatek
...5-7/7-6(4)/6-3. Well, this was something, wasn't it? And, in this case, that was a very good thing.

Swiatek set such a high standard with her spring domimance that for months, whenever she didn't win with such swift decisiveness it was often seen as a sign of "weakness" (or at least proved that, yes, she is a mere mortal), giving others hope. But her U.S. Open run may have changed all that, allowing everyone to appreciate the Pole's willfull presence, confidence and know-how after nearly a year's worth of seasoning as the "hunted" as well as "hunter."

Now, when Swiatek displays such skill, and wins, her "evolution" is noteworthy. When she does so and yet *still* loses, it turns into something special. Thanks to Krejcikova, that's what the Ostrava!!! final became, as both their winner totals climbed over 40 in the 3:16, back-and-forth affair held in a Cup-like atmosphere with the Czech's home crowd sharing the arena with the world #1's border-hopping Polish imports.

After taking a 5-1 lead in the 1st, Swiatek failed to convert a SP at 5-2. Krejcikova's surge saw her knot the set and hold three BP in game 11. Swiatek saved all three and held, then broke the Czech to claim the 1st on her third SP.



Krejcikova was the one who jumped ahead in the 2nd. 2-0, and then 4-2. But the Pole rallied, taking a 5-4 lead and coming within two points of a straight sets win at 6-5, 30/30. Krejcikova forced the TB, and raced out to a 4-0 lead. Down 6-1, Swiatek saved three SP and threatened to overturn the breaker, but Krejcikova held on for the 7-4 win.



In the decider, Swiatek held at 2-3 from love/30, but Krejcikova's combination of defense and key passing shots saw her make the stronger final push. Up 5-3, 40/15, Krejcikova again had to hold the Pole off as Iga denied three MP and even reached BP. Finally, on her sixth MP, Krejcikova's ace ended things, simultaneously winning her ninth straight match and second consecutive title, while also also ending Swiatek's own 10-match run and ten-final string of victories dating back to her win in Paris two years ago.



A week after closing down Anett Kontaveit on indoor hard court in Estonia, Krejcikova notched her maiden #1 win against Iga in a "semi-home" court on the final stage on which she's been dominant -- she'd allowed an average of four games a match over eight finals before Ons Jabeur won eight alone in the U.S. Open championship final -- to produce her best solo moment since claiming the Roland Garros crown last year.
===============================================



2. U.S. Open 3rd Rd. - Petra Kvitova def. Garbine Muguruza
...5-7/6-3/7-6(10). On the middle Saturday of the U.S. Open, #9-seeded Muguruza and #21-seed Kvitova opened play in the first match on Armstrong of a Labor Day weekend in New York. It was an appropriately juicy match-up, with the two having combined to win four majors and reach seven slam finals in their careers. And the match didn't disappoint.

The Czech came into the day with a five match winning streak (including at the U.S. Open five years ago) against the Spaniard, whose only win over Kvitova came in 2015.

Early on, Muguruza looked fit to move forward in the tournament. After having won a 2nd set TB in both of her first two matches to avoid having to play three-setters, the Spaniard pulled back a 4-2 Kvitova edge in the 1st. After getting back on serve -- and then serving down 4-5, 15/30 -- Muguruza swatted a low swing volley into the sun that just caught the corner of the service box to prevent handing Kvitova a pair of SP. She got the hold, and a game later Kvitova's day-long service inconsistency saw back-to-back DF give Muguruza a 15/40 lead, then a third on BP #2 give her a break edge.

Serving at 6-5, Muguruza led 30/love. Kvitova got the game to 30-all, and saved a SP, but on Muguruza's second SP chance the Czech directed a backhand down the line and caught the highest part of the net. The ball bounced out and Muguruza took the 1st 7-5.

Kvitova led 4-2 again in the 2nd, and again Muguruza threatened to get the set back on serve, taking a love/30 lead on the Czech's serve before errors on back-to-back points (the second when she couldn't successfully return a less-than-challenging second serve) led to Kvitova getting the hold. She served out the 6-3 set two games later, setting up what turned out to be a wonderful 3rd in which both woman fought to within an inch of victory to stay alive.

Kvitova was "pojddddddding!" early on, but Muguruza climbed out of a love/30 hole to hold for 2-1. When Kvitova suddenly missed on four consecutive first serves, the Spaniard took a 15/40 lead and got the break for a 4-2 edge. Down love/30 again, Muguruza battled back to hold for 5-2. She served for the match at 5-3, getting to within two points of the win at 30/30 -- missing on a short forehand -- before dropping serve as Kvitova stayed alive.

Both took 40/love leads on serve in games 11 and 12. Muguruza got an easy hold, while Kvitova danced with potential defeat. A Muguruza deep deuce return of a Kvitova second serve produced an error that gave her a MP. The Czech saved it with an ace down the T, only to DF on the next point and give Muguruza another chance. She didn't convert it, either. A Kvitova DF on GP extended the game, but she got the hold to force a deciding match TB.

Muguruza was the first to assume a mini-break lead at 4-3, but gave it back a point leader. A forehand winner gave Kvitova an 8-5 lead, with the match on her racket as she served two. Muguruza took both to get the breaker back on sreve. Kvitova reached her first MP at 9-5, and on her second MP saw Muguruza fire back a big return of one the Czech's lefty serves, then follow up with a forehand winner to tie the score at 9-9. With both women (twice) a point away from MP in the closing momonts, Muguruza never saw a third MP. Meanwhile, Kvitova's ace gave *her* MP #3, but the two were soon tied again at 10-10. Kvitova's forehand winner gave her a fourth MP chance at 11-10, and it was the one to finally be converted as Muguruza's netted forehand halted a rally that ended with a victorious Kvitova.



The win gave the Czech her 22nd career slam Round of 16, but only her second at Flushing Meadows since her '17 QF run (w/ '15 her best result in the event). Overall, it's her first 4th Round at a slam since the pandemic fall Roland Garros in 2020.

And don't think she didn't appreciate it.


===============================================



3. Stuttgart SF - Iga Swiatek def. Liudmila Samsonova
...6-7(4)/6-4/7-5. A rare, full-match tug-of-war for Swiatek, who saw the Hordette seize upon squandered 1st set leads of 3-0 and 4-1 as Samsonova stole the stanza and ended Swiatek's 28-set winning streak, the longest on tour since Serena in 2012-13. The Russian had the Pole's back against the wall at 4-4 in the 2nd, only to see Iga call upon her inner champion's reserve and get the late break and serve out the set to send things to a 3rd.

There, Swiatek again took the early lead at 3-1, only to see Samsonova erase a pair of break advantages and play deep on serve into the final set, even leading 5-4 at one stage. But, again, Swiatek rose up and finished with a break-and-hold combo that put away the match for her 22nd straight win. She wouldn't be so challenged on clay again over her next thirteen matches, dropping just one more set through Roland Garros.



The 3:03 battle remains (so far) the longest match of Swiatek's pro career.
===============================================
4. Strasbourg Final - Angelique Kerber def. Kaja Juvan
...7-6(5)/6-7(0)/7-6(5). Kerber picks up career title #14, denying Juvan her first in her maiden WTA final. It took 3:16 and a series of comebacks and fantastic points to do it, though.



Juvan served for the 1st set at 5-3, but soon found herself having to break *Kerber* at 5-6 just to get into the TB. The Slovenian rallied from 4-1 down to get to 4-4. But with the score knotted at 5-5, Kerber swept the final two points to grab the set. Juvan dominated a 7-0 TB in the 2nd to force a 3rd set, where Kerber took an early break lead. Juvan got things back on serve on her first opportunity and led, on serve, at 3-2. Another TB would follow, with Kerber again pulling away in a tight one to get her first clay title since 2016.


===============================================



5. Wimbledon QF - Tatjana Maria def. Jule Niemeier
...4-6/6-2/7-5. The all-German QF face-off for a maiden slam SF berth, with players ranked within three spots of #100 (#97 Niemeier, #103 Maria), began with the question of whether Maria's tactic of using an array of defensive slices could thwart her younger countrywoman's power and produce the sort of error totals off her racket that it had while enabling Alona Ostapenko to give up her lead (and 2 MP) in the veteran's Round of 16 match two days earlier.

Things didn't quite go the same hold-on-for-your-very-life way as they had during Maria's Tilt-a-Penko experience a round earlier, but the end result was the same.



