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Sunday, January 23, 2022

AO.7 - Madison in the Key of Life

Madison Keys has been known to burn up the tennis court with her powerful groundstrokes. Sometimes that's a great thing. Sometimes it's not. So far at this Australian Open, it's been very much the former.



In the first women's Round of 16 match of Day 7, unseeded Madison Keys met #8 Paula Badosa, a year after both had dealt with Covid issues. Both women tested positive, leading Keys to miss the event entirely, and Badosa to emerge from a three-week quarantine in Melbourne and fall in the 1st Round.

The Spaniard rebounded well over the course of the season, producing her best year yet, winning her maiden titles (including Indian Wells), reaching her first slam QF and WTA Finals and finishing in the Top 10. Keys, though had one of her worst seasons, not playing until March and only reaching a single QF in fifteen events (though she did rise up for a Wimbledon 4th Round run). She ended '21 on a 1-7 slide and finshed at #56 after previously having six straight Top 20 seasons.

Both have shined early in '22, winning titles in Week 2, with Badosa solidifying her high ranking status, and #51-ranked former U.S. Open finalist Keys seeming to recapture her lost spark after suffering through last season, which led her to fall into what she called a "deep dark pit of despair" in which she had "borderline hate being on the tennis court" and for competing. It's a continual battle that constantly resets itself with each event and new rankings, Keys said this week, but she noted that she's decided to let the pressure go.

On this day, though, it wasn't about any sort of pressure that Keys felt, but the pressure that Keys' game, on serve and off the ground, put on that of the Spaniard.

The Bannerette broke Badosa's serve in game #2, then consolidated her edge with a hold for 3-0. She maintained the break lead throughout the set, and never got another despite having multiple opportunities (going 1-for-7 on BP), including holding four in game #6 before Badosa got the hold. Keys kept her own service games clean, though, never even reaching deuce on serve in the set as she took the opener 6-3.

Badosa flirted with disaster early in the 2nd, DF'ing on a big second serve attempt to fall behind 15/40 in the opening game. She saved both BP with aggressive play, and ultimately held two GP. But after staving off two more Keys BP (she stood at 1-for-11), Badosa netted a backhand on BP #5 to immediately find herself playing catch-up once again.

The Spaniard finally reached her first deuce point on Keys' serve a game later, and converted on her first BP to get back on serve. But, from there, Keys seized control. Badosa pulled herself out of a 15/30 hole to reach GP, but ended the game with back-to-back DF to trail 2-1.

Through the back half of the set, Badosa seemed to be occasionally struggling, bending over and/or pausing in the shaded area of the court, either dealing with a lingering injury or because of having to play in such stifling conditions (especially so soon after having waged battle vs. Marta Kostyuk in a depleting three-setter two days ago). Whatever it was, it showed in her sliding play, made all the more damaging by Keys' comparatively sterling form.

Badosa's ninth DF put her behind 15/40, and she was soon broken for 4-1. It was essentially over at that point, as the Spaniard never won another game, failing to even reach deuce in the final four games. Down 5-1, her weak forehand into the net ended the 6-3/6-1 affair to send Keys into her eighth career slam QF, her first since doing so in Paris three seasons ago.



Keys, after all these years, once again finds herself in position to fulfill the potential promise of something great, a weight that's been following her around for quite a while. Almost from the start. Maybe she'll get there this time. But first she'll have to be sure to keep out of her own way.

Ah, isn't that always the most difficult part of the equation?




=DAY 7 NOTES=
...meanwhile, in the second women's 4th Rounder of the day...



Of course, for all of #4 Barbora Krejcikova's excitement, her match against #24 Victoria Azarenka was really a big disappointment. What was thought might be a very good match turned out to be anything but. A large part of that was because the neck injury that had bothered Azarenka coming into this AO made a return appearance, thwarting much of her effort. But it was also because Krejcikova, a round after having to go three sets vs. Alona Ostapenko, was *completely* on her game this time out.

The two had only met once before, a match won by Azarenka at the Ostrava!!! event in 2020. A lot has happened since then for the Czech. Only two weeks earlier, at Roland Garros, Krejcikova (then #114) had put on a singles run to the Round of 16 to completely change the course of her career. She'd had to go through qualifying just to reach the MD in Ostrava!!! That was just fifteen months ago. Over that stretch, Krejcikova has won the Roland Garros singles title and climbed into the Top 5, while still keeping pace during the same period in what *used* to be her "specalialty." In 2021, Krejcikova added a WD major (RG), MX major (AO), Gold medal (Tokyo WD) and WTAF crown (WD) to what had already been a glowing resume while sharing half of one side of a court.

