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Friday, September 10, 2021

US.11- Keep Calm and Blame Canada

And so it was written... the teen shall meet the teen.

They'll just settle this on their own.









=DAY 11 NOTES=
...as this U.S. Open has worn on, the dueling fairytale stories of teenagers Leylah Fernandez and Emma Raducanu have been competing for time and head space. The figurative collision course between the two became a reality on Thursday night, set in stone by semifinal victories bearing more than a striking resemblance to the five main draw (or in Raducanu's case, the five MD *and* three qualifying) matches they won to get to this point.

While their respective opponents carried with them their own noteworthy stories, as Aryna Sabalenka was seeking to finally fulfill what has been viewed as her slam "destiny" and Maria Sakkari was looking to become the first Greek woman to reach a slam final, this U.S. Open women's competition just wouldn't have been given its proper send-off -- its *true* emotional crescendo -- had not at least *one* of the teens been playing for the title on Saturday.

As it turns out, they'll *both* get the chance. Even better. We'll now *assured* of the sort of ending that tennis slam dreams are made of.



The #73-ranked Canadian's path to the semis was built on players with bigger names and longer resumes than her own. Already with a triptych of victories over a combination of two current Top 5 players, two former #1's and a pair of ex-U.S. Open champs in her last three wins over Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber and Elina Svitolina, for 19-year old Fernandez tonight's opponent in #2 Sabalenka pretty much "fit the description." The big-hitting Belarusian was playing in her second straight major semi, leads the WTA in match wins this season and has won four tour titles over the past year. Her mission to climb to the top of the WTA ladder in '21 has mostly been a successful one, save for an appearance and/or a win in a slam final.

So, naturally, this match played out like so many of Fernandez's have in New York. She rallied from behind early, battled toe-to-toe mid-match, and then was the more consistent and/or composed of the two players in the final stages.

With Sabalenka calmly coming out and playing a big game to perfection in the early going, the Belarusian grabbed a 3-0 lead, winning 12 of 14 points. She held for 4-1 before the teenager, once more, began to flip the match script. Fernandez held at love to stay a break down, then began to see errors slowly but surely creep into Sabalenka's game as the Canadian carved out chances on her second serve. Sabalenka DF'd to give up her break lead, then saw Fernandez save a BP and hold for 4-4.

Ferandez took a 15/30 lead on Sabalenka's serve in game #9, but the Belarusian pulled out her big serves and groundstrokes to hold. Two games later, she again held, this time from 30/30. Fernandez saved a BP to get the set into a tie-break, where again she fell behind early. Sabalenka led 2-0, and the two changed sides of the court knotted at 3-3. But Sabalenka wouldn't win another point. Her long backhard return gave Fernandez the lead at 4-3, and a point later Fernandez's defensive lob sent the Belarusian backpedaling in the mid-court, drifting to her left. What resulted was a wild overhead miss that Sabalenka never seemed to shake off the rest of the TB. She DF'd a point later, then missed on a backhard return shot as Fernandez won 7-3 to improve to 5-0 in breakers at this Open.

Sabalenka broke to open the 2nd, but Fernandez's pinpoint passing shots, defense, and well-timed replies off of short bounces in the backcourt continued to frustrate her. Up 30/15 at 2-1, the Belarusian threw in a DF and a forehand error that led to Fernandez getting the break back, then Sabalenka squandered a BP of her own in game #5. She destroyed a racket between games, then proceeded to try to hold and force a 3rd set. Sabalenka even resorted to attempting to stir up the crowd in her favor after consecutive points, only to then see Fernandez convert on a successful drop shot and instantly act yet again as a virtual conductor (w/ a knowing grin) to get the crowd to cheer for *her* once more.

In the closing moments of the set, Sabalenka saw a small window of opportunity open and pushed her way through it. After firing an ace to hold for 4-4, she grabbed a 15/40 lead on Fernandez's serve and got the break with a long backhand from the Canadian. Sabalenka served out the set at 6-4, as Fernandez went into her fourth straight 3rd set.