The opening set saw Niemeier control both the baseline with her power and the net with aggression. The 22-year old German jumped out to an early break lead in game #1 and never gave up her edge, calmly going about her business even while Maria tried to employ the slice-heavy tactics she had against Ostapenko. But while that gameplan occasionally worked for Maria in the 1st set, Niemeier's forward movement, good net play and tactically smart drop shots kept her out in front. Still, there were *signs* of what was to come, as Niemeier's back-to-back DF in game #8 foreshadowed a part of her game that would soon serve to open several doors for Maria over what remainded of the match. Niemeier managed to hold for 5-3 in that two-DF game, though, then served out a 6-4 set without having faced a BP.

Things didn't play out the same way in the 2nd, as Niemeier's increasing number of DF grooved a path for nearly every chance that Maria had (or nearly had) to get back into the match. Maria then used those opportunities to seize the advantage that the younger German had given up .

As Maria began hitting her forehand with more flatness than slice, Niemeier simultaneously began to press, pulling back on her power as ill-timed errors replaced the aggressive winners that had helped her edge ahead and stay out in front in the 1st. After finding herself in a losing battle in the opener, Maria now found her way into the net rather than be content to play defense the majority of the time, grabbing the 2nd set lead despite dropping serve in the opening game.

After taking a 1-0 lead, Niemeier's DF put her down love/30 moments later. She climbed back to 30-all, but Maria earned her first BP of the match via a drop shot. Niemeier saved it with a big serve, but another DF (already #8) gave Maria another BP, which she converted with a reflex volley while reaching behind her and falling to her knees. The ball's backspin took it out of reach of Niemeier and tied the score at 1-1. Two games later, another Niemeier DF put her BP down. Maria's deep shot produced an error and gave her a 3-1 lead. Serving to stay in the set in game #8, Niemeier led 40/15, but threw in yet another DF and soon found the game at deuce. Maria ultimately got the set-closing break to send things to the 3rd.

Through the first half of the final set, Niemeier seemed to have figured things out again. She was back to solidly hitting her shots rather than trying to be too fine (or sometimes matching a Maria slice with one of her own). She missed on a volley attempt at 40/15 in game #2, but fired off an ace to knot the score at 1-1 a point later. Niemeier took a break lead at 3-2, and held for a 4-2 edge.

Come game #8, Maria had reverted back to throwing multiple slices at Niemeier and was being rewarded with errors. Niemeier quickly fell behind love/40 and a gave back her break lead. In the moment, it felt like Niemeier's poor game had just irretrievably turned the match in Maria's favor. Right on cue, the veteran took a 40/love lead a game later and got the easy hold to lead 5-4. Niemeier didn't crumble, though. She missed an overhead in the second point of the following game, and then netted a smash attempt of a ball she allowed to bounce, but righted her path in time to get the hold, then waved around her arms (Alona-like, from the Latvian's match vs. Maria) to try to stir the crowd.

Niemeier was presented with a small window to assert herself and maybe *take* the match at 15/30 on Maria's serve in game #11, but she again wasn't aggressive enough to force the issue. Maria eventually reached GP, but it was saved by a Niemeier drop shot, and the younger German reached BP when she forcefully came in behind a deep shot, seemingly catching Maria's eye and producing an error off her racket. But Niemeier overhit a second serve return and the opportunity was lost. Maria reached GP again at the end of a wild point that included a Maria lob, scrambling Niemeier defense and then a point-closing dive, with Niemeier's racket flying, at the net that completed the veteran's hold of serve for a 6-5 lead.



Serving to stay in the match and force a TB, Niemeier netted an approach shot and fell behind 15/30, then sailed a backhand to give Maria her first MP. Niemeier's serve-and-volley rush attempt failed when she netted the second part of the equation, giving Maria the win that made her, at 34, the oldest first-time slam semifinalist in the Open era.

The countrywomen had a long embrace at the net at the conclusion of the point, as the likeable Maria seemed to dispense a bit of her "inner mom" (she has as many children -- 2 -- as slam MD in which Niemeier's name had appeared) to assure her younger foe that she had nothing to feel bad about. The good feelings extended into the immediate aftermath, as Niemeier patted Maria on the back and offered a wide smile as she passed her by in the changeover area after having retrieved her towel in the back of the court.



As women's tennis produced yet another story to remember in that of Maria's sudden and unforeseen success, it also may have simultaneously introduced the start of another with the impressive Wimbledon debut performance of Niemeier during the fortnight. She will be back, and likely even better.


===============================================
6. Australian Open 4th Rd. - Alize Cornet def. Simona Halep
...6-4/3-6/6-4. Seventeen years after Cornet made her AO debut in 2006 as a 15-year old wild card, the veteran Pastry sets a new end-of-the-futility standard by finally reaching her maiden slam QF after the longest wait in tour history (63rd major MD). She had to fight her way through Halep to do it, with both woman slowed (and the Romanian on occasion looking as if she might literally topple over) by the searing ("inhuman," per Cornet) Melbourne conditions.

Cornet beat Halep at her own game of long, physical rallies, but not before the former #1 rallied, reaching deep inside to retrieve some of her old magic to pull out of a 6-4/3-1 hole and force a 3rd set, winning sixteen straight points to take the 2nd.

The French woman took the lead in the decider with a late break, as her persistent defense kept multiple rallies alive until they were finally ended with Halep errors. The Romanian faced double MP at 5-3, but saved both. Cornet served out the win a game later, then dramatically (Alize couldn't have it any other way) fell to her knees in disbelief, the ultimate victor in a timeless battle of attrition.


===============================================



7. Berlin SF - Belinda Bencic def. Maria Sakkari
...6-7(6)/6-4/6-4. Bencic prevails in a tight, tough match in which there was often very little separating her and Sakkari, often with an odd bounce being the deciding factor.



Bencic held a SP at 6-5 in the opening set TB, only to see Sakkari ultimately end the 1:12 set with a net cord winner. Bencic rebounded in the 2nd, taking a final lead at 5-4 with a love hold with three winners and an ace. She then converted on her fifth BP of game #10 to knot the match. Neither player gave up a service break through the first nine games of the 3rd before Bencic got a match-ending break in game #10, converting on her third MP with a backhand and put-away winner, then falling to the ground in celebration at the foot of the net at the end of the 3:07 battle.


===============================================



8. U.S. Open 3rd Rd. - Ajla Tomljanovic def. Serena Williams
...7-5/6-7(4)/6-1. The End.



On Night 5 at Flushing Meadows, the curtain finally came down (well, probably) on perhaps the greatest career in tennis history.

From the start of the week, the thoughts about how long Williams' U.S. Open "farewell" would last were always a fluid, round-by-round thing. Danka Kovinic would have a shot vs. Williams in the 1st Round if Serena wasn't prepared. She was. Moving on. A 2nd Round match-up with #2 Anett Kontaveit always felt like it would tilt Serena's way, as the Estonian is generally (but not always) a slam disappointment, and that was *before* Covid and a step-back '22 season managed to tie a rope around Kontaveit's ankle well before being reflected in her actual singles ranking. Williams finally started to look like Williams against Kontaveit, winning in three sets as she picked up her 48th career victory over a Top 2 opponent.

29-year old Aussie Tomljanovic, though, presented a different measuring stick. While she's yet to win a tour title (0-4 in finals), she's played some of her best tennis in recent majors, including back-to-back Wimbledon QF runs, as well as a QF in Cincinnati this summer (with a win over #4 Paula Badosa) and a Top 5 victory at Roland Garros over (wouldn't you know it) Kontaveit.

Williams' form would be tested on this night and, while she once again proved her formidability even in something far less than her *top* form, she tired down the stretch of what turned out to be (at 3:05) her longest career U.S. Open match. One couldn't help but get the feeling that if she'd had a few more pre-Open tournaments under her belt that Williams would have continued on (for who knows how long) in the event. But she didn't, and she isn't, and probably (maybe) never will again. Of course, even Williams wouldn't be totally definitive about *that* in the aftermath (nor has she been since), even after a week-long public celebration and commemoration (if not memorialization) of her tennis career and cultural impact.

It didn't take long for the clues to be seen about how this match might be different from the previous two under the lights on Ashe. In the 1st set, Tomljanvoic rallied from 5-3 down to win 7-5. In the 2nd, Williams built up a 4-0 lead, but ended up needing the cushion to survive. Tomljanovic won 5 of 6 games and took the set to a TB. Williams won it 7-4, but expended enough energy to hamper her chances in the decider.

Tomljanovic got the early 3rd set lead and didn't stop pulling ahead. She soon led 5-1 and served for the match, and to end Williams' career. Serena didn't have any miracles left in her tennis bag, but she didn't go out without one last fight, saving five MP in an eight-deuce game in which she held three BP but could never cut the double-break lead in half. Finally, on Tomljanovic's sixth MP, Williams netted a forehand to end the 7-5/6-7(4)/6-1 contest, as well as her unmatched career. (Probably.)



