US.6- Round-and-Round

It's almost time to kick off the second week in New York...

=DAY 6 NOTES= ...on this first full-blown college football Saturday of the fall, a little round-the-nation-grounds action from the day session:

A day after Iga Swiatek gave up just one game, #2 Aryna Sabalenka lost just two in a 6-1/6-1 3rd Round victory over Pastry Clara Burel on Day 6. Wearing the pink outfit that she says makes "feel like Barbie", 2021-22 semifinalist Sabalenka advanced to her fifth consecutive slam Round of 16. The streak matches that of Swiatek, and the world's top two players are also the only players to reach the second week at all four majors in '23.

20-2 in slam play this season, Sabalenka's 47th win on the year is a career high. She's reached at least the SF at four straight slams, and at six of the last eight she's played (going 1-5).

She'll now take her Dream House quest into the second week.

Sabs Sails

Aryna Sabalenka storms past an overmatched Clara Burel, 6-1, 6-1, to reach the 2nd week at a slam for the 10th time in her career.

The #2 seed is trying to become the first woman to reach the semifinals in all four grand slams in 1 year since Serena Williams in 2016. pic.twitter.com/Q3pbXiNcDA

— Tick Tock Tennis (@TickTockTennis) September 2, 2023

Sabalenka's opponent will be #13 Dasha Kasatkina, who downed the last remaining qualifier in the draw, Greet Minnen (she and Kaja Juvan tie for Last Qualifier Standing), by a 6-3/6-4 score.

A close shave at the end!

Daria Kasatkina almost saw her lead evaporate, but she played well enough in the early stages to set up a 6-3, 6-4 win over the in-form Greet Minnen.

Back into the second week of the US Open for the first time since 2017!

[??: Manuela Davies/USTA] pic.twitter.com/nB8IHBRlyU

— WTARussians (@WTArussians) September 2, 2023

Kasatkina led the Waffle 5-1 in the 2nd, but saw Minnen get one of the breaks back to close to within 5-4 before the Hordette finished it off, reaching the 4th Round in New York for the first time since 2017.

Her win means that at least one Russian has reached the second week at 80 of the last 91 slams in which they've played.

#14 Liudmila Samsonova didn't join her there, though, falling to #17 Madison Keys, who rallied from a set back to win 5-7/6-2/6-2 and record her 100th career slam match victory.

All smiles for @Madison_Keys ??#USOpen pic.twitter.com/1wLBNnq2Is

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) September 2, 2023

Keys' 19th career slam 4th Round is second to only Caroline Wozniacki's 22 trips of this U.S. Open's final 16 woman, as is her sixth such run at Flushing Meadows (Caro's is her seventh).

...with fellow Bannerettes Keys and Coco Gauff already safely into the second week, #3 Jessie Pegula took her swing at joining them in her match with #26 Elina Svitolina. With Gauff garnering the most of the attention of her countrywomen heading into this slam, it's almost slipped below the headlines that Pegula won the 1000 level Montreal title last month, as well, defeating the likes of Gauff, Iga Swiatek and (a depleted) Liudmila Samsonova (in a 1 & love final). The lone hard court "L" that Gauff has taken this summer came at the hands of her doubles partner.

Pegula also knocked off Svitolina last month (in Washington), and did so again today, winning 6-4/4-6/6-2 to advance to a Round of 16 meeting with Keys.

Big win on the big stage ??

No.3 seed @JPegula outlasts Svitolina for a place in the last 16!#USOpen pic.twitter.com/evxUV8p7hU

— wta (@WTA) September 2, 2023

Of course, Pegula's "danger zone" in slams in recent seasons has been the QF, not the 4th Round. She's advanced to the final eight in five of the last seven slams.

While it's been (almost too) easy to hang Pegula's 0-5 slam QF record around her neck like an albatross, there *is* one very good second week slam stat on her career resume: she's 6-0 in Round of 16 matches.

