Backspin Sites

Saturday, August 25, 2018

US.Q- Before They Can Make it There...

If they can make it there, they can make it anywhere. But some have to go through qualifying first.

A post shared by US Open (@usopen) on



A look back at the U.S. Open qualifying rounds...


TOP QUALIFIER: Genie Bouchard, CAN (24, #123)
...the list of victims of a few other qualifiers were more impressive, but it's hard to knock anything Bouchard did this week. She lost a total of *seven* games in six sets, defeating Carol Zhao (0 & 1), Ekaterine Gorgodze (1 & 2) and Jamie Loeb (0 & 3) in what is her second consecutive successful slam qualifying run. After making her way into the Wimbledon MD, she posted a 1st Round win over Gabriella Taylor and lost in two tight sets to Ash Barty. Her last MD win in New York came in the 3rd Round in 2015, a night match win over Dominika Cibulkova after which she slipped in the lockerrom and got a concussion, setting off long period of post-consussion issues a multi-year lawuit against the USTA that the organization allowed to go to court, where it rightfully lost out to the Canadian. Bouchard will get wild card Harmony Tan in the 1st Round this year.



*U.S. OPEN "Q-PLAYER OF THE WEEK" WINNERS*
2006 Chan Yung-Jan, TPE
2007 Alina Jidkova, RUS
2008 Yaroslava Shvedova, KAZ & Barbora Strycova, CZE
2009 Eva Hrdinova, CZE
2010 Michelle Larcher de Brito, POR
2011 Romina Oprandi, ITA
2012 Magdalena Rybarikova, SVK
2013 Michelle Larcher de Brito, POR
2014 Aleksandra Krunic, SRB
2015 Jessica Pegula, USA
2016 Taylor Townsend, USA
2017 Kaia Kanepi, EST
2018 Genie Bouchard, CAN
[2018 slams]
AO: Marta Kostyuk, UKR
RG: Francesca Schiavone, ITA
WI: Mona Barthel, GER
US: Genie Bouchard, CAN


*ADDITIONAL QUALIFIERS*
Marie Bouzkova, CZE (20, #171) - the '14 U.S. Open girls champ makes her slam MD debut after wins over Ann Li, #23 Marta Kostyuk and Georgina Garcia Perez.

Francesca Di Lorenzo, USA (21, #193) - the former NCAA #1 made her way through into her first slam MD by dropping no sets vs. a tough draw that incluced Veronica Cepede Royg, Antonia Lottner and #8 Mona Barthel..

Nicole Gibbs, USA (25, #115) - Gibbsy qualifies for her second straight Open, dropping no sets and ending new mom Olga Govortsova's efforts to reach the MD in the final round. Gibbs has won 1st Round matches at Flushing Meadows every year since 2014, as well as in eight consecutive hard court majors. She reached the Open 3rd Round in '14 after posting wins over Caroline Garcia and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Julia Glushko, ISR (28, #162) - Glushko's '18 resurgence continued this week. She's already reached five ITF finals (3-2) since June, and now she's into her first slam MD since the '14 U.S. Open after closing out qualifying with wins over #4 Viktorija Golubic and #25 Anastasia Potapova.
Ons Jabeur, TUN (23, #114) - Jabeur, who notched a 1st Round win in New York last year, also earned a Wimbledon WC earlier this summer with a $100K challenger title. She lost no sets this week vs. Katy Dunne (British Katie/Katy #3, if one were to rank them), Kristie Ahn and #30 Alexandra Dulgheru (but only after throwing up in the heat during her match vs. the Romanian on Friday). Jabeur will enter the MD without her coach, though, as he's currently serving a three-month suspension for his role in the whole ridiculously absurd Peng/Van Uytvanck/Mirza I-know-I-signed-up-to-play-doubles-with-you-but-I-want-to-play-with-HER-so-how-can-we-make-that-happen-hint-hint-wink "bribery" thing from last year's Wimbledon.
Anhelina Kalinina, UKR (21, #136) - the '14 U.S. Open girls runner-up (to fellow '18 qualifier Bouzkova), the Urkainian reaches her first slam MD after posting Q-round wins over Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Tereza Martincova and Jaimee Fourlis. Kalinina has been a consistent presence in North American challenger events the last two seasons, reaching six U.S.-based singles finals (going 5-1).
Anna Kalinskaya, RUS (19, #143) - Kalinskaya grabbed the final qualifying berth on Friday, as the #32 seed won out over #3 Madison Brengle, completing a six-set sweep of the week (after w/ additional wins over Grace Min and Mandy Minella). It's her second successful '18 slam Q-run (w/ AO). The Russian, the only teenager to qualify, is still seeking her first slam MD win after being successful at multiple majors as a junior, reaching the '15 RG singles and U.S. Open doubles finals, as well as winning the '16 AO GD.
Danielle Lao, USA (27, #236) - The Little Giant, a former NCAA All-American and team captain (USC Trojans) who made her U.S. Open debut last year via another successful Q-run, this time did it by sweeping #14 Magdelana Frech, Conny Perrin and #19 Jana Fett in straight sets. At #236, Lao is the lowest-ranked of the sixteen qualifiers.

