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Wednesday, August 29, 2018

US.3 - A Familiar Face at Flushing Meadows

Victoria Azarenka admitted on Wednesday how difficult the 2018 season has been for her, as her preparation wasn't great and how she's felt as if she's been "playing from behind" all year long, something she says won't happen in 2019.

Things went pretty well today, though.



While the long-awaited summer hard court run we've come to desire from Vika since her return has yet to materialize, her 6-1/6-2 win over #25 Dasha Gavrilova has put her into at least the 3rd Round in her sixth consecutive appearance in New York, and for the tenth time in eleven career U.S. Opens. A two-time finalist (RU-RU-QF-QF from 2012-15), Azarenka's MD spot this year (via a WC) was her first since 2015, as pregnancy, injury and custody issues have made her a virtual non-entity on tour pretty much since her Indian Wells/Miami "Sunshine Double" in the spring of '16. Her last QF run at a major came in Melbourne that same season, and her two wins this week make her just 6-4 over the span of the last eleven slams (six of which she didn't play). Still, even while playing only since March after having not played since the '17 Wimbledon (she reached the Miami SF in event #2, but was 7-8 since coming into the Open), Azarenka has raised her ranking this season from #208 to inside the Top 100. She was #80 when this event started, and has a "live" ranking of around #60 after this victory.

Meanwhile, Gavrilova's '18 campaign, though it started so well, has been nothing short of disappointing. After winning her maiden title and reaching the Top 20 in 2017, Gavrilova reached the semis of two of her first three events (Sydney/Acapulco) this season. But she's never been able to find any consistency all year long, and leads the tour in double-faults. She was on a 1-4 slump coming into Flushing Meadows, falling in the 2nd Round of her title defense in New Haven (to Aryna Sabalenka) last week. After defeating Sara Sorribes Tormo love & love in the 1st Round on Day 1, Dasha fired five DF and had twenty-seven unforced errors in the fifteen games she played today. Since her two-SF start to '18, she's gone 14-17 since.

Up next for Vika? Well, a familiar face...





=DAY 3 NOTES=
...defending champ Sloane Stephens' match with Ukrainian qualifier Anhelina Kalinina could have gone either way on Ashe today, but the reservior of experience that the #3 seed has built up over the years, and especially since her comeback summer run last season that ended with her lifting her maiden slam trophy, served her well. Kalinina has spent most of the season performing well in a series of North American challenger events. Of her seventeen '18 tournaments, the Open was her twelfth on U.S. soil. Until today, she'd never played a Top 40 player in her career.

You wouldn't have known it, though.

21-year old Kalinina was at one time a top junior. She was a U.S. Open junior girls singles finalist in 2014. She rose into the Top 150 on the pro level three years ago, only to have to undergo shoulder surgery. She missed ten months, gradually finding her way back ever since. Winning three $25K titles this year, she finally climbed above her previous career-best ranking this summer, rising to #124. She began this Open at #136, and after making her way through qualifying to reach her maiden slam MD she recorded her first win when 1st Round opponent Kathinka von Deichmann retired due to the heat.

Kalinina gave Stephens a battle today, seizing upon Sloane's errors and building at 4-1 lead. She failed to convert three BP for a 5-1 bulge on the scoreboard, and led 4-2, 30/love when Stephens staged a comeback to get the set even at 4-4. Kalinina didn't let the 1st slip away, though, converting a BP/SP to take the it 6-4. Stephens jumped out ahead 3-0 in the 2nd, but was broken when trying to serve out the set at 5-4. But Kalinina couldn't hold her own serve a game later, dropping it as Sloane knotted the match.

Stephens finally seized control in the 3rd, taking a 3-1 lead and breaking for 5-2. She ended things with an ace, winning 4-6/7-5/6-2 in 2:46 in the heat. “I wasn’t playing my best and I just had to find a way,” Stephens said afterward. "Not ideal conditions, but just happy to be through. I never gave up, fought my tail off. Hope the next one’s at night.”

