Tuesday, September 02, 2025

US.9- And Muchova Makes Three


For the first time ever, there are three Czech women in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.











=DAY 9 NOTES=
...the bottom half of the women's singles draw at this U.S. Open has generally lagged behind the top half where drama has been concerned. While just three seeds reached the Round of 16 in the top, all eight slots in the bottom were filled by seeded players, and the headline-worthy runs of the likes of Krejcikova, Townsend and Vondrousova have all taken place on the other side of the draw.

Aside from the growing story of the advancement of one former champion -- simultaneously in the areas of fashion, baubles and, oh yeah, even tennis (two of the three of which that carried forward once again on Day 9) -- much of the action and conversation has been kept at a low simmer.

That trend continued on Labor Day Monday in New York, even with the match that was the most attention-getting big-name clash that we've seen to date at this major, as just one of the four 4th Round contests on the schedule went three sets.

The opening match of the day mostly set the tone, as #2 Iga Swiatek followed up a pair of matches in which she either lost a set (2r vs. Lamens) or probably *should* have (3r vs. Kalinskaya) by never allowing #13 Ekaterina Alexandrova to harbor such hopes. The '22 title winner handled her work like an efficient bounty hunter, winning 6-3/6-1 and collecting her agreed-upon fee before heading off to her next bit of business.



With her fifth straight slam QF, and third in four years at Flushing Meadows, Swiatek extends her winning streak in majors to eleven matches. She's 21-2 in slam play in 2025, exactly matching the won/lost numbers that represent her career-best season in the four majors from three years ago (when she won RG and US titles).

...perhaps the one bottom half exception to the rather "drowsy" happenings has been the slam resurgence of two-time champ Naomi Osaka, who has seemingly rediscovered her former U.S. Open groove both between the lines, with her game sparking and getting better every round, and between matches, with her colorful fashion and growing collection of bedazzled Labubus (a line of plush toys, with extra flash and punny tennis-related names, from Arthur Flash and Billie Jean Bling, to LaBillieBoo and, today's addition to the group, Althea Glitterson).

With an all-champions match-up set for Monday between #23 Osaka and #3 Coco Gauff, complete with constant reminders of their 2019 meeting in New York, the match seemed perfect for a night session spot, yet it was scheduled for the afternoon. Call the odd scheduling a Labor Day "exception to the rule," I suppose, though tennis long ceded the Labor Day weekend showcase position it formerly owned on the U.S. sports landscape (39-year old Jimmy Connors' SF run grew to epic proportions largely due to the premier holiday placement it got back in '91) to the growing TV monster that college football has become.

But, as it turned out, rather that a great clash the match turned out to be a blow-out that may truly give wings to the notion that Osaka might be back. Playing a clean match with few errors, and with her first serve (when she got it in) being virtually untouchable, Osaka won 6-3/6-2 as Gauff's game was filled with forehand miscues and she continued to struggle with her work-in-progress serve. Apparently, the group of people in her box yelling and calling her "champ" (eyeroll... I mean, really?) wasn't enough to get her through this round.



While Gauff can now look to righting the ship for the Asian swing, Osaka is back on familiar ground. This is her fifth career slam QF, and in the previous four she went on to win her four major titles (including the U.S. Open in 2018 and '20). She's a combined 12-0 between the QF-F in slam play.

...the only 4th Rounder on Day 9 that went the distance was the one between #11 Karolina Muchova and #27 Marta Kostyuk, and while her body is surely barkin' (how could it not after *four* straight three-setters?) at this point, Muchova found a way to become the third Czech (w/ Barbora Krejcikova and Marketa Vondrousova) in the final eight as her win made her the first woman from her country to reach a third straight U.S. Open QF since Karolina Pliskova did it in 2018.

Of course, Muchova did it even while being treated for a lower back injury during the match (uh-oh).

Today's match was one of shifting momentum. After Muchova took the 1st set, Kostyuk grabbed a break lead early in the 2nd. But even as she was fighting her back issues, Muchova rallied to try to end things in two. At 3-3, she had two BP chances to grab the lead, but the Ukrainian held to edge back ahead. Muchova got things to a TB, but lost it in overwhelming fashion, 7-0.

