Backspin Sites

Monday, September 28, 2020

RG.2- Mugu Doesn't Fear the Reaper

As is the process of so many things in life, the tennis at Roland Garros on Monday consisted of a series of acts of avoidance.

Thankfully for Garbine Muguruza, she managed to get in on the act of avoiding an upset before her entire tournament came down around her ankles.



Through all the tremendous highs and disconcerting lows of Muguruza's career, from the two slam titles, four major finals and #1 ranking to the distressing walkabouts and accompanying concerns for her emotional well-being, Roland Garros has usually been her saving grace. It was in Paris where she recorded her first #1 win (Serena Williams, 2014), as well the second (Serena, 2016), won her maiden major crown (2016) and has maintained a remarkably consistent (especially for her) record of six straight years in the Round of 16 or better even while bobbing up and down along the waterline at the other three majors.

In 2020, newly armed with Conchita Martinez as her coach, Muguruza has seen a resurgence of fortune (she burst out of the gates by reaching the Australian Open final, her first at a slam since '17) as she returned to the Top 15 after a year-long absence, one that finally allowed her to see fit to break ties with longtime coach Sam Sumyk, a move which while seemingly long in coming also appeared the best course of action for both, if not for the sake of public appearances (after so many open court spats) then for the ongoing sanity and reputation of both individuals.

Along with the success has come a more resilient Muguruza, one who doesn't collapse in get-me-out-of-here fashion (i.e. "to Mugu") at the drop of a hat, or mysteriously resemble someone who occasionally does not seem to care to even be on a court at all, no matter the size of the stage or the moment. Under Martinez, the joyous Muguruza that accompanied her original rise in the sport has been spotted far more often than not, and it's been a wonderful thing.

After having delayed her Restart return until the U.S. Open (a disappointing, but understandable, 2nd Round exit -- to Tsvetana Pironkova, so... -- that "at least" saw her become the star of a sure-to-be-longstanding racket-breaking GIF -- I refer you once again to Pironkova, so...) the Spaniard arrived in Paris this week with a bit of pressure on her shoulders. After her semifinal run in Rome, which included wins over Sloane Stephens, Coco Gauff, Johanna Konta and Vika Azarenka, as well as a three-setter vs. Simona Halep, Muguruza was installed as one of the "favorites" to win this RG, standing maybe behind only Halep on the "heightened expectations chart."

How would she react to that? Well, as it turned out on Day 2, rather inconsistently against an underrated opponent but, in the end, quite well if success and reactions to adversity are the sort of measurements we're going to agree upon as being signals regarding what could happen over the next (almost) two weeks.

22-year old Tamara Zidansek (world #83) of Slovenia, seeking her first career RG win (Muguruza came in at 27-6), with a big forehand that could handle the heavy playing conditions of this slam, actually matched up quite well with Muguruza. With both women dressed in black from head to toe, Zidansek took a 3-0 lead in the 1st before Muguruza found her footing and won four straight games. Serving for the set at 5-4, Muguruza was broken. But rather than break a racket, she went back to work, got another break advantage instead, and then served out the set at 7-5.

Playing with blisters on her right middle finger (for which she took a medical timeout), Muguruza dropped the 2nd set 6-4 and again fell behind 3-0 in the 3rd.

In years past, Muguruza might have lost the set 6-0 or 6-1, crumbling under the pressure of expectation and distress, but *this* Muguruza broke back for 3-2 and then engaged in a tug-of-war with Zidansek to see who could finally pull the other over the line. In game #6, Muguruza saved break points to hold for 3-3, then Zidansek saved multiple BP to do the same a game later. Muguruza, down 4-5, held to stay in the match, then saw Zidansek save BPs in game #11, forcing the Spaniard to again hold to stay in the match.

Knotted at 6-6, Muguruza finally cashed in the key BP opportunity to grab the lead in the set, then held to close out a 7-5/4-6/8-6 win in 3:01, improving to 21-2 in slam 1st Rounds since 2015 (8-0 at RG).