Karolina Muchova, CZE (22, #202) - the Czech has yet to win her first pro singles title, but her improvement over the course of '18 is apparent in her three appearancess in, in order, $25K, $50K and $75K finals. Now she's grabbed a spot in her maiden slam MD after posting victories over #5 Vitalia Diatchenko, Jasmine Paolini and Franckie Abanda.
Arantxa Rus, NED (27, #110) - the Dutch woman played in her first slam MD match since 2013 at this year's Roland Garros. But while that slot was granted due to Rus being a lucky loser, she earned her way in as a qualifier this time around. With a Round of 16 (RG '12) slam result in her past, Rus' only MD win in New York came in 2011 (def. Elena Vesnina).

Patty Schnyder, SUI (39, #187) - a year after falling in the second U.S. Open Q-round, 39-year old Schnyder this time became the oldest woman to ever make her way through slam qualifying. She'll turn 40 in December. It wasn't a cakewalk, either. She had to go three sets vs. Maryna Zanevska and #20 Veronika Kudermetova before finally taking out Jessica Pegula in straights in the final round. Schnyder's last slam MD was in Paris in 2011, and her most recent win was in the 2nd Round in Flushing Meadows in 2010. Of course, the Swiss seems to be working on something of a "ten-year plan" in New York. She reached the QF in 1998 in her second appearance, then reached the final eight again in 2008. Now, ten *more* years later, she's in the mix once again. Hmmm, Schnyder reached the QF the last two years ending in "8" so, well umm... nah.
Jil Teichmann, SUI (21, #168) - Teichmann was born in 1997, the year *after* her countrywoman Schnyder made her slam debut. The U.S. Open girls doubles champ in 2014, she'll make *her* slam MD debut after opening Day 1 of qualifying with an upset of top-seeded Zhang Saisai, then ending her week with a win over #31 Sofya Zhuk.
Kathinka von Deichmann, LIE (24, #166) - the sixth qualifier (of 16) to win her way into her maiden slam MD this week, von Deichmann ended her five straight slam qualifying drought by dropping no sets vs. Priscilla Hon, Gail Brodsky and Martina Trevisan.
Heather Watson, GBR (26, #116) - a $100K finalist in Vancouver last weekend, Watson improved her recent run to 7-1 with a no-sets-lost week of qualifying. She posted wins over junior Coco Gauff, as well as fellow Brit Katie Swan. Thing is, Watson is 0-7 in the 1st Round at the Open, going one-and-out every year since 2011.
Vera Zvonareva, RUS (33, #134) - the '10 U.S. Open finalist (the Hordette also reached the Wimbledon final that summer, and climbed to a career-best #2 in September) had to save 3 MP vs. Zhu Lin in the final qualifying round, but her win gives her back-to-back successful slam Q-runs. Zvonareva's last slam MD win came in 2015 (AO), but her last in the U.S. Open was back in 2011 in her last MD apperance at Flushing Meadows.



TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1: #23 Marta Kostyuk def. Valentyna Ivakhnenko
...4-6/7-6(6)/7-6(4). Seven months after the then-15 year old Ukrainian qualified in Melbourne and became the youngest player to reach the 3rd Round of a major since 1997, now at the ripe old age of 16, Kostyuk highlighted Day 1 of qualifying by saving six MP vs. Ukrainian-born Russian Ivakhnenko. Kostyuk saved two MP at 5-4 and 6-5 in the 2nd, fell behind 5-1 in the 3rd, then saved four more MP at 6-5.




