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Tuesday, September 8, 2020

US.9 - They're Playing Tennis in New York (I Think)

It's Day 9, the Tuesday of the second week of the U.S. Open, and they're playing tennis in New York. Right? Umm, I think.

(checks)

Yep, they are. But barely.

One of the consequences of the limited draws (sliced-up doubles, no mixed or juniors) at this slam due to the pandemic is that we've already reached the stage -- about four or five days earlier than usual -- when there's very little going on. We generally get the sort of schedule we saw today -- with only five total matches set to go during the day, then two at night -- on the final Friday or even the concluding weekend of the U.S. Open, when the doubles, junior and wheelchair are being wrapped up. But we got it today, with still five more days left in the tournament.

One wonders if maybe the schedulers should have slowed down the doubles competitions a bit in order to spread the competition out a little, or maybe expanded the wheelchair singles events from eight in the singles draw to 12 or 16. I've advocated the latter for the Open for a while, anyway, since it's only held three out of every four years due to the Summer Paralympics, the postponement of which is the only reason the WC athletes are in this major in the first place... and they had to fight for that after initially being left off the USTA's schedule when the decision was first made to held this event at all.

As it turns out, the wheelchair events don't start until Thursday, and will finish on the weekend. So, even in a severely cut-down Open, those finals are probably assured of being overshadowed yet again. Why couldn't the WC competition have been set up to start yesterday or today, with the finals either Thursday or Friday, allowing a few extra sets of eyes to *maybe* get a look at the action online (or egads, maybe a hour or two of attention on ESPN/ESPN2)?

Many would have probably been surprised at how compelling it can be.

Maybe the WC events could have gotten a handful of the WTA/ATP stars in attendance, too, with an earlier start, as quite a few would have still be around (by choice, I mean, or because they were still involved in competition). We've certainly seen a number of them watching matches on Ashe from their suites at this event (a rather fun situation that's developed that would be nice to see carried over in some form into the next post-pandemic Open down the line, if at all possible). Of course, that would likely have required the wheelchair matches to have been held on a big court, rather than on an outside one. I mean, if not *this* year, then when?

Such scheduling *could* still happen later this week. But no one shouldn't hold their breath for it to come about, mask or no mask.



=DAY 9 NOTES=
...in the lone women's quarterfinal match in the day session on Day 9, #28 Jennifer Brady continued to rip through the women's draw, dispensing with #23 Yulia Putintseva in 1:09 with a 6-3/6-2 victory to become the first through the door into the semifinals.



It's Brady's maiden slam semifinal, making it 27 of the last 29 with at least one women's first-timer, and a whopping ten in just last the six majors. She's the fourth different Bannerette -- after Danielle Collins '19 AO, Amanda Anisimova '19 RG, Sofia Kenin '20 AO -- to do so over that stretch, and the first to get her first at Flushing Meadows since CoCo Vandeweghe three years ago. The U.S.'s Shelby Rogers could add to those numbers tonight.

While Brady burst out of the gates with a 4-0 lead in :15, and already had four aces three games into the match, it wasn't quite as simple as it looked. Putintseva couldn't keep up with Brady's power, but she never gave up. In fact, she rattled off eight straight points during one stretch in the 1st, breaking Brady from 40/love down and then holding at love in the following game. It was then that Brady, already with her left thigh strapped, seemed to slow down for a while and walk a bit gingerly. Luckily for her, she wasn't pushed into a 3rd set so, if she needs it, her recovery time for the semifinals has already official begun.

Of course, it took a *little* longer to make it official at the end. But, hey, why not close after a slight wait for a replay challenge? It isn't like the court is overbooked for the day or anything.




So, here's a little year-end awards shuffle. Though, I should say, this year's Backspin Awards *will* be a series of two-part affairs, as I'm going to view 2020 for what it is: a two-part season. So pretty much every award will have *two* winners, those from Part 1 *and* Part 2, considering the shutdown was double (or triple, in some cases) the length of what a "normal" offseason would be.

