Thursday, January 16, 2025

AO25 - Lady Luck Be a Lys









=AO NOTES=
...the final day of 2nd Round play was a *second* day at this AO in which #6-seeded Elena Rybakina schooled a teenager. After taking out 16-year old Emerson Jones in the opening round, the Kazakh (the '23 AO finalist) did the same to 17-year old Iva Jovic in her second appearance of the week.

Rybakina's 6-0/6-3 win over Jovic means she's dropped just five games through two rounds, the fewest of any of the remaining 32 women in the draw, though that she was down 3-1 in the 2nd vs. the Bannerette on this day is likely worth noting (for Jovic, but maybe also for Rybakina going forward in this tournament).



Rybakina is one of seven women (all of them seeds) who've given up ten or fewer games thus far. Only two reached the second week a year ago.

5 - #6 Rybakina
6 - #9 Kasatkina
6 - #32 Yastremska ('24 semifinalist)
9 - #4 Paolini
9 - #7 Pegula ('24 4th Rd.)
9 - #2 Swiatek
10 - #11 Badosa




...#19 Madison Keys prevailed in three sets over qualifier Gabriela Ruse, extending the Adelaide champ's winning streak to seven matches. In fact, the four 2025 WTA singles title winners from Weeks 1-2 (Sabalenka and Tauson, who'll face each other on Friday, and Keys and Kessler, who won't) are 6-1 through two rounds at this AO, with only McCartney Kessler having lost in the 1st Round (she'd said she was exhausted after the Hobart final last weekend, so that makes sense).

...the Final 32 includes players from nineteen nations, thirteen of which have just one competitor remaining. The U.S. and Russia are tied for the most with five each, followed by Ukraine (3) and two apiece from Germany, Kazakhstan and Poland.

Two of the players still alive in that group are Emma Navarro and Eva Lys, though both are pretty fortunate that that's the case.

#8 seed Navarro, a semifinalist in NYC in her last slam outing, had to pull out of a 5-3 deficit in the 3rd set in the 1st Round, and saw Peyton Stearns serve for the match before the Charleston native completed a run of 16 of the final 19 points in the match to get the win. In her 2nd Round match on Thursday, Navarro went three sets again, this time staging a comeback from a break down twice in the 3rd vs. Wang Xiyu, including breaking on BP #4 of game 8 to get the set back on serve for the final time at 4-4 before sweeping the remaining two games to equal her 3rd Round result in Melbourne last year.



One would think that such antics would wrap up the "Zombie Queen of Melbourne" award for Navarro, and it *would* have... if not for Lys.

While the just-turned 23-year old German hasn't had to stage comebacks on the court ala the Bannerette, she truly *was* a member of "the walking dead" earlier this week, the last remaining qualifying loser hoping against all hope to somehow find her way into the MD due to the misfortune of another. Lys waited through almost three full days of 1st Round action, and had her plane ticket ready on Tuesday as she was set to leave Melbourne behind when -- boom! -- #13 Anna Kalinskaya was a (very) late withdrawal from her 1st Round match with Kimberly Birrell.

Lys didn't know that she would get a "lucky loser" reprieve until ten minutes before the match was to start. She didn't have her in-match drinks prepared (I mean, why bother, right?), nor was she dressed for a match. But she got the call, raced to the lockerroom to change, and heard her name being called five minutes later. She played Birrell without a pre-match warm-up... and she won 2 & 2. After having fallen in the final round of qualifying to another Aussie, Destanee Aiava, she'd taken advantage of her eleventh hour second chance.

But the world #128 wasn't finished. In her 2nd Round match on Thursday she ousted Varvara Gracheva in three sets, reaching the 3rd Round at a major for the first time ever. Zombie German (still) walkin'.



Lys is the first lucky loser to reach the 3rd Round at the AO since 2018, and just the second since 1997. No LL has reached the women's Round of 16 in Melbourne in the Open era. In fact, only one woman -- Elina Avanesyan in Paris in '23 -- has done so at any major since 1993.

Up next with history on the Lys racket? That'd be Jaqueline Cristian. Will the Romanian have her figurative cape prepared in order to end the German's dream week?





...NOW THAT SHE'S BACK FOR ANOTHER GO-ROUND, THE DANIMAL IS JUST FULLY UNLEASHED AND DOESN'T CARE WHAT ANYONE THINKS ANYMORE (checking notes about whether she *ever* really has... hmmm, umm, yeah, probably not much):




...WELL, I GUESS WE NOW KNOW HOW VERONIKA KUDERMETOVA RESPONDS WHEN HER LITTLE SISTER'S RESULTS START TO SURPASS HER OWN:



Since Polina's run to the Brisbane final (and then follow-up AO Q-run), Veronika has reached the QF in Hobart and is now in the 3rd Round in Melbourne (her best result in a major since 2022). Polina lost her 1st Round AO contest.

