Thursday, July 11, 2024

W.11- Live Like Paolini


If you're gonna live, live like Jasmine Paolini.




As 2024 has gone along, it's become legitimate to wonder whether Paolini is for real, or if she's just a dream. We do know that the Italian is *living* her dream, even if she likely couldn't have even conceived of the possibility of having the sort of season she's already put together.

A career-best slam Round of 16 (AO)? Great. A 1000 title? Stupendous. A slam final (RG)? Really? Well, okay then -- fabulous! A Top 10 ranking? Flavia, Francesca & Co. will be proud. *Another* slam final? On the grass at Wimbledon? It's like a fairly tale has jumped from page and screen and onto every court of every color all over the WTA world.

But, really, all you have to do is watch Paolini play for a little while... then you understand.

Just one of her characteristics as a player -- an air of positivity, the never-say-stop on-court engine, the ability to learn and adapt from surface to surface and situation to situation, and a competitive spirit that's imprinted "fight" into her DNA (well, all of the best Italian players have *that*, right?) -- would be enough to make her a threat, but for her to possess *all* of them simultaneously and assemble them in congruously working order for the first time in the season in which she turned 28 (no "spring chicken" by tennis standards)? THAT is the stuff of instant legend.

Today, Donna Vekic became a big part of that story. The Croat took 43 slam MD attempts to reach her first slam SF, following a bevy of injuries, on-court disappointments, emotional rollercoasters, doubts and stunning reversals of fortune that normally would have made *her* the glorified storymaker of today's first Wimbledon women's match-up. If not for Paolini, that is. No Croatian woman has reached a slam final since Iva Majoli won Roland Garros in 1997, but Vekic's potential place in history was harder to identify amid the showy flurry of Paolini's rise.

But Vekic joined with Paolini is lifting the entire women's competition at this Wimbledon today, as they engaged in by far the best match played to date, a back-and-forth contest that wasn't decided until deep into a 3rd set that had already seen its own share of momentum-changing moments.

Vekic stated her case to be the lead actor in this drama during the opening set, overpowering Paolini off the ground while the Italian's low first serve percentage set her up for failure. Vekic dominated the action on Paolini's second serve. Paolini had managed to hold in her opening service game despite facing a BP, but by game 5 she could no longer keep the Croatian at bay. Vekic's half-volley winner knotted the score at 30/30, then back-to-back UE from Paolini gave the Croat a break lead at 3-2. After breaking to lead 5-2, Vekic served out the 1st, having lost just three points on serve in the set.



But it's not in Paolini's nature -- or her career blueprint to date -- to just give up becauase success was slow to develop. Through the 2nd set, she utilized different tactics to try to reverse the course of the match. Her first serve numbers improved, and while it was often a struggle she managed to hold serve. She got a 15/30 look on Vekic's serve in game 2, but the Croatian got the hold (after stumbling at the baseline, but not going down, in the next to last point of the game).

Paolini benefited from an early missed call on a Vekic lob, and latter saved a BP before holding for 2-1. A game later, Paolini continued to chip away, reaching BP for the first time in the match. Vekic saved it with a 115-mph serve and held. Staring down the barrel of Vekic's shots yet again, Paolini saved two more BP in the next game. At 30/30 in game 8, Vekic slammed shut whatever opening was there with an ace and big serve to tie the 2nd set again at 4-4.

Later in the set, with Paolini still sticking like glue on the scoreboard, the Italian fired off a big return to win the opening point of game 10, then saw Vekic DF to go down love/30. A blink later, Vekic's forehand error off a deep Paolini return put her double SP down at 15/40. After a deep shot off the baseline, Paolini moved in and put away the point at the net to take the set at 6-4 and extend the match into a 3rd. It would be Vekic's fifth three-setter in six matches at this Wimbledon.



Vekic opened the 3rd with the break of serve that had eluded her in the previous set, but Paolini was back at it two games later, saving a BP and holding for 1-2 to avoid falling into an early hole too deep to climb out of. Still, Vekic held for 3-1. Soon after, though, the Italian's resilience paid off, as a Vekic forehand error handed Paolini a pair of BP. On the second, a deep return of a second serve elicited another Vekic error and the set was back on serve at 3-3.

Vekic immediately got the break back a game later, but complained of forearm pain during the changeover (and was unsatisfied with the lack of ice and a bag to put on it, so she instead had to try to make due with the icy towels used to cool off players during hot conditions). In the next game, Paolini quickly reeled Vekic back in, breaking to knot the set again.

