Saturday, January 24, 2026

AO26 - Sweet Sixteen in the Shade









=AO NOTES=
...finally, the heat was on in Melbourne. Literally, as the forecasted conditions precipitated an early start on Day 7 in order to try to avoid the most dangerous afternoon temperatures, but play was still suspended in the middle of the day and/or roofs closed.

Heat rules or no heat rules, though, the Bannerettes continued to burn up the AO courts. On Saturday, the top three seeded U.S. woman swept through their opponents to make it a total of five of the group into the Round of 16.

#6 Jessie Pegula was arguably the most dominant woman in the field through the first two rounds, dropping just five total games. Against Oksana Selekhmeteva today she bent ever so slightly, allowing five games in a single match. Still, her 6-3/6-2 win gives Pegula 4th Round or better finishes in three of the last four majors.



Though Pegula's best career slam results have come in her home major in New York (RU and SF the last two years, her two best slam results), it's been the AO where she's been at her most consistent. She reached consecutive QF in Melbourne from 2021-23, and her overall 18-6 mark is actually her best -- percentage-wise (.750) -- at any of the majors. Granted, after winning just one MD U.S. Open match from 2015-19, Pegula's recent 18-4 run at Flushing Meadows from 2022-25 is actually her best career slam stretch... but we can talk about that come summer.

Up next for Pegula will be the defending AO champ, #9 Madison Keys.

Keys ended Karolina Pliskova's (final?) AO run with a 6-3/6-3 victory, running her winning streak in Melbourne to ten matches as she reaches her 23rd career major Round of 16. She's now 37-10 at the Australian Open.



Surprisingly, this was only the *second* meeting between Keys and Pliskova, with the other coming in Brisbane in 2020 (Pliskova won in three), while Keys and Pegula have only met *three* previous times. All have come on hard court, with Keys holding a 2-1 edge, winning the last two at the '23 U.S. Open and '25 Adelaide.

#4 Amanda Anisimova was the last of the group to advance today, taking out countrywoman Peyton Stearns 6-1/6-4. Anisimova had a bit of a struggle down the final stretch. While breaking Stearns to lead 4-1 in the 2nd, the two combined for four consecutive breaks of serve late in the set, including once when Anisimova served for the win at 5-2 and held a MP. But after a Stearns hold, Anisimova followed suit to reach her fourth straight 4th Round at a major, and for the fourth time at the AO (maintaining her pattern of second week runs in every other MD appearance in Melbourne since her 2019 debut).

When play resumed on the outside courts about five hours after the stoppage due to the heat, the interrupted (at 2-2 in the 1st) match between #13 Linda Noskova and Wang Xinyu saw the unseeded Chinese woman prevail 7-5/6-4. Under the radar, the 24-year old is now three-quarters of the way to having reached the second week at all four majors, with her new best AO result combining with her 4th Round finishes at the '23 U.S. Open and '24 Wimbledon.



Noskova had seemed the best bet of the three Czechs in action on Day 7 to advance, but it turned out that her loss led to a 0-3 day for the group. So only #19 Karolina Muchova is still alive in the draw (she'll face Coco Gauff).

Crusher qualifier Nikola Bartunkova, 19, saw her debut MD slam end vs. #21 Elise Mertens, as always one of the quietest players to move through the draw. The Waffle won 6-0/6-4 to reach her fifth AO 4th Round. Her best Melbourne result was a surprise SF in her 2018 debut, but she's gone 0-3 in AO 4th Round matches since.



Later, 18-year old Czech Tereza Valentova fell to #5 Elena Rybakina at a second straight major ('25 U.S. 2r), this time by a 6-2/6-3 score.

Rybakina has reached the second week in Melbourne three of the last four years, and at four of the last five slams, but she's not played in a major QF since the 2024 Wimbledon.



...in a wildly swinging night match on MCA, #2 Iga Swiatek reached the 4th Round at a sixth straight slam (6/7 AO) with a 6-1/1-6/6-1 win over Anna Kalinskaya, who (of course) was treated for an injury (back/hip) during the contest. The Australian Open remains the lone major which the Pole has never won, nor reached the final.



