Wednesday, June 05, 2024

RG.11- Paris is for Dreamers

If you had Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina in the Roland Garros semis... well, could you have been more wrong?




After the #1 and #3 seeds advanced to within a match of the women's final in Paris yesterday, a blueprint for the the rare occasion at Roland Garros in which all four top seeds reach the semifinals was still in working order. It hadn't happened in the tournament since 1992, and that was the *only* time it previously had occurred in the Open era.

With #2 Sabalenka and #4 Rybakina in action on Wednesday, it seemed quite possible, and maybe likely, that it would occur for a second time today.

And then they played the matches.



The phrase "Victory belongs to the most tenacious" is visible as it runs along the ring of stands on Chatrier court, presented in both English and French, but not Italian. For Jasmine Paolini, it didn't matter.

The 28-year old was one of the tour's most improved players in 2023 when she cracked the Top 30, notched two Top 10 wins, reached her first 1000 QF and played in a pair of tour singles finals. What she's done in '24, though, has raised the stakes considerably. Even before today Paolini had reached her maiden slam Round of 16 in Melbourne (then reaching the QF in Paris), claimed her biggest title at the Dubai 1000 and climbed into the Top 20. She'd even added her two biggest tour doubles titles this year, winning at both the 500 and 1000 level (the latter on home clay in Rome).

Today the stakes were raised yet again.

Coming into this season, the Italian had qualified just once in 12 attempts at slams from 2017-19, and when she'd appeared in a major MD had then exited in the 1r/2r on all 16 occasions (going 4-16). Coming into her QF vs. Rybakina, Paolini stood at 7-1 in slam play in' 24 alone.

But she saved the best for last (or, so far, for today).

While Paolini showed up in bouncy and ready-to-go form for her maiden slam QF, former slam champ and finalist Rybakina spent the 1st set seemingly with roughly 75% of her body/mind still in the lockerroom (it made one wonder if one of the many illnesses that have plagued her the last two seasons might have reocurred). The Kazakh's opening set was error-strewn, she was often found to be unbalanced, and she rarely hit through her shots, which generally landed at or inside the service line rather than is the case with her usual, deeply penetrating groundstrokes.

While Paolini was consistent, Rybakina -- though she saved a BP and held to stay within 3-2 -- couldn't prevent the unforced errors from coming off her racket. At the same time, Paolini didn't face a BP in the set, and didn't drop a point on her 1st serve until the final game of the set. She won it 6-2.

In the 2nd, Rybakina slowly began to find her way into the match. Her inside out forehand winner to hold in game 1 seemed to signal a turning of a corner for her. Still, by the time game #3 was over she was ahead (and not in a good way) 20-1 in UE compared to Paolini, and a series of UE and a DF put her down a break at 2-1.

Finally stepping in on her shots, Rybakina needed four BP to do it, but a backhand winner on a second serve return got the break to get the set back on serve. Paolini continued her work from the baseline, carving out a BP in game 7 that was converted via a Rybakina error. Serving at 4-3, up 40/15, though, nerves seemed to get the best of the Italian, who pulled back and soon dropped serve. Two games later, Paolini was serving to *stay* in the set down 4-5. She took a 30/love lead, but ultimately dropped serve again as the Kazakh escaped to force a 3rd with a 6-4 win.

The two exchanged breaks of serve through the opening four games of the decider, with Rybakina twice going down a break only to get it back a game later (including a break for 2-2 on BP #3 in a 10-minute game). She fired an ace to get the first hold of the set, going up 3-2, while Paolini struggled to finish off her own service holds. But finish them off she did, and that proved to be key.

Rybakina held at love for 4-3, but two games later saw the script flip once more.

After having not done so when victory was nearly at hand in the 2nd set, a more tenacious Paolini now began to more forward and fire away. At the same time, Rybakina's error-prone streak made an unwelcome return. Rybakina dropped serve at 15 in game 9 and Paolini was suddenly serving for the win at 5-4.