"It's been a fun ride," Serena said during her on-court interview after the match, even if not quite being able to bring herself to utter a true "goodbye," thanking everyone for being there tonight and over the course of her part in The Greatest Tennis Story Ever Told, as well as tipping a proverbial (and "little sisterly") cap to the other side of that fabled sibling tale. "I wouldn't be Serena if there wasn't Venus," she stated, paying perhaps one final on-court homage to the player, friend, opponent, and big sister who put down the footsteps that she would soon follow (and eventually overtake).



If we truly never do see Serena on court, be it in singles or doubles, ever again there is one thing that we can probably be fairly sure of. We won't see her kind come this way again. Or at least, if anyone *ever* even comes close, we'll all be long gone before she gets here.


===============================================
9. Roland Garros 1st Rd. - Angelique Kerber def. Magdalena Frech
...2-6/6-3/7-5. Strasbourg champ Kerber arrived in Paris having just won her first clay title in six years, winning an epic three-setter in the final against Kaja Juvan. So, naturally, the German then proceeded to win another (even more?) epic three-setter in the 1st Round of Roland Garros, notching her first victory (and winning her first set, actually) in the event since her 2018 QF run. The German had exited RG in the 1st Round in five of the last six editions of the tournament, even being the First Seed Out in both 2019 and '21.

She very nearly lost in her opening match again, but instead took Frech on a gruelling ride that'll have 'em talking for years.



The #21-seeded Kerber found herself battling for her Paris life in the 3rd, but seemingly loving every minute of it, just like the delirious crowd that showed their love and respect for the three-time slam champion by chanting her name. Down 2-0, 4-2 and with Frech serving at 5-4, Kerber carved out double BP at 15/40 only to see the Pole win three straight points to reach MP. Kerber saved it, then another MP, getting the break on BP #3 to tie the score. Kerber, after facing her near certain demise (again) in this event, would ultimately sweep the final four games of the match, winning on her second MP, celebrating in ways that even her past exuberantly celebrating self rarely (if ever) has.


===============================================



10. Tokyo 2nd Rd. - Zhang Shuai def. Caroline Garcia
...4-6/7-6(5)/7-6(5). Zhang pulled off something of a Houdini act here, as Garcia fired 27 aces (besting Zheng Qinwen's tour best of 21 this season, and the most on tour since Kristyna Pliskova's 28 in '19, also in a loss), led 67-21 in winners (but *did* have 49 UE), 123-112 in total points, held a MP and dropped serve just *once* (w/ just 2 BP opportunities presented) in the 2:30 match.

Garcia had come back from 5-2 down in the 2nd to force a TB, but lost it as Zhang extended the match. In the 3rd, the Pastry had MP at 5-4, only to lose a two-deuce game as the Chinese veteran held, then went on to win another TB.

Of course, the biggest attention-getter from this one was Zhang's mid-match "sandwich" break...



I guess Shuai had Caro for "dessert," then?



Guadalajara 1000 2nd Rd. - Caroline Garcia def. Rebecca Marino
...6-7(2)/6-3/7-6(5). Marino's ace-fest left her with 24 on the day, second this season to only Garcia's own 27 in Tokyo, and with only Kristyna Pliskova, Sabine Lisicki and Garcia having ever having had more in a WTA match. But, just like Garcia in her own ace-laden match vs. Zhang Shuai the previous month, Marino lost.

In the 3rd, Garcia held a break lead at 4-3, only to DF on BP and give Marino her first break of the match. Down 15/40 a game later after her mid-rally challenge gambit on a Garcia baseline ball failed, Marino countered with consecutive aces and held for 5-4. In her next service game, a Marino ace was taken away via a Garcia challenge and she found herself BP down. She again responded with a (good) ace and held for 6-5.

Garcia's MTO for her shoulder preceded her own service game. Marino opened by mishitting a pair of returns, but Garcia's forehand errors put her down love/30. She got the hold with her 12th ace, forcing a TB. Garcia took a double mini-break lead at 4-1, but Marino rallied to go up 5-4. But the Pastry swept the final three points, with Garcia's 13th ace giving her a MP, and Marino's long forehand error ending her bid for her first career Top 10 win.


===============================================
11. Bad Homburg SF - Caroline Garcia def. Alize Cornet
...7-6(9)/3-6/7-5. Rather than LOL, it was more like WOW.

In a match that included just five breaks of serve in 33 games, neither Pastry faced a BP in the 1st, won by Garcia on her fourth SP after having saved two SP.



Cornet ran off five straight games to take the 2nd, then claimed four of five after falling behind 3-1 to her fellow Pastry in the 3rd. Up 5-4, Cornet held a MP, but Garcia saved it and then pulled off the break-and-hold combo to end the 2:45 battle.



For the match, Garcia fired 70 winners (39 UE) to Cornet's 59 (18 UE), while Cornet ultimately held a slim edge in total points (112-110).
===============================================
12. Sydney SF - Barbora Krejcikova def. Anett Kontaveit
...0-6/6-4/7-6(12). Krejickova saves seven MP in the 2:30 affair, preventing Kontaveit from her fourth straight tour final appearance dating back to her brilliant '21 season finish.

Kontaveit saved three BP in game #1 in the 1st, then went on to take the set at love. The Estonian had her first three MP at 6-5 in the 3rd before the Czech forced the TB. In the breaker, Krejicikova had her first two MP at 6-4 only to see Kontaveit extend the match. Finally, on the overall 12th MP of the match, Krejickova (on her fifth) secured the victory.


===============================================
13. Monterrey Final - Leylah Fernandez def. Camila Osorio
...6-7(5)/6-4/7-6(3). In the second-youngest final match-up of the decade (behind last year's U.S. Open final between Fernandez and Emma Raducanu) 20-year Osorio battled back from 4-1 down in the 1st, but then saw 19-year Fernandez do the same against her in the 3rd. Fighting to keep her title defense dreams alive, on serve, Fernandez saved five MP down the stretch, two while serving down 5-4 and three more down 6-5.

The fifth MP came following a nearly 20-minute delay after a mid-point (at deuce) malfunction of the stadium lights that Fernandez immediately appealed to the chair umpire about. Naturally, some will try to charge "gameswomanship!" at Fernandez's action but, in truth, down MP and serving, the pressure was more on Fernandez than Osorio, who'd already had four MP chances. Of note, Fernandez never sat down during the break (Osorio did), and made a point to remain calm, sometimes simply by holding her racket flat and staring at the strings as she rolled a ball around the edges of the frame.

At it was, the Colombian missed on her first return and Fernandez won a third straight point out of the delay to force a deciding TB. She took an early mini-break lead in the breaker that she never relinquished, putting away her first MP when Osorio's crosscourt forehand sailed wide.

The result ended Osorio's streak of 16 straight 3rd set victories in tour-level Q/MD matches, and sees Fernandez become the first teenager to successfully defend a singles title since Elina Svitolina in Baku in 2014.


===============================================



14. Australian Open 3rd Rd. - Paula Badosa def. Marta Kostyuk
...6-2/5-7/6-4. For a set and a half, Badosa was nearly flawless. She led 6-2/4-2 before her good friend Kostyuk's impressive fortitude started to pay off as the Ukrainian teen stormed back to force a 3rd set.

Again, Badosa jumped out to the early lead at 2-0 in the decider. But (also again) Kostyuk didn't blink. Both players flashed their athleticism as they traded off momentum in the middle of the 3rd. Kostyuk's big stage "moment" may have been there for the taking as the physical nature of the battle began to take its toll on both players. But it was then that the teenager played quite possibly her worst game of the match, a four-point stretch filled with loose errors (a netted short ball, a backhand error) on points that had actually shown promise. She sent a backhand long at love/40 to hand Badosa back her break lead at 4-3.

Badosa's edge in experience proved to be key down the stretch. Up 30/love, she fired an ace, then after Kostyuk had closed to 40/30, won a 17-shot rally to hold for 5-3. Saving two MP on her serve, Kostyuk held for 5-4, forcing Badosa to serve things out. The Spaniard reached her first AO 4th Round, but couldn't bring the same level of effort in her second straight match in the Aussie heat vs. Madison Keys.


===============================================
15. Roland Garros 1st Rd. - Emma Raducanu def. Linda Noskova
...6-7(4)/7-5/6-1. In an all-teenager match-up that pitted #12-seeded, 19-year old U.S. Open champ Raducanu with a 17-year old, the youngest qualifier in Paris in 13 years, trying to be a bigger hitting version of the Emma (who was also a qualifier) from the summer '21 in New York, Czech Linda Noskova -- the '21 RG girls' champ -- very nearly added her name to the list of players who shocked a big star in their slam MD debut.