This is who I had on the Coach of the Year charts back in early March:

1.Conchita Martinez (Muguruza)
2.Stefano Vukov (Rybakina)
3.Alex Kenin (Kenin)
4.Michael Geserer (Brady)
5.Othmane Garma (Jabeur)
HM-Thomas Hill (Sakkari)

And here are some nominations for the Restart:

Geserer
Hill
Torben Beltz (Kerber)
Matt Manasse (Rogers)
Rick Vleeshouwers (Mertens)
Sandra Zaniewska (Cornet)

...in the lone women's doubles semi on Tuesday, veterans Laura Siegemund & Vera Zvonareva, in their first event together, advanced to the final with a three-set win over Hordettes Anna Blinkova & Veronika Kudermetova. Match point was sealed with a joyous cackle.




...tonight, #4-seed Naomi Osaka plays her *fourth* Ashe night match of the tournament against Bannerette Rogers, who'll be looking to join countrywoman Brady in the semifinals. If she does, with Serena playing tomorrow, there'd be a possibility of three U.S. women in the semis three years after the all-Bannerette Final Four (Stephens, Keys, V.Williams and Vandeweghe) in 2017.




=WOMEN'S SINGLES QF=
#28 Jennifer Brady/USA def. #23 Yulia Putintseva/KAZ
#4 Naomi Osaka/JPN v. Shelby Rogers/USA
(PR) Tsvetana Pironkova/BUL v. #3 Serena Williams/USA
Victoria Azarenka/BLR v. #16 Elise Mertens/BEL

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES SF=
Muhammad/Townsend (USA/USA) v. #3 Melichar/Xu (USA/CHN)
(PR) Siegemund/Zvonareva (GER/RUS) def. Blinkova/V.Kudermetova (RUS/RUS)




BUIS UPDATE ON DAY 9:




NOTE ON DAY 9:




NEW (overdue) WTA TWITTER HEADER ON DAY 9:



LIKE ON DAY 9:

The value of a good college tennis education.




UNFORTUNATELY, HARDLY SURPRISING ON DAY 9:




Just as that is not a correct job description, neither is it Djokovic's job to police his supporters. But one does wonder if a bit stronger response was in order. (Not that it'd likely make a difference.)




SHAKES HEAD ON DAY 9:




LIKE ON DAY 9:





CURBSIDE SERVICE ON DAY 9:




COURTSIDE COURTESY ON DAY 9:



By the way, with all the talk of the others, Whiley is *also* a mom. If she wins something at this Open (she and Yui Kamiji have already won the AO doubles this year) I wonder if that'll slip under the radar?



In two months time (well, 56 days... and then there's the mail-in ballots), the U.S. election takes place, and who knows what happens between then and January 20.. One take...

In 1987, R.E.M. released "The End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)."

"Team by team, reporters baffled, trumped, tethered, cropped
Look at that low plane, fine, then
Uh oh, overflow, population, common group
But it'll do, save yourself, serve yourself
World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed
Tell me with the Rapture and the reverent in the right, right
You vitriolic, patriotic, slam fight, bright light
Feeling pretty psyched

It's the end of the world as we know it"

Here's Michael Stipe displaying absolutely no social distancing skills in Glastonbury, Scotland in 1999:


And here's probably the only time you'll ever actually (mostly) hear all the convoluted, rushed lyrics of the song, from "MTV Unplugged" in 1991:


A few of decades earlier, Barry McGuire came out with "Eve of Destruction" in 1965.

"Handful of Senators don't pass legislation,
And marches alone can't bring integration
When human respect is disintegratin'
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin'
And you tell me over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction"

As several YouTube commenters noted, "This song has aged shockingly well," and "This song is even more relevant than it was back then. How sad is that?" Also, "55 years on. This song is more important now. Than it was then. The more things change. The more they stay the same."

Oh, and the black knee-high boots with white jeans was a choice.










