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Wednesday, July 4, 2018

W.3- The Rad on Any Other Day Would Not Smell as Sweet

Well, it was another one of those days at SW19. Of course it was...


On the latest day of remembrance "honoring" the Wimbledon Day 3 (in 2013) on which The Rad told the tennis world to stand still, following havoc-wreaking upset-heavy results on Monday and Tuesday of this week, we saw the annual swarm of flying ants choose today (naturally) to invade the grounds of the All-England Club...





By the end of Wednesday, reigning Australian Open champ Caroline Wozniacki had been sent packing by Ekaterina Makarova as the world #2 became the fifth Top 8 women's seed to fall in the first one and a half rounds of play of the fortnight.



Meanwhile, after winning while saving two MP in Eastbourne on last week's official Radwanskian Remembrance Day on June 26, and then saving six more MP in the 1st Round, Aga Radwanska herself nearly recovered from a set and 5-1 deficit to flirt with forcing a 3rd set, saving a MP before finally going down to Lucie Safarova as, quite possibly, our "favorite" malevolent entity finally admitted some measure of defeat, being unable to allow Its namesake to walk away unscathed and victorious this time around.

On another front, we learned that Tim Henman is indeed a Minion. Honestly, I've had my suspicions for a while about that. So, we can deem at least one reconnaissance mission for use in future battles to have been a rousing success, I suppose.



In the middle of the day, after a fairly routine opening few hours of play on Wednesday, Radwanska (she, not It) took to the lawn on Court 2.

Early on, it didn't look as if Aga's "friend" was fully with her on this important day. She'd been fully embraced over the past week and a half, returning from her two-month injury absence to turn back the clock a couple of seasons (at least) as she sliced, diced, lobbed and clutched-the-pearls her way to the Eastbourne semis, then survived a six MP barrage in one dramatic marathon a game against young Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Monday. Against the veteran Safarova, though, things went the Czech's way.

At 5-4 in the 1st, Radwanska held a pair of BP on Safarova's serve that doubled as set points. But she converted neither, then Safarova broke Aga a game later and served out the set at 7-5. In the 2nd, she broke in the opening game and raced off to a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 lead. She served served for the match at 5-2 and was broken. And away we go. Almost.

At 5-4, Safarova served once more for the match, and once again Radwanska refused to go quickly or quietly. The game turned out to be an eleven-minute, seven-deuce scrap in which the Pole saved her seventh MP in her last two matches and had seven BP chances to get the set back on serve. But Safarova fought off the challenge, reaching MP for the second time in the game and making things elementary by acing Radwanska to win 7-5/6-4.



But before anyone could assume that Aga's loss might mean that any "funny business" involving dark-hearted beings seeking to overturn draws and scare the masses was finally over for this Wimbledon, one final parting shot awaited on this Day 3.

In the match featuring the Dane, Wozniacki went up against the perpetually overlooked Russian Makarova. Already a two-time slam semifinalist, former Top 10er, four-time slam winner (3 MD/1 MX), Fed Cup champion, Olympic Gold medalist and currently the co-#1 ranked doubles player in the world, it's always termed an "upset" anytime the Hordette knocks off a top player. Today, as she notched her 30th career Top 10, 14th Top 5 and sixth Top 3 victory, it will be again. But, really, no one should ever be "surprised" when Makarova overcomes her ranking, and sometimes her own wavering nerves, to take down a champion. Today she also had a 1-7 career head-to-head vs. the Dane working against her, but in her favor was the knowledge that she'd beaten Wozniacki in their last meeting at the '17 U.S. Open in a match in which Makarova lost a set and 4-2 lead and was forced to a 3rd set, which she then won handily.

Coming in off her Eastbourne title run and straight sets 1st Round win over Varvara Lepchenko, Wozniacki was consistently playing from behind in this match. As is often the case under such circumstances, as well, she was additionally bothered by all sorts of things other than her play, from slick grass to begging for bug spray as she tried not to consume an unscheduled snack of wings, thorax and wiggling feet while chasing down balls.