The Italian took a 30/15 lead and held a MP at 40/30. Fittingly, it all ended with Rybakina's long backhand error, giving Paolini the 6-2/4-6/6-4 career-changing victory.



The result made this slam the 15th of the 17 held during the 2020s to include at least one first-time major semifinalist (only the '22 AO and '23 US have gone without).

Paolini is the fourth Italian to reach the RG women's semis in the Open era (joining Schiavone, Errani and... remember, Trevisan did it just two years ago), and on Monday will raise the number of her countrywomen to haved reached the WTA Top 10 to five. She's the first non-Quartet member to do it (w/ Pennetta and Vinci counting for the other half of the crew along with Schiavone and Errani).



Paolini -- now officially "The Fifth Italian" (not "the fifth Beatle," but still pretty good) -- has already pulled so much out of her tennis bag at this Roland Garros. But does she have (at least) one more trick left?





=DAY 11 NOTES=
...with the backdrop of Paolini's upset of Rybakina, the feeling of the second QF of the day changed. Still, surely (it seemed), Aryna Sabalenka would put things back on course, right? Yes, Mirra Andreeva gives every indication of being a big star in the not too distance future, but was the 17-year old ready for *this*? Already (in just her fifth slam MD)?

Well...



While Rybakina barely ever looked *right* today, she had nothing on Sabalenka, who after taking a 2-0 lead in the opening set looked as if she could plotz at any moment. Seriously, maybe someone *did* slip something into the on-site snacks at Stade Roland-Garros.

While Sabalenka was playing to reach her seventh straight slam semi, Andreeva could become the youngest slam semifinalist since a 16-year old Martina Hingis won the U.S. Open in 1997 (in a final over a then *17*-year old Venus Williams, so that should give a good idea of the sort of history the teenage Hordette was chasing).

After her quick start, Sabalenka gave back her break lead in game 3 and would be a member of the walking wounded (or walking woozy) the rest of the day. To her credit, after an MTO during which she was given medication (it worked, but only barely) Sabalenka would try to gut it out. With Sabalenka misfiring, Andreeva broke for a 4-3 lead, and served for the set at 5-4. Sabalenka got the break, and took the set to a tie-break. After going up 4-2, Sabalenka saw Andreeva get things back on serve at 5-4, but the Belarusian pulled it out in the end, converting on her second SP with a drop shot that the Russian couldn't get back, winning 7-5.

But, set up or not, Sabalenka wasn't out of the woods, not by a long shot.

Sabalenka got a tough hold for 2-2 (saving a BP), but continued to be impacted by her illness. She dropped serve at love to go down 4-2. Sabalenka broke back, but often was seen taking deep breaths, bending over, crouching down and looking to her box for support as she tried to reach the finish line. Meanwhile, on the other side of the net, the teenager (behaving like a teenager... or, you know, a certain twentysomething Latvian) was yelling at her mother to leave the player's box. And she did, at the key stage of 4-4 in the 2nd, leaving behind coach Conchita Martinez to "handle" the situation.

Whatever the dynamic at hand, it worked. Andreeva responded while Sabalanka waned. The Hordette reached SP during a Sabalenka service game at 5-4, converting on her second try to win 6-4 and knot the match.

In the 3rd, Sabalenka seemed to be finding a way to hit herself into another major semi. She held from love/30 for 2-2, and started to go bigger on her shots, and do so more often. A love break of Andreeva gave Sabalenka a 3-2 lead, as she ran her points streak to eight. But just when she seemed ready to win, Sabalenka put things into reverse again. Down love/40 in game 6, she flew a forehand and the set was back on serve.

Andreeva took advantage of the opening, holding for 4-3 after getting to a drop shot for a crosscourt winner to end a rally in which her defense had prevented Sabalenka from taking control of a point that she was this close to seizing to get things back to deuce.



