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Monday, June 4, 2018

RG.9- Matchus Nevermindus

Well, I guess some people got caught with their proverbial trousers down today, didn't they?



Less than hour before the scheduled start of the 22nd career meeting between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, all the in-depth and on point discussions about how much Williams wants to destroy the Russian, who the players in the locker room are pulling for, whether Serena really "hates" Maria, whether Maria is "obsessed" with Serena, and why (insert potential winner her)'s win would be ultimately both *everything* and *not as important as you think* (depending on which side of the fan fence you're standing on, or whether a sports network has run out of reality TV-style plotlines to inject into the story in lieu of having to talk about tennis and had to break down and actually talk about the *match*), Williams threw the ultimate spanner into the rusty works by confirming the rumor that was floating around the tournament grounds by officially withdrawing from singles in the middle of a major for the first time in her career. A pectoral muscle, in retrospect an obvious issue seen in the video of her doubles loss with Venus yesterday, is the culprit. Having never had the injury before, at the moment, her availability for Wimbledon or any of the events before and after SW19 is in question.




Thus, so much of the "legitimate" media were left -- the horror! -- to cover actual tennis (well, when they weren't talking about how much the women's game was "hurt" by *the* match not taking place), while all the click-bait stories centering around the two future Hall of Famers will have to be filed away for later, and the social media trolling will be given a refreshing rest until another date in the future (or, you know, if Sharapova continues to advance in the draw and the usual zingers are just too "good" for some to hold back from public consumption).

Williams' spark of Serenativity during the first week of this slam was a glorious thing to witness again, while the resiliency of Sharapova will continue to be a story in its second week. As it is, there are four current/former #1's left in the top half of the draw, while both U.S. Open finalist Bannerettes are angling for a potential semifinal meeting in the bottom. The #1 ranking is up for grabs (in both singles and doubles... and wheelchair, too). A NextGen Russian sensation is poised for her slam breakthrough after proving her day-after mettle today. And, oh yeah, there's an excitable Kazakh who could just tear the whole thing down if she went on a miracle run, making Latvian Thunder's bomb-drop of a year ago seem almost "quaint."

Needless to day, I think we'll survive.




=DAY 9 NOTES=
...the day began with #1 Simona Halep dispensing with the notion of any of the day's drama centering around her. The two-time finalist, nearly a month after handing #16-seeded Elise Mertens her first (and only) clay court loss of the season via a love & 3 scoreline in Madrid, personally accounted for both losses on the Belgian's 16-2 mark this spring with a 2 & 1 win. It only took the Romanian fifty-nine minutes to advance, as she served at a 75% clip, winning 60% of her second serves and not facing a BP until she had a stranglehold on the match at 6-2/5-0.



It's Halep's third career QF result in Paris. The previous two times she advanced this far, in 2014 and last year, she reached the final.

Mertens, for her part, reacted to her loss in a way which speaks to her right-headed process en route to climbing into the Top 16, and gives one no reason to think her gradual progression up the ladder won't continue.



With the Romanian safely tucked away in the final 8, it was time for some unfinished business from Sunday. I already covered that in my "Kasatkinus Resumptus" post today. Hey, I wanted to use the title, so I pulled the old ".5" trick.



...#7 Caroline Garcia had the chance to truly rock this Roland Garros to its foundation with another run at this slam, after having made her long-awaited breakthrough by reaching the QF in Paris a year ago. As much as Garcia didn't seem ready for all that went with today's 4th Round match, #12 Angelique Kerber was just too much for her.

This major is the only one that the two-time slam winning German has never reached the semis, but she's now just one win away from completing a Career SF Slam after her victory over the Pastry today.



In a match in which Garcia committed 36 UE's to Kerber's 13, the French woman suffers a rare setback with this RG, though only by seeing her standing result at her home slam going from QF to Round of 16. She hasn't had too many such moments over the past year. After trailing 6-2/5-1 today, Garcia rescued a bit of her pride late by holding serve in a long game in which she staved off four MP. She even got the score to 5-3 before Kerber converted on MP #5 to reach her first QF in Paris since 2012.

