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.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 5:13 PM 

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