New York, New York... (music plays out)
| 1. | Coco Gauff, USA | ...the Summer of Coco ended the only way it really *should* have, with the 19-year old winning her maiden slam title at Flushing Meadows to end an 18-1 hard court run that included three titles, a 1000 SF, a win over the world #1, another over the would-be world #1, and *all three* of the other '23 slam winners. |
| 2. | Diede de Groot, NED (WC) | ...another year, another Grand Slam. De Groot went 11-0 in the 3Q, winning the European Para Championships and her sixth straight U.S. Open (and *12th* straight slam) singles title. Her 20th career slam singles crown is one away from Esther Vergeer's women's record, and she leaves NYC on a 122-match win streak. Yeah, 1-2-2. |
| 3. | Jessie Pegula, USA | ...though she went out in the Open Round of 16 (so no adding another "L" to that slam QF record), she added her second career 1000 title (Montreal), got a win over then-#1 Swiatek (her second of '23, but this one was in a real event) *and* reached the U.S. MX final. Oh, and she'll be co-#1 in doubles with Gauff on Monday. |
| 4. | Karolina Muchova, CZE | ...first off, she made it through the end of summer without another big injury (score!) She also reached a 1000 final in Cincinnati (her first), a SF in New York (the third SF+ slam result in her carer) and improved to 2-0 (w/ Cincy SF win) on the summer vs. new #1 Sabalenka. |
| 5. | Aryna Sabalenka, BLR | ...she didn't win a title, but did enough to replace Swiatek as the world #1, reaching the Cincinnati semis and her second '23 slam final, posting a SF+ result in a fifth consecutive major (and in 7 of the last 9 she's played). |
| 6. | Iga Swiatek, POL | ...won a title in Warsaw, reached SF in 1000s Montreal/Cincinnati (losing in 3 to both eventual champs) and reached the second week in her U.S. Open title defense (oh, am I allowed to say "defense?"... I'll have to check the updated Iga Rules & Regulations, tennis' version of Newspeak), but it still wasn't enough to continue to hold off Sabalenka's almost year-long chase for the #1 ranking. |
| 7. | Dabrowski/Routliffe, CAN/NZL | ...picked up a maiden slam WD crown (for both) in New York, defeating RG winners Hsieh/Wang Xinyu in the SF and '20 Open champs Siegemund/Zvonareva in the final. |
| 8. | Zheng Qinwen, CHN | ...the 20-year old knocked down a trio of career firsts with her maiden tour title (Palermo), slam QF (U.S.) and Top 10 win (Jabeur/4r) in a major. More is sure to come. |
| 9. | Madison Keys, USA | ...was mediocre at best (3-2 with a w/o L) in the Open lead-up, but played like slam champion in New York until, well, she reminded everyone precisely why she's yet to become a slam winner, failing to put away a SF vs. Sabalenka after serving up 6-0/5-3 (then leading 4-2 in the 3rd), losing a pair of TB by a combined score of 17-6. |
| 10. | Liudmila Samsonova, RUS | ...lost in three sets in the U.S. 3rd Rd. to Keys, but reached the Washington SF (L to Gauff) and Montreal final (L to Pegula, in her biggest career final), getting wins over Zheng, Sabalenka, Bencic and a compromised Rybakina. |
| HM- | LL champions | ...over a span of six weeks, *three* lucky losers were crowned WTA singles champions: Maria Timofeeva in Budapest (in her tour MD debut), Nao Hibino two weeks later in Prague, then Sara Sorribes Tormo just before the U.S. Open in Cleveland. |
...was trending even (or slightly behind) Iga coming into NYC for *WTA* PoY (w/ de Groot ready to pounce for Ms.B), but outpaced Swiatek at the Open to keep her post-SW19 lead as she assumes the #1 singles ranking and everyone points toward the finish line. 2. Diede de Groot, NED (WC)
...unbeaten, untied and still unbelievable. Pity the Paralympic apparatus -- the same one that pushed Marjolein Buis into retirement because of a classification change -- come next year will resume hampering the exposure of what is the most high-profile WC sport (tennis) on earth (see below). 3. Iga Swiatek, POL
...the bar (her '22 season) was always too high to completely overcome this season. I mean, she's not Diede de Groot. 4. Coco Gauff, USA
