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Friday, October 9, 2020

RG.13- The Day Before the Day






=DAY 13 NOTES=
...with the singles draw taking the day off, the women's doubles semis stepped to the head of the line on Friday.

In a match-up of the last two RG-winning duos, #2-seeds Timea Babos & Kristina Mladenovic (2019) outlasted the #4-seeded team of Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova (2018) in a 7-5 3rd set, earning a chance to defend their title this weekend and pick up a second 2020 slam crown (w/ AO). Overall, it'll be the pair's seventh major final together (along with back-to-back 2018-19 WTAF wins), having previously gone 3-3 in slam title matches (and won ten total tour titles). Mladenovic will be seeking her fifth slam WD title, and her third in Paris in five years.



Their opponents will be a pair of former NCAA stars in #14-seeded Alexa Guarachi (Alabama) & Desirae Krawczyk (Arizona State), who defeated singles finalist Iga Swiatek and her partner Nicole Melichar in three sets. In their first slam final, the duo have claimed two previous tour-level titles (both on clay) over the last three seasons.

...the junior girls singles final will feature its first Pastry since 2009 (Mladenovic) facing off with an unseeded Hordette.

French #3-seed Elsa Jacquemot handled #2 Alexandra Eala (PHI) 3 & 2 in the semifinals on Day 13 to claim one final spot, while Russian Alina Charaeva added yet another seed to her list of conquered foes, defeating #4-seeded fellow Hordette Polina Kudermetova 6-7(5)/6-2/7-5, after having already knocked off #1-seed Victoria Jimenez Kastinseva and #9 Alexandra Vecic earlier this week.



One of the more unique things about tennis is that young up-and-coming stars often get to meet (see Sofia Kenin and, well, almost everyone) and sometimes even play their idols on the court. Part of that was the case with Charaeva, who was inspired by none other than Victoria Azarenka.

From the ITF website: "When I was seven years old I watched Victoria Azarenka playing Roland Garros and I was always thinking that one day I might be there – and might even have a match against her,” Charaeva told itftennis.com. “When I watched how she played I was always thinking that her style was like my style – she is aggressive and I try to be like that. It is my dream to play like her. I played here last year and I met her. I had one picture with her and I was almost shaking."



The girls doubles final will pit #5-seeded Russians Maria Bondarenko & Diana Shnaider against the all-Italian duo of Eleonora Alvisi & Lisa Pigato. The Italians have already upset two Top 3 seeds via a pair of 10-7 3rd set super TB results: #3 Eala/Kalieva in the 1st Round, and #2 Bartone/Selehkmeteva in today's semis. The last Italian duo to win the girls doubles in Paris were Flavia Pennetta & Roberta Vinci back in 1999.

...once again in 2020, Yui Kamiji filled the void left by the upset of Diede de Groot, claiming her fourth RG crown by winning the first all-Japanese WC slam final over countrywoman Momoko Ohtani (who defeated #1-seeded de Groot) today, 6-2/6-1.



After dropping a 1st set TB to Marjolein Buis in her opening match, Kamiji swept through her final six sets in the singles event while giving up a combined ten games (2+1+2+2+2+1) over three matches. The 26-year old has won in Paris three times in four years, and her eighth career slam singles win (24th overall s/d, behind only Esther Vergeer) ties her with de Groot for second on the all-time women's WC singles slam list behind Vergeer (21).

The historic meeting between the countrywomen was pointed out by Kamiji after the match, and Ohtani's rise opens the door for Kamiji to finally be in contention to win doubles Paralympic Gold back home in Tokyo next year. She's never really had a top-level home grown talent to play with in the competition, while the Dutch contingent has always been blessed with interchangeable parts. If Kamiji could find a way to win the Wimbledon singles next year (she's never reached the final at SW19), Kamiji would be a s/d Gold sweep away from being the first WC player to ever win all eight slam titles, s/d Gold and s/d year-end Masters titles. De Groot needs a similiar sweep in Tokyo to become the first to do it (she's won all the rest), while Japanese men's #1 Shingo Kunieda is a Wimbledon singles title away from beating them both to the honor.



For the third time in three '20 slams, de Groot will face off with Kamiji & Jordanne Whiley in the doubles final. Kamiji & Whiley are a win away from their second Grand Slam (after 2014) together, albeit a three-pronged one, after defeating de Groot & Aniek Van Koot in this year's AO final, then de Groot & Buis at Flushing Meadows. After Van Koot skipped the U.S. Open last month, she's back beside de Groot in Paris and the two advanced to the final today with a win over KG Montjane & Ohtani. Kamiji/Whiley defeated Buis & Charlotte Famin. De Groot & Van Koot completed a Doubles Grand Slam of their own last year.






=WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL=
Iga Swiatek/POL v. #4 Sofia Kenin/USA


=WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL=
#14 Guarachi/Krawczyk (CHI/USA) v. #2 Babos/Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)


=GIRLS SINGLES FINAL=
Alina Charaeva/RUS v.#3 Elsa Jacquemot/FRA


=GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL=
#6 M.Bondarenko/Shnaider (RUS/RUS) v. Alvisi/Pigato (ITA/ITA)


=WOMEN'S WHEELCHAIR SINGLES FINAL=
#2 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. Momoko Ohtani/JPN 6-2/6-1


=WOMEN'S WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES FINAL=
#1 Diede de Groot/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED) v. #2 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley (JPN/GBR)






...FINE PEOPLE ON DAY 13:


...INVETERATE BOOTLICKER ON DAY 13:


...NEWMAN! ON DAY 13:


...LIKE ON DAY 13:

This holographic/green screen thing for Eurosport interviews is great...




...LIKE ON DAY 13:


...A LITTLE MORE ALIZE IN OUR LIFE ON DAY 13:


...WTA FALL SCHEDULE UPDATE ON DAY 13:


...NOTEWORTHY ON DAY 13:


...THE MAYOR OF THE BARNYARD ON DAY 13:


...LIKE ON DAY 13:

At a time when so many NCAA tennis programs are in such a state of limbo due to the pandemic, seemingly more former NCAAers are making huge inroads on the WTA tour. It's almost as if the Tennis Gods are watching, and trying to do their part.




...RETWEETED BY ALEXA GUARACHI ON DAY 13:


...CSN ON DAY 13:








Where it started, what it became...








Court Suzanne Lenglen - 3ème tour de Roland Garros 2010 - tennis french open














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*FIRST-TIME SLAM CHAMPS - since 2010*
2010 Roland Garros - Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2011 Roland Garros - Li Na, CHN
2011 Wimbledon - Petra Kvitova, CZE
2011 U.S. Open - Samantha Stosur, AUS
2012 Australian Open - Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2013 Wimbledon - Marion Bartoli, FRA
2015 U.S. Open - Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2016 Australian Open - Angelique Kerber, GER
2016 Roland Garros - Garbine Muguruza, ESP
2017 Roland Garros - Alona Ostapenko, LAT
2017 U.S. Open - Sloane Stephens, USA
2018 Australian Open - Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
2018 Roland Garros - Simona Halep, ROU
2018 U.S. Open - Naomi Osaka, JPN
2019 Roland Garros - Ash Barty, AUS
2019 U.S. Open - Bianca Andreescu, CAN
2020 Australian Open - Sofia Kenin, USA

*WON SLAM WITHOUT LOSING SET - Open era*
Evonne Goolagong Cawley - 1971 Roland Garros
Billie Jean King - 1971 US Open
Billie Jean King - 1972 Roland Garros
Chris Evert - 1974 Roland Garros
Chris Evert - 1976 US Open
Chris Evert - 1977 US Open
Chris Evert - 1978 US Open
Chris Evert - 1981 Wimbledon
Martina Navratilova - 1983 Wimbledon
Martina Navratilova - 1983 US Open
Martina Navratilova - 1984 Wimbledon
Martina Navratilova - 1986 Wimbledon
Martina Navratilova - 1987 US Open
Steffi Graf - 1988 Australian Open
Steffi Graf - 1988 Roland Garros
Steffi Graf - 1989 Australian Open
Martina Navratilova - 1990 Wimbledon
Monica Seles - 1992 US Open
Steffi Graf - 1994 Australian Open
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario - 1994 Roland Garros
Mary Pierce - 1995 Australian Open
Steffi Graf - 1996 US Open
Martina Hingis - 1997 Australian Open
Martina Hingis - 1997 US Open
Lindsay Davenport - 1998 US Open
Lindsay Davenport - 1999 Wimbledon
Lindsay Davenport - 2000 Australian Open
Venus Williams - 2001 US Open
Serena Williams - 2002 Wimbledon
Serena Williams - 2002 US Open
Justine Henin - 2006 Roland Garros
Justine Henin - 2007 Roland Garros
Justine Henin - 2007 US Open
Maria Sharapova - 2008 Australian Open
Venus Williams - 2008 Wimbledon
Serena Williams - 2008 US Open
Serena Williams - 2010 Wimbledon
Marion Bartoli - 2013 Wimbledon
Serena Williams - 2014 US Open
Serena Williams - 2017 Australian Open

