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Monday, January 14, 2019

AO.1 - Gone Goerges

At every major, it has to be *someone.* At this Australian Open, it was Julia Goerges.



In recent years, the German has been on the *other* side of things when it's come to being the First Seed Out in Melbourne. In 2015 (#7 Sara Errani) and '16 (#32 Belinda Bencic), the unseeded Goerges sent higher ranked players packing in the opening hours of the year's first slam. But as her career began to more fully blossom as she approached age 30, *she's* now become the hunted. The #14 seed at this AO, she started her season by successfully defending her title in Auckland. In the final there, she was erratic early on in her match against Canadian teen Bianca Andreescu, but she managed to turn things around in the 2nd set and went on to win.

The opposite happened vs. Collins.

The two-time NCAA champ (at U-Va.) was something skin to being North America's version of Wang Qiang in '18, putting up by far her best results near home. Some were eye-popping. She won a WTA 125 title in Newport, notched her first tour-level MD win in Indian Wells and getting her first win over a Top 50 player (Madison Keys) en route to the Round of 16, then changed coasts and reached the Miami semis (beating Top 10er Venus Williams) before later in the summer igniting again in the U.S. with a SF run in San Jose. But until today Collins was 0-5 in slam main draws.

Goerges seemed well on her way to making her 0-6. She served for the match at 6-2/5-4, and got within two points of the win before Collins won a 7-5 tie-break to send things to the 3rd set, where she broke the German's serve in the first game. As Goerges' error total (44 for the day) mounted, Collins served for the win at 5-4. An ace gave her double MP. After Goerges chased down a ball behind the baseline, Collins moved in and fired a swing volley off the net cord and into the corner for a match-ending winner, taking the first slam victory of her career by a 2-6/7-6(5)/6-4 score.



It's just another example of the capricious nature of tennis in January. After getting out of the gates quickly, Goerges seemed ready for the AO. Turned out she wasn't. Ironically, in a career defined until only recently by its longtime inconsistency, *this* slam was were the German has always been the most reliable. She last lost in the 1st Round in Melbourne in 2009, her debut appearance there in a MD. She's had seventeen other one-and-out exits -- 3 RG, 7 SW19 and 7 U.S. -- in her career. Her two Down Under, where she's experienced 16 of her 46 career slam match wins, are minuscule in comparison.

Afterward, Collins thanked the fans at MCA for their support. She said that though she's half way around the world from the U.S., they made it feel a little like home.

Hmmm, finding a way to make foreign soil "feel" like home. Could it be that *that's* the hidden secret to consistent tennis success? And now Collins knows all about it. Maybe she'll take advantage of the knowledge in the next round, when she faces -- wouldn't you know it -- another Bannerette in Sachia Vickery.





=DAY 1 NOTES=
...as things kicked off on Day 1 in Melbourne the first big battle didn't happen on any particular court, but on several courts. Virtually simultaneously, as the potential site of the First Victory in the main draw bounced around the grounds -- follow-the-bouncing-ball style -- with a number of matches edging toward their finish at the same time.


Rebecca Peterson led Sorana Cirstea 6-4/5-0 on Court 15, but the Romanian held to get on the board in the 2nd set. Moments later, #31 Petra Martic led 6-1/5-2 over Heather Watson on Court 14 as the players came out of a changeover break. Meanwhile on Court 3, #11 Aryna Sabalenka led Anna Kalinskaya 6-1/5-3, though the Russian qualifier was set to serve. Peterson went up 40/love, just as Martic moved to within two points of a win of her own. According to the AO site scoreboard at the time, as Cirstea got things to 40/30, both Peterson and Martic were at MP.

Finally, by a matter of seconds, Peterson put away the first MD win of this slam, followed immediately afterward by Martic.




As those matches wrapped, #30 Maria Sharapova led qualifier Harriet Dart 6-0/5-0 on Laver, Sabalenka served at 6-1/6-4, and Marketa Vondrousova led Evgeniya Rodina 6-3/5-2 on Court 20. All three went on to advance in short order. Sharapova won 6-0/6-0, serving up her first double bagel win since defeating Paula Ormaechea in the Roland Garros 3rd Round in 2014, and her first in Melbourne since opening the slam's 2013 edition with *two* such victories over Olga Puchkova and Misaki Doi.

While Chris Evert spent the opening moments of ESPN2's coverage making a prediction that Sharapova would retire at the end of the season (largely because of her post-suspension spotty health, poor play and inability to defeat top players). Thing is, though, while the Russian surely hasn't usually resembled her former self since her mid-2017 return, she *is* still ranked in the Top 30, and isn't #200 or something. Also, last season she posted her best slam result since coming back (RG QF), and has gone 7-8 vs. Top 20 players during the period in question. Not great, but enough to consider "if she could just stay on the court...", an issue which hasn't quite yet reached the point of throwing up one's hands in frustration and walking off into the sunset.

