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Friday, September 3, 2021

US.5- Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of


"Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothing you can't do
Now you're in New York"


For even the greatest achievers, sometimes there are pockets and places where their dreams and reality never seem to line up. On Friday, a trio of former #1-ranked, two-time slam winners stepped onto the court for 3rd Round matches in another attempt to move closer to making a version of their New York dream come true.

Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza and Victoria Azarenka have combined to win six majors (two each in Melbourne, Paris and London) and hold the top ranking for 119 weeks, but none have ever been the last woman standing at Flushing Meadows.

While Azarenka hasn't won the women's crown, the Belarusian has at least shined under the big city lights, reaching three finals over the course of her career, including last year some seven years after the last time she'd played for the title on Ashe Stadium court. She lost all three times in competitive three-setters, twice to Serena Williams and a year ago to Naomi Osaka. For Halep and Mugurza, though, Open success has been hard to come by. Halep reached a semifinal six years ago, and a QF the following season, but came into this Open having gone 1-3 in the tournament from 2017-19 after a combination of abominable draws and unforgiving upsets, and missed the '20 Open altogether due to the Covid pandemic. Muguruza, with wins over *both* Williams sisters in slam finals on her resume, has never even reached a QF in NYC, and her lone 4th Round run came four years ago.

#12 Halep's appearance at this slam came with a slew of questions, as she'd barely played since the clay season due to an injured calf, and missed Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the Olympics. She slipped out of the Top 10 for the first time since 2014 not long ago, but looked strong (and got stronger) in two wins (including one over Montreal champ Camila Giorgi) earlier this week. Against #19 Elena Rybakina, she faced a potential Top 10 player and (maybe) slam contender who nevertheless currently stands as the only Top 20 player on tour never to have reached a major semifinal. Not only that, but the Kazakh has had a devil of a time holding onto leads in recent months, a few of which had she found a way to win may have then served her cast her as one of the pre-event favorites coming into New York.

Rybakina's recent results have resembled the accident reports involving a high-value sports cars. In Paris, Rybakina failed to hold onto a 3rd set break lead over eventual RG finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, double-faulting on MP to lose the set 9-7. In the Olympic semis she couldn't secure six set points in the 1st (which she served for) and held a break lead in the 3rd in a loss to soon-to-be Gold medalist Belinda Bencic; then in the Bronze match she lost a set and a break lead, and a 3-0 edge in the 3rd, to Elina Svitolina. In the San Jose QF against Danielle Collins, Rybakina held a SP in the 1st, but lost 7-6/7-6. Collins went on to win the title. In Montreal, she dropped four of the final five games in the 3rd set to fall to Liudmila Samsonova in the 1st Round. At least the Russian lost a round later, so the sting didn't linger as long.

Rybakina had still another brush with greatness today against Halep, holding four SP in the 1st set, only to see the Romanian secure the stanza on her own seventh SP to win a 13-11 tie-break. After forcing things to a 3rd set, the Kazakh progressively slowed in the 3rd as an ankle injury she incurred mid-way through the 2nd appeared to cause her to limp and eroded her movement, especially to wide balls that Halep dutifully fed her as often as possible. Halep seized the moment, took a 4-1 lead and held serve at love to close out the 7-6(11)/4-6/6-3 victory and reach her first U.S. Open 4th Round in five years.



#9 Muguruza and #18 Azarenka, both having dealt with injury issues of their own this season, faced off against each other for the fifth time (or maybe third, since two of their previous meetings had unceremoniously ended via retirement). As has been their wont when they've managed to play full matches, they once again put on a show. Muguruza broke late in the 1st in a tight 4-4 set, then served out the set at 6-4. Azarenka jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the 2nd and held off a semi-surge from the Spaniard to send things to a 3rd. There, a fired-up Vika battled back from 15/40 down to hold for 2-2, then two games later came back from love/30 and BP down to even the game before finally dropping serve to fall a break down.

The moment opened the door for Muguruza, who lowered her shoulder and burst through. She held a love a game later for a 5-2 lead, then pushed Azarenka to the edge in game #8. Finally reaching MP, Muguruza saw Azarenka double-fault to end the 6-4/3-6/6-2 match. Muguruza's second career U.S. Open Round of 16 is her first since 2017.



While others in the draw have experienced more success in New York, sometimes the city can suddenly bring out the unexpected best in both the young (Osaka, Andreescu, etc.) as well as the more seasoned (Pennetta, Stosur, Kerber, et al) on the women's tennis tour. Maybe Simona or Garbi will find a pocket full of dreams of their own by the end of next weekend. Who's to say the dreamer can't be her, or her?



"These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Hear it for New York, New York, New York"









=DAY 5 NOTES=
...next up for Halep and Muguruza are #5 Elina Svitolina and #8 Barbora Krejcikova, respectively.

Both won their Friday afternoon matches by identical 6-4/6-2 scores, with Svitolina handling #25 Dasha Kasatkina to reach the Round of 16 at Flushing Meadows in her fourth straight appearance (w/ her 2017-19 run, after missing last year's event) and Krejcikova defeating lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova to reach the second week in her maiden U.S. Open MD (just as she did at Wimbledon earlier this summer).