Two days ago, the Czech completed a "Career Round of 16 Slam" in singles (she's already won three-fourths of a Career WD Slam, needing only the AO w/ partner Katerina Siniakova to complete the set) with her first AO second week result. It took her just eight slam MD appearances to reach the second week in all four, tied with Serena Williams for third-fastest (Bouchard, Venus) amongst all active women on tour. Krejickova had previously failed to make it out of qualifying fifteen times in sixteen attempts (only being successful at the '18 RG) in majors between 2014-19.

Krejcikova grabbed the early break lead at 2-1 in the 1st today, then backed it up with a love hold. An Azarenka DF gave the Czech the chance to serve out the opening set, which she did at 6-2. She opened the 2nd with a break, as well. Soon Azarenka was being treated for her neck injury. Azarenka managed to break Krejcikova to get back on serve at 2-2, but gave the break back a game later. Krejcikova then held for 4-2 in a service game that lasted about one mintue. Another Azarenka DF on BP gave Krejcikova the chance to serve out the 2nd, as well, which she did again to win 6-2/6-2.



This is Krejcikova's third QF in the last four slams (WI 4r), over which she's gone a combined 18-2.

...the final 4th Rounder of the day session featured #5 Maria Sakkari and #21 Jessie Pegula, the latter a '21 AO quarterfinalist and the former a two-time slam semifinalist (RG/US) last season.

Pegula broke to open the match, holding the advantage until late in the 1st. She held a SP on Sakkari's serve, but the Greek held for 5-4. Serving for the set, Pegula dropped serve and eventually played into a tie-break. The Bannerette stopped the slide there (emphatically), winning 7-0.

Sakkari held a pair of BP in game #3, but Pegula got the hold and never looked back. She didn't face another BP in the match, and served out the win for the 7-6(0)/6-3 victory.



The win is Pegula's eighth career Top 10 victory. Her first in '22 (she was 0-2 in pre-AO events) adds Sakkari to the list that finally has a bit more "victims variety." Of her previous seven Top 10 wins, four came against Karolina Pliskova and two over Elina Svitolina (the other was vs. Osaka, on clay).

The day's final women's Round of 16 match pits #1 Ash Barty against Amanda Anisimova on Laver in the night session.

Three seasons ago, the two met in a crazy, momentum-shifting semi at Roland Garros that preceded the Aussie's maiden slam title. Barty opened the match by winning 17 of 18 points (and 23 of 27). She led 5-0, and 15/40 on Anisimova's serve... but somehow lost the set. After Barty committed two backhand errors, Anisimova won 25 of 35 points, forcing a TB. Barty led that 4-2, but lost it 7-4. Anisimova then took a 3-0 lead in the 2nd, winning 17 straight points, only to see errors slip into her game and Barty capitalize, winning the final six games of the set (9 straight points at the end). Barty pulled away in the 3rd, finally winning on her sixth MP. The rest, as they say, is history.

What will they do for an encore?

...wheelchair play began today, and there was a big upset. Well, seed-wise, at least. It's hard to call any win by Aniek Van Koot, overshadowed by others her entire career, an "upset."

The Dutch vet took out #2 Yui Kamiji 7-5/7-5 today, ending Kamiji's run of five straight appearances in the AO singles final. Not only that, the loss ends the Japanese star's amazing string of slam singles finals outside of Wimbledon (she's never gotten past the SF on the grass), where she'd reached fifteen consecutive finals at the AO, RG and US. Van Koot won her sole AO singles title in 2013.

Van Koot will play KG Montjane for a spot in the final. The South African defeated former #1 Jiske Griffioen, in her first slam MD since the '17 Wimbledon, in a long three-setter. Griffioen had rallied from 6-1/5-4 down, winning a 2nd set TB and then leading 5-4 (on serve) in the 3rd before Montjane swept the final three games.

The other semifinal will feature British wild card Lucy Shuker, who defeated Zhu Zhenzhen in straights, and #1 Diede de Groot, who collected her 40th consecutive singles match win with a 6-2/6-1 victory over Dana Mathewson.

...in ITF action on Sunday, Elli Mandlik, the 20-year old daughter of two-time AO champ Hana Mandlikova (1980, '87), will play for the $25K Florianopolis title vs. Chile's Barbara Gatica. Mandlik is 4-1 in career ITF finals.

Also, Czech teenager Barbora Palicova has reached her second $15K Antalya final in two weeks. She'll face Turkey's Ilay Yörük.

And while Veronika Kudermetova is alive in the women's WD QF (w/ Elise Mertens), her younger sister Polina will play against fellow Hordette Anastasia Kovaleva in the Kazan $15K challenger final.





