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Wednesday, September 8, 2021

US.10- Emma Raducanu's Persuasion

Leylah Fernandez has been the star of the women's event at this U.S. Open, right? Hmmm. Well, Emma Raducunu continues to say, "Here, hold my non-alcoholic beverage."



In a teenage tennis game of anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better, one day after Canadian Fernandez, 19, became the youngest U.S. Open semifinalist since 2005, 18-year old Brit Raducanu bested that mark by delivering yet another all-encompassing, wise-beyond-her-years performance on the biggest tennis stage in the world (in just her second career slam MD!).

If one can be led to surmise that Fernandez's exploits mean she has a legitimate chance to walk away with the women's title at this Open, then what of Raducanu? Can one be persuaded that she does, as well?

After having been made to win her way through the qualifying rounds just to reach the women's competition, Raducanu has now won eight straight matches and sixteen straight sets, stands as the first Brit to reach the semis in New York since 1983 (Jo Durie), and the first qualifier ever to go so far in the event (men's or women's, and is just the fourth such woman to do it in *any* slam in the Open era, the second in the last 22 years).

Raducanu has been throttling players on the scoreboard along the way (including a near double-bagel of Sara Sorribes Tormo), but today she finally played her first Top 40 player in this run. #11-seeded Belinda Bencic, the reigning and newly-crowned Olympic Gold medalist, was appearing in her third U.S. Open quarterfinal, and reached the semis in the event in her last appearance two years ago. In 2014 at age 17, she'd reached the QF, just like the Brit, in her tournament debut. For what it's worth, Bencic held a decided advantage in terms of experience in the match-up, and arrived also having lost no sets, with wins over two seeds (#23 Jessie Peugula and #7 Iga Swiatek) that had added onto to her current 13-1 run of results.

But, hey, this is the 2021 U.S. Open. Don't be naive. None of that matters.

It should be noted that Bencic *did* get off to a good start, though, against a clearly nervous Radacanu. The teenager wasn't able to get control of her emotions at the end of her Round of 16 run at Wimbledon earlier this summer, but that wasn't the case here. Still, the Swiss led 2-0, and 3-1 in the opening set.



Raducanu quickly found her footing, getting on the board in game #3 then grabbing the opening game break back by winning Bencic's service game to knot the score at 3-3. The teenager, after trailing 15/30, then held to win her fourth straight game and take her first lead in the set. A game later, on her second BP, Raducanu scored on a forehand passing shot to break and go up 5-3. She served out the set moments later, confidently walking to the changeover area with a clenched after taking a set in which *she'd* been the more settled player despite a slow start in the biggest match of her young career.



As the 2nd set wore on, Bencic's chances in the match seemed to become more and more remote. She double-faulted on BP down to give Raducanu a 3-2 lead, and her frustration grew. Meanwhile, the issues that had led to Raducanu's retirement with "breathing difficulties" (i.e. essentially a panic attack) at SW19 were nowhere to be seen, as the Brit often played nearly error-free tennis and was the very picture of calm, cool collectedness.

Bencic got a crucial hold of serve to keep close at 4-3, but Raducanu responded, after slightly opening an early door through which the Swiss again did not go through (a missed return at 15/30), holding to move within a game of the semifinals. Two games later, the Brit again left a door slightly ajar, going down love/30, but Bencic again missed a key return and Raducanu climbed back into it. A wide serve got her to MP, and it all ended quickly after that.



Raducanu's 6-3/6-4 win, her first over a Top 20 player, maintains her no-sets-lost run, through *both* qualifying and the main draw. At #150, she's the lowest ranked U.S. Open semifinalist since an unranked Kim Clijsters in '09 (similarly, an unranked Billie Jean King in '79 is the only other "lower-ranked" woman to advance as far). Ranked #338 before being given a wild card into Wimbledon just a short while ago, Raducanu is now on the cusp of the Top 50 in the live rankings and next week will officially be the top-ranked British woman on tour.



While Fernandez's exciting run of wins over big-name players has made many a believer in her chances to win this major, now what of those of Raducanu (Toronto-born to Chinese and Romanian parents, by the way... so a certain theme from this slam goes through *her*, as well) after her mostly-unfettered path has now finally seen fit to include a seeded opponent, and a previously well-in-form one at that? Can one be persuaded to, say, "drink the Kool-Aid" concerning *her* chances? What about the possibility on an all-teen major final that we haven't seen the likes of since the late 1990s ('99 US Serena/Hingis)?

