Thursday, July 03, 2025

W.4- The Art of Avoidance (and the Thrill of Survival)













=DAY 4 NOTES=
...perhaps the "fever" has been broken at SW19, as after three days of seeing seeded players be left by the wayside seemingly en masse, Day 4 featured a resurgence of the "favorites." With the collective task of not being the *next* to fall, seeded women opened the day at 7-0, and ended it at 9-1, with only a low-ranking seed coming out on the wrong side of a scoreline.

Things began in a somewhate worrisome fashion for #8 Iga Swiatek, who lost a 4-1 opening set lead to Caty McNally, the Bannerette with whom the Pole won the 2018 RG junior crown. Playing with a protected ranking after returning late last year following elbow surgery that cost her nine months of the '24 season, McNally stole away with a 7-5 opener. But she couldn't keep up with the former #1, who though she hasn't flown nearly as high at Wimbledon as she has at the other majors *has* managed to reach at least the 3rd Round at (now) each of her five SW19 appearances since her one-and-done debut in 2019 (the year after she won the girls' title).



Swiatek will next meet up with her "old friend," Danielle Collins.

Two days ago, #10 Emma Navarro ended the Wimbledon career of Petra Kvitova. Today she quickly dispensed of Veronika Kudermetova, winning 1 & 2 to become one of the five Top 10 seeds to survive to reach the Final 32.



Navarro has dropped just seven games through three rounds, tied with two other women for the fewest lost so far. The other two? #13 Amanda Anisimova and #11 Elena Rybakina. The Kazakh took out Maria Sakkari in short order on Thursday, and will next face off with #23 Clara Tauson for a spot in the second week.



After having eliminated one former Czech Wimbledon winner in Kvitova, Navarro will next get a shot at a second in the form of the defending champion, #17 Barbora Krejcikova.

Krejcikova had a bit more trouble in her match with Caroline Dolehide, but she rallied from 3-1 down to take the 1st, then broke the Bannerette for 4-2 in the 3rd en route to a 6-4/3-6/6-2 victory. Recently back from an early season back injury, and having pulled out of Eastbourne with a thigh injury, Krejcikova has now played four straight three-setters over the past two weeks. She's won them all, but one wonders if that'll be a sustainable pattern for very much longer going forward. Still, she's won her last nine matches at Wimbledon.



...meanwhile, #16 Dasha Kasatkina continued to live her best slam life, improving to 8-2 in majors this season with a 6-2/4-6/6-1 win over Irina-Camelia Begu. Despite being just 8-14 in any events other than the three '25 slams this season, the Aussie is one of nine women who've reached at least the 3rd Round of this year's AO, RG and Wimbledon.

Another player (a little surprisingly, as well) who is also on that short list is Dayana Yastremska. The 1st Round conqueror of #2 Coco Gauff managed to just survive today, and that was all that she needed to do.



Neither Yastremska nor Anastasia Zakharova saw a break point through the first ten games of today's match, but it was the Hordette who carved out (and won) the first in game 11, breaking to go up 6-5. In the following game, Zakharova saved a pair of BP and held to take the 1st 7-5. She led 5-3 in the 2nd, and served for the win at 5-4. But Yastremska held firm, sweeping the final four games of the set to force a decider.

Yastremska went out to a 4-2 lead, and had a MP at 6-5. But this time it was Zakharova who forced a MTB, then rallied from 4-1 down to lead 6-5 before the Ukrainian staged a final surge to win 10-8 on her fourth MP.

...lucky loser Solana Sierra advanced to the 3rd Round yesterday, but fellow LL Victoria Mboko didn't follow today, falling 7-6(6)/6-3 to Hailey Baptiste, who has now posted her two best career slam results (w/ RG 4r) at the last two majors.



Making not just personal, but also national, history on Day 4 was Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez. The 23-year old from Istanbul defeated Berlin finalist Wang Xinyu 7-5/7-5, becoming the first Turkish player to ever reach the 3rd Round of a major, topping countrywoman Cagla Buyukakcay's best-ever collection of three 2nd Round results in slams from 2016-17.



...the lone women's seed to fall of the nine in action on Thursday? That'd be #28 Sofia Kenin, who became the latest slam victim of Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, the 22-year old Spaniard who a year ago ushered then-defending champ Marketa Vondrousova (then ranked #6) out in the 1st Round, and just a few weeks ago upset #9 Emma Navarro in the 1st Round of Roland Garros (allowing just 1 game).