In the decider, Sabalenka held from love/30 for 2-2, but Fernandez grabbed a break lead two games later. Sabalenka rebounded quickly, taking a love/40 lead in the next game. The teenager saved all three BP, but Sabalenka fired a forehand return winner on #4 to get the set back on serve. The back-and-forth action seemed to forecast another TB might be in store, but then suddenly Sabalenka, quite simply, fell apart. Just in one game, but it was enough to seal her fate.

After a Fernandez hold for 5-4, Sabalenka DF'd to fall behind love/30 in game #10. Another DF and Fernandez was at MP. A Sabalenka forehand error followed, and that was that. It wasn't the grand finish one wants for such a match, but it was the one we got as the Canadian prevailed 7-6(3)/4-6/6-4.



Just two years after Bianca Andreescu brought down the house in Queens, Fernandez is the second Canadian to reach the U.S. Open singles final. Having arrived with just a 4-6 career mark in slam MD matches, she's run off six straight wins in a most exhilarating fashion, stoking the crowd onto their feet and goading her opponents into fits of frustration and, ultimately, gracious respect for her ability to both play like there's no tomorrow *and* as if tomorrow will be just as much her day, as well.



...in the second semifinal, much like the first, if anyone tuning in was wondering how an 18-year old British qualifier had reached a major semifinal, all they had to do was watch.



While Fernandez has taken care of the drama on the women's side in the slam, Raducanu has just taken care of business. She arrived having not lost a set in *eight* Q/MD matches, not giving up more the four game in any single set. Once she's found her footing, usually after just a few minutes of play, the Brit has been *rolling* over foes will nary a hint of prejudice nor pride. At the end of each of her matches she's seemed just as surprised by the ease with which she's just dispatched an opponent -- in just her second career slam MD, after having reaching the Round of 16 at SW19 in her first -- as those who just watched it.

Though it maybe didn't seem fated to go the same way vs. #17 Maria Sakkari, in her second slam SF of '21 and just off a dominating serving performance (w/ 22 consecutive points in one stretch) against Karolina Pliskova in the QF, that's just what happened.

The Greek had her opportunities in the 1st set, including having three BP in Raducanu's first service game, then four more on her second, and a GP on her won serve in game #4. But she lost all four games. Then game #5, too. Raducanu served out the 1st set at 6-1, then got a quick break in the early-going of the 2nd.

Sakkari saved two BP to hold for 3-2, then five more two games later (including one on a point in which Radcunu evoked Jimmy Connors with a series of scrambling side-to-side gets and defensive lobs, one of which the Greek finally put away). But, really, all she did was delay the inevitable. Raducanu may have been overwhelmed by the momet in London, but not so in New York. She served out the match to win 6-1/6-4 to become the first qualifier in history to reach a major singles final and, with almost no advance warning to speak of, become the first British woman to do so since Virginia Wade some 44 years ago at Wimbledon.



Just three short years after meeting in the 2nd Round of the Wimbledon girls competition (Raducanu won 6-2/6-4), the two teenagers will next decide the champion of the U.S. Open in the first match-up of unseedeed slam finalists in the Open era, in just their second and seventh career slam MD appearances.

Forget about "Generation PDQ," this is more like "Generation PDFQ."

...rainy conditions throughout most of the day prevented play on the outside courts from getting started until the evening, but the wheelchair and junior competitions completed their singles schedules for the day.

Diede de Groot, the three-time defending U.S. Open WC champ, kicked off her pursuit of the final leg of a Golden Slam with a dominating performance over Colombia's Angelica Bernal. She's joined in the semis by the three other former Open winners in the draw: #2 Yui Kamiji (2014 & '17), Aniek Van Koot (2013) and Jordanne Whiley (2015).

In the juniors, top-seeded Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva was upset by #7-seeded Bannerette Robin Montgomery, 6-3/6-2, while #2 Alexandra Eala lost to Swiss Sebastianna Scilipoti 7-5/6-3. Also ousted was #12 Elvina Kalieva (USA), via a 7-5 3rd set TB loss to Argentina's Solana Sierra. #6-seeded Belarusian Kristina Dmitruk took the final semifinal berth with a three-set win over Croatian Petra Marcinko.





*WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
(Q) Emma Raducanu/GBR vs. Leylah Fernandez/CAN

*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 SF*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. Aniek Van Koot/NED
Jordanne Whiley/GBR 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 SF*
#7 Robin Montgomery/USA vs. Solana Sierra/ARG
#6 Kristina Dmitruk/BLR vs. Sebastianna Scilipoti/SUI

*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)







...AND THERE YOU HAVE IT... ON DAY 11:




...AH, BUT WILL IT *ACTUALLY* HAPPEN?... ON DAY 11:




...MORE HISTORY... ON DAY 11:








FADE IN:




”Cryptopavlyuchenkova”

INT.NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY CAR
The sounds of the subway are heard as a car slows to a stop. Everyone is dressed in warm winter gear. Riders step out of the car and onto the platform, while new passengers board. Inside, several people sit in seats along the wall. One is busy working on a crossword puzzle. She seems stumped, and turns to her friend sitting on the right.

PASSENGER #1
Russian female tennis
finalist in Paris...?

FRIEND
(confidently)
Sharapova.

PASSENGER #1
No...

A standing man holding the handle grip hanging from the ceilng pipes in.

MALE PASSENGER
Try Kuznetsova.

The crossword passenger shakes her head.

PASSENGER #1
The third letter is a “V”...
And it’s...

She counts the empty boxes, and we see a CLOSE SHOT of the puzzle. The final three filled-in letters are “OVA.”

PASSENGER #1
Wow... FOURTEEN letters.

No one offers another option. Then, from the crossword passenger’s left, a Female Voice.

FEMALE VOICE
Pavlyuchenkova.

The crossword passenger considers the offering, looking over the puzzle. She starts to fill in the letters, but seems to be a little stumped. The helper leans in to see how she’s doing. We see that it’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, dressed in proper Russian winter attire, who has removed her earbuds to get involved in the conversation. She helps the woman's spelling.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA
L-Y...U..CHEN-

PASSENGER #1
(happy)
-KOVA! Yes! That’s it!
Thank you!

Pavlyuchenkova smiles.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA
No problem.

Pavlyuchenkova, unrecognized and unbothered, but also clearly happy to be helpful, puts her earbuds into place, then leans back and listens to her music. She closes her eyes as the car's doors close and the ride along the rail begins again.



END.


To be continued...


















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kosova-font

*LOW-RANKED U.S. OPEN FINALISTS - since 1975*
Unranked - Kim Clijsters, 2009 (W)
#150 - EMMA RADUCANU (Q), 2021
#83 - Sloane Stephens, 2017 (W)
#73 - LEYLAH FERNANDEZ, 2021
#66 - Venus Williams, 1997

*LOW-RANKED SLAM FINALISTS - OPEN ERA*
NR - Evonne Goolagong 1977 Australian (W)
NR - Kim Clijsters, 2009 US Open (W)
NR - Justine Henin, 2010 Australian (RU)
#181 - Serena Williams, 2018 Wimbledon (RU)
#150 - EMMA RADUCANU, 2021 US Open
#111 - Chris O'Neil, 1978 Australian (W)
#83 - Sloane Stephens, 2017 US Open (W)
#81 - Serena Williams, 2007 Australian (W)
#78 - Betsy Nagelson, 1978 Australian (RU)
#73 - LEYLAH FERNANDEZ, 2021 US Open

*SLAM FINALS BY NATION - 2020's*
3 - USA (1-2)
2 - JPN (2-0)
2 - CZE (1-1)
1 - AUS (1-0)
1 - POL (1-0)
1 - CANADA (0-0)
1 - GREAT BRITAIN (0-0)
1 - ESP (0-1)
1 - BLR (0-1)
1 - RUS (0-1)

