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Sunday, November 17, 2024

Wk.46.1- Cups (Almost) Runneth Over





Before things are decided in Malaga...





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*WEEK 46.1 CHAMPIONS*
BILLIE JEAN KING CUP PLAYOFFS
[Biel, SUI - HCI] - SUI def. SRB 4-0
[Astana, KAZ - HCI] - KAZ def. KOR 3-1
[Bogota, COL - RCO] - COL def. FRA 3-2 [dd]
[Velenje, NED - RCI] - NED def. SLO 3-1
[Guangzhou, CHN - HC] - CHN def. BEL 3-2 [dd]
[McKinney (Tx), USA - HCI] - UKR def. AUT 3-2 [dd]
[Sao Paulo, BRA - RCI] - BRA def. ARG 3-2 [dd]
[Farum, DEN - HCI] - DEN def. MEX 3-2 [dd](L)
JUNIOR BILLIE JEAN KING CUP FINALS (Antalya, TUR/RCO)
F:USA def. ROU 2-1 [dd]


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JUNIOR STARS: USA Junior BJK Cup Team
...there were more Bannerettes in tour finals (19) than players from any nation since 2016, and the 12 singles champions were the most from any country in a WTA season since 2010. The eight *different* women who lifted trophies was the most varied group of champions since the great Original Hordettes saw nine different winners crowned fourteen years ago. And the junior development continues.

In Antalya (TUR), Team USA won the 16s team title at the Junior Billie Jean King Cup, taking the honors for a third straight year and the sixth time in seven competitions since 2017.

The Bannerettes defeated the Czech Crushers in the final the last two years (as well as in '19), and this year had to face the Czechs in the semis. After a 2-0 sweep, the U.S. defeated Romania 2-1 in the final as Tyra Caterina Grant led the way, going undefeated on the week (6-0 singles, 2-0 doubles), including knotting the tie 1-1 vs. ROU (w/ a 2 & 1 win over Maia Ilinca Burcescu) and then winning the deciding doubles with Julieta Pareja over Burcesca & Giulia Safina Popa, 6-1/7-5.

USA Sweeps Billie Jean King, Junior Davis Cup Titles; Basavareddy Wins Australian Open Wild Card; Fritz Reaches ATP Final; NCAA Draws Posted; Wild Cards Reach W50 Final in Austin: tenniskalamazoo.blogspot.com/2024/11/usa-...

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— Colette Lewis (@zootennis.bsky.social) November 16, 2024 at 9:04 PM

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WHEELCHAIR: Yui Kamiji/JPN
...in a world without Diede...

And that's what they had in Arnhem (NED), as world #1 de Groot, who hadn't played since the Paralymics, was also out of the season-ending Wheelchair Masters event due to injury. De Groot's absence wraps up an odd year for the Dutch superstar roller, as she swept all three major WC singles titles in '24 (and won 2 of 3 WD slam crowns), yet played in just eleven events as she saw her 145-match winning streak end, failed to defend either of her Paralympic Golds, and even lost twice in a row to Yui Kamiji after having won 28 straight against the Japanese veteran.

De Groot won the Masters singles event the last six times it's been played, so her absence once again opened the door for the world #2 to shine. Kamiji dropped just one set over five matches in the event, going 3-0 in round robin play and then defeating Dutch vets Jiske Griffioen and Aniek Van Koot in the SF/F to take the title. Only a love 1st set in the final vs. Van Koot kept Kamiji's singles slate from being completely clean for the week. She charged back to win 0-6/6-4/6-4.

Kamiji's only other Masters singles title came in 2013, and she joins de Groot (2021), Griffioen (2016) and Esther Vergeer (2000, '04 and '08) as the only women who've completed a Paralympics/Masters singles title sweep in a season.

Kamiji closes out 2024 with a 53-2 mark vs. non-de Groot competition (2-4 vs. Diede), and is 145-4 in such matches from 2022-24 with streaks of 74 and 46 match wins. She ends '24 on an overall 13-match winning streak (19-1 run) *and* with that two-match streak over de Groot (her first since 2017) heading into '25.