It was ultimately all the teenager had to give at this Open, though, as she lost her second match on Q-Day 3 vs. Marie Bouzkova. Of course, Marta also "starred" earlier in the week at Times Square. The best thing about her #FallingStars photo is the reaction of all the people in the background looking at her like she's absolutely nuts. If they only knew.



*LL*
Madison Brengle, USA (28, #105) - the last qualifier out (to Kalinskaya), Brengle replaces Asian Games participant Luksika Kumkhum in the 1st Round.


*ADDITIONAL QUALIFYING RESULTS OF NOTE*
Q1: Jil Teichmann def. #1 Zheng Saisai 7-6(1)/3-6/6-0
Q1: Naomi Broady def. #2 Katie Boulter 6-4/4-6/6-1
...so, Q-Day 1 included the top two qualifying seeds losing. An ominous omen for the main draw?
===============================================



Q1: (PR) Olga Govortsova def. Sabine Lisicki
...6-4/7-5. Ranked #766 six months after the birth of her son, Govortsova notches the win over Lisicki, also making a very different comeback (the German has played just two slam MD matches the last two years due to continued injury issues).

Giving up ain’t an option out there! #iwillbeback ??@jimmie48tennis

A post shared by Sabine Lisicki (@sabinelisicki) on



Former #35 Govortsova, 29, who'd come to NY with a handful of successful Q-runs on the challenger level in her back pocket, intends on making a full comeback. If she pulls it off the BLR Fed Cup bench could be awe-inspiring. Azarenka, Sabalenka, Sasnovich, Lapko, Govortsova, Marozava...
===============================================
Q1: #6 Olga Danilovic def. Bianca Andreescu
...6-3/7-5. Touch-luck slam qualifier Andreescu fell in the final qualifying round at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this season, and then drew the Moscow champ to start off here. She still only has one slam MD appearance (Wimb.'17) to show for seven qualifying attempts over the last two seasons.

Small pup, big city ??????

A post shared by Bibi (@biancaandreescu_) on


Never wanna leave ☹️

A post shared by Bibi (@biancaandreescu_) on


===============================================
Q1: (PR) Lina Gjorcheska def. Lauren Davis
...6-7(2)/7-5/6-3. Back from a wrist injury, the (current) world #604 from Macedonia wins her first-ever U.S. Open match, delivering another blow to Davis in a season that has pretty much fallen apart since her marathon Australian Open demise (3 MP held while losing a 15-13 3rd set in a 3:45 3rd Round match) vs. world #1 Simona Halep. Since Melbourne, she's gone 1-10, including Q1 exits in back-to-back slams. After ending 2017 at #50, she came into the week at #200. Shades of Misaki Doi after failing to convert MP vs. Kerber in the '16 AO, as *she's* only in recent months started to come out of her tailspin.
===============================================
Q1: Ekaterine Gorgodze def. (WC) Caty McNally
...6-0/5-7/2-6. Runner-up to Coco Gauff in the RG girls final this spring, 16-year old McNally "finished second" in this match, too. But she led 6-0/5-1 vs. the Georgian, and held 3 MP. Eeeeek.
===============================================
Q1: #22 Beatriz Haddad def. Olivia Rogowska
...7-6(3)/6-1. Ranked #132 (she was Top 60 last September and reached the Seoul final, falling to Ostapenko in three sets), Haddad only returned from a three-month injury absence a week ago in the Vancouver $100K. During her time away, Brazil lost the great Maria Bueno. It's nice to see the *current* best Brazilian back on the court, even if she did lose a round later.
===============================================
Q1: Katie Swan def. Deborah Chiesa
...3-6/6-4/6-4. A win, but also an exit. Sort of.


concrete jungle where dreams are made of ??

A post shared by Katie Swan (@katieswan99) on



Swan's final exit came two rounds later vs. countrywoman Heather Watson.
===============================================
Q2: (PR) Olga Govortsova def. #21 Fiona Ferro 4-6/6-4/6-4
Q2: #24 Vera Zvonareva def. Fanny Stollar 7-5/6-2
Q2: Patty Schnyder def. #20 Veronika Kudermetova 6-7(4)/6-1/6-4
...three of the WTA's Mommy Corps (Govortsova and Zvonareva were side by side on adjoining courts) advance to the final round of qualifying. Fellow mother Mandy Minella (lost to #32 Kalinskaya) wasn't so lucky on Thursday, though.