Kerber, at this point (well, unless it's a certain Spaniard... no, not THAT one), is the most under-reported story at this slam. After her bombastic 2016, then shockingly mediocre 2017, the "Return of Angie" fueled much of the discussion during the opening part of this season. She's cooled off a bit since, and missed some time to physically recover, but she's re-emerged from her self-imposed spring cocoon looking much like the player who started the year 10-0 (and 4-0 in Hopman Cup play) before losing in the AO semis and stood at 21-5 through March.

Kerber, a "Great Chick" is AshBartyuese, hasn't lost a set at this RG, defeating the likes of a former semifinalist (Kiki Bertens) and quarterfinalist (Garcia) without allowing a single smudge to appear on her ledger. She'll now face Halep for the second time in a major in '18. Lest we forget, she was *second* player who held MP vs. the Romanian in Melbourne during Simona's warrior trek to the final.

But who'd be interested in that one while they're in mourning over not having seen Serena/Maria, right?

...later in the day, in a match moved to Court 1 in order to get it in within the weather/darkness window, #3-seeded 2016 RG champ Garbine Muguruza only had to work slightly longer than her upcoming QF opponent, Maria Sharapova.



After getting a break of serve in the opening game against unseeded Lesia Tsurenko, the Spaniard saw the Ukrainian injure herself in game #2 while lunging for a return. After taking a medical timeout, she completed the game, but that was all she wrote. Muguruza advanced to her fourth career RG quarterfinal (in five years) via Tsurenko's retirement down 0-2.

...the women's doubles QF are set. The Top 3 seeds are still alive, and five of the Top 8. Not bad form for a draw that was littered with so many adhoc partnerships. #1 Babos/Mladenovic are still alive for a Grand Slam, as the AO champs defeated #13 Melichar/Peschke with a match-ending break of serve to win 7-5 in the 3rd.

Doctor Her is still alive, too. Mihaela Buzarnescu & Irina Bara defeated Jen Brady & Vania King.

...a Grand Slam is still possible in mixed doubles, as well, as #1-seeded Dabrowski/Pavic are one win away from a second straight slam final in 2018. The duo ended the RG of Demi Schuurs (and Matwe Middelkoop) with a victory over the Dutch team today.

Katarina Srebotnik is the only woman with a chance to sweep both the doubles (QF w/ Lara Arrubarrrena) and mixed (SF w/ Santiago Gonzalez). The 37-year old Slovenian is building an under-the-radar HoF case, and is looking to add to her six career (1 WD/5 MX) slam crowns. She needs a Wimbledon mixed win to complete a Career Mixed Doubles Slam, but just by winning her fourth MX title at RG she'd move into a tie (w/ Margaret Court) for fourth place on the all-time Open era list, behind Martina Navratilova (10), Billie Jean King (7) and Martina Hingis (7).

Both Chan sisters are still competing in Paris. Latisha in the MX with Ivan Dodig, and Angel in the WD with Yang Zhaoxuan.

...the junior 1st/2nd Round action continued on Day 9, with Poland's Iga Swiatek pulling off the biggest, but maybe least unexpected, "upset" of the day by taking down #4-seeded Bannerette Alexa Noel, who just won the final Grade 1 tune-up event in Belgium this weekend. Swiatek saved SP in the 1st vs. Noel, taking a 9-7 TB and then winning the 2nd set at 6-1.

Swiatek hasn't played a junior event since LAST Roland Garros, but is the highest-ranked junior (#344) in the WTA standings and has posted a 30-4 mark in '18 in ITF/FC matches, winning a pair of $25K titles.

Elsewhere, #9-seeded Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto (AO semi) defeated Pastry Diane Parry, while fellow Final 4ers in Melbourne -- #1 Liang En-shuo (W), over the U.S.'s Dalayna Hewitt in a 1st Rounder, #13 Clara Burel (RU) in a 2nd -- also both won. Astrid G1 finalist Viktoriia Dema (UKR) knocked off #7 Naho Sato (JPN) in the 1st Round, advancing along with #3 Maria Camila Osorio Serrano (COL) and #11 Zheng Qinwen (CHN).