The concluding night match on Laver was supposed to feature another Naomi Osaka double or triple feature, with her making additional news either *before* the match or in the immediate *aftermath* of it. Turned out, there just wasn't any match at all, as the #16 seed withdrew with an abductor injury, passing Aussie qualifier Maddison Inglis through to her maiden slam 4th Round.

It's been quite a run already for the 28-year old, who saved a pair of MP in her opening round qualifying match vs. Leyre Romero Gormaz in a three-hour affair, then battled through a pair of additional three-hour matches in the 1r/2r vs. Kimberly Birrell (that one went past midnight) and Laura Siegemund (the German served for the match).

Thus, the #168-ranked Inglis pulls off the rare Backspin Slam Triple, winning the Last Aussie Standing, Last Qualifier Standing *and* Zombie Queen of Melbourne honors in the opening week of this AO.

She'll face Swiatek in the 4th Round, as Iga avoids Osaka in a hard court major. Could she avoid Rybakina (vs. Mertens), a possible QF foe, too?

...with the Final 16 set, the remaining women from eleven different natinons not surprisingly include more Bannerettes (5) -- the #3, #4, #6, #9 and #29 seeds -- than any other nation. Only one other has more than a single representative... and it's *Kazakhstan*, with Yulia Putintseva's making-friends-and-influencing-people run shoulder-to-shoulder (with a bit of a height difference) with the continued button-down dominance of Rybakina.

...who had a *truly* disappointing AO? Well, that'd be Sara Errani.

The Italian is already through in Melbourne before the end of the first full weekend. As the #1 seeds in MX, she and Andrea Vavassori -- who won two majors in '25 *and* the Indian Wells invitational event -- were upset in the 1st Round by Siegemund & Eduoard Roger-Vasselin, while the #2-seeded doubles duo of Errani and Jasmine Paolini lost today in the 2nd Round to wild card Aussies Birrell & Talia Gibson.

And with Paolini out in singles, Errani doesn't have anyone to cheer on into the second week, either.

...meanwhile, Bianca Andreescu's run on the challenger level continues, as she's won her eighth straight match and will play in the semifinals of the $35K in Weston, Florida this weekend.



It's a far different scenario, but I think we know the last time the Canadian won anything close to that many matches in a row... or made it through them without pulling up with some sort of an injury.

Baby steps.





...DID YOU REALLY JUST SAY THAT? (from Day 6) on Day 7:



Ummm... yeah, otherwise she'd have a lot more major titles. But rarely ever does in tie-breaks.



...SIMPLY INFORMATIONAL on Day 7:




...WHAT IN THE TATJANA MARIA? on Day 7:




...G'DAY, LATISHA (and Stan) on Day 7:




...YOU KNOW, IF THE WTA HAD A REAL (or, you know, any) EYE FOR MARKETING ITSELF... on Day 7:











=WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16=
#1 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR vs. #17 Victoria Mboko/CANx
Yulia Putintseva/KAZ vs. #29 Iva Jovic/USA
#3 Coco Gauff/USA vs. #19 Karolina Muchova/CZE
#12 Elina Svitolina/UKR vs. #8 Mirra Andreeva/RUS
#6 Jessie Pegula/USA vs. #9 Madison Keys/USA
Wang Xinyu/CHN vs. #4 Amanda Anisimova/USA
#5 Elena Rybakina/KAZ vs. #21 Elise Mertens/BEL
(Q) Maddison Inglis/AUS vs. #2 Iga Swiatek/POL

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES ROUND OF 16=
#1 Siniakova/Townsend (CZE/USA) vs. #15 Kato/Stollar (JPN/HUN)
Hunter/Joint (AUS/AUS) vs. #7 Danilina/Krunic (KAZ/SRB)
#3 Hsieh/Ostapenko (TPE/LAT) vs. #13 Kenin/Siegemund (USA/GER)
#9 Bucsa/Melichar-Martinez (ESP/USA) vs. #5 Dabrowski/Stefani (CAN/BRA)
#8 Perez/Schuurs (AUS/NED) vs. Hozumi/Wu (JPN/TPE)
Baptiste/Stearns (USA/USA) vs. x
#6 Muhammad/Routliffe (USA/NZL) vs. (PR) Shibahara/Zvonareva (JPN/RUS)
#16 Guo/Mladenovic (CHN/FRA) vs. (WC) Birrell/Gibson (AUS/AUS)
















