Saturday, May 25, 2024

Wk.21- Mercy, Madison







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*WEEK 21 CHAMPIONS*
STRASBOURG, FRANCE (WTA 500/Red Clay Outdoor)
S: Madison Keys/USA def. Danielle Collins/USA 6-2/6-1
D: Cristina Bucsa/Monica Niculescu (ESP/ROU) def. Asia Muhammad/Aldila Sutjiadi (USA/INA) 3-6/6-4 [10-6]
RABAT, MOROCCO (WTA 250/Red Clay Outdoor)
S: Peyton Stearns/USA def. Mayar Sherif/EGY 6-2/6-1
D: Irina Khromacheva/Yana Sizikova (RUS/RUS) def. Anna Danilina/Xu Yifan (KAZ/CHN) 6-3/6-2




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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Madison Keys/USA
...as long as she doesn't have to face Iga Swiatek again, who's to say that Keys isn't a real threat in Paris? I mean, has Keys ever looked this good on clay?

Yes, in 2018 and '19 she hit high points on the dirt, reaching the RG semis ('18) and QF ('19, when she also won in Charleston), while playing in the Rome final in '16. But Keys may have never attained the sort of sustained high on the surface that she's reached this season. With her Strasbourg title, she's 11-3 this spring. Numbers-wise, it's already her best clay campaign (she had previous 11-4 marks in '16 and '18, and 10-3 in '19) and she's yet to foot in Paris.

Strasbourg saw her take the crown without dropping a set vs. Wang Xinyu, Magda Linette, Liudmila Samsonova and Danielle Collins in a 6-2/6-1 final, her first since last June, the first on clay since 2019, and the first on *red* clay since 2016 (Rome). Career title #8 is her first on the surface (Charleston is played on green clay, of course). She's now one of five active women on tour (w/ Jabeur, Kerber, V.Williams and Wozniacki) with WTA crowns on hard court, grass, green and red clay.

But will her Madrid SF/Rome QF/Strasbourg W stretch translate into a big run in Paris? Keys has surely made up for lost time after missing the early part of the season (including the AO) while nursing a shoulder injury, but she's also been made to look something less than grand in her two matches this spring vs. Iga Swiatek, both of them 6-1/6-3 losses.

The good news for Keys is that she's on the opposite side of the RG draw from the world #1, but *could* face #2 Aryna Sabalenka in the Round of 16. While 1-4 vs. Iga, Keys is 1-3 vs. the Belarusian, though they've never played on clay. Hmmm.


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RISERS: Liudmila Samsonova/RUS and Anhelina Kalinina/UKR
...though she arrived in Strasbourg ranked #19, Samsonova was just 5-11 on the season, her standing mostly buoyed by her great second half run from last year (a 17-6 post-Wimbledon spurt that saw her reach big finals in Montreal and Beijing).

With an early season SF under her belt despite her poor '24 numbers, the Hordette reached her second of the season in Strasbourg, stringing together wins over Barbora Krejcikova, Leylah Fernandez and Beatriz Haddad Maia before finally being taken out by Madison Keys a round short of the final.



While Kalinina is the Ukrainian #5 behind players both with bigger names and recent accomplishments (i.e. those of Svitolina, Kostyuk and Yastremska... plus Tsurenko, at least for now), she's capable of posting big results in her own right, as her '22 Madrid QF and '23 Rome final attest.

In Strasbourg, Kalinina played into her third '24 SF (after Austin and Rouen) with victories over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Fiona Ferro and Marketa Vondrousova. The latter win, in the only women's QF match pushed back to Friday, Kalinina notched her second Top 10 win of the season (w/ Sabalenka in Miami) and third in the last year (Vondrousova again, last fall in Beijing). Forced to play her second match of the day, though, she fell in straights to the very-much-in-ongoing-good-form-this-spring Danielle Collins.


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SURPRISES: Mayar Sherif/EGY and Viktoriya Tomova/BUL
...after the way she started '24, it might have been a leap to think that going into Roland Garros no player in the MD would have played in more singles finals over the past month than Sherif. But that's the case as everyone heads to Paris. Thing is, she didn't win *any* of them.

After starting this season at 0-5 in WTA events, Sherif has gone 15-7 this clay season (8-2 in her last 10), reaching a pair of 125 finals and the third of her WTA career this week in Rabat. In the "in-between" week during her most recent month-long stretch, the Egyptian reached the 3rd Round in Rome with wins over Petra Martic and Jasmine Paolini.

In Morocco, Sherif posted victories over Maria Lourdes Carle, Sara Sorribes Tormo and Kamilla Rakhimova before falling in the title match to Peyton Stearns, whose comebacks in her previous two matches almost made it seem as if she was destined to fill the role of champion.

Sherif has reached the 2nd Round the last two years in Paris.

Tomova has remained one of the more anonymous Top 100 players on tour since first cracking the barrier in August 2022. She's remained ranked their for all but seven weeks since, but hasn't garnered much attention when it's come to big events (going 4-12 in slams and 4-11 in 1000s, never advancing beyond the 2nd Round in any of those 23 MD events).

Over the past year, though, the 29-year old Bulgarian has started to move. She won her maiden 125 last August (in Chicago), and followed with her biggest ITF crown ($100K) in November. In January, she reached her first hardcourt WTA QF in Hobart (as a LL), and cracked the Top 65 after the Australian Open. In Indian Wells, she upset Sofia Kenin.