..NOTES ON DAY 7:



Honestly, I wonder how much player superstition ("if I win, I wear the same thing") comes into play in all this, too.



..ANOTHER GROUNDBREAKER ON DAY 7:



Safi defeated Aussie Anja Nayar in the 1st Round, and could face newly-crowned Traralgon (J1) champ Sofia Costoulas in the 2nd.


...Hmmm... ON DAY 7:

Wondering who Aaron Rodgers is going to blame for his latest playoff failure, since it's always *someone* else's fault, and never his.










=WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16=
#1 Ash Barty/AUS vs. Amanda Anisimova/USA
#21 Jessie Pegula/USA def. #5 Maria Sakkari/GRE
#4 Barbora Krejcikova/CZE def. #24 Victoria Azarenka/BLR
Madison Keys/USA def. #8 Paula Badosa/ESP
#27 Danielle Collins/USA vs. #19 Elise Mertens/BEL
#14 Simona Halep/ROU vs. Alize Cornet/FRA
#7 Iga Swiatek/POL vs. Sorana Cirstea/ROU
Kaia Kanepi/EST vs. #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF=
x vs. x
#3 V.Kudermetova/Mertens (RUS/BEL) vs. (PR) Flipkens/Sorribes Tormo (BEL/ESP)
Danilina/Haddad Maia (KAZ/BRA) vs. Peterson/Potapova (SWE/RUS)
x vs. x

=WHEELCHAIR SINGLES SF=
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. (WC) Lucy Shuker/GBR
KG Montjane/RSA vs. Aniek Van Koot/NED

=WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES=
#1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED) vs. Mathewson/Montjane (USA/RSA)
Griffioen/Zhu (NED/CHN) vs. #2 Kamiji/Shuker (JPN/GBR)









Never really my favorite Madonna song, but this is a very good performance of it...




Probably not my #1 Madonna song (in the Top 5, though), but it could arguably be her "best"...








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*RECENT AO "IT" WINNERS*
2013 [Fortysomething] Kimiko Date-Krumm, JPN
2014 [Teen] Genie Bouchard, CAN
2015 [Madisons] Madison Keys/USA & Madison Brengle/USA
2016 [NextGen Belarusian] Vera Lapko, BLR
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






TOP QUALIFIER: Hailey Baptiste/USA
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): #1 Ash Barty/AUS
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2 - #8 Kamilla Rakhimova/RUS def. Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva/AND 6-7(5)/7-6(8)/6-4 (VJK wins 1st from triple SP down; Rakhimova saves 2 MP in 2nd, winning 10-8 TB; 3:17)
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2r - Clara Tauson/DEN def. #6 Anett Kontaveit/EST 6-2/6-4 (breakout performance of early rounds)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/WC/Doub.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #30 Camila Giorgi/ITA (def. Potapova/RUS)
FIRST SEED OUT: #18 Coco Gauff/USA (1r lost to Wang Qiang)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: (9) - Lucia Bronzetti/ITA, Jaqueline Cristian/ROU, Maddison Inglis/AUS, Nuria Parrizas Diaz/ESP, Gabriela Ruse/ROU, Wang Xinyu/CHN, Wang Xiyu/CHN, Maryna Zanevska/BEL, Zheng Qinwen/CHN
UPSET QUEENS: Romania
REVELATION LADIES: China
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Canada (0-2 1r, #23 Fernandez out; Andreescu/Bouchard DNP)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Hailey Baptiste/USA, Lucia Bronzetti/ITA, Martina Trevisan/ITA, Zheng Qinwen/CHN (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Maddison Inglis/AUS (3rd Rd.)
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: Ash Barty (in 4th Rd.)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: xx
IT (Teen Stars-in-Waiting): Marta Kostyuk/UKR and Clara Tauson/DEN
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominees: Keys, Anisimova
CRASH & BURN: Emma Raducanu, GBR (2nd) and & Leylah Fernandez, CAN (1st) ['21 US F]
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE: Nominees: Anisimova (3r- saved 2 MP vs. Osaka); #2 Sabalenka (1r- down set and 3-1 vs. Sanders; 19 DF in 2r); Keys (3r- set and break down vs. Q.Wang); Cornet (3r- down set & 4-1 vs. Zidansek)
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: Nominees: Cornet, Halep, Cirstea, Kanepi
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominees: Barty, Anisimova
"G'DAY/GOOD ON YA, MATE" AWARD: Nominee: "For the Good of the People" (Djokovic deported)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx





All for Day 7. More tomorrow.
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