Makarova quickly went up 5-1 in the 1st before Wozniacki tightened the score to 5-4, only to ultimately serve it out for a 6-4 win. After the Dane took the 2nd 6-1, the Russian again sprinted to a big lead in the 3rd. A break of Wozniacki's serve put her up 5-1. And that was where Makarova's own inner misgivings and Wozniacki's recent penchant for crazy comebacks converged to almost produce Caro's *second* "moment" of this grand slam season.

Last week, Wozniacki's title run in Devonshire Park came after she saved a MP vs. Angelique Kerber in the semis. It was her second title of the year that she'd won after being MP down, following her claiming of her maiden slam crown in Melbourne after being down 5-1, 40/15 in the 3rd before saving two MP and winning the last six games vs. Jana Fett in a 2nd Round encounter.

She found herself in a nearly deeper hole vs. Makarova, who served for the match at 5-1 and was broken, then did so again at 5-3, taking a 40/love lead. Thanks to a series of lefty forehand down the line errors, a DF (on MP #3) and then another DF (on BP), Wozniacki got the break again and then held to knot the score at 5-5. Up 40/love on her serve again, Makarova nearly let another game slip away, but held to edge ahead, then took another love/40 lead in the Dane's service game moments later. Wozniacki fired an ace on MP #5, but Makarova converted #6 by moving forward and putting away a swing volley winner to end a 20-shot rally and close out a 6-4/1-6/7-5 victory, her second in a row over the Dane in grand slam play.





So, maybe after three days of bombardment, London will finally soon be safe again for the shorts-skirts-and-dresses set.



But then, late in the day, wouldn't you know it, for the first time at this Wimbledon, rain led to a suspension of play as storms settled in over SW19...



Ah, of course they did.

As it turns out, the 'ol boy still exists... in a shadowy form consisting of some combination of Red Bull, Vegemite and the stored blood of a young Mary Joe Fernandez, I'd bet. Thus...

Always be vigilant. Yesterday, today and forever. The Cause will never die.



=DAY 3 NOTES=
...Vika Azarenka and her fans are still waiting for her to become, well Vika Azarenka again. You know, the sometimes-strutting, delightfully-strident and always attention-demanding Vika who reached #1, won multiple slam titles and earned the respect of the likes of Serena Williams for being one of the few to refuse to wilt in her presence when they were on opposite sides of a net. Since her return to the court following a prolonged custody battle for son Leo, she just hasn't settled in from her long journey back. Not yet, anyway.

Of course, maybe we're expecting too much too soon from Azarenka. In 2016, she won the "Sunshine Double" by taking both the Indian Wells and Miami titles, then announced her pregnancy that spring. A year ago she returned after being out more than twelve months, reaching the Wimbledon Round of 16 in her second event back. She didn't play again until Indian Wells this March, being unable to travel outside the U.S. while she fought for her time with her son. She flashed some of her old form in Miami, stringing together wins over CiCi Bellis, Madison Keys, Anastasija Sevastova, Aga Radwanska and Karolina Pliskova en route to the semifinals. But that's been her only significant result in 2018, as she entered today's 2nd Round match with the just 9-6 overall mark this season (4-5 outside of South Florida).

For Vika, two days after winning a 1st Round match despite multiple falls on the slippery grass, Day 3 was a truly disappointing one.

#7 Karolina Pliskova, despite her grass court success elsewhere, has never had a successful run at the AELTC. She came into today's 2nd Round match having lost five straight years at this very same stage in the event. Today, though, one would have never guessed her history. While she didn't add to her tour-leading ace numbers (hitting just 2), she was still untouchable on serve against a player who has traditionally been one of the best returners on tour. The Czech never faced a BP in the match. After breaking for a 3-1 lead in the 1st, she coasted to a 6-3 win, then surged ahead again as Azarenka's game fell apart after having been even at 3-3, 30/30 in the 2nd set. Pliskova broke for a 4-3 lead, and brushed the Belarusian aside from there for a 6-3/6-3 victory. In the end, *she* won a significantly higher percentage of return points (42%) on Azarenka's serve than Vika did on hers (30%).



