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Tuesday, September 3, 2019

US.9 - Plan Nine From Inner Space

As this slam has advanced, it's been pretty clear on which side of the women's draw the drama and intrigue is more likely to occur. There were just two quarterfinal matches on the schedule for Day 9, both of them from the dreaded oh-all-right-let's-play-these-so-we-can-get-to-tomorrow bottom half of the equation.

But, in a shocking turn of events...

Nah. I'm just kidding. In a scenario that came as little surprise, well, the matches took place. But that's about it. There isn't much more to push around the board than that.

In the first, #5 Gael Monfils... err, I mean Elina Svitolina (honest mistake, really) faced off with #16 Johanna Konta. While the Ukrainian was looking to reach her second straight slam semifinal (this one a bit more earned on her own account than the one in London), the Brit was looking to add to her Roland Garros semifinal run from June a result in New York that would complete a "Career Semifinal Slam."

Svitolina has been playing a clean brand of tennis all tournament, and serving better than ever. Today, though, all she really needed to do was allow Konta to not be able to get out of her own way as her unforced errors piled up (doing her no favor, Svitolina offered her the length of rope that led to her own demise, making her hit multiple balls and thereby only delaying the inevitable end of most points in *her* favor).

Though it was hardly a great match, there was at least some hope in the 1st set for *something," as the two exchanged breaks in games #5-#7. They seemed to be onto something, but then Konta couldn't convert a BP in game #8. Svitolina held for 5-3, and routinely took the set 6-4. There wasn't much more of note that happened in the 2nd, either, as Svitolina broke for a 4-3 lead and Konta never really countered with anything resembling a momentum-turning stretch as the Ukrainian won 6-4/6-4.



Of course, that one was positively scintillating tennis compared to the night match, when #8 Serena Williams made short work of #18 Wang Qiang, winning 6-1/6-0 (where's that Beancounter Fine Committee when they're needed?) in 44 minutes to record her 100th career U.S. Open match win. She's just one victory away from tying Chris Evert's all-time tournament record.



Additionally, the two winners... nah, that's all I've got on all that.




=DAY 9 NOTES=
...yesterday, Wimbledon champs and #2 seeds Hsieh Su-wei & Barbora Strycova were eliminated from the women's doubles by Alona Ostapenko & Lyudmyla Kichenok, the #14 seeds. Today #1-seeded Timea Babos & Kristina Mladenovic fell against Ash Barty (the only remaining WD defending champ) & Victoria Azarenka.



...#3-seeds Sam Stosur & Rajeev Ram rounded out the group of four duos in the MX semifinals today. They'll next play defending champs Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Jamie Murray, while the other semi will feature a clash of Chan sisters: #1 Hao-ching (w/ Micheal Venus) vs. #4 Latisha (w/ Ivan Dodig), with the latter pairing having already won RG and SW19 titles this season.



...in juniors, one day after #2-seed Diane Parry was upset by Spaniard Marta Custic, #1 Emma Navarro was ousted by Russian Oksana Selekhmetova, 6-4/4-6/6-4. Their exits leave #3 Alexa Noel (USA) as the highest seed remaining. She advanced to the Round of 16 over Pastry Aubane Droguet in a 7-5 3rd set today.



#16 Elsa Jacquemot (FRA) defeated Bannerette wild card Gabriella Price. Jacquemot won the title last week at the Grade 1 warm-up event in Repentigny, Canada.




DISLIKE ON DAY 9:

After all these years of chronicling the step-by-step rise of Svitolina, feeling that she had slam runs and titles in her future, from the recent "To-Do" Lists to even picking her in this season's Prediction Blowout to finally reach a slam final (and win it), it's become very difficult to watch her matches because of ESPN's incessant desire to make so much of the coverage not about *her*, but Gael Monfils.

It's bad enough as it is that the ESPN match commentary (not sure how it is with other networks, as I don't believe even Tennis Channel gets stuck in such a loop) seeks to define a player by whomever she happens to be dating at the time (I think they think it makes the player more "relatable," but really it just makes the coverage more eyeroll-worthy than usual), but how the entire direction of the action and flow of verbiage from the commentary both *must* be occasionally peppered by visuals of or notes about whether Gael liked a shot, or how he's helped Svitolina's game, or what picture of the pair was recently seen on social media, or what he might think about how things are going mid-match (discovered via a pointless Pam Shriver interview -- I know, are there any others? -- on the heels of her return to her past levels of annoyance last night during the Andreescu/Townsend match when she couldn't help but poke her nose into the match action to whine about the chair umpire starting the service clock five seconds too late while the Canadian was quickly re-tying her hair).