...suddenly there's a new contender looking over everyone's shoulders (even if there's likely not enough time to rise to the top) 5. Elena Rybakina, KAZ
...a slam final, near Sunshine Double and Iga mastery still holds a lot of sway. Picked up "backbone points" this summer, if not ground in the Ms.B race. 6. Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
...Cincinnati/US QF runs were a nice follow-up to her Wimbledon title 7. Petra Kvitova, CZE
...this hard court season was definitely not the Summer of Petra 8. Karolina Muchova, CZE
...further proving that if she can stay healthy, she'll eventually get hers 9. Jessie Pegula, USA
...the only person to defeat Gauff on hard court this summer 10. Ons Jabeur, TUN
...by force of will HM- Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
...it's becoming harder and harder to recall how well she was playing early this season
#WHEELCHAIR #WOMENS #SINGLES #CHAMPION
— Diede de Groot (@DiedetheGreat) September 10, 2023
Voor de 6de keer op rij!#winner @USOpentennis #usa #USOpen #Renault #Calvé #Lumosa #Nike #Citi #SunriseMedical #MatrixFitness #YonexBenelux #eHealth88 #Sportstories pic.twitter.com/SlE9OITXy3
48-0 on the year, de Groot has won her last 32 singles events dating back to early in the 2021 season. She's now won 23 straight matches over #2 Kamiji.
3 years of domination!
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2023
Diede De Groot just recorded her third straight calendar Grand Slam! pic.twitter.com/P2unAMSeep
One of de Groot's three Grand Slam seasons was a "Golden Slam" in 2021 with a Paralympic Gold Medal thrown into the mix. That won't be happening next year, though, as the shortsighted conflicting schedules of next summer's Paralympics (held August 28 through September 8) and the U.S. Open (August 26 through September 8) means there won't be a wheelchair competition at Flushing Meadows in '24. This isn't a new thing, as for years that was the case for the same reason. That changed when the 2020 Paralympics were postponed until '21, and the rescheduled games finished up during the first week of the Open, allowing the rollers to head to New York to compete. It resulted in Golden Slam seasons for both de Groot and men's quad WC star Dylan Alcott, and garnered some nice publicity for the sport. One wondered if it all might lead to the schedule conflicts being avoided in the future, but no. It's a truly wrongheaded situation for wheelchair athletics, as tennis is probably the *most* mainstream para event on earth, with the tennis slams the only major sporting events that I know of where WC athletes compete side by side with able-bodied players in the same sport, on the same day and on the same grounds, rather than in a separate, set aside event held elsewhere or at a different time (ala the Paralympics, held in the Olympic city weeks after those games have ended). The U.S Open is a grand stage for wheelchair athletes, and why the Paralympic movement conspires to damage what is really its most high profile non-Paralympic sport/event by taking it away from a marquee stage on a regular basis is hard to fathom. With the events taking place over the same two-week stretch, you'd think that a schedule could be constructed that would allow the Paralympic tennis event to be completed in time for the competitors to play both events, as happened in '21. But no. Hopefully the USTA will still hold the junior wheelchair event, at least. ...in the doubles final, Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe claimed their maiden slam WD titles (Dabrowski has won a MX crown) with a 7-6(9)/6-3 victory over '20 Open champs Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva. For Routliffe, she's the first New Zealand woman to win a U.S. Open title, and the first to win any slam crown since 1979 (Judy Connor, AO doubles).
Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe won the women's doubles title, beating Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva 7-6(9), 6-3.
— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) September 10, 2023
A first women's doubles Grand Slam title for both. pic.twitter.com/CnMsab5lfM
WTA FINALS IN SIGHT??
— Jacob Pacheco (@JacobPacheco6) September 10, 2023
????Gaby Dabrowski and ????Erin Routliffe now move up to 11th in the Women's Doubles Rankings combined. The top EIGHT teams will make the WTA Finals in Cancun in October 29-November 5.
????Leylah Fernandez and ????Taylor Townsend are 7th. #USOpen #CdnTennis #WTA pic.twitter.com/skLW1qkE6W
????Erin Routliffe hugged ????Gaby Dabrowski before this and said to her "you saved my f****** career!"
— Jacob Pacheco (@JacobPacheco6) September 10, 2023
I see this partnership going very far. "She (Gaby) took a chance on me" Erin adds.??????#CdnTennis #USOpen #WomensDoubles pic.twitter.com/6mUWkdBxUs
...in the 125 in Bari (ITA), Tamara Zidansek defeated Rebecca Sramkova in three sets in the final, her biggest win since she claimed her lone tour-level title in Lausanne in July 2021. ...on the ITF circuit, Viktorija Golubic defeated Wang Xiyu in three sets in Tokyo, taking home her first career $100K challenger crown. She's won one WTA title (2016 Gstaad) and a pair of 125 events. Other winners included Anna Bondar ($60K Montreux, SUI), Tena Lukas ($60K Vienna, AUT) and Solana Sierra ($25K Zaragoza, ESP). ...with the new rankings coming out Monday, a quick update on the new state of things... * - Sabalenka replaces Swiatek at #1, while Iga falls to #2. Perhaps you've heard. * - Gauff moves from #6 to a career high #3, becoming the new U.S. #1 (Pegula falls 2 to #5)
* - new career highs for Czechs Vondrousova (#6) and Muchova (#8) * - yes, Sakkari (#9) and Garcia (#10) are STILL in the Top 10. Does anyone have a wooden stake handy? * - Azarenka (#25) falls out of the Top 20, replaced by Ostapenko (#16) * - Zheng Qinwen inches up one to #22, while Zhu Lin (+9) is back in the Top 35 (2 off her career high), and Wang Xinyu (up 14) cracks the Top 40 for the first time * - New to the Top 50 w/ career highs: #44 Stearns, #50 Boulter * - Out of the Top 51: #52 Badosa (-2, but just one spot behind ESP #1 Sorribes Tormo), #54 Siniakova (-5), #64 Andreescu (-13, but still the CAN #1) * - Biggest risers in the Top 100: #87 Zidansek (+31), #69 Minnen (+28) and #96 Wang Yafan (+18) * - Back in the Top 100: Sofia "Last Straw" Kenin (up 8 to #93) * - Almost There: #103 Birrell (+8), #104 Townsend (+28), #106 Juvan (+39) and #107 Golubic (+28) * - Falls: Cornet (-18) to #97 and Niemeier (-45) to #136... but she's ranked *below* Zhang Shuai (-42 to #122), who has lost 16 straight matches * - Also: Wozniacki (+380) is at #243, Brady at #263 (+170), and Saville at #266 (+56). The top-ranked Pickleballer is #218 (but she *did* manage to defeat the eventual U.S. Open girls' champ, Katherine Hui, in the opening round of Open qualifying a couple of weeks ago... but that's her only *actual tennis* win since June).
