AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEMIFINALS: Four players in their twenties
ROLAND GARROS SEMIFINALS: Two teenagers
WIMBLEDON SEMIFINALS: Two players in their thirties
And...
AUSTRALIAN OPEN: a player who survived a robbery/home invasion knife attack falls in the final to a player who won her second major title one slam after winning her first
ROLAND GARROS: four first-time slam semifinalists from nations (AUS/USA/GBR/CZE) with grand "old-school" tennis histories
WIMBLEDON: the story of the fortnight revolves around a 15-year old in her first major, while the title could be claimed by a 37-year old for career slam #24
Okay, U.S. Open... start brainstorming now.
After #1 Timea Babos & Kristina Mladenovic moved through yesterday, defending champs Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (#2, def. Groenefeld/Schuurs), #3 Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova (def. Mertens/Sabalenka) and #4 Gaby Dabrowski/Xu Yifan (def. Collins/Mattek-Sands) all won today.
Strycova can overtake Mladenovic at #1 if she and Hsieh win the title. Hsieh/Strycova and Babos/Mladenovic will meet in the semis.
Strycova stands as the only woman alive in two draws, as Serena Williams & Andy Murray lost in MX, as did Gaby Dabrowski.
Still alive in the MX draw are Latisha Chan & Mate Pavic, winners of the last two Roland Garros titles.
Oh, and by the way, Alona did it again:
They won, too -- with Ostapenko having winners coming off her racket with ease down the stretch -- so there's still time for Robert Lindstedt to purchase a helmet.
...the big seed to fall in the girls singles was #3 Zheng Qinwen, upset by Hordette qualifier Polina Kudermetova. Two Bannerettes (#1 Emma Navarro and #10 Alexa Noel), two Pastries (#4 Diane Parry and Elsa Jacquemot, who'll face off in the QF) and one player each from Ukraine (Daria Snigur), Japan (#6 Natsumi Kawaguchi) and Indonesia (Priska Madelyn Nugroho) remain.
[JUNIORS] Ce mercredi, Diane #Parry (n°4) ???? a franchi le 3ème tour de #Wimbledon en battant Hong Yi Cody Wong ???? en deux sets 6-2, 6-3. En quarts, elle jouera sa compatriote Elsa #Jacquemot ????, qui de son côté a sorti Mai Napatt #Nirundorn ???? 7-5, 6-0.
— Jeu, Set Et Match (@jeu_set_etmatch) July 10, 2019
(?? : @FFTennis) pic.twitter.com/haneylGhp5
LIKE ON DAY 9: When you *more* than earn the post-winner skip and hand-slap...
From there?!
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2019
Britain's @edensilva with a miraculous shot in the mixed doubles ??#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/FsBCaxNsWv
LIKE/DISAPPOINTMENT ON DAY 9: Nice... but no handshake etiquette photo?
Barbora's brilliance ??@BaraStrycova's journey to the @Wimbledon semifinals in ??--> https://t.co/TZV7guuaep pic.twitter.com/LlW2JDCUsY
— WTA (@WTA) July 10, 2019
REMINDER ON DAY 9: Hard work...
Strycova: "This tournament shows me that I can win over myself, over my emotions, over my character b/c I am a very emotional player, person. In the past I couldn't really control it. But in these 2wks I could accomplish something that I worked so many years w/ my mental coaches" pic.twitter.com/HBilFMVuLd
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) July 10, 2019
DISLIKE ON DAY 9: Really, USTA? Way to focus on the important stuff, and establish potentially deleterious "goals" for young players.
You go (Gauff) Coco!
— USTA (@usta) July 8, 2019
The 15-year-old's social following increased 12,400% over the last two weeks at #Wimbledon. (No, that's not a typo) pic.twitter.com/Cs579o6JdV
LIKE ON DAY 9: A Maleeva sighting!
Genie Bouchard visited Manuela Maleeva (former WTA singles #3 and doubles #11) for a bit of sparring together in Vevey ????. pic.twitter.com/mJ4KpbmVFU
— Krasimir ???? ?????? (@lobdowntheline) July 10, 2019
BACK TO MIXED DOUBLES BEING IGNORED, I GUESS... ON DAY 9:
It's the end of the road for MurRena...
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2019
Top mixed doubles seeds Soares/ Melichar defeat Murray/ Williams#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/2ObOCcGUxQ
Seriously, how? ??