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kosova-font

*2020 WTA SF*
4 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (4-0)
3 - Simona Halep, ROU (2-1)
3 - JENNIFER BRADY, USA (1-1)
3 - Ash Barty, AUS (1-2)
2 - Ekaterina Alexandrova, RUS (1-1)
2 - Sofia Kenin, USA (2-0)
2 - Johanna Konta, GBR (0-2)
2 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (1-1)
2 - Petra Martic, CRO (0-2)
2 - Elise Mertens, BEL (1-1) [TO PLAY QF]
2 - Garbine Muguruza, ESP (1-0+L)
2 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (1-1) [TO PLAY QF]
2 - Kristyna Pliskova, CZE (0-2)
2 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (1-1)
2 - Heather Watson, GBR (1-1)
--
TO PLAY QF: Azarenka (1-0), Rogers (0-1), S.Williams (1-0)

*LOWEST-SEEDED WOMEN IN US OPEN SF, since 2000*
Unseeded - 2000 Elena Dementieva, RUS
Unseeded - 2009 Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
Unseeded - 2011 Angelique Kerber, GER
Unseeded - 2013 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
Unseeded - 2014 Peng Shuai, CHN
Unseeded - 2015 Roberta Vinci, ITA (RU)
Unseeded - 2016 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
Unseeded - 2017 Sloane Stephens, USA (W)
Wild Card - 2009 Kim Clijsters, BEL (W)
#28 - 2020 Jennifer Brady, USA
#28 - 2011 Serena Williams, USA (RU)
#26 - 2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA (W)
#20 - 2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN (W)
#20 - 2017 CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
#19 - 2018 Anastasija Sevastova, LAT
#19 - 2006 Jelena Jankovic,SRB
#17 - 2018 Serena Williams, USA (RU)
#17 - 2014 Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
#15 - 2017 Madison Keys, USA (RU)
#15 - 2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN (W)
#14 - 2018 Madison Keys, USA
#13 - 2019 Belinda Bencic, SUI
#12 - 2005 Mary Pierce, FRA (RU)
#12 - 2007 Venus Williams, USA
--
TO PLAY QF: Azarenka (unseeded), Pironkova (unseeded/PR), Rogers (unseeded), #16 Mertens

*WTA "CAREER SF SLAM" - active*
[with slam at which completed]
Victoria Azarenka - 2013 RG (30th)
Kim Clijsters - 2003 US (18th)
Simona Halep - 2018 AO (31st)
Serena Williams - 2003 AO (18th)
Venus Williams - 2001 AO (15th)
Vera Zvonareva - 2010 US (31st)

*FIRST-TIME SLAM SEMIFINALISTS SINCE 2013*
=2013=
AO: Sloane Stephens/USA
RG: -
WI: Kirsten Flipkens/BEL
US: Flavia Pennetta/ITA
=2014=
AO: Genie Bouchard/CAN
RG: Simona Halep/ROU (RU), Andrea Petkovic/GER
WI: Lucie Safarova/CZE
US: Ekatarina Makarova/RUS, Peng Shuai/CHN
=2015=
AO: Madison Keys/USA
RG: Timea Bacsinszky/SUI
WI: Garbine Muguruza/ESP (RU)
US: Roberta Vinci/ITA (RU)
=2016=
AO: Johanna Konta/GBR
RG: Kiki Bertens/NED
WI: Elena Vesnina/RUS
US: Karolina Pliskova/CZE (RU)
=2017=
AO: CoCo Vandeweghe/USA
RG: Alona Ostapenko/LAT (W)
WI: Magdalena Rybarikova/SVK
US: -
=2018=
AO: Elise Mertens/BEL
RG: -
WI: Julia Goerges/GER
US: Naomi Osaka/JPN (W), Anastasija Sevastova/LAT
=2019=
AO: Danielle Collins/USA
RG: Amanda Anisimova/USA, Ash Barty/AUS (W), Marketa Vondrousova/CZE (RU)
WI: Barbora Strycova/CZE, Elina Svitolina/UKR
US: Bianca Andreescu/CAN (W), Belinda Bencic/SUI
=2020=
AO: Sofia Kenin/USA (W)
US: Jennifer Brady/USA
--
NOTE: 27 of 29 slams, 28 of 31
--
POSSIBLE FIRST-TIMER TO PLAY QF: Shelby Rogers