#6 Coco Gauff/USA def. #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR 2-6/6-3/6-2
#16 Dabrowski/Routliffe (CAN/NZL) def. #12 Siegemund/Zvonareva (GER/RUS) 7-6(9)/6-3
Danilina/Heliovaara (KAZ/FIN) def. #1 Pegula/Krajicek (USA/USA) 6-3/6-4
#1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN 6-2/6-2
#2 Kamiji/Montjane (JPN/RSA) def. #1 de Groot/Griffioen (NED/NED) walkover
#2 Ksenia Chasteau/FRA def. #1 Maylee Phelps/USA 6-3/6-1
#1 Chasteau/Phelps (FRA/USA) def. Czauz/Takamuro (USA/JPN) 7-5/6-0
(WC) Katherine Hui/USA def. #9 Tereza Valentova/CZE 6-4/6-4
#8 Gae/Gureva (ROU/RUS) def. N.Saito/S.Saito (JPN/JPN) 1-6/7-5 [10-8]
...IS THIS THE FIRST YEAR THAT... ON DAY 14:
...the "wall of champions" has been featured at this slam? I'm not sure I remember it from last year.
Coco has left her mark on history. pic.twitter.com/DMxoRV0A9L
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2023
It's not a bad "steal" from Wimbledon, but it feels too staid. It's needs a little more "New York" put into it.
...NOT SURE WHY THIS IS INTERESTING (BUT IT ALWAYS KINDA IS)... ON DAY 14:
The finest craftsmanship at work.@TiffanyAndCo | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/BVz3zV5QsL
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2023
...AIR TIME (BUT BAD CAMERA WORK)... ON DAY 14:
Celebration time 🎊 🏆@GabyDabrowski | @erinroutliffe | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/F69579gkYP
— wta (@WTA) September 10, 2023
...NUMBERS GUY WAS WATCHING THE NFL, SO... ON DAY 14:
"California, here she comes"..."A bittersweet observance"..."Rolling to number 20"..."Storm Damage"..."What did you say your name was?"..."Holding a racket or holding a mic, Coco gets it done"
— Diane Elayne Dees (@WomenWhoServe) September 10, 2023
My U.S. Open top 10https://t.co/sZyAM4xIW6 #USOpen #WTA
Don’t mind us, we’re just DJ’ing during the Men’s Final 🤷♀️😃⛴️ pic.twitter.com/8nountPwNN
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) September 10, 2023
2010 Vania King / Yaroslava Shvedova, USA/KAZ
2011 Liezel Huber / Lisa Raymond, USA/USA
2012 Sara Errani / Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2013 Andrea Hlavackova / Lucie Hradecka, CZE/CZE
2014 Ekaterina Makarova / Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS
2015 Martina Hingis / Sania Mirza, SUI/IND
2016 Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE
2017 Latisha Chan / Martina Hingis, TPE/SUI
2018 Ash Barty / CoCo Vandeweghe, AUS/USA
2019 Elise Mertens / Aryna Sabalenka, BEL/BLR
2020 Laura Siegemund / Vera Zvonareva, GER/RUS
2021 Samantha Stosur / Zhang Shuai, AUS/CHN
2022 Barbora Krejcikova / Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2023 Gaby Dabrowski / Erin Routliffe, CAN/NZL
*RECENT WD SLAM CHAMPIONS*
[2018]
AO: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
RG: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
WI: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
US: Ash Barty/CoCo Vandeweghe (AUS/USA)
[2019]
AO: Samantha Stosur/Zhang Shuai (AUS/CHN)
RG: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
WI: Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova (TPE/CZE)
US: Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka (BEL/BLR)
[2020]
AO: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
US: Laura Siegemund/Vera Zvonareva (GER/RUS)
RG: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