In truth, things didn't look good for Muchova in the moment. But rather than Kostyuk carrying her momentum over into the 3rd set, Muchova instead reclaimed it, winning 12 of the first 15 points and taking a 4-1 lead. At 4-2, Kostyuk denied the Czech a GP and got the game to deuce, but Muchova held, and then served out the victory two games later, winning 6-3/6-7(0)/6-3 on her third MP. She saved nine of ten BP on the day.



For all the injury issues she's had to deal with over the years, Muchova has still managed to reach one slam final, three semis and now a third QF. She's posted SF-SF-QF (so far) results the last three years in New York alone.

Of course, this going-the-distance plotline hasn't played out in any sort of desired way when it comes to how an oft-injured player would *like* to get this far in a major. As a result, with so much match play under her belt (or maybe I should say, "so much wear on her tires"), and with a possibly in-form Osaka up next (rather than a Kostyuk who hasn't exactly been great in the clutch in '25), it's hard to be *too* optimistic about Muchova's chances to go much further into this draw. But let's see what she still has in her... maybe her magic can still extend beyond what she can do with her racket.

...later in the "grand" holiday-ending night session match on Ashe, #8 Amanda Anisimova faced #18 Beatriz Haddad Maia. No disrespect intended, but *that* was the match given such a high profile spot? Even before it began, it was clearly the least interesting match of the day on the women's side, and nothing changed that fact once it started. I guess it just goes to show that U.S. Open night matches just don't have the cache they formerly did. (Thanks, ESPN.)

With the winner set to face off with Swiatek, after Anisimova lost 6-0/6-0 to the Pole in the Wimbledon final earlier this summer, it was as if she was preparing for her second chance against Iga. Anisimova opened the night by being the bagel-er rather than the bageled, winning the 1st set at love en route to a 6-0/6-3 win.

It's Anismova's first QF result at the U.S. Open, the fourth of her slam career, and her first at consecutive majors. Whatever happens in the Swiatek/Anisimova follow-up, kudos to the Bannerette for rebounding so well from what could have been a SW19 loss that mentally lingered. Instead, she's gone 6-2 since leaving London, and has improved to 21-6 since the start of RG.



...meanwhile, junior play has been underway for the last two days, and the biggest 1st Round result on the girls' side came when Pastry Ksenia Efremova, who just last week won the J300 final tune-up in Repentigny, upset #7 Alena Kovackova, the highest seed to fall thus far.

...the wheelchair draw is set, and we could have a tournament-defining match-up pretty quickly, as unseeded Diede de Groot -- the six-time defending champ -- would meet #1-seeded Yui Kamiji if both get past their 1st Round opponents. Kamiji faces Lizzy de Greef, while de Groot meets Lucy Shuker.






*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#1 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR vs. Marketa Vondrousova/CZE
#4 Jessie Pegula/USA vs. Barbora Krejcikova/CZE
#11 Karolina Muchova/CZE vs. #23 Naomi Osaka/JPN
#8 Amanda Anisimova/USA vs. vs. #2 Iga Swiatek/POL

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
#1 Siniakova/Townsend (CZE/USA) vs. vs. (WC) Fernandez/V.Williams (CAN/USA)
#4 V.Kudermetova/Mertens (RUS/BEL) vs. vs. #5 M.Andreeva/Shnaider (RUS/RUS)
#11 Babos/Stefani (HUN/BRA) vs. #3 Dabrowski/Routliffe (CAN/NZL)
#7 Muhammad/Schuurs (USA/NED) vs. #2 Errani/Paolini (ITA/ITA)

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
(WC) Errani/Vavassori (ITA/ITA) def. #3 Swiatek/Ruud (POL/NOR) 6-3/5-7 [10-6]








...NICE TO SEE DANA MATHEWSON BEING WORKED INTO THE POST-MATCH INTERVIEW MIX (and not just in wheelchair matches)... ON DAY 9:





...MORE VENUS & LEYLAH INCOMING... ON DAY 9:





...AND AT LEAST THERE'S THIS... ON DAY 9:
