Maybe the final winner of this teenage one-upwomanship contest will ultimately be decided *in person* on Saturday, eh? At this U.S. Open, by now, that wouldn't even register as a *mild* surprise.




=DAY 10 NOTES=
...in the second women's QF on Wednesday, #17 Maria Sakkari put on a serve-holding clinic rarely seen at such a level of competition. And she did it all with #4 Karolina Pliskova, the "Ace Queen," on the other side of the net.

While the final scoreline was a close-looking 6-4/6-4 in favor of the Greek, who reaches her second slam semi (RG) of the season, Pliskova hardly stood a chance. Needing only one break in each set, Sakkari got it in game #3 in the 1st and #7 in the 2nd. Around those two breaks, she was virtually untouchable on serve. After falling down love/30 in her opening service game, Sakkari ran off 22 consecutive points on serve, winning four straight games at love. She didn't reach deuce until she served for the match at 5-4. There, she failed to put away her first two MP, but finally closed the match with a backhand winner down the line on #3.



With Pliskova's loss, *both* finalists will be first-time slam championship match participants.



...in the juniors, the top two seeds -- #1 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva and #2 Alex Eala -- both reached the QF by winning three-set 3rd Round matches.

Meanwhile, #12-seeded Bannerette Elvina Kalieva upset #5-seeded Czech Linda Fruhvirtova, joining fellow U.S. player #7 Robin Montgomery in the QF. While the U.S. women didn't fair well in this slam, the U.S. *is* the only nation with multiple players in the girls' Final 8.



That star-stubbed girls doubles QF in now officially set, as the #5-seeded Sisters Fruhvirtova and #1 Kasintseva/Mintegi del Olmo (via a 10-7 MTB... whew!) both won matches today.

....yet another Canadian advanced into the semis later in the day when Gaby Dabrowski, partnering Luisa Stefani, defeated the #15-seeded Czech duo of Marie Bouzkova & Lucie Hradecka to reach the WD final four. The pair have already reached three finals this hard court summer, winning in Montreal while falling short in San Jose and Cincinnati.



Meanwhile, #11 Coco Gauff & Caty McNally knocked off #1-seeded Wimbledon champs Hsieh Su-wei & Elise Mertens to advance to their maiden slam semi.



In MX doubles, Giuliana Olmos & and El Salvador's Marcelo Arevalo advanced to the final with a win over Dayana Yastremska and Max Purcell. Olmos, already with a slew of "first Mexican woman to..." honors in her career (including the first to reach an Open era tour final in 2018, and the following season the first to win a title, of which she now has three), adds another as the first to reach a slam final here. Naturally, a win there would give her yet another national claim to fame.

Olmos/Arevalo upset the #1-seeded duo of Nicole Melicar-Martinez & Ivan Dodig in the 1st Round this past weekend. Arevalo is the first Salvadoran to reach a major final.

With the WD semis set, Desirae Krawczyk, already a two-time MX slam winner in 2021, is the only player alive in both the WD and MX draws.




*WOMEN'S SINGLES SF*
(Q) Emma Raducanu/GBR vs. #17 Maria Sakkari/GRE
Leylah Fernandez/CAN vs. #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES SF*
#11 Gauff/McNally (USA/USA) vs. #5 Dabrowski/Stefani (CAN/BRA)
#14 Stosur/Zhang (AUS/CHN) VS. #7 Guarachi/Krawczyk (CHI/USA)

*MIXED DOUBLES SF*
Olmos/Arevalo (MEX/ELS) def. (Alt.) Yastremska/Purcell (UKR/AUS)
Pegula/Krajicek (USA/USA) vs. #2 Krawczyk/Salisbury (USA/GBR)

*WOMEN'S WC SINGLES*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. Angelica Bernal/COL
Aniek Van Koot/NED vs. (WC) Dana Mathewson/USA
Momoko Ohtani/JPN vs. Jordanne Whiley/GBR
KG Montjane/RSA vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

*WOMEN'S WC DOUBLES*
#1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED) vs. Mathewson/Montjane (USA/RSA)
Bernal/Ohtani (COL/JPN) vs. #2 Kamiji/Whiley (JPN/GBR)

*GIRLS' SINGLES QF*
#1 Victoria Jimenez Kastinseva/AND vs. #7 Robin Montgomery/USA
Solana Sierra/ARG vs. #12 Elvina Kalieva/USA
#6 Kristina Dmitruk/BLR vs. Petra Marcinko/CRO
Sebastianna Scilipoti/SUI vs. #2 Alex Eala/PHI