Of course, we have to be patient with Azarenka. So does she, though that wasn't particularly one of her greatest traits at her career peak. It worked for her then, but impatience won't likely serve her goals now. It may take her the rest of the season on tour to reacclimate herself to the lifestyle. Maria Sharapova, too, has experienced a weaving road back to good form since her return, and she, fueled by a touch of anger and desire to set things right, didn't have quite the same combination of the physical/mental/emotional whiplash aspect to her life that Azarenka has had to deal with the last two years.
This loss will drop Azarenka's rank from #87 to (at least) #105. No matter what Serena Williams ultimately accomplishes at this Wimbledon and elsewhere once this tournament ends, nothing is a given when a player returns from a long absence, no matter how talented and driven they may have been at their height. Hopefully, this period of regrouping will be a brief one for Vika. The tour is far better for having her in the mix in the latter stages of big events, and she needs to become a regular participant there again.



...two days after pulling off her big win over #4 Sloane Stephens, Donna Vekic did what so many authors of such big stage victories don't often do -- she won her next match. The Croat's 7-5/6-4 win over Rebecca Peterson allows her to equal her best career slam result, with her SW19 3rd Round result (so far) lining up with her top results at two of the other majors ('15 RG & '17 U.S.).



Oh, yeah. And this...



And the Dane is also more than just the fiancee of what's-his-name-basketball-guy-David-something-I-think-but-I-can-never-remember-and-don't-really-want-to-Google-it-since-I'd-never-heard-of-in-my-life-until-he-suddenly-became-ESPN's-see-Wozniacki-knows-someone-who-played-a-sport-we-actually-bother-to-cover-professionally-i.e.-learn-how-to-pronounce-the-names-of-the-players-you're-watching go-to relatable for the "average" sports viewer when it comes to Wozniacki.

Just sayin'.

...all right, time to cut-and-paste...

Today, Mihaela Buzarnescu's revelation of a season and comeback story added another chapter... blahblahblah. You know the deal. The #28-seeded Romanian had to fight to get past Ayrna Sabalenka in the 1st Round, and maybe wouldn't have had the Belarusian not played about two and a half tournaments last week in Eastbourne, but she's now fully into the flow of this Wimbledon with her 6-0/6-3 win today over Brit Katie Swan. The 30-year old Buzarnescu didn't make her slam MD debut until last year's U.S. Open, and didn't get her first win until she went to Paris a little over a month ago. Now she's one win away from back-to-back Round of 16 results at a major. Only Karolina Pliskova stands in her way in yet another big test (for both).

The other Romanian who hit the court a short time after Buzarnescu, qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru, didn't have such an easy time of things. The 29-year old did play a magnificent 1st set, though, taking it 6-4 from her 38-year old opponent. Someone named Venus. But then the player on the other side of the net -- says here her name is Williams, apparently -- found her footing and dominated the flow of the action. Adding to her W/UE total throughout, Venus took control for a 4-6/6-0/6-1 win to reach the 3rd Round for the 18th time in 21 Wimbledon appearances.



Elsewhere, July 4th turned out to also be a double-celebratory day for the likes of #10 Madison Keys (who avoided another of Luksika Kumkhum's slam upset bids with a straight sets win) and #25 Serena Williams (who handled qualifier Viktoriya Tomova in two). The two countrywoman could face each other in the Round of 16, but first Keys will face qualifier Evgeniya Rodina and Serena will have to get past Kristina Mladenovic.

...doubles got underway on Wednesday, and so far Alona Ostapenko's Wimbledon is going far differently than her recent Roland Garros experience. She'll play her 2nd Round singles match tomorrow, and today she and Christina McHale prevailed over Naomi Broady & Asia Muhammad in the WD 1st Round.


PUTINTSEVA ON DAY 3: I know this was from yesterday, but I suspect that Putintseva may *still* be celebrating.