Veronika is now right on Polina's heels when it comes to the family ranking lead, with the younger Kudermetova just *one* spot ahead of the older in the live rankings.












Baseball play-by-play legend Bob Uecker passed today. We all know him from Major League, but my favorite moment was during a Brewers-Pirates game when he went on at length about a furry convention at his hotel, never missing a beat in the action. A true professional. RIP Bob youtu.be/Y6pI-kuLVbc?...

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— I.G.Y. Azalea (@steelydad.bsky.social) January 16, 2025 at 11:44 AM














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*RECENT AO "CRASH & BURN"*
2016 Simona Halep, ROU (1st Rd.)
2017 Simona Halep, ROU (1st Rd.)
2018 S.Stephens, C.Vandeweghe & V.Williams, USA (1st/'17 US SF)
2019 Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (1st Rd.; lost last 12 games)
2020 Serena Williams, USA (3rd Rd.)
2021 Sofia Kenin, USA (2nd Rd.; early AO DC out since '03)
2022 E.Raducanu, GBR (2nd) & L.Fernandez, CAN (1st) ['21 US F]
2023 Garbine Muguruza, ESP (1st Rd.; falls from Top 80)
2024 Ons Jabeur, TUN (2nd Rd.; 2 games vs. M.Andreeva)
2025 Zheng Qinwen, CHN (2nd Rd.; '24 finalist)

*RECENT AO "LAST WILD CARD STANDING" WINNERS*
=2017=
Ash Barty, AUS (3rd Rd.)
=2018=
Olivia Rogowska, AUS (2nd Rd.)
=2019=
Kimberly Birrell, AUS (3rd Rd.)
=2020=
Patricia Hon, AUS (both 3rd Rd.)
Arina Rodionova, AUS
=2021=
Dasha Gavrilova, AUS (both 2nd Rd.)
Samantha Stosur, AUS
=2022=
Maddison Inglis, AUS (3rd Rd.)
=2023=
Kimberly Birrell, AUS (all 2nd Rd.)
Olivia Gadecki, AUS
Taylor Townsend, USA
=2024=
McCartney Kessler, USA (both 2nd Rd.)
Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
=2025=
Talia Gibson, AUS (all 2nd Rd.)
Iva Jovic, USA
Ajla Tomljanovic, AUS
Zhang Shuai, CHN

*RECENT AO "LAST AUSSIE STANDING" WINNERS*
2016 Dasha Gavrilova (4th Rd.)
2017 Dasha Gavrilova (4th Rd.)
2018 Ash Barty (3rd Rd.)
2019 Ash Barty (QF)
2020 Ash Barty (SF)
2021 Ash Barty (QF)
2022 Ash Barty (W)
2023 Kimberly Birrell & Olivia Gadecki (2nd Rd.)
2024 Storm Hunter (3rd Rd.)
2025 D.Aiava, T.Gibson & A.Tomljanovic (2nd Rd.)

*RECENT AO "LAST QUALIFIER STANDING" WINNERS*
=2016=
Zhang Shuai, CHN (QF)
=2017=
Mona Barthel, GER (both 4th Rd.)
Jennifer Brady, USA
=2018=
Denisa Allertova, CZE (4th Rd.)
=2019=
Bianca Andreescu, CAN (all 2nd Rd.)
Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA
Astra Sharma, AUS
Iga Swiatek, POL
Natalia Vikhlyantseva, RUS
=2020=
Harriet Dart, GBR (all 2nd Rd.)
Nao Hibino, JPN
Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
Ann Li, USA
Caty McNally, USA
Greet Minnen, BEL
=2021=
Sara Errani, ITA (both 3rd Rd.)
Kaja Juvan, SLO
=2022=
Hailey Baptiste, USA (all 2nd Rd.)
Lucia Bronzetti, ITA
Martina Trevisan, ITA
Zheng Qinwen, CHN
=2023=
Cristina Bucsa, ESP (both 3rd Rd.)
Katie Volynets, USA
=2024=
Dayana Yastremska, UKR (SF)
=2025=
Destanee Aaiva, AUS (both 2nd Rd.)
Gabriela Ruse, ROU

*RECENT AO "ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE" WINNERS*
2017 Lucie Safarova, CZE
2018 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
2019 Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2020 Coco Gauff, USA ("Zombie Teen Queen")
2021 Simona Halep, ROU
2022 Amanda Anisimova, USA
2023 Miriam Kolodziejova/Marketa Vondrousova, CZE/CZE
2024 Anna Blinkova, RUS
2025 Eva Lys, GER (LL)