Serving down 5-4, Sabalenka saw her 30/love lead evaporate to 30-all. A poor drop shot gave Andreeva a MP. Sabalenla saved it, but an Andreeva backhand down the line got her a second look. In true Hingisian fashion, the teenager locked away her biggest career win with a lob over the head of the world #2. Sabalenka didn't even both to look to see if it landed in. She knew.



Not only does Andreeva's 6-7(5)/6-4/6-4 victory make her the youngest major semifinalist in 27 years, she's also the youngest to knock off a Top 2 woman in slam play since a 16-year old Jelena Dokic took out Hingis (showing the *other side* of early success) in the 1st Round of Wimbledon in 1999, just two years after she'd become the teenage queen of women's tennis.

Though it was a sometimes-rocky road, things turned out all right for Hingis. But Andreeva should be aware to always see the light. And, well, make way for ladybugs.



So, is this Roland Garros going to turn on a ladybug and an upset stomach? Stay tuned.

...while there was quite a bit of "the usual" in Day 11's wheelchair action, such as #1 Diede de Groot getting her 46th straight victory in slam singles (defeating Wang Ziying 6-0/6-3), #4 Aniek Van Koot (def. Dana Mathewson) advancing to play her in the semis, and Zhu Zhenzhen taking out the leading member of the *next* Dutch generation in the form of Lizzy de Greef, there was *one* unexpected result as #2 Yui Kamiji was ousted by Japanese countrywoman Momoko Ohtani.

Ohtani's 6-7(1)/7-5/6-4 win came after Kamiji had led 7-6/4-0. With Ohtani serving for the win in the 3rd at 5-3, Kamiji saved a MP and got a break on her sixth BP of the game to get things back on serve, only to then drop serve a game later to end the nearly three-hour match. The loss ends her non-de Groot winning streak at 46 matches (she had a previous non-Diede run of 74 wins that was ended at last year's Wimbledon).

Kamiji had played in the last seven RG singles finals, winning three times (2017-18, and '20).

...the junior final eight consists of three Bannerettes, two Crushers and one girl each from Belgium, the Netherlands and Slovakia.

#1 Renata Jamrichova (SVK) is still alive for the '24 AO/RG title double, while #3 Laura Samson and #12 Tereza Valentova are seeking to become the third Czech winner in four years ('21 Noskova, '22 Havlickova) in Paris. Wins from the likes of quarterfinalists #4 Tyra Caterina Grant, #10 Iva Jovic or unseeded Kristina Penickova would produce the first U.S. junior RG champ since Coco Gauff in 2018.

...the women's doubles semis *could* have included three of the four singles semifinalists, but Andreeva's QF withdrawal following her singles win means that her 39-year old partner Vera Zvonareva (she'll turn 40 in September) won't have a chance to claim her first career RG crown. She's won some sort of title at each of the other three majors: '12 AO WD, '06 WI MX, and two WD (2006,2020) and a MX (2004) at the US.

Both of the other WS contenders won their WD matches today -- Gauff with Katerina Siniakova and Paolini with Sara Errani, *after* her win over Rybakina -- to reach the semis. Siniakova's win with Gauff improved the Czech's 2024 doubles mark to 21-4 (1-0 w/ Sasnovich, 14-3 w/ Storm, 2-1 w/ Townsend, and 4-0 w/ Coco).



...the only woman alive in both the WD (w/ Caroline Dolehide) and MX (w/ Neal Skupski) draws is Desirae Krawczyk. The Bannerette & Skupski advanced to the MX final today, where they'll face Laura Siegemund & Edouard Roger-Vasselin (who won *two* matches on Day 11).

Siegemund won the 2016 U.S. Open MX with Mate Pavic, while Krawczyk is going for her *fifth* career MX win, having previously won twice (2021-22 Wimbledon) with Skupski, with whom she also reached this year's AO mixed final.