Yesterday, Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova, the #2 doubles seeds, surprisingly lost in the 1st Round to Pera/Linette (hmm, putting themselves in line for this Open's elusive "Crash & Burn" tag?). One wonders, if the Czech uses the extra time off to make a deep run in this event, if that teaming might be seen less and less as time goes on and both continue to climb up the singles rankings.

...while the aforementioned slam-winning trio have yet to taste the ultimate success at the Open, both #16 Angelique Kerber and Sloane Stephens have. Respective champions in 2016 and '17, both women have experienced resurgent slam success in '21. Stephens reached the Round of 16 in Paris, her best result at a slam in two years, while Kerber was a semifinalist at Wimbledon for the first time since she won the title there in 2018.

With the winner set to likely face defending champ Naomi Osaka in the next round, their match-up seemed more like a tasty appetizer than the entree to come. And it was. After Stephens nearly squandered a 1st set lead, failing to convert a SP at 5-3 and DF'ing her service game away, yet still managed to get control of the situation and take the set 7-5 it seemed as if the "Future Sloane" version of herself (well, now maybe it's the "Past Sloane" version, huh?) would win out.

Instead, the resurgent Kerber was the one who emerged, taking the 2nd and 3rd sets by flashing her former champion form, winning 5-7/6-2/6-3 to return to the Round of 16 in New York for a second straight year, matching her best Open result since her title run five years ago.



...the remainder of Day 5's 3rd Rounders will be decided under the lights, with #15 Elise Mertens and #20 Ons Jabeur suiting up on Court 17, while the show courts will feature #3 Osaka and Canadian teen Leylah Fernandez (on Ashe) and (on Armstrong) an exuberant match-up between #2 Aryna Sabalenka vs. #26 Collins (in a match sure to be at its loudest -- featuring clenched fists, bellows and stares across the net -- *between the rallies*).

...at the Paralympics, #1 Diede de Groot defeated #2 Yui Kamiji 6-3/7-6(1) in the Gold Medal Match, winning on her seventh MP to win her first Gold medal. She'll arrive in New York next week with the chance to complete the maiden singles Golden Slam (all 4 slams and singles Gold in a season) in wheelchair tennis history. All nine of the Paralympic women's singles Golds have been won by a Dutch player, and de Groot can next become the third different woman from her nation -- after Esther Vergeer in 2004 and '12, and Jiske Griffioen '16 -- to sweep the singles and doubles Golds with a win in the doubles final this weekend.

The Tokyo final was the first in Paralympic history that didn't pit one Dutch woman against another, as Kamiji wins Silver on home court. Kamiji was one of three para-athletes to light the cauldron during the opening ceremonies. She doesn't take home her preferred Gold, but it's still a step up from the singles Bronze she won (w/ a win over de Groot) five years ago in Rio. And she'll play for another medal in the doubles Bronze match tomorrow, as well.



In the Bronze match for singles, #4 Jordanne Whiley became the first female British singles medalist in the Paralympic WC competition with a 6-4/6-7(7)/6-4 victory over #3 Aniek Van Koot. Whiley had a hand in the two medal-winning turns by British women in the past, as well, teaming with Lucy Shuker for doubles Bronze in 2012 and '16. They'll play for Gold this time around against de Groot/Van Koot.






*WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
x vs. x
x vs. x
x vs. x
x vs. x
#5 Elina Svitolina/UKR vs. #12 Simona Halep/ROU
x vs. #18 Angelique Kerber/GER
#9 Garbine Muguruza/ESP vs. #8 Barbora Krejcikova/CZE
x vs. x

*PARALYMPIC WHEELCHAIR SINGLES*
GOLD: #1 Diede de Groot/NED def. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN 6-3/7-6(1)
BRONZE: #4 Jordanne Whiley/GBR def. #3 Aniek Van Koot/NED 6-4/6-7(7)/6-4

*PARALYMPIC WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES*
GOLD: #1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED) vs. #2 Shuker/Whiley (GBR)
BRONZE: #3 Kamiji/Ohtani (JPN) vs. Wang/Zhu (CHN)







...SEEMS AS GOOD A TIME AS ANY FOR A U.S. OPEN TRADITION... ON DAY 5:

Ace...




...LIKE ON DAY 5:

Based on the segments I've seen, the Australian version of "60 Minutes" seems to be a pretty good one. (Aired before Charlie Watts' recent death.)








FADE IN:




”Cross-Training”

EXT. TENNIS COURT - DAY
On a practice court at the All-England Club in London, the sounds of grass court tennis surround the area. Balls bounce up off the lawn, then are authoritatively whacked back across the net, with the sound of the strings of a tennis racket making contact with the sphere filling the air with pleasantness.

From behind the camera, an individual emerges and walks toward the empty court. It’s clearly Ash Barty. She walks toward the backcourt and eyes an unseen person on the opposite side of the net.

MAN
(from across net)
Ready, Ash?

ASH
Yeah, let’s go.