GOAT ON DAY 3:



By that, of course, I mean the one category in which Joey Chestnut does NOT hold the world eating record. What did you think I meant?

BRITISH TENNIS KATIE UPDATE ON DAY 3: One out (two if you're counting "Katy's"). One to play.



A GOOD LAUGH ON DAY 3: If you're listening to tennis commentators (even if they're Fed Cup captains... and especially if they're *former* FC leaders and can be identified by three initials -- hint-hint) when making bets, then You've Lost Your Rad-Lovin' Mind.



And I seriously doubt Keothavong would have picked Swan to upset Buzarnescu anyway, am I right?

DOUBLES #1 RANKING CONTENDERS ON DAY 3:



IF CASE YOU WONDERING WHERE JJ IS... ON DAY 3:



LIKE ON DAY 3: Meanwhile, coming soon...



FOR SOME REASON ON DAY 3: ...this video of Aga reminds me of the old tennis videos of Suzanne Lenglen hitting balls from the baseline.



Maybe it's the slo-mo.

Speaking of La Divine, I happened upon some videos of her that I don't think I've used before. Here's one...


JULY THE 4th ON DAY 3: Unfortunately, we've aged about 155 or so years in the past two.



...and, finally, since it's Independence Day in the U.S., so...





In the 102nd anniversary edition of the traditional July 4th Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Conest at Coney Island, New York, it was 34-year old super-eater Joey Chestnut further expanding the stomach contents of his legend by picking up an eleventh Mustard Yellow Belt, keeping pace with Rafa Nadal's number of Roland Garros titles while also fulfilling his Federeresque destiny by winning a third straight title after having been dethroned on the grandest stage of them all on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues by Matt Stonie in 2015.




After finishing just 1.5 dogs and buns off the world record a year ago, and hoping to break the 75 barrier, Chestnut set a world record in the humid New York weather conditions, blowing away the competition by downing 74. A counting error by the judges -- they missed a plate, and don't you just hate it when *that* happens? -- originally had Chestnut's total at an underwhelming 64. But the total was eventually upped to 74 once all the "meat" sticks had been accounted for, still a double-digit dog edge over birthday boy Carmen Cincotti (is he a "Yankee Doggie Dandy?"), who followed up his surprise runner-up performance of '17 by overcoming a slow start to edge out fellow competitors Stonie, Geoffrey Esper and Japanese newcomer Max Suzuki this time around, as well.





*NATHAN'S HOT DOG EATING MEN'S CHAMPS - since 2000*
2000 Kazutoyo Arai
2001 Takeru Kobayashi
2002 Takeru Kobayashi
2003 Takeru Kobayashi
2004 Takeru Kobayashi
2005 Takeru Kobayashi
2006 Takeru Kobayashi
2007 Joey Chestnut
2008 Joey Chestnut
2009 Joey Chestnut
2010 Joey Chestnut
2011 Joey Chestnut
2012 Joey Chestnut
2013 Joey Chestnut
2014 Joey Chestnut
2015 Matt Stonie
2016 Joey Chestnut
2017 Joey Chestnut
2018 Joey Chestnut

Meanwhile, in the women's competition, Las Vegas' Miki Sudo downed 37 hot dogs and buns to win her fifth straight title, falling in line behind only Chestnut (11) and Kobayashi (6) for the most belts claimed. Michelle Lesco (28) repeated as the runner-up in the competition, with three-time Nathan's champion Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas 3rd with 26.

*NATHAN'S HOT DOG EATING WOMEN'S CHAMPS*
2011 Sonya Thomas
2012 Sonya Thomas
2013 Sonya Thomas
2014 Miki Sudo
2015 Miki Sudo
2016 Miki Sudo
2017 Miki Sudo
2018 Miki Sudo















??+??= @wimbledon

A post shared by Daria Kasatkina?? (@kasatkina) on





Mood.

??????