Kalinina is set to achieve a new career-high ranking after this slam, likely edging inside the Top 120 for the first time.

The Stephens/Azarenka 3rd Round match-up will be their third of 2018, a somewhat remarkable thing considering Vika's shortened season.

2013 Australian Open SF - Victoria Azarenka 6-1/6-4
2014 Australian Open 4th - Victoria Azarenka 6-3/6-2
2015 Australian Open 1st - Victoria Azarenka 6-3/6-2
2018 Indian Wells 2nd - Sloane Stephens 6-1/7-5
2018 Miami SF - Sloane Stephens 3-6/6-2/6-1
2018 U.S. Open 3rd - ??

In a normal situation, that one *would* be an easy night match to schedule on Ashe. But, well... there's another match that might take place on Friday. So, Armstrong might be all that Sloane and Vika can hope for.

And speaking of another of last year's all-Bannerette semifinalists...

After her three-set 1st Round battle with Svetlana Kuznetsova, it seemed of the utmost importance that #16 Venus Williams get off the court in straight sets today if she wished to have anything left for what might follow. With Italian Camila Giorgi on the other side of the net, it was easy to worry that that might not happen. In their only previous meeting, at the AO in 2015, Williams won, but had to go three sets to do it.

But Venus has done nothing if not defy convention for, what, two decades now? So, of course, she proceeded to take out the 26-year old, a full dozen years her junior, in two sets on Wednesday.

She had to dig down to do it, though. Serving at 5-3 in the 1st, Venus was broken, but then converted a BP/SP on Giorgi's serve in the next game to take the set. In the 2nd, the Italian held a break lead at 3-1. Williams got things level, but have to stave off five BP in game #9 alone before managing to get the hold for a 5-4 lead. After back to back holds, Venus went up love/30 on Giorgi's serve, getting the break on MP when Giorgi netted a match-ending forehand.

The win improves Williams' U.S. Open career mark to 78-16, bringing her within one match win from Serena tonight (vs. Carina Witthoeft) of the 30th meeting between the Sisters. It'd be their sixth at the U.S. Open, the first since 2015, and just their second in the opening week of a major. The other came over *twenty* years ago in their first-ever head-to-head match in the Australian Open 2nd Round in 1998. Venus won that one. Their last meeting in a major, of course, was in the '17 AO final which, as Venus said today, was "two against one," as Serena was pregnant at the time with daughter Olympia when she won her 23rd career slam crown.



*VENUS vs. SERENA*
1998 Aust.Open 2nd (HO) = Venus 7-6(4),6-1
1998 Rome QF (RC) = Venus 6-4,6-2
1999 Miami F (HO) = Venus 6-1,4-6,6-4
1999 Grand Slam Cup F (Carp) = Serena 6-1,3-6,6-3
2000 Wimbledon SF (G) = Venus 6-2,7-6(3)
2001 Indian Wells SF (HO) = Serena (walkover)
2001 U.S. Open F (HO) = Venus 6-2,6-4
2002 Miami SF (HO) = Serena 6-2,6-2
2002 Roland Garros F (RC) = Serena 7-5,6-3
2002 Wimbledon F (G) = Serena 7-6(4),6-3
2002 U.S. Open F (HO) = Serena 6-3,6-4
2003 Australian Open F (HO) = Serena 7-6(4),3-6,6-4
2003 Wimbledon F (G) = Serena 4-6,6-4,6-2
2005 Miami QF (HO) = Venus 6-1/7-6(8)
2005 U.S. Open 4th (HO) = Venus 7-6(5)/6-2
2008 Bangalore SF (HO) = Serena 6-3/3-6/7-6(4) (VW MP)
2008 Wimbledon F (G) = Venus 7-5/6-4
2008 U.S. Open QF (HO) = Serena 7-6(6),7-6(7)
2008 WTA Chmp rr (HO) = Venus 5-7,6-1,6-0
2009 Dubai SF (HO) = Venus 6-1,2-6,7-6(3)
2009 Miami SF (HO) = Serena 6-4,3-6,6-4
2009 Wimbledon F (G) = Serena 7-6(3),6-2
2009 WTA Chsp rr (HO) = Serena 5-7,6-4,7-6 (VW MP)
2009 WTA Chsp F (HO) = Serena 6-2,7-6
2013 Charleston SF (GC) = Serena 6-1/6-2
2014 Montreal SF (HO) = Venus 6-7(2)/6-2/6-3
2015 Wimbledon 4th (G) = Serena 6-4/6-3
2015 U.S. Open QF (HO) = Serena 6-2/1-6/6-3
2017 Aust.Open F (HO) = Serena 6-4/6-4
2018 Indian Wells 3rd (HO) = Venus 6-3/6-4 (first after Serena baby)