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TOP QUALIFIER: Maja Chwalinska, POL
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): #1 Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1 - #20 Maja Chwalinska/POL def. Dominika Salkova/CZE 7-6(3)/5-7/7-6(12-10) - Chwalinska in 3:23, was down a break twice in the 3rd. Salkova served for the win at 5-4, led 7-3 in the deciding MTB and held a pair of MP.
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - #8 Emma Navarro/USA def. Peyton Stearns/USA 6-7(5)/7-6(5)/7-5 - 3:22 between former NCAA champs; Stearns up set and 2-0, up 5-3 in 3rd and served at 5-4; Navarro wins 16/19 points to end
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/WC/Doub.): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #14 Mirra Andreeva/RUS (def. Marie Bouzkova/CZE)
FIRST SEED OUT: #29 Linda Noskova/CZE (1st Rd.- Tauson/DEN)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Destanee Aiava/AUS (6th MD), Talia Gibson/AUS (2nd MD), Suzan Lamens/NED (1st MD), Rebecca Sramkova/SVK (5th MD)
PROTECTED RANKING BEST: Belinda Bencic/SUI (in 3r) (2r-Birrell/AUS, Kovinic/MNE)
LUCKY LOSER BEST: Eva Lys/GER (in 3r) (2r-Dart/GBR)
UPSET QUEENS: Great Britain
REVELATION LADIES: Germany
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Czech Republic (1-4 1st Rd.; Kvitova/Pliskova/Krejcikova DNP; Vondrousova; Bouzkova First Loss; Noskova First Seed Out; Beljek 0-5 slam MD)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Destanee Aiava/AUS and Gabriela Ruse/ROU (both 2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Talia Gibson/AUS, Iva Jovic/USA, Ajla Tomljanovic/AUS(L) and Zhang Shuai/CHN (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: Destanee Aiava, Talia Gibson and Ajla Tomljanovic (all 2nd Rd.)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: x
IT (TBD): x
COMEBACK PLAYER: x
CRASH & BURN: #5 Zheng Qinwen/CHN (2r- 2024 finalist and Olympic Gold medalist out in 2 sets vs. Siegemund/GER)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE: Eva Lys/GER (LL added to MD on Day 3 ten minutes before start of 1r match; reaches 3rd Rd. for first time at a major)
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: x
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominee: Sabalenka/Dokic
AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGE ARTS AWARD: Nominees: Aiava dons iconic Ivanovic/Sharapova dress designs during Q-run; Sabalenka/Dokic & crowd dance on Laver; Osaka's flowers
DOUBLES STAR: x
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x





All for now. More soon.

Read more...

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 5:02 PM  2 comments

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

AO25 - Close Calls, Flower Power and What a Difference a Year Makes








=AO NOTES=
...in the top half of the draw, the 2nd Round was characterized by close calls, led by two-time defending champ and #1 seed Aryna Sabalenka being made to work by young Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Wednesday.

Bouzas Maneiro once again put a scare into a top player, even if she wasn't able to find a way to make her way to the finish line ahead of her. She led Sabalenka 5-2 in the 2nd, only to see the Belarusian's championship mettle emerge and lead her to a match-closing five-game winning streak that got the 6-3/7-5 victory, her 16th straight in Melbourne.



Meanwhile, 17-year old Mirra Andreeva has yet to win a major (check back in a year or so?), but the #14 seed is already expected to (at least) reach the second week at any major she plays. That plan was almost overturned by Moyuka Uchijima. Playing with "house money" after saving a MP in her 1st Round win over Magda Linette, Uchijima put a massive scare into the Hordette, battling Andreeva deep into a deciding MTB in the 3rd set.

Up a break in the 3rd, Uchijima saved a BP and held for a 5-3 lead, officially pushing the young Russian's back against the wall. She held at love, and then broke Uchijima to get back on serve. Another hold gave her a 6-5 lead and a quick final push seemed about to occur. But the Japanese held to force the 10-point breaker, then recovered from a 6-3 deficit there to knot the score at 6-all and ultimately take the lead with a five-point winning streak at 8-6.

Finally, Andreeva reasserted her hold on the match, sweeping the final four points to win 10-8.



...the other main theme of the first day of 2nd Round action was "what a difference a year makes." See Zheng Qinwen and Anna Blinkova.

German veteran Laura Siegemund, at 36 the oldest woman left in the draw after her countrywoman Tatjana Maria (37) lost earlier in the day to Clara Tauson (who followed up her Round 1 seeded "upset" with another win to set up that 3rd Round encounter w/ Sabalenka in which the two will enter the match a combined 14-0 in '25) is always a headache for opponents to face due to her unorthdox/scrappy style of play.