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**"FIRST SLAM..." FEATS IN 2020s**
=ROUND OF 16=
2020 AO - Ons Jabeur, TUN (13th slam MD)
2020 AO - Maria Sakkari, GRE (17th)
2020 US - none
2020 RG - Paula Badosa, ESP (6th)
2020 RG - Fiona Ferro, FRA (10th)
2020 RG - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (3rd)
2020 RG - Nadia Podoroska, ARG (2nd)
2020 RG - Laura Siegemund, GER (16th)
2020 RG - Martina Trevisan, ITA (2nd)
2021 AO - Jessie Pegula, USA (10th)
2021 RG - Marta Kostyuk, UKR (5th)
2021 RG - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (7th)
2021 RG - Tamara Zidansek, SLO (9th)
2021 WI - Viktorija Golubic, SUI (18th)
2021 WI - Emma Raducanu, GBR (1st)
2021 WI - Liudmila Samsonova, RUS (6th)
2021 US - Leylah Fernandez, CAN (7th)
2022 AO - none
2022 RG - Veronika Kudermetova, RUS (13th)
2022 RG - Jil Teichmann, SUI (11th)
2022 RG - Zheng Qinwen, CHN (2nd)
2022 WI - Marie Bouzkova, CZE (14th)
2022 WI - Tatjana Maria, GER (35th)
2022 WI - Jule Niemeier, GER (2nd)
2022 WI - Harmony Tan, FRA (7th)
2022 WI - Heather Watson, GBR (43rd)
2022 US - none
2023 AO - Linda Fruhvirtova, CZE (2nd)
2023 AO - Magda Linette, POL (30th)
2023 AO - Zhu Lin, CHN (15th)
2023 RG - Elina Avanesyan, RUS (2nd)
2023 RG - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA (12th)
2023 RG - Bernarda Pera, USA (21st)
2023 RG - Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, SVK (33rd)
2023 RG - Sara Sorribes Tormo, ESP (22nd)
2023 WI - Ekaterina Alexandrova, RUS (26th)
2023 WI - Mirra Andreeva, RUS (2nd)
2023 US - Peyton Stearns, USA (4th)
2023 US - Wang Xinyu, CHN (10th)
2024 AO - Oceane Dodin, FRA (20th)
2024 AO - Magdalena Frech, POL (11th)
2024 AO - Anna Kalinskaya, RUS (14th)
2024 AO - Linda Noskova, CZE (6th)
2024 AO - Jasmine Paolini, ITA (17th)
2024 AO - Maria Timofeeva, RUS (1st)
2024 RG - Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ITA (11th)
2024 RG - Olga Danilovic, SRB (5th)
2024 RG - Varvara Gracheva, FRA (15th)
2024 RG - Emma Navarro, USA (6th)
2024 RG - Anastasia Potapova, RUS (18th)
2024 RG - Clara Tauson, DEN (11th)
2024 WI - Lulu Sun, NZL (2nd)
2024 US - Diana Shnaider, RUS (6th)
2024 US - Wang Yafan, CHN (17th)
2025 AO - Eva Lys, GER (6th)
2025 RG - Lois Boisson, FRA (1st)
2025 RG - Hailey Baptiste, USA (8th)
2025 WI - Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, ESP (7th)
2025 WI - Sonay Kartal, GBR (6th)
2025 WI - Solana Sierra, ARG (3rd)
2025 US - Cristina Bucsa, ESP (16th)
2025 US - Ann Li, USA (15th)
2026 AO - Maddison Inglis, AUS (7th)
2026 AO - Iva Jovic, USA (6th)
2026 AO - Victoria Mboko, CAN (4th)

*RECENT AO "LAST QUALIFIER STANDING" WINNERS*
=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
=2026=
Maddison Inglis, AUS (in 4th Rd.)

