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Sunday, May 26, 2019

RG.1- Pova'ed in Paris, version 2.0

In the case of Angie Kerber, her exit from Roland Garros this year was anything but a dramatic incident. Well, it was for Russian teen Anastasia Potapova, but somewhat less so for the German.



Two years ago, when she arrived as the (still) #1 ranked player in the world, nearly half-way through what would be a deflating follow-up campaign to her career-best, two-slam win career year of 2016, Kerber's 1st Round loss on Day 1 to another Hordette, veteran Ekaterina Makarova, was the first in the opening round by a women's top seed in Paris in the Open era, and the first time it'd happened at *any* major since 2001.

While the #5-seeded Kerber wasn't the First Seed Out two springs ago, she was on Sunday.



18-year old '16 Wimbledon girls champ Potapova's 6-4/6-2 win was eye-opening, but it wasn't really particularly surprising. After all, Kerber hadn't played since pulling out of her 2nd Round match in Madrid, nursing an ankle/foot injury that she'd expressed relative joy about a few days ago just because it was healed *enough* to at least allow her to *play* Roland Garros, her 39th consecutive appearance in a slam MD. Her mobility was always going to be in question at this slam, and a Kerber who can't adequately cover the court just isn't a version of herself that is prepared to produce superior results.

Potapova took a break lead mid-way through the 1st set and never gave it up, then surged ahead 4-0 in the 2nd before Kerber extended her stay just a bit, breaking for 4-1 and threatening to get the set back on serve two games later. Ultimately, the #81-ranked Russian held her off to record her first MD win in Paris in her debut appearance, notching the first Top 10 win of her career.



This marks the third 1st Round defeat for Kerber in the last four years at RG, the only slam at which she's never advanced as far as the semifinals. Her rebound QF run last year had matched her career best result in Paris from 2012. Her loss adds another layer of uncertainty to a pretty-good-but-not-great season that hasn't produced the same sort of resurgent '18 results that had sparked hope that '17 was simply an aberration made reality by the mental/physical fatigue associated with her rise to #1. She hasn't won a title since her Wimbledon triumph last summer (going 25-16 overall), was stunningly blitzed love & 2 by Danielle Collins in the Australian Open 4th Round, and her best result this season (a run to the Indian Wells final and a fabulous three-set battle there with Bianca Andreescu) is somewhat overshadowed by the lingering memory of her uncharacteristic post-match, drive-by snapping in Miami at the same Canadian teen (calling her "a drama queen" as she whizzed by during their handshake at the net) after losing to her for the second time in a week.

So, Kerber's dream of adding a deep run in Paris, if it's to ever come, to her Hall of Fame worthy resume will have to wait.

Perhaps the most fortunate thing is that while she was the first seed to fall at this slam, she was also the second overall player to be sent out in MD play on the opening Sunday, long before many will have been paying much attention to think less of her for it. Any slight blink of the eye will mean many will have entirely missed the news of her short-term presence and early dismissal. And even for those who were paying attention, it'll dissipate in the Parisian atmosphere before sundown.

Kerber will likely have the same experience with it all. On to the path toward London, where she was last recognized as a queen.




=DAY 1 NOTES=
...a short time before Potapova's upset of Kerber, #31 Petra Martic had been the first player to advance to the 2nd Round. The Istanbul champ, 11-2 this clay season heading into RG, handled Ons Jabeur ('11 girls champ) 6-1/6-2 on Court 1 in 1:03 to lift her career main draw record in Paris over .500 at 9-8.



...for a bit, it looked as if Kerber might not be the only former slam champ to be taken down in the first few hours of this event. #19 Garbine Muguruza, who won her maiden major in Paris in '16 and can still count RG (24-5 coming in) as her best major, was given an early test by Taylor Townsend, who reached the 3rd Round in her RG debut five years ago and has recorded five of her seven career slam match wins in this event.

Playing the first actual match *ever* on the nifty new Simonne Mathieu (greenhouse -- as in one actually *surrounds* it) Court, Muguruza fell behind 4-2 to Townsend in the 1st set. She leveled things at 4-4, but when forced to hold serve to force a TB, saw the Bannerette break her at love with a down the line backhand winner to win the set 7-5. Muguruza staved off BP early in the 2nd, then broke Townsend to take the lead. It seemed to right her course, as she won the final two sets 6-2/6-2, preserving her '19 life at the major where she's been her most uncharacteristically consistent self, posting QF-QF-W-4r-SF results in Paris since 2014.



Coming in at #19, Muguruza has managed to win a title (her second straight in Monterrey, the only place she's won since winning Wimbledon two years ago) this season, but will likely have to post another good result in this slam (her only 2nd Round exit came in her debut year in '13) to maintain her Top 20 ranking. At the mid-way point of this RG her streak will reach 207 weeks, third best on tour behind those of only Halep and Pliskova. For a player so talented, it's sort of ridiculous that she's in such a situation. But it's noting new for maybe the most perplexing talent on tour. One could say she'll lose her next match, or go on to win her second RG title... and both scenarios would seem equally viable.

