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Friday, September 11, 2020

US.12 - The Day Before the Day





=DAY 12 NOTES=
...the first women's champions of this U.S. Open were crowned on Friday as first-time duo Laura Siegemund & Vera Zvonareva defeated #3 seeded Nicole Melichar & Xu Yifan 6-4/6-4 to claim the women's doubles title.

Both have claimed U.S. Open titles before. Siegemund won the 2016 mixed crown, while Zvonareva (the first mom to pick up a title at this tennis-mother-overload Open) won the WD in 2006 and the MX in '04. It's the Russian's fifth overall major title (3 WD/2 MX).


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Lifting the ?? and showing some ??

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...#1 Diede de Groot and #2 Yui Kamiji both won in the wheelchair semis on Day 12, setting up their eighth match-up in a slam singles final in the last eleven. De Groot is looking to three-peat as U.S. champion, while Kamiji is trying to follow up her Australian Open title from January with her first back-to-back slam title run since the won the 2017 AO & RG (prior to de Groot's maiden major win at Wimbledon).

De Groot defeated fellow Dutchwoman (and doubles partner) Marjolein Buis in three sets, taking a 10-8 TB to claim the 1st set, then dropping the 2nd as she once again had issues with double-faults (6 in the set). She immediately broke Buis to open the 3rd, then rushed out to a 5-0 lead en route to a 7-6(8)/4-6/6-1 victory. Kamiji defeated Colombia's Angelica Bernal 6-2/6-1.



De Groot has played in the singles final of eleven of the last twelve slams, while Kamiji has done so in eleven of fourteen.

Later in the early evening, the women's WC doubles are set to close out play on Courts Louis Armstrong and 12. #1 seeds Buis/de Groot face Ohtani/Shuker, while #2 Kamiji/Whiley (AO champs) meet Bernal/Mathewson.

...in Istanbul, Genie Bouchard's comeback bid continued. After going 2:50 to defeat top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova on Thursday, she erased a set and a break deficit to win in 3:02 today over Danka Kovinic, reaching her first tour-level semi since Luxembourg in 2018. With the win she's back into the Top 200.







=WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL=
#4 Naomi Osaka/JPN v. Victoria Azarenka/BLR

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL=
(PR) Siegemund/Zvonareva (GER/RUS) def. #3 Melichar/Xu (USA/CHN) 6-4/6-4

=WOMEN'S WHEELCHAIR SINGLES SF=
#1 Diede de Groot/NED def. Marjolein Buis/NED
#2 Yui Kamiji/JPN def. Angelica Bernal/COL

=WOMEN'S WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES=
#1 Buis/de Groot (NED/NED) v. Ohtani/Shuker (JPN/GBR)
Bernal/Mathewson (COL/USA) v. #2 Kamiji/Whiley (JPN/GBR)




SHOT AND REACTION OF THE DAY ON DAY 12:




A REMINDER ON DAY 12:






SQUINT TO SEE THE RESEMBLANCE... ON DAY 12:

...but stay for the pancake (and the recognition).




EVEN WITH HER LOSS STILL A BIG WEEK ON DAY 12:





BADOSA AND HERCOG WITH A "SUPERFRIENDLY" POST-MATCH GET TOGETHER ON DAY 12:




LIKE ON DAY 12:

Freddie Freeman is a "Nats killer," but damn he's good and doesn't get nearly as much recognition as he should.





This year's U.S. Open music series concludes on this nineteenth anniversary of 9/11 with an interesting look at the origins of the title song from Bruce Springsteen's 2002 album "The Rising," which largely reflected on the aftermath of the tragedy.

Has it really been almost twenty years since the whole of this country *truly* saw itself as one, for no matter how briefly a moment? I'm not sure we're even capable of such a thing any longer, and surely not if there is no change of power soon in the White House. Next year's twentieth anniversary will surely be a moment of crushing and/or triumphant symbolism, especially in light of the current pandemic, the response to it and what is still to come on that front. What form that moment takes will likely be a result of what happens this November.

[From Wikipedia] "The song tells the story of a New York City Fire Department firefighter, climbing one of the World Trade Center towers after the hijacked planes had hit them during the September 11 attacks. The lyric depicts the surreal, desperate environment in which he finds himself."

"Can't see nothin' in front of me
Can't see nothin' coming up behind
I make my way through this darkness
I can't feel nothing but this chain that binds me
Lost track of how far I've gone
How far I've gone, how high I've climbed
On my back's a sixty pound stone
On my shoulder a half mile line

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight"

Here's Springsteen on "VH1 Storytellers" in 2005 intricately describing his process of writing the song:


As well as his performance of it:





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On this day... 19 years ago 246 people went to sleep in preparation for their morning flights. 2,606 people went to sleep in preparation for work in the morning. 343 firefighters went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift. 60 police officers went to sleep in preparation for morning patrol. 8 paramedics went to sleep in preparation for the morning shift. None of them saw past 10:00am Sept 11, 2001. In one single moment life may never be the same. As you live and enjoy the breaths you take today and tonight before you go to sleep in preparation for your life tomorrow, kiss the ones you love, snuggle a little tighter, and never take one second of your life for granted. #wewillneverforget

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Keep improving. Stay humble. @vichka35 #USOpen

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Biggest fan ?? @serenawilliams @vichka35 #USOpen