2nd Round winners included #5 Clara Tauson (DEN) over Brit Emma Raducanu, #10 Yuki Naito (JPN) over Katie Volynets (USA) and #16 Coco Gauff (USA) over Burundi's Sada Nahimana. #6 Eleonora Molinaro (LUX), #8 Wang Xiyu (CHN) and #12 Maria Carle (AG) all won, as did unseeded Bannerette Caty McNally with an upset #14-seeded Swiss Lulu Sun in a 10-8 3rd set TB in a 2:41 match.

...meanwhile, the WC's are coming soon.





...ALSO LEARNED ON TENNIS CHANNEL ON DAY 9: That, apparently, the women's story at this slam is now lessened and can't compete with the men's (which is, umm, Rafa and whaaaaat else?) because two players we weren't even sure could make a run in Paris at all didn't play each other, even though one brought some unexpected excitement to this event's first week and the other *is* still alive in the final eight?

Oh, and that it's "bad for women's tennis" that a match-up that, though an attention-getter, has actually been a celebrated rivalry-in-name-only didn't add another potential mismatch to a long list of them that would have allowed the usual perpetrators to bash Sharapova for losing (or be given less credit, given Serena's lack of match play, if she *had* managed a semi-surprising victory), needlessly (but hardly shockingly) hype up the "cat fight" angle of the story, and then go on to denigrate the other players on tour if a new mother who'd only played a few matches proved to be able to be so much better than the field so quickly (nevermind that it's SERENA and that that's just how she rolls)?

Actually, I'd call in a "wash," or maybe even a "win," for now, as long as Serena is back soon (hopefully for SW19, but at least for a good prep for the Open).

Of course, for that to happen the people who cover the sport would have to actually take a moment to recognize the great new (or updated) stories right in front of them rather than one of them that has been an easy go-to for fifteen years.

And what are the chances of that?

...NOTE FOR WEEKEND GETAWAYS ON DAY 9: If the place has one, always check the condition of the intercom or, if need be, tell the night manager your room number, the guide to tell somewhere where you're hiking, or the maître d' to save an "extra seat at the table." You know, just in case.



...LIKE ON DAY 9: Tweet of the day(s)...





...and, finally, that day when BOTH Justine and Kim are in Paris.




Ah, that first picture...

Jonah Hill GIF from Jonah GIFs


I admit I almost had that same reaction when I first saw. Almost. ;)





*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#1 Simona Halep/ROU vs. #12 Angelique Kerber/GER
#3 Garbine Muguruza/ESP vs. #28 Maria Sharapova/RUS
Yulia Putintseva/KAZ vs. #13 Madison Keys/USA
#10 Sloane Stephens/USA vs. #14 Dasha Kasatkina/RUS

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
#1 Babos/Mladenovic (HUN/FRA) vs. Hozumi/Ninomiya (JPN/JPN)
Bara/Buzarnescu (ROU/ROU) vs. #8 A.Chan/Yang Zhaoxuan (TPE/CHN)
#6 Krejcikova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE) vs. #3 Klepac/Martinez-Sanchez (SLO/ESP)
Arruabarrena/Srebotnik (ESP/SLO) vs. #2 S.-Hlavackova/Strycova (CZE/CZE)

*MIXED DOUBLES SF*
#1 Dabrowski/Pavic (CAN/CRO) vs. Srebotnik/S.Gonzalez (SLO/MEX)
#8 Groenefeld/Farah (GER/COL) vs. #2 L.Chan/Dodig (TPE/CRO)

*GIRLS SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
x vs. Caty McNally/USA
#12 Maria Lourdes Carle/ARG vs. #8 Wang Xiyu/CHN
x vs. #13 Clara Burel/FRA
#10 Yuki Naito/JPN vs. #5 Clara Tauson/DEN
x vs. x
x vs. x
#6 Eleonora Molinaro/LUX vs. x
#16 Coco Gauff/USA vs. x





