And that's part of the problem.

During Tennis Channel's coverage of her match today, Martina Navratilova, upon seeing coach Sam Sumyk in the stands, noted that she thinks Muguruza needs "a change of scenery" that a new coach would likely present, even if it's ultimately just change for the sake of change. Frankly, it's nothing that hasn't been said in these parts for a while now, as the Spaniard often looks unhappy (when she doesn't come off as childish) in her in-match relations with Sumyk. Even more damning, she's often seemed carefree and fancy free -- and much more loose and brilliant between the lines -- when Sumyk has been absent for one reason or another and was replaced by substitute coach.

It reveals a great deal about the differences between two multi-slam winning #1's that Muguruza continues to trudge along in her current situation while the likes of Naomi Osaka parted ways earlier this year with Sascha Bajin in the wake of winning her second straight major, and stated it was because things weren't as "fun" in practice and between matches as they used to be.

There has to be an expert "Mugu whisperer" out there somewhere, it's just a matter of whether Garbi is willing to look for her/him.



...meanwhile, #9 seed Elina Svitolina finally won her first clay court match of the season, having come into Paris trying to recover from a knee injury and compete without great preparation or ongoing form coming into this RG.

Venus Williams didn't prove to be a huge obstacle today. But, you know, it's Venus, so nothing can be taken for granted. As it turned out, Svitolina rallied from 3-1 down in the 2nd to dispatch Williams 6-3/6-3, handing her a second straight 1st Round exit at Roland Garros after resurgent back-to-back Round of 16 results in 2016-17.

...it remains to seen whether Svetlana Kuznetsova is simply biding her time before she stuns everyone one more time before exiting out the back door ("ladies and gentlemen, Sveta has left the building"), jaws scraping the floor behind her as she sports a "that'll show 'em" grin. But today wasn't a good sign when it comes to anything glorious (let alone grand) happening anytime soon.

The '09 champ didn't start her season until April (seven months out) while she recuperated from injury, and she came to Paris sporting a 5-5 mark in '19. Still, though, one sort of expected that Kuznetsova's deep history of dramatic matches in Paris would produce something better than the 6-4/6-2 defeat at the hands of qualifier Kristina Kucova that occurred on Sunday.

Sveta has been breaking records at Roland Garros for years, but this time it wasn't a good one that she knocked down. This was her second straight 1st Round loss, a first in a career run in the event that stretches back to 2003. At one point, she reached the Round of 16 or better in ten of eleven years, reaching two finals (and getting that one title a decade ago).

Is this just a step toward a return to full health and another big event run or two before the now 33-year old (34 next month) hits the eject button? Is today just part of the process, or another sign of the impending sunset of a Newport-bound legacy? All good things and all...

Hopefully, we'll get at least one more taste of what made Sveta Sveta before this whole journey is over. Tennis Gods... this is your mission, and choosing to accept it shouldn't be an option.

...in case you missed it, the NCAA tournament champions were crowned on Saturday evening.

Spain's Estela Perez-Somarriba won to become the second Miami Hurricane (2007-Audra Cohen) to be crowned the women's singles champ...



And UCLA Bruins Gabby Andrews & Ayan Broomfield took the doubles crown...



...in wheelchair play, Argentina's Maria Florencia Moreno continued her giant killing ways in the Open d Vendee Series 2 event in France, defeating top seed Giulia Capocci 7-5/7-5 in the final. Florencia Moreno, 30, had already posted upset wins over Michaela Spaansta, #2 Katharina Kruger and Manami Tanaka. The win matches her biggest career title.



...in Jerusalem, 19-year old Brit Jodie Anna Burrage won a $25K challenger crown, the biggest of her career. She defeated Latvian teen Daniela Vismane 2-6/6-2/6-3 in the final.



...Bannerette Alexa Noel, 16, won the the Grade A Milan clay court event. The #6 seed followed up her semifinal win over Czech Linda Fruhvirtova with a 6-2/6-4 win in the final over just-turned-18 Sada Nahimana of Burundi, who'd previously upset #3 Emma Navarro.

The #19-ranked junior, Noel won the Grade 1 Astrid Bowl in Belgium last year, as well. Earlier this season she reached the final at G1 Barranquilla and the semis at GA Porto Alegre.







...LIKE ON DAY 1: The Mathieu Court greenhouse...



...LIKE ON DAY 1: adidas at least making a (very good) effort to bring the fashion in Paris...





...DISLIKE ON DAY 1: As for Nike's "funereal" wrap (with essential-yet-distracting elastic waist band -- I just haven't liked this design all season long, no matter the colors), not so much...



...APPARENTLY ON DAY 1: ...Nike spent all their time designing for Serena...



...LIKE ON DAY 1: On the other hand, this Nike effort is quite nice...


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Ready for battle. @nikecourt

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Even without the cape.

...LIKE ON DAY 1: A bit mesmerizing. The little kid tossing the ball, while sometimes afraid for his own health, is remarkably good at giving his big brother (?) a nice variety of bounces to work with, too.