===============================================
Q3: #24 Vera Zvonareva def. #12 Zhu Lin
...6-2/4-6/7-5. One mom makes it in, as the former finalist (2010) comes back from 5-2 down in the 3rd, saving three MP, to reach her first Open MD in seven years.


===============================================
Q3: Patty Schnyder def. (WC) Jessica Pegula
...6-3/6-2. Make it two, as Schnyder is also the oldest ever slam qualifier. In her last U.S. Open main draw match, she lost to Yanina Wickmayer (the year *after* the Waffle reached the semifinals and became "WICK-mayer" to Pam Shriver) in the 3rd Round in an 8-6 3rd set TB. Schnyder is the oldest woman in a slam MD since a 44-year old Kimiko Date in Melbourne in 2015.



===============================================
Q3: #10 Nicole Gibbs def. (PR) Olga Govortsova
...6-4/6-1. She shall return, and so will son Dominic.


===============================================


*WILD CARDS*
Amanda Anisimova, USA (16) - last year's U.S. Open girls champ, the teenager makes her Flushing Meadows MD debut after recently returning from an injury break that followed an early-season run that included wins over Pavlyuchenkova and Kvitova in Indian Wells.
Victoria Azarenka, BLR (29) - the first of the high-achieving wild card recipients for Flushing Meadows, Vika is a two-time Open finalist (2012-13) who hasn't played in New York since 2015.
Lizette Cabrera, AUS (20) - the Aussie makes her U.S. Open debut with her maiden slam MD appearance outside of Australia after winning Tennis Australia's eight-player Wild Card Playoff, defeating Georgia Bulldog Ellen Perez in straight sets in the final.

Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (33) - another of the big-name wild cards for this Open (Stan Wawrinka also received one on the men's side) is Sveta, a former U.S. Open champ (2004). She earned her berth with a title run in Washington. Kuznetsova has only gone as far as the 3rd Round at Flushing Meadows once since 2011 (in '13).
Claire Liu, USA (18) - after winning the '17 Wimbledon girls title (and reaching the RG jr. final), Liu made her slam MD debut at last year's Open. This year, she arrives in NY having gotten her maiden slam MD win at Wimbledon and been the only player to take a set off eventual champ Angelique Kerber during the German's SW19 title run.

no monday blues

A post shared by Claire Liu (@cliu2000) on


Asia Muhammad, USA (27) - Muhammad makes her first slam MD appearance in a decade ('08 U.S. WC) after her against-all-odds claiming of the USTA's multi-event Wild Card Challenge title. She won the $60K Lexington challenger, but only earned the MD pass after two players come up one win short of earning the WC for themselves (Jessica Pegula squandered two MP in the Landisville SF vs. Kristie Ahn, who then retired in the final when a win would have gotten *her* the WC berth, leaving Muhammad atop the standings) in order to get the pass into the draw.
Whitney Osuigwe, USA (16) - the 16-year old former junior #1 (and '17 RG girls champ) makes her slam MD debut after winning the USTA 18s National Championship, won after staging a comeback straight sets win from 5-1 down in the 1st set in the final vs. Kayla Day. With a birthdate of April 17, 2002 Osuigwe is the youngest player in the main draw.

Hard Courts singles and doubles champ ?? @usopen here I come ????

A post shared by Whitney Osuigwe (@whitney_osuigwe) on


Harmony Tan, FRA (20) - the Pastry is barely ranked inside the Top 400, is over a year past her career-high ranking (#324 in July '17) and was riding a five-match losing streak when the FFT chose her to fill the organization's WC slot for this slam. Still, she'll be making her slam debut. One has to wonder exactly what went into *this* selection, especially considering the shenanigans undertaken by the FFT since the rise of Bernard Giudicelli.