**2018 RG OPEN FINAL 8**
[by career slam QF]
25 - Maria Sharapova
11 - Simona Halep
9 - Angelique Kerber
7 - Garbine Muguruza
5 - Madison Keys
4 - Sloane Stephens
2 - Yulia Putintseva
1 - Dasha Kasatkina
[by career RG QF]
9 - Maria Sharapova
4 - Garbine Muguruza
3 - Simona Halep
2 - Angelique Kerber
2 - Yulia Putintseva
1 - Dasha Kasatkina
1 - Madison Keys
1 - Sloane Stephens
[w/ consecutive slam QF]
3 - Madison Keys
2 - Simona Halep
2 - Angelique Kerber
[w/ consecutive RG QF]
2 - Simona Halep
[2018 slam QF - unseeded]
AO - Elise Mertens, BEL
AO - Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP
RG - Yulia Putintseva, KAZ
[2018 1st-time GS QF]
AO - Elise Mertens, BEL
RG - Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
[2018 slam QF]
2 - Madison Keys (AO/RG)
2 - Simona Halep (AO/RG)
2 - Angelique Kerber (AO/RG)
1 - Dasha Kasatkina (RG)
1 - Elise Mertens (AO)
1 - Garbine Muguruza (RG)
1 - Karolina Pliskova (AO)
1 - Yulia Putinteva (RG)
1 - Maria Sharapova (RG)
1 - Sloane Stephens (RG)
1 - Carla Suarez-Navarro (AO)
1 - Elina Svitolina (AO)
1 - Caroline Wozniacki (AO)
[2018 slam QF - by nation]
3...USA (1/2/x/x) - Keys(2),Stephens
2...ESP (1/1/x/x) - Muguruza,Suarez-Navarro
2...GER (1/1/x/x) - Kerber(2)
2...ROU (1/1/x/x) - Halep(2)
2...RUS (0/2/x/x) - Kasatkina,Sharapova
1...BEL (1/0/x/x) - Mertens
1...CZE (1/0/x/x) - Ka.Pliskova
1...DEN (1/0/x/x) - Wozniacki
1...KAZ (0/1/x/x) - Putintseva
1...UKR (1/0/x/x) - Svitolina
[WTA career slam QF - active]
47...Serena Williams, USA
39...Venus Williams, USA
25...MARIA SHARAPOVA, RUS
16...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
16...Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
12...Aga Radwanska, POL
11...SIMONA HALEP, ROU
10...Petra Kvitova, CZE
10...Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
9...ANGELIQUE KERBER, GER
8...Jelena Jankovic, SRB
7...Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
7...Sara Errani, ITA
7...GARBINE MUGURUZA, ESP
7...Francesca Schiavone, ITA
7...Patty Schnyder, SUI
7...Samantha Stosur, AUS
[WTA slam QF in 2010's - active]
19...Serena Williams, USA
14...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
12...MARIA SHARAPOVA, RUS
11...SIMONA HALEP, ROU
10...Petra Kvitova, CZE
9...ANGELIQUE KERBER, GER
9...Aga Radwanska, POL
9...Venus Williams, USA
9...Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
7...Sara Errani, ITA
7...GARBINE MUGURUZA, ESP
6...Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
6...Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
6...Samantha Stosur, AUS
5...Kaia Kanepi, EST
5...MADISON KEYS, USA
5...Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
5...Karolina Pliskova, CZE
5...Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP

*ACTIVE PLAYERS WITH EXACTLY ONE SLAM QF IN CAREER*
Belinda Bencic, SUI
Kiki Bertens, NED
Alona Bondarenko, UKR
Elena Bovina, RUS
Sorana Cirstea, ROU
Kirsten Flipkens, BEL
Caroline Garcia, FRA
Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
Ana Konjuh, CRO
Michaella Krajicek, NED
Elise Mertens, BEL
Peng Shuai, CHN
Shelby Rogers, USA
Magdalena Rybarikova, SVK
Alexandra Stevenson, USA
Barbora Strycova, CZE
Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL
Elena Vesnina, RUS
Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
Zhang Shuai, CHN