Because of her slam wins and standing atop the wheelchair world, de Groot is still the clear WC Player of the Year for 2024, but Kamiji made major inroads over the course of the season as her longtime Dutch rival often struggled (even while winning) and missed time. Come January, Kamiji will be as close -- both figuratively and in the literal rankings -- as she's been to de Groot in quite some time.

De Groot will arrive in Melbourne two months from now having won four straight Australian Open titles, and six of the last seven.
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1. WC Doubles Masters Final - Jiske Griffioen/Aniek Van Koot def. Wang Ziying/Zhu Zhenwhen
...6-1/6-1. While de Groot and Kamiji post Hall of Fame level results, and Aniek Van Koot just keeps going and going, don't overlook how Griffioen has managed to climb her way back into the conversation at the top of wheelchair tennis in the second phase of her career.

The formerly #1-ranked Dutch veteran (the first ever Wimbledon WC singles champ) retired in mid-2017 after having swept Paralympic Gold in '16, returned in 2020, and is currently ranked #6 in her fifth season back at age 39. This year alone she's grabbed two of her three biggest titles since her return. In January she won a second 2.0 slam doubles crown (AO alongside Diede de Groot, with whom she won Wimbledon in '23, to give her 16 career WD wins), and now claims her eighth Masters doubles crown.

Griffioen's last Masters title was nine years ago in 2015 (also w/ Van Koot). She won her first Masters doubles title *twenty* years ago with Hall of Famer Esther Vergeer, the first of five straight wins for the pair.
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2. WC Masters Doubles SF - Jiske Griffioen/Aniek Van Koot def. Dana Mathewson/Manami Tanaka
...6-2/6-1. And thus the career of Mathewson, the *only* U.S. woman to win a major wheelchair crown ('22 Wimbledon doubles), comes to an end.



At least it seems as if there will be at leasts *one* U.S. female WC player of note left behind, as 17-year old Maylee Phelps (the former junior #1) heads up the NextGen teen set alongside Pastry Ksenia Chasteau, 18.
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*BJK CUP PLAYOFF RECAPS*


While the Finals event has been taking place in Spain, a whole *other* set of BJK ties (8, in fact, using the traditional best-of-5, two-day format) took place from Friday-Sunday in various cities around the globe, as the overly crowded final weekend of Cup play (Finals + Playoffs, as well as the Jr. Finals) identified half of the nations who'll advance into the '25 Qualifiers next spring with a shot to reach *next* year's Finals.

SUI def. SRB 4-0 [Biel, SUI]
MVP: Viktorija Golubic, SUI

...the 2022 Cup champions are back on the proverbial horse, as two of the veterans (Belinda Bencic & Viktorija Golubic) who led the Swiss to the BJK title two years ago grabbed the reigns again in a shutout of the Serbs (who were without their longtime Good Luck Charm -- aka Aleksandra Krunic -- in Biel). Bencic, in just her fifth match back since having a baby, downed Lola Radivojevic 2 & 2 in Match #1, then Golubic (a tour champ in Jiujiang earlier this month) dropped just five total games in consecutive wins over Mia Ristic and Radivojevic to clinch the win. Bencic and Jil Teichmann (another key player in Switzerland's title run) won a dead rubber doubles matches to complete the scoring.




KAZ def. KOR 3-1 [Asatana, KAZ]
MVP: Yulia Putintseva, KAZ

...in probably the least unexpected result of the BJK week, the Kazakhs returned to the '25 Qualifiers by making (mostly) quick work of the South Koreans. Three different women posted singles wins for the nation, including Zarina Diyas (in Cup action for the first time since 2021 and getting her first win since '19 after losing four straight), Elena Rybakina (to finish 43-11 on the year, though with just a 4-3 mark since Wimbledon) and Yulia Putintseva (in for Rybakina to open Day 2), who clinched the victory and avoided the sort of drama -- like losing a match after holding MP, which she did in the spring vs. JPN -- that usually follows her around Cup play, and, you know, most of the tour schedule, too.