...Australian Open semifinalist Elise Mertens has seemingly never taken a moment to breathe in 2018, finding great success in both singles and doubles. Today was her 100th overall match of the season. The Wait has been on in recent weeks, as every poor result or tired-looking performance might be seen as the possible overdue aftereffect of her loaded schedule and admirable consistency. Being forced to come back from 4-2 down in the 3rd set vs. Kurumi Nara two days ago was the latest example. Was it a sign of the inevitable, especially with the oppressive heat descending upon the city as the week wore on?

Well, that wasn't the case for the Belgian Rumble on Day 3.

#15 Mertens dominated young Vera Lapko, a 19-year old Belarusian who has shined at times in '18, including during a semifinal run at Lugano that ended with a three-set defeat at the hands of Mertens. She won 6-2/6-0, improving to 12-3 in the majors this season, and maintaining her run of improving upon her career-best slam result at four consecutive events -- SF in her AO debut, 4r besting 3r at RG, 3r besting 1r at WI, and now a 3r at the US after being 0-2 there previously.

The Waffle will face #23 Barbora Strycova next. The veteran Czech trounced Lara Arruabarrena 6-0/6-1 today, thereby reaching the 3rd ROund at all four majors in a season for the first time in her career.



...who knows whether #7 Elina Svitolina might actually break her slam hex in New York, but at least she's more than reversed her downward major results trend with her (at least) 3rd Round performance at this U.S. Open. After losing to Tatjana Maria in the 1st Round at Wimbledon, her first one-and-out slam since 2014, the Ukrainian had seen her '18 major results flow chart take on a decidedly bad look: QF-3rd-1st. After summer hard court wins over Mihaela Buzarnescu, Elise Mertens, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Amanda Anisimova, Svitolina at least arrived in New York with something *resembling* low-dose momentum and confidence, putting up a 5-2 pre-NYC record when many other top players were struggling to even get one or two match wins under their belts.

After being forced to three sets by Sachia Vickery in the 1st Round, Svitolina's prospects weren't exactly bolstered. But she *did* manage to get a little revenge on Day 3, upending her SW19 conqueror Maria in a quick 6-2/6-3 win that allowed her to wrap things up around noon before the uncomfortable weather became a sledgehammer in the afternoon.



...I mentioned the other day how Hall of Fame nominee Conchita Martinez has a "pretty good" record while serving as a temporary coach for a player competing in a grand slam. Last year, she served as the interim mentor for Garbine Muguruza at Wimbledon while Sam Sumyk was away. Mugu won the title. After parting ways with her previous coach, and with her official stint with Rennae Stubbs not ready to take full effect, #8 Karolina Pliskova brought Martinez aboard to serve in the role for this U.S. Open. After an inconsistent year and, really, a *bad* summer hard court run for a player who won the '15 U.S. Open Series, reached the '16 singles final and was the #1 seed at Flushing Meadows a year ago, the Czech's 6-2/6-3 win today over Romanian Ana Bogdan, in which she erased a 3-1 2nd set deficit to win in straights, surely raises an eyebrow. Just one. For now. But stay tuned.

I'm just sayin'.

She's even dressed for U.S. success.