After her match, Sharapova visited the network's set and had another take on it all.



I'm not sure why so many are so fired up to push future Hall of Famers out the door, rather than appreciate what little time we have left to watch them, hoping to see a few more "vintage-like" moments while we still can and *enjoying* those rather than always asking "when are you going to retire?" questions. Just simply allow them to make their own decisions in due time, please. But, of course, this has been going on for quite a while (see later for the sort of questions a current player was being lobbed.... back in 2010!).



Elsewhere, in another of the matches that opened play, Brit Katie Boulter -- the only one of the Katies in this draw -- handed former AO semifinalist (2015) Ekaterina Makarova a 1st set bagel, then successfully fought off the veteran Russian in a deciding 3rd set that became the first MD singles match (there were a few in qualifying) in Melbourne to employ the new final set Super Tie-break at 6-6. Boulter won it 10-6 to add her second career slam win to the first she picked up last summer in London. And, yes, I'll surely highlight it anytime Boulter does something (anything) this year since she was included on my "Name You'll Know..." list for '19 last month.

Of course, this vow also includes something such as this moment...




Ah, Katie. Someone was going to do it, why not have it be you? But she won so, you know, whatever. And, really, she probably won't be the last caught up in the middle of a premature celebration this week.

...also early in the day, within minutes of one another, Kristina Mladenovic was shipped out 2 & 4 by #29 Donna Vekic, while #19 Caroline Garcia ousted fellow Pastry Jessika Ponchet by a 6-2/6-3 score. And, yes, this sort of symmetry will be a thing until (when, or if) they ever actually meet on the court again and we can close the long-overdue final chapter on that story.

Meanwhile, the young Aussies had quite the day. While the higher ranked and more well known home nation's players either play late Monday night or Tuesday, the various wild cards and qualifiers who took the court during the day had a frightening high rate of success.



First up was Sharma -- by my reasonable assertion the top performer in AO qualifying (she upset the #1 seed and saved 3 MP in the final round) -- who continued a slam journey that began in October/November when she finished fifth in Tennis Australia's two-event Wild Card Challenge, which was won by Priscilla Hon. That was followed by her losing to Kimberly Birrell in the December final of Tennis Australia's Wild Card Playoff tournament. Sharma was ultimately forced into the AO qualifying rounds after TA gave a WC to Zoe Hives rather than her, despite the fact that Sharma had beaten Hives in the Playoff semifinal. But that doesn't matter now (well, not as much), as former NCAA #1 (for Vanderbilt) Sharma defeated Hon in three sets today to record her first career slam MD win.

Later, wild card Birrell defeated Spanish qualifier Paula Badosa for her own first win, while Hives (who'd finished second to Hon in the Challenge, as well, before the loss to Sharma) did the same with a victory over Bethanie Mattek-Sands.




Wild card Ellen Perez didn't fair a well a few hours later, through, losing to Wang Yafan 6-4/6-0.

...meanwhile, #5 Sloane Stephens, who hasn't exactly been burning up the courts in the opening two weeks of the season, at least posted her first AO win in four years with a straight sets victory over fellow Bannerette Taylor Townsend. It's her first win in Melbourne since she reached the Round of 16 in 2014, one year after her initial breakout SF run.

Another Bannerette, 17-year old Amanda Anisimova recorded her first career MD win at a major with a 7-6/6-4 win over Romanian veteran Monica Niculescu. Anisimova won the '17 U.S. Open girls title, and especially sparked in '18 in Indian Wells (def. Kvitova) and Hiroshima (reaching her maiden tour final). Today, she recovered from 15/40 to hold and serve out the win.

...the occasion of the second seed of the day falling on Monday afternoon, unfortunately, stayed true to the pattern that has seemingly overtaken her game over the last six months. #22 Alona Ostapenko, whether it's connected to the late season wrist injury from last year or if it's something more ingrained into the fabric of her feast-or-(recently mostly)-famine game, finds herself tasked with climbing out of a suddenly very deep looking hole that threatens her entire season if she can't find her way out. And it's only January 14. On some level, I suppose that *could* be viewed at as a good thing, since she's got an entire season to try to figure things out.