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**BACKSPIN 2025 JUNIOR STAR-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN (pre-AO): Emerson Jones, AUS
AO: Wakana Sonobe, JPN
FEB: Wakana Sonobe, JPN
MAR: Kristina Penickova, USA
1Q...SONOBE
APR: Lilli Tagger, AUT
MAY: A.Penickova/K.Penickova, USA/USA
RG: Lilli Tagger, AUT
2Q Clay Court...TAGGER
JUN: Julieta Pareja, USA
WI: Mia Pohankova, SVK
2Q Grass Court...POHANKOVA
JUL: Giulia Safina Popa, ROU
AUG (pre-U.S.): Jeline Vandromme, BEL
[Multiple 2025 Weekly JUNIOR STAR Award Wins]
5 - Emerson Jones, AUS
5 - Julieta Pareja, USA
5 - Lilli Tagger, AUT
4 - Jeline Vandromme, BEL
3 - Hannah Klugman, GBR
3 - Penickova/Penickova, USA/USA
3 - Mia Pohankova, SVK
3 - Wakana Sonobe, JPN
2 - Victoria Luiza Barros, BRA
2 - Luna Maria Cinalli, ARG
2 - Teodora Kostovic, SRB
2 - Giulia Safina Popa, ROU
2 - Julia Stusek, GER
2 - Naima Vladson, LTU

**BACKSPIN 2025 WHEELCHAIR STAR-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN (pre-AO): Aniek Van Koot, NED
AO: Yui Kamiji, JPN
FEB: Maayan Zikri, ISR
MAR: Aniek Van Koot, NED
1Q...KAMIJI
APR: Li Xiaohui, CHN
MAY: NED World Team Cup
RG: Yui Kamiji, JPN
2Q Clay Court...KAMIJI
JUN: Yui Kamiji, JPN
WI: Wang Ziying, CHN
2Q Grass Court...WANG
JUL: Diede de Groot, NED
AUG (pre-U.S.): Diede de Groot, NED
[Multiple 2025 Weekly WHEELCHAIR STAR Award Wins]
4 - Yui Kamiji, JPN
4 - Li Xiaohui, CHN
3 - Diede de Groot, NED
3 - Aniek Van Koot, NED
2 - Lizzy de Greef, NED
2 - Wang Ziying, CHN

**BACKSPIN 2025 TEAM-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN: USA (United Cup)
AO: Gadecki/Peers, AUS/AUS (MX)
MAR: Errani/Vavassori, ITA/ITA (I.W. MX)
1Q...GADECKI/PEERS
APR: ESP (BJK Cup Qualifiers)
MAY: NED (WC World Team Cup) and Georgia Bulldogs (NCAA Women's Team)
RG: Errani/Vavassori, ITA/ITA (MX)
2Q Clay Court...ERRANI/VAVASSORI
WI: Siniakova/Verbeek, CZE/NED (MX)
2Q Grass Court...SINIAKOVA/VERBEEK
JUL: Andreescu/Auger-Aliassime, CAN (Hopman Cup)
AUG: USA (ITF Jr. 14s)
US: Errani/Vavassori, ITA/ITA (MX)
3Q...ERRANI/VAVASSORI


*2025 WI FINAL 8*
[by career slam QF]
14 - Aryna Sabalenka
13 - Iga Swiatek
8 - Jessie Pegula
7 - Karolina Muchova
6 - Barbora Krejcikova
5 - Naomi Osaka
5 - Marketa Vondrousova
4 - Amanda Anisimova

[by career US QF]
5 - Sabalenka
3 - Muchova
3 - Osaka
3 - Pegula
3 - Swiatek
2 - Krejcikova
2 - Vondrousova
1 - Anisimova

[w/ consecutive slam QF]
12 (5) - Sabalenka (last 12 played; DNP '24 WI)
5 - Swiatek
2 - Anisimova

[w/ consecutive US QF]
5 - Sabalenka
3 - Muchova
2 - Pegula
2 - Swiatek
2 (1) - Vondrousova (last 2 played; DNP '24)

[2025 slam QF - unseeded]
AO - none
RG - Boisson (WC)
WI - Bencic, Palvyuchenkova, Siegemund
US - Krejcikova, Vondrousova

[2025 1st-time GS QF]
AO - none
RG - Boisson (1st MD)
WI - Samsonova (21st)
US - none