With Vekic seemingly physically faltering, Paolini put in four straight first serves and held at love for the first time, taking a 5-4 lead. After going up 30/15, Vekic, with parts virtually falling off the car as it neared the finish line, committed a forehand error that gave Paolini a MP. But Vekic wasn't finished fighting, either. She saved the MP, then retrieved a short ball and saw a net cord dribbler secure the match-extending hold.

Paolini trailed love/30 in game 11. She saved a BP, and held three GP before Vekic responded by throwing herself into a shot that became a return winner into the corner. Paolini saved a second BP, then got the hold with a successful challenge of a Vekic ball that had been called in.

Between games, an emotional Vekic cried in her chair while she desperately tried to ice down her sore arm, then came out in the 6-5 game and saved another MP, reaching a short ball and sending back a winner down the line. She held behind a series of masterfully constructed points, forcing a MTB that would decide the Wimbledon finalist.

Vekic took an early 3-1 lead, but Paolini wouldn't go away. A wide Vekic forehand made it 3-3. Things remained tight, as they soon switched sides of the court at 6-6. A big Vekic forehand down the line gave her an 8-7 lead, but a wide shot handed Paolini a third MP chance at 9-8. Vekic pulled a forehand and it was over, with Paolini winning a 2:51 battle (the longest Wimbledon women's semi ever) 2-6/6-4/7-6(10-8).



Now 15-2 in slam play in 2024 (after being 4-16 in her career, a remarkable stat that is *finally* gaining traction on ESPN, at least), Paolini continues to find ways to surprise, not to mention continue to add "first to..." entries into her career bio. She's actually giving The Quartet a run for their money.

Last season, as her star started to rise, and into this year, Paolini seemed the sort of Italian (ala Pennetta) whose best surface was hard court. Then she reached the Roland Garros final on the terre battue. Hmmm, so she's also got some Schiavone in her. After previously being a non-entity on grass, *now* she's a Wimbledon finalist. She's going where no Italian woman has gone before ("SW19... the final frontier").



It didn't seem possible that the likes of Schiavone, Pennetta, Vinci and Errani had left much room for Italian "firsts" in the wake of their unprecedented slam success. But now Paolini is, amongst other things, the first woman from her nation to reach the finals of two *different* majors, the first to reach two in a single season, the first to do it in consecutive slams, and the first to reach the Wimbledon final.

Heck, now she's even bringing *Serena* into it, as she's the first since Williams in 2016 to reach RG and Wimbledon finals in a season, joining the likes of Serena, Venus, Steffi and Henin as the only to do that over the past quarter-century.

Not only that, but she might not even be finished.



Paolini is now assured of being #5 in the world no matter what happens on Saturday, just one ranking spot away from tying Schiavone for the best of all-time for an Italian woman. And, oh yeah, there's still and Olympics and a *fourth* major remaining on the schedule for 2024.

At this point, *no* possibility is off the table.








=DAY 11 NOTES=
...in the second women's semifinal of the day, #4 Elena Rybakina was looking to carry her "favorite" (and possibly on-deck "great Wimbledon champion") status into her second final in three years at SW19. Meanwhile, #31 Barbora Krejcikova was seeking to join a long list of Czech women who have shined on the All-England Club lawns, thus overcoming an early season slowed by injury and illness by unexpectedly starring in a moment on par (or greater?) than her previous major title run in Paris three years ago.

Turned out, the Jana on Krejcikova's shoulder is still something of a Wimbledon whisperer.



[Although, if we're going to be technical about it, if they're going to include Navratilova and go the Czech-BORN route there, this list is incomplete. Navratilova was Czech-born, but didn't represent Czechoslovakia (though she did at one time early in her career) when she won her nine Wimbledon crowns (she was by then w/ the U.S.); but that was also the case with Navratilova's namesake Martina Hingis, who was also born in then-Czechoslovakia (in an area now SVK). Hingis never represented the nation in the sport, and won her Wimbledon title in '97 under the Swiss flag. I'm just sayin'... that's why I just go with the players who had TCH or CZE next to their name.]

Rybakina got the better of the Czech in the early going today, getting off to a 4-0 lead in the 1st set as Krejcikova simply could not hold serve. She dropped her first three service games, as Rybakina appeared ready to steamroll. But even in the midst of that start, Krejcikova was finding the key that would unlock this match for her.