Noskova, the first of the new Crush of Czechs to enter the slam fray (she was the youngest Czech to play a slam MD match since 2006), claimed the 1st set TB from the Brit in what was also the RG MD debut of Raducanu.



Noskova, with the match seemingly on her racket, pushed Raducanu's back against the wall in the 2nd, breaking to lead 4-3 and causing everyone to start scrambling to look up who might have defeated a player ranked any higher than Raducanu's standing of #12 in their tour-level debut. But Raducanu's oft-overlooked fight (and big stage experience, something she *does* have even though she's played so little thus far at tour-level) helped to drag her back into the battle. The Brit got the break back, and soon Noskova was serving down 6-5 to stay in the set. The Czech saved three Raducanu SP and held a GP to force a TB, but Raducanu did just enough to eke out the break to get into a 3rd set.

Once there, the errors from Noskova started to become more prevalent, while Raducanu remained firm. The Brit got the early break in the set, saved a BP (barely, as Noskova just missed on a tough -- perhaps too risky -- down the line forehand attempt at a clean winner from a difficult angle) and took a commanding 4-1 lead. Raducanu pulled away from there.


===============================================
16. Roland Garros 3rd Rd. - Jil Teichmann def. Victoria Azarenka
...4-6/7-5/7-6(5). In her first career slam 3rd Round match, #23 Teichmann's RG epitaph seemed ready to be written. As #15 Azarenka edged closer to victory (and then when she did again), the receipts were being collected on the 24-year old Swiss' successful clay court season and how the confidence and momentum she'd gained during thhis year's spring swing on the tour schedule might finally propel her toward a more consistent run in the sort of events in which she's often flashed but maybe couldn't sustain elite-level heroics in the weeks that followed. It was an encouraging reality, but she was going to have to learn from her not-quite-good enough efforts of this day. But Teichmann wasn't ready to go just yet.



Teichmann grabbed the lead early in the match against the Belarusian veteran, assuming an early break advantage and leading 3-0. Serving up 3-1 and 40/15, the Swiss held four GP (she DF'd on one) before Azarenka got the break on her first BP opportunity in the game. With things getting late in the set, Azarenka broke for 5-4 and then held to take the 1st.

Azarenka seemed set to pull away in the 2nd set, going up 3-1 and holding her lead at 4-3, within reach of the match finish line. She held a pair of GP in game #8 to get within a single game of her second straight 4th Round in Paris, one year after reaching her first second week at RG since 2013. But Teichmann's break on her third BP chance turned the tide of the entire production. Azarenka had barely escaped the 1st Round after losing multiple leads in a match, and now two rounds later the scenario was threatening to breathe life into her opponent's chances once again. On serve late in the set, Teichmann opened game #11 with a DF but held for 6-5. With Azarenka needing to hold to force a potentially match-ending TB, she donated four UE in the game and the Swiss took the set 7-5.

After saving two BP in the opening game of the 3rd, Teichmann broke Azarenka for a 2-0 lead. Azarenka immediately broke back, and eventually another late break of serve gave the Belarusian the chance to serve out the match at 5-4. But this time she couldn't hold Teichmann back. The Swiss broke her at 15 to stay alive, then held at love. Down 5-6, Azarenka got the hold of serve she needed to survive, helped along by a missed overhead by Teichmann at 15/30 that might have set her up with double MP.

With the match coming down to a 10-point TB, Azarenka's framed reflex block at the baseline suddenly became a line-touching lob winner that prevented Teichmann from taking an early mini-break lead. The Swiss got that edge a point later, then extended it to 4-1, a big enough cushion to allow her to never relinquish her grip on the breaker. Another win of an Azarenka serve pushed Teichmann's lead to a commanding 8-3, and she then rode her increasing wave of momentum to a 10-5 TB win that rewarded her with her maiden appearance in the second week of a major.


===============================================
17. WTAF RR - Caroline Garcia def. Dasha Kasatkina
...4-6/6-1/7-6(5). In a battle for the final semifinal berth, Garcia drops the 1st after leading 4-2, but battles back in the closing stanza.

The pair traded breaks in the 3rd, with the Pastry going up 1-0 and 3-2 only to see the Hordette immediately put things back on serve. Garcia saved a BP to hold for 4-4, then Kasatkina saved six to take a 5-4 lead. In the deciding TB, Kasatkina held an early mini-break edge at 2-1, but back-to-back errors put her 3-2 down. She never reclaimed the momentum. Garcia took a 5-3 lead, reached double-MP at 6-4, and finally put away the win on her second try to win 7-5.


===============================================
18. Toronto 1st Rd. - Sloane Stephens def. Sofia Kenin
...6-2/6-7(5)/7-5. Even in defeat, in a three-hour contest with multiple rain delays, a good sign for the comeback-minded Kenin, who rallied from 6-2/5-1 down, saving four MP (2 at 5-1, 2 at 5-2) to win five straight games and win the TB to send things to a 3rd. Stephens led there 3-0, and 5-2, holding another MP at 5-4, before Kenin knotted the score at 5-all. Finally, Stephens, broken three times when serving for the match, broke Kenin's serve to get the win, completing the victory on her sixth MP.


===============================================



19. Rome SF - Ons Jabeur def. Dasha Kasatkina
...6-4/1-6/7-5. Jabeur led 4-2 in the 3rd, but Kasatkina surged back and found herself serving at 5-4 and holding a MP. Jabeur saved it with a down the line winner, then broke for 5-5 with what has become her signature...



Two games later, Jabeur ended the match with a drop shot...



...naturally.


===============================================
20. Charleston Final - Belinda Bencic def. Ons Jabeur
...6-1/5-7/6-4. After two years either without an event (2020) or without fans (2021), Charleston's 50th anniversary event brought the tournament back with a vengeance, complete with a new court (named for Althea Gibson), a collection of returning former champions and Bencic winning her first pro title on clay in a back-and-forth three-set final (doubling as a master class in brilliant drop shots, dramatic winners, and a well-placed tweener for a touch of flair) against the shotmaking Tunisian.



Bencic dominated on serve in the 1st set, not facing a BP. As the two conducted an I-can-top-that shot-making competition, Jabeur closed out the set with a hold-and-break to level the match. In the 3rd, Bencic's broke for 4-3 and held MP on Jabeur's serve a game later. The Tunisian extended the match, but the Swiss put it away with a solid hold.
===============================================



21. WTAF Final - Caroline Garcia def. Aryna Sabalenka
...7-6(4)/6-4. A "WTA 2.0" sort of final.

After neither player lost serve, or even faced a BP, in the opening set, Garcia erased a 2-0 TB deficit with a six-point streak. Sabalenka pulled within 6-4, but a DF on SP #3 finally handed the set to the Pastry.

The one and only BP in the match came in the opening game of the 2nd, and Garcia converted it to take the quick lead, then rode out her advantage en route to her biggest title, completing her June-to-November rise from #79 to #4.


===============================================
22. Cleveland 1st Rd. - Sara Sorribes Tormo def. Camila Osorio
...7-6(5)/4-6/6-3. The neverending match (aka Sorribes Tormo's longest match of the week) lasted 3:54, the longest on tour in '22 and the seventh-longest in MD women's tour play in the Open era. Naturally, the Spaniard is on that list twice.


===============================================



23. WTAF SF - Aryna Sabalenka def. Iga Swiatek
...6-2/3-6/6-1. Appropriately, Sabalenka brought her big game to Texas, outdueling Swiatek in three sets to reach her biggest career final, picking up her third career #1 win.

Not only is Sabalenka the first player to notch multiple #1 wins (w/ her defeat of Ash Barty in Madrid last year) in the 2020s, her Fort Worth run saw her become the first to defeat the world #1 and #2 in an event since 2018 (Bertens/Cincinnati) *and* become just the fourth *ever* to defeat the #1 (Iga), #2 (Jabeur) and #3 (Pegula) in one tournament. The last occurrance came in 2008, and Aryna joins a short list that includes only players named Steffi, Serena and Venus.



Unfortunately for Sabalenka, she turned out to be the only player to defeat the top three and *not* win the tournament's title, and just the third (of 37) -- after Monica Seles and Mary Pierce -- to defeat #1 and #2 in an event and not ultimately lift the trophy, as well.