*RECENT AO "CRASH & BURN"*
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)
2026 M.Kostyuk & D.Yastremska, UKR (first two seeds out b-to-b on same court on Day 1)

*RECENT AO "ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE" WINNERS*
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)
2026 Maddison Inglis, AUS

*RECENT AO "IT" WINNERS*
2017 [Party] (Ash) "Barty Party"
2018 [Teen] Marta Kostyuk, UKR
2019 [Teen] Amanda Anisimova, USA
2020 [Arab] Ons Jabeur, TUN
2021 [Egyptian] Mayar Sherif, EGY
2022 [Teen Stars-in-Waiting] Marta Kostyuk/UKR & Clara Tauson/DEN
2023 [Czech Crusher] Linda Fruhvirtova, CZE
2024 [Ukrainians] Marta Kostyuk/UKR and Dayana Yastremska/UKR
2025 [Wheelchair Opportunist] Yui Kamiji, JPN
2026 [Beloved Turk] Zeynep Sonmez, TUR



*2026 AO FINAL 16*
[by ranking]
#1 - Aryna Sabalenka
#2 - Iga Swiatek
#3 - Coco Gauff
#4 - Amanda Anisimova
#5 - Elena Rybakina
#6 - Jessie Pegula
#7 - Mirra Andreeva
#9 - Madison Keys
#12 - Elina Svitolina
#16 - Victoria Mboko
#19 - Karolina Muchova
#21 - Elise Mertens
#27 - Iva Jovic
#46 - Wang Xinyu
#94 - Yulia Putintseva
#168 - Maddison Inglis

[by age]
31 - Pegula, Putintseva, Svitolina
30 - Keys, Mertens
29 - Muchova
28 - Inglis
27 - Sabalenka
26 - Rybakina
24 - Anisimova, Swiatek, Wang Xinyu
21 - Gauff
19 - Mboko
18 - M.Andreeva, Jovic

[by nation]
5...USA (Anisimova,Gauff,Jovic,Keys,Pegula)
2...KAZ (Putintseva,Rybakina)
1...AUS (Inglis)
1...BEL (Mertens)
1...BLR (Sabelanka)
1...CAN (Mboko)
1...CHN (Wang)
1...CZE (Muchova)
1...POL (Swiatek)
1...RUS (M.Andreeva)
1...UKR (Svitolina)

[by career slam Round-of-16s]
23 - Keys
21 - Svitolina, Swiatek
18 - Sabalenka
17 - Gauff
16 - Mertens
11 - Pegula, Rybakina
10 - Anisimova
9 - Muchova
7 - M.Andreeva
5 - Putintseva
3 - Wang Xinyu
1 - Inglis, Jovic, Mboko

[w/ consecutive slam Round of 16s]
13 (6) - Sabalenka (last 13 played, 6 con. = DNP Wimb.'24)
6 - Swiatek
4 - Anisimova
2 - Gauff
2 - Muchova
2 - Pegula
2 - Rybakina

[w/ multiple career AO Round of 16s]
7 - Keys
6 - Sabalenka
6 - Svitolina
6 - Swiatek
5 - Gauff
5 - Mertens
4 - Anisimova
4 - Pegula
3 - M.Andreeva
3 - Rybakina
2 - Muchova

[w/ consecutive AO Round of 16s]
6 - Sabelenka
4 - Gauff
3 - M.Andreeva
3 - Svitolina
2 - Keys
2 - Rybakina
2 - Swiatek

[WTA career slam Round of 16s - active]
50...Venus Williams
30...Victoria Azarenka
23...Madison Keys
23...Caroline Wozniacki
21...Elina Svitolina
21...Iga Swiatek
18...Aryna Sabalenka
17...Coco Gauff
16...Elise Mertens
16...Sloane Stephens
16...Vera Zvonareva
14...Karolina Pliskova
12...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
11...Belinda Bencic
11...Jessie Pegula
11...Elena Rybakina
10...Amanda Anisimova
10...Ons Jabeur

[WTA slam Round of 16s since 2020 (of 24) - active]
20 - Swiatek
18 - Sabalenka
15 - Gauff
11 - Mertens, Pegula, Rybakina, Svitolina
10 - Jabeur
9 - Keys
8 - Anisimova, Badosa, Krejcikova, Muchova
7 - M.Andreeva, Azarenka
6 - Bencic
6 - Pavlyuchenkova, Vondrousova
5 - Kasatkina, Navarro
5 - Paolini, Sakkari, Samsonova
5 - Vekic, Zheng Q.
4 - Alexandrova, Collins
4 - Haddad Maia, Kasatkina, Kenin
4 - Ostapenko, Ka.Pliskova
3 - Cirstea, Kostyuk, V.Kudermetova, Osaka, Putintseva
3 - Raducanu, Stephens, Tomljanovic, Wang Xinyu, Zhang Sh.
2 - Avanesyan, Bouzkova, Danilovic
2 - Fernandez, Kalinskaya, Martic
2 - Niemeier, Noskova
2 - Riske-A., Siegemund, Tauson, Trevisan
2 - Tsurenko, Wozniacki