*GIRLS' DOUBLES QF*
#1 Jimenez Kasintseva/Mintegi del Olmo (AND/ESP) vs. #5 B.Fruhvirtova/L.Fruhvirtova (CZE/CZE)
#3 Krueger/Montgomery (USA/USA) vs. #7 Guth/Middendorf (GER/GER)
#6 Eala/Vandewinkel (PHI/BEL) vs. Coleman/Sieg (USA/USA)
#8 Brantmeier/Kalieva (USA/USA) vs. #2 Dmitruk/Shnaider (BLR/RUS)







...KUDOS TO ESPN (yes)... ON DAY 10:

...for that "time for a new generation" music that's been appropriately getting a workout at this Open in and out of commercial breaks.


...MAPLE SYRUP AND CUPCAKES ON DAY 10:

Fernandez is cornering a few markets, and I think I'd rather see *those* commercials than all these ones airing with Naomi Osaka on ESPN. I'm just sayin'.




...VOGUE-ING ON DAY 10:




...GOOD AD, AMC, WE'LL SEE IF IT WORKS... ON DAY 10:




...(INSERT PREFERRED TV ALIEN RACE) STAR TREK DAY WINK ON DAY 10:








FADE IN:




”The Lunch Room”

INT. WTA CAFETERIA
Players, coaches, ball kids, umpires, linespeople, and various other tennis personnel congregate at tables throughout the room, eating in a school lunchroom-like atmosphere. A queue snakes along the edge of the room as people make their selections from the choices of food and drink offered behind the counter, reaching over to grab and then placing their chosen items on their tray and sliding it along on the rails toward the cashier at the end of the line.

Two diners, a “regular” and a newcomer, sit at a table and watch the people travel through the line. The newcomer focuses on one particular individual as she moves along the final stretch of the railing. It’s Alize Cornet.

Cornet pushes her tray along, seeming to drag her taped-up leg behind her down the line. Suddenly she stumbles and her tray partially derails, causing her bowl of Jell-o to slide off. Cornet, with a miraculous feat of athleticism, catches the bowl of the jiggly dessert in mid-air and then does a body roll from which she pops up from the floor at the end of the line. Once the move is complete, she sets the Jello-o back on the tray and does an emphatic celebratory fist pump.

CORNET
Allez!

From their position, the two diners watch the dramatics play out. The newcomer is wide-eyed, while the regular casually digs into her salad. As Cornet pulls money from her pocket and pays for her lunch, slapping the bills and change down on the counter with urgency, the newcomer turns to her companion.

NEWCOMER
Did you see that?

REGULAR
Oh, that’s just Alize.
That’s normal.

NEWCOMER
Oh.

The newcomer continues to watch as Cornet turns and moves towards the cafeteria seating area, carrying her tray in one hand while slapping her thigh and talking to herself as she goes, offering herself encouragement along the way. Cornet walks past them.

CORNET
Come on, come on.
Find a good seat...
find a good one.

Her voice trails off as she gets farther away. The newcomer watches her go, then gives a “well, I guess that’s how things are around here” shrug, and takes a bite of her egg salad sandwich. In the background, Steffi Graf is seen tossing a coin high in the air, nearly scraping the ceiling, and then catching it before handing it to the cashier.



END.


To be continued...



















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*MOST WTA SF in 2021*
6...Ash Barty, AUS (5-0+W)
6...ARYNA SABALENKA, BLR (3-2)
5...MARIA SAKKARI, GRE (0-4)
4...Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (4-0)
4...Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (4-0)
4...Karolina Pliskova, CZE (3-1)
4...Danielle Collins, USA (2-2)
4...Elise Mertens, BEL (1-2+W)
4...Paula Badosa, ESP (1-3)
4...Sara Sorribes Tormo, ESP (1-3)
4...Elina Svitolina, UKR (1-3)