This week in Rabat she posted wins over Wang Yafan and Laura Siegemund to reach her third WTA SF, her first since doing so (also on clay) in Bogota and Belgrade in 2021.



She had a clear path to her maiden tour final when she faced off with Peyton Stearns, against whom Tomova engaged in a 3:15 push-and-pull affair with both players having difficulty holding their serves (at least until the 3rd set). Still, Tomova took a 4-1 lead in the decider before ultimately falling to the tournament's Comeback Queen in a match-ending tie-break.

Tomova will climb to #75 in the last pre-RG rankings, not that far behind the career high of #64 she set in February.
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VETERAN: Danielle Collins/USA
...once again, this time in Strasbourg, it was Collins.



Of course, Madison Keys changed the particular plot point noted in *that* tweet, but Collins is still rolling along at breakneck speed in her final season on tour. Wins over Katerina Siniakova, Clara Burel and Anhelina Kalinina put her into her third final of the season, all in her last five events over which she's compiled a combined record of 22-3 on hard court, green and red clay (she's 15-3 on clay alone)

With the result, Collins climbs back into the Top 10 (sorry, Alona).
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COMEBACK: Peyton Stearns/USA
...you *knew* her '24 season would turn eventually. And you *could tell* in recent weeks that it was getting close to happening, too. Well, in Rabat it finally did... and Stearns is now a WTA singles champion less than halfway into her second season on tour.

At times, it seemed as if the former NCAA champion (2022) couldn't lose. Because, well, on two occasions she almost did, and on one of those she *should* have.

The world #81's road through Morocco included early wins over Aleksandra Krunic (in 3 sets) and Wang Xiyu, but it was then that things got "interesting." Against defending champ Lucia Bronzetti in the QF, the University of Texas product fell behind 5-0 in the 3rd, and faced a MP in game 6, but Stearns rallied to save a second MP at 5-4, then four BP at 5-5 before holding and breaking the Italian a game later to end the 2:45 match to make off with the win in bandit-like fashion.

Still riding that high, Stearns was forced to rally from 4-1 down in the 3rd vs. Viktoriya Tomova in the SF, winning in 3:15 to reach her second tour singles final. Against Mayar Sherif, it was a different story altogether as Stearns never let up and won 2 & 1 to become the season's fourth maiden tour-level singles champ (and second Bannerette).

By the end of the week in Rabat, Stearns had metamorphosed into a three-set maven, snatching victory from the long arms of defeat as if it came second nature to her. It's a humorous notion considering she recently lost six straight three-set affairs, and started '24 at 1-9 in such matches (and a shocking 1-12 dating back to the end of '23).

She's now won four straight three-setters, and five of six, to remarkably level off her overall season record at 12-12 after a 3-10 start.
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FRESH FACE: Clara Burel/FRA
...23-year old Pastry Burel arrived in Strasbourg sporting a 3-5 mark on clay this season, but strung together back-to-back upsets of big name veterans to reach the QF (w/ Linz, her second in '24).

After completing three-set victories over Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina, Burel was taken out by Danielle Collins.



Having reached a new career high (#43) just this past week, Burel will next look to get her first RG MD win since reaching the 3rd Round in her debut appearance in 2020. She's reached the 3rd Round in consecutive slams (US/AO).
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DOWN: Sloane Stephens/USA and Barbora Krejcikova/CZE
...wasn't it just the other day that Stephens was on a nice roll heading into Paris? Yeah, well, that was a few days ago.

Stephens began this clay season on a 9-1 jaunt, winning a title in Rouen. After her 1st Round loss in Strasbourg to Magdalena Frech, she *actually* heads to Roland Garros on a 0-4 (w/ 1 of those a ret.) slide. The loses have been by scores of 6-1/6-3, 6-3/6-2, 6-3/2-1 and 6-3/6-3.

Krejcikova put up a good fight in the 1st Round vs. Liudmila Samsonova in Strasbourg, a tournament she won in '21 heading into her slam title run at Roland Garros. Well, that was three years ago.

The Czech rallied from 6-2/5-2 vs. Samsonova, saving a MP and then grabbing a 3-1 lead in the 3rd. She ended up losing, though, and now stands at 5-6 on the year.

In her banner season of '21, Krejcikova won 15 matches on clay (going 15-3). In 2020 and from 2022-24, she's won a combined 16 matches on the surface (going 16-15, including 0-3 this year). She's 0-2 in Paris since winning the title.
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DOUBLES: Irina Khromacheva/Yana Sizikova, RUS/RUS and Cristina Bucsa/Monicu Niculescu, ESP/ROU
...the Hordettes claimed the Rabat title on Friday, winning a pair of MTB (in the 1st Rd., and SF vs. #1 seeds Guo/Jiang) and then downing Anna Danilina/Xu Yifan in a 6-3/6-2 final.

It's the first tour win for the duo, while Sizikova defends her '23 crown (won w/ Sabrina Santamaria) and she takes home her fifth career WTA title with a fifth different partner. Khromacheva, who won a 125 title last week while partnering Danilina, gets title #4, her second (along with Rouen) this season.



Meanwhile, Bucsa took another step in her transformation into a top-level doubles achiever, following up her recent (biggest-ever) Madrid title run by winning another in Strasbourg to become the first player this season to win a *third* title as she paired with veteran Romanian Niculescu for their first crown together.

Bucsa/Niculescu didn't lose a set on their way to the final, knocking off #2 seed Schuurs/Stefani in the semis, then won the final over Asia Muhammad & Aldila Sutjiadi in a 10-6 MTB after dropping the 1st set.