#5-ranked Zheng would need a whole bottle of aspirin once her day was through, as well as plane ticket for a flight out of Australia.

Ready to start another season running after reaching the '24 AO final to build the foundation of a campaign that saw her win Olympic Gold, reach the WTAF title match and climb into the Top 5, Zheng could never find an answer for Siegemund, who pulled off the upset in a 7-6(3)/6-3 match that sent out the hightest-seeded player so far at this event.



Meanwhile, a year ago in the AO 2nd Round, Anna Blinkova won a slam record 42-point MTB over Elena Rybakina, both achieving a new career-best moment and setting her season up for a series of disappointments as her remaining results failed to match (often by a long distance) the promise the Russian showed on that particular day.

Well, at least she won't have that pressure *this* year as she exits Melbourne.

Blinkova again went three sets against a seeded player, #23 Magdelana Frech, but this time she came out on the wrong end of the final result, a far less dramatic (but a little odd looking) 0-6/6-0/6-2 scoreline.



...well, the Naomi Osaka Flower Power Do-Over Revenge Tour continued in Melbourne in the 2nd Round. After defeating Caroline Garcia, who'd beaten her in last year's AO, in the 1st Round, Osaka took out #20 Karolina Muchova (that's it -- no more Czechs) in the 2nd. Muchova defeated Osaka at last year's U.S. Open.



Her next opponent? Belinda Bencic, playing in her first major since '23, who defeated Suzan Lamens to reach the 3rd Round in her first post-maternity leave slam MD appearance.

Hmmm, so does Osaka have a do-over angle for that one? Yes. Yes, she does. In 2019, Bencic defeated Osaka -- the #1 seed and top-ranked player at the time -- in the U.S. Open Round of 16 in 2019 en route to her only major SF result. It was one of her *three* wins over the #1-ranked Osaka that season.

They've only played once since then, a '22 win in Miami by Osaka.



...Olga Danilovic still has *it* early in the majors. Already with wins in six of her seven career slam MD, the Serb's 6-1/6-2 domination of #25 Liudmila Samsonova gives her a third career slam win over a seeded player. Previous wins over Petra Martic (#21, '21 AO) and Danielle Collins (#11, '24 RG) have also been joined in the past by unseeded victories over the likes of slam semifinalists (or better) Donna Vekic, Martina Trevisan and Jasmine Paolini.

...meanwhile, in another bit of bookkeeping, here is where we note that a Hordette has posted a 2nd Round win in a major. Three, in fact -- Andreeva, Diana Shnaider and Anastasia Pavluchenkova -- did so on Day 4. This makes it 19 straight majors (in which they were eligible) with a Russian woman in the 3rd Round, and the 95th time in the last 97.



(BTW, I wonder how Shnaider's hunt is going for a suitable white bandanna for Wimbledon?)





...THE TRARALGON TUNE-UP IS COMPLETE (and the trophy goes to a second Waffle in the last four years!):

Although, it's been six years since the winner went on to take the junior crown in Melbourne. The last to do it? Clara Tauson in 2019.




...WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?:

If this were the career slam scorecard of a WTA player, we know what would be said, right? I mean, it looks very Sakkarian to me.



A slam SF four seasons ago, but never a second. Three QF+ in less than a year, and then nothing. Diminishing returns at majors after a career result (AO: QF-4r-3r-2r, WI: QF-1r-1r-1r, US: SF-2r-1r-1r).

This men's player seems to be one of the more likable players over there, but this sure feels like a *way* less accomplished major "report card" than it should be, right? I'm just sayin'.

Click here to see who is it.



















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*RECENT TRARALGON JR. CHAMPIONS; w/ AO Jr. RESULT*
2015 Katherine Sebov, CAN (2r)
2016 Vera Lapko, BLR (W)
2017 Iga Swiatek, POL (1r)
2018 Liang En-shou, TPE (W)
2019 Clara Tauson, DEN (W)
2020 Polina Kudermetova, RUS (QF)
2021 DNP
2022 Sofia Costoulas, BEL (RU)
2023 Melisa Ercan, TUR (1r)
2024 Emerson Jones, AUS (RU)
2025 Jeline Vandromme, BEL






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During the AG nomination hearing, Alabama Sen Katie Britt just claimed "we are a nation of laws". Really? I guess that only applies to immigration.

