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Monday, June 3, 2019

RG.9- Hale, Hearty... Halep

Iga Swiatek may one day rise to the top of women's tennis. But that day wasn't today.



The 18 year old , #104-ranked Pole has spent the week in Paris on an extended extracurricular break from her high school back home, and when she returns she'll have quite the tale to tell. The Lugano finalist celebrated her birthday, played (and won) a few matches on some really nice tennis courts, met Aga Radwanska (finally), and made a lot of new friends and important contacts. She'll just conveniently leave out what happened today, as it might color the memory. At least a little, even though she promised herself before the day began that she had nothing to lose, and not having a great day wouldn't make her forget Paris. After all, it's been the greatest vacation ever, and she'll surely hope to come back and improve upon it soon. In France, but also England, New York and Down Under, as well.

On Monday, though, defending champ Simona Halep made Poland's new hope little more than a spectator in their Round of 16 match. It was surely an occasion, on Chatrier Court, set to be overwhelming for the teenager. She's no Radwanska-like magician... really, as *her* game is far bigger than Aga's, and armed with a serve that many may come to fear down the line. But she never really got to showcase any of that today.

Halep broke Swiatek's serve in her first three service games while racing to a 5-0 in the 1st set. She held a 19-6 points edge, but at least the teen had finally managed to get to 30 in her final serve game. Her having somewhat found her footing, things were more even in the final two games of the set. Halep held only a 9-8 point edge for the rest of the 1st, and actually dropped serve in game #6. Swiatek's final service game was the longest of the opening stanza -- seven points -- but Halep still broke her for a fourth straight time to take the set 6-1.

Once Halep broke Swiatek to lead 2-0 in the 2nd, things got ugly/uglier. In game #3, Iga won one point. In games 4 and 5, she won zero. Halep ran off a string of twelve straight into game #6. Swiatek got to 40/30 on the Halep serve, but the Romanian held to close out the win with a love set. Swiatek never held serve in the 45-minute match, as Halep had a 52-21 points advantage, converted 7-of-10 BP, won 70% of her return points and 21-of-25 on her own First Serve.



After being taken to three sets twice in the first two rounds, Halep has lost just four total games in her last two.

As 2019 has progressed, any lingering doubts have flown away like bats about the Romanian two-time year-end #1 quite possibly having difficulty regaining her focus after her career year, as well as recovering from an offseason during which she had to rest a back injury *and* amicably (and only officially, as they've continued to talk/consult at times) parted ways with Darren Cahill, the coach who helped her overcome her own personal doubts and unrealistic desires for perfection (for pretty much any human being and/or tennis player... even that Feder-ling guy) to finally become a slam champion. Upon much self reflection, Halep now "gets" it. She's still not perfect when it comes to holding back her anger at a job not well done. But the past year and the success and fulfillment it's brought her means that now she can forgive herself far more quickly. These days, you have to squint really hard to see the sort of Simo who'll berate herself for multiple games over a wayward backhand when leading the world #91 by a 6-1/4-2 score.

But don't confuse that with her being "satisfied" by her success.

Halep still hasn't won a title this season, but she's 11-2 on the clay, she reached the AO Round of 16 (and lost in a entertainingly tight match vs. Serena), the Doha and Madrid finals, the Miami semis, and went 4-0 in Fed Cup singles (leading the Swarmettes past the Czechs in the 1st Round). In Paris, as top seeds have fallen around her, she's been as quiet in the draw as a defending champion and three-time finalist could hope to be. Thanks to her '18 run, the #1 ranking has never been at stake for the world #3, even as she'd been close to grabbing it back from Naomi Osaka on multiple occasions coming into this RG. It's allowed her to work her way into top form as she seeks her fifth career slam final, maybe second major win and, possibly, even a *third* straight year-end #1 ranking.