It's Niculescu's 11th career tour title, her first since 2021. Bucsa now has four, all since the start of last season.


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*TOP Q-PLAYERS (#-first slam MD)*

1. Jule Niemeier, GER (24, #97) ...giving credit to her "clicking" with new coach Michael Geserer (freed up by Jennifer Brady's longtime injury issues, so at least something "good" has come out of it, I guess), Niemeier carried her '24 rebound into Paris, dropping no sets (and just 12 games over three matches, with wins over Lauren Davis and Dalma Galfi) en route to her first slam MD since last year's Wimbledon.

In 2022, the German reached the QF at SW19, and Round of 16 in New York.


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2. Zeynep Sonmez, TUR (22, #157) # ...Sonmez joins the short list of Turkish women to have reached a slam MD, as the 22-year old takes out two seeds (#12 Sasnovich, #21 Fett) en route to a 1st Round berth in Paris. She's the first Turk to make an appearance in the RG MD since 2017 (Cagla Buyukakcay and Ipek Soylu).


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3. Rebecca Sramkova, SVK (27, #89) ...the Slovak continues her roll, getting to 8-1 in her last nine with her RG qualifying run on the heels of a 4th Round effort in Rome (and battle vs. Ostapenko) and Top 100 debut last Monday. The Slovak notched wins over Linda Fruhvirtova and Panna Udvardy (in a 3rd set TB) to reach just her third slam MD (w/ '17 AO and '22 RG).


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4. Tamara Zidansek, SLO (26, #131) ...at the start of April, Zidansek announced a brief break from the tour after being diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia (while also dealing with a sore shoulder since last year). After almost a month away, the Slovenian has played three events, including reaching a $75K QF and now her second straight RG qualifying run, completed with wins over Polona Hercog and back-to-back three-setters vs. Noma Noha Akugue and Hailey Baptiste. Of course, Zidansek was a former semifinalist in Paris just three years ago, when she picked up five of her career total of 12 slam MD wins in 18 MD heading into her 19th this coming week. She reached consecutive slam 3rd Rounds in 2022 (AO/RG), but since then has either exited in the 1st Round (5) or lost in qualifying (2).


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5. Laura Pigossi, BRA (29, #119) ...the 29-year old Brazilian lost just 11 games in her three matches, the fewest of any of the qualifiers. But Pigossi -- a former Olympic Bronze medalist ('21 WD), tour singles finalist ('22 Bogota) and 125 champ ('23 Buenos Aires) -- is 0-2 in career slam MD matches.


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*OTHER RG QUALIFIERS*

Julia Avdeeva, RUS (21/#188) #
Irene Burillo Escorihuela, ESP (26/#280) #
Lucija Ciric-Bagaric, CRO (20/#185) #
Olga Danilovic, SRB (23/#125)
Sara Errani, ITA (37/#95)
Leolia Jeanjean, FRA (28/#143)
Eva Lys, GER (22/#145)
Julia Riera, ARG (21/#93) #
Yuliia Starodubtseva, UKR (24/#144)
Moyuka Uchijima, JPN (22/#80)
Katie Volynets, USA (22/#109)
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# - first slam MD

*RG LUCKY LOSERS (as of May 25)*

Jana Fett, CRO (27/#126)
Dalma Galfi, HUN (25/#147)
Panna Udvardy, HUN (25/#132)


*RECENT ROLAND GARROS "Q-PLAYER OF THE WEEK" WINNERS*
2013 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, SVK
2014 Grace Min, USA
2015 Veronica Cepede Royg, PAR
2016 Viktorija Golubic, SUI
2017 Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
2018 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2019 Elena Rybakina, KAZ
2020 Mayar Sherif, EGY
2021 Varvara Lepchenko, USA
2022 Jule Niemeier, GER
2023 Mirra Andreeva, RUS
2024 Jule Niemeier, GER
[2024 slams]
AO: Alina Korneeva, RUS
RG: Jule Niemeier, GER

=LOW-RANKED 2024 SLAM QUALIFIERS=
#280 - Irene Burillo Escorihuela, ESP (RG)
#191 - Anastasia Zakharova, RUS (AO)
#189 - Lulu Sun, SUI (AO)
#188 - Julia Avdeeva, RUS (RG)
#185 - Lucija Ciric-Bagaric, CRO (RG)
#182 - Rebecca Marino, CAN (AO)
#180 - Alina Korneeva, RUS (AO)

=LL=
#147 - Dalma Galfi, HUN (RG)

*YOUNGEST 2024 SLAM QUALIFIERS*
AO - Alina Korneeva, RUS (16)
AO - Brenda Fruhvirtova, CZE (16)
AO - Sara Bejlek, CZE (17)
AO - Ella Seidel, GER (18)

=LL=
AO - none
RG - Dalma Galfi, HUN (25)
RG - Panna Udvardy, HUN (25)

=OLDEST 2023 SLAM QUALIFIER=
RG - Sara Errani, ITA (37)
AO - Rebecca Marino, CAN (33)
AO - Storm Hunter, AUS (29)
RG - Laura Pigossi, BRA (29)
AO - Leolia Jeanjean, FRA (28)

=LL=
AO - none
RG - Jana Fett, CRO (27)

=MAKING SLAM MD DEBUTS IN 2024 (*-won 1st Rd.)=
=AUTOMATIC ENTRY MD=
AO - none
RG - Maria Lourdes Carle, ARG