COL def. FRA 3-2 (dd) [Bogota, COL]
MVP: Camila Osorio, COL

...the Colombians gave the crowds in Bogota just what they wanted -- a lot of tennis and, ultimately, a win over France. The Pastries put up a fight on foreign ground, with Diane Parry and Clara Burel both posting wins over Emiliana Arango to bookend a pair of singles victories from COL #1 Camila Osorio. Called into action once more, Osorio (already w/ a pair of tour title wins in Bogota in '21 and '24) helped calm nerves and allowed Arango to complete her redemption arc as the pair defeated Burel & Chloe Paquet 3 & 4 to claim victory in the tie. Cue the celebration! (I mean, that *is* the best part of Cup action, right?)




NED def. SLO 3-1 [Velenje, SLO]
MVP: Suzan Lamens, NED

...after Arantxa Rus saved three match points down 7-6/5-2 in Match #1 vs. Tamara Zidansek and went on to win to give the Dutch the early lead, Suzan Lamens (Osaka champ) added another layer to her career year by adding a pair of three-set victories over Veronika Erjavec (to give NED at 2-0 edge) and then Zidansek on Day 2 to clinch the 3-1 road victory for the Netherlands.




CHN def. BEL 3-2 (dd) [Guangzhou, CHN]
MVP: Guo Hanyu/Jiang Xinyu, CHN

...after years of not quite "getting it right" (or not particularly caring to do so), the Chinese roster of talent is finally deep enough to piece together (maybe even accidentally) a unit that can compete at the Cup level. Things got off to a good start for CHN vs. Belgium in a tie that tilted way to the inexperienced side of the ledger, with 20-year old Wei Sijia notching her first career Cup win and Wang Xinyu (at 23 the veteran singles player on the squad) pushing the lead to 2-0 after Day 1. But the Waffles (captained by Iga coach Wim Fissette) threw some youth of their own into the mix on Day 2, with both Sofia Costoulas (19) and Hanne Vandewinkel (20) recording their maiden career singles wins for Team Belgium as a rare comeback from 0-2 down on the road (which hasn't happened in World play since 2015) was suddenly on the table. But in the deciding doubles, Guo Hanyu & Jiang Xinyu -- 1-3 in tour finals together the last two seasons -- defeated the young Belgians 7-6/6-3 to get the win.






UKR def. AUS 3-2 (dd) [McKinney (TX), USA]
MVP: Katarina Zavatska, UKR

...with U.S. support in the stands in Texas (something which won't likely realistically continue on the ground in Ukraine itself for long into '25) in another "home" tie played on neutral ground, the Ukrainians heroically pulled out of a 2-1 Day 2 deficit to stun the Austrians in the deciding doubles. Back-to-back singles wins from Sinja Kraus over Katarina Zavatska and Lesia Tsurenko seemed to have the Austrians in a good place. Re-enter Zavatska, donning a blue-and-yellow cape. The 24-year sent the tie to the doubles with a straight sets win, her first in Cup play since '22, over Julia Grabher, then joined with Nadiia Kichenok to come from behind (again) to defeat Kraus & Tamira Paszek in a 5-7/6-2/6-4 decider on Sunday evening.


BRA def. ARG 3-2 (dd) [Sao Paulo, BRA]
MVP: Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA

...Beatriz Haddad Maia ends her season by having a hand in all three points for Brazil, sending the team back to the BJK Qualifiers in '25. With BRA down 1-0 after Solana Sierra's three-set win over Laura Pigossi, Haddad Maia dug out of a 6-3/4-0 hold (saving two MP at 5-2) vs. Jazmin Ortenzi to knot the tie. Another Haddad Maia win from a set down over Sierra put the Brazilians up 2-1. After Ortenzi sent things to the deciding doubles with a victory over Pigossi, Haddad Maia was back in action again, joining with Carolina Alves to defeat Ortenzi & Julia Riera 3 & 2 to get the win.