Sometimes it's hard to tell if it's a tennis match or a special live episode of "The Bachelorette in Tennis Paradise: A Racket or a Rose."

They've even got Chris Evert in on the act, after she'd raised a skeptical eyebrow about her focus earlier in the summer.

Of course, Evert has apparently been browbeaten into submission on a lot of things by Tennis Twitter, as now -- as she did with Konta during today's match -- any time she offers even mild criticism of a player's in-match tactics (which is, you know, her *job*) she starts off by announcing that she's only offering "constructive criticism.


Ummm... ON DAY 9:

Great point. Even better shot. Completely absurd comment from the TV booth.



Really? *No one* like Svitolina on tour? I can think of a whole lot who play just like her, and who have (so far) accomplished far more. *Every* good moment doesn't have to be a platform for declaring someone the "best ever" or the "most unique" something. Save it for the moments and/or individuals that deserve it 100%.

Of course, Osaka asking Gauff to do a post-match interview is also apparently the "greatest sports moment of the year" rather than just a nice gesture, sooo....

Oh, speaking of that, if I'm not mistaken -- and one rarely is when it comes to reading between the lines with Pammy -- was that Shriver on Monday night trying to shame Andreescu during their post-match interview for not stopping and begging Townsend to address the crowd with her by going with the line, "If Taylor was still out here right now..." before she asked her to comment about her opponent rather than about reaching her first career slam quarterfinal? I sort of felt like that was *exactly* what she was doing. Personally, I kind of wanted Andreescu to ask, "Did you want me go back and get her first?"

Because, you know, those things now have to be turned into on-court group discussions, therapy sessions or love-ins, or else there's something wrong with the "selfish" winner who doesn't immediately insist on it. I guess.

via GIPHY


See...



Oh, how I wish one of the quarterfinalist winners, right off the bat tomorrow, would ask the interviewer (esp. if it's Shriver) if she wants to know her belated opinion on the Osaka/Gauff interview, whether Coco is simply "amazing and fabulous" or only "really, really neato," or whether she'd consider handing a walkover to Serena (even if Williams isn't in the final) just out of respect for her greatness.


LIKE ON DAY 9:

Equal time...




SOMETIMES TENNIS TWITTER IS GOOD ON DAY 9:

Okay, did a quick search. Apparently I *wasn't* the only one...

A few of many:





Of course, Shriver's been doing this sort of thing for years (and I'm not even sure she's the *worst* of the ESPN tennis lot, from which there are so many legit candidates it's like a Democratic presidential debate is about to break out).


LIKE ON DAY 9:

I don't know about the ball, but I like the packaging.



It can be a new addition...






Today's "WTA Theme Song" selection has a long history of being featured with or alongside sporting events or highlights, right down to being played at Wrigley Field when a Chicago Cubs player hits a home run. "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" was Pat Banatar's first Top 10 hit when it was released back in 1980, and would seem to be a good fit as an in-your-face song to commemorate the toughness of various players (you know the ones) on tour.

["Hit Me With Your Best Shot" - Pat Benatar, "Live on Fridays" (1980)]
...this one is actually the great original recording dubbed over a live TV performance



Here's the same performance with the live audio...



YouTube Research Finds:

["Hit Me With Your Best Shot" - Kelly Clarkson, 2012]
...I'd never heard this before, but it's a really good version, with more of bluesy/country feel rather than the original rock version



["Hit Me With Your Best Shot"]
...a video featuring 9-year olds. Better than you'd ever think it'd be.






In the summer of 2013, Serena Williams vs. Victoria Azarenka finally seemed to develop into the sort of on-court rivalry that Williams had never really been a part of in her career. They met for a second straight year in the U.S. Open. The final result proved to be the same as in 2012, but once again the the battle was true, right and just.