Only four women have ever done it since the start of the tour's ranking system: Chris Evert (1975-77), Martina Navratilova (1982-86), Steffi Graf (1993-96) and Serena Wiliams (2013-15). Even Halep's idol, Justine Henin, only finished on top in back-to-back years, in 2006-07. (Of course, the Belgian was #1 a quarter of the way through '08 when she suddenly retired from the sport... but let's not give Simona any ideas).

So, even with that Coupe Suzanne Lenglen replica on a shelf back home, Halep still has lots to play for, for as long as she desires to strive for more.

One day, maybe Iga will find herself in that place, too. If so, she'll look back at this week as one that laid it all out for her, no matter how suddenly the sun set on her fun on Day 9.

IGA's FRIEND: "So, Iga. You said you met Simona Halep when you were in Paris. How'd that go? Is she as nice as she seems?"

IGA: "Yeah, I guess. Of course, she was only around for a few minutes. Maybe next time we'll get to have a longer conversation."




=DAY 9 NOTES=
...the day began with dueling women's matches on Chatrier and Lenglen, with players not particularly known for their feel-good vibes when it comes to their games on red clay trying once again to prove the conventional wisdom (and their own protests about the pesky part of the schedule before the grass season) wrong.

#14 Madison Keys has always downplayed her abilities on clay, but even while she's hardly a natural on the surface she's still managed to post good results on it. She reached the RG semis a year ago, has played in a Rome final (2016) and earlier this spring won her first clay court title (albeit on the green variety) in Charleston. But, generally, the bigger the event the more easily Keys tends to set aside her ups-and-down and get things done. She did it again today against Katerina Siniakova, two days after the Czech had upset world #1 Naomi Osaka.

Firing 26 winners and converting five of six BP chances, Keys won 6-2/6-4 to win in 1:16 and return to the RG quarterfinals. It's her seventh career slam QF, and her fifth in the last seven majors.




On Chatrier, #8 Ash Barty took a bit longer to dispatch Sonya Kenin (about fifteen minutes, to be accurate), who'd this weekend officially confounded U.S. tennis commentators who were forced to make the intense decision -- on the fly, no less... though they really should have made the decision well beforehand -- about whether or not to call the 20-year old Bannerette by her given (Sonia) or generally preferred name.

Said Alona Ostapenko, "Don't sweat it, they'll probably mispronounce both anyway."

After taking the 1st set, Barty saw Kenin's characteristic fight bubble up and force a 3rd. It was there, though, that the Aussie -- even though she should be rightly at the top or in the immediate conversation for Player of the Year due to her multi-pronged, multi-level success in '19 -- dominated Kenin in surprising fashion, laying down a bagel set while never facing a break point, winning 6-3/3-6/6-0. For the match, Barty put in eleven aces en route to her first career QF at Roland Garros. She's the only quarterfinalist from this year's Australian Open to back up her result in Paris, adding yet another layer of success to her season.



After talking at the start of the spring about how much she was looking forward to the her favored grass season, leading some (of us) down the path of reluctantly coming to the conclusion that her banner '19 season would take a brief results sabbatical before picking up again on the lawns, Barty has managed to trick everyone. Or maybe even *she* didn't realize how well her ramped-up game and confidence would translate to a surface that has always made her brain itch.

Aussie great Rod Laver has an idea about how things have developed...



Barty has now posted her best three best slam results at the last three majors, with a U.S. Open Round of 16 followed by an AO QF, and now the same (or better) in Paris. Oddly enough, the slam that's played on her favorite surface is now *unofficially* her "worst." She's never advanced beyond the 3rd Round at Wimbledon. Though one could easily believe that'll change next month. Today's win will lift her into the Top 5 for the first time, and the player-who-doesn't-like-clay is now 8-2 on the surface this season, and a win away from reaching her first career slam semifinal on, of all things, the terre battue.

Why, it's an occurrence that would fit quite nicely into an Andrea Petkovic Twitter thread about the "sometimes-oddball, but-who-can-be-surprised-by-anything-really?" reality of the sport. I mean, it was Barty who sort of incited the German's inspired stream-of-conscious efforts the other day.