=WC=
AO - McCartney Kessler, USA *
AO - Taylah Preston, AUS
RG - none

=Q=
AO - Alina Korneeva, RUS *
AO - Ella Seidel, GER
AO - Yulia Starodubtseva, UKR
AO - Lulu Sun, SUI
AO - Maria Timofeeva, RUS *
AO - Anastasia Zakharova, RUS *
RG - Julia Avdeeva, RUS
RG - Irene Burillo Escorihuela, ESP
RG - Lucija Ciric-Bagaric, CRO
RG - Julia Riera, ARG
RG - Zeynep Sonmez, TUR

=2024 SLAM QUALIFIERS BY NATION=
4...GER (1/2)
4...RUS (3/1)
4...UKR (3/1)
3...FRA (2/1)
2...CZE (2/0)
2...USA (1/1)
1...ARG (0/1)
1...AUS (1/0)
1...BRA (0/1)
1...CAN (1/0)
1...CRO (0/1)
1...ESP (0/1)
1...ITA (0/1)
1...JPN (0/1)
1...MEX (1/0)
1...SLO (0/1)
1...SRB (0/1)
1...SUI (1/0)
1...SVK (0/1)
1...TUR (0/1)



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1. Rabat QF - Peyton Stearns def. Lucia Bronzetti
...6-4/4-6/7-5. This is why, when it comes to any single match, you never say *absolutely* never.

Stearns, for whom three-set affairs were the bane of her existence for most of '24, seemed set to go down and out at the hands of Rabat defending champ Bronzetti in yet another deciding set. The Italian led 5-0 in the 3rd, and held a MP in game 6 to finish off things with a love set. She didn't get the job done, but flashforward a few games after a bit of potential down-the-drain drama and she had another MP at 5-4. Bronzetti didn't convert it, either.

At 5-5, Stearns fell behind love/40 on serve, but saved four BP to pull within sight of victory, then broke the Italian a game later to finish off the monster comeback.



After previously losing six straight deciding set matches, and nine of ten to start the year (12 of 13 dating back to '23), this was Stearns' third straight three-set victory. But she wasn't finished.



Rabat SF - Peyton Stearns def. Viktoriya Tomova
...6-7(6)/7-5/7-6(4). After surviving Bronzetti, Stearns turned to Tomova in a SF match that swung back-and-forth almost on a game-by-game basis. The two combined for 15 breaks of serve on the day, including seven over a seven-game stretch in the opening set.

In the 2nd, twice the two women exchanged breaks as Stearns battled back to knot the match. But, again, a comeback was necessary as Tomova ran out to a 4-1 lead in the 3rd only to see the former NCAA champion gradually reel her back in. Stearns forced a TB, then won it 7-4 on the first MP either had seen all day, ending the 3:15 affair.



Stearns' *fourth* straight three-set win has transformed her into something of a demon in deciding sets, as she's turned around those horrific previous numbers and is now 5-1 in her last six three-setters.
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2. Strasbourg 1st Rd. - Liudmila Samsonova def. Barbora Krejcikova
...6-2/6-7(5)/6-4. Samsonova wins a rollercoaster duel with the '21 Strasbourg champ.

In a 3-hour contest, the Hordette led 6-2/5-2, twice serving for the match and holding a MP at 5-4. Krejcikova took the 2nd in a TB, then took a 3-1 lead in the 3rd before Samsonova came back strong to get the win.


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3. Rabat 1st Rd. - Camilla Rosatello def. Yuan Yue
...7-6(7)/1-6/6-4. World #294 Rosatello is mostly known for her doubles success, but she *does* play quite a bit in a solo capacity. She posted 46 singles wins two seasons ago, and has reached a dozen ITF finals (though she's only won one). Still, she's never cracked the Top 200.

But the Italian had one of her proudest moments in the 1st Round in Rabat, getting just her second WTA MD win (w/ Palermo in '23) via an upset of top-seeded Yuan Yue. Rosatello saved 12 SP en route to winning the 1st in a 9-7 TB, then bounced back to take the 3rd after the #36-ranked Yuan leveled the match.



Alas, Rosatello then retired just four games into her 2nd Round match vs. Kamilla Rakhimova.
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4. Strasbourg Final - Madison Keys def. Danielle Collins
...6-1/6-2. Keys wins the all-Bannerette tour final, the first on tour since Adelaide in 2022 (Keys d. Allie Riske). It's the first on clay since 2016 in Rome, when Keys lost to Serena.


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5. Rabat Final - Peyton Stearns def. Mayar Sherif
...6-2/6-1. Stearns becomes the 14th different former NCAA women's singles champion to lift a tour-level crown, and the *third* this season alone (w/ Navarro and Collins).

Had Collins won in Strasbourg, it would have been an NCAA two-fer in Week 21. As it is, with Madison Keys' Strasbourg crown, it's the first time *two* U.S. women won singles titles on the same weekend since 2014 when Keys (Eastbourne) and CoCo Vandeweghe (Rosmalen) both won on the grass.


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HM- NCAA D-I Women's Final - Alexa Noel (Miami) def. Anastasiia Lopata (Georgia)
...4-6/7-5/6-3. In the first all-unseeded NCAA women's championship final, Noel becomes the second Hurricane (w/ Estela Perez-Somarriba in '19) in the last five tournaments (DNP 2020) to be crowned champion, taking out (9th alternate!) Lopata in three sets.