[2021]
AO: Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka (BEL/BLR)
RG: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
WI: Hsieh Su-wei/Elise Mertens (TPE/BEL)
US: Samantha Stosur/Zhang Shuai (AUS/CHN)
[2022]
AO: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
RG: Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic (FRA/FRA)
WI: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
US: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
[2023]
AO: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
RG: Hsieh Su-wei/Wang Xinyu (TPE/CHN)
WI: Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova (TPE/CZE)
US: Gaby Dabrowski/Erin Routliffe (CAN/NZL)
*2023 MAIDEN SLAM CHAMPIONS*
AO
GS WS - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
GS MX - Luisa Stefani, BRA
RG
GS WD - Wang Xinyu, CHN
GS MX - Miyu Kato, JPN
WI
GS WS - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
GS MX - Lyudmyla Kichenok, UKR
US
GS WS - Coco Gauff, USA
GS WD - Gaby Dabrowski, CAN
GS WD - Erin Routliffe, NZL
GS MX - Anna Danilina, KAZ
*U.S. OPEN WHEELCHAIR CHAMPIONS*
[singles]
2005 Esther Vergeer, NED
2006 Esther Vergeer, NED
2007 Esther Vergeer, NED
2008 --
2009 Esther Vergeer, NED
2010 Esther Vergeer, NED
2011 Esther Vergeer, NED
2012 --
2013 Aniek van Koot, NED
2014 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2015 Jordanne Whiley, GBR
2016 --
2017 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2018 Diede de Groot, NED
2019 Diede de Groot, NED
2020 Diede de Groot, NED
2021 Diede de Groot, NED
2022 Diede de Groot, NED
2023 Diede de Groot, NED
*WC SLAM SINGLES FINALS - active*
26 - YUI KAMIJI, JPN (8-18)
23 - DIEDE DE GROOT, NED (20-3)
14 - Aniek Van Koot, NED (3-11)
7 - Jiske Griffioen, NED (4-3)
1 - Kgothatso Montjane, RSA (0-1)
1 - Momoko Ohtani, JPN (0-1)
*WHEELCHAIR SLAM SINGLES TITLES*
21 - Esther Vergeer, NED [9-6-0-6]
20 - DIEDE DE GROOT, NED [5-4-5-6]*
8 - Yui Kamiji, JPN [2-4-0-2]...[1+0]*
4 - Jiske Griffioen, NED [2-1-1-0]*
3 - Aniek van Koot, NED [1-0-1-1]*
3 - Monique Kalkman, NED [0-0-0-3]
*WHEELCHAIR SLAM TITLES*
[singles/doubles]
42 - Esther Vergeer, NED (21/21)
37 - DIEDE DE GROOT, NED (20/17)*
28 - YUI KAMIJI, JPN (8/20)*
26 - Aniek Van Koot, NED (3/23)*
19 - Jiske Griffioen, NED (4/15)*
13 - Jordanne Whiley, GBR (1/12)
*WHEELCHAIR SEASON GRAND SLAMS*
[singles 4/4]
2021 Diede de Groot, NED (Golden Slam)
2022 Diede de Groot, NED
2023 Diede de Groot, NED
[doubles 4/4]
2009 Esther Vergeer & Korie Homan, NED/NED
2011 Esther Vergeer & Sharon Walraven, NED/NED
2013 Aniek Van Koot & Jiske Griffioen, NED/NED
2014 Yui Kamji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
2019 Diede de Groot & Aniek Van Koot, NED/NED
*DIEDE DE GROOT vs. IN STREAK*
[122-0, + 1 w/o W]
23 - Yui Kamiji, JPN (+1 w/o)
15 - Kgothatso Montjane, RSA
13 - Aniek Van Koot, NED
10 - Momoko Ohtani, JPN
7 - Angelica Bernal, COL
6 - Dana Mathewson, USA
5 - Jiske Griffioen, NED
5 - Lucy Shuker, GBR
4 - Katharina Kruger, GER
4 - Jordanne Whiley, GBR
3 - Macarena Cabrillana, CHI
3 - Pauline Deroulede, FRA
3 - Emmanuelle Morch, FRA
3 - Zhu Zhenzhen, CHN
2 - Viktoriia Lvova, RUS
2 - Cornelia Oosthuizan, GBR
2 - Saki Takamuro, JPN
2 - Manami Tanaka, JPN
2 - Maayan Zikri, ISR
1 - Shelby Baron, USA
1 - Nalani Buob, SUI
1 - Charlotte Fairbank, FRA
1 - Huang Jinlian, CHN
1 - Busra Un, TUR
1 - Britta Wend, GER