A post shared by Maria Sharapova (@mariasharapova) on




*WIMBLEDON "UPSET QUEENS" NATIONS*
2004 Great Britain
2005 United States
2006 Great Britain
2007 Austria
2008 Russia
2009 Germany
2010 Czech Republic
2011 Russia
2012 United States
2013 Czech Republic
2014 United States
2015 United States
2016 Germany
2017 United States
2018 United States


*Rad Remembrance Day dates*
2013: June 26 (Wimbledon Day 3)
2014: June 26 (Wimbledon Day 3)
2015: June 26 (Eastbourne) & July 1 (Wimbledon Day 3)
2016: June 26 (no WTA matches) & June 29 (Wimb.Day 3)
2017: June 26 (Eastbourne) & July 5 (Wimb.Day 3)
2018: June 26 (Easbourne/Wimb.Q1) & July 4 (Wimb.Day 3)

*"THE RAD REMEMBRANCE DAY" HISTORY*
=2013 (inciting event)=
June 26 (Wimbledon Day 3)
"The Radwanskian Massacre" - 7 former #1's lose, w/ 4 additional walkovers and three ret. on day filled with falls, slips and stumbles
=2014=
June 26 (Wimbledon Day 3)
First unofficial commemoration of The Radwanskian Massacre. With the Radwanskian Threat Level meter in place and all on guard and vigilent, calm prevails.
=2015=
June 26 (official)
Aga Radwanska & the seagull (in Eastbourne, bird swoops at Radwanska as she serves... one day later, she loses in the singles final)
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
The hottest day ever recorded in Wimbledon history (35.7 C / 96 F), fire alarm evacuates Centre Court.
=2016=
June 26 (official)/Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
The wet London weather rains... err, reigns. 74 singles and doubles matches are scheduled: 41 are cancelled, 15 interrupted and 18 completed. Only 6 matches were both started and finished solely on Day 3, with 4 of those played under the Centre Court roof. But Aga Radwanska opens the Centre Court schedule and wins without incident and, in a previously unscheduled C.C. match, Radwanska's '16 RG conqueror, Tsvetana Pironkova, loses.
=2017=
June 26 (official)
Eastbourne defending champ Dominika Cibulkova loses in opening match to WC Heather Watson; 4 LL's win MD matches (one LL vs. LL match-up); LL Tsvetana Pironkova advances to 2nd Rd. w/ 1st Rd. bye when Petra Kvitova withdraws, gets 2nd Rd. win
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
It's "Flying Ant Day" as the newly-emerged insects swarm the AELTC grounds. Meanwhile, six women's seed fall, including two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
=2018=
June 26 (official)
In Eastbourne, Aga Radwanska, playing in her first event in two months, saves 2 MP vs. Dasha Gavrilova (both via DF), win a 2nd set tie-break, then takes the 3rd set at love. Gavrilova has 17 DF on the day.
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
As insects swarm the AELTC grounds on Flying Ant Day, reigning AO champ #2 Caroline Wozniacki falls on the infested Court 1 to Ekaterina Makarova, becoming the sixth Top 8 seed to fall in the tournament's first three days. Aga Radwanska flirts with staging a comeback from a set and 5-1 down and force a 3rd set (after having saved 6 MP in the 1st Rd.), saving a MP vs. Lucie Safarova before the Czech staves off a total of seven BP in the game to hold and secure the win. Later, rain interrupts play for the first time in the fortnight.