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RG Q2 - Raluca Serban def. Dominika Salkova 3-6/6-4/7-6(13-11)
...both teenage Fruhvirtova sisters fell in RG qualifying (both in the Q2), as did their 19-year old fellow Czech Salkova.

In a rollercoaster 3rd set, Serban served for the win at 5-3, then Salkova got her chance at 6-5, holding two MP. Salkova had a third MP at 10-9 in the TB, but Cypriot Serban ultimately came out on top on her third of three MP in the 24-point breaker.
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RG Q3 - Leolia Jeanjean def. Robin Montgomery 4-6/6-2/6-4
...Jeanjean has reached the 3rd and 2nd Round the last two years in Paris, both years doing so as a wild card. But the FFT -- which throws RG wild cards to Frenchies like celebratory confetti -- didn't award her with another this year. No matter, she found her way back anyway.

Jeanjean also qualified earlier this season at the Australian Open.


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RG Q3 - #16 Rebecca Sramkova def. #27 Panna Udvardy 7-5/3-6/7-6(10-2)
...perhaps Sramkova picked up *something* from that Rome loss to Ostapenko?

Here, the Slovak rallied from 5-1 down to win the 1st set (Udvardy twice served for it), then in the 3rd it was Sramkova who lost a lead (4-1). After failing to put away a MP at 6-5, Sramkova bounced back -- Latvian Thunder style -- by racing to a 7-0 lead in the TB and winning it 10-2.

Udvardy reached the MD as a lucky loser.
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RG Q2 - Marina Stakusic def. Antonia Ruzic 6-3/4-6/7-6(10-6)
...last year's unexpected star in the BJK Cup final, 19-year old Stakusic trailed Ruzic 3-0 in the 3rd, and saw her opponent serve for the match at 5-3. Ruzic was broken, but held 3 MP chances at 5-4 on Stakusic's serve, then two more at 6-5 before the Canadian advanced via a 10-6 MTB win.


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RG Q2 - Alex Eala def. #30 Taylah Preston 4-6/6-4/7-5
...Eala, the first Filipina to win a junior slam crown ('22 US), rallies from 6-4/4-2 down, then 4-2 back again in the 3rd to move within one win of her women's slam MD debut.

RG Q3 - #2 Julia Riera def. Alex Eala 4-6/7-6(3)/6-4
...but instead it was Riera who booked her maiden appearance in the 1st Round of a major, staging a comeback to win in three after Eala had dug out of a 0-4 hole to claim the opening set.

21-year old Riera is one of two Argentines -- w/ Maria Lourdes Carle -- making her MD slam debut in the coming days.


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RG Q3 - Lucija Ciric-Bagaric def. Sara Saito 7-6(5)/6-1
...already a high achiever on the ITF circuit in '24 (w/ four titles), 20-year old Croat Ciric-Bagaric takes out 17-year old Saito to reach her maiden slam MD.


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RG Q3 - #11 Olga Danilovic def. #22 Astra Sharma 7-6(2)/7-5
...it's that time of year again: time for Danilovic to show up in Paris.

The Serb didn't disappoint, adding a *third* consecutive successful RG qualifying run (she's posted at least one win in all four of her career slam MD appearances) to a recent 2nd Round run in Madrid that finally ended in a 3rd set TB loss to Danielle Collins.

Danilovic is 13-6 on clay this spring.
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RG Q3 - Julia Avdeeva def. Olivia Gadecki 1-6/6-3/6-2
...the 21-year old Hordette sets up her slam MD debut, adding a win over Gadecki to her Q1 upset of Emiliana Arango. Her inclusion brings the total number of Russian women in the MD to 15, matching the United States for the most of any nation (of which there are players from 36 differents lands at this RG).



Even with all the wild cards, Pastries only fill 12 MD slots.
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RG Q3 - Katie Volynets def. Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3/6-4
...the 22-year old Bannerette has escaped the 1st Round just twice ('22 RG 2r, '23 AO 3r) in 10 career slam MD, but she keeps playing her way in. This is her third straight successful slam Q-run.
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RG Q3 - #1 Sara Errani def. Gabriela Ruse 7-6(8)/7-6(4)
...along with Zidansek, Errani makes it *two* former RG semfinalists (or, in her case, 2013 semifinalist *and* 2012 runner-up) advancing back to the MD out of qualifying. Arriving off her Rome doubles title, the 37-year old Italian will be the oldest player in the women's singles draw. She hasn't advanced past the 2nd Round in Paris since 2015.
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RG Q3 - Irene Burillo Escorihuela def. Jil Teichmann 6-1/7-6(1)
...Teichmann has had a "mini-renaissance" this spring -- winning a $35K crown, and reaching two other ITF semis while climbing back into the Top 200 (she was #21 in 2022). But she still wasn't able to get through RG qualifying. The Swiss had been 13-2 on clay this spring until this loss.

Since reaching the Round of 16 in Paris in 2022, her best career slam result, Teichmann has gone 1-4 in slam MD matches and lost in qualifying at the last three majors.

#280-ranked IBE, into her first career slam MD, is the lowest-ranked slam qualifer so far in 2024.
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RG Q1 - #28 Alycia Parks def. Manon Leonard 2-6/6-2/6-3
RG Q2 - Sara Saito def. #28 Alycia Parks 6-2/6-2
...Parks finally ends her 12-match losing streak, only to fall to junior star Saito a round later. Last year's tour champ in Lyon, Parks is 3-15 in '24.
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via GIPHY










BTW, next year will be the 100th anniversary of Lenglen's first official slam title at Roland Garros.