*WOMEN'S SINGLES SF*
#1 Iga Swiatek/POL vs. #3 Coco Gauff/USA
#12 Jasmine Paolini/ITA vs. Mirra Andreeva/RUS

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES SF=
#11 Errani/Paolini (ITA/ITA) vs. Kostyuk/Ruse (UKR/ROU)
#8 Dolehide/Krawczyk (USA/USA) vs. #5 Gauff/Siniakova (USA/CZE)

=MIXED DOUBLES FINAL=
#4 Krawczyk/N.Skupski (USA/GBR) vs. #2 Siegemund/Roger-Vasselin (GER/FRA)

=WHEELCHAIR SINGLES SF=
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. #4 Aniek Van Koot/NED
Zhu Zhenzhen/CHN vs. Momoko Ohtani/JPN

=WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES SF=
x vs. Mathewson/Tanaka (USA/JPN)
Li Xiaohui/Zhu Zhenzhen (JPN/CHN) vs. x

=GIRLS SINGLES QF=
#1 Renata Jamrichova/SVK vs. #12 Tereza Valentova/CZE
#4 Tyra Caterina Grant/USA vs. Jeline Vandromme/BEL
#10 Iva Jovic/USA vs. #3 Laura Samson/CZE
Kristina Penickova/USA vs. Rose Marie Nijkamp/NED

=GIRLS DOUBLES QF=
#1 A.Kovackova/Samson (CZE/CZE) vs. #7 Sonobe/Stojsavljevic (JPN/GBR)
#4 Grant/Jovic (USA/USA) vs. Basiletti/de Zeeuw (ITA/NED)
Pastikova/Stusek (CZE/GER) vs. #3 Jamrichova/Valentova (SVK/CZE)
#5 Jones/Paganetti (AUS/ITA) vs. #2 Klugman/Xu (GBR/GBR)







...GOOD LUCK (psst...and rent, don't buy)... ON DAY 11:




...SEE HOW GOOD STATS ARE WHEN THEY'RE PRESENTED IN CONTEXT... ON DAY 11:




...SOMETIMES, WITH THE REALLY GOOD ONES, IT JUST COMES NATURALLY... ON DAY 11:




...WATCH THIS, MA!... ON DAY 11:




...YET SHE PROBABLY WON'T EVEN BE NOMINATED FOR "MOST IMPROVED PLAYER" BECAUSE SHE WAS NOMINATED FOR IT *LAST* YEAR... ON DAY 11:




...ORIGINAL FRUSSIAN PASTRY... ON DAY 11:




...WELP... ON DAY 11:

Though maybe it wouldn't have been in the cards even *if* a Sabalenka/Rybakina match-up had been on deck, as past RG night sessions have finshed up on Day 11 since the first year of the additional (money-making) endeavor on Chatrier in 2021, it's now official that this slam will be completed without a women's singles match featured in an under-the-lights showcase on Chatrier.

With neither of tomorrow's women's semifinals scheduled to fill an additional carved-out night slot, this marks the first time in the RG night session era that no women's matches were included on the schedule over the run of the tournament. Granted, through Wednesday, only *four* of the 41 night contests on Chatrier from 2021-24 *had* featured the women, and two of those came in the first year with no fans allowed in the stands. From 2022-23, just *one* women's match each year was scheduled over 10 days of sessions (this year there were 11).

One might have thought that (new) home favorite Varvara Gracheva's 4th Rounder vs. Andreeva could have gotten the call a few days ago, especially since Andreeva had already played well into the night two rounds earlier on Court 12 (vs. Azarenka in a match that ended at 1 a.m. with the backlog due to the rain), but once that came and went it seemed unlikely that *any* would be so dubbed (unless Gracheva had won, maybe).