[2026 slam Rd. of 16s - unseeded]
AO (3): Maddison Inglis (Q), Yulia Putintseva, Wang Xinyu

[2026 slam Rd. of 16s - 1st-time GS 4th Rd.; w/ MD #]
AO (3): Inglis (7th), Jovic (6th), Mboko (4th)

[2026 slam Rd. of 16s - completed "Career Round of 16 Slam"]
AO - Putintseva (48th slam MD)

[2026 slam Rd. of 16s - by region]
6 = (6/-----) - North America/Atlantic (CAN-USA)
4 = (4/-----) - Asia/Oceania (AUS-CHN-KAZ)
3 = (3/-----) - W.Europe/Scandinavia (BEL-CZE-POL)
3 = (3/-----) - Eastern Europe/Russia (BLR-RUS-UKR)
0 = (0/-----) - South America
0 = (0/-----) - Africa/Middle East/Mediterranean






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TOP QUALIFIER: Guiomar Maristany/ESP
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #6 Jessie Pegula/USA (lost 5 games in 1r/2r)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2 - Guiomar Maristany/ESP def. Tatiana Prozorova/RUS 6-2/2-6/7-6(10-7) - saved four MP (at 6-5 in the 3rd), reached maiden slam MD
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - Elsa Jacquemot/FRA def. #20 Marta Kostyuk/UKR 6-7(4)/7-6(4)/7-6(10-7) - 3:31; first three-TB women's match at AO; Jacquemot saves MP in 2nd set, wins 10-7 MTB in 3rd for first Top 20 win
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/WC/Doub.): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: (WC) Talia Gibson/AUS (def. Anna Blinkova/RUS)
FIRST SEED OUT: #26 Dayana Yastremska, UKR (1r- lost to Gabriela Ruse/ROU)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Nikola Bartunkova/CZE (1st slam MD), Linda Klimovicova/POL (1st), Petra Marcinko/CRO (1st), Taylah Preston/AUS (3rd), Oksana Selekhmeteva/RUS (5th)
PROTECTED RANKING BEST: Karolina Pliskova/CZE (3rd Rd.)
LUCKY LOSER BEST: 0-1 in 1r
UPSET QUEENS: The Crush of Czechs
REVELATION LADIES: Australia (6 in 2r most since 1992)
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Russia (4-5 1st Rd.; only 9 in MD after AO-best 9 to 2r in '25; has lost 7 notable players to other nations since '23; lost 2 Top 20 seeds)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Maddison Inglis/AUS (in 4r)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Talia Gibson/AUS, Priscilla Hon/AUS and Taylah Preston/AUS (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: Maddison Inglis (in 4r)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: x
IT (Beloved Turk): Zeynep Sonmez/TUR
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominees: S.Hunter, Zvonareva, Pliskova, de Groot?
CRASH & BURN: #26 Dayana Yastremska/UKR and #20 Marta Kostyuk/UKR (first two seeds out lose in back-to-back ANZ Arena matches on Day 1
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE: Maddison Inglis/AUS (saved 2 MP vs. Leyre Gormaz Romero in 3-hr. Q1 match, then won back-to-back 3-hr. matches in 1r/2r en route to maiden slam Round of 16)
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: Nominees: Venus Williams/USA (at 45 years and 7 months, breaks 2015 record of Kimiko Date as the oldest woman in an AO singles MD match), (wd)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominee: Sabalenka
AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGE ARTS AWARD: ["Show Pony Fashion Sense"] Naomi Osaka's jellyfish-inspired, "My Fair Lady" nighttime intro outfit
DOUBLES STAR: x
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x






All for now. More soon.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 11:45 AM 

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