The win moves Muguruza forward in this slam. But was her 1st Round experience a rocky, or resilient one?

In all fairness, maybe a little of both. But if the "new" Mugu in Paris is the one we're coming to know, rather than the one we once knew, it could prove to be a stepping stone to the Spaniard's continued (re-)rise up the WTA ladder.

(Crossing fingers.)

By the power vested in Conchita...




=DAY 2 NOTES=
...on some level, the tone of Day 2 had actually been established right from the jump.

As Monday began, while #7 Petra Kvitova kicked things off under the roof on Court Chatrier against Pastry Oceane Dodin, the (a part of the draw in its own right this year so far) unseasonable Paris weather delayed the start of play on the outside courts for a little under two hours.

Meanwhile, the Czech, whose best RG result is now eight years in her rearview mirror (2012 semi) managed to avoid going three sets (not that the "crowd" would have given Dodin additional life had things gone that way), notching a late break of serve in game #11 of the 2nd and then serving out a 6-3/7-5 victory in her first Restart match on clay this fall.



#5 Kiki Bertens, 0-2 in the Restart and fresh off her retirement from a match in Strasbourg, looked as if she may get blitzed from this RG four years after she'd reached her only career slam semifinal in Paris. She dropped the opening set 6-2, but then righted the ship to avoid her worst result in the event in five years, defeating #112-ranked Ukrainian Katarina Zavatska 2-6/6-2/6-0.



It was actually worse than just a "normal" loss for the 20-year old, who just made her slam MD debut at the U.S. Open and today had been seeking her first major win. In the 3rd set, Zavatska broke three strings in two games and ran out of rackets (I suppose as a result of not having the proper set-up for the heavy conditions). She had to get an impromptu replacement from her coach in order to play on, even if it was with a totally different brand of racket.



Bertens will next face qualifier Sara Errani. The 33-year old Italian, a RG finalist in 2012, played in her first slam MD match in two and a half years today, winning her first in three and a half with a 6-2/6-1 victory over Monica Puig, who continues to slip through the tennis cracks. Falling to 0-3 in 2020, the Puerto Rican (#98) hasn't posted a win in over a year (Sept.'19 in Wuhan over Kerber) and is in danger of dropping out of the Top 100 for the first time since October 2015.


View this post on Instagram

62 61 A MONICA PUIG E 2T del @rolandgarros ??????

A post shared by SaraErraniFanClub (@saraerranifanclub) on



Errani is 5-0 in her career head-to-head vs. Bertens, though they haven't played since the 2016 Rio Olympics (where Puig, of course, won the Gold).

...well, it's that time of year again (so soon?). Time for Tsvetana Pironkova to emerge from her lair and win some slam matches.

Today the unlucky sort on the other side of the net was a fellow 33-year old, Andrea Petkovic, back for another go-around (before going on to become, no doubt, a multimedia star) in her first match in nearly a year. The Bulgarian wild card, in her first event since reaching the U.S. Open QF after three years away from the sport, quickly went up 3-0 in the 1st on the German en route to a 6-3/6-3 win.



Pironkova reached the QF in Paris four years ago, defeating (naturally) two seeds along the way (Errani and Sloane Stephens) before falling to Aga Radwanska.

After having lost to Serena Williams earlier this month at Flushing Meadows, Pironkova will now get another shot at adding her name to the list of players with slam wins over *both* her and Venus in a career. Of course, for at least a milisecond or so, there *was* a question today about whether or not-... nah, I think everyone knew Serena was going to take out Kristie Ahn today.

(Or, as Lindsay Davenport on Tennis Channel seemed to always call her, "Kristieahn," using her full name in almost every single mention. To the point of making it seem before the match that maybe Williams was going to be playing Jacqueline Cristian. It sort of brought to mind Brad Gilbert annoyingly calling Li Na by "Li Na Na Li" all the time.)