Meanwhile, Iga's amazing season ended with a loss, but only after losing the fewest games (13) while going 3-0 in RR play since Justine Henin dropped just 11 in 2007. She put up her 22nd bagel set this season in her match against Coco Gauff, and finishes the year 15-2 vs. Top 10 competition.
===============================================



24. Wimbledon 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)
...42-year old (and still fierce) Venus Williams' late entry into the Wimbledon MX field arguably produced more drama than Serena's return-to-SW19 singles stint. The journey only lasted two matches, but was extremely memorable and came to an end in one of the matches of the tournament against the all-Brit duo of Barnett & O'Mara.

Williams/Murray led the match by a set and 4-2, 30/15, but the Brits rallied and forced a deciding 10-point TB. It turned out to be a brilliant 34-point affair which saw Williams/Murray hold five MP before the Brits won on their own fifth MP, taking the breaker at 18-16.


===============================================
25. Roland Garros 3rd Rd. - Leylah Fernandez def. Belinda Bencic
...7-5/3-6/7-5. After Fernandez had taken a 3-0 lead in the opening set, Bencic rallied and served for the 1st at 5-4, leading 40/15. But, in a move with more than a few shades of her hard-nosed and exhilarating Flushing Meadows performances, Fernandez got the break, held and then broke the Swiss yet again to snatch the set from her clutches.

Bencic won the 2nd, and led 2-0 in the 3rd, with triple GP for more, only to see Fernandez sweep the final five points (one via a Bencic DF on her final GP) and get the set back on serve. Fernandez saved a BP in both the fourth and sixth games of the set, then followed up by racing to a love/40 lead on Bencic's serve, breaking for a 4-3 edge with a Bencic DF providing the final point. After opening another game with a 40/love lead and holding for 5-3, Fernandez served for the match at 5-4, only to see her 30/15 edge dissolve and Bencic get the set back on serve.

But the Swiss momentum didn't last long. The Canadian got the break back a game later, then authored a love hold to close out the win en route to the QF.


===============================================
26. BJK Cup Finals rr Match #1 - Jil Teichmann/SUI def. Elisabetta Cocciaretto/ITA
...6-3/4-6/7-6(5). In probably the most blatantly dramatic singles match of Switzerland's BJK title-winning week, Teichmann rallies from 5-2 down in the 3rd, with Cocciaretto holding a MP and serving for the win. The Swiss battled back, but failed to serve out the win at 6-5, only to win the deciding TB to end the 3:07 affair.

The two were even at 123-123 in points, with the Italian holding a 30-22 winners edge, while putting up 52 UE to Teichmann's 44 in the freewheeling contest.


===============================================
27. Wimbledon 1st Rd. - Coco Gauff def. Gabriela Ruse
...2-6/6-3/7-5. It's been three years since Gauff made her Wimbledon debut at age 15, defeating Venus Williams en route to a Round of 16 result. This year, at 18, she arrived as the #11 seed, just off an appearance in her first slam singles final at Roland Garros, and was one of the pre-tournament favorites. But when Ruse showed up on the other side of the net in the opening round, Gauff barely escaped Day 2 with her Wimbledon life intact.

The Romanian, while still winless in three MD appearances at SW19, has surely made her mark there in recent years. Ruse qualified in both 2018 and '19, pushed Aga Radwanska in a dramatic three-setter in her tournament debut four years ago, and here showed amazing obstinance in continually pushing back Gauff challenges until she blinked (once) and the floodgates opened and overwhelmed her in the closing minutes of the match.



Gauff was a bit "off" from the start, and often tentative. Ruse took the 1st set, but Gauff forced a 3rd and led by an early break. Ruse got the set back on serve, and led 4-3. At 4-4, Gauff continually threatened to get the break that would give her a chance to serve for the match. But Ruse saved five BP from 15/40 down in game #9, then five more from 15/40 again in game #11. At that point, Ruse had saved 20 of 23 BP in the match and 10 of 11 in the 3rd set alone. Finally, on BP #6 of the 5-5 game, Ruse double-faulted.

The spell was broken, and it was over quickly from there. Gauff held at love to close out the win, but would see her own Wimbledon end two rounds later at the hands of Amanda Anisimova


===============================================
28. Dubai QF - Alona Ostapenko def. Petra Kvitova
...5-7/7-5/7-6(9). Ostapenko, who trailed 7-5/5-3, rallies and (eventually) wins a tour singles title for the first time in her career after having staved off a MP.


===============================================



29. Indian Wells SF - Iga Swiatek def. Simona Halep
...7-6(6)/6-4. For Simona, it was one of those nights (i.e. when your opponent is in such supreme form that you must not squander *any* opportunity you're given if you want to have a chance... and even if you don't you're not *assured* of winning). Thing is, Halep *did* have a few key chances, but saw them taken away by Swiatek.

Halep played a near brilliant 1st set against the sparkling Pole, coming back from 4-2 down to put herself in position to hold double-SP in the TB up 6-4. But when she failed to convert either point -- swiping the court with her racket in frustration -- the Romanian likely had a sinking sense about her fate. When Swiatek swatted a forehand return winner off a Halep second serve to take the TB at 8-6 and grab the match lead, suddenly Halep had to essentially win *three* sets to down the Pole.

Playing with a sore thigh that required a MTO early in the set, Halep put up a valiant effort, taking a 4-2 lead before once again Swiatek came back with at her with everything she had and closed down the former I.W. champ, sweeping the final four games and serving out the win to both remarkably (and not surprisingly, as in often the case with this near Invincable Iga) win in *two* to reach her first tour final on North American soil.


===============================================
30. Saint Petersburg Final - Anett Kontaveit def. Maria Sakkari
...5-7/7-6(4)/7-5. Ultimately, in a match of swinging momentum, the "winning way" that Kontaveit picked up through the last third of the '21 season (a run which included a win over the Greek in the Ostrava!!! final) pushed her over the finish ahead of Sakkari, who is still finding her way when it comes to "finishing" some of the great runs she starts.

Sakkari rallied from 5-2 down in the 1st, seizing upon Kontaveit's string of errors and poor serving stretch to win seven straight games. Then it was Kontaveit's turn, as she staged a comeback from an early break deficit at 2-0 in the 2nd to finally take a 4-3 on-serve lead and win a 7-4 TB to force a 3rd set. There, again, Sakkari grabbed the early lead, charging ahead 3-0. She led 5-2 and served for the title at 5-3, only to see the last shift in momentum go Kontaveit's way. The Estonian swept the final five games to get the win, extending her indoor streak to 20 matches.


===============================================



kosova-font



=TENNIS GODS-101=

San Jose 1st Rd. - Dasha Kasatkina def. Elena Rybakina
...1-6/6-2/6-0. In dueling "first match since..." appearances, Kasatkina (in her first tournament since officially coming out) gradually took control vs. the Wimbledon champ (in her first outing since SW19, where Kasatkina has been prevented from playing because she's Russian) and then dominated the 3rd set, losing just seven points (4 in the last four games).



San Jose QF - Veronika Kudermetova def. Ons Jabeur
...7-6(5)/6-2. Along with Kasatkina's 1st Round win over Rybakina, Kudermetova's victory over Jabeur means that Russians -- banned from Wimbledon -- defeated *both* Wimbledon women's singles finalists in their first post-AELTC events.

The Tennis Gods remain undefeated.


=WHAT'S THE BUZZ?=




Guadalajara 1st Rd. - Petra Kvitova def. Bernarda Pera
...6-3/7-5. Kvitova follows up her win in Ostrava!!! over Pera with another in Guadalajara, but that wasn't the story of this match.




=SUCKING IT UP=

Indian Wells 2nd Rd. - Veronika Kudermetova def. Naomi Osaka
...6-0/6-4. Kudermetova, who in light of the war in Ukraine likely wondered how she'd be received by the crowd in her first match in Indian Wells (even without her nation's flag next to her name), was on Osaka from the start in an impressive performance, though (naturally) the post-match story quickly became about Osaka turning a few unkind words ("Naomi you suck!") from *one* spectator in the stands *one game into the match* (after which, it should be noted, the crowd made a point to support her) into yet another opportunity to turn the spotlight on the only thing that matters -- her own continuing (and often self-sustaining) drama.




=TAKING A DEEP BREATH?=

Two weeks later, Osaka seemed to have done some soul-searching, and *maybe* emerged the better for it.

Miami Final - Iga Swiatek def. Naomi Osaka
...6-4/6-0. In just their second meeting, and first since Toronto in '19, Osaka tried to put a dent in Swiatek's brilliant recent run with the same serve that had guided her to her best result in over a year.