*FIRST SLAM FINAL AT U.S. OPEN - active*
1997 Venus Williams, USA
1999 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (W)
2016 Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2017 Madison Keys, USA
2017 Sloane Stephens, USA (W)
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN (W)
2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN (W)
2021 Leylah Fernandez, CAN
2021 Emma Raducanu, GBR

*RECENT TEEN SLAM CHAMPS*
1997 Martina Hingis, SUI - AO (16)*
1997 Iva Majoli, CRO - RG (19)*
1997 Martina Hingis, SUI - WI (16)
1997 Martina Hingis, SUI - US (16)
1998 Martina Hingis, SUI - AO (17)
1999 Martina Hingis, SUI - AO (18)
1999 Serena Williams, USA - US (17)*
2004 Maria Sharapova, RUS - WI (17)*
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS - US (19)*
2006 Maria Sharapova, RUS - US (19)
2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN - US (19)*
2020 Iga Swiatek, POL - RG (19)*
2021 Fernandez or Raducanu - US
--
* - 1st time slam winner
[teen slam finalists since 2000]
2000 AO - Martina Hingis, SUI (19)
2001 RG - Kim Clijsters, BEL (18)
2001 WI - Justine Henin, BEL (19)
2001 US - Serena Williams, USA (19)
2003 RG - Kim Clijsters, BEL (19) (19y,364d)
2004 WI - Maria Sharapova, RUS (17) - W
2004 US - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (19) - W
2006 US - Maria Sharapova, RUS (19) - W
2007 AO - Maria Sharapova, RUS (19)
2009 US - Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (19)
2019 RG - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (19)
2019 US - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (19) - W
2019 RG - Iga Swiatek, POL (19) - W
2021 US - ?
[youngest finals since 2000]
37 - 2021 US - FERNANDEZ (19) vs. RADUCANU (18)
40 - 2003 RG - Henin (21) vs. Clijsters (19)
40 - 2008 AO - Sharapova (20) vs. Ivanovic (20)
40 - 2020 RG - Kenin (21) vs. Swiatek (19)

*2021 FIRST-TIME SINGLES FINALISTS*
Abu Dhabi - Veronika Kudermetova, RUS (#46, 23)
Grampians - Ann Li, USA (#99, 20) - DNP
Lyon - Clara Tauson, DEN (#139, 18) - W
Guadalajara - Sara Sorribes Tormo, ESP (#71, 24) - W
Bogota - MC.Osorio Serrano, COL (#180, 19) - W
Belgrade - Paula Badosa, ESP (#44, 23) - W
Berlin - Liudmila Samsonova, RUS (#106, 22) - W
Hamburg - Gabriela Ruse, ROU (#154, 23) - W
Prague - Tereza Martincova, CZE (#78, 26) - L
Lausanne - Clara Burel, FRA (#125, 20) - L
Budapest - Anhelina Kalinina, UKR (#95, 24) - L
Gdynia - Maryna Zanevska, BEL (#165, 27) - W
Gdynia - Kristina Kucova, SVK (#150, 31) - L
Palermo - Danielle Collins, USA (#44, 27) - W
Cluj-Napoca - Mayar Sherif, EGY (#119, 25) - L
US Open - EMMA RADUCANU, GBR (#150, 18)

*2021 QUALIFIERS IN WTA FINALS*
Lyon - Clara Tauson, DEN (W)
Lyon - Viktorija Golubic, SUI
Monterrey - Viktorija Golubic, SUI
Belgrade - Ana Konjuh, CRO
Berlin - Liudmila Samsonova, RUS (W)
Hamburg - Gabriela Ruse, ROU (W)
Gdynia - Gabriela Ruse, ROU
US Open - EMMA RADUCANU, GBR

*SEASONS WITH NO MULTIPLE SLAM FINALISTS*
1977...10 finalists in 5 slams (AO in Jan. and Dec.)
2014...8/8
2021...8/8
[slam streak w/o multiple]
5 - 1977 (10/10)
5 - 2020-21 (10/10)



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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: Nominee: de Groot (for WC Golden Slam)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Emma Raducanu/GBR (in F) (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: 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 11. More tomorrow.