Ahn held a break lead on the #6-seeded Williams in the 1st set, and served at 5-4. Of course, Serena has gotten pretty adept at playing and wining three-setters (for the most part) in the Restart, so there was likely little chance she was going to lose had she dropped the opener. But, as it turned out, *that* didn't happen, either. She got the break, forced a tie-break, won it 7-2 to close out a 1:12 set... and then raced through a love 2nd in just :29 to avoid a three-setter and improve her career 1st Round record in majors to 75-1 (she's 72-2 in the 2nd Rd.).



Another former RG champ, #28 Svetlana Kuznetsova, saw *her* Roland Garros end today, though. The Original Hordette lost by a "very Sveta" score of 6-1/2-6/6-1 to countrywoman Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.



While Pavlyuchenkova has reached the second week in Paris just once (2011 QF) in her career, Kuznetsova is a two-time finalist (winning in '09, after having lost in '06). But this is Kuznetsova's third straight 1st Round exit at RG, and her seventh in her last eight slam appearances. Her 69th career match in the tournament *did* manage to set a record, though, as she passed Maria Sharapova for most RG matches played by a Russian. Sveta stands seventh on the all-time women's list, just two behind Venus Williams (but, while Venus' 2020 season is over, I guess by now we *expect* her to still be playing for many more *years*. I mean, 50 will still be "the new 40" in a decade, right?).

While Varvara Gracheva won't likely have the sort of career that Kuznetsova (or maybe even Palvyuchenkova) has had, the two slam appearances in 2020 by the 20-year old Russian have shown her to have a great deal of fight and, accordingly, promise.

Gracheva rallied to win from 6-1/5-1 and then 4 MP down against Kristina Mladenovic in the 2nd Round of the U.S. Open. Today against #3 Elina Svitolina, while she didn't stage a come-from-behind victory, Gracheva did make things a bit difficult for the Ukrainian. She overcame a break disadvantage, with Svitolina serving for the set, to force a 1st set TB (which she lost 7-2), and held a break lead in the 2nd set before Svitolina put on her own comeback to tie things at 4-4 and then win 7-6(2)/6-4. A loss, but still a good showing against the Strasbourg champ. Meanwhile, Svitolina is 21-1 in her last 22 slam 1st Round matches.

...elsewhere, Jasmine Paolini recorded her first career slam MD win with a 6-4/6-3 victory over Aliona Bolosva, who had a surprise Round of 16 run in Paris last year and just recently recorded her biggest career win (#23 Riske).

Also getting her first career slam MD win was Mexico's Renata Zarazua. The qualifier defeated French wild card Elsa Jacquemot (the #6 junior) 6-1/6-2, becoming the first Mexican to post a win in a major since Angelica Gavaldon in 2000 (AO) and the first to do so in Paris since 1994 (also Gavaldon). She's just the third woman from Mexico to *ever* do it.





Who says we can't still have good things in 2020?

Well, don't tell that to the semifinalists from *last* year's Roland Garros, of course.

Defending champ Ash Barty chose to stay Down Under, and '19 semifinalist Johanna Konta (the #9 seed) was knocked off on Sunday by Coco Gauff. Today #15-seeded Marketa Vondrousova, last year's runner-up, arrived in Paris off a semifinal result in Rome but was bounced by Iga Swiatek 1 & 2. The loss is lessened a *bit* by having come against Swiatek, another teenager who had a breakthrough at the '19 RG (Round of 16, and we won't mention that unfortunate match vs. Halep), but is super-disappointing nonetheless. At least the Czech won't be losing her RG finalist points after the event, or else she'd have a *big* tumble down the rankings.



#25 Amanda Anisimova at least prevented last year's Final Four from being winless a year (plus) later, despite having come into this tournament showing the *worst* form of the lot. She handled Tamara Korpatsch 6-2/6-0 on Monday.

...while #18 Angelique Kerber seemed in good spirits about her RG prospects a few days ago, none of that showed up in her 1st Round match against Kaja Juvan. While the 19-year old's countrywoman (Zidansek) failed to upset another multi-slam winning former #1 today, *this* particular Slovenian got to raise that imaginary trophy aloft today.