*"ALTERNATE" RAD DAYS?*
=2015 (Jr. Radwanska Day) - Day 7/July 6=
Three of the Top 4 junior girls lost in the 1st Rd.: #1 Marketa Vondrousova (Roehampton RU), #3 Dalma Galfi (Roehampton W) and #4 Anna Kalinskaya (RG Girls RU)
=2016 (Day 4/June 30)=
#2 seed/RG champ/'15 RU Garbine Muguruza loses; #3 Aga Radwanska saves 3 MP, one on a net cord, as Ana Konjuh rolls her ankle after stepping on a ball, and Aga wins a 9-7 3rd set; eleven women's (and seven men's) seeds fall, as well as Heather Watson vs. Annika Beck (Watson had three MP, out early one year after two points from upset of Serena Williams in '15 3rd Rd.)
=2017 (Day 4/July 6)=
In muggy conditions, four women's seeds (and four men's) fall, including "favorite" #3 Karolina Pliskova, as no Czech woman reach the 3rd Round for the first time in eight years. Players slip and fall with controversial court conditions. Bethanie Mattek-Sands suffers a devastating knee injury. Aga Radwanska saves two MP vs. Christina McHale to advance.
=2018 (Days 1 & 2/July 2 & 3)=
On Day 1, the #4 (Sloane Stephens), #5 (Elina Svitolina) seeded players, and a '17 semifinalist (Magdalena Rybarikova) all lose, while Aga Radwanska saves six MP vs. Elena-Gabriela Ruse and survives. CoCo Vandeweghe, Venus Williams and Victoria Azarenka fall on the slippery courts. On Day 2, former champions Petra Kvitova (the pre-tournament favorite) and Maria Sharapova (in the 1st Round for the first time ever at Wimbledon) lose, as does #6 Caroline Garcia as four of the Top 8 women's seeds are out before the 2nd Round for the first time in Wimbledon history. Ten total women's seeds lose in the 1st Round, the same number as on the men's side.



TOP QUALIFIER: Mona Barthel/GER
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: #8 Mona Barthel/GER def. Oceane Dodin/FRA 6-3/1-6/8-6 (saves a MP in game #12 of the 3rd w/ Dodin DF at 6-5)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Yanina Wickmayer/BEL (1st Rd. def. M.Barthel/GER)
FIRST SEED OUT: #19 Magdalena Rybarikova/SVK (lost 1st Rd. to S.Cirstea/ROU)
UPSET QUEENS: United States
REVELATION LADIES: Great Britain
NATION OF POOR SOULS: xx
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: In 2nd Rd.: Bouchard/CAN, Diatchenko/RUS, Dulgheru/ROU(L), C.Liu/USA, Rodina/RUS(W), Sorribes-Tormo/ESP, Tomova/BUL(L)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: In 2nd Rd.: Boulter/GBR, Jabeur/TUN, Swan/GBR(L)
LAST BRIT STANDING: In 2nd Rd.: Boulter, Konta, Swan(L)
IT ("???"): xx
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: xx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xx
CRASH & BURN: #8 Petra Kvitova/CZE (two-time champ, pre-tournament favorite and '18 tour title-leader loses in 1st Rd. to Aliaksandra Sasnovich/BLR, dropping 3rd set at love)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: Nominees: #32 Radwanska (saved 6 MP in 14-minute, 8-deuce, 23-points game vs. Ruse in 1r); (Q) Diatchenko (Sharapova served for match up 7-6/5-3 in 1st Rd., twice had break lead in 3rd)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): xx
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: Nominees: D.Vekic (follows up emotional '17 loss to Konta in 2nd Round w/ 1st Rd. upset of #4 Stephens), Buzarnescu
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
THE RADWANSKA DAY REMEMBRANCE AWARD
June 26 official: In Eastbourne, Aga Radwanska, playing in her first event in two months, saves 2 MP vs. Dasha Gavrilova (both via DF), win a 2nd set tie-break, then takes the 3rd set at love. Gavrilova has 17 DF on the day.
Day 3 observed: As insects swarm the AELTC grounds on Flying Ant Day, reigning AO champ #2 Caroline Wozniacki falls on the infested Court 1 to Ekaterina Makarova, becoming the sixth Top 8 seed to fall in the tournament's first three days. Aga Radwanska flirts with staging a comeback from a set and 5-1 down and force a 3rd set (after having saved 6 MP in the 1st Rd.), saving a MP vs. Lucie Safarova before the Czech staves off a total of seven BP in the game to hold and secure the win. Later, rain interrupts play for the first time in the fortnight.




All for Day 3. More tomorrow.
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