Prior to 1925, the tournament was restricted to French club members only. After reaching the 1914 women's singles final at age 15, when the official tournament was finally scheduled again in 1920 following World War I, Lenglen won four straight titles from 1920-23. After missing the tournament in 1924 after contracting jaundice, Lenglen returned to win the inaugural "Open" event (international players could compete) in 1925, then defended her title in '26.

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I don't have big objection with any of those winners, but Raducanu was the Qualifiers' MVP (especially since Bogdan lost a match, and *shared* the deciding doubles win for ROU w/ Cristian).

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Hmmm, I think the same things are going though Danielle's head there that go through mine when people go on about how glorious and poetic a game such as soccer is. ("Okay, fine, but I still don't wish to watch/say it.")

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Meanwhile, in the land of truly "dishonest" (or, to be nice, misleading) stats (shame on OptaAce, which doesn't normally do this)...



Starting at the time that the older Premier (and before that, Tier I) categorization system began in 2009, Serena was 27 (and 28 later that year). Williams didn't win her first 1000-labeled title until 2011, but then reached 10 by mid-2014 in her 27th career 1000 MD event at age 32. Iga, at 22, won her tenth in Rome in her 30th career 1000 MD. Previously, in the 1000-equivalent Tier I era, Martina Hingis won her tenth in her 30th Tier I MD at age 19.

It's still an impressive accomplishment by Swiatek, but when the numbers are that eye-popping the stat should at least be presented in context.















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*2024 TITLES FROM MATCH POINT DOWN*
Linz - Alona Ostapenko, LAT (1 MP vs. Tauson, 2r)
Madrid - Iga Swiatek, POL (3 MP vs. Sabalenka, F)
Rabat - Peyton Stearns, USA (2 MP vs. Bronzetti, QF)

*TOTAL MP SAVED EN ROUTE TO TITLE - 2020s*
5 - Leylah Fernandez, CAN (2022 Monterrey)
4 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (2023 Dubai)
3 - Jessie Pegula, USA (2022 Guadalajara)
3 - Belinda Bencic, SUI (2023 Abu Dhabi)
3 - Katerina Siniakova, CZE (2023 Nanchang)
3 - Iga Swiatek, POL (2024 Madrid)
2 - Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ITA (2023 Lausanne - 2 matches)
2 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2021 Australian Open)
2 - PEYTON STEARNS, USA (2024 Rabat)
2 - Iga Swiatek, POL (2021 Rome)

*RECENT ALL-USA WTA FINALS*
2008 Wimbledon - V.Williams d. S.Williams
2009 Wimbledon - S.Williams d. V.Williams
2009 WTA - S.Williams d. V.Williams
2012 Stanford - S.Williams d. Vandeweghe
2016 Rome - S.Williams d. Keys
2017 Australian Open - S.Williams d. V.Williams
2017 Stanford - Keys d. Vandeweghe
2017 US Open - Stephens d. Keys
2020 Auckland - S.Williams d. Pegula
2022 Adelaide 2 - Keys d. Riske
2024 Strasbourg - Keys d. Collins

*RECENT MULT.TITLES BY NATION IN WTA WEEK*
2021 Wk.7 (ESP) - Muguruza/DUBAI, Sorribes Tormo/GUADALAJARA
2022 Wk.32 (RUS) - Kasatkina/SAN JOSE, Samsonova/WASHINGTON
2022 Wk.35 (RUS) - Kasatkina/GRANBY, Samsonova/CLEVELAND
2022 Wk.38 (RUS) - Alexandrova/SEOUL, Samsonova/TOKYO
2024 Wk.21 (USA) - Stearns/RABAT, Keys/STRASBOURG
--
PREVIOUS RECENT USA: 2014 Wk.25 - Keys/EASTBOURNE, Vandeweghe/ROSMALEN

*WTA TITLES ON HARD/CLAY/GRASS (active)*
[w/ diff. clay wins: red/green; #-won both red/green]
Belinda Bencic, SUI (gc)
Caroline Garcia, FRA (rc)
Simona Halep, ROU (rc)
Ons Jabeur, TUN (rc/gc) #
Angelique Kerber, GER (rc/gc) #
MADISON KEYS, USA (gc/rc) #
Petra Kvitova, CZE (rc)
Sabine Lisicki, GER (gc)
Alona Ostapenko, LAT (rc)
Karolina Pliskova, CZE (rc)
Elena Rybakina, KAZ (rc)
Katerina Siniakova, CZE (rc)
Venus Williams, USA (rc/gc) #
Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (rc/gc) #
Vera Zvonareva, RUS (rc)

*MOST WTA FINALS in 2024*
5 - Elena Rybakina (3-2)
4 - Iga Swiatek (4-0)
4 - Aryna Sabalenka (1-3)
3 - DANIELLE COLLINS (2-1)
3 - Dasha Kasatkina (0-3)

*MOST 2024 WTA TITLES w/o LOSING A SET*
3 - Iga Swiatek (Doha/Indian Wells/Rome)
1 - MADISON KEYS (Strasbourg)
1 - Karolina Pliskova (Cluj-Napoca)
1 - Elena Rybakina (Brisbane)
1 - Aryna Sabalenka (Australian Open)