Juvan's 6-3/6-3 win means that since the start of last year's Wimbledon she's posted her maiden slam wins at three of the four majors. Her win over #22-ranked Kerber sets quite nicely alongside her earlier big '20 wins over #18 Vondrousova and Venus Williams.

As for Kerber, she's now exited Roland Garros in the 1st Round four times in five years. Her loss drops Germany to 0-4 in the 1st Round at this RG, so far, with Laura Siegemund and Julia Goerges still to play. Needless to say, the termite-ridden Nation of Poors Souls plaque is being pulled out of temporary storage, expecting a new honoree to be carved onto the dishonoree list any moment now.

...late in the day (well, into the evening, actually), Leylah Annie Fernandez made it *two* Canadians in the 2nd Round (w/ Genie Bouchard) as the 18-year old, the '19 RG girls champ, stormed back from dropping the 1st set to defeat #31 Magda Linette 1-6/6-2/6-3 for her maiden RG victory just a few weeks after having also gotten her first U.S. Open win in New York.



...a day after Caroline Garcia (as the only Pastry in action) moved on to the 2nd Round, she was joined on Day 2 by Alize Cornet. Not a new mother, but a new author.



Playing in her 55th consecutive slam MD (just seven behind Ai Sugiyama's now legitimately reachable WTA record), the 30-year old defeated French wild card Chloe Paquet in a match that was moved to Chatrier late in the day.

Another Pastry WC, 18-year old Diane Parry, fell to Slovenian vet Polona Hercog, while 19-year old Clara Burel (yet another WC) won a nighttime three-setter against Arantxa Rus, having forced a decider after breaking serve when Rus served for the match in the 2nd. Burel had lost the 1st set after *leading* 5-2. The former girls #1 won a 6-3 3rd set to record her first career slam MD win.



Burel will next face Juvan in a rematch of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games final, which was claimed by the Slovenian.



In other RG French Pastry news: tomorrow Kristina Mladenovic (finally out of confinement for "work release" purposes) makes her '20 Roland Garros debut.





...A LITTLE BIT OF ALIZE IN YOUR LIFE ON DAY 2:




A few sample questions (including a good one about why Cornet's wearing a leg wrap on the book cover photo)...

First question: why this cover with a photo you where you are wearing a thigh bandage? It's rather surprising ... That's a good question because it's a lot of work and hesitation. And in the end, this blanket came to me. The photo was taken at the Australian Open two years ago and sums up my career very well and what is in my book: my determination, my fighting spirit, my (small) injuries… It stands out a strength of this photo. I didn't want a photo played, pretty. I put that on the back of the book because you had to see me a little smiling. This one, she looks like me and she is just perfect. When we talked about it with my relatives, everyone validated. The photo finally imposed itself.

You were talking about the Big Three. Djokovic has a much worse image than Nadal and Federer, this has not been arranged recently with the Covid-19 and his disqualification at the US Open . You who are on the circuit, do you feel this difference? It feels, yes. Not that much within the tennis community. Because we don't speak much to each other at tournaments, everyone is in their own bubble. But there are still energies that are less positive for Djokovic. He is less appreciated than Rafa and Rodreur who are very popular. There is a correlation between what the audience feels and how we feel. I am a big fan of Rafa, an unconditional one. But that does not prevent me from appreciating Rodreur, for his sympathy, his charisma. Djokovic, I can't really do it. I can't explain why. He is a player that I like less on and off the field, he corresponds less to the values ??I expect in a tennis player. But I'm not in a good position to judge someone on the pitch, my attitude hasn't always been flawless.

Here is a translated version of the interview.

...LIKE ON DAY 2:

There are so many examples of parents as coaches that *don't* work. Here's one instance where the opposite seems true.



...LIKE ON DAY 2:


...FASHION BATTLES ON DAY 2:


...A LITTLE BIT MORE ALIZE IN YOUR LIFE ON DAY 2:


...NOTE ON DAY 2:
On Tennis Channel today, Chanda Rubin was dressed like she was Princess Leia on the ice planet Hoth. And I guess at this Roland Garros, that's appropriate.