*RECENT RG CHAMPIONS*
[Women's Doubles]
2010 Serena Williams & Venus Williams, USA/USA
2011 Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka, CZE/CZE
2012 Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2013 Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS
2014 Hsieh Su-Wei & Peng Shuai, TPE/CHN
2015 Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE
2016 Caroline Garcia & Kristina Mladenovic, FRA/FRA
2017 Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE
2018 Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2019 Timea Babos & Kristina Mladenovic, HUN/FRA
2020 ?
[Girl's Doubles]
2010 Timea Babos & Sloane Stephens, HUN/USA
2011 Irina Khromacheva & Maryna Zanevska, RUS/UKR
2012 Daria Gavrilova & Irina Khromacheva, RUS/RUS
2013 Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2014 Ioana Ducu & Ioana Loredana Rosca, ROU/ROU
2015 Miriam Kolodziejova & Marketa Vondrouosva, CZE/CZE
2016 Paula Arias Manjon & Olga Danilovic, ESP/SRB
2017 Bianca Andreescu & Carson Branstine, CAN/CAN
2018 Caty McNally & Iga Swiatek, USA/POL
2019 Chloe Beck & Emma Navarro, USA/USA
2020 ?

*RG "JUNIOR BREAKOUT" WINNERS*
2007 Mariana Duque-Marino, COL (RU)
2008 Simona Halep, ROU (W) & Elena Bogdan, ROU (RU)
2009 Dasha Gavrilova, RUS (RU)
2010 Elina Svitolina, UKR (W)
2011 Monica Puig, PUR (RU)
2012 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, SVK (RU)
2013 Belinda Bencic, SUI (W)
2014 Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (W)
2015 Paula Badosa, ESP (W)
2016 Rebeka Masarova, SUI (W)
2017 Whitney Osuigwe, USA (W) and Claire Liu, USA (RU)
2018 Caty McNally, USA (RU) and Leylah Annie Fernandez, CAN (SF)
2019 Diane Parry, FRA (WS MD win) and Emma Navarro, USA (RU)
2020 Elsa Jacquemot, FRA (in F) and Anna Charaeva, RUS (in F)

*ROLAND GARROS GIRLS FINALS - since 2008*
2008 Simona Halep/ROU def. Elena Bogdan/ROU
2009 Kristina Mladenovic/FRA def. Dasha Gavrilova/RUS
2010 Elina Svitolina/UKR def. Ons Jabeur/TUN
2011 Ons Jabeur/TUN def. Monica Puig/PUR
2012 Annika Beck/GER def. Anna Karolina Schmiedlova/SVK
2013 Belinda Bencic/SUI def. Antonia Lottner/GER
2014 Dasha Kasatkina/RUS def. Ivana Jorovic/SRB
2015 Paula Badosa/ESP def. Anna Kalinskaya/RUS
2016 Rebeka Masarova/SUI def. Amanda Anisimova/USA
2017 Whitney Osuigwe/USA def. Claire Liu/USA
2018 Coco Gauff/USA def. Caty McNally/USA
2019 Leylah Annie Fernandez/CAN def. Emma Navarro/USA
2020 Elsa Jacquemot/FRA vs. Alina Charaeva/RUS

*RECENT GIRLS SLAM CHAMPIONS*
[2015]
AO: Tereza Mihalikova, SVK
RG: Paula Badosa, ESP
WI: Sofya Zhuk, RUS
US: Dalma Galfi, HUN
[2016]
AO: Vera Lapko, BLR
RG: Rebeka Masarova, SUI
WI: Anastasia Potapova, RUS
US: Kayla Day, USA
[2017]
AO: Marta Kostyuk, UKR
RG: Whitney Osuigwe, USA
WI: Claire Liu, USA
US: Amanda Anisimova, USA
[2018]
AO: Liang En-shuo, TPE
RG: Coco Gauff, USA
WI: Iga Swiatek, POL
US: Wang Xiyu, CHN
[2019]
AO: Clara Tauson, DEN
RG: Leylah Annie Fernandez, CAN
WI: Daria Snigur, UKR
US: Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, COL
[2020]
AO: Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, AND
RG: ?

*RG WHEELCHAIR CHAMPIONS*
2007 Esther Vergeer, NED
2008 Esther Vergeer, NED
2009 Esther Vergeer, NED
2010 Esther Vergeer, NED
2011 Esther Vergeer, NED
2012 Esther Vergeer, NED
2013 Sabine Ellerbrock, GER
2014 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2015 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2016 Marjolein Buis, NED
2017 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2018 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2019 Diede de Groot, NED
2020 Yui Kamiji, JPN

*WC SLAM SINGLES FINALS - since 2013, post-Vergeer*
17 - YUI KAMIJI, JPN (8-9)
11 - Diede de Groot, NED (8-3)
10 - Aniek Van Koot, NED (3-7)
6 - Jiske Griffioen, NED (4-2)
6 - Sabine Ellerbrock, GER (2-5)
1 - Marjolein Buis, NED (1-0)
1 - MOMOKA OHTANI, JPN (0-1)
1 - Jordanne Whiley, GBR (1-0)