And that did indeed turn out to be the case. The only women's scheduled night matches at RG:

2021 Night 2: S.Williams d. Begu [first official night session match; no fans]
2021 Night 9: Swiatek d. Kostyuk [no fans]
2022 Night 5: Cornet d. Ostapenko
2023 Night 8: Sabalenka d. Stephens
2024 none















I can't believe I'd never heard this acoustic version of "Born in the U.S.A.," which has the 40th anniversary of its release this year, until recently. It's quite haunting, and far better reflects the true meaning and viewpoint of the song.

If this had been the original version released, I don't think any Republican politicians would have attempted to co-opt it by using it as some sort of patriotic anthem in the egregiously incorrect way that they have for decades, from Reagan all the way to Trump.








kosova-font

*CAREER SLAM SF - active*
23 - Venus Williams, USA (16-7)
9 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (6-3)
9 - Simona Halep, ROU (5-4)
8 - Angelique Kerber, GER (4-4)
8 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (3-5)
7 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (3-4)
7 - Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (3-4)
6 - Iga Swiatek, POL (4-1)*
6 - Madison Keys, USA (1-5)
4 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (4-0)
4 - Coco Gauff, USA (2-1)*
4 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (2-2)
4 - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (2-2)
3 - Genie Bouchard, CAN (1-2)
3 - Sara Errani, ITA (1-2)
3 - Ons Jabeur, TUN (3-0)
3 - Karolina Muchova, CZE (1-2)
3 - Sloane Stephens, USA (2-1)
3 - Elina Svitolina, UKR (0-3)
2 - Jennifer Brady, USA (1-1)
2 - Danielle Collins, USA (1-1)
2 - Sofia Kenin, USA (2-0)
2 - Sabine Lisicki, GER (1-1)
2 - Alona Ostapenko, LAT (1-1)
2 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (2-0)
2 - Maria Sakkari, GRE (0-2)
2 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (2-0)
1 (W) Andreescu,Fernandez,Krejcikova
1 (W) Pavlyuchenkova,Raducanu,Zheng Q.
1 (-) M.Andreeva,Paolini
1 (L) Anisimova,Bencic,Garcia,Haddad Maia
1 (L) Kasatkina,Linette,Maria,Mertens,Podoroska
1 (L) Trevisan,Vesnina,Wickmayer,Yastremska,Zidansek
--
*-to play SF

[SLAM SF 2020-24]
8 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (3-5)
6 - Iga Swiatek, POL (4-1)*
4 - Coco Gauff, USA (2-1)*
3 - Ash Barty, AUS (2-1)
3 - Karolina Muchova, CZE (1-2)
3 - Ons Jabeur, TUN (3-0)
2 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (1-1)
2 - Jennifer Brady, USA (1-1)
2 - Simona Halep, ROU (0-2)
2 - Sofia Kenin, USA (2-0)
2 - Madison Keys, USA (0-2)
2 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2-0)
2 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (2-0)
2 - Maria Sakkari, GRE (0-2)
2 - Serena Williams, USA (0-2)
1 - Mirra Andreeva, RUS (0-0)*
1 - Danielle Collins, USA (1-0)
1 - Leylah Fernandez, CAN (1-0)
1 - Jasmine Paolini, ITA (0-0)*
1 - Caroline Garcia, FRA (0-1)
1 - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA (0-1)
1 - Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (0-1)
1 - Angelique Kerber, GER (0-1)
1 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (1-0)
1 - Martina Trevisan, ITA (0-1)
1 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (0-1)
1 - Magda Linette, POL (0-1)
1 - Tatjana Maria, GER (0-1)
1 - Garbina Muguruza, ESP (1-0)
1 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS (1-0)
1 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (1-0)
1 - Nadia Podoroska, ARG (0-1)
1 - Emma Raducanu, GBR (1-0)
1 - Elina Svitolina, UKR (0-1)
1 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (1-0)
1 - Dayana Yastremska, UKR (0-1)
1 - Zheng Qinwen, CHN (1-0)
1 - Tamara Zidansek, SLO (0-1)
--
*-to play SF