If she can, it's not going to happen in the singles competition in Melbourne, though. For after being dominated in the opening set by Maria Sakkari, then managing to send things to a 3rd set, she was once again handled in the decider to the delight of the many Greek fans in attendance (always ready to rumble, they took to even cheering Ostapenko double-faults and booing replay challenges by the Latvian) at Melbourne Arena (formerly both Vodafone and Hisense). Sakkari jumped out to a 4-1 lead and seemed to hold serve with an ace. But a ahwhatthehell challenge from Ostapenko actually managed to overturn it, and she then saved the GP.

About a year and a half ago, that moment might have turned the match. But not here. Not with Ostapenko as she currently exists. Instead, back-to-back Sakkari aces seemed to once again secure the 5-1 lead. Ostapenko challenge once more, but this time lost the point. Things ended fairly routinely two games later.



Ostapenko has always had holes in her game, but her big weapons were often able to overcome them, sometimes with stunning brilliance. What we're seeing now is what she is when those weapons just aren't as lethal. It makes all her serve and UE sore points -- and they may or may not be worse now than they were back in 2017 -- ever harder (impossible) to overcome. She's now 0-3 on the season, with five straight losses dating back to last year. 1-8 in her last nine matches, she's 4-11 since her Wimbledon semifinal run last summer. Hopefully she'll remain in the doubles (and likely MX) draws for this slam, as her doubles success *did* seem to help her (temporarily) pull herself out of a similar drought early last season... and, you know, I predicted her to have some nice WD/MX success in the majors this year, and I just *have* to look for any possible angle that'll help me put a few more checkmarks on the list, naturally.



For her part, Sakkari will go on to face Sharma. It'll be a match that'll pit the Greek fans against the Aussies in the stands... though it'd be nothing like we could get if things play out and Sakkari wins there and gets Ash Barty -- likely under the lights -- in the 3rd Round.

...in matches later tonight, defending champ Caroline Wozniacki (vs. Van Uytvanck on Laver) and Sydney winner Petra Kvitova (vs. Rybarikova at MA) hit the court for the first time, as will Sydney finalist and Barty Party hostess Ash (vs. Kumkhum on MCA).


...SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO ON DAY 3: Collins vs. Vickery in Melbourne. Two seasons ago in a 1st Rounder in Texas...




...LIKE ON DAY 1: South American/Brazilian women's tennis has its #1 hope back...



...LIKE ON DAY 1: This just kind of made me chuckle. Recreating an emotional reaction for a photo can sometimes go either way... I think Alize came about as close to pulling it off as one could hope, though.



...LIKE ON DAY 1?: So wrong it's (almost) right... right?



Towards the end, it sort of reminds me of the old Jhoon Rhee ad (I have expected one of the kids to say, "Nobody bothers me... because I'm gonig roller skating.")




As part of the season-long "Decade's Best" look back at the soon-to-conclude 2010's (here's the first nomination list for Players of the Decade, which will get its first new additions -- and subtractions -- once this AO in over), I'm going to be using this space over the course of each slam to give a quick thumbnail sketch of all of the slams that have taken over the first nine years of the decade, leading up to picking the Top 10 players (and other stuff) for each of the four majors.

First up, the 2010 Australian Open...


==NEWS & NOTES==
Serena Williams wins her fifth AO title, and sweeps the singles and doubles crowns. She and sister Venus win their third straight slam WD title, and fourth in a five-slam stretch. They'd go on to win at Roland Garros later that year, too.

===============================================
Wild card Justine Henin reaches the women's final in her first slam since ending her 20-month retirement, losing to Serena in their first and only meeting in a slam championship match. It was their last of fourteen career match-ups (SW 8-6).
===============================================
Two Chinese women -- Li Na and Zheng Jie -- reach the semis of a major for the first (and only... so far) time

===============================================
All four of the women's semifinalists survived close calls: S.Williams rallied from 6-4/4-0 down vs. Victoria Azarenka in the QF, Henin trailed Alisa Kleybanova 6-3/3-1 in the 3rd Round, Li saved two MP vs. Agnes Szavay in the 2nd Round and was behind 6-2/5-3 against Venus Williams in the QF, and Zheng began her 1st Rounder vs. Peng Shuai by dropping the 1st set at love
===============================================
Nadia Petrova upsets two reigning slam champions -- Kim Clijsters (US) and Svetlana Kuznetova (RG) -- only to lose in the QF to Henin
===============================================
Maria Kirilenko upsets Maria Sharapova in the 1st Round in a 3:22 battle. Sharapova is the First Seed Out, as it's her worst slam loss since the 2003 Roland Garros.
===============================================
With Esther Vergeer out, her Dutch countrywoman Korie Homan wins the women's wheelchair singles crown, the only slam she'd win in her career
===============================================
Henin turns down an offer to sample Vegemite during a visit to the ESPN set on Australia Day, earning yet another Gold Star in this Backspinner's personal highlight book
===============================================
Barbora Strycova (then still married and going by Zahlavova-Strycova) and Regina Kulikova play a 1st Round match that lasts 4:18, the longest women's match in AO history. It's surpassed a year later in Melbourne, when Svetlana Kuznetsova and Francesca Schiavone engage in a 4:44 marathon in the 4th Round to set the all-time slam mark.
===============================================
Karolina Pliskova defeats Laura Robson in the girls singles final. Robson had defeated the Czech's twin sister Kristyna in the semis.