*CAREER SLAM SF - active*
38 - Serena Williams (33-5) [to play QF]
23 - Venus Williams (16-7)
16 - Kim Clijsters (8-8)
8 - Simona Halep (5-3)
7 - Victoria Azarenka (4-3) [to play QF]
7 - Angelique Kerber (4-3)
6 - Petra Kvitova (3-3)
[6 - Jelena Jankovic 1-5]
5 - Svetlana Kuznetsova (4-1)
5 - Garbina Muguruza (4-1)
5 - Samantha Stosur (2-3)
4 - Vera Zvonareva (2-2)
4 - Madison Keys (1-3)
3 - Sloane Stephens (2-1)
3 - Genie Bouchard (1-2)
3 - Sara Errani (1-2)
3 - Johanna Konta (0-3)
3 - Karolina Pliskova (1-2)
2 - Naomi Osaka (2-0) [to play QF]
2 - Ash Barty (1-1)
2 - Sabine Lisicki (1-1)
2 - Alona Ostapenko (1-1)
2 - Timea Bacsinszky (0-2)
2 - Elina Svitolina (0-2)
2 - CoCo Vandeweghe (0-2)
1 - W=Andreescu, Kenin, Vondrousova
1 - Brady (0-0)
1 - L=Anisimova, Bencic, Bertens, Collins, Goerges, Flipkens, Mertens [to play QF], Peng, Petkovic, Pironkova [to play QF], Sevastova, Strycova, Wickmayer
--
ALSO TO PLAY QF: Shelby Rogers (0-0)

*ALL-TIME SLAM SF*
52 - Chris Evert
44 - Martina Navratilova
38 - Serena Williams [to play QF]
37 - Steffi Graf
36 - Margaret Court
26 - Billie Jean King
26 - Doris Hart
25 - Louise Brough
24 - Helen Jacobs
23 - Venus Williams

*U.S. OPEN "BROADWAY-BOUND" WINNERS*
2010 Vania King, USA
2011 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2012 "Future Sloane" (Stephens), USA
2013 Camila Giorgi, ITA
2014 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2015 Lisa Raymond, USA
2016 Kayla Day, USA
2017 Sharapova vs. Halep ("Opening Night")
2018 Kaia Kanepi, EST
2019 "Call Me Coco" summer preview shows
2020 "Three Moms & the Quarterfinals" (Serena, Vika & Pironkova)



*DEFEATED BOTH VENUS & SERENA IN A 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: Kerber (2016), Ka.Pliskova (2017), Muguruza (2017)
NEVER WON SLAM: Makarova, Ka.Pliskova, Q.Wang
NOTE: Makarova was #1 in doubles
2020 US OPEN QF: Pironkova (3 wins over Venus in slams) vs. Serena



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): Nominee: 4r-Rogers d. #6 Kvitova 7-6(5)/3-6/7-6(6) - 4 MP saved
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.): xx
TOP NIGHT SESSION WOMEN'S MATCH: Nominee: 4r-Azarenka d. #20 Muchova 5–7/6–1/6–4 (Armstrong)
=============================
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: tennis moms (Serena, Vika, Pironkova, Zvonareva, Whiley), Rogers, (WD), (wheelchair)
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Brady, Rogers, Mertens, Azarenka, Muhammad/Townsend, (wheelchair)
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: in QF: Brady(W), Rogers, S.Williams
COMEBACK PLAYER: Tsvetana Pironkova/BUL (first event since '17 Wimb; to QF)
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: S.Williams, Azarenka, Siegemund/Zvonareva
DOUBLES STAR: xx
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: Nominee: Osaka (3-0 in Ashe night matches), S.Williams, Azarenka
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 9. More tomorrow.
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