**UNSEEDED/WC/Q in SLAM QF IN 32-SEED DRAW**
[began w/ 2001 Wimbledon]
2001 US - Bedanova
2002 AO - Ad.Serra-Zanetti
2002 RG - Pierce,C.Fernandez,Suarez
2002 WI - Likhovtseva
2002 US - Bovina
2003 AO - Shaughnessy,Ruano-Pascual
2003 RG - Pierce
2004 WI - Sprem
2004 US - Asagoe
2005 RG - Karatantcheva
2006 AO - Hingis(wc)
2006 WI - Bremond(q)
2007 AO - S.Williams[W],Safarova
2007 US - Szavay
2008 RG - Kanepi,Suarez-Navarro(q)
2008 WI - Zheng(wc),Tanasugarn
2009 AO - Dokic(wc),Suarez-Navarro
2009 RG - Sharapova,Cirstea
2009 WI - Lisicki,Schiavone
2009 US - Wickmayer,K.Bondarenko,Oudin,Clijsters(wc)[W]
2010 AO - J.Zheng,Kirilenko,Henin(wc)[RU]
2010 RG - Shvedova
2010 WI - Kvitova,Kanepi(q),Pironkova
2010 US - Cibulkova
2011 WI - Lisicki(wc),Paszek
2011 US - Kerber
2012 AO - Makarova,Errani
2012 RG - Shvedova(q)
2012 WI - Paszek
2013 AO - Kuznetsova
2013 RG - Kuznetsova
2013 WI - Kanepi
2013 US - Hantuchova,Pennetta
2014 RG - Muguruza
2014 WI - Zahlavova-Strycova
2014 US - Bencic,Peng
2015 AO - Keys
2015 RG - Van Uytvanck
2015 WI - Vandeweghe
2015 US - Mladenovic,Vinci[RU]
2016 AO - Konta,Sh.Zhang(q)
2016 RG - Bertens,Pironkova,Putintseva,Rogers
2016 WI - Shvedova,Vesnina
2016 US - Konjuh,Sevastova,Wozniacki
2017 AO - Lucic-Baroni,Vandeweghe
2017 RG - Ostapenko[W]
2017 WI - Rybarikova
2017 US - Kanepi(q),Stephens[W]
2018 AO - Mertens,Suarez-Navarro
2018 RG - Putintseva

**RG "COMEBACK PLAYER" WINNERS**
2007 Patty Schnyder, SUI
2008 Elena Dementieva, RUS
2009 Maria Sharapova, RUS
2010 Kimiko Date-Krumm, JPN
2011 Casey Dellacqua, AUS
2012 Yaroslava Shvedova, KAZ
2013 Jelena Jankovic, SRB
2014 Andrea Petkovic, GER
2015 Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2016 Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina, RUS/RUS
2017 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2018 Maria Sharapova, RUS

**LOW-SEEDED RG SEMIFINALISTS - since 2000**
unseeded...Clarisa Fernandez, 2002
unseeded...Nadia Petrova, 2003
unseeded...Kiki Bertens, 2016
unseeded...Alona Ostapenko, 2017 (W)
[unseeded - Yulia Putintseva, 2018??]
#30...Timea Bacsinszky, 2017
#30...Samantha Stosur, 2009
[#28 - Maria Sharapova, 2018??]
#28...Andrea Petkovic, 2014
#23...Timea Bacsinszky, 2015
#21...Samantha Stosur, 2016
#21...Sara Errani, 2012 (RU)
#21...Mary Pierce, 2005 (RU)
#20...Dominika Cibulkova, 2009
#18...Eugenie Bouchard, 2014
#17...Francesca Schiavone, 2010 (W)
#16...Nicole Vaidisova, 2006
#16...Elena Likhovtseva, 2005
[#14 - Dasha Kasatkina, 2018??]
#14...Paola Suarez, 2004
#14...Justine Henin, 2001
[#13 - Madison Keys, 2018??]
#13...Lucie Safarova, 2015 (RU)
#13...Dinara Safina, 2008
[#12 - Angelique Kerber, 2018??]
#12...Kim Clijsters, 2001
#11...Marion Bartoli, 2011
[#10 - Sloane Stephens, 2018??]
#10...Justine Henin, 2005 (W)