===============================================
Timea Babos & Gaby Dabrowski lose the girls doubles final to Jana Cepelova & Chantal Skamlova. Eight years later, Babos wins the 2018 AO women's doubles with Kristina Mladenovic, while Dabrowski picks up the Mixed title with Mate Pavic, defeating Babos & Rohan Bopanna in the final.
===============================================


==QUOTES==
* - "It sucks." -- Kim Clijsters, after her 6-0/6-1 3rd Round loss (in the worst of her career, she had a 5/26 winner/UE ratio) to Petrova

* - "Well, like I said so many times before. If I would have gotten involved in what people said I would have never left the ghetto." - Venus Williams

* - "It was super cool. Prince William was really dapper and suave. You know, he was just basically, 'shazam!' ... "I told him that I might like his little brother better because he's the little brother, and he laughed and said he might like Venus better because she's older." -- Serena Williams, about meeting the visiting Prince William at Melbourne Park

* - "As long as I'm playing great, I'm not putting a number on it yet." -- Venus Williams, 29, when asked about possibly retiring from tennis. Nine years later, she's now in her third decade of participation at the AO.

Some things never change.





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*RECENT AO "FIRST SEED OUT"*
2005 #16 Ai Sugiyama, JPN (lost to Sucha)
2006 #9 Elena Dementieva, RUS (lost to Schruff)
2007 #25 Anabel Medina-Garrigues, ESP (lost to Vesnina)
2008 #32 Julia Vakulenko, UKR (lost to Vesnina)
2009 #23 Agnes Szavay, HUN (lost to Voskoboeva)
2010 #14 Maria Sharapova, RUS (lost to Kirilenko)
2011 #28 Daniela Hantuchova, SVK (lost to Kulikova)
2012 #19 Flavia Pennetta, ITA (lost to Bratchikova)
2013 #32 Mona Barthel, GER (lost to Pervak)
2014 #7 Sara Errani, ITA (lost to Goerges)
2015 #32 Belinda Bencic, SUI (lost to Goerges)
2016 #17 Sara Errani, ITA (lost to Gasparyan)
2017 #4 Simona Halep, ROU (lost to Rogers)
2018 #13 Sloane Stephens, USA (lost to Sh.Zhang)
2019 #14 Julia Goerges, GER (lost to Collins)

*RECENT AO "FIRST VICTORY" HONORS*
2009 Patricia Mayr, AUS (def. Schruff)
2010 Dinara Safina, RUS (def. Rybarikova)
2011 Evgeniya Rodina, RUS (def. Rogowska)
2012 Victoria Azarenka, BLR (def. Watson)
2013 Maria Sharapova, RUS (def. Puchkova)
2014 Kirsten Flipkens, BEL (def. Robson)
2015 Julia Goerges, GER (def. Bencic)
2016 Petra Kvitova, CZE (def. Kumkhum)
2017 Monica Puig, PUR (def. Tig)
2018 Duan Yingying, CHN (def. Duque Marino)
2019 Rebecca Peterson, SWE (def. Cirstea)




TOP QUALIFIER: Astra Sharma/AUS
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3 - Astra Sharma/AUS def. #25 Irina Khromacheva 5-7/7-6(7)/7-6(10) (saved 3 MP, makes slam debut)
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr./Doub.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Rebecca Peterson/SWE (def. Cirstea/ROU)
FIRST SEED OUT: #14 Julia Goerges/GER (1st Rd. - lost to D.Collins/USA)
UPSET QUEENS: xx
REVELATION LADIES: xx
NATION OF POOR SOULS: xx
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Day 1 wins: Haddad Maia, Sharma
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Day 1 wins: Birrell, Hives
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: Day 1 wins: Birrell, Hives, Sharma
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: xx
IT (??): xx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xx
CRASH & BURN: xx
ZOMBIE QUEEN: xx
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: xx
LADY OF THE EVENING: xx
DOUBLES STAR: xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx




All for Day 1. More tomorrow.
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