...late in the afternoon, the first Top 10 -- actually, the first *Top 20* -- player to fall since #1 Simona Halep's Day 1 ouster finally was sent packing on Day 3. The victim: #9 Julia Goerges, who fell 7-6(10)/6-3 to Ekaterina Makarova, who served well (8 aces) vs. the tour's ace leader ("Nein!"), fighting off the German to take a long 1st set TB and then never relenting in the 2nd.

Makarova had led 6-2 in the 1st set TB, only to see Goerges save EIGHT set points before Makarova finally secured things with a big serve up the middle to win it 12-10. The Russian, who lost to Goerges last week in New Haven, got the key break of serve in the 2nd to lead 4-2, then closed out the match with a love hold three games later.

Makarova have reached at least the 3rd Round at Flushing Meadows in six of the last seven years, including a semifinal run in 2014.

...as far as a few leftover early-round awards, I'll stick with the Swedes as the "Upset Queens" since they *were* 100% in the 1st Round, with Rebecca Peterson knocking off Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Johanna Larsson taking out Alize Cornet. Also, the 1st Round saw precious few upsets after Halep's big one to start things off, so any nation's positive trend must be seized upon.

And the "Nation of Poor Souls" is... Rus-. Nope, with the escape of Dasha Kasatkina and Maria Sharapova's win (as ugly as it was, as she twice failed to serve out the match and nearly blew a 6-3 TB lead) over Sneaky Patty Schnyder, the Hordettes' 1st Round mark of 4-8 barely avoids the designation. Slovenia went 0-3, but wasn't exactly expected to have a lot of success (though the nation's improving roster of talent might change that soon), and a few nations (GBR, POL, CRO and KAZ) were 0-2. Slovakia was 1-3.

But I'm going with Switzerland. The Swiss were 1-4 in the 1st Round, with only 21-year old qualifier Jil Teichmann notching a win (the first of the tournament on Day 1). It's another step in the sudden slip of Swiss tennis on the women's side, after so recently the nation looked very deep and a sure-fire Fed Cup contender because of it. In short order, Martina Hingis (not really part of the mix, but still) retired, Timea Bacsinszky has been beset by injuries, and Belinda Bencic has been up, down, injured and disappointing overall. Junior star Rebeka Masarova went off to play for Spain, while Viktorija Golubic has at times been lethal (esp. in FC), but also inconsistent. At Flushing Meadows, Golubic was double-bageled by Monia Puig, Bacsinszky (without a win for over a year) lost a love 3rd set vs. Aleksandra Krunic, and Bencic squandered a set lead and lost in three to Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Other than Teichmann's 3 & 0 win over Dalila Jakupovic, 39-year old qualifier Schnyder's 2nd set comeback vs. a shaky Sharapova (going from 5-1 down in the 2nd to a TB that was tied at 6-6 after she'd saved 3 MP) may have had the best (albeit brief) outing.

Also, one nominee for "Zombie Queen of New York" that I didn't mention on Day 2 is Katerina Siniakova. She won the award at Wimbledon this summer after seeing both her opponents in the first two rounds (Vandeweghe at 5-3, Jabeur at 5-3 and with a MP) serve for the match. Well, guess what happened on Tuesday. Yep, the Czech saw #28 Anett Kontaveit served for the match at 5-4, 30/love in the 3rd set. Siniakova got the break and took the set 7-5 to advance. Siniakova won twelve of the final fourteen points, and eleven in a row at one point.

Claire Liu's loss today to Anastasija Sevastova leaves Vika as the "Last Wild Card Standing."


LIKE ON DAY 3:



NOTE ON DAY 3: After Alize Cornet's ridiculous "ShirtGate" moment...





LIKE ON DAY 3: Worth a look (and it's a long thread... but, hey, it's Queen Chaos)...



A GOODBYE ON DAY 3:




...and, finally...

Englishman Robert Palmer's 1986 "Addicted to Love" is the song that stands as his most recognizable hit in a long career that tragically ended too soon with his death at just age 54 in 2003. But, more than anything, it's the video that you remember.