...in a back-and-forth affair, #23 Zheng Qinwen reached her maiden U.S. Open Round of 16 with a 6-3/4-6/6-4 victory over Lucia Bronzetti, joining Wang Xinyu in the second week as they are the first pair of Chinese women in the Open era to reach the 4th Round in New York in the same tournament. The last time it happened in any slam was at the Australian Open in 2011 (Peng Shuai and Li Na, with the latter reaching the final).

Bronzetti led Zheng 4-2 in the 3rd set. Serving at 4-4, she fell bheind 15/40 with a DF and UE, but got the game back to deuce. The Italian then flew a mid-court forehand taken out of the air, giving Zheng another BP chance. The 20-year old converted and then served out the win.

Zheng Qinwen reaches Round 4 at the #USOpen for the first time in her career! pic.twitter.com/GlKEMgssXk

— wta (@WTA) September 2, 2023

...the one day/early evening match pushed back into the evening involves Peyton Stearns, looking to reach her maiden slam Round of 16 and make it *four* Bannerettes in the second week in NYC. She takes on Brit Katie Boulter.

Speaking of Brits...

In the pre-Open Repentigny J300 event in Canada, top-seeded Mingge "Mimi" Xu, 15, won the all-Brit final over 14-year old #5-seed Hannah Klugman, 3-6/6-0/7-5, claiming the biggest title of her junior career. The two teamed to win the doubles.

Meanwhile, the girls' draw is out.

Slovak Renata Jamrichova is the top seed, followed by #2 Lucciana Perez Alarcon (PER) and four consecutive Japanese girls from #3-6 (Sayaka Ishii, Sara Saito, Mayu Crossley and Ena Koike).

AO/RG junior champ Alina Korneeva determined quite a while ago that due to visa issues she wouldn't attend the Open, while Wimbledon girls' champ Clervie Ngounoue took her shot in the women's MD and isn't playing the junior event, either.

...in the night session, arguably the most interesting of Day/Night 6's 3rd Rounders will take place under the lights, as #31 Marie Bouzkova tries to finally be the first player at this Open to take advantage of #5 Ons Jabeur's "iffy" physical condition (at least through the first four days). That'll happen on Ashe.

On Armstrong, Wimbledon champ #9 Marketa Vondrousova tries to reach her first U.S. Open Round of 16 since 2018, taking on #22 Ekaterina Alexandrova, who'll seek to reach the second week at a second consecutive major (after reaching none in her first 25 slam MD).

...I'll put up a second post tonight after all the matches are finished, with the complete group of Round of 16 lists (aka "Lists-a-Palooza").





*WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Iga Swiatek/POL vs. #20 Alona Ostapenko/LAT
(WC) Caroline Wozniacki/DEN vs. #6 Coco Gauff/USA
#30 Sorana Cirstea/ROU vs. #15 Belinda Bencic/SUI
#10 Karolina Muchova/CZE vs. Wang Xinyu/CHN
x vs. x
#17 Madison Keys/USA vs. #3 Jessie Pegula/USA
x vs. #23 Zheng Qinwen/CHN
#13 Dasha Kasatkina/RUS vs. #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR

...NO IDEA... ON DAY 6:

...how this slipped through unnoticed the other day, as I'd been checking for news every day (but I guess not *that* day, eh?)...

Simona Halep says the decision in her case has been delayed again.

“It is hard to explain the emotional toll these delays have had & continue to have on me.”

How much longer will she have to wait for a verdict.

Seriously? pic.twitter.com/TvatCry4A6

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 31, 2023

Darren Cahill speaks out on Instagram about Simona Halep’s case pic.twitter.com/M7NhauctkV

— Mario Boccardi (@marioboc17) September 1, 2023

I guess the Alphabets wanted their continued malfeasance in this whole case to be (hopefully) lost amid the chaos of a slam. You know, the same slam where the case began. A year ago. At the very least, I suppose, even if the final ruling goes against Halep she'll have a whole lot of "time served" and her continued absence wouldn't be extended nearly as long.

Meanwhile, Halep continues to twist in the wind...