...GOOD HAIR DAY ON DAY 2:


...OKAY, WE GET IT... ON DAY 2:

Listening to Tennis Channel's introductory comments leading into Dominic Thiem's first slam match since winning the U.S. Open, we were told that he's now "a major champion," and that being a major champion gives a player the sort of confidence (something he actually seemed to already have in possibly over-abundance *before* this month) that a major champion tends to have, and being a major champion now makes it more likely that he'll become a major champion again in the near future. Maybe even in Paris, where's he's played in the last two finals (and last four semis). Because, you know, he's now a major champion. In case you didn't know.

Sheesh. We get it. He finally won a major. I know it's been a while since a different men's player won one, but dial it back just a tad.

...DISLIKE ON DAY 2:

Hmmm. I know it's Rafa, but if Nadal is finishing off a straight sets sorta-blowout in a 5-2 3rd set, while another former RG champ (and '20 slam finalist) is in the process of trying to close a back-and-forth deciding set while serving at 7-6 should it really be shown in SPLIT-screen?

I think we know the answer, not that it matters.



...LIKE ON DAY 2:


...LENGLEN ON DAY 2:


...LIKE ON DAY 2:


...ANOTHER REMINDER ON DAY 2:






The sport(s) of queens...











kosova-font



Hologram Halep!











View this post on Instagram

Okurrrrr #round2

A post shared by Daria Gavrilova · OLY (@daria_gav) on










kosova-font

*DEFEATED BOTH VENUS & SERENA IN SLAM, NEVER RANKED SINGLES #1*
Ekaterina Makarova = Serena (2012 AO), Venus (2014 AO)
Sloane Stephens = Serena (2013 AO), Venus (2015 RG/2017 US)
Wang Qiang = Serena (2020 AO), Venus (2018 RG)
--
MOVED OFF LIST WHEN #1: Kerber (2016), Ka.Pliskova (2017), Muguruza (2017)
NOTE: Makarova was doubles #1
NEVER WON WS MAJOR: Makarova, Ka.Pliskova, Wang --
2020 RG 2nd Rd: Pironkova vs. S.Williams (would be added to list w/ win)





TOP QUALIFIER: Mayar Sherif/EGY (first EGY woman in slam MD)
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1: #17q Barbara Haas/AUT def. Diana Snigur/UKR 6-0/5-7/7-5 [Haas led 6-0/5-0 40/30, then DF; won on 4th MP on 5th attempt to serve out match]
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Kamilla Rakhimova/RUS (def.Rogers/USA)
FIRST SEED OUT: #17 Anett Kontaveit/EST (1st Rd./Garcia)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Burel/FRA, Paolini/ITA, Podoroska/ARG, Rakhimova/RUS, Trevisan/ITA, Zarazua/MEX
UPSET QUEENS: xx
REVELATION LADIES: xx
NATION OF POOR SOULS: xx
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: 1r wins: Errani, Podoroska, Rakhimova, Trevisan, Zarazua (+LL Sharma)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: 1r wins: Bouchard, Burel, Pironkova
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: 1r wins: Gavrilova, AK.Schmiedlova
LAST PASTRY STANDING: 1r wins: Burel, Cornet, Garcia
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: xx
IT "??": xx
COMEBACK PLAYER: xx
CRASH & BURN: Nominees: 2019 semifinalists (Barty DNP, Vondrousova and Konta out 1st Rd.)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Nominees: Muguruza (1st Rd.- down 3-0 in 1st/3rd vs. Zidansek, won both sets); Garcia (1st Rd.- down bk. twice in 3rd vs. Kontaveit; wins and #17 FSO)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
Légion de Lenglen HONOREE: Nominee: Chatrier court roof, Parisian "winter fashion scene"
LADY OF THE EVENING: potential award in first year where night tennis possible
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: Simona Halep/ROU [not able to be awarded on LPT Day/June 1, Justine Henin's birthday -- but Halep wins on Day 1 on *her* own birthday]




All for Day 2. More tomorrow.
Posted by at