*RECENT US OPEN WOMEN'S SEMIFINALISTS*
10: Clijsters (W), Zvonareva (RU); V.Williams/Wozniacki
11: Stosur (W), S.Williams (RU); Kerber/Wozniacki
12: S.Williams (W), Azarenka (RU); Errani/Sharapova
13: S.Williams (W), Azarenka (RU); Li/Pennetta
14: S.Williams (W), Wozniacki (RU); Peng/Makarova
15: Pennetta (W), Vinci (RU); Halep/S.Williams
16: Kerber (W), Ka.Pliskova (RU); S.Williams/Wozniacki
17: Stephens (W), Keys (RU); Vandeweghe/V.Williams
18: Osaka (W), S.Williams (RU); Keys/Sevastova
19: Andreescu (W), S.Williams (RU); Bencic/Svitolina
20: Osaka (W), Azarenka (RU); Brady/S.Williams
21 Raducanu vs. Sakkari, Fernandez vs. Sabalenka

*LOW-RANKED U.S. OPEN SF - since 1975*
Unranked - 1979 Billie Jean King
Unranked - 2009 Kim Clijsters
#150 - 2021 Emma Raducanu
[finalists]
Unranked - 2009 Kim Clijsters (W)
#83 - 2017 Sloane Stephens (W)
#66 - 1997 Venus Williams

*UNSEEDED WOMEN IN US OPEN SF, since 2000*
Unseeded - 2000 Elena Dementieva, RUS
Unseeded - 2009 Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
Unseeded - 2011 Angelique Kerber, GER
Unseeded - 2013 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
Unseeded - 2014 Peng Shuai, CHN
Unseeded - 2015 Roberta Vinci, ITA (RU)
Unseeded - 2016 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
Unseeded - 2017 Sloane Stephens, USA (W)
Unseeded - 2020 Victoria Azarenka, BLR (RU)
Unseeded - 2021 LEYLAH FERNANDEZ, CAN
Qualifier - 2021 EMMA RADUCANU, GBR
Wild Card - 2009 Kim Clijsters, BEL (W)
[low seeds in SF]
#28 - 2020 Jennifer Brady, USA
#28 - 2011 Serena Williams, USA (RU)
#26 - 2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA (W)
#20 - 2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN (W)
#20 - 2017 CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
#19 - 2018 Anastasija Sevastova, LAT
#19 - 2006 Jelena Jankovic,SRB
#17 - 2021 MARIA SAKKARI, GRE
#17 - 2018 Serena Williams, USA (RU)
#17 - 2014 Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
#15 - 2017 Madison Keys, USA (RU)
#15 - 2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN (W)

*RECENT EARLY-CAREER SLAM BREAKOUTS - SF+, under 10 slams*
2014: Genie Bouchard to AO semis (4th career GS MD, age 19)
2014: Genie Bouchard to WI Final (6th career GS MD, age 20)
2017: Alona Ostapenko wins RG (8th career GS MD, age 20)
2019: Danielle Collins to AO SF (6th career GS MD, age 25)
2019: Amanda Anisimova to RG SF (4th career GS MD, age 17)
2019: Marketa Vondrousova to RG SF (9th career GS MD, age 20)
2019: Bianca Andreescu wins US (4th career GS MD, age 19)
2020: Nadia Podoroska to RG SF (2nd career GS MD, age 23)
2020: Iga Swiatek wins RG (7th career GS MD, age 19)
2021: Karolina Muchova to AO SF (9th career GS MD, age 24)
2021: Barbora Krejcikova wins RG (5th career GS MD, age 25)
2021: Leylah Fernandez in US SF in 7th career GS MD; age 19
2021: Emma Raducanu in US SF in 2nd career GS MD; age 18v

*SLAM SF AS QUALIFIER*
1978 Australian Open - Christine Matison, AUS
1999 Wimbledon - Alexandra Stevenson, USA
2020 Roland Garros - Nadia Podoroska, ARG
2021 U.S. Open - Emma Raducanu, GBR

*RECENT FIRST-TIME SLAM SEMIFINALISTS*
=2019 AO=
Danielle Collins, USA
=2019 RG=
Amanda Anisimova, USA
Ast Barty, AUS (W)
Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (RU)
=2019 WI=
Barbora Strycova, CZE
Elina Svitolina, UKR
=2019 US=
Bianca Andreescu, CAN (W)
Belinda Bencic, SUI
=2020 AO=
Sofia Kenin, USA (W)
=2020 US=
Jennifer Brady, USA
=2020 RG=
Nadia Podoroska, ARG
Iga Swiatek, POL (W)
=2021 AO=
Karolina Muchova, CZE
=2021 RG=
Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
Maria Sakkari, GRE
Tamara Zidansek, SLO
=2021 WI=
Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
=2021 US=
Leylah Fernandez, CAN
Emma Raducanu, GBR