Though she was down 5-2 in the set, Krejcikova managed consecutive breaks of Rybakina's serve after being down 4-0. She even denied the Kazakh on a pair of SP, getting her first hold of the match to pull to 5-3. Rybakina still put away the set, but the seed was planted for what was to come. Krejcikova only needed to not let her serve get away from her, and she'd have reason to believe she had a chance, no matter Rybakina's 19-2 career mark at SW19 coming into the day.

From the start of the 2nd set (and really the latter stages of the 1st), Krejcikova gradually seized control of the match in something of a slow-moving coup. First, she centered her game and consistently held serve, while her efforts were greatly helped along by the slow downturn in Rybakina's game, from her serve to her ever-more-error-prone groundstrokes.

Krejcikova got the break of serve she needed for 4-2, backed it up with a hold, and served for the set at 5-3. She went up 40/love, and it was then that she has the most problems she'd face, mostly by her own racket. She fired three DF on SP in the game, missing on 5/9 first serves after reaching SP. But Krejcikova put away the set on her sixth SP, so it still counted as a "win."

Both players opened the 3rd by holding serve from love/30 down, and things remained on serve up to 3-3. But with Krejcikova directing things from the baseline, Rybakina fell behind 15/40. The Kazakh left a drop shot attempt short and Krejcikova had her first lead in the match. Holding again from love/30 down, the Czech went up 5-3 and two games later served for the final.

With the memory of how she nearly let the moment slip through her fingers at the end of the 2nd, Krejcikova didn't follow suit this time. She held at love to reach her maiden Wimbledon final, winning 3-6/6-3/6-4 in a match in which, despite her awful start, she actually out-served Rybakina on the day, even while it was the Kazakh's biggest weapon that had seemed to set the stage for a triumphant weekend being on the horizon heading into the day.

Once again, the ultimate "lurker," Krejcikova has found her way through a big draw, outdueling big hitters with a well thought-out plan that, while rarely flashy, when executed flawlessly is often-times shockingly effective against the best players in the sport.



After dropping her serve three straight times to begin the match as part of her falling into a 0-4 hole vs. Rybakina, Krejcikova clearly needed to find a way to hold serve. Well, that mission was accomplished to perfection. The Czech didn't drop serve *once* in the 2nd or 3rd, then added the one necessary break of Rybakina's serve in each set to give her the advantage that she carried to victories in both.

Now 3-0 vs. the Kazakh in her career, Krejcikova advances to her second slam singles final, her first at Wimbledon. She'd been 6-3 in her SW19 career prior to this fortnight, with half of those victories coming en route to a Round of 16 result in 2021, a month after her Roland Garros title.

To say that the grass season has resurrected Krejcikova's '24 campaign would be a massive understatement. Since her AO quarterfinal in January, she'd missed two months with a back injury (she was also dealing with illness), went oh-for-clay with a winless (0-4) spring on the dirt, and the two wins she picked up in Birmingham (over Saville and Dart) were her first in over four months. Over the past two weeks at Wimbledon, Krejcikova has nearly doubled her season win total (adding 6, for 13 overall) while in her last three matches she's taken down a pair of former slam winners (Rybakina and Ostapenko) and one of this season's hottest players (Collins).

Of course, now she needs to take down this season's top revelation in Paolini if she wants to write her own storybook slam ending.

Krejcikova knows a little about triumphant endings, having listened to a first-person retelling about one of the greatest Wimbledon stories ever from her mentor and former coach Jana Novotna, the 1998 champ (and to *just* say that is like describing a novel's plot by simply saying, "And they lived happily ever after...").

Krejcikova's fellow Czech ultimately experienced her grand Wimbledon moment with the Venus Rosewater Dish, but later in life died far too young (at just 49) in 2017. But she did so after eventually connecting with Krejcikova, who is still able to refresh the well-worn mind's eye images of Novotna with her personal memories of their time together. She spoke of Jana during today's on-court interview, and understandably couldn't help but get emotional.



The Jana on Barbora's shoulder will surely be there again for her on Saturday, hoping to whisper her way to seeing her follow in Novotna's footsteps on the same Centre Court where Jana's tennis dreams finally came true 26 years ago. But even if that's not enough to help Krejcikova defeat Paolini, the simultaneous message that her memory will impart along with the drive for a championship will be that, even it doesn't come today, don't give up the fight for tomorrow, or the days after that.