*RECENT WC SLAM SINGLES FINALS*
2017 AO - #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. #1 Jiske Griffioen/NED
2017 RG - #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. un Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
2017 WI - un Diede de Groot/NED def. un Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
2017 US - #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. #2 Diede de Groot/NED
2018 AO - #2 Diede de Groot/NED def. #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2018 RG - #1 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. #2 Diede de Groot/NED
2018 WI - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. un Aniek van Koot/NED
2018 US - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2019 AO - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2019 RG - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2019 WI - un Aniek Van Koot/NED def. #1 Diede de Groot/NED
2019 US - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2020 AO - #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. un Aniek Van Koot/NED
2020 US - #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
2020 RG - #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. un Momoko Ohtani/JPN

*WHEELCHAIR SLAM SINGLES TITLES*
[AO-RG-WI-US]
21 - Esther Vergeer, NED [9-6-0-6]
8 - Diede de Groot, NED [2-1-2-3]*
8 - YUI KAMIJI, JPN [2-4-0-2]*
4 - Jiske Griffioen, NED [2-1-1-0]*
3 - Aniek van Koot, NED [1-0-1-1]*
3 - Monique Kalkman, NED [0-0-0-3]
2 - Daniela Di Toro, AUS [0-0-0-2]
2 - Sabine Ellerbrock, GER [1-1-0-0]
2 - Maaike Smit, NED [0-0-0-2]
2 - Chantal Vandierendonck, NED [0-0-0-2]





TOP QUALIFIER: Mayar Sherif/EGY (first EGY woman in slam MD)
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #25 Amanda Anisimova/USA (lost 4 games)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): Iga Swiatek/POL (no sets lost; def. #1 Halep)
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1: #17q Barbara Haas/AUT def. Diana Snigur/UKR 6-0/5-7/7-5 [Haas led 6-0/5-0 40/30, then DF; won on 4th MP on 5th attempt to serve out match]
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd.- (Q) Clara Tauson/DEN def. #21 Jennifer Brady/USA - 6-4/3-6/9-7 (17/slam debut; saved 2 MP, wins on MP #5)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 3rd Rd. - Caroline Garcia/FRA def. #16 Elise Mertens/BEL - 1-6/6-4/7-5 (night match on Chatrier)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Kamilla Rakhimova/RUS (def.Rogers/USA)
FIRST SEED OUT: #17 Anett Kontaveit/EST (1st Rd./Garcia)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Bara/ROU, Burel/FRA, Paolini/ITA, Podoroska/ARG, Rakhimova/RUS, Tauson/DEN, Trevisan/ITA, Zarazua/MEX
UPSET QUEENS: Australia
REVELATION LADIES: Romania
NATION OF POOR SOULS: United States (4 of 7 seeds failed to reach 3r, Serena w/d 2r, US QF/SF Rogers & Brady 1r, Venus 1r, Gauff 2r w/ 19 DF)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Nadia Podoroska/ARG (SF) [LL Sharma-2nd Rd.]
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Genie Bouchard/CAN, Clara Burel/FRA, Tsvetana Pironkova/BUL (all 3rd Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: Gavrilova/AUS (2r), AK.Schmiedlova/SVK (3r)
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Fiona Ferro and Carolina Garcia (4th Rd.)
Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITY: Iga Swiatek/POL
IT "New Dane on the Block": Clara Tauson/DEN
COMEBACK PLAYERS: Anna Karolina Schmiedlova/SVK (had 12 con slam MD L; def. Venus & Vika) and Alona Ostapenko/LAT (had zero RG wins since '17 title; def. #2 Ka.Pliskova 2nd Rd.)
CRASH & BURN: 2020 U.S. Open semifinalists (Osaka DNP; Brady out 1st Rd., Serena w/d 2nd Rd., Azarenka upset 2nd Rd. within 24 hrs. on Day 3/4)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Kiki Bertens/NED (2nd Rd.: injured; Errani up a break 5 times in 3rd, served for match 3 times, 1 MP at 6-5; 3:11; collapses and wheeled off court after 9-7 win)
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Kamiji/Whiley, Guarachi/Krawczyk, Babos/Mladenovic
VETERAN PLAYERS (KIMIKO CUP): Laura Siegemund/GER (32; first slam QF) and Petra Kvitova/CZE (30; first RG semi since '12)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Martina Trevisan/ITA
JUNIOR BREAKOUTS: Elsa Jacquemot/FRA (slam WD MD debut; first FRA in RG Jr. final since '09); Alina Charaeva/RUS (in Jr. final)
Légion de Lenglen HONOREE: Court Chatrier roof (+night tennis) debuts
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: Simona Halep/ROU [not able to be awarded on LPT Day/June 1, Justine Henin's birthday -- but Halep wins on Day 1 on *her* own birthday]




All for Day 13. More tomorrow.