*MULTIPLE UNSEEDED IN SLAM SF (OPEN ERA)*
=3=
1978 Australian - Chris O'Neil, Diane Evers, Christine Matison Dorey(Q)
1976 R.Garros - Renata Tomanova, Florenta Mihai, Virginia Ruzici
=2=
2021 US Open - Leylah Fernandez, Emma Raducanu(Q)
2021 R.Garros - Barbora Krejcikova, Tamara Zidansek
2020 R.Garros - Nadia Podoroska(Q), Iga Swiatek
2019 R.Garros - Amanda Anisimova, Marketa Vondrousova
2017 Australian - Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, CoCo Vandeweghe
2010 Wimbledon - Petra Kvitova, Tsvetana Pironkova
2010 Australian - Justine Henin(WC), Zheng Jie
2009 US Open - Kim Clijsters(WC), Yanina Wickmayer
1999 Wimbledon - Alexandra Stevenson(Q), Mirjana Lucic
1994 Wimbledon - Lori McNeil, Gigi Fernandez
1983 R.Garros - Mima Jauvosec, Jo Durie
1975 Australian - Natasha Chmyreva, Sue Barker
1971 R.Garros - Marijke Schaar, Helen Gourlay

*CAREER SLAM SF - active*
40 - Serena Williams, USA (33-7)
23 - Venus Williams, USA (16-7)
16 - Kim Clijsters, BEL (8-8)
8 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (5-3)
8 - Simona Halep, ROU (5-3)
8 - Angelique Kerber, GER (4-4)
7 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (3-4)
5 - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (4-1)
5 - Garbine Muguruza, ESP (4-1)
5 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (2-3)
4 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (4-0)
4 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (2-2)
4 - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (2-2)
4 - Madison Keys, USA (1-3)
3 - Ash Barty, AUS (2-1)
3 - Sloane Stephens, USA (2-1)
3 - Sara Errani, ITA (1-2)
3 - Genie Bouchard, CAN (1-2)
3 - Johanna Konta GBR (0-3)
2 - Sofia Kenin, USA (2-0)
2 - Sabine Lisicki, GER (1-1)
2 - Alona Ostapenko, LAT (1-1)
2 - Jennifer Brady, USA (1-1)
2 - ARYNA SABALENKA, BLR (0-1) *
2 - MARIA SAKKARI, GRE (0-1) *
2 - Timea Bacsinszky, SUI (0-2)
2 - Elina Svitolina, UKR (0-2)
2 - CoCo Vandeweghe, USA (0-2)
1 (W) Andreescu,Krejcikova,Pavlyuchenkova
1 (W) Swiatek,Vondrousova
1 (-) FERNANDEZ,RADUCANU
1 (L) Anisimova,Bencic,Bertens,Collins
1 (L) Flipkens,Mertens,Muchova,Peng
1 (L) Petkovic,Pironkova,Podoroska,Sevastova
1 (L) Vesnina,Wickmayer,Zidansek
[SLAM SF 2020-21]
2 - Ash Barty, AUS (1-1)
2 - Jennifer Brady, USA (1-1)
2 - Sofia Kenin, USA (2-0)
2 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2-0)
2 - ARYNA SABALENKA, BLR (0-1) *
2 - MARIA SAKKARI, GRE (0-1) *
2 - Serena Williams, USA (0-2)
1 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (1-0)
1 - LEYLAH FERNANDEZ, CAN (0-0) *
1 - Simona Halep, ROU (0-1)
1 - Angelique Kerber, GER (0-1)
1 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (1-0)
1 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (0-1)
1 - Karolina Muchova, CZE (0-1)
1 - Garbina Muguruza, ESP (1-0)
1 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS (1-0)
1 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (1-0)
1 - Nadia Podoroska, ARG (0-1)
1 - EMMA RADUCANU, GBR (0-0) *
1 - Iga Swiatek, POL (1-0)
1 - Tamara Zidansek, SLO (0-1)
[SLAM SF BY NATION 2020-21 / 7 slams]
6 - USA
4 - CZE
3 - BLR (1)
2 - AUS
2 - GRE (1)
2 - JPN
1 - ARG,CAN(1),ESP,GBR(1),GER,POL,ROU,RUS,SLO