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2019
The MurRena journey was fun while it lasted, but they left us something special to remember them by…#Wimbledon | @andy_murray | @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/4XuPnXl5T7
ADVICE ON DAY 9:
Oops. Not really:) https://t.co/9gN6O00Epn
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) July 10, 2019
Not the first time Martina Navratilova has made political fashion statements on court at Grand Slams.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) July 9, 2019
In 2012, after another round of homophobic remarks by Margaret Court, she trimmed her shirt with rainbow ribbon along the cuffs and hem for wearing on Margaret Court Arena. pic.twitter.com/aMYqjRth0H
I hope Martina has a "Vote Out" hat, too, since that would be a more effective tool to remedy the situation.
Again with this? Does this count as being roughly equivalent to the current White House occupant often needlessly doubling down on a warped view of situational reality in order to avoid an *actual* apology and/or admitting being wrong?
In this candid, first-person essay, @serenawilliams opens up about last year's controversial match at the US Open—and why she’ll never regret using her voice to speak out against injustice. https://t.co/ponD4BGMie
— Harper's Bazaar (@harpersbazaarus) July 9, 2019
As it was ten months ago, continuing to play the victim -- and comparing oneself to *actual* workplace victims -- is really out of line in this specific situation. Not now, nor then, was that incident a case of being punished for being "emotional," it was instead a case of being punished for *actually breaking established rules of conduct* by an ultra-strict umpire known for adhering to said rules even if it upsets top players. To not be punished as Williams was would have been akin to an act of favoritism granted because of her stature in the game. Even giving Williams the benefit of the doubt that she didn't *see* Mouratoglou's coaching from the box (and would have disapproved of it if she had) the violation (admitted to by PM) occurred nonetheless, and her continued reaction to the horribleness of it all (and her seeming lack of knowledge of the penalty rules) was entirely on her. Really, there is *zero* question about this when it comes to anyone who knows anything about it, and doesn't instead want to spin a one-sided tale of woe from a better-left-forgotten stretch of a few minutes during a multi-decade career.
That said, I'm sure Sally Jenkins is already itching to write another long, uninformed (but lauded for its brilliance by her media friends) column about Serena karmicly "evening the score" with Carlos Ramos should she win the title this weekend.
What she says...
For some reason, I was expecting the apology to read, After thoughtful reflection, I realize my behavior that night was inappropriate and unacceptable. I soiled the memories of you winning your first slam, and in the way, you always dreamed. For that, I humbly apologize.
— Tracy Darity (@TracyLDarity) July 9, 2019
#11 Serena Williams/USA vs. Barbora Strycova/CZE
#8 Elina Svitolina/UKR vs. #7 Simona Halep/ROU
=WOMEN'S DOUBLES SF=
#1 Babos/Mladenovic (HUN/FRA) vs. #3 Hsieh/Strycova (TPE/CZE)
#4 Dabrowski/Xu (CAN/CHN) vs. #2 Krejcikova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
=MIXED DOUBLES QF=
#1 Melichar/Soares (USA/BRA) vs. Yang Zhaoxuan/Middlekoop (CHN/NED)
Ostapenko/Lindstedt (LAT/SWE) vs. #12 Olaru/Skugor (ROU/CRO)
#5 Peschke/Koolhof (CZE/NED) vs. Siegemund/Sitak (GER/NZL)
#9 L.Chan/Dodig (TPE/CRO) vs. (WC) Silva/Hoyt (GBR/GBR)
=GIRLS SINGLES QF=
#1 Emma Navarro/USA vs. #6 Natsumi Kawaguchi/JPN
(Q) Polina Kudermetova/RUS vs. Daria Snigur/UKR
Elsa Jacquemot/FRA vs. #4 Diane Parry/FRA (WC)
#10 Alexa Noel/USA vs. Priska Madelyn Nugroho/INA
=GIRLS DOUBLES QF=
x vs. x
x vs. x
x vs. x
x vs. x
=WHEELCHAIR SINGLES QF=
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. Marjolein Buis/NED
KG Montjane/RSA vs. Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