*YOUNGEST 2018 SLAM...*
=WC=
AO - Wang Xinyu, CHN (16)
US - Whitney Asuigwe, USA (16)
US - Amanda Anisimova, USA (16)
AO - Destanee Aiava, AUS (17)
AO - Jaimee Fourlis, AUS (18)
US - Claire Liu, USA (18)
WI - Katie Swan, GBR (19)
AO - Lizette Cabrera, AUS (20)
WI - Gabriella Taylor, GBR (20)
US - Lizette Cabrera, AUS (20)
US - Harmony Tan, FRA (20)
AO - Jessika Ponchet, FRA (21)
RG - Jessic Ponchet, FRA (21)
RG - Fiona Ferro, FRA (21)
RG - Isabelle Wallace, AUS (21)
WI - Katie Boulter, GBR (21)
WI - Harriet Dart, GBR (21)
=Q=
AO - Marta Kostyuk, UKR (15)
WI - Claire Liu, USA (18)
AO - Viktoria Kuzmova, SVK (19)
AO - Anna Blinkova, RUS (19)
AO - Anna Kalinskaya, RUS (19)
RG - Caroline Dolehide, USA (19)
US - Anna Kalinskaya, RUS (19)
AO - Magdalena Frech, POL (20)
RG - Magdalena Frech, POL (20)
AO - Ivana Jorovic, SRB (20)
WI - Gabriela-Elena Ruse, ROU (20)
US - Marie Bouzkova, CZE (20)
RG - Deborah Chiesa, ITA (21)
WI - Antonia Lottner, GER (21)
WI - Sara Sorribes Tormo, ESP (21)
US - Francesca Di Lorenzo, USA (21)
US - Anhelina Kalinina, UKR (21)
US - Jil Teichmann, SUI (21)

=OLDEST 2018 SLAM...=
=WC=
US - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (33)
RG - Pauline Parmentier, FRA (32)
US - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (29)
WI - Naomi Broady, GBR (28)
RG - Myrtille Georges, FRA (27)
US - Asia Muhammad, USA (27)
AO - Olivia Rogowska, AUS (26)
=Q=
US - Patty Schnyder, SUI (39)
RG - Francesca Schiavone, ITA (37)
US - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (33)
WI - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (33)
WI - Alexandra Dulgheru, ROU (29)
WI - Evgeniya Rodina, RUS (29)
RG - Alexandra Dulgheru, ROU (28)
RG - Mariana Duque Marino, COL (28)
US - Julia Glushko, ISR (28)
AO - Irina Falconi, USA (27)
WI - Mona Barthel, GER (27)
WI - Vitalia Diatchenko, RUS (27)
US - Danielle Lao, USA (27)
US - Arantxa Rus, NED (27)

=LL=
WI - Mariana Duque Marino, COL (28)
US - Madison Brengle, USA (28)
RG - Aranxa Rus, NED (27)
RG - Dalila Jakupovic, SLO (27)
AO - Bernarda Pera, USA (23)
AO - Viktoriya Tomova, BUL (22)
WI - Caroline Dolehide, USA (19)

=LOW-RANKED 2018 SLAM QUALIFIERS=
#715 - Barbora Stefkova, CZE (WI) - PR
#521 - Marta Kostyuk, UKR (AO)
#279 - Ivana Jorovic, SRB (AO)
#265 - Francesca Schiavone, ITA (RG)
#238 - Claire Liu, USA (WI)
#236 - Danielle Lao, USA (US)
#202 - Karolina Muchova, CZE (US)
#197 - Grace Min, USA (RG)
#197 - Elena-Gabriela Ruse, ROU (WI)
#193 - Francesca Di Lorenzo, USA (US)
#191 - Genie Bouchard, CAN (WI)
#186 - Georgina Garcia Perez, ESP (RG)
#171 - Marie Bouzkova, CZE (US)
#168 - Jil Teichmann, SUI (US)
#166 - Kathinka von Deichmann, LIE (US)
#163 - Magdalena Frech, POL (AO)
#163 - Deborah Chiesa, ITA (RG)
#162 - Julia Glushko, ISR (US)
#160 - Anna Kalinskaya, RUS (AO)
#160 - Alexandra Dulgheru, ROU (RG)

=LL=
#139 - Viktoriya Tomova, BUL (AO)
#126 - Bernarda Pera, USA (AO)
#121 - Dalila Jakupovic, SLO (RG)
#106 - Arantxa Rus, NED (RG)
#105 - Caroline Dolehide, USA (WI)
#105 - Madison Brengle, USA (US)
#97 - Mariana Duque Marino, COL (WI)

=MULTI-SLAM QUALIFIERS IN 2018=
2 - Genie Bouchard, CAN (WI/US)
2 - Alexandra Dulgheru, ROU (RG/WI)
2 - Magdalena Frech, POL (AO/RG)
2 - Viktorija Golubic, SUI (AO/RG)
2 - Anna Kalinskaya, RUS (AO/US)
2 - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (WI/US)




All for now.
Posted by at