[2024 SLAM SF BY NATION]
2 - USA (0-1) - Gauff
1 - BLR (1-0)
1 - CHN (1-0)
1 - ITA (0-0) - Paolini
1 - POL (0-0) - Swiatek
1 - RUS (0-0) - M.Andreeva
1 - UKR (0-1)

[SLAM SF BY NATION 2020-24 / 17 slams]
13 - USA (6-6)*
10 - BLR (4-6)
7 - POL (4-2)*
7 - CZE (4-3)
3 - AUS (2-1)
3 - RUS (1-1)*
3 - TUN (3-0)
2 - GER (0-2)
2 - GRE (0-2)
2 - JPN (2-0)
2 - KAZ (2-0)
2 - ROU (0-2)
2 - UKR (0-2)
1 (W) - CAN,CHN,GBR,ESP
1 (-) - ITA*
1 (L) - ARG,BRA,FRA,SLO,ITA

[2024 RG SEMIFINALISTS - career RG SF]
4 - Iga Swiatek
2 - Coco Gauff
1 - Mirra Andreeva
1 - Jasmine Paolini

[2024 RG SEMIFINALISTS - consecutive Slam SF]
3 - Coco Gauff

[2024 RG SEMIFINALISTS - career RG W/L]
33-2...Iga Swiatek
20-4...Coco Gauff
8-5...Jasmine Paolini
7-1...Mirra Andreeva

[2024 RG SEMIFINALISTS - career Slam W/L]
75-16...Iga Swiatek
54-16...Coco Gauff
14-4...Mirra Andreeva
12-17...Jasmine Paolini

[2024 RG SEMIFINALISTS - 2024 Slam W/L]
10-1...Coco Gauff
8-1...Mirra Andreeva
8-1...Jasmine Paolini
7-1...Iga Swiatek

*FIRST-TIME SLAM SEMIFINALISTS AT RG SINCE 2014*
2014 Simona Halep, ROU (RU)
2014 Andrea Petkovic, GER
2015 Timea Bacsinszky, SUI
2016 Kiki Bertens, NED
2017 Alona Ostapenko, LAT (W)
2019 Amanda Anisimova, USA
2019 Ash Barty, AUS (W)
2019 Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (RU)
2020 Nadia Podoroska, ARG
2020 Iga Swiatek, POL (W)
2021 Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (W)
2021 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS (RU)
2021 Maria Sakkari, GRE
2021 Tamara Zidansek, SLO
2022 Coco Gauff, USA (RU)
2022 Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
2022 Martina Trevisan, ITA
2023 Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA
2024 Mirra Andreeva, RUS
2024 Jasmine Paolini, ITA

*LOW-SEEDED RG SEMIFINALISTS - since 2000*
unseeded...Clarisa Fernandez, 2002
unseeded...Nadia Petrova, 2003
unseeded...Kiki Bertens, 2016
unseeded...Alona Ostapenko, 2017 (W)
unseeded...Amanda Anisimova, 2019
unseeded...Marketa Vondrousova, 2019 (RU)
unseeded...Iga Swiatek, 2020 (W)
unseeded...Tamara Zidansek, 2021
unseeded...Barbora Krejcikova, 2021 (W)
unseeded...Martina Trevisan, 2022
qualifier...Nadia Podoroska, 2020
unseeded...Karolina Muchova, 2023 (RU)
unseeded...MIRRA ANDREEVA, 2024
#31...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 2021 (RU)
#30...Timea Bacsinszky, 2017
#30...Samantha Stosur, 2009
#28...Andrea Petkovic, 2014
#26...Johanna Konta, 2019
#23...Timea Bacsinszky, 2015
#21...Samantha Stosur, 2016
#21...Sara Errani, 2012 (RU)
#21...Mary Pierce, 2005 (W)
#20...Dasha Kasatkina, 2022
#20...Dominika Cibulkova, 2009
#18...Coco Gauff, 2022 (RU)
#18...Genie Bouchard, 2014
#17...Francesca Schiavone, 2010 (W)
#17...Maria Sakkari, 2021
#16...Elena Likhovtseva, 2005
#16...Nicole Vaidisova, 2006
#14...Beatriz Haddad, 2023
#14...Paola Suarez, 2004
#14...Justine Henin, 2001
#13...Madison Keys, 2018
#13...Dinara Safina, 2008
#13...Lucie Safarova, 2015 (RU)
#12...Kim Clijsters, 2001
#12...JASMINE PAOLINI, 2024
#11...Marion Bartoli, 2011
#10...Sloane Stephens, 2018 (RU)
#10...Justine Henin, 2005 (W)