...in the day's final 4th Round match, "Amanda-Rama" officially became a worldwide phenomenon as 17-year old Amanda Anisimova followed up her Round of 16 run in Melbourne, where she became the first 2000's baby to accomplish such a thing in a major, with a QF in Paris after downing Spanish qualifier Aliona Bolsova, 6-3/6-0.



While Anismova has been building to this -- reaching the '16 RG girls final and then winning the U.S. Open juniors in '17, and this season alone winning a tour title in Bogota and posting wins over Petra Kvitova, Aryna Sabalenka (2) and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova -- Bolsova is the latest former NCAA player (Oklahoma State/Florida Atlantic) to rise from relative obscurity to suddenly make a mark. Before this RG run, she'd been ranked #137 (she'll now be Top 90), only made her WTA debut in Charleston in April, and was just 1-2 in tour-level main draws in her career.

Things seem about to change -- big time -- for *both* Anisimova and Bolsova.

...in doubles, Barty's day proved to not be *perfect.* She and Victoria Azarenka (#11) fell to #5 seeded Samantha Stosur & Zhang Shuai, as the AO champs keep alive their hopes of winning back-to-back slams as they head into the QF.

Still alive in *both* the WD and MX quarterfinals: Gaby Dabrowski, Nicole Melichar and Zhang Shuai. Melichar reached the final of both at last year's Wimbledon, while Dabrowski has played in the RG mixed final the last two years (1-1).

...in junior play, Hordette Oksana Selekhmeteva defeated Pastry Selena Janicijevic in a 1st Round match. 16-year old Janicijevic appeared in the women's MD via a wild card from the French Federation.

Ukraine's Daria Snigur, a winner of a pair of low level ITF pro challengers this season, defeated #16 Helene Pellicano (MLT).

...over the weekend, the final pre-RG wheelchair tournament featuring most of the big names who'll appear in the draw this week in Paris took place in Amiens, France. World #2 Yui Kamiji swept the titles, not losing a set in singles vs. Charlotte Famin, Giulia Capocci and Aniek Van Koot. She and Capocci won the doubles final in a match TB over Marjolein Buis & Michaela Spaanstra.

The title run gives Kamiji a seven-match winning streak heading into Roland Garros. While I've noted that #1 Diede de Groot will be seeking to become the first WC player to claim all eight slam titles in a career at this event, and could also become the first to hold all the WC slam crowns simultaneously since Esther Vergeer (and the first ever to do it since the eighth WC competition -- Wimbledon singles -- was added in 2016), Kamiji, too, has history within her grasp. If *she* wins the singles rather than de Groot, Kamiji would become the first three-peat RG singles champ since Vergeer's 2007-12 run (the former #1 from Japan is already the only women other than the Dutch great to successfully defend the title), and the opportunity to become the first to win all eight slam crowns would switch to her side of the court next month, as she is only missing a Wimbledon singles title to complete the full career "boxed set."




...LIKE ON DAY 9: Look out world...



...LIKE ON DAY 9:



...DISLIKE ON DAY 9: Fearlessly an asshat...



...LIKE ON DAY 9: But at least...



...UPDATE ON DAY 9: And Zaniewska outlasts Swiatek in the draw...










=WOMEN'S SINGLES QF=
#14 Madison Keys/USA vs. #8 Ash Barty/AUS
#3 Simona Halep/ROU vs. Amanda Anisimova/USA
#7 Sloane Stephens/USA vs. #26 Johanna Konta/GBR
Marketa Vondrousova/CZE vs. #31 Petra Martic/CRO

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF=
#15 Flipkens/Larsson (BEL/SWE) vs. #7 Melichar/Peschke (USA/CZE)
#4 Dabrowski/Xu Yifan (CAN/CHN) vs. Duan/Sai.Zheng (CHN/CHN)
#6 Mertens/Sabalenka (BEL/BLR) vs. L.Kichenok/Ostapenko (UKR/LAT)
#5 Stosur/Sh.Zhang (AUS/CHN) vs. #2 Babos/Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)