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— Ann Telnaes (@anntelnaes.bsky.social) January 15, 2025 at 12:59 PM


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TOP QUALIFIER: Maja Chwalinska, POL
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): x
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1 - #20 Maja Chwalinska/POL def. Dominika Salkova/CZE 7-6(3)/5-7/7-6(12-10) - Chwalinska in 3:23, was down a break twice in the 3rd. Salkova served for the win at 5-4, led 7-3 in the deciding MTB and held a pair of MP.
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): x
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/WC/Doub.): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #14 Mirra Andreeva/RUS (def. Marie Bouzkova/CZE)
FIRST SEED OUT: #29 Linda Noskova/CZE (1st Rd.- Tauson/DEN)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Destanee Aiava/AUS (6th MD), Talia Gibson/AUS (2nd MD), Suzan Lamens/NED (1st MD), Rebecca Sramkova/SVK (5th MD)
PROTECTED RANKING BEST: in 2r: Bencic/SUI(W), Burrage/GBR(L), Kovinic/MNE
LUCKY LOSER BEST: in 2r: Dart/GBR(L), Lys/GER
UPSET QUEENS: Great Britain
REVELATION LADIES: Germany
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Czech Republic (1-4 1st Rd.; Kvitova/Pliskova/Krejcikova DNP; Vondrousova; Bouzkova First Loss; Noskova First Seed Out; Beljek 0-5 slam MD)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: in 2r: Aiava/AUS, Ruse/ROU
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: in 2r: Gibson/AUS(L), Jovic/USA, Tomljanovic/AUS(L), Zhang Sh./CHN
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: in 2r: Aiava, Gibson(L), Tomljanovic(L)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: x
IT (TBD): x
COMEBACK PLAYER: x
CRASH & BURN: Nominee: Zheng Q. (2r- #5 seed and '24 RU; out in 2 sets vs. Siegemund)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE: Nominees: Aiava (1r- Minnen led 7-5/5-2, 2 MP at 5-4); Dart (1r- late LL add; saved 2 MP vs. Fett, who twice served for match in 3rd); Navarro (1r- Stearns up break twice in 3rd, served at 5-4; Navarro 16/19 pts. to end)
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: x
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominee: Sabalenka/Dokic
AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGE ARTS AWARD: Nominees: Aiava dons iconic Ivanovic/Sharapova dress designs during Q-run; Sabalenka/Dokic & crowd dance on Laver; Osaka's flowers
DOUBLES STAR: x
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x





All for now. More soon.

Read more...

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 5:13 PM  2 comments

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

AO25 - 64 Down, 63 to Play

Respect. (Wink.)









=AO NOTES=
...in a match-up of former women's college champions, it was the former U-Va. Cavalier (#8 Emma Navarro, the 2021 NCAA champion) who got the better of the former Texas Longhorn (Peyton Stearns, the 2022 NCAA champion) in a 3:20 battle which seemed to have tilted the way of the latter before the former's final rush sealed a 6-7(5)/7-6(5)/7-5 victory that turned around her slow '25 start and prevented her from falling to 1-3 on the season (and 1-5 since early October).



Of course, it also helps that Navarro had a secret weapon in her back pocket. Namely, Stearns herself, or at least her incredibly bad run in three-set matches over the past two-plus seasons.

Stearns had led the match 7-6/2-0, but soon found herself taken to three (again) after losing the match's second TB. She twice held break leads in the decider, and served for the win at 5-4.



But after Stearns took a 5-3 lead in the set, she barely put a scratch on the scoreboard the rest of the way, losing 16 of the final 19 points. Navarro held at love, broke Stearns at 15 (after taking a love/40 lead), took a 40/love lead and held at 15 to grab a 6-5 edge, and then took yet another love/40 lead on Stearns' serve with a third TB dangling in the balance. On her second MP, Navarro got another break at 15 to close out the win.

Stearns is the first player in 2025 to lose two three-hour contests in WTA/slam MD action.



Of course, the question that lingers in the mind here (no, not anything revolving around the "r"-word) after this one is whether or not Navarro would now admit to having any "inkling" that she might still be able to win this one despite facing such a deficit. You know, like she did after crushing Paula Badosa's "Espana in the City" run in the U.S. Open QF last summer after the Spaniard had held a big lead in that match-up. The post-match interview insinuation then was the Navarro was aware of Badosa's past late-(big) match collapses, and knew that if she just pushed her deeper into the match she'd eventually fall apart.

Badosa did, sorta (kinda) just how Stearns, no matter how much fight she shows and how entertaining she makes the battles, has a *really* hard time winning these sort of matches.

Navarro didn't mention any "inkling" during her post-match interview, so she apparently *can* display a bit of tact in public places, after all.