*"FIRST SLAM..." FEATS IN 2020s*
=SF=
2020 AO - Sofia Kenin, USA (12th slam MD)
2020 US - Jennifer Brady, USA (13th)
2020 RG - Nadia Podoroska, ARG (2nd)
2020 RG - Iga Swiatek, POL (7th)
2021 AO - Karolina Muchova, CZE (9th)
2021 RG - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (5th)
2021 RG - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS (52nd)
2021 RG - Maria Sakkari, GRE (21st)
2021 RG - Tamara Zidansek, SLO (9th)
2021 WI - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (15th)
2021 US - Leylah Fernandez, CAN (7th)
2021 US - Emma Raducanu, GBR (2nd)
2022 AO - none
2022 RG - Coco Gauff, USA (10th)
2022 RG - Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (26th)
2022 RG - Martina Trevisan, ITA (8th)
2022 WI - Ons Jabeur, TUN (21st)
2022 WI - Tatjana Maria, GER (35th)
2022 WI - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (12th)
2022 US - Caroline Garcia, FRA (42nd)
2023 AO - Magda Linette, POL (30th)
2023 RG - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA (12th)
2023 US - none
2024 AO - Dayana Yastremska, UKR (17th)
2024 AO - Zheng Qinwen, CHN (9th)
2024 RG - Mirra Andreeva, RUS (5th)
2024 RG - Jasmine Paolini, ITA (18th)

*SOVIET/RUSSIAN RG SEMIFINALISTS*
1968-1973 -
1974 Olga Morozova (USSR)(RU)
1975 Olga Morozova (USSR)
1976-87 -
1988 Natasha Zvereva (USSR)(RU)
1989-2002 -
2003 Nadia Petrova
2004 Elena Dementieva (RU), Anastasia Myskina (W)
2005 Elena Likhovtseva, Nadia Petrova
2006 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RU)
2007 Maria Sharapova
2008 Svetlana Kuznetsova, Dinara Safina (RU)
2009 Svetlana Kuznetsova (W), Dinara Safina (RU)
2010 Elena Dementieva
2011 Maria Sharapova
2012 Maria Sharapova (W)
2013 Maria Sharapova (RU)
2014 Maria Sharapova (W)
2015 -
2016 -
2017 -
2018 -
2019 -
2020 -
2021 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RU)
2022 Dasha Kasatkina
2023 -
2024 Mirra Andreeva

*ITALIANS IN RG SEMIFINALS*
2010 Francesca Schiavone (W)
2011 Francesca Schiavone (RU)
2012 Sara Errani (RU)
2013 Sara Errani
2022 Martina Trevisan
2024 Jasmine Paolini

*RECENT WTA TOP 10 SINGLES DEBUTS (in order)*
=2019 [3]=
Aryna Sabalenka/BLR
Ash Barty/AUS
Bianca Andreescu/CAN
=2020 [1]=
Sofia Kenin/USA
=2021 [6]=
Iga Swiatek/POL
Barbora Krejcikova/CZE
Maria Sakkari/GRE
Ons Jabeur/TUN
Anett Kontaveit/EST
Paula Badosa/ESP
=2022 [5]=
Danielle Collins/USA
Coco Gauff/USA
Jessie Pegula/USA
Emma Raducanu/GBR
Veronika Kudermetova/RUS
=2023 [4]=
Elena Rybakina/KAZ
Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA
Marketa Vondrousova/CZE
Karolina Muchova/CZE
=2024 [2]=
Zheng Qinwen/CHN
Jasmine Paolini/ITA