*U.S. OPEN - RECENT "COMEBACK" WINNERS*
2015 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2016 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
2017 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2018 Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
2019 Taylor Townsend, USA
2020 Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL
2021 U.S. Open fans
[2021]
AO: Rebecca Marino, CAN
RG: Sloane Stephens, USA
WI: Angelique Kerber, GER

*U.S. OPEN "LADY OF THE EVENING" WINNERS*
2010 Venus Williams, USA
2011 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2012 Serena Williams, USA
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2014 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2015 Serena Williams, USA & Venus Williams, USA
2016 Madison Keys, USA
2017 "The Late Show starring Madison Keys"
2018 Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP
2019 Serena Williams, USA
2020 Naomi Osaka, JPN
2021 Maria Sakkari, GRE
[2021]
AO: Simona Halep, ROU
RG: Serena Williams/USA and Irina-Camelia Begu/ROU

*U.S. OPEN "BROADWAY-BOUND" WINNERS*
2010 Vania King, USA
2011 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2012 "Future Sloane" (w/ Stephens), USA
2013 Camila Giorgi, ITA
2014 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2015 Lisa Raymond, USA
2016 Kayla Day, USA
2017 "Opening Night" (Sharapova vs. Halep on Night 1)
2018 Kaia Kanepi, EST
2019 "Call Me Coco" summer preview shows
2020 "Three Moms & the Quarterfinals" (Serena, Vika & Pironkova)
2021 "Oh Canada!" (Fernandez, Andreescu, Dabrowski, etc.)







TOP QUALIFIER: Rebecca Marino/CAN (first US MD since '11)
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #9 Garbine Muguruza/ESP
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): Leylah Fernandez/CAN
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: Katie Boulter/GBR def. #8 Kristina Kucova/SVK 7-5/2-6/6-4 (from break down at 4-2, wins final 4 games to reach first U.S. Open MD)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #4 Karolina Pliskova/CZE def. Amanda Anisimova/USA 7-5/6-7(5)/7-6(7) - (Anisimova first on Ashe; Pliskova US reocord 24 aces; Anisimova up 5-2 in 3rd TB, Pliskova saves MP and wins on MP #2 9-7; no Top 20 seed def. in first two round)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): #17 Maria Sakkari/GRE def. #6 Bianca Andreescu/CAN 6-7(2)/7-6(6)/6-3 (3:29 ends at women's US record 2:13 a.m.; ends Andreescu's 10-0 start in Open)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Kristina Kucova/SVK (def. Li/USA)
FIRST SEED OUT: #31 Yulia Putintseva/KAZ (1st Rd./lost to Kanepi)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Valentini Grammatikopoulou/GRE, Rebeka Masarova/ESP
UPSET QUEENS: Russia
REVELATION LADIES: Greece
NATION OF POOR SOULS: USA (8-14 in 1st; Keys/Riske out; Serena/Venus/Kenin/Brady DNP; 3/4 '17 all-US SF out)
CRASH & BURN: #2 Naomi Osaka/JPN (3rd Rd. to Fernandez/CAN; served for match in 2nd set) and #1 Ash Barty/AUS (3rd Rd. to Rogers/USA; led 5-2, double-break in 3rd)
ZOMBIE QUEENS OF NEW YORK: Elise Mertens/BEL (1r vs. Peterson; down 6-3/5-3 and RP served twice for match; saved 5 MP in 2nd, 1 MP in 3rd) and Rebeka Masarova/ESP (1r vs. Bogdan; down 7-6/4-1; saved 2 MP in 3rd TB, on own 6th MP; first slam win) - simultaneously-played U.S. Open women's record 3:40 matches
IT ("Teens"): Leylah Fernandez/CAN and Emma Raducanu/GBR
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: de Groot (for WC Golden Slam), Sabalenka
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Emma Raducanu/GBR (in SF) (LL 3r: Minnen, Rakhimova)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: none (went 0-8 in 1st Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: Shelby Rogers (4th Rd.)
COMEBACK: U.S. Open fans
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Ka.Pliskova, Stosur/Zhang, Dabrowski
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Krawczyk, Olmos, Gauff/McNally
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Nominee: Kalieva, Gauff/McNally, Montgomery
BROADWAY-BOUND: "Oh Canada!" (Fernandez SF, Marino Q-POW, Dabrowski WD SF, FAA men's SF, Andreescu QF...+ Toronto-born Raducanu SF)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Maria Sakkari/GRE (wins 3:29 4r match at 2:13 a.m.; def. Pliskova to reach SF)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx







All for Day 10. More tomorrow.
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