Stearns got off to a 0-3 start in '24 in matches that went the distance (having also ended '23 by losing her last five three-setters) and by springtime of last year had lost 14 of her last 15 such encounters before finally turning around her numbers the remainder of the season. She arrived in Melbourne having last both three-set matches she'd played in '25 (to Kasatkina and, incidentally, Badosa), making her 1-4 in such contests since last summer.

Fitness doesn't seem to be Stearns' issue in these moments, nor does any lack of drive or competitiveness. Hmmm.

Good on Navarro for winning this one but, well, I'm just sayin', you know?

Navarro is now 5-1 in the head-to-head series, as well, with Stearns' only win coming in a $25K in 2019, years before either was crowned NCAA singles champion.

...whether any woman from the South American continent would reach the 2nd Round was a legitimate question in Melbourne before the MD was set, as quite a few potential winners fell in the qualifying rounds and the top-ranked S.A. in play (#15-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia) was winless on the season coming into this AO. The Argentines went winless in two 1st Round matches on Days 1 & 2, and both Brazil and Colombia only had *one* player each in the draw to try to get an elusive "W."

As it turned out, one all-South American match-up (Brazil's Haddad Maia vs. ARG's Julia Riera) meant at least *one* would advance, but then Colombia's Camila Osorio came along and doubled the total.

Haddad Maia's three-set win over Riera finally got her on the board for 2025 (she'd been 0-3), but she had to fight for it. After dropping the opening set, Haddad saved five SP at 6-5 to avoid a 2nd set TB, holding to even the match and then going on to win 4-6/7-5/6-2.

She Haddad It Comin' If there's one thing Beatriz Haddad Maia is gonna do, it's stay on a tennis court for about 3 hours every time she plays. Brazil's most successful WTA player since Maria Bueno stays alive in Melbourne, rallying past Argentine qualifier Julia Riera, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, in 2h 42m.

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— Tick Tock Tennis (@ticktocktennis.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 10:00 PM


Osorio then outlasted #31 Maria Sakkari 6-4/6-7(4)/6-4, sending the Greek out in the 1st Round for the sixth time in her last nine majors. Sakkari's last four AO: 4r-3r-2r-1r.

...hailing from a farther north, 16-year old wild card Iva Jovic posted a win in her second straight slam 1st Round, following up her successful major debut in her home slam in New York with another victory over 33-year old Spanish veteran Nuria Parrizas Diaz, 6-2/6-1.



Jovic reached the Wimbledon girls' semis last summer, then as a women's WC at the U.S. Open upset Magda Linette in the 1st Round. She almost got another over #29 Alexandrova in the 2nd Round, but rebounded from a disappointing three-set loss to reach a second '24 junior singles slam SF the following week.

From in between the U.S. and South America, Mexico's Renata Zarazua took out Taylor Townsend, 6-7(6)/6-1/6-2, getting a MD win at consecutive slams for the first time ever (she's won once everywhere but Wimbledon). Her streak of five straight MD apperances in majors ties for the second longest by a Mexican woman in the Open era, behind Angelica Gavaldon's 13-slam streak from 1993-96. Gavaldon has the other five-event streak, as well.



...meanwhile, while the sun will rise in the morning, we're still waiting on Lulu Sun to appear in the 2025 skyline.

A stunning quarterfinalist at Wimbledon last summer, aside from a four-win final run in Monterrey in August (via two 3rd set TBs), Sun has had rough sledding ever since.

The New Zealander opened her '25 season in Auckland with a three-set loss to Rebecca Marino. In her second chance at a maiden new year win in Hobart, she fell in another three-setter vs. Sofia Kenin. On Tuesday, she lost to Danka Kovinic (for the Montenegrin's first '25 victory), 6-3/7-6.

Combined with her three-match losing streak to end '24 after reaching the Monterrey title match, Sun has now lost six straight. Her most recent match win came in August (five months ago) vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova via an 8-6 3rd set TB. She's gone 7-8 since leaving SW19.

...the early-round AO awards results are in. Well, some of them, anyway ("Crash & Burn" and "Zombie Queen of Melbourne" remained unresolved).

As anticipated, the Czechs pick up the "Nation of Poor Souls" papier mache crown off a 1-4 1st Round record.

Of course, things started out under a dark cloud for the Crushers young and older, with Petra Kvitova (maternity leave) and Karolina Pliskova (injury) still on extended absenses. Barbora Krejcikova pulled out with her ailing back before the draw was made, and was joined by Marketa Vondrousova after play had started. Marie Bouzkova's Day 1 loss to Mirra Andreeva gave her the first official loss of this AO, then #29 Linda Noskova (def. by Clara Tauson) was the first seeded player sent packing. Qualifier Sara Beljek fell to 0-5 in career slam MD matches, and Iga Swiatek handed Katerina Siniakova a straight sets loss.