There are no fancy quick cuts or overly-done technological bells and whistles. At its heart, it's just a stylish-looking man in a simple dress shirt and tie, singing in front of a microphone. But it's the image of Palmer, performing alone in front of a horde of automaton-like, guitar-playing models swaying in unison while he growls out lyrics with a sly smile and a wink, that sticks.

The visual has spawned all sorts of tributes over the years, including one that was in rotation around these parts two years ago...


And the original...


And since I'm going British with today's "And, finally..." selection, I'll thrown in something I latched onto while looking for the above video. Queen's spectacular 20-minute set from Live Aid in 1985, starring the one and only Freddie Mercury, who'll be the subject of a long-awaited bio-pic ("Bohemian Rhapsody") on the band that'll be released later this year...






??

A post shared by Simona Halep (@simonahalep) on





#heretocreate @adidastennis

A post shared by Jelena Ostapenko (@jelena.ostapenko) on









A good ending... but, boy, it wasn't pretty at time before this for Maria.






**U.S. OPEN "UPSET QUEENS" WINNERS**
2004 Russia
2005 United States
2006 France
2007 Russia
2008 China
2009 United States
2010 Taiwan
2011 Romania
2012 Romania
2013 United States
2014 United States
2015 United States
2016 China
2017 Japan
2018 Sweden
[2018]
AO: Ukraine
RG: Ukraine
WI: United States
US: Sweden

**U.S. OPEN "NATIONS OF POOR SOULS"**
2011 CZE (2-5 1st Rd., Kvitova loses)
2012 GER (4 of 5 highest-ranked GER out in 1st Rd.)
2013 AUS (1-4, Stosur out 1r, Rogowska 0-6/0-6)
2014 FRA (1-5 1st Rd.; only win in FRA-vs-FRA)
2015 SRB (1-4; Ivanovic/Jankovic/Krunic 1st Rd.)
2016 BEL (0-4 in 1st Rd.)
2017 GER (2-7 1st Rd.; Kerber 2nd U.S. DC out 1st)
2018 SUI (1-4 in 1st Rd.; Golubic 0-6/0-6; Bacsinszky love 3rd)
[2018]
AO: USA (0-8 start; 1-9 Day 1; 3/4 of '17 US Open SF out Day 1)
RG: LAT (0-2; DC Ostapenko & Sevastova out; 0-3 WD/MX)
WI: UKR (1-4 1st/2nd Rd.)
US: SUI (1-4 in 1st Rd.; Golubic 0-6/0-6; Bacsinszky love 3rd)

**U.S. OPEN "LAST WILD CARD STANDING" WINNERS**
2007 Ahsha Rolle, USA (3rd Rd.)
2008 Severine Bremond, FRA (4th Rd.)
2009 Kim Clijsters, BEL (W)
2010 Beatrice Capra, USA & Virginie Razzano, FRA (3rd)
2011 Sloane Stephens, USA (3rd Rd.)
2012 Mallory Burdette/USA & Kristina Mladenovic/FRA (3rd)
2013 Alison Riske, USA (4th Rd.)
2014 Nicole Gibbs, USA (3rd Rd.)
2015 Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA (3rd Rd.)
2016 L.Davis/USA, K.Day/USA, V.King/USA (3rd Rd.)
2017 Maria Sharapova, RUS (4th Rd.)
2018 Victoria Azarenka, BLR (in 3rd Rd.)
[2018]
AO: Olivia Rogowska, AUS (2nd Rd.)
RG: Pauline Parmentier, FRA (3rd Rd.)
WI: Katie Boulter/GBR, Ons Jabeur/TUN, Katie Swan/GBR (2nd Rd.)
US: Victoria Azarenka, BLR (in 3rd Rd.)

