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Friday, February 12, 2021

AO.5 - Boom-Shaka-Second Chance

For Aryna Sabalenka at this Australian Open, it's been a case of "so far, so good."



Though ranked #7 and one of the most successful players in the tour's "regular season" in recent years, the Belarusian has yet to reach her maiden slam quarterfinal. With nine singles titles to her credit, the 22-year old is perilously close to joining the exceedingly short list (it contains just two women: Anna Smashnova and Anabel Medina-Garrigues) of players in WTA history with double-digit career titles to their name but zero Final 8 runs in their slam career.

Sabalenka came into this AO in perhaps her best situation to make her first deep run at a major. Though she lost last week in one of the Melbourne tune-up events, she'd won fifteen straight matches (and three consecutive titles) dating back to last season. Her eleventh hour run to end 2020 had allowed her to leapfrog Serena Williams in the final ranking period to achieve her first ever Top 10 finish in a season. With Anton Dubrov officially installed as coach, Sabalenka's consistency and confidence have reached new heights since last year's Restart.

On the fast Melbourne courts, Sabalenka has taken care of business, allowing four games to Viktoria Kuzmova, nine to Dasha Kasatkina and, today, just four to rising Bannerette Ann Li (a finalist last week) in a match-up that seemed almost tailor-made to provide a stumbling block for a player who has been susceptible to such things in her major career. But Sabalenka handled Li like the pro she'll need to be to clear her next career hurdle, bursting out of the gates on Day 5 by holding twice at love, and breaking Li at love, in the first five games of today's 3rd Round match. She took a 40/love game in game #6, then staved off a challenge from the 20-year old (who got the game to deuce) to maintain her advantage. She never lost it, winning 6-3/6-1 to reach just her second slam Round of 16 in her thirteen appearances in the MD of majors.



So far, so good. And now Sabalenka gets her second chance.

To show just how tight things can be in tennis, and how history can sometimes turn on a single result, it's significant to note that two and a half years ago Sabalenka's *first* slam Round of 16 run saw her face off with Naomi Osaka at the U.S. Open. In a hard-hitting "Boom-Shaka-Osaka" battle, Sabalenka gave the young would-be star what would be her tightest battle all tournament, becoming the only player to push her to three sets. Osaka ultimately won in a 6-4 3rd, then went on to claim her maiden slam crown. Then her second in Melbourne the following year, reaching #1. Last year, Osaka won her third and seems poised to inherit the role as the "face of the tour" once the Williams era concludes (I mean, if it ever really does).

Meanwhile, though she's actually won more tour singles titles than Osaka (8 to 5) since their meeting in NYC, it's taken this long for Sabalenka to return to the same stage of a major.

Her next test is set to be a big one, making Sabalenka's accomplishment -- should she pull it off -- just that much more meaningful.

Can you say, "Boom-Shaka-Serena?"

Well, to (finally) get to the quarterfinals, Arya will have to do just that. Osaka did it in the '18 U.S. final -- possibly in place of Sabalenka -- en route to her first major title. If doing so is an unofficial rite of passage for this generation of WTA stars, then it's Aryna's turn to try.




=DAY 5 NOTES=
...it's difficult to avoid having a mild case of culture shock watching, from afar, what it looks like when a country actually takes a pandemic seriously and attempts to react swiftly and surely when even a "small" number of new cases pop up rather than expect them to magically disppear on their own. But, still, it should really come as no surprise that Australia would face more than a few challenges dealing with COVID while accomodating hundreds of tennis players who'd arrived in town from all over the world, and thousands of spectators began going to and from the tournament grounds in Melbourne. It would have been naive to think otherwise.

Well, with the U.K. strain of the virus showing up in the state of Victoria (where Melbourne is located), and contact tracing efforts starting to fall behind, it was announced on Friday that a Stage 4 COVID lockdown would be enacted for the next five days in the state.



Barring the situation becoming worse, the Australian Open will continue but, starting tomorrow, will take place without fans until next Wednesday. One can easily question how it is that the tournament can go forward without (at least) a short pause under these circumstances, but the "bubble" protocols have (mostly) worked at other events. I guess we'll see how it goes.

...as noted, if Sabalenka is to finally reach her first slam QF at this Australian Open she'll have to earn it by defeating Serena.

But Williams showed today that her quest for slam #24 isn't a given to extend into the second week of this major. Facing off with an opponent two decades her junior today in young Russian Anastasia Potapova, Williams' timing was off throughout. Her groundstrokes were often unreliable, and the Hordette made her play defense. The 19-year old had her chances to put tremendous pressure on Serena's chances of survival, and opened the match playing well on the big stage in the 1st set. Well, at least until she didn't.



A break of Williams' serve, on her sixth BP chance of the game, gave Potapova a 4-2 lead in