...MAYBE LEYLAH & TAYLOR SNATCHED KREJCIKOVA & SINIAKOVA'S SOULS?... ON DAY 6:

The finish?? The choreography??

Taylor Townsend and Leylah Fernandez celebrate their win in spectacular fashion. pic.twitter.com/zhw50XeZh3

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2023

...SOME PEOPLE JUST NEVER LEARN... ON DAY 6:

NCAA fooball break... SUBJECT: Deion Sanders.

You'd think that consistently proving people wrong for a few decades when they say he "can't do that" would have been enough for the band of jealous (of his influence, "audacity" and immediate success without "paying his dues" as an assistant coach) head coaches and defenders-of-the-holy-shrine-of-college-football (please) who wagged their fingers this offseason and said that he'd be a "disaster" at Colorado would have just kept their mouths shut and let things play out. They didn't, so in Week 1...

BOOYAH!!!! @deionsanders just shut up a whole lot of people!!! @cubuffsfootball was a 20-point underdog and they just upset @tcufootball, who played in the national championship game last year! Congrats #PrimeTime!!! pic.twitter.com/ep5ITIy62b

— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) September 2, 2023

delete every single deion sanders tweet in your drafts & go back & delete all the hate from the last 8 months.

this colorado team was 1-11 last year & this TCU team played for the national championship. you all were dead wrong. win, lose, or draw. this is incredible.

— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) September 2, 2023

??The Bangles released ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’ 37 years ago, September 1, 1986 pic.twitter.com/smDKQY7puP

— RetroNewsNow (@RetroNewsNow) September 2, 2023

The Bangles - "Walk Like An Egyptian" pic.twitter.com/M2Wx9RBgfk

— Neil's Playlist (@neilsplaylist3) August 16, 2023

JELENA OSTAPENKO, THE WOMAN YOU ARE pic.twitter.com/an3BtywG8j

— LorenaPopa ???????? (@popalorena) September 1, 2023

"It's the US Open... We may as well make a statement." ??@CaroWozniacki has done just that in Flushing Meadows, thanks to a “last-minute” outfit from Adidas.

Breaking down her head-turning #USOpen look, from the ?? body suit to her ?? accessories.

— TENNIS (@Tennis) September 2, 2023

????@SabalenkaA in action in New York on Saturday pic.twitter.com/xzdMAMG4B2

— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) September 2, 2023

**U.S. OPEN GIRLS' SEEDS**
1. Renata Jamrichova, SVK
2. Lucciana Perez Alarcon, PER
3. Sayaka Ishii, JPN
4. Sara Saito, JPN
5. Mayu Crossley, JPN
6. Ena Koike, JPN
7. Kaitlin Quevedo, USA
8. Iva Jovic, USA
9. Tereza Valentova, CZE
10. Laura Samsonova, CZE
11. Anastasiia Gureva, RUS
12. Emerson Jones, AUS
13. Alena Kovackova, CZE
14. Teodora Kostovic, SRB
15. Rebecca Munk Mortensen, DEN
16. Charo Esquiva Banuls, ESP

**YOUNG IN 2023 SLAM ROUND OF 16**
16 - Mirra Andreeva (WI)
17 - Linda Fruhvirtova (AO)
18 - Coco Gauff (AO)
19 - Coco Gauff (RG)
19 - COCO GAUFF (US)
20 - ZHENG QINWEN (US)
20 - Elina Avanesyan (RG)
21 - WANG XINYU (US)
21 - Iga Swiatek (AO)
-
NOTE: Stearns (21)

**"CAREER SLAM" FEATS IN 2020s**
=ROUND OF 16=
2020 US - Alize Cornet, FRA (57th career slam MD)
2021 AO - Donna Vekic, CRO (29th)
2021 US - Iga Swiatek, POL (11th)
2022 AO - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (8th)
2022 AO - Kaia Kanepi, EST (53rd)
2022 US - Caroline Garcia, FRA (42nd)
2022 US - Coco Gauff, USA (13th)
2022 US - Ons Jabeur, TUN (22nd)
2022 US - Zhang Shuai, CHN (41st)
2023 RG - Karolina Muchova, CZE (17th)
2023 RG - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (21st)
2023 WI - Jessie Pegula, USA (19th)
2023 WI - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (21st)
2023 US - Alona Ostapenko, LAT (31st)