*2024 WTA FINALS, MOST SURFACES*
3 - DANIELLE COLLINS = Hard,Green Clay,Red Clay
2 - Dasha Kasatkina = Hard,Green Clay
2 - Marta Kostyuk = Hard,Red Clay
2 - Elena Rybakina = Hard,Red Clay
2 - Iga Swiatek = Hard,Red Clay
2 - Aryna Sabalenka = Hard,Red Clay

*2024 OLDEST WTA WD/MX FINALISTS*
38 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (Miami - W)
38 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (Abu Dhabi - W)
38 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (Auckland - L)
38 - Hsieh Su-wei (Indian Wells - W)
38 - Hsieh Su-wei (Australian Open - W)
38 - Hsieh Su-wei (Australian Open MX - W)
37 - Sara Errani (Rome - W)
36 - Sara Errani (Linz - W)
36 - Laura Siegemund (Madrid -L)
36 - MONICA NICULESCU (Strasbourg -W)

*2024 WTA DOUBLES FINALS*
3 (3-0) = CRISTINA BUCSA
3 (2-1) = IRINA KHROMACHEVA
3 (2-1) = Bethanie Mattek-Sands
3 (1-2) = Lyudmyla Kichenok
3 (1-2) = Nicole Melichar-Martinez
3 (1-2) = Ellen Perez

*NCAA WOMEN'S Div.I SINGLES CHAMPIONS - WTA TITLES*
[w/ NCAA title year]
4 - Lisa Raymond (1992-93)
4 - Danielle Collins (2014,2016)
3 - Patty Fendick (1986-87)
3 - Kathy Jordan (1979)
2 - Alycia Moulton (1982)
1 - PEYTON STEARNS (2022)
1 - Emma Navarro (2021)
1 - Jill Craybas (1996)
1 - Shaun Stafford (1988)
1 - Beth Herr (1983)
1 - Wendy White (1980)
1 - Stacy Margolin (1978)
1 - Barbara Hallquist (1976-77)
1 - Janice Metcalf (1972-73)

*U.S. WOMAN WINS MAIDEN WTA TITLE - since 1998*
1998: Venus Williams (Memphis)
1998: Tara Snyder (Quebec City)
1999: Serena Williams (Paris Indoors)
1999: Corina Morariu (Bol)
2000: Meghann Shaughnessy (Shanghai)
2001: Meilen Tu (Auckland)
2002: Jill Craybas (Tokyo JO)
2006: Vania King (Bangkok)
2012: Melanie Oudin (Birmingham)
2014: Madison Keys (Eastbourne)
2014: CoCo Vandeweghe (Rosmalen)
2014: Alison Riske (Tianjin)
2015: Sloane Stephens (Washington)
2016: Irina Falconi (Bogota)
2016: Christina McHale (Tokyo JWO)
2017: Lauren Davis (Auckland)
2019: Sofia Kenin (Hobart)
2019: Amanda Anisimova (Bogota)
2019: Jessica Pegula (Washington)
2019: Coco Gauff (Linz)
2020: Jennifer Brady (Lexington)
2021: Danielle Collins (Palermo)
2021: Ann Li (Tenerife)
2022: Bernarda Pera (Budapest)
2023: Alycia Parks (Lyon)
2023: Ashlyn Krueger (Osaka)
2024: Emma Navarro (Hobart)
2024: Peyton Stearns (Rabat)

*2024 FIRST-TIME WTA CHAMPIONS*
Hobart - Emma Navarro, USA (22/#31)
Hua Hin - Diana Shnaider, RUS (19/#108)
Austin - Yuan Yue, CHN (25/#68)
Rabat - PEYTON STEARNS, USA (22/#81)
[doubles]
Austin - Olivia Gadecki, AUS (21)
Charleston - Ashlyn Krueger, USA (19)
Charleston - Sloane Stephens, USA (31)
[mixed]
Australian Open - Hsieh Su-wei, TPE (38)






*ROLAND GARROS #1 SEEDS*
2010 Serena Williams (QF)
2011 Caroline Wozniacki (3rd Rd.)
2012 Victoria Azarenka (4th Rd.)
2013 Serena Williams (W)
2014 Serena Williams (2nd Rd.)
2015 Serena Williams (W)
2016 Serena Williams (RU)
2017 Angelique Kerber (1st Rd.)
2018 Simona Halep (W)
2019 Naomi Osaka (3rd Rd.)
2020 Simona Halep (4th Rd.)
2021 Ash Barty (2nd Rd.)
2022 Iga Swiatek (W)
2023 Iga Swiatek (W)
2024 Iga Swiatek