**WTA "CAREER SF SLAM" - active**
[with slam at which completed]
Victoria Azarenka - 2013 RG (30th)
Simona Halep - 2018 AO (31st)
Maria Sharapova - 2007 RG (18th)
Serena Williams - 2003 AO (18th)
Venus Williams - 2001 AO (15th)
Vera Zvonareva - 2010 US (31st)
--
NOTE: Kerber needs RG semifinal to make list

**FINAL 2017-18 NCAA WOMEN'S SINGLES TOP 10**
1. Astra Sharma (AUS), Vanderbilt
2. Arianne Hartono (NED), Mississippi
3. Bianca Turati (ITA), Texas
4. Makenna Jones (USA), North Carolina
5. Estela Perez-Somarriba (ESP), Miami
6. Ashley Lahey (USA), Pepperdine
7. Samantha Harris (AUS), Duke
8. Gabriela Knutson (USA), Syracuse
9. Anastasia Rychagova (RUS), Kansas
10. Fernanda Contreras (MEX), Vanderbilt



TOP QUALIFIER: Francesca Schiavone/ITA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #4 Elina Svitolina/UKR (def. Tomljanovic/Kuzmova in straights)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: Alexandra Dulgheru/ROU d. Tamara Korpatsch/GER 6-1/5-7/7-6(7) (from MP down and 5-2 in the 3rd for final qualifying berth)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd.: Irina-Camelia Begu/ROU def. Anna Karolina Schmiedlova/SVK 6-4/5-7/9-7 (Begu served for match at 5-3 3rd; AKS saved triple MP at 8-7; Begu converts MP #4 for 3:19 win, denying AKS first slam MD victory since 2015)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Ekaterina Makarova/RUS (def. Zheng Saisai/CHN)
FIRST SEED OUT: #9 Venus Williams/USA (1st Rd/lost to Wang Qiang/CHN)
UPSET QUEENS: Ukraine
REVELATION LADIES: Romania
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Latvia (0-2; first slam both DC/#5 Ostapenko and #20 Sevastova out 1st Round after ten consecutive; only second time happened since both first in same slam draw at '16 AO; also combined 0-3 in WD/MX, as well)
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: Dolehide/USA, Dulgheru/ROU, Duque-Marino/COL, Frech/POL, Garcia-Perez/ESP, Peterson/SWE (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Pauline Parmentier/FRA (3rd Rd.)
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Caroline Garcia (4th Rd.)
MADEMOISELLE/MADAM OPPORTUNITY: xx
IT "??": Nominees: Kasatkina ("NextGen Russian"), Keys ("Bannerette")
COMEBACK PLAYER: Maria Sharapova/RUS
CRASH & BURN: #5 Alona Ostapenko/LAT (defending champ; lost 1st Rd. to #66 Kozlova; first RG DC out 1st Rd. since '05)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Yulia Putintseva/KAZ (3rd Rd.: down 6-1/4-1 & 2 MP, 3-0 in 3rd, vs. Wang Qiang; reaches second career slam QF)
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Srebotnik, Babos/Mladenovic, Dabrowski
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Kerber, Srebotnik
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
Légion de Lenglen HONOREE: Serena Williams/USA (The Catsuit/Bodysuit II)
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: Mihaela Buzarnescu/ROU [on LPT Day/June 1, #31 seed upset #4-seed, and one-time Henin pupil, Svitolina to record her first career Top 5 win and reach maiden slam Rd. of 16 -- she had zero slam MD win before this RG]





All for Day 9. More tomorrow.

RG.9- Matchus Nevermindus
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