**FEWEST MD TO "CAREER ROUND OF 16 SLAM" - active**
5 - Genie Bouchard (2014 US Open)
6 - Venus Williams (1998 Wimbledon)
8 - Barbora Krejcikova (2022 Australian)
10 - Sloane Stephens (2013 US Open)
11 - Iga Swiatek (2021 US Open)
11 - Petra Kvitova (2011 Australian)
11 - Svetlana Kuznetsova (2005 Australian)
11 - Vera Zvonareva (2004 US Open)
12 - Elise Mertens (2019 Wimbledon)
12 - Caroline Wozniacki (2010 Roland Garros)
13 - Coco Gauff (2022 US Open)
15 - Victoria Azarenka (2009 Wimbledon)
16 - Madison Keys (2016 Roland Garros)
17 - Karolina Muchova (2023 Roland Garros)
17 - Simona Halep (2014 Wimbledon)
19 - Jessie Pegula (2023 Wimbledon)
20 - Garbine Muguruza (2017 US Open)
21 - Marketa Vondrousova (2023 Wimbledon)
21 - Aryna Sabalenka (2023 Roland Garros)
21 - Angelique Kerber (2013 Australian)
22 - Ons Jabeur (2022 US Open)
22 - Elina Svitolina (2018 Australian)
25 - Karolina Pliskova (2018 Wimbledon)
29 - Donna Vekic (2021 Australian)
31 - Alona Ostapenko (2023 US Open)
32 - Petra Martic (2019 US Open)
37 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2017 Australian)
41 - Zhang Shuai (2022 US Open)
42 - Caroline Garcia (2022 US Open)
53 - Kaia Kanepi (2022 Australian)
57 - Alize Cornet (2020 US Open)

*BEST 2023 SLAM RESULTS*
[qualifiers]
WI 4th Rd. - Mirra Andreeva, RUS
AO 3rd Rd. - Cristina Bucsa, ESP
AO 3rd Rd. - Katie Volynets, USA
RG 3rd Rd. - Mirra Andreeva, RUS
RG 3rd Rd. - Olga Danilovic, SRB
RG 3rd Rd. - Kayla Day, USA
RG 3rd Rd. - Clara Tauson, DEN
WI 3rd Rd. - Sofia Kenin, USA
WI 3rd Rd. - Natalija Stevanovic, SRB
US 3rd Rd. - Kaja Juvan, SLO
US 3rd Rd. - Greet Minnen, BEL
AO 2nd Rd. - Clara Burel, FRA
AO 2nd Rd. - Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, SVK
AO 2nd Rd. - Diana Shnaider, RUS
AO 2nd Rd. - Lucrezia Stefanini, ITA
RG 2nd Rd. - Storm Hunter, AUS
RG 2nd Rd. - Iryna Shymanovich, BLR
RG 2nd Rd. - Simona Waltert, SUI
WI 2nd Rd. - Bai Zhuoxuan, CHN
WI 2nd Rd. - Kaja Juvan, SLO
US 2nd Rd. - Lily Miyazaki, GBR
US 2nd Rd. - Wang Yafan, CHN
US 2nd Rd. - Eva Lys, GER
US 2nd Rd. - Sachia Vickery, USA

**RECENT U.S. OPEN "LAST QUALIFIER STANDING" WINNERS**
=2016=
CiCi Bellis/USA (3rd Rd.)
=2017=
Kaia Kanepi/EST (QF)
=2018=
Karolina Muchova/CZE (3rd Rd.)
=2019=
Taylor Townsend/USA (4th Rd.)
=2021=
Emma Raducanu/GBR (W)
=2022=
Clara Burel/FRA and Yuan Yue/CHN (3rd Rd.)
=2023=
Kaja Juvan/SLO and Greet Minnen/BEL (3rd Rd.)