After saving two BP and firing four aces in the first game of the match, holding in a seven-deuce sequence, Osaka's efforts to carve into Swiatek's own service game never really worked. For a while, she tried to intimidate the Pole by standing some seven feet inside the baseline to return second serves, only to see Swiatek manage to serve around the obstacle and never allow Osaka to pounce (ala Serena, say) with huge groundstrokes that immediately gave her the edge in rallies (or outright won points w/o having to even engage in any back-and-forth). Once she gave up on that tactic, Osaka never really came up with anything else.

Osaka saved four of five BP in the 1st, but Swiatek's backhand crosscourt winner managed to convert one, giving her a 3-2 lead. It was enough, as she never gave it up. She took the set 6-4 without facing a BP, and then saw Osaka's game ebb once the 2nd began. Osaka ultimately won just eight points in the set, losing it at love as Swiatek claimed the match -- and a "Sunshine Double" -- without the pressure of having to stave off a single BP on the afternoon.

Women's tennis has been conspicuously short of *real* rivalries in recent years, largely because of the inability of top players to consistently reach the latter stages of majors, where such head-to-head histories truly develop their personality. *Maybe* this could eventually be an interesting one, with the required stylistic and emotional differences that make for good drama. Swiatek has surely shown the ability to consistently hold up her end of the deal. Now it's up to Osaka to do the same (at the hard court majors, at the very least).

If she can, and the worst notions of some fans (both those against *and* for Osaka) can be kept at bay, the tour could only prosper greatly from it.



As it turned out, Osaka played just nine matches in the final eight months of the season, winning just three (two via retirement, and one of those after just one game played).


=THE BEST MATCH THAT WASN'T=

Roland Garros 3rd Rd. - Amanda Anisimova def. Karolina Muchova
...6-7(7)/6-2/3-0 ret. What could have been.

A fine opening set, layered with back-and-forth swings of excellence, ensued between the two women in their 3rd Round encounter in Paris. Muchova and Anisimova exchanged breaks mid-set, then the Bannerette saved a BP to hold for 5-4. Anisimova held a SP on the Czech's serve a game later (she missed on a backhand return). After a battle of chip shots at the net, a Muchova lob gave her a BP chance in game #11. As Anisimova waited for the cheering crowd to calm, the chair umpire needlessly issued a time violation warning just seconds before the start of an important point. Anisimova managed to avoid distraction and get into the rally that would soon come, but then saw a forehand fly to give Muchova the break and a 6-5 lead.

Anisimova saved a SP on Muchova's serve, then broke her on her second BP to force a TB. Anisimova played a great breaker... until she didn't. The 2019 RG semifinalist led 5-1, but then narrowly missed on a pair of shots near the line, then DF'd to put the TB back on serve at 5-4. A long Anisimova return knotted the score, and was followed by a Muchova down the line forehand to give the Czech a SP at 6-5. Moments later, Anisimova held a SP at 7-6, only to miss a shot at the net when she didn't let the ball bounce and then shot a drive volley forehand long. On Muchova's third SP, Anisimova's missed drop shot gave the Czech a 9-7 win.



A great match seemed possible, but it wasn't meant to be.

Between sets, Muchova had her left thigh (groin) wrapped, then struggled with the tightness of the bandages and dropped serve to open the 2nd set. Anisimova held for 2-0, and Muchova tore off much of the covering tape on her thigh. Anisimova gave back the break with a sloppy game (3 UE + 1 DF). But soon after Muchova caught her foot on the terre battue and rolled her ankle in game #5, falling to the clay. After an MTO, she quickly dropped serve. The Czech managed a BP a game later (Anisimova got the hold), but it was clear that Muchova's movement was hindered and that she was going to have to make a decision soon about her fate in the match. Anisimova took the set 6-2.



Severely limited, Muchova dropped serve to open the 3rd. Wiping away tears in her next service game, she was broken again and it was clear that her RG was over. She retired three games into the set, once again seeing her path blocked by something other than an opponent who couldn't be beaten.




=HOME OF THE NEVERENDING TIE-BREAK=

BJK Cup Qualifying Match #1 - Alison Riske/USA def. Dayana Yastremska/UKR
...7-6(16)/7-5. Riske's win, her first for Team USA in five years, included a 34-point 1st set TB that was the second-longest ever in Cup play, behind only a 2004 doubles match involving India (w/ Sania Mirza) and Uzbekistan.




=THE DAY OF DAYS=

In probably the craziest day of any single tie during this April's BJK Cup week, Brazil and Argentina -- Americas I Pool A members who'd both ultimately win PP ties to advance to the Playoff Round in November -- engaged in a fascinating three-match tussle that lasted 8:16, included four tie-breaks and a deciding doubles contest that, naturally, went the distance, as well.

BJK Cup Zone Play Match #1 - Solana Sierra/ARG def. Laura Pigossi/BRA 7-6(1)/4-6/7-6(14)
...in a *huge* win for the 2021 U.S. Open and Eddie Herr semifinalist (and eventual RG girls runner-up), Sierra battled Pigossi for 3:05, saving five MP in a 30-point 3rd set TB.



BJK Cup Zone Play Match #2 - Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA def. Maria Carle/ARG 6-7(10)/6-3/7-6(5)
...no to be outdone by the 17-year old Sierra, Haddad leveled the tie at 1-1 with a 3:13 win over Carle, rallying from a set down to win a 7-5 3rd set TB to push the tie to the deciding doubles.

BJK Cup Zone Play Match #3 [dd] - Carolina Alves/Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) def. Jazmin Ortenzi/Julia Riera (ARG) 6-3/3-6/6-1
...this one lasted just 1:58, but pushed Haddad Maia's day's work to over five hours (in back-to-back matches!). Thankfully, Haddad Maia was given the day off on the final day of rr play, then returned on Saturday to provide the clinching PP point vs. Chile.




=ALIZE'S MAJOR RUN=

U.S. Open 1st Rd. - Alize Cornet def. Emma Raducanu
...6-3/6-3. Alize is life. Still, and forever. Especially in the 2022 majors.



Throughout her career, Alize Cornet has hit all the notes.

Highs. Lows. Good. Bad. Great decisions, as well as questionable ones. Needless, and sometimes messy, drama. Required and hard-won maturity. Sometimes too much emotion, but often just the right amount of passion. And, through practice (as well and trial and error), some glory thrown in to make it all worthwhile.

Night 2 at the U.S. Open was another case of the 32-year old French woman stepping onto the big stage and shining brighter than ever on it. Seven months after reaching her first slam QF in Melbourne (her 63-major wait was the longest ever), and two months after knocking off world #1 Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon to end the Pole's 37-match win streak, Cornet played in a 1st Round match at a 63rd consecutive major, an all-time women's tennis record.



Cornet's opponent under the lights on Armstrong was the #11-seeded Emma Raducanu, the 19-year old defending champ who thrilled the crowds (and stunned the sport) last year by becoming the first qualifier to ever win a major singles title. As she often does under such circumstances, with such a big moment at hand Cornet put on a command performance filled with drop shots and applause-worthy winners, first ending Raducanu's 20-set winning streak in the event, then erasing her perfect 10-0 match record in it, too.

Once again, Raducanu was hampered by blisters on her fingers that required medical treatment during the match. Cornet was the dominant figure throughout, but it was *still* Cornet so a little drama -- though on a far smaller scale than used to be the case with her years ago -- had to be inserted for a *little* flavor. With weather becoming an issue in the New York City area in the evening, the roof was closed early in the 2nd set. When Cornet was serving. Having broken Raducanu in the opening game, Cornet was seemingly distracted by the roof's movement. She dropped serve and whacked a ball in frustration which seemed to possibly hit a ball kid in the middle of the court. Nothing was done about it, though, either because the umpire didn't see it or because the ball kid was running across in front of the net when Cornet hit the ball toward it.

Cornet's 1-0 lead soon turned into a 3-1 Raducanu edge. But the Pastry quickly turned things back around, winning eight consecutive points (and 12 of 13) as she rallied to break for a 4-3 lead. Two games later another break ended the match, giving Cornet seven straight wins over Top 20 players in majors (the streak ended vs. Danielle Collins in the 3rd Rd.).