The sound of the tennis ball being hit from acros the net is heard, while Ash prepares to return the shot. She swings and the ball heads back, but the sound coming from her “racket” doesn’t sound right. As the ball comes back at her again, she swings again. The sound -- more of a thud than a whack -- once more sounds “foreign.”

It’s only then that we realize that Ash isn’t warming up with a tennis racket, but with a cricket bat. It's an unmistakably odd sight. No matter, she wields it with great skill, sending each ball back in routine fasion. Over and over again, getting into a fine rhythm.



The screen fades to WHITE, with a whack immediately followed by the THUD of a ball connecting with a cricket bat.



END.


To be continued...
















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**BACKSPIN 2021 VETERAN-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN/FEB: Kaia Kanepi, EST
AO: Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
FEB: Shelby Rogers, USA
MAR/APR: Garbine Muguruza, ESP
1Q...MUGURUZA
APR: Sorana Cirstea, ROU
MAY: Karolina Pliskova, CZE
RG: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
2Q Clay Court...PAVLYUCHENKOVA
JUN: Angelique Kerber, GER
WI: Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2Q Grass Court...PLISKOVA
JUL: Danielle Collins, USA
OLYMPICS: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
AUG: Karolina Pliskova, CZE
[2021 Weekly VETERAN Award Wins]
5 - Sorana Cirstea, ROU
4 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE
3 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR
3 - Sara Errani, ITA
3 - Garbine Muguruza, ESP
3 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
2 - Alize Cornet, FRA
2 - Kaia Kanepi, EST
2 - Angelique Kerber, GER
2 - Petra Kvitova, CZE
2 - Vera Zvonareva, RUS

**BACKSPIN 2021 COMEBACK-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN/FEB: Rebecca Marino, CAN
AO: Rebecca Marino, CAN
FEB: Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
MAR/APR: Bianca Andreescu, CAN 1Q...KASATKINA
APR: Danka Kovinic, MNE
MAY: Ana Konjuh, CRO
RG: Sloane Stephens, USA
2Q Clay Court...KONJUH
JUN: Johanna Konta, GBR
WI: Angelique Kerber, GER
2Q Grass Court...KERBER
JUL: Oceane Dodin, FRA
OLYMPICS: Elena Vesnina, RUS
AUG: Andrea Petkovic, GER
[2021 Weekly COMEBACK Award Wins]
3 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN
3 - Katie Boulter, GBR
3 - Ana Konjuh, CRO
3 - Rebecca Marino, CAN
2 - Madison Keys, USA
2 - Danka Kovinic, MNE
2 - Anastasija Sevastova, LAT
2 - Sloane Stephens, USA
2 - Elina Svitolina, UKR
2 - CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
2 - Elena Vesnina, RUS

**WOMEN'S WC GRAND SLAM SEASONS**
[SINGLES (4/4)]
-
[DOUBLES (4/4)]
2009 Esther Vergeer & Korie Homan, NED/NED
2011 Esther Vergeer & Sharon Walraven, NED/NED
2013 Aniek Van Koot & Jiske Griffioen, NED/NED
2014 Yui Kamji & Jordanne Whiley, JPN/GBR
2019 Diede de Groot & Aniek Van Koot, NED/NED
["GOLDEN SLAMS" (4/4+GOLD)]
-

**PARALYMPICS WC SINGLES MEDAL WINNERS**
[GOLD]
1988 Chantal Vandierendonck, NED
1992 Monique van den Bosch, NED
1996 Maaike Smit, NED
2000 Esther Vergeer, NED
2004 Esther Vergeer, NED
2008 Esther Vergeer, NED
2012 Esther Vergeer, NED
2016 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2021 Diede de Groot, NED
[SILVER]
1988 Monique van den Bosch, NED
1992 Chantal Vandierendonck, NED
1996 Monique Kalkman-van den Bosch, NED
2000 Sharon Walraven, NED
2004 Sonja Peters, NED
2008 Korie Homan, NED
2012 Aniek Van Koot, NED
2016 Aniek Van Koot, NED
2021 Yui Kamiji, JPN
[BRONZE]
1988 Terry Lewis, USA and Ellen de Lange, NED
1992 Regina Isecke, GER
1996 Chantal Vandierendonck, NED
2000 Maaike Smit, NED
2004 Daniela Di Toro, AUS
2008 Florence Gravellier, FRA
2012 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2016 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2021 Jordanne Whiley, GBR











TOP QUALIFIER: Rebecca Marino/CAN (first US MD since '11)
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #9 Garbine Muguruza/ESP
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
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): xx
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: Nominee: #2 Krejcikova/Siniakova (1r loss; RG/Olympic champs, AO final in '21)
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 ("xx"): Nominee: Raducanu
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: xx
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Emma Raducanu/GBR (in 3rd Rd.) (LL in 3r: Minnen, Rakhimova=L)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: none (went 0-8 in 1st Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: In 3rd Rd.: Collins, Pegula, Rogers, Stephens(L)
COMEBACK PLAYER: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominee: Kerber
DOUBLES STAR: xx
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Nominee: Pegula
BROADWAY-BOUND: xx
LADY OF THE EVENING: xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx







All for Day 5. More tomorrow.
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