1 - Louie Charlotte Willerslev-Olsen, DEN
1 - Wang Ziying, CHN
*RECENT U.S. OPEN "DOUBLES STAR" WINNERS*
2014 Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR (WC)
2015 Martina Hingis, SUI
2016 Laura Siegemund, GER
2017 Martina Hingis, SUI
2018 Ash Barty & CoCo Vandeweghe, AUS/USA
2019 Diede de Groot & Aniek Van Koot, NED/NED (WC)
2020 Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR (WC)
2021 Desirae Krawczyk, USA
2022 Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2023
*RECENT U.S. OPEN "IT" WINNERS*
2011 Esther Vergeer, NED [Wheelchair]
2012 [Brit] Laura Robson, GBR
2013 [Bannerette] Vicky Duval, USA
2014 [Girl] CiCi Bellis, USA
2015 [Kiki] Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2016 [Teen] Ana Konjuh, CRO
2017 [Jr. Wild Card] Coco Gauff, USA
2018 [Court] (new) Louis Armstrong Stadium
2019 [Canadian] Bianca Andreescu, CAN
2020 [Champion Moms] Vera Zvonareva/RUS and Jordanne Whiley/GBR
2021 [Teens] Leylah Fernandez/CAN and Emma Raducanu/GBR
2022 [Diede Slam] Diede de Groot, NED [WC]
2023 [Summer Star] Coco Gauff, USA
RECENT U.S. OPEN "Ms. OPPORTUNITY" WINNERS*
2013 Li Na, CHN
2014 Peng Shuai, CHN
2015 Roberta Vinci, ITA
2016 Anastasija Sevastova, LAT
2017 All-Bannerette SF: Keys,Stephens,Vandeweghe,V.Williams
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN and Anastasija Sevastova, LAT
2019 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2020 Laura Siegemund & Vera Zvonareva, GER/RUS
2021 Diede de Groot, NED [WC Golden Slam]
2022 Ons Jabeur, TUN
2023 Diede de Groot, NED [Grand Slam x 3]
*RECENT U.S. OPEN "DOUBLES STAR" WINNERS*
2014 Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR (WC)
2015 Martina Hingis, SUI
2016 Laura Siegemund, GER
2017 Martina Hingis, SUI
2018 Ash Barty & CoCo Vandeweghe, AUS/USA
2019 Diede de Groot & Aniek Van Koot, NED/NED (WC)
2020 Yui Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR (WC)
2021 Desirae Krawczyk, USA
2022 Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2023 Erin Routliffe, NZL
?????????????????? pic.twitter.com/HmxHuo6Xnm
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2023
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #6 Coco Gauff/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): #6 Coco Gauff/USA
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2 - Elsa Jacquemot/FRA def. #2 Diana Shnaider/RUS 6-7(5)/7-5/6-3 - down 7-6/5-3, saved 7 MP in 2nd set (trailed 5-4, 40/love)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - #32 Elise Mertens/BEL def. Mirjam Bjorklund/SWE 3-6/6-3/7-6(10-3) - down 3 MP at 4-5, love/40 in 3rd, won 4 con. pts to hold; wins TB 10-3
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 4th Rd. - #20 Alona Ostapenko/LAT def. #1 Iga Swiatek/POL 3-6/6-3/6-1 (improves to 4-0 in head-to-head; Sabalenka replaces Swiatek as singles #1)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F): SF - #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR def. #17 Madison Keys/USA 0-6/7-6(1)/7-6(10-5) - Keys served 6-0/5-3, led up 4-2 in 3rd
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #10 Karolina Muchova/CZE (def. WC Hunter)
FIRST SEED OUT: #8 Maria Sakkari/GRE (1r- lost to Masarova/ESP)
FIRST CAREER SLAM MD WINS: Eva Lys/GER, Lily Miyazaki/GBR
PROTECTED RANKING MD WINS: Jennifer Brady/USA (3rd Rd.); Dasha Saville/AUS (2nd Rd.), Patricia Maria Tig/ROU (2nd Rd.)