It all left #20 Karolina Muchova as the last remaining hope, and she obliged by avoiding the total shutout with a win over Nadia Podoroska.

Of course, the Czechs weren't alone when it came to relative 1st Round futility. The French Pastries also went 1-4 (only Varvara Gracheva won), while the Argentinian contingent was a combined 0-3.

Despite having seven fewer players in the women's draw (12 vs. 19), the Hordettes top the Bannerettes in 2nd Round participants by a 9-8 count, with the collective 9-3 mark far outshining the U.S. group's 8-11.



Eva Lys' late addition to the draw as a LL (after Anna Kalinskaya's very late w/d) and her subsequent victory over Kimberly Birrell pushed the Germans to 4-0, getting them the "Revelation Ladies" honors with a generationally balanced attack featuring Tatjana Maria (37) and Laura Siegemund (36), the two oldest players in the women's MD, on one side of the see-saw, and Lys (23) and Jule Niemeier (25) on the other (w/ both getting their maiden AO wins).

Tying for third on the 1st Round winners list were Great Britain (4-1) and China (4-4), with Australia, Spain and Ukraine all coming in with three each. Kazakhstan (2-0) was the only nation other than Germany to go undefeated with multiple players in the draw.

The Brits get the "Upset Queens" award, even if it might be stretching things a big (hey, only five seeds are gone so far). Emma Raducanu took out #26 Ekaterina Alexandrova, Harriet Dart (as a LL) knocked off Jana Fett, and Jodie Burrage (in the draw with a PR) defeated Leolia Jeanjean. #22 Katie Boulter joins them all in the 2nd Round.

Raducanu's 7-6/7-6 win means the former U.S. Open champ has now notched at least one MD win in nine of her eleven major MD appearances, including in all four of her AO attempts. She's failed to reach the 3rd Round in seven of her previous ten slams, though.





...FIVE FEET OF FURY (good alliteration!):




...*SAKKARI* (but nobody's perfect):



For how much longer will a loss by the Greek -- *either* Greek, as her men's tour counterpart is already gone, too -- be worthy of a hey-look-at-that! mention at a major? Sakkari's streak of seeded positions at slams is going to need some work to reach 24 straight in Paris, as well. She has Indian Wells RU, Miami QF and Madrid/Rome 4th Rd. points to defend before then. Eek.


...UPCOMING TENNIS COMEDY DUO TOUR ALERT:




...ELSEWHERE IN THE HOUSE OF ANDREEVA:



Erika now has wins in three consecutive slam 1st Round matches.


...CIRCA JOVIC'S BRIEF EARLY RUN AT LAST YEAR'S U.S. OPEN:






















kosova-font

**AO 1st ROUND BY NATION - alphabetical**
0-3 - ARG
0-1 - ARM
3-5 - AUS
0-1 - AUT
1-1 - BEL
1-1 - BLR
1-0 - BRA
0-1 - BUL
1-1 - CAN
4-4 - CHN
1-0 - COL
1-2 - CRO
1-4 - CZE
1-0 - DEN
0-1 - EGY
3-1 - ESP
1-4 - FRA
4-1 - GBR
4-0 - GER
0-1 - GRE
0-1 - HUN
2-1 - ITA
2-1 - JPN
2-0 - KAZ
0-1 - LAT
1-0 - MEX
1-0 - MNE
1-1 - NED
0-1 - NZL
2-2 - POL
2-3 - ROU
9-3 - RUS
0-2 - SLO
1-0 - SRB
1-1 - SUI
1-0 - SVK
1-0 - TUN
0-1 - TUR
3-3 - UKR
8-11- USA
===
TOTAL MD NATIONS: 40
MOST IN 2nd RD. (29 nations): 9-RUS,8-USA,4-CHN,4-GBR,4-GER,3-AUS,3-ESP,3-UKR
UNDEFEATED 1st RD.: 4-0 (GER); 2-0 (KAZ); 1-0 (BRA,COL,DEN,MEX,MNE,SRB,SVK,TUN)
WORST 1st RD.: 0-3 (ARG); 0-2 (SLO); 1-4 (CZE,FRA)
SEEDS OUT: 5 (1-BLR,1-CZE,1-GRE,1-LAT,1-RUS)
DEF.SEEDS: 1-COL,1-DEN,1-GBR,1-ITA,1-SUI