*ITALIANS IN WTA SINGLES TOP 10 (by debut date)*
2009 Flavia Pennetta
2010 Francesca Schiavone
2012 Sara Errani
2016 Roberta Vinci
2024 Jasmine Paolini



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TOP QUALIFIER: Jule Niemeier/GER
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR (7 games lost in 1r/2r)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #1 Iga Swiatek/POL (8 games lost 3r-QF)
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: Raluca Serban/CYP def. Dominika Salkova/CZE 3-6/6-4/7-6(13-11) - both served for win in 3rd, w/ Salkova 2 MP, then third in TB; Serban wins 24-point MTB
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #1 Swiatek/POL def. (PR) Osaka/JPN 7-6(1)/1-6/7-5 - Osaka led in 3rd at 4-1 w/ pt. for 5-1, 5-2 up, served at 5-3 and had MP
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 4th Rd. - #1 Iga Swiatek/POL def. Anastasia Potapova/RUS 6-0/6-0 (10 points lost total; 40 minutes)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Donna Vekic/CRO (def. Tsurenko/UKR ret.)
FIRST SEED OUT: #29 Veronika Kudermetova/RUS (1r: Bouzkova/CZE)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Moyuka Uchijima/JPN (2nd MD)
UPSET QUEENS: United States
REVELATION LADIES: China
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Germany (1-5 1st Rd.)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Olga Danilovic/SRB (in 4th Rd.)
LUCKY LOSER WINS: Hailey Baptiste/USA, Jana Fett/CRO (both 2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Chloe Paquet/FRA (3rd Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: 3rd Rd.: Bianca Andreescu/CAN, Irina-Camelia Begu/ROU; 2nd Rd.: Amanda Anisimova/USA, Naomi Osaka/JPN
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Varvara Gracheva (in 4th Rd.)
Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITY: Jasmine Paolini/ITA
IT "Teen": Mirra Andreeva/RUS
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominees: Osaka, Errani
CRASH & BURN: #6 Maria Sakkari/GRE (lost 1st Rd. 4 of 5 slams)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Iga Swiatek/POL (2nd Rd.: down 4-1 -- pt. for 5-1 -- and 5-2 vs. Osaka in 3rd; Osaka MP at 5-3)
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Krawczyk(mx), Siegemund(mx)
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Jabeur, Errani(wd), Siegemund(mx), (Legends comp.)
Mademoiselle/Madame OF THE EVENING: Mirra Andreeva/RUS and Victoria Azarenka/BLR (1 a.m. 2r finish on Court 12)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
Légion de Lenglen: Firsts (Court Lenglen roof debuts, and Varvara Gracheva's first RG as FRA) and Last (Alize Cornet's farewell tournament)
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: Nominee: Iga attempt at first three-peat since Henin in 2007






All for Day 11. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 7:53 PM 

2 Comments:

Blogger khan35 said...

Never change WTA. Just when one think that the tour got steady and solid, the tour scream "NO".

Mirra should've won this match in straight sets as Sabalenka only played at 30%.

Paolini's run so far at RG is giving me a vibe of Schiavone's 2010 run at RG.

Thu Jun 06, 04:37:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Stosur not waiting in a possible final for Paolini, though. ;)

Good on Coco for trying something different vs. Swiatek, whether it worked all that well or not. Truthfully, if she *had* won today it *might* have been more of a surprise (mostly because of how Iga is playing right now) than the results of yesterday's two QF.

Thu Jun 06, 12:12:00 PM EDT  

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