LUCKY LOSER MD WINS: Yanina Wickmayer/BEL (2nd Rd.)
UPSET QUEENS: United States
REVELATION LADIES: China
NATION OF POOR SOULS: France (1-6 in 1st; 9 of FRA Top 10 out Q/1r)
CRASH & BURN: #8 Maria Sakkari/GRE (3 consecutive slam 1st Rd. losses)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEW YORK: #32 Elise Mertens/BEL (5 MP saved 1r/2r; 4-5, love/40 in 3rd vs. Bjorklund/SWE 1r; 2 MP 2nd set TB vs. Collins/USA 2r)
IT ("Summer Star"): Coco Gauff, USA
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Diede de Groot, NED (Grand Slam Season x 3)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Kaja Juvan/SLO, Greet Minnen/BEL (3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Caroline Wozniacki/DEN (4r)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: Coco Gauff/USA (W)
COMEBACK: Caroline Wozniacki/DEN
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Sorana Cirstea/ROU
DOUBLES STAR: Erin Routliffe/NZL
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Peyton Stearns/USA
BROADWAY-BOUND: "Jabeurwocky"
LADY OF THE EVENING: Alona Ostapenko/LAT
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Katherine Hui/USA (wild card to finalist)
posted by Todd.Spiker @ 8:48 PM
9 Comments:
Is Sakkari the worst player ever to be ranked inside top 10 or is it Bouchard?
At this rate, Djokovic will win 30 majors. His body is the GOAT body among tennis players. He rarely suffers any injury.
Caught up to the juniors.
Hui is 18, and at best projects as a mid carder. Solid but not explosive, she is better off going to college, which she will at Stanford, with Alexis Blokhina and Alexandra Yepifanova. Years away for the tour.
Valentova is 16. Backhand leaks errors and needs lots of work. Has a hitch on forehand side. Projects between 100-120. 1-2 years away from tour.
Stat of the Week- 3- Years in the Open Era with 4 first time winners in mixed doubles.
Australian Open played mixed in 1969, dropped until 1987.
2023 is one of those years. Anna Danilina joined Luisa Stefani, Miyu Kato and Lyudmyla Kichenok as first time winners, giving us 8 different winners since Krawczyk won the last 3 to end 2021.
The others were 2013- Gajdosova, Hradecka, Mladenovic, Hlavackova, and 2009- Mirza, Huber, Gronefeld, Gullickson.
Quiz Time!
Which South African player won a slam in mixed doubles? Multiple answers accepted.
A.Greer Stevens
B.Ilana Kloss
C.Mariaan de Swardt
D.Elna Reinach
Interlude- Dance break.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1F0lBnsnkE
Answer!
(D)Reinach is correct. The doubles star won 10 titles and reached #10 in doubles. Won the US Open in 1994.
(A)Stevens is both the most obvious answer and the worst answer. Why? She is correct, because she won 3 mixed titles, Wimbledon in 1977 and both Wimbledon and the US Open in 1979. All were with Bob Hewett, who won all 3 slams in 1979. Stevens missed RG, which she never played in singles or doubles.
#7 in singles, she went 5-12 in doubles finals, winning all 3 mixed titles after her last women's one.
She lost her last 6 doubles finals.
(C)de Swardt is also correct. Officially the last South African to win(1999 AO, 2000 RG), since Liezel Huber won 2 representing the US, de Swardt went on to coach tennis in Houston, similar to Huber.
(B)Kloss is also correct. The unofficial #1 in 1976(doubles rankings started in 1984), she won Roland Garros that year, followed up by winning women's doubles at the US Open months later.