**BEST 2018 SLAM RESULTS**
[lucky losers]
3rd Rd. - Bernarda Pera, USA (AO)
1st Rd. - Viktoriya Tomova, BUL (AO)
1st Rd. - Dalila Jakupovic, SLO (RG)
1st Rd. - Arantxa Rus, NED (RG)
1st Rd. - Mariana Duque-Marino, COL (WI)
1st Rd. - Caroline Dolehide, USA (WI)
1st Rd. - Mona Barthel, GER (US)
1st Rd. - Madison Brengle, USA (US)

**50 YEARS OF OPEN ERA TENNIS AT THE U.S. OPEN**
[GBR Champions]
1968 Virginia Wade
[GBR Finalists]
-
[GBR Semifinalists]
1968 Ann Jones
1969 Virginia Wade
1970 Virginia Wade
1975 Virginia Wade
1983 Jo Durie
[GBR Quarterfinalists]
1971 Joyce Williams
1972 Virginia Wade
1973 Virginia Wade
1977 Virginia Wade
1979 Virginia Wade

**"PLISKOVA SLAM STAKES" WINS**
22 - Karolina best twin result [18: AO/RG/WI/US]
6 - Kristyna best twin result
5 - same result
1 - both didn't play = 2011 Wimbledon

**BACKSPIN 2018 SURPRISE AWARD WINNERS**
JAN: Aliaksandra Sasnovich, BLR
AO: Bernarda Pera, USA
FEB/MAR: GER Fed Cup Team
I.W./MIAMI: Danielle Collins, USA
1Q: DANIELLE COLLINS, USA
APR: Daniela Seguel, CHI
MAY: Mihaela Buzarnescu, ROU
RG: Mihaela Buzarnescu, ROU
2Q Clay Court: MIHAELA BUZARNESCU, ROU
JUN: Aleksandra Krunic, SRB
WI: Vitalia Diatchenko, RUS
2Q Grass Court: Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
JUL/AUG: Olga Danilovic, SRB
AUG: Wang Qiang, CHN
[2018 Weekly RISER Award Wins]
3 - Mihaela Buzarnescu, ROU
3 - Danielle Collins, USA
3 - Harriet Dart, GBR
2 - Katie Boulter, GBR
2 - Kateryna Kozlova, UKR
2 - Bernarda Pera, USA
2 - Wang Qiang, CHN
2 - Wang Yafan, CHN



TOP QUALIFIER: Genie Bouchard/CAN
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1: #23 Marta Kostyuk/RUS def. Valentyna Ivakhnenko/RUS 4-6/7-6(6)/7-6(4) (saved 6 MP)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
TOP ASHE NIGHT SESSION WOMEN'S MATCH: xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: (Q) Jil Teichmann/SUI (def. Jakupovic/SRB)
FIRST SEED OUT: #31 Magdalena Rybarikova/SVK (1st Rd. - Q.Wang/CHN; second con. FSO at major for Rybarikova)
UPSET QUEENS: Sweden
REVELATION LADIES: Belarus (four -- Azarenka, Lapko, Sabalenka, Sasnovich -- into 2nd Round of a slam for the first time ever)
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Switzerland (1-4 1st Rd.; Golubic double-bageled, Bacsinszky love 3rd set)
CRASH & BURN: #1 Simona Halep/ROU (lost 1st Rd. to Kanepi/EST; first #1 to lost 1st Rd. at U.S. Open in Open era)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEW YORK: Nominee: Siniakova (1r: Kontaveit served for match at 5-4, 30/love in 3rd, Siniakova wins set 7-5, taking 12/14 points; was "Zombie Queen" for Wimbledon after opponent served for match in 1st and 2nd Rounds and saved MP)
IT ("??"): xx
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: xx
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: In 2nd Rd.: Bouchard/CAN, DiLorenzo/USA, J.Glushko/ISR, Kalinina/UKR(L), Muchova/CZE, Teichmann/SUI, Zvonareva/RUS
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Victoria Azarenka/BLR (in 3rd Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: In 2nd Rd.: DiLorenzo, Kenin, Keys, King, C.Liu(L), Pera, Stephens(W), Townsend, S.Williams, V.Williams(W)
COMEBACK PLAYER: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): xx
DOUBLES STAR: xx
BROADWAY-BOUND: Nominee: Kanepi/EST (new Armstrong Stadium premieres w/ Day 1 def. of #1 Halep)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominee: S.Williams
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx




All for Day 3. More tomorrow.
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