Bouzas Maneiro won 6-1/7-6 today, advancing to the 3rd Round at Wimbledon for a second straight year. In 2024, she followed up her win over the Czech with another over countrywoman Cristina Bucsa (who's still alive in the 3r this year) before retiring in the 3rd Round vs. Krejcikova, who'd then go on to win the women's title.



She'll face Yastremska this time around.





...TOMORROW, THE RETURN... ON DAY JULY 4:











RIP to veteran character actor Michael Madsen. He's best known for his film roles in Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs, Thelma & Louise and Species. With a hulking frame and deep voice, Mr. Madsen usually dominated the hundreds of movies, tv and video game roles he inhabited. He was 67. #RIP

[image or embed]

— Anthony S. (@sevensoldiers.bsky.social) July 3, 2025 at 1:35 PM

BREAKING ?? ?? ?? Michael Madsen, 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Kill Bill: Vol. 2' actor, dies at 67 In an acting career spanning over 40 years, Madsen racked up dozens of screen credits. But he was best known for his collaborations with Quentin Tarantino. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

[image or embed]

— Lauren Ashley Davis (@laurenmeidasa.bsky.social) July 3, 2025 at 1:23 PM

If you were sat in a theater in 1992 as RESERVOIR DOGS unspooled, Michael Madsen was an absolute revelation. Sad news of his passing.

— Phil Nobile Jr. (@philnobilejr.bsky.social) July 3, 2025 at 1:26 PM

Reports say Michael Madsen is gone. This Mr. Blonde scene in Reservoir Dogs is one of the most haunting and harrowing ever captured on film, although technically even the camera looks away. Is there a more coldblooded line than “hey, what’s going on?”??

[image or embed]

— Anthony Breznican (@brezwrites.bsky.social) July 3, 2025 at 2:08 PM














kosova-font

*WIMBLEDON 3rd ROUND*
ARG (1) - Sierra
AUS (1) - Kasatkina
BEL (1) - Mertens
BLR (1) - Sabalenka
CZE (2) - Krejcikova, Noskova
DEN (1) - Tauson
ESP (2) - Bouzas Maneiro ,Bucsa
FRA (1) - Parry
GBR (2) - Kartal, Raducanu
GER (1) - Siegemund
HUN (1) - Galfi
ITA (1) - Cocciaretto
JPN (1) - Osaka
KAZ (1) - Rybakina
POL (1) - Swiatek
RUS (5) - Alexandrova, M.Andreeva, Pavlyuchenkova, Rakhimova, Samsonova
SUI (1) - Bencic
TUR (1) - Sonmez
UKR (2) - Svitolina, Yastremska
USA (5) - Anisimova, Baptiste, Collins, Keys, Navarro
[NOTES]
TOTAL NATIONS (AO 19, RG 17): 17
SEEDS: 15
UNSEEDED: 17
...1 qualifier (Parry)
...0 wild cards
...1 lucky loser (Sierra)
...0 protected ranking
FIRST-TIME SLAM 3r: 2 (Sierra, Sonmez)
FIRST-TIME WI 3r: 9
...Andreeva, Baptiste, Bucsa, Noskova, Rakhimova, Sierra, Siegemund, Sonmez, Tauson
TEENS: 1 (Andreeva)
30+: 6
...Alexandrova, Collins, Keys, Pavlyuchenkova, Siegemund, Svitolina
2024 WI 3r REPEATS: 13
...Bouzas Maneiro, Collins, Kartal, Kasatkina, Keys, Krejcikova, Navarro, Raducanu, Rybakina, Samsonova, Svitolina, Swiatek, Yastremska
...(3 in last two app. 2023/25: Alexandrova, Bencic, Cocciaretto)
2025 AO-RG-WI 3rd Rd.: 9
...Andreeva, Kasatkina, Keys, Rybakina, Sabalenka, Svitolina, Swiatek, Tauson, Yastremska

*RECENT WIMBLEDON "IT" WINNERS*
2016 [First WC Champ] Jiske Griffioen, NED
2017 [Next WC Great?] Diede de Groot, NED
2018 [GenPDQ Pole] Iga Swiatek, POL
2019 [Kid] Coco Gauff, USA
2021 [Teen Brit] Emma Raducanu, GBR
2022 [Groundbreakers] Ons Jabeur/TUN and Elena Rybakina/KAZ
2023 [Teen Phenom] Mirra Andreeva, RUS
2024 [Kiwi] Lulu Sun, NZL
2025 [Turk] Zeynep Sonmez/TUR