*ROLAND GARROS DEFENDING CHAMP RESULTS - OPEN ERA*
1968 Nancy Richey (SF)
1969 Margaret Smith-Court (W)
1970 Margaret Smith-Court (3rd)
1971 Evonne Goolagong (RU)
1972 Billie Jean King (DNP)
1973 Margaret Smith-Court (DNP)
1974 Chris Evert (W)
1975 Chris Evert (DNP)
1976 Sue Barker (DNP)
1977 Mima Jausovec (RU)
1978 Virginia Ruzici (QF)
1979 Chris Evert Lloyd (W)
1980 Chris Evert Lloyd (SF)
1981 Hana Mandlikova (SF)
1982 Martina Navratilova (4th)
1983 Chris Evert Lloyd (RU)
1984 Martina Navratilova (RU)
1985 Chris Evert Lloyd (W)
1986 Chris Evert Lloyd (SF)
1987 Steffi Graf (W)
1988 Steffi Graf (RU)
1989 Arantxa Sanchez (2nd)
1990 Monica Seles (W)
1991 Monica Seles (W)
1992 Monica Seles (DNP)
1993 Steffi Graf (SF)
1994 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (RU)
1995 Steffi Graf (W)
1996 Steffi Graf (QF)
1997 Iva Majoli (QF)
1998 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (SF)
1999 Steffi Graf (DNP-retired)
2000 Mary Pierce (DNP)
2001 Jennifer Capriati (SF)
2002 Serena Williams (SF)
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne (2nd)
2004 Anastasia Myskina (1st)
2005 Justine Henin-Hardenne (W)
2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne (W)
2007 Justine Henin (DNP-retired)
2008 Ana Ivanovic (4th)
2009 Svetlana Kuznetsova (3rd)
2010 Francesca Schiavone (RU)
2011 Li Na (4th)
2012 Maria Sharapova (RU)
2013 Serena Williams (2nd)
2014 Maria Sharapova (4th)
2015 Serena Williams (RU)
2016 Garbine Muguruza (4th)
2017 Alona Ostapenko (1st)
2018 Simona Halep (QF)
2019 Ash Barty (DNP)
2020 Iga Swiatek (QF)
2021 Barbora Krejcikova (1st)
2022 Iga Swiatek (W)
2023 Iga Swiatek

*CAREER SLAM #1 SEEDS - active*
9...IGA SWIATEK
6...Simona Halep
6...Caroline Wozniacki
3...Victoria Azarenka
3...Angelique Kerber
2...Naomi Osaka
2...Karolina Pliskova
1...Venus Williams

*CAREER SLAM MD APPEARANCES - WOMEN*
93 - Venus Williams *
81 - Serena Williams
72 - ALIZE CORNET (to '24 RG)*
72 - Svetlana Kuznetsova
71 - Francesca Schiavone
71 - Amy Frazier
67 - Martina Navratilova
64 - Conchita Martinez
63 - Ai Sugiyama

*CONSECUTIVE SLAM MD APPEARANCES - WOMEN*
69 - ALIZE CORNET (active)
62 - Ai Sugiyama
61 - Francesca Schiavone
56 - Jelena Jankovic
54 - Nathalie Dechy
54 - Elena Likhovtseva

*2024 ROLAND GARROS...*
=youngest in MD=
17 - Mirra Andreeva, RUS - DOB: April 29, 2007
19 - Linda Noskova, CZE - DOB: November 17, 2004
19 - Erika Andreeva, RUS - DOB: June 24, 2004
=oldest in MD=
37 - Sara Errani, ITA - DOB: April 29, 1987
36 - Tatjana Maria, GER - DOB: August 8, 1987
36 - Angelique Kerber, GER (PR) - DOB: January 18, 1988
36 - Laura Siegemund, GER - DOB: March 4, 1988
34 - Lesia Tsurenko, UKR - DOB: May 30, 1989
34 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR - DOB: July 31, 1989
34 - Alize Cornet, FRA (WC) - DOB: January 22, 1990
34 - Sorana Cirstea, ROU - DOB: April 7, 1990

*IN WOMEN'S SLAM SINGLES MD...*
[oldest]
=2020=
AO: Venus Williams, USA (39)
US: Venus Williams, USA (40)
RG: Venus Williams, USA (40)
=2021=
AO: Venus Williams, USA (40)
RG: Venus Williams, USA (40)
WI: Venus Williams, USA (41)
US: Samantha Stosur, AUS (37)
=2022=
AO: Samantha Stosur, AUS (37)
RG: Kaia Kanepi, EST (36)
WI: Serena Williams, USA (40)
US: Venus Williams, USA (42)
=2023=
AO: Kaia Kanepi, EST (37)
RG: Kaia Kanepi, EST (37)
WI: Venus Williams, USA (43)
US: Venus Williams, USA (43)
=2024=
AO: Sara Errani, ITA (36)
RG: Sara Errani, ITA (37)
[youngest]
=2020=
AO: Coco Gauff, USA (15)
US: Robin Montgomery, USA (15)
RG: Coco Gauff, USA (16)
=2021=
AO: Coco Gauff, USA (16)
RG: Coco Gauff, USA (17)
WI: Coco Gauff, USA (17)
US: Ashlyn Krueger, USA (17)
=2022=
AO: Coco Gauff, USA (17)
RG: Linda Noskova, CZE (17)
WI: Coco Gauff, USA (18)
US: Sara Bejlek, CZE (16)
=2023=
AO: Brenda Fruhvirtova, CZE (15)
RG: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (16)
WI: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (16)
US: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (16)
=2024=
AO: Alina Korneeva, RUS (16)
RG: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (17)






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All for now.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 4:56 PM 

2 Comments:

Blogger khan35 said...

Soccer is the real football. I don't get it, why Americans don't appreciate soccer. After all, it's a beautiful game.

Vika got a tricky one in Podoroska in the 1st round.

Stearns would face Kasatkina in the 2nd round. Last year at RG she lost to Kasatkina.

Keys could make it to the final from the bottom half based on the form she's in right now. Of course, Sabalenka will have something to say about that.

Sun May 26, 04:55:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

I like Australian Rules Football, for what it's worth. :)

In the back of my head after she won Strasbourg, I said, "If she (Keys) goes to Paris and loses in the 1st or 2nd Round..."

Sun May 26, 07:41:00 PM EDT  

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