Once again during this slam, the "Decade's Best" series will recall past editions of Roland Garros. (Almost) every day this spot will be dedicated to the year-by-year rundown of what's happened in Paris in the 2010's. Once the final '19 champ at this slam has been crowned, the list of the Top 10 RG players of the decade will be able to be unveiled, as well as the latest update of the Players of the Decade nomination list. I got things started a few days ago with the 2010 recap.

While 2010 was all about Francesca. A year later, yet another "people's champion" was crowned in Paris.



The 2011 Roland Garros recap... here.





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#walktall !

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... from Paris with love

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*RECENT RG "FIRST VICTORY" HONORS*
2009 Li Na/CHN (d. Domachowska/POL) & A.Pavlyuchenkova/RUS (d. Olaru/ROU)
2010 Dominika Cibulkova/SVK (def. Ivanova/RUS)
2011 Simona Halep/ROU (def. Kudryavtseva/RUS)
2012 Samantha Stosur/AUS (def. Baltacha/GBR)
2013 Sara Errani/ITA (def. Rus/NED)
2014 Aga Radwanska/POL (def. Sh.Zhang/CHN)
2015 Teliana Pereira/BRA (def. Ferro/FRA)
2016 A.Pavlyuchenkova/RUS (def. Sorribes Tormo/ESP)
2017 Petra Kvitova/CZE (def. Boserup/USA)
2018 Ekaterina Makarova/RUS (def. Sai.Zheng/CHN)
2019 Petra Martic/CRO (def. Jabeur/TUN)

*RECENT RG "FIRST SEED OUT"*
2005 #25 Dinara Safina/RUS (Razzano/FRA)
2006 #18 Elena Likhovtseva/RUS (Sprem/CRO)
2007 #31 Severine Bremond/FRA (Krajicek/NED)
2008 #15 Nicole Vaidisova/CZE (Benesova/CZE)
2009 #19 Kaia Kanepi/EST (Shvedova/KAZ)
2010 #10 Victoria Azarenka/BLR (Dulko/ARG)
2011 #19 Shahar Peer/ISR (Martinez-Sanchez/ESP)
2012 #30 Mona Barthel/GER (Davis/USA)
2013 #11 Nadia Petrova/RUS (Puig/PUR)
2014 #25 Kaia Kanepi/EST (Niculescu/ROU)
2015 #31 Caroline Garcia/FRA (Vekic/CRO)
2016 #32 Alona Ostapenko/LAT (Osaka/JPN)
2017 #31 Roberta Vinci/ITA (Puig/PUR)
2018 #9 Venus Williams/USA (Q.Wang/CHN)
2019 #5 Angelique Kerber/GER (Potapova/RUS)

*NCAA WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS*
[recent singles winners]
2010 Chelsey Gullickson, Georgia (USA)
2011 Jana Juricova, California (SVK)
2012 Nicole Gibbs, Stanford (USA)
2013 Nicole Gibbs, Stanford (USA)
2014 Danielle Collins, Virginia (USA)
2015 Jamie Loeb, North Carolina (USA)
2016 Danielle Collins, Virginia (USA)
2017 Brienne Minor, Michigan (USA)
2018 Arianne Hartono, Mississippi (NED)
2019 Estela Perez-Somarriba, Miami (ESP)
[recent doubles winners]
2010 Hilary Barte / Lindsay Burdette (Stanford)
2011 Hilary Barte / Mallory Burdette (Stanford)
2012 Mallory Burdette / Nicole Gibbs (Stanford)
2013 Kaitlyn Christian / Sabrina Santamaria (USC)
2014 Maya Jansen / Erin Routcliffe (Alabama)
2015 Maya Jansen / Erin Routcliffe (Alabama)
2016 Brooke Austin / Kourtney Keegan (Florida)
2017 Francesca Di Lorenzo / Miho Kowase (Ohio State)
2018 Jessica Golovin / Eden Richardson (LSU)
2019 Gabby Andrews / Ayan Broomfield (UCLA)




TOP QUALIFIER: #22q Elena Rybakina/KAZ
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: #1 Bernarda Pera/USA def. #21 Kaja Juvan/SLO 6-4/1-6/7-6(1) [Juvan up break three times in 3rd, served at 5-4]
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #31 Petra Martic/CRO (def. Jabeur/TUN)
FIRST SEED OUT: #5 Angelique Kerber/GER (1st Rd./Potapova)
UPSET QUEENS: xx
REVELATION LADIES: xx
NATION OF POOR SOULS: xx
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: Day 1 wins: Kucova
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Day 1 wins: xx
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Day 1 wins: Mladenovic
MADEMOISELLE/MADAM OPPORTUNITY: xx
IT "??": xx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xx
CRASH & BURN: Nominee: #5 Kerber (1st Rd.)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: xx
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
Légion de Lenglen HONOREE: Nominee: adidas RG fashion
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: awarded on LPT Day/June 1




All for Day 1. More tomorrow.
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