Aniek Van Koot/NED vs. Giulia Capocci/ITA
(WC) Jordanne Whiley/GBR vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN
=WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES SF=
#1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED) vs. Kamiji/Whiley (JPN/GBR)
Ellerbrock/Montjane (GER/RSA) vs. #2 Buis/Capocci (NED/ITA)
=WOMEN'S INVITATIONAL DOUBLES=
xx
Waiting for the semis....@Simona_Halep#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/gij9xtC8Lo
— WTA (@WTA) July 10, 2019
[won Girls & Women's titles]
Martina Hingis (1994 Jr. Champion; 1997 Ladies Champion)
Amelie Mauresmo (1996 Jr. Champion; 2006 Ladies Champion)
[others]
Martina Navratilova (1973 Jr. RU; 9-time Ladies Champion)
Hana Mandlikova (1978 Jr. RU; 1981/86 Ladies RU)
Zina Garrison (1981 Jr. Champion; 1990 Ladies RU)
Maria Sharapova (2002 Jr. RU; 2004 Ladies Champion)
Aga Radwanska (2005 Jr. Champion; 2012 Ladies RU)
Genie Bouchard (2012 jr. Champion; 2014 Ladies RU)
[to play semifinals]
Elina Svitolina (2012 Jr. RU)
*ACTIVE SINGLES PLAYERS - FIRST SLAM FINAL*
1997 U.S. Open - Venus Williams
1999 U.S. Open - Serena Williams (W)
2004 Wimbledon - Maria Sharapova (W)
2004 U.S. Open - Svetlana Kuznetsova (W)
2009 U.S. Open - Caroline Wozniacki
2010 Roland Garros - Samantha Stosur
2010 Wimbledon - Vera Zvonareva
2011 Wimbledon - Petra Kvitova (W)
2012 Australian Open - Victoria Azarenka (W)
2012 Roland Garros - Sara Errani
2013 Wimbledon - Sabine Lisicki
2014 Australian Open - Dominika Cibulkova
2014 Roland Garros - Simona Halep
2014 Wimbledon - Genie Bouchard
2015 Wimbledon - Garbine Muguruza
2016 Australian Open - Angelique Kerber (W)
2016 U.S. Open - Karolina Pliskova
2017 Roland Garros - Alona Ostapenko (W)
2017 U.S. Open - Madison Keys
2017 U.S. Open - Sloane Stephens (W)
2018 U.S. Open - Naomi Osaka (W)
2019 Roland Garros - Ash Barty (W)
2019 Roland Garros - Marketa Vondrousova
*OLDEST WTA SINGLES FINALIST*
Billie Jean King: 39 yrs, 7 mo, 23 days (1983 Birmingham)
Kimiko Date-Krumm: 38 yrs, 11 mo, 30 days (2009 Seoul)
Martina Navratilova: 37 yrs, 4 mo, 2 days (1994 Paris Indoors)
Martina Navratilova: 37 yrs, 20 days (1993 Oakland)
Martina Navratilova: 36 yrs, 301 days (1993 Los Angeles)
Francesca Schiavone: 36 yrs, 9 mo, 3 wks (2017 Bogota)
[OLDEST WIMBLEDON FINALIST]
37,258d - Martina Navartilova, 1994
37,28d - Venus Williams, 2017
36,291d - Serena Williams, 2018
34,287d - Serena Williams, 2016 (W)
--
S.Williams: (approx) 37 yrs, 9 mo, 2 wks
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #1 Ash Barty/AUS
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #11 Serena Williams/USA
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): 1st Rd. - Alison Riske/USA def. #22 Donna Vekic/CRO 3-6/6-3/7-5 (Vekic led 4-1 in 3rd; first Ct.1 roof closure)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 3rd Rd. - (WC) Coco Gauff/USA def. Polona Hercog/SLO 3-6/7-6(7)/7-5 (down 6-3/5-2; Hercog 3 MP in 2nd)
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: Coco Gauff/USA (4th Rd.) (LL: L.Davis/USA - 3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Harriet Dart/GBR (3rd Rd.)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Johanna Konta (QF)
IT ("Kid"): Coco Gauff, USA
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Svitolina, Halep, Kamiji (for WC Career Slam)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominee: Svitolina, Whiley (WC), Ostapenko (MX)
CRASH & BURN: #2 Naomi Osaka/JPN (1st Rd. - lost to Putintseva/KAZ)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: Elina Svitolina/UKR (2nd Rd.: Gasparyan two points from win at 7-5/5-4, cramps, retires when leading match)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Barbora Strycova/CZE
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: (Bad Donna) Vekic/CRO + Nominee: Melichar (Brno-born), Krejcikova (Brno-born, Novotna-coached)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
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.