*RECENT WIMBLEDON "LAST QUALIFIER STANDING"*
=2019=
Coco Cauff, USA (4th Rd.)
=2021=
Maria (Camila Osorio) Serrano, COL (3rd Rd.)
=2022=
M.Chwalinska/POL, C.Harrison/USA, M.Hontama/JPN, K.Kawa/POL, Y.Wickmayer/BEL (all 2nd Rd.)
=2023=
Mirra Andreeva, RUS (4th Rd.)
=2024=
Lulu Sun, NZL (QF)
=2025=
Diane Parry, FRA (in 3rd Rd.)

*RECENT SLAM "EARLY-ROUND TOP PLAYER" WINNERS (w/ finish)*
=2022=
AO: Ash Barty (W)
RG: Iga Swiatek (W)
WI: Simona Halep (SF)
US: Serena Williams (3rd)
=2023=
AO: Jessie Pegula (QF)
RG: Mirra Andreeva (3rd)
WI: Madison Keys (QF)
US: Coco Gauff (W)
=2024=
AO: Aryna Sabalenka (W)
RG: Aryna Sabalenka (QF)
WI: Dasha Kasatkina (3rd)
US: Aryna Sabalenka (W)
=2025=
AO: Aryna Sabalenka (RU)
RG: Aryna Sabalenka (RU)
WI: Amanda Anisimova

*BEST SLAM RESULTS BY TURKISH WOMEN*
3rd Rd. - Zeynep Sonmez (2025 WI...)
2nd Rd. - Cagla Buyukakcay (2016 RG)
2nd Rd. - Cagla Buyukakcay (2016 US)
2nd Rd. - Cagla Buyukakcay (2017 RG)




kosova-font









TOP QUALIFIER: Carson Branstine/CAN
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #13 Amanda Anisimova/USA (7 games lost 1r/2r, double-bagel win in 1st)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3 - #30 Priscilla Hon/AUS def. Victoria Mboko/CAN 4-6/7-6(4)/6-1 - Mboko led love/40 at 6-5 in the 2nd on Hon's serve, holding five MP
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - #6 Madison Keys/USA def. Gabriela Ruse/ROU 6-7(4)/7-5/7-5 - Ruse fights off Keys' comeback to claim 1st, then Keys fights off Ruse's comeback in 3rd, serves out on second try
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #14 Elina Svitolina/UKR (def. Bondar/HUN)
FIRST SEED OUT: #20 Alona Ostapenko/LAT (1st Rd. to Kartal/GBR)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Veronika Erjavec/SLO, Solana Sierra/ARG, Zeynep Sonmez/TUR
UPSET QUEENS: Great Britain
REVELATION LADIES: Italy
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Australia (1-6 1st Rd.; only new Aussie Kasatkina w/ win)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Diane Parry/FRA (in 3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: no wins (0-8)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: Caty McNally/USA (2nd Rd.)
LUCKY LOSERS: in 3r: Solana Sierra/ARG (2r: Victoria Mboko/CAN)
LAST BRIT STANDING: in 3r: Kartal, Raducanu
Ms./Mrs. OPPORTUNITY: x
IT "Turk": Zeynep Sonmez/TUR (first TUR player into slam 3r)
COMEBACK PLAYER: x
CRASH & BURN: #2 Coco Gauff/USA & #3 Jessie Pegula/USA - first slam w/ two Top 3 out in 1st Rd. (Gauff won RG, Pegula won grass title pre-Wimb.)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: Nominees: Yastremska (2r- Zakharova led by set and 5-3, served for win at 5-4); Sierra (LL into 3rd Rd.)
DOUBLES STAR: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominee: Siegemund (oldest to 3r since 1970)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: Petra Kvitova/CZE - plays final Wimbledon match







All for Day 4. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 7:50 PM 

1 Comments:

Blogger khan35 said...

Mirra reached the 4th round at Wimbledon in 2023. She has been in 3rd round at Wimbledon before.

Swiatek's section is filled with big hitters. Hahahaha! I don't think she'll survive that.

Anisimova's draw to the QFs is easy. she should reach SFs.

Thu Jul 03, 10:54:00 PM EDT  

Post a Comment

<< Home