*RECENT AO "NATIONS OF POOR SOULS"*
=2020=
BLR (0-2 1st Rd., #11 Sabalenka high seed; Azarenka DNP)
=2021=
CHN (1-5 1st Rd., two seeds and 3 Top 50 players ousted)
=2022=
CAN (0-2 1r, #23 Fernandez out; Andreescu/Bouchard DNP)
=2023=
GER (1-4 1st Rd.; Petkovic ret., Kerber DNP/pregnant; NextGen 0-2)
=2024=
RUS seeds (1-4 1st Rd.)
=2025=
CZE (1-4 1st Rd.; no Kvitova/Pliskokva; Krejcikova/Vondrousova w/d; Bouzkova First Loss; Noskova First Seed Out; Bejlek 0-5 slam MD)

*RECENT AO "UPSET QUEENS" WINNERS*
2017 United States
2018 Ukraine
2019 United States
2020 Spain
2021 United States
2022 Romania
2023 Ukraine
2024 France
2025 Great Britain

*RECENT AO "REVELATION LADIES" WINNERS*
2017 Australia
2018 Estonia
2019 Teens (6 in 2nd Rd.)
2020 Kazakhstan
2021 Estonia
2022 China
2023 Czech Republic
2024 Unseeded Russians
2025 Germany

*MEXICAN WOMEN IN SLAM WS MD, since 2000*
2000 AO - Angelica Gavaldon (2r)
2020 RG - Renata Zarazua (2r)
2022 RG - Fernanda Contreras (2r)
2022 WI - Fernanda Contreras (1r)
2024 AO - Renata Zarazua (1r)
2024 RG - Renata Zarazua (1r)
2024 WI - Renata Zarazua (1r)
2024 US - Renata Zarazua (2r)
2025 AO - Renata Zarazua
--
MOST RECENT QF: 1995 AO - Gavaldon (3r: 1995 WI/US)
--
[MEX w/ SLAM MD WINS; Open era; #-mult.wins]
Elena Subirats#
Angelica Gavaldon#
Renata Zarazua#
Fernanda Contreras
--
[MEX - MOST RECENT CON. MAJOR MD]
13 - Gavaldon, 1993 AO-1996 AO
5 - Zarazua, 2024 AO-active
5 - Gavaldon, 1990 AO-1991 AO






kosova-font






TOP QUALIFIER: Maja Chwalinska, POL
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): x
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1 - #20 Maja Chwalinska/POL def. Dominika Salkova/CZE 7-6(3)/5-7/7-6(12-10) - Chwalinska in 3:23, was down a break twice in the 3rd. Salkova served for the win at 5-4, led 7-3 in the deciding MTB and held a pair of MP.
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): x
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/WC/Doub.): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #14 Mirra Andreeva/RUS (def. Marie Bouzkova/CZE)
FIRST SEED OUT: #29 Linda Noskova/CZE (1st Rd.- Tauson/DEN)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Aiava/AUS (6th MD), Gibson/AUS (2nd MD), Lamens/NED (1st MD), Sramkova/SVK (5th MD)
PROTECTED RANKING BEST: in 2r: Bencic/SUI, Burrage/GBR, Kovinic/MNE
LUCKY LOSER BEST: in 2r: Dart/GBR, Lys/GER
UPSET QUEENS: Great Britain
REVELATION LADIES: Germany
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Czech Republic (1-4 1st Rd.; Kvitova/Pliskova/Krejcikova DNP; Vondrousova; Bouzkova First Loss; Noskova First Seed Out; Beljek 0-5 slam MD)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: in 2r: Aiava/AUS, Ruse/ROU
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: in 2r: Gibson/AUS, Jovic/USA, Tomljanovic/AUS, Zhang Sh./CHN
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: in 2r: Aiava, Gibson, Tomljanovic
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: x
IT (TBD): x
COMEBACK PLAYER: x
CRASH & BURN: Nominees: Noskova (1r- Tauson; in '24 def. Iga and to QF); Fett (1r- in first AO match since lost w/ 2 MP vs. Woziacki in '18, loses to Dart after having 2 MP)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE: Nominees: Aiava (1r- Minnen led 7-5/5-2, 2 MP at 5-4); Dart (1r- late LL add; saved 2 MP vs. Fett, who twice served for match in 3rd); Uchijima (1r- saved MP vs. Linette; down break three times in 3rd); Mertens (1r- down set and Golubic 2 MP in 2nd set TB); Navarro (1r- Stearns up break twice in 3rd, served at 5-4; Navarro 16/19 pts. to end)
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: x
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominee: Sabalenka/Dokic
AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGE ARTS AWARD: Nominees: Aiava dons iconic Ivanovic/Sharapova dress designs during Q-run; Sabalenka/Dokic & crowd dance on Laver
DOUBLES STAR: x
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x





All for now. More soon.

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posted by Todd.Spiker @ 5:36 PM  2 comments