[2025 multiple slam QF]
4 - Sabalenka (AO/RG/WI/US)
4 - Swiatek (AO/RG/WI/US)
2 - M.Andreeva (RG/WI)
2 - Anisimova (WI/US)
2 - Gauff (AO/RG)
2 - Keys (AO/RG)
2 - Pavlyuchenkova (AO/WI)
2 - Svitolina (AO/RG)

[2025 slam QF - by nation]
8...USA (3/2/1/2) - Anisimova, Pegula
5...RUS (1/1/3/0)
4...BLR (1/1/1/1) - Sabalenka
4...POL (1/1/1/1) - Swiatek
3...CZE (0/0/0/3) - Krejcikova, Muchova, Vondrousova
2...UKR (1/1/0/0)
1...CHN (0/1/0/0)
1...ESP (1/0/0/0)
1...FRA (0/1/0/0)
1...GER (0/0/1/0)
1...JPN (0/0/0/1) - Osaka
1...SUI (0/0/1/0)

[WTA career slam QF - active]
39...Venus Williams, USA
18...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
14...Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
13...Petra Kvitova, CZE
13...Elina Svitolina, UKR
13...Iga Swiatek, POL
12...Madison Keys, USA
11...Karolina Pliskova, CZE
10...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
10...Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
9...Coco Gauff, USA
8...Jessie Pegula, USA

[WTA slam QF & W/L in 2020s - 23 events]
14 - Sabalenka (12-1)*
13 - Swiatek (9-3)*
9 - Gauff (5-4)
8 - Pegula (1-6)*
7 - Jabeur (3-4)
7 - Svitolina (1-6)
6 - Rybakina (3-3)
6 - Krejcikova (2-3)*
6 - Muchova (4-1)*
5 - Keys (3-2)
5 - Pavlyuchenkova (1-4)
4 - Barty (3-1)
4 - Ka.Pliskova (1-3)
4 - Vondrousova (1-2)*
4 - Zheng Q. (1-3)
3 - Osaka (2-0)*
3 - Halep (2-1)
3 - Anisimova (1-1)*
3 - M.Andreeva (1-2)
3 - Badosa (1-2)
3 - Navarro (1-2)
3 - Ostapenko (0-3)
3 - Tomljanovic (0-3)
2 - Azarenka (2-0)
2 - Bencic (1-1)
2 - Brady (2-0)
2 - Collins (1-1)
2 - Fernandez (1-1)
2 - Haddad Maia (1-1)
2 - Kenin (2-0)
2 - Kvitova (1-1)
2 - Paolini (2-0)
2 - Sakkari (2-0)
2 - Siegemund (0-2)
2 - Trevisan (1-1)
2 - Vekic (1-1)
2 - S.Williams (2-0)
1 - Boisson (1-0)
1 - Bouzkova (0-1)
1 - Cirstea (0-1)
1 - Cornet (0-1)
1 - Garcia (1-0)
1 - Golubic (0-1)
1 - Hsieh (0-1)
1 - Kalinskaya (0-1)
1 - Kanepi (0-1)
1 - Kasatkina (1-0)
1 - Kerber (1-0)
1 - Kontaveit (0-1)
1 - Kostyuk (0-1)
1 - V.Kudermetova (0-1)
1 - Linette (1-0)
1 - Maria (1-0)
1 - Mertens (0-1)
1 - Muguruza (1-0)
1 - Niemeier (0-1)
1 - Noskova (0-1)
1 - Pironkova (0-1)
1 - Podoroska (1-0)
1 - Putintseva (0-1)
1 - Raducanu (1-0)
1 - Rogers (0-1)
1 - Samsonova (0-1)
1 - Stephens (0-1)
1 - Sun (0-1)
1 - Yastremska (1-0)
1 - Zidansek (1-0)

[WTA slam QF by nation in 2020s - 23 slams/184]
38 - USA (2)
24 - CZE (3)
16 - BLR (1)
14 - POL (1)
12 - RUS
9 - UKR
7 - AUS
7 - KAZ
7 - TUN
5 - GER
4 - CHN
4 - ESP
4 - ITA
4 - ROU
3 - FRA
3 - LAT
3 - SUI
2 - BRA
2 - CAN
2 - CRO
2 - EST
2 - GRE
2 - JPN
1 - ARG,BEL,BUL,GBR,JPN(1),NZL,SLO,TPE

