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Wednesday, July 3, 2019

W.3- Don't Look Back, It Might Be Gaining on You

If there was any thought that our old friend, The Rad, had retired along with Its namesake Aga... well, no such luck.



Last week, on the official June 26th anniversary of The Rad's 2013 Black Wednesday "masterpiece," a surging-on-grass Alona Ostapenko was felled by a hip injury that forced an Eastbourne retirement. Today, on the (observed) Rad Remembrance Day at Wimbledon, it didn't take long for signs of potential malevolent entity activity to be red-flagged.

In fact, The Rad completed Its day's work before one o'clock in the afternoon. On Court 3, opened for play in 2011 after being built atop the ashes of the old Court 2 "Graveyard of Champions" off Somerset Road on the southern outskirts of the AELTC grounds, Margarita Gasparyan was going about the business of making history repeat itself.

Two weeks ago, the #62-ranked Russian, assiduously building back her career since returning in the spring of last year after missing over a year (and most of two) while undergoing three knee surgeries, recorded her biggest career win over #7 Elina Svitolina in a 1st Round match that was just her third on grass since 2016. On Wednesday, after winning a 1st Round match on Monday in her first Wimbledon appearance in three years, Gasparyan once again was facing Svitolina. She quickly took a 5-2 lead on the #8-seeded Ukrainian. Svitolina rallied to tie the score at 5-5, but Gasparyan held and broke for 7-5 to claim the opening set. She held a 22-6 edge in winners.



The 2nd set saw more of the same, as Svitolina's '19 injury issues, lacking focus and subpar game confidence seemed about to come home to roost yet again. She'd won just two matches since March. At 5-4, Gasparyan came within two points of getting the break of serve to end this match, but Svitolina held firm to knot the score at 5-5.



Five minutes later, it was all but over. For the Russian. Serving at 5-5, love/30, she came down awkwardly on her leg (the one with the bad -- and still taped -- knee, though it doesn't appear to have been the problem). She immediately bent over and grabbed her leg. Soon, she was down on the ground, being tended to by trainers (and delivered water by Svitolina) for what appeared to be a cramping situation.




Gasparyan tried to finish the set, perhaps hoping things would improve or she'd somehow stumble into winning the 2nd to end the match, since she didn't seem set to go a full three. After dropping serve, then falling down double set point on Svitolina's serve, the Russian pulled the rip cord and got out without suffering any more damage.





(I guess it's a good thing Gasparyan wasn't playing Pauline Parmentier, as she'd likely have been twerking on the service "T" while the Russian was leaving the court.)

Gasparyan's retirement, while leading 7-5/5-6 (still with a 42-15 edge in winners, and 82-81 in points), is her third this season (and seventh ret./walkover since coming back fourteen months ago, as caution has been her guiding light since her return). It sends Svitolina into the 3rd Round, and gives the Ukrainian's her first back-to-back wins since her impressive string of victories (Kenin-Gavrilova-Barty-Vondrousova) in Indian Wells almost four months ago.

So, don't look back... The Rad may be gaining on you. Remain vigilant.


Today, yesterday, and forever.



=DAY 3 NOTES=
...elsewhere, the results showed no overt signs of malevolent tampering.



In what was the final match of the day, the first *full* match played under the Court 1 roof, 15-year old qualifier Coco Gauff had (surprisingly? shockingly? or maybe neither?) very little problem dispatching '17 Wimbledon semifinalist Magdalena Rybarikova -- at 30, *only* 16 years the Bannerette's senior -- in just 69 minutes, winning 6-3/6-3.



Gauff never faced a BP in the match, and won 85% of her first serves.

...earlier, Victoria Azarenka notched her second of back-to-back matches in a major for the first time in 2019, leveling Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2/6-0, breaking the Aussie six times while sweeping the final twelve games of the match.



Azarenka then went out afterward and joined with another Aussie, Ash Barty, to thrash the doubles duo of Lidziya Marozava (a fellow BLR!) & Storm Sanders (*another* Aussie), 6-0/6-1.

Azarenka's 3rd Round singles opponent with be #7 Simona Halep. Meeting fellow Swarmette Mihaela Buzarnescu on the court for the first time in eleven years, Halep got involved in a break-fest. There were 15 breaks of serve in the match's 27 games. After being pushed to three sets, Halep pulled away against her occasionally irritated countrywoman, winning 6-3/4-6/6-2.

Oh, and...



Rad... you dastardly entity, you.

...#28 Hsieh Su-wei defeated her second straight former Wimbledon semifinalist, following up her win over Alona Ostapenko (2018) with another today over Kirsten Flipkens (2013) 7-6/6-3. She'll next face #3 Karolina Pliskova, who led Monica Puig 6-0/5-2 before being made to sweat (just a little) before finally closing things out at 6-4 in the 2nd.