=MIXED DOUBLES QF=
#1 Melichar/Soares (USA/BRA) def. #7 Rosolska/Mektic (POL/CRO)
(WC) Hesse/Bonzi (FRA/FRA) vs. L.Chan/Dodig (TPE/CRO)
(Alt.) N.Kichenok/Qureshi (UKR/PAK) def. #6 H.Chan/Marach (TPE/AUT)
#6 Sh.Zhang/Peers (CHN/AUS) vs. #2 Dabrowski/Pavic (CAN/CRO)




















*2019 ROLAND GARROS OPEN FINAL 8*
[by career slam QF]
12 - Simona Halep, ROU
7 - Madison Keys, USA
6 - Sloane Stephens, USA
4 - Johanna Konta, GBR
2 - Ash Barty, AUS
1 - Amanda Anisimova, USA
1 - Petra Martic, CRO
1 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
[by career RG QF]
4 - Simona Halep, ROU
2 - Madison Keys, USA
2 - Sloane Stephens, USA
1 - Amanda Anisimova, USA
1 - Ash Barty, AUS
1 - Johanna Konta, GBR
1 - Petra Martic, CRO
1 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
[w/ consecutive slam QF]
2 - Ash Barty, AUS (AO/RG)
[w/ consecutive RG QF]
3 - Simona Halep
2 - Madison Keys
2 - Sloane Stephens
[2019 slam QF - unseeded]
AO - Danielle Collins, USA
AO - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
RG - Amanda Anisimova, USA
RG - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
[2019 1st-time GS QF]
AO - Ash Barty, AUS
AO - Danielle Collins, USA
RG - Amanda Anisimova, USA
RG - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
[2019 slam QF]
2 - Ash Barty, AUS
1 - AO: Collins,Kvitova,Osaka,Pavlyuchenkova,Ka.Pliskova,Svitolina,S.Williams
1 - RG: Anisimova,Halep,Keys,Konta,Martic,Stephens,Vondrousova
[2019 slam QF - by nation]
5...USA (2/3/x/x) - Anisimova,Collins,Keys,Stephens,S.Williams
3...CZE (2/1/x/x) - Kvitova,Ka.Pliskova,Vondrousova
2...AUS (1/1/x/x) - Barty-2
1...CRO (0/1/x/x) - Martic
1...GBR (0/1/x/x) - Konta
1...JPN (1/0/x/x) - Osaka
1...ROU (0/1/x/x) - Halep
1...RUS (1/0/x/x) - Pavlyuchenkova
1...UKR (1/0/x/x) - Svitolina
[WTA career slam QF - active]
50...Serena Williams, USA
39...Venus Williams, USA
25...Maria Sharapova, RUS
16...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
16...Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
12...Simona Halep, ROU
11...Petra Kvitova, CZE
10...Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
9...Angelique Kerber, GER
8...Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
8...Jelena Jankovic, SRB (?)
7...Sara Errani, ITA
7...Madison Keys, USA
7...Garbine Muguruza, ESP
7...Karolina Pliskova, CZE
7...Samantha Stosur, AUS
7...Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP
6...Kaia Kanepi, EST
6...Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
6...Sloane Stephens, USA
6...Vera Zvonareva, RUS
5...Sabine Lisicki, GER
5...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
4...Timea Bacsinszky, SUI
4...Genie Bouchard, CAN
4...Johanna Konta, GBR
4...Andrea Petkovic, GER
4...Elina Svitolina, UKR
4...CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
[WTA slam QF in 2010's - active]
22...Serena Williams, USA
14...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
12...Simona Halep, ROU
12...Maria Sharapova, RUS
11...Petra Kvitova, CZE
10..Angelique Kerber, GER
9...Venus Williams, USA
9...Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
7...Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
7...Sara Errani, ITA
7...Madison Keys, USA
7...Garbine Muguruza, ESP
7...Karolina Pliskova, CZE
6...Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
6...Sloane Stephens, USA
6...Samantha Stosur, AUS
6...Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP
5...Kaia Kanepi, EST
5...Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
5...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
4...Timea Bacsinszky, SUI
4...Genie Bouchard, CAN
4...Johanna Konta, GBR
4...Sabine Lisicki, GER
4...Andrea Petkovic, GER
4...Elina Svitolina, UKR
4...CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
4...Vera Zvonareva, RUS