[WTA slam QF W/L by nation in 2020s]
38 - USA (18-18)**
24 - CZE (9-12)***
16 - BLR (14-1)*
14 - POL (10-3)*
12 - RUS (3-9)
9 - UKR (2-7)
7 - AUS (3-4)
7 - KAZ (3-4)
7 - TUN (3-4)
5 - GER (2-3)
4 - CHN (1-3)
4 - ESP (2-2)
4 - ITA (3-1)
4 - ROU (2-2)
3 - FRA (2-1)
3 - JPN (2-0)*
3 - SUI (1-2)
3 - LAT (0-3)
2 - BRA (1-1)
2 - CAN (1-1)
2 - CRO (1-1)
2 - EST (0-2)
2 - GRE (2-0)
1 - ARG (1-0)
1 - BEL (0-1)
1 - BUL (0-1)
1 - GBR (1-0)
1 - NZL (0-1)
1 - SLO (1-0)
1 - TPE (0-1)






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JFK feeling the same way about RFK Jr as the rest of us.

[image or embed]

— AskAubry ?? ?? (@askaubry.com) September 1, 2025 at 2:13 PM

The first sign of a sociopath is harming or killing animals

— BLK (@raydaman.bsky.social) September 1, 2025 at 2:31 PM

RFK Jr is still the same psychotic child that he was back then. We're all just ants to RFK - and Trump gave him the world's largest magnifying glass and zero accountability.

— Emily (@emilyyour8.bsky.social) September 1, 2025 at 3:53 PM


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TOP QUALIFIER: Janice Tjen, INA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): Emma Raducanu/GBR
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: Dominika Salkova/CZE def. Kristina Dmitruk/BLR 6-3/5-7/7-6(10-8) - saved 4 MP on serve at 6-5 in the 3rd, then trailed 4-1 in MTB
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - Alex Eala/PHI def. #14 Clara Tauson/DEN 6-3/2-6/7-6(13-11) - comeback from 5-1 down in 3rd; first PHI w/ GS MD win
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Polina Kudermetova/RUS (def. Parrizas Diaz/ESP, ret. after 2-2 in 1st set)
FIRST SEED OUT: #24 Veronika Kudermetova/RUS (1r, lost to qualifier Tjen/INA)
FIRST CAREER SLAM MD WINS: Alex Eala/PHI (3rd GS MD), Polina Kudermetova/RUS (5th MD) and Janice Tjen/INA (1st MD)
PROTECTED RANKING MD WINS: Sorana Cirstea/ROU (2nd Rd.)
LUCKY LOSER MD WINS: no LL in MD
UPSET QUEENS: Asia (seeded upsets by Tjen/INA, Eala/PHI; Uchijima saved 7 MP vs. Danilovic)
REVELATION LADIES: Russia (10-3 1r; first slam MD W by P.Kudermetova, and first US wins by Blinkova and Zakharova)
NATION OF POOR SOULS: China (1-5 1st Rd.; 0-5 start; Zheng Qinwen DNP)
CRASH & BURN: #6 Madison Keys/USA (AO champ loses 1r to Zarazua; second US 1r exit in 12 years)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEW YORK: Moyuka Uchijima/JPN (1r- saved 7 MP, down triple MP twice vs. Danilovic)
IT ("?"): x
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: x
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Priscilla Hon/AUS (3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Caty McNally/USA (2nd Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: in QF: Anisimova, Pegula
COMEBACK: Nominees: Krejcikova, Osaka, Vondrousova
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Pegula, Krejcikova, V.Williams
DOUBLES STAR: x
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Taylor Townsend/USA
BROADWAY-BOUND: Nominees: "Exquisitely Back in the City" (Sharapova gets HoF ring on Ashe, 19 years after won title); "Naomi Osaka presents 'Labubus Take New York'"; "Venus & Leylah"
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominee: Sharapova (HoF ring)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x







All for Day 9. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 1:15 AM 

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