5 On the Up Side- Down the stretch they come edition.
1.Ostapenko- San Diego pick has 17 losses, but an incredible strength of schedule. Her loss to Brady was the only time this year she did not win at least one match in an event.
2.Kalinskaya- In a year where injured players are making good, Kalinskaya's US Open was her first event since Rome. Japan pick has a chance to reach her first career final. That might also be a good omen for Mandlik or Krueger, as the two times she has reached the SF, she has lost to the eventual winner, Americans Stephens(Guadalajara) and Pegula(Washington).
3.Marino- It has been 12 years since her only final in Memphis. Has a chance to reach her second. Fits the comeback theme more than anybody.
4.Jabeur- Won fans by grinding through her US Open run with her "C" game. In the best form of the San Diego seeds, which also include, Sakkari, Garcia, Krejcikova.
5.Danilina- Won mixed title, becoming first woman from Kazakhstan to do so. Up and down season leaves her with 36-32 record over the last 52 weeks, but has won 4 titles(2 ITF, 1 125K, 1 250).
5 On the Down Side.
1.Krejcikova- On 1-5 stretch, has not had a Top 30 win since Stuttgart. What happened to the player we saw the first 3 months of the year?
2.Garcia- If I am roasting Krejcikova for not having a Top 30 win since April, what do you say about Garcia? She has 31 wins, none against the Top 30 this season. Her best win(#38 Martic) was in her first match of the season at United Cup. Flying like WOW Airlines.
3.Sasnovich- Tourn returns to China next week and Sasnovich went 0-3 her last time there. That was a year in which she ended on a 3-15 skid, with no wins after the US Open.
4.Davis- Another player who has done poorly in China. 3-9, she has lost her last 6 MD matches, leaving her last win as Wuhan 2017.
5.Wang Xiyu- Redemption tour? Went 1-4 in MD last time we were in China. The silver lining is that she is a much better player now. The other is that she qualified for both Guangzhou and Tianjin.
K-
Well, Bouchard *did* reach two slam finals (both in '14, also w/ a SF and 4r... a really great slam season). She had a QF in AO the next year. She struggled a bit in '15 (two slam 1r), but had reached the US Round of 16 and was looking good. But she was never really the same after the concussion in the locker room after her late night 3r win. She's never been past a 3r in a slam since.
I think he'll hit 30. If it isn't the case already, it'll be impossible to argue against the numbers. One more and at least they can stop with the all-time slam title lists, and people arguing about whether all those AO wins from Court should count, too.
C-
Quiz: de Swardt had a familiar ring to it. Wasn't sure enough to pick another (but I guess I'd been safe going with *any*, huh?) ;)
By the way, the highest ranked RSA player now is #491 (Isabella Kruger). The next is #1154.
Might be a good time to note, since it's been a while since it's been in play, that Sabalenka has reached five finals in China (winning 3).
MNF: the Bills are the Maria Sakkari of the NFL. Hmm, or maybe Madison Keys. They never win a big game. Ever.
Sakkari has all the skills--it seems obvious (at least to me) that the problem is the head. I hope that she gets some good help in that area because the problem is only going to get worse. (And if she does get successful help, I expect that she won't emulate Sabalenka, who doesn't even realize that all those sessions actually worked.)
Not only did Genie sustain that concussion in 2014--she also had to undergo the trauma of having the USTA blame her for it. And it was also the year that she was totally crushed in the Wimbledon final.
Ah, the days when Bouchard was something of a sympathetic figure. It seems so long ago now.
Naturally, she was tweeting after the latest Halep ruling yesterday that she "was told not to tweet today."
Serena and family probably *should* have followed that line of thinking... not that they'll get any *real* blowback about it.
I’m still waiting for AO to get blowback for writing an essay about how he idolizes (his words) a lifetime sex criminal (didn’t surprise me, when you consider the history of Reddit). And you’re right, of course, Genie used up all that sympathy. Nothing surprises me, though—remember the nastiness of Stosur and Lucic?
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