Yulia Putintseva wasn't able to follow up her win over Naomi Osaka, losing to Viktorija Golubic 6-4/7-6. And #27 Sonya Kenin ran straight into Dayana Yastremska. After trailing 2-0 and 4-2 in the 1st set, the Ukrainian won it 7-5, then the '16 SW19 girls finalist outlasted the Bannerette 7-5/4-6/6-3 to reach her second (w/ AO) 2019 slam 3rd Round.



Anastasia Potapova, the player who defeated Yastremska in the '16 Wimbledon junior final, was eliminated by #24 Petra Martic 3-6/6-3/6-4.

#14 Caroline Wozniacki defeated Veronika Kudermetova, who upset her in the 1st Round at Roland Garros, by a 7-6/6-3 score, improving to 4-1 in this post-wedding grass court season. And Polona Hercog reached her second SW19 3rd Round in three years with a 6-4/6-2 win over #17 Madison Keys, who had just 12 winners vs. 32 unforced errors. Hercog will next face Gauff.



Danielle Collins defeated #12 Anastasija Sevastova in three sets, coming back from a set a 3-0 down to win.

...on the opening day of WD action, all the top seeds -- #1 Babos/Mladenovic, #2 Krejcikova/Siniakova, #4 Dabrowski/Xu, #6 Mertens/Sabalenka, #7 Melichar/Peschke, #8 Groenefeld/Schuurs and #9 Chan/Chan -- advanced.




LIKE ON DAY 3: This...




LIKE ON DAY 3: Laura Robson is the rare European athlete that actively roots for a team playing the "other" football.




LIKE ON DAY 3: Carlos Ramos' son?








Of course, I think the questioning sentiment of these random tweets are B.S. (though how much of Svitolina's slip is a lack of focus and how much is also injury/training related is murky), as a player can "be happy" *and* focused on her career. Neither is necessarily a mutually exclusive activity. Often this year, Svitolina seems to have embraced the notion of one while seemingly ignoring the other (and all that was *finally* accomplished on that front, after years of trial and error, at the end of '18), which has been disappointing.

(I think the perfect example came the other day. Most players stay off social media during slams, for the most part, other than to repost photos or give thanks to supporters or the tournament. But after her 1st Round win, Svitolina was griping at someone who'd made a passing reference to her outfit, rather than focusing on her next round opponent, a player who'd just beaten her despite not really playing a great deal the last few years and who was actually close to riding her out of the tournament today before having physical issues. I can't image *that* combination of events would have occurred in her #TrusttheProcess season in '18.)

Anyway, I include these tweets just because I'd like to give Chris Evert a tip of the cap for actually paying attention to the goings-on, expectations and side alleys of the sport (and possessing an opinion about them, rather than simply lauding Svitolina's Miss Congeniality qualities and giving her a pass on all the rest, while also falling into the time-honored trap that anything Monfils-related is somehow entertaining and fun, when nothing could be further from the truth) and not just dropping in on a zip line for the slams. One doesn't expect such things from any ESPN commentator.

And she'd better not apologize for it, either, if someone complains at her on social media -- it's a perfectly valid opinion.



















=Rad Remembrance Day Dates of Note=
2013...June 26 (Wimbledon Day 3)
2014: June 26 (Wimbledon Day 3)
2015: June 26 (Eastbourne) & July 1 (Wimbledon Day 3)
2016: June 26 (no WTA matches) & June 29 (Wimb.Day 3)
2017: June 26 (Eastbourne) & July 5 (Wimb.Day 3)
2018: June 26 (Eastbourne/Wimb.Q1) & July 4 (Wimb.Day 3)
2019: June 26 (Eastbourne/Wimb.Q2) & July 3 (Wimb.Day 3)