DEN def. MEX 3-2 (dd) [Farum, DEN]
MVP: Renata Zarazua, MEX (L)

...the Danes ultimately won this tie with a come-from-behind 2-6/6-4/6-4 win in the deciding doubles from Clara Tauson & Emilie Francati over Giuliana Olmos & Renata Zarazua, but it was the latter Mexican (already having a career season) who starred in Farum. Zarazua's back-to-back Match #2/#3 wins across two days over Johanne Christine Svendsen and Tauson (in a 7-5 3rd) had placed the fate of Team Mexico in the lap of Olmos. But the (mostly) doubles specialist fell in Match #4 to 20-year old Svendson to keep the tie alive. The rest was history.









18yo Nikola Bartunkova accepts a 6-month suspension after testing positive first a banned substance in March. The Czech can begin playing immediately due to "time served" while the investigation took place. www.itia.tennis/news/sanctio...

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— Tick Tock Tennis (@ticktocktennis.bsky.social) November 14, 2024 at 7:10 AM


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*WHEELCHAIR TENNIS MASTERS CHAMPIONS*
[singles]
1994 Monique Kalkman, NED
1995 Monique Kalkman, NED
1996 Chantal Vandierendonck, NED
1997 Maaike Smit, NED
1998 Esther Vergeer, NED
1999 Esther Vergeer, NED
2000 Esther Vergeer, NED
2001 Esther Vergeer, NED
2002 Esther Vergeer, NED
2003 Esther Vergeer, NED
2004 Esther Vergeer, NED
2005 Esther Vergeer, NED
2006 Esther Vergeer, NED
2007 Esther Vergeer, NED
2008 Esther Vergeer, NED
2009 Esther Vergeer, NED
2010 Esther Vergeer, NED
2011 Esther Vergeer, NED
2012 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2013 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2014 Aniek van Koot, NED
2015 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2016 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2017 Diede de Groot, NED
2018 Diede de Groot, NED
2019 Diede de Groot, NED
2020 DNP
2021 Diede de Groot, NED
2022 Diede de Groot, NED
2023 Diede de Groot, NED
2024 Yui Kamiji, JPN
[doubles]
2000 Daniela di Toro/Maaike Smit (AUS/NED)
2001 Maaike Smit/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2002 Maaike Smit/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2003 Maaike Smit/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2004 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2005 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2006 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2007 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2008 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2009 Korie Homan/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2010 Aniek Van Koot/Sharon Walraven (NED/NED)
2011 Esther Vergeer/Sharon Walraven (NED/NED)
2012 Jiske Griffioen/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2013 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley (JPN/GBR)
2014 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley (JPN/GBR)
2015 Jiske Griffioen/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2016 Diede de Groot/Lucy Shuker (NED/GBR)
2017 Marjolein Buis/Diede de Groot (NED/NED)
2018 Marjolein Buis/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2019 Diede de Groot/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2020 DNP
2021 Diede de Groot/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2022 Diede de Groot/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2023 Yui Kamiji/Kgothatso Montjane (JPN/RSA)
2024 Jiske Griffioen/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)

*JUNIOR FED CUP/BJK CUP CHAMPIONS [16s] - since 2000*
2000 Czech Republic
2001 Czech Republic
2002 Belarus
2003 Netherlands
2004 Argentina
2005 Poland
2006 Belarus
2007 Australia
2008 United States
2009 Russia
2010 Russia
2011 Australia
2012 United States
2013 Russia
2014 United States
2015 Czech Republic
2016 Poland
2017 United States
2018 United States
2019 United States
2020 DNP
2021 Czech Republic
2022 United States
2023 United States
2024 United States

*RECENT CZECH CUP HISTORY*
[2009-2018]
20 - consecutive indoor tie victories (2010-18)
18 - consecutive tie victories on hard court (2010-18)
11 - consecutive home tie victories (2010-18)
10 - consecutive SF (2009-18)
6 - titles in 8 years (2011-18)
5 - title in 6 years (2011-16)
[2011-current]
12-5 - deciding doubles matches
22-5 - hardcourt ties
6-2 - claycourt ties
25-5 - indoor ties
3-2 - outdoor ties
13-2 - home site ties (w/ '21 BJK Finals event)
10-2 - road site ties
5-3 - neutral site (w/ '23 UKR Q in Antalya)
28-7 - overall tie record





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All for now. BJK Finals recap this week.
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