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*RECENT WD SLAM CHAMPIONS*
[2017]
AO: Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Lucie Safarova (USA/CZE)
RG: Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Lucie Safarova (USA/CZE)
WI: Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina (RUS/RUS)
US: Latisha Chan/Martina Hingis (TPE/SUI)
[2018]
AO: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
RG: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
WI: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
US: Ash Barty/CoCo Vandeweghe (AUS/USA)
[2019]
AO: Samantha Stosur/Zhang Shuai (AUS/CHN)
RG: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
WI: Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova (TPE/CZE)
US: Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka (BEL/BLR)
[2020]
AO: Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic (HUN/FRA)
US: Laura Siegemund/Vera Zvonareva (GER/RUS)

*CAREER WOMEN'S DOUBLES SLAM TITLES - active*
14...Serena Williams, USA
14...Venus Williams, USA
5...Sara Errani, ITA
5...Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
4...Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
3...Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
3...Timea Babos, HUN
3...Sania Mirza, IND
3...Samantha Stosur, AUS
3...Elena Vesnina, RUS
3...VERA ZVONAREVA, RUS

*CAREER OVERALL SLAM TITLES - ACTIVE*
[singles/doubles/mixed]
39 - Serena Williams, USA (23-14-2)
23 - Venus Williams, USA (7-14-2)
9 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA (0-5-4)
7 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (1-3-3)
6 - Kim Clijsters, BEL (4-2-0)
6 - Kristina Mladenovic, FRA (0-4-2)
6 - Sania Mirza, IND (0-3-3)
6 - Katarina Srebotnik, SLO (0-1-5)
5 - Sara Errani, ITA (0-5-0)
5 - VERA ZVONAREVA, RUS (0-3-2)
-
NOTE: Azarenka (2-0-2) to play WS Final

*CAREER WOMEN'S DOUBLES SLAM TITLES - active*
14...Serena Williams, USA
14...Venus Williams, USA
5...Sara Errani, ITA
5...Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
4...Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
3...Timea Babos, HUN
3...Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
3...Sania Mirza, IND
3...Samantha Stosur, AUS
3...Elena Vesnina, RUS
3...VERA ZVONAREVA, RUS

*RECENT WC SINGLES SLAM FINALS*
[2017]
AO: Yui Kamiji/JPN def. Jiske Griffioen/NED
RG: Yui Kamiji/JPN def. Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
WI: Diede de Groot/NED def. Sabine Ellerbrock/GER
US: Yui Kamiji/JPN def. Diede de Groot/NED
[2018]
AO: Diede de Groot/NED def. Yui Kamiji/JPN
RG: Yui Kamiji/JPN def. Diede de Groot/NED
WI: Diede de Groot/NED def. Aniek van Koot/NED
US: Diede de Groot/NED def. Yui Kamiji/JPN
[2019]
AO: Diede de Groot/NED def. Yui Kamiji/JPN
RG: Diede de Groot/NED def. Yui Kamiji/JPN
WI: Aniek Van Koot/NED def. Diede de Groot/NED
US: Diede de Groot/NED def. Yui Kamiji/JPN
[2020]
AO: Yui Kamiji/JPN def. Aniek Van Koot/NED
US: Diede de Groot vs. Yui Kamiji



TOP QUALIFIER: DNP
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): Victoria Azarenka/BLR
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #28 Jennifer Brady/USA
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: DNP
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - Varvara Gracheva/RUS def. #30 Kristina Mladenovic/FRA 1-6/7-6(2)/6-0 (trailed 6-1/5-1, 4 MP)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 4th Rd. -Shelby Rogers/USA def. #6 Petra Kvitova/CZE 7-6(5)/3-6/7-6(6) (4 MP saved)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F): xx
TOP NIGHT SESSION WOMEN'S MATCH: Nominee: SF-Azarenka d. #3 S.Williams 1-6/6-3/6-3
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #12 Marketa Vondrousova/CZE (def. Minnen/BEL)
FIRST SEED OUT: #32 Rebecca Peterson/SWE (1st Rd.-lost to Flipkens/BEL)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Bonaventure/BEL, Fernandez/CAN, Gracheva/RUS, Scott/USA, Tig/ROU
UPSET QUEENS: United States
REVELATION LADIES: Belarus (5-0 in 1st Rd.)
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Australia (0-5 1st Rd.; #1 Barty and former U.S. champ Stosur DNP)
CRASH & BURN: #1 Karolina Pliskova/CZE (2nd Rd.-Garcia; tied for second earliest exit by U.S. Open #1 seed)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEW YORK: Varvara Gracheva, RUS (2nd Rd.: down 6-1/5-1, 4 MP at 5-2 vs. Mladenovic)
IT ("TBD"): Nominees: champion moms (Vika, Zvonareva, Whiley), (wheelchair)
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Azarenka, (wheelchair), Siegemund/Zvonareva
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: DNP Q
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: CiCi Bellis/USA, Katrina Scott/USA and Sachia Vickery/USA (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: Serena Williams and Jennifer Brady (SF)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Tsvetana Pironkova/BUL (first event since '17 Wimb; to QF)
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Serena Williams/USA and Victoria Azarenka/BLR
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Siegemund/Zvonareva, (wheelchair)
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Jennifer Brady/USA
BROADWAY-BOUND: "Three Moms and the QF" (Serena, Vika & Tsvetana in QF; first time three mothers in slam QF)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Naomi Osaka/JPN
JUNIOR UNDER 18 BREAKOUT: Katrina Scott/USA (16; slam debut as wild card, 1st Rd. win)
RG "Légion de Lenglen" HONOREE: U.S. OPEN SPECIAL: Madison Brengle/USA (chugs wine after 2nd Rd. victory)




Be Safe. All for Day 12. More tomorrow.
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