*"RAD REMEMBRANCE DAY" HISTORY*
=2013 (inciting event)=
June 26 (Wimbledon Day 3)
"The Radwanskian Massacre" - 7 former #1's lose, w/ 4 additional walkovers and three ret. on day filled with falls, slips and stumbles
=2014=
June 26 (Wimbledon Day 3)
First unofficial commemoration of The Radwanskian Massacre. With the Radwanskian Threat Level meter in place and all on guard and vigilent, calm prevails.
=2015=
June 26 (official)
Aga Radwanska & the seagull (in Eastbourne, bird swoops at Radwanska as she serves... one day later, she loses in the singles final)
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
The hottest day ever recorded in Wimbledon history (35.7 C / 96 F), fire alarm evacuates Centre Court.
=2016=
June 26 (official)/Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
The wet London weather rains... err, reigns. 74 singles and doubles matches are scheduled: 41 are cancelled, 15 interrupted and 18 completed. Only 6 matches were both started and finished solely on Day 3, with 4 of those played under the Centre Court roof. But Aga Radwanska opens the Centre Court schedule and wins without incident and, in a previously unscheduled C.C. match, Radwanska's '16 RG conqueror, Tsvetana Pironkova, loses.
=2017=
June 26 (official)
Eastbourne defending champ Dominika Cibulkova loses in opening match to WC Heather Watson; 4 LL's win MD matches (one LL vs. LL match-up); LL Tsvetana Pironkova advances to 2nd Rd. w/ 1st Rd. bye when Petra Kvitova withdraws, gets 2nd Rd. win
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
It's "Flying Ant Day" as the newly-emerged insects swarm the AELTC grounds. Meanwhile, six women's seeds fall, including two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
=2018=
June 26 (official)
In Eastbourne, Aga Radwanska, playing in her first event in two months, saves 2 MP vs. Dasha Gavrilova (both via DF), wins a 2nd set tie-break, then takes the 3rd set at love. Gavrilova has 17 DF on the day.
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
As insects swarm the AELTC grounds on Flying Ant Day, reigning AO champ #2 Caroline Wozniacki falls on the infested Court 1 to Ekaterina Makarova, becoming the sixth Top 8 seed to fall in the tournament's first three days. Aga Radwanska flirts with staging a comeback from a set and 5-1 down and force a 3rd set (after having saved 6 MP in the 1st Rd.), saving a MP vs. Lucie Safarova before the Czech staves off a total of seven BP in an 11-minute game to hold and secure the win. It's Aga's first career "Rad Day" defeat (and she never plays at Wimbledon again after retiring at the end of the season). Later, rain interrupts play for the first time in the fortnight.
=2019=
June 26 (official)
In Eastbourne, a day after her first Top 10 victory in over a year (and first consecutive wins in back-to-back events since last grass season), '18 Wimbledon semifinalist (and former SW19 girls champ) Alona Ostapenko is forced to retire from her 3rd Round match with a hip injury.
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
Margarita Gasparyan, having overcome three knee surgeries and missing most of two years between 2016-18, comes within two points of defeating #8-seeded Elina Svitolina at 7-5/5-4. Five minutes later, she serves and lands awkwardly on her "bad" leg and immediately doubles over in pain. She is treated for cramping, and ultimately, in tears, retires while still leading 7-5/5-6, with an 82-81 points edge and 42-15 lead in winners.



TOP QUALIFIER: Coco Gauff/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: #20 Kaja Juvan/SLO def. Basak Eraydin/TUR 4-6/7-6(3)/6-3 (trailed 6-4/4-1 40/15)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Madison Keys/USA (1st Rd. def. Luksika Kumkhum/THA)
FIRST SEED OUT: #10 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR (lost 1st Rd. to Rybarikova/SVK)
UPSET QUEENS: Slovenia
REVELATION LADIES: Russia
NATION OF POOR SOULS: BLR (1-3 1st; 3/4 of "Dream Team" lose, including #10 Sabalenka)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: In 2nd Rd.: Flink,Gauff(W),Haddad,Juvan,Wickmayer(L) (LL wins: Bouzkova-L,Davis)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: In 2nd Rd.: Dart,Niculescu
LAST BRITS STANDING: In 2nd Rd.: Dart,Konta,Watson(L)
IT ("??"): Nominee: Gauff
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: xx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xx
CRASH & BURN: #2 Naomi Osaka/JPN (1st Rd. - lost to Putintseva/KAZ)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: Nominees: Svitolina (2nd Rd.: Gasparyan two points from win, retires when leading match); Hercog (1st Rd.: down 4-1 in 3rd vs. Kuzmova)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): xx
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: Nominee: Vekic (Bad Donna)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Nominee: Gauff
RAD REMEMBRANCE DAY malevolent activity notes...
June 26 official: In Eastbourne, a day after her first Top 10 victory in over a year (and first consecutive wins in back-to-back events since last grass season), '18 Wimbledon semifinalist (and former SW19 girls champ) Alona Ostapenko is forced to retire from her 3rd Round match with a hip injury.
Day 3 observed: Margarita Gasparyan, having overcome three knee surgeries and missing most of two years between 2016-18, comes within two points of defeating #8-seeded Elina Svitolina at 7-5/5-4. Five minutes later, she serves and lands awkwardly on her "bad" leg and immediately doubles over in pain. She is treated for cramping, and ultimately, in tears, retires while still leading 7-5/5-6, with an 82-81 points edge and 42-15 lead in winners.




All for Day 3. More tomorrow.
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