2013 Recap





*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#13 Belinda Bencic/SUI vs.#23 Donna Vekic/CRO
#15 Bianca Andreescu/CAN vs. #25 Elise Mertens/BEL
#5 Elina Svitolina/UKR def. #16 Johanna Konta/GBR
#8 Serena Williams/USA def. #18 Wang Qiang/CHN

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
#8 Azarenka/Barty [DC] (BLR/AUS) def. #1 Babos/Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
#3 Dabrowski/Xu (CAN/CHN) vs. Kuzmova/Sasnovich (SVK/BLR)
#4 Mertens/Sabalenka (BEL/BLR) def. #12 Duan/Sai.Zheng (CHN/CHN)
(PR) Dolehide/King (USA/USA) vs. #14 L.Kichenok/Ostapenko (UKR/LAT)

*MIXED DOUBLES SF*
#1 H.Chan/Venus (TPE/NZL) vs. #4 L.Chan/Dodig (TPE/CRO)
#3 Stosur/Ram (AUS/USA) vs. (WC) Mattek-Sands/J.Murray (USA/GBR) [DC]

*GIRLS SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
Oksana Selekhmeteva/RUS vs. #16 Elsa Jacquemot/FRA
(WC) Katrina Scott/USA vs. Robin Montgomery/USA
x vs. x
x vs. x
#5 Zheng Qinwen/CHN vs. Daria Frayman/RUS
Priska Madelyn Nugroho/INA vs. #3 Alexa Noel/USA
x vs. x
x vs. x




City Sights...











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**ALL-TIME SLAM SF**
52 - Chris Evert
44 - Martina Navratilova
38 - SERENA WILLIAMS
37 - Steffi Graf
36 - Margaret Court

**U.S. OPEN "KIMIKO CUP" VETERAN WINNERS**
2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER
2017 Venus Williams, USA
2018 Serena Williams, USA
2019 Serena Williams, USA
[2019]
AO: Samantha Stosur/Zhang Shuai, AUS/CHN
RG: Latisha Chan, TPE
WI: Barbora Strycova, CZE
US: Serena Williams, USA

**U.S. OPEN LAST BANNERETTE STANDING**
2008 Serena Williams (W)
2009 Serena Williams (SF)
2010 Venus Williams (SF)
2011 Serena Williams (RU)
2012 Serena Williams (W)
2013 Serena Williams (W)
2014 Serena Williams (W)
2015 Serena Williams (SF)
2016 Serena Williams (SF)
2017 Sloane Stephens (W)
2018 Serena Williams (RU)
2019 Serena Williams




TOP QUALIFIER: Peng Shuai/CHN
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #10 Madison Keys/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: Isabella Shinikova/BUL def. Sachia Vickery/USA 6-1/4-6/7-6(6) - Shinikova MTO down MP at 6-5 in 3rd set TB, then comes back and wins 3 con. pts. to advance. Shinikova limps to net for her handshake, then Vickery airs out her frustrations on Twitter after the leaves the court.
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - (Q) Taylor Townsend/USA def. #4 Simona Halep/ROU 2-6/6-3/7-6(4)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
TOP NIGHT SESSION WOMEN'S MATCH: Nominee: 1st Rd. - #8 S.Williams d. (WC) McNally - 17-year old takes Williams to three sets in Ashe debut
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Ana Bogdan/ROU (def. Dart/GBR)
FIRST SEED OUT: #27 Caroline Garcia, FRA (1st Rd. - lost to Jabeur/TUN)
UPSET QUEENS: Russia
REVELATION LADIES: United States
NATION OF POOR SOULS: ESP (1-4 in 1st Rd.; seeded Muguruza and CSN/ret. out)
CRASH & BURN: #11 Sloane Stephens/USA (1st Rd. - '17 champ lost to qualifier A.Kalinskaya on Ashe for first career slam MD win)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEW YORK: Nominee: Vekic (4th Rd. - 1 MP vs. Goerges)
IT ("??"): Nominees: Andreescu, Azarenka/Barty
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Andreescu, Vekic, Bencic, Svitolina
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Taylor Townsend/USA (4th Rd.) (LL: Flipkens-2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Kristie Ahn/USA (4th Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: Serena Williams (in SF)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Taylor Townsend/USA
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Serena Williams/USA
DOUBLES STAR: xx
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Kristie Ahn/USA
BROADWAY-BOUND: "Call Me Coco" summer preview show
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominees: S.Williams (3-0), Osaka vs. Gauff #1
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx




All for Day 9. More tomorrow.


US.9 - Plan Nine From Inner Space
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