*RG UNSEEDED/WC/Q - 2010-19*
2010 Yaroslava Shvedova/KAZ
2011 -
2012 Yaroslava Shvedova/KAZ (Q)
2013 Svetlana Kuznetsova/RUS
2014 Garbine Muguruza/ESP
2015 Alison Van Uytvanck/BEL
2016 K.Bertens/NED-T.Pironkova/BEL-Y.Putintseva/KAZ-S.Rogers/USA
2017 Alona Ostapenko/LAT [W]
2018 Yulia Putintseva/KAZ
2019 Amanda Anisimova/USA-Marketa Vondrousova/CZE
--
[W]=won title; (Q)=qualifier

*ACTIVE PLAYERS WITH EXACTLY ONE SLAM QF IN CAREER*
Amanda Anisimova, USA
Belinda Bencic, SUI
Alona Bondarenko, UKR (DNP in '19)
Elena Bovina, RUS (DNP in '19)
Sorana Cirstea, ROU
Danielle Collins, USA
Kirsten Flipkens, BEL
Caroline Garcia, FRA
Julia Goerges, GER
Camila Giorgi, ITA
Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
Ana Konjuh, CRO
Michaella Krajicek, NED
Petra Martic, CRO
Elise Mertens, BEL
Peng Shuai, CHN
Shelby Rogers, USA
Magdalena Rybarikova, SVK
Alexandra Stevenson, USA (DNP in '19)
Barbora Strycova, CZE
Lesia Tsurenko, UKR
Alison Van Uytvanck, BEL
Elena Vesnina, RUS
Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
Zhang Shuai, CHN




TOP QUALIFIER: #22q Elena Rybakina/KAZ
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #2 Karolina Pliskova/CZE
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: #1q Bernarda Pera/USA def. #21q 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): 2nd Rd. - #1 Naomi Osaka/JPN def. Victoria Azarenka/BLR 4-6/7-5/6-3 (down 6-4/4-2, BP for 5-2)
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: Russia
REVELATION LADIES: Russia
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Italy (0-2, none in RG 2nd Round for first time since 1982)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Aliona Bolsova/ESP (4th Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Lauren Davis/USA, Priscilla Hon/AUS, Diane Parry/FRA (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Carolina Garcia, Krisinta Mladenovic & Diane Parry (all 2nd Rd.)
MADEMOISELLE/MADAM OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Martic, Konta, Barty
IT "??": Nominees: Teens (Anisimova, Vondrousova, Swiatek), de Groot (for first full Career WC Slam), Kamiji (for 3rd con. RG WC title)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominees: Konta, Azarenka (WS/WD), Ostapenko (WD)
CRASH & BURN: Alona Ostapenko, LAT (1st Rd.; zero RG wins before/after '17 title)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Anna Blinkova/RUS (Q2: trailed 6-3/3-1 vs. Kalinina; Q3: trailed Glushko 3-0 in 3rd; 1st Rd.: trailed Gaspayarn 4-0 in 3rd; 2nd Rd.: trailed Garcia 3-0 in 3rd)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Nominee: Parry (young MD winner since '09)
Légion de Lenglen HONOREE: Court Simonne-Mathieu
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: Simona Halep/ROU (awarded on LPT Day/June 1, Henin's birthday)




All for Day 9. More tomorrow.
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