"Remembering Jana" (WTA Backspin; November 20, 2017)
"Remembering Jana" (Backspin Tennis; November 20, 2017)


...in wheelchair action, Diede de Groot won her 50th straight slam singles match, defeating Dana Mathewson 6-0/7-5 to advance to the semis. She'll face Wang Ziyang, who upset former SW19 champ Jiske Griffioen (#3).



The other semi will feature #2 Yui Kamiji (def. Kgothatso Montjane) vs. #4 Aniek Van Koot (def. Li Xiaohui).

...the WD and MX semis are now both set, with Hsieh Su-wei (w/ Elise Mertens and Jan Zielinski, respectively) and Erin Routliffe (w/ Gaby Dabrowski and Michael Venus... heh, watch Routliffe/Venus "top" fellow Kiwi Lulu Sun's Wimbledon and win the title). Hsieh and Routliffe's teams will meet in the MX semis, while they'd have to reach the final to do so in WD.

By the way, Hsieh has won the Wimbledon women's doubles title the last *three* times she's played the event, in 2019, '21 and '23, and has four wins at SW19 in her career.

...the girls' singles QF will feature players from eight different nations. Today, Serbian Roehampton champ Teodora Kostovic (#15) defeated #2-seeded Czech Laura Samson, while another Crusher in Vendula Valdmannova kept the collective alive for a title with a win over #4 Tyra Caterina Grant of the U.S.

Meanwhile, #1 Renata Jamrichova (SVK) and #3 Emerson Jones (AUS), who faced off in the AO junior final in January, could still meet in another slam final as they're the highest remaining seeds positioned on opposing sides of the draw.








*WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
#31 Barbora Krejcikova/CZE vs. #7 Jasmine Paolini/ITA

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES SF*
#1 Hsieh/Mertens (TPE/BEL) vs. #4 Siniakova/Townsend (CZE/USA)
#7 Dolehide/Krawczyk (USA/USA) vs. #2 Dabrowski/Routliffe (CAN/NZL)

*MIXED DOUBLES SF*
Olmos/S.Gonzalez (MEX/MEX) vs. Eikeri/M.Gonzalez (NOR/ARG)
#7 Hsieh/Zielinski (TPE/POL) vs. #2 Routliffe/Venus (NZL/NZL)

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S SINGLES SF*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. Wang Ziying/CHN
#4 Aniek Van Koot/NED vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S DOUBLES SF*
#1 Kamiji/Montjane (JPN/RSA) vs. Li Xiaohui/Zhu Zhenzhen (CHN/CHN)
Guo Luoyao/Wang Ziying (CHN/CHN) vs. #2 de Groot/Griffioen (NED/NED)

*GIRLS' SINGLES QF*
#1 Renata Jamrichova/SVK vs. Rositsa Dencheva/BUL
Vendula Valdmannova/CZE vs. #10 Jeline Vandromme/BEL
Monika Stankiewicz/POL vs. #3 Emerson Jones/AUS
#6 Iva Jovic/USA vs. #15 Teodora Kostovic/SRB

*GIRLS' DOUBLES QF*
#1 A.Kovackova/Samson (CZE/CZE) vs. #7 Stojsavljevic/M.Xu (GBR/GBR)
Arystanbekhova/Zhiyenbayeva (KAZ/KAZ) vs. Pastikova/Stusek (CZE/GER)
#6 E.Jones/Paganetti (AUS/ITA) vs. Goto/Roura Llaverias (JPN/ESP)
#5 Ivanova/Sonobe (BUL/JPN) vs. #5 Ivanova/Sonobe (BUL/JPN)








...THE JOY OF JASMINE... ON DAY 11:




...GOOD DONNA, BAD DONNA... today, everybody's Donna... ON DAY 11:




...AND THUS IT IS SO... ON DAY 11:




...EIGHT IN EIGHT... ON DAY 11:




...ASH UNINTENTIONALLY TAUNTING THE TENNIS WORLD... ON DAY 11:




















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*MOST WTA FINALS in 2024*
5 - Iga Swiatek (5-0)
5 - Elena Rybakina (3-2)
4 - Dasha Kasatkina (1-3)
4 - Aryna Sabalenka (1-3)
3 - Danielle Collins (2-1)
3 - JASMINE PAOLINI (1-1)