**BACKSPIN 2023 FRESH FACE-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN (pre-AO): Linda Noskova, CZE
AO: Linda Fruhvirtova, CZE
FEB: Alycia Parks, USA
MAR: Anastasia Potapova, RUS
1Q...POTAPOVA
APR: Anastasia Potapova, RUS
MAY: Zheng Qinwen, CHN
RG: Mirra Andreeva, RUS
2Q Clay Court...ANDREEVA
JUN: Ashlyn Krueger, USA
WI: Mirra Andreeva, RUS
2Q Grass Court...ANDREEVA
JUL: Noma Noha Akugue, GER
AUG (pre-U.S.): Linda Noskova, CZE
[2023 Weekly Fresh Face Award Wins]
6 - Anastasia Potapova, RUS
4 - Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ITA
4 - Marta Kostyuk, UKR
4 - Linda Noskova, CZE
3 - Mirra Andreeva, RUS
3 - Varvara Gracheva, RUS/FRA
3 - Emma Navarro, USA
3 - Diana Shnaider, RUS
3 - Peyton Stearns, USA
2 - Clara Burel, FRA
2 - Olga Danilovic, SRB
2 - Coco Gauff, USA
2 - Ashlyn Krueger, USA
2 - Claire Liu,, USA
2 - Elli Mandlik, USA
2 - Caty McNally, USA
2 - Camila Osorio, COL
2 - Katie Volynets, USA
2 - Dayana Yastremska, UKR
2 - Zheng Qinwen, CHN

**BACKSPIN 2023 JUNIOR-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN (pre-AO): Melisa Ercan, TUR
AO: Alina Korneeva, RUS
FEB: Sara Saito, JPN
MAR: Clervie Ngounoue, USA
1Q...KORNEEVA
APR: Mirra Andreeva, RUS
MAY: Kaitlin Quevedo, USA
RG: Alina Korneeva, RUS
2Q Clay Court...KORNEEVA
JUN: Celine Naef, SUI
WI: Clervie Ngounoue, USA
2Q Grass Court...NGOUNOUE
JUL: Alina Korneeva, RUS
AUG (pre-U.S.): CZE 14u ITF
[2023 Weekly Junior Award Wins]
5 - Melisa Ercan, TUR
4 - Clevie Ngounoue, USA
4 - Lucciana Perez Alarcon, PER
3 - Alina Korneeva, RUS
3 - Ella Seidel, GER
3 - Ranah Akua Stoiber, GBR
2 - Mirra Andreeva, RUS
2 - Mayu Crossley, JPN
2 - Charo Esquiva Banuls, ESP
2 - Alevtina Ibragimova, RUS
2 -Sayaka Ishii, JPN
2 - Renata Jamrichova, SVK
2 - Rebecca Munk Mortensen, DEN
2 - Celine Naef, SUI
2 - Taylah Preston, AUS
2 - Sara Saito, JPN
2 - Federica Urgesi, ITA
2 - Tereza Valentova, CZE

righty tighty lefty loosy pic.twitter.com/CP8nEFurxV

— cats being weird little guys (@weirdlilguys) September 2, 2023

And just like that, I want to be a joey nanny ???? pic.twitter.com/FQU4DLrk5Y

— Jessi ?? (@its_jessi_grace) August 31, 2023

TOP QUALIFIER: #15 Wang Yafan/CHN
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #6 Coco Gauff/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
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): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F): xx
=============================
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 ("??"): x
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: x
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Kaja Juvan/SLO, Greet Minnen/BEL (3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Caroline Wozniacki/DEN (in 4r)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: In 3r: Brady(L), Gauff(W), Keys(W), Pegula(W), Pera(L), Stearns, Townsend(L)
COMEBACK: Caroline Wozniacki/DEN
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Cirstea, Strycova
DOUBLES STAR: x
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Nominees: Stearns, (jr.)
BROADWAY-BOUND: Nominees: "Project Coco," "Comeback Caro"
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominees: Gauff, Wozniacki
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x







All for Day 6. More tomorrow (and tonight).