==BACKSPIN "MATCH OF THE YEAR" HONOREES==
2005 AO SF: Serena Williams d. Maria Sharapova
2006 AO SF: Justine Henin-H. d. Maria Sharapova
2007 L.A. SF: Ana Ivanovic d. Jelena Jankovic
2008 US F: Serena Williams d. Venus Williams
2009 WI SF: Serena Williams d. Elena Dementieva
2010 BRIS F: Kim Clijsters d. Justine Henin
2011 AO 4r: Francesca Schiavone d. Svetlana Kuznetsova
2012 MIA 4r: Victoria Azarenka d. Dominika Cibulkova
2013 CIN F: Victoria Azarenka d. Serena Williams
2014 IW QF: Aga Radwanska d. Jelena Jankovic
2015 RG 2r: Francesca Schiavone d. Svetlana Kuznetsova
2016 WI 4r: Dominika Cibulkova d. Aga Radwanska
2017 MAD 2r: Genie Bouchard d. Maria Sharapova
2018 AO SF: Simona Halep d. Angelique Kerber
2019 IW F: Bianca Andreescu d. Angelique Kerber
2020 RG 1r: Clara Tauson d. Jennifer Brady
2021 RG 2r: Barbora Krejcikova d. Maria Sakkari
2022 OST!!! F: Barbora Krejcikova d. Iga Swiatek












posted by Todd.Spiker @ 6:11 PM 

11 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

Hmmm, Match of the Year from a 500? I'll allow it. Fun fact:Clijsters/Henin Brisbane final was a 250.

Since I am that guy, 17 events did not have a match referenced in the last 3 posts. In season order- Melbourne 1, Melbourne 2, Adelaide 2, Istanbul, Madrid, Morocco, Rosmalen, Birmingham, Lausanne, Budapest, Palermo, Prague, Granby, Portoroz, Seoul, Parma, Tallinn, Monastir, Cluj-Napoca.

With the aptly named Czech Crush, along with a number of other youngsters just waiting to break out, it is likely that a couple of those matches will happen at 250 level in the upcoming year.

Wed Dec 14, 10:54:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Since the US Open:

2017 Buzarnescu 29-6(3)
2022 Parks 18-6(2)

Week 2 has some interesting things. Hobart's #1 seed- Bouzkova #24, would be in Q in Adelaide 2. Also, since that is the week of AO Q, the thing that sticks out is we don't have anybody that lucks out. What do I mean? Every year, we have somebody ranked below 220(AO cutoff) that makes Q for one of these events because 105-220 are playing AO Q. As of now, the only players in Hobart or Adelaide 2 ranked below 100 in MD or Q are ones using SR.

Stat of the Week- 3- Slam appearances for Phyllis Hunter.

With Storm Sanders becoming Storm Hunter, let's hunt for the most successful Hunter.

It is probably Phyllis, who played mainly between 1941-46. Known as the only woman from South Dakota to play a slam, she is both a member of the South Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame and the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.

Listed as having won 52 matches, though records from that time are incomplete, she is known for her losses, having lost to the names of the time like Mary Arnold, Dorothy Knode, Shirley Fry, Louise Brough, Patricia Canning Todd, Pauline Betz and Margaret Osborne Dupont, the latter two at the US Open.

The other notable thing is that she was able to play college tennis before Title IX, playing for Sacramento Junior College, then Cal for legendary coach Tom Stow.

Quiz Time!

Who is the highest ranked Hunter in singles in the computer era?

A.Karen Hunter
B.Carol Hunter
C.Storm Hunter
D.Susan Hunter

Interlude- Some guy selling pizza.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyr1MBh5M8Q

Answer!

(D)Susan was local girl makes good. Completely wrong as the Ireland native only played one event, ITF Dublin in 1989, so she doesn't have a ranking or a victory.

(B)Carol may have been the most accomplished. The under 16 Orange Bowl winner in both 64 and 65, she worked her way up to the tour in 1967, making her US Open debut in 1968.

She lost, the last of her 9 consecutive losses that ended her career.

She is wrong because her success came in squash on the builder's side, to the point that she is a member of the US Squash Hall of Fame.

(A)Karen is wrong, though she has a singles rank of 332. Mainly an ITF player between 1986-90, the Brit's claim to fame is qualifying for Wimbledon in 1988 after receiving QWC.

(C)Storm is correct, with a career high singles rank of 119. Like Carol and Karen, Storm has also lost all of her MD slam matches, going 0-6. With 9 losses in Q, getting MDWC might make her the second Hunter to ever win a slam match.

Mon Dec 19, 10:00:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Mini Blowout!

Posted a week early, as next week's post will be United Cup related.

This year's numbers are stranger than fiction. As usual, first post will spotlight those outside the Top 20, the second will have the good and bad of those inside it.

Winners vs Top 20:

Hacksaws- Most wins outside Top 20:

9-Krejcikova
9-Anisimova
8-Martic
5-Barty
5-Bouzkova
4-Begu

Normally this list has up and comers, but Barty and Krejcikova are former slam winners. It does mean that Anisimova and Bouzkova are ready to make the next step.

Whipping Posts-Most Losses:

13-Zhang
11-Rybakina
9 -Fernandez
8 -Stephens
7 -Anisimova
6 -Trevisan

Trevisan's numbers say one year wonder. Zhang did not want to go back to China, so she overplayed with a whopping 33 tournaments.

Chum- Zero wins or low percentage:

0-6 Trevisan
0-2 Fruhvirtova
0-2 Blinkova
1-8 Mertens
2-8 Stephens
4-13 Zhang

For Fruhvirtova and Blinkova, this is good because it was a step up in class. For the rest, especially Mertens in singles, 2023 may be worse.


Mon Dec 19, 10:20:00 AM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Winners vs the Top 20:

22-6 Swiatek
18-14 Sakkari
17-9 Jabeur
14-6 Halep
12-7 Kontaveit
12-9 Badosa
12-11 Kudermetova
12-19 Gauff
11-10 Garcia
11-14 Pegula
10-10 Keys
10-13 Sabalenka
9-9 Haddad Maia
9-10 Alexandrova
9-12 Bencic
8-9 Ostapenko
8-10 Kvitova
8-15 Kasatkina
7-3 Collins
6-6 Samsonova

I need to apologize to Sakkari and Gauff, strength of schedule was stronger than most. The fact that Swiatek only had 22 of these wins leads to some strange stats.

Swiatek- Regression expected, because how can you project someone to win 8 titles? 4 titles would be good. Clay numbers surprisingly only 6th best in this model.
Sakkari- With 15 HC wins, second only to Swiatek, projects as a title winner.
Jabeur- Roland Garros winner? Best numbers on clay, best on grass, 2nd worst on hard(Alexandrova).
Halep- If she comes back by Wimbledon, projects well there. All surface player not at a career crossroads.
Kontaveit- As usual, clay numbers drag down projections. Still seems to be Top 20 title winner.
Badosa- Closed 2-8, but still projects well. Better on hard than clay.
Kudermetova- Should win title even with ranking drop. Had 4 wins by WO, and another 4 by RET.
Gauff- Only teen on list reached QF in 7 of last 10 events. Should get some schedule luck and win title.
Garcia- One of only 2 Top 20 players to play Q in 2022(Haddad Maia), her numbers project best on hard. 10-20 realistic ranking.
Pegula- Ranking shade toward hard, but hard to be as consistent as she was. Slight ranking drop.
Keys- Always projects as US heavy, so any success overseas means a good year.
Sabalenka- 3 of her 5 wins on hard in this model came at WTAF. Her red flag for 2022 was not her double faults, but the fact that she played 28 3 set matches. Way too many. Will probably make up any points she drops at Wimbledon(I think).
Haddad Maia- Already 26, it is hard to project her higher. However, if she can avoid a Czech in her first event, as her last 3 losses(Krejcikova, Muchova, Siniakova) were to them, she could have a nice start to the season.
Alexandrova- Top 10? Had a sneaky good season with the 3rd best clay numbers. All surface player projects really well.
Bencic- Had a career year even without reaching a slam QF. I won't say slam winner, but she projects as 1000 winner.
Ostapenko- Numbers don't really project dominance, so another title and random runs are expected.
Kvitova- Holding it up for the over 30 set with Halep inactive, should still hover between 15-25. Clay is what is holding her back, as she went 1-4 in 2022.
Kasatkina- Biggest regression in this group? Only person on this list other than Swiatek(10-0) not to blow the layups. Kasatkina went 8-0 vs sub 100 players. Also is one of the few title winners not to play any when they won a title-Granby. Also tied with Jabeur with 2nd lowest wins on hard.
Collins- Numbers are impressive. Can she stay on court to post them? Between AO and USO, Collins played 13 matches, 1 on grass. Having a normal clay and grass season makes her Top 10 again.
Samsonova- Light numbers project well for her growth. To explain: She has 0 Top 20 wins in this model with Fernandez falling out. She did have real Top 20 wins vs Sabalenka, Raducanu and Pliskova, none of whom won a title. So she can beat struggling players ranked highly. Now the next step is to beat in form players. Top 10 is doable this year if she picks up clay performance.

Mon Dec 19, 11:57:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

You know, with the weird scheduling of posts I sort of *forgot* I had three posts at the start of last week (it was supposed to be all in one, but there were too many embeds and it wasn't working right, so I had to do three. :/


Ha! Congrats on doing that work to check off every tournament on the schedule. I've never thought of doing that, but I *do* admit to wondering just how many events were actually covered/left out. Hopefully some of the match-less events were mentioned in the Performance lists.

(In something of a reverse of that, I was all right leaving Kerber's title run off the Perf. list since I knew she'd be on a Match list.)

And after this weekend, Kalinina ended with SF/W results (and it was nice to see Tauson back in a final, though it *was* on indoor hardcourt, so not shocking).

Oh, my. I hadn't even seen the Storm Hunter news. What a *great* name (bonus: I won't accidentally type "Summer Sanders" anymore -- which I did *again* during BJK, but caught it before I posted.)

YouTube: 800 free toppings?

Quiz: thought it might be Storm. ;)

Zhang didn't go back to to China... but I thought it was odd to see Cornet in that 125 last week.

I had to think that Garcia's W/L stat was pretty bad back in the spring. Checked: she started 0-3 (then promptly won 6 straight vs. Top 20).

Mon Dec 19, 05:25:00 PM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!

AO doubles list is out. 2 teams from last year's finals have split, so Hunter/Mertens and Kudermetova/Samsonova are on tap as well as Danilina/Mirza and Haddad Maia/Zhang. Stosur/Tomljanovic are alternates, but WC is expected.

With United Cup starting on Thursday/Wed US, there are 11 women in the event that can either hold onto or move into an AO seed. With 12 teams playing on opening day, most of those 11 will already know what their status is before Adelaide 1 and Auckland start.

Adelaide has 17 players in flux, while Auckland only has 3. The only players that had a mathematical chance to play into a seed in Week 1 and skip all 3 events? Injured Saville, Sorribes Tormo, Kalinskaya, and in a move that shocks nobody, Osaka.

With Halep accounted for, last 4 seeds are Zheng, Kanepi, Tomljanovic, Teichmann. Last 4 out- Cornet, Begu, Stephens, Sasnovich.

Stat of the Week- 27- Australian Open singles appearances for Nell Hopman.

You thought I would do something Cup related because of United Cup.

Wrong!

Due to Nell's contributions, you would think that Hopman Cup would be a tribute to her. That technically is false, as Harry Hopman's widow, Lucy Pope Hopman, also the niece of Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, started the event in his honor, three years after his death.

But this is the ending, so why not go back to the beginning.

This is inspired by Venus Williams, who will be making her 22nd trip to play this event. She has never won, with her best being 2 F, 1 SF, 6 QF. That is similar to Hopman who only won mixed there, of course with Harry.

Her numbers were similar, with 2 F, 3 SF, 9 QF.

As someone who traveled to play the best, it meant that she did not win often. Her titles do mention towns and cities that all Aussie fans know, if not the world.

1932- Sydney City
1936- Melbourne
1938- Melbourne
1939- Adelaide
1940- Hobart
1941- Kooyong
1949- Adelaide

Her affect was more on the builders side. Not being allowed to travel with Harry during his Davis Cup matches, she arranged the first Australian women's overseas tour in 1938. Time and travel as it was, the Melbourne to England trip took 6 weeks by boat. They also needed a male chaperone.

By the time of their 5th trip in 1961, Hopman was team manager, while Margaret Court, Lesley Turner, Robyn Ebbern, Jan Lehane, and Mary Reitano did the heavy lifting.

Hopman would still play on those trips, ending on a 1-15 run in 1966. As bad as that sounds, remember that she was 57.

One of the first Aussies to travel overseas continually, she played RG 12 times, Wimbledon 11 and US Open 8. Her overseas career highlight may have been filling in for a sick Doris Hart and winning a French Open doubles title with Mo Connolly in 1954, in which she was 44.

She didn't play to give up the game, but fell ill after her last slam(US doubles 1966). It turned out to be a brain tumor.

For all that she did for women's tennis, she never saw the fruits of her labor. 3 months before the start of the Open Era, and 16 months after her last match, she was gone.

Mon Dec 26, 04:05:00 PM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

Quiz Time!

Eleanor "Nell" Hall Hopman played in 27 Australian Opens. Which player did not win a title with her in the field?

A.Daphne Akhurst
B.Dorothy Bundy Cheney
C.Nancy Richey
D.Nancye Wynne Bolton

Interlude- Team Bonding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6orVCIOxSrY

Answer!

(B)Bundy Cheney is wrong. Though she is the hard choice, being that she was only a one slam winner, doing so in 1938, she was also tennis royalty. The daughter of 1904 US Open champ May Sutton Bundy, who also won Wimbledon in 1905 and 1907, she came by at the wrong time. She played the US Open 13 times. The other slams 4 times total. And it is easy to see why. The only years in which she played 3 slams were 1938 & 1946. War took away her prime years.

(A)Akhurst is wrong. Surprised? Akhurst won in 1930, the last of her 5 singles titles. Nell made her debut, winning mixed with Harry.

(D)Bolton is obviously wrong, because she won the event 6 times. That leaves (C)Richey, which is right because Hopman was retired in 1967 when she won Australia never to return. However, Richey did reach the final of the last singles slam Hopman played, the 1966 French Open.

Mon Dec 26, 04:06:00 PM EST  
Blogger colt13 said...

United Cup Preview:

This one is for the first 6 days. Round robin format means 12 teams start on the 29th, while the remaining 6 start on the 31st.

6 3 team pods with the winners of A vs F, B vs E, C vs D.

Group A- GRE/BUL/BEL
MIP(Most Important Person)- Sakkari

Bulgaria is overmatched here, so it is up to Greece to play up to their ranking. As one of only 2(of 18) teams to have Top 10 players on both sides, they need to realize they will be favored for almost every singles match. Sakkari/Mertens may flip the tie.

Pick-Greece

Group B- SUI/KAZ/POL
MIP-Hurkacz

Kazakhstan looks like a bottom tier team. Kulambayleva rarely plays on the BJK Cup team, but here is the probable women's #2. Betting against Bencic in a team event is problematic, but counting on Stan the man to hold up physically is even worse.

Pick- Poland

Group C- USA/GER/CZE
MIP-Pegula

This is an odd grouping. Czech Republic did not bring their best. Even so, Pegula/Kvitova is a tricky match. Zverev/Tiafoe might be the best match, but probably in the least exciting tie.

Pick- USA

Group D- GBR/ESP/AUS
MIP-Nadal

Is Nadal healthy? If he is, Spain easy. If not, it opens everything up, especially since Dart has already beaten Badosa and Tomljanovic recently.

Pick- Spain

Group E- ITA/BRA/NOR
MIP-Stefani

This is probably the weakest group, but the second best tie. Norway is literally a one man team, with their only Top 300(4) player being Ruud. Helgo has passed Eikeri in rank, don't know if they will switch her to #1. Stefani is picked because BRA/ITA is the tie most likely to go to doubles. Italy can win if they can get one win against Ruud.

Pick- Brazil

Group E- FRA/CRO/ARG
MIP-Martic

Argentina is here to be a spoiler. This is the best grouping. Think France-Croatia could go either way, but Martic-Vekic- Coric just might pull this off.

Pick- Croatia

Mon Dec 26, 04:33:00 PM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

I feel like I say this often here -- there are so many tennis stories that go untold, or are *rarely* told.

Quiz: went with B :(

Video: always remember that Aussies (well, not Ajla) grew up on Vegemite, so... :)

I have a hard time ginning up much interest in the United Cup thing (which I keep calling the "Global" Cup), *another* big RR event after the already too-big BJK finals. I guess they've tried to make it more important (and to get players to commit) by giving ranking points, but still. Truthfully, anything that tells me I need to pay attention to any men's results I tend to balk at at this point.

It gets me that they're giving bigger points for "more important" wins (i.e. vs. #1-10, #11-20, etc.) here but then the tour *doesn't* do that in actual real events that count (though they *used* to do that via "quality points" years ago). Priorities, I guess. :/

I wonder if Australia wins if Kyrgios will think it'll entitle him to some sort of year-end award for '23? He seemed so bothered by losing out to Barty for the Newcombe award a few weeks ago, after all. His reaction was, frankly, one of the unintentionally funniest occurrences of the entire year -- I mean, how can it not be when one who gives no respect has a tantrum when he believes he gets none? Please.

Tue Dec 27, 05:47:00 PM EST  
Blogger Diane said...

"...how can it not be when one who gives no respect has a tantrum when he believes he gets none?"

A lot of that going around......

Wed Dec 28, 10:42:00 AM EST  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

;)

Thu Dec 29, 05:51:00 PM EST  

Post a Comment

<< Home