*MOST WTA FINALS - 2020-24*
25 - 1/2/9/8/5 = Swiatek (22-3)
19 - 3/3/3/6/4 = Sabalenka (9-10)
17 - 5/0/3/4/5 = Rybakina (7-10)
12 - 0/4/3/4/1 = KREJCIKOVA (7-4)
12 - 1/7/4/0 ret...Kontaveit (5-6-1)
12 - 0/3/6/3/0 = Jabeur (5-7)
12 - 0/4/2/2/4 = Kasatkina (5-7)

*2024 WTA FINALS on MOST SURFACES*
3 - Danielle Collins = Hard,Green Clay,Red Clay
3 - Dasha Kasatkina = Hard,Green Clay,Grass
3 - JASMINE PAOLINI = Hard,Red Clay,Grass

*SLAM FINALS IN 2020s*
5 - Iga Swiatek, POL (5-0)
3 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (2-1)
3 - Ons Jabeur, TUN (0-3)
2 - Ash Barty, AUS (2-0)
2 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2-0)
2 - BARBORA KREJCIKOVA, CZE (1-0)
2 - Coco Gauff, USA (1-1)
2 - Sofia Kenin, USA (1-1)
2 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (1-1)
2 - JASMINE PAOLINI, ITA (0-1)

*SLAM FINALS - ITA*
2010 RG - FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE def. Samantha Stosur
2011 RG - Li Na def. FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE
2012 RG - Maria Sharapova def. SARA ERRANI
2015 US - FLAVIA PENNETTA def. ROBERTA VINCI
2024 RG - Iga Swiatek def. JASMINE PAOLINI
2024 WI - JASMINE PAOLINI vs. Barbora Krejcikova

*BACK-TO-BACK RG/WI FINALS - since 2000*
2002 Serena Williams, USA (W-W)
2002 Venus Williams, USA (RU-RU)
2006 Justine Henin, BEL (W-RU)
2015 Serena Williams, USA (W-W)
2016 Serena Williams, USA (RU-W)
2024 Jasmine Paolini, ITA (RU-??)

*SLAM SF & W/L in 2020s - 18 events*
8 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (3-5)
6 - Iga Swiatek, POL (5-1)
4 - Coco Gauff, USA (2-2)
3 - Ash Barty, AUS (2-1)
3 - Karolina Muchova, CZE (1-2)
3 - Ons Jabeur, TUN (3-0)
3 - ELENA RYBAKINA, KAZ (2-1)
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 - BARBORA KREJCIKOVA, CZE (2-0)
2 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2-0)
2 - JASMINE PAOLINI, ITA (2-0)
2 - Maria Sakkari, GRE (0-2)
2 - Serena Williams, USA (0-2)

*FIRST-TIME SLAM CHAMPS AT WIMBLEDON - Open era*
1968 Billie Jean King, USA
1978 Martina Navratilova, USA
1994 Conchita Martinez, ESP
1998 Jana Novotna, CZE
2000 Venus Williams, USA
2004 Maria Sharapova, RUS
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2013 Marion Bartoli, FRA
2022 Elena Rybakina, KAZ
2023 Marketa Vondrousova, CZE

*OLDEST FIRST-TIME SLAM CHAMPS*
33y,199d - Flavia Pennetta, 2015 U.S. Open
29y,346d - Francesca Schiavone, 2010 Roland Garros
29y,275d - Jana Novotna, 1998 Wimbledon
29y,154d - Kerry Melville-Reid, 1977 Australian Open
29y,98d - Li Na, 2011 Roland Garros
28y,277d - Marion Bartoli, 2013 Wimbledon
28y,12d - Angelique Kerber, 2016 Australian Open
27y,200d - Caroline Wozniacki, 2018 Australian Open
26y,255d - Simona Halep, 2018 Roland Garros
26y,207d - Amelie Mauresmo, 2006 Australian Open
26y,165d - Samantha Stosur, 2011 U.S. Open
--
PAOLINI: 28y,192d on Saturday

*CZECHS IN WIMBLEDON FINALS - Open era*
1981 Hana Mandlikova
1993 Jana Novotna
1997 Jana Novotna
1998 Jana Novotna (W)
2011 Petra Kvitova (W)
2014 Petra Kvitova (W)
2021 Karolina Pliskova
2023 Marketa Vondrousova (W)
2024 Barbora Krejcikova (to play F)




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TOP QUALIFIER: Katie Volynets/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #14 Dasha Kasatkina/RUS
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #4 Elena Rybakina/KAZ
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2 -Robin Montgomery/USA def. #10 Kamilla Rakhimova/RUS 7-6(0)/6-7(4)/7-6(10-4) - no breaks in 36 games, only 5 BP face; Montgomery w/ 20 aces; combined for 132 winners (67/65)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #18 Marta Kostyuk/UKR def. Dasha Saville/AUS 4-6/7-6(2)/6-4 - Saville served for match three times in 2nd set, had a MP; Kostyuk break on BP #8 of game to force TB; Kostyuk wins on MP #5 in 3rd set
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 4th Rd. - (Q) Lulu Sun/NZL def. (WC) Emma Raducanu/GBR 6-2/5-7/6-2 - overcomes Brit on Centre Ct., first NZL to slam QF since '89; 52 winners
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): Nominee: SF - #7 Paolini d. Vekic
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Varvara Gracheva/FRA (def. Lesia Tsurenko/UKR)
FIRST SEED OUT: #8 Zheng Qinwen/CHN (1st Rd. to Sun/NZL) (after #22 Alexandrova/RUS, #3 Sabalenka/BLR and #16 Azarenka/BLR withdrew)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Day 1: Erika Andreeva/RUS, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro/ESP, Sonay Kartal/GBR, Robin Montgomery/USA, Yuliia Starodubtseva/UKR, Lulu Sun/NZL, Anca Todoni/ROU
UPSET QUEENS: Spain
REVELATION LADIES: Great Britain
NATION OF POOR SOULS: ROU (1-5 1st Rd.; #29 Cirstea out, Bogdan 2 MP, no Halep)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Lulu Sun/NZL (in QF)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Emma Raducanu/GBR (4th Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING: Paula Badosa/ESP (4r), Bianca Andreescu/CAN (3r)
LUCKY LOSER WINNERS: Erika Andreeva/RUS (2nd)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Emma Raducanu (4th Rd.)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: Jasmine Paolini/ITA and Donna Vekic/CRO
IT "Kiwi": Lulu Sun/NZL
COMEBACK PLAYER: Paula Badosa/ESP
CRASH & BURN: #6 Marketa Vondrousova/CZE (1st Rd. to Bouzas Maneiro/ESP; first defending champ out 1r since 1994 Graf loss vs. McNeil; second in Open era)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: #18 Marta Kostyuk/UKR (2nd Rd.- down 5-2 vs. Saville in 3rd, who served for win three times and held MP; in '24 slams has won from MP down at AO/WI, and 4-0 down in 3rd at RG)
DOUBLES STAR: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: (wc), Hsieh, (Invitational)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: Barbora Krejcikova/CZE (completes "Career QF Slam" at major won by former coach/mentor; first WI F)






All for Day 11. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 8:17 PM 

2 Comments:

Blogger khan35 said...

Paolini is a lucky woman. She should've been sent packing home in the round of 16, but Keys got injured while she was in a winning position. Vekic had played too many needless three-setters and as a result of that she was tired and exhausted in the 3rd set. Vekic probably would have won in 2 sets, had she not hit Djokosmash at 4-4 in the 2nd set.

I wanted Paolini and Rybakina in the final, because I wanted Rybakina to avenge her QF loss at RG against the Italian.

At this rate Paolini will probably finish the year as #2 in the ranking.

I am tempted to asterisk Rybakina's 2022 Wimbledon run. I mean her nemesis Sabalenka
wasn't in the draw. She faced Jabeur in the final who is a choke artist in the slam finals. And Jabeur defeated Rybakina last year at Wimbledon in a non-final match. Rybakina hasn't won a big title since last year's Rome tournament. Heck, She hasn't even reach a big tournament final since last year' Rome.

Fri Jul 12, 05:27:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

I've got a whole list of the players over the past couple of decades who've won majors after not only being MP down, but also by big deficits, breaks in the 3rd, opponents serving for the match, etc. Even around half of Serena's title runs had moments like that.

It's amazing that it happens so often. I mean, Iga saved two MP in Paris.

Wouldn't be surprised at all if Paolini ended up #2. She still has the U.S. Open (and the Olympics, with points), remember.

Of course, Rybakina didn't even *play* this year's IW and Rome, after winning them both in '23, due to her illnesses.

Again, for all she does, she still loses a bit too often in big situations. This was another one, after winning the 1st set, too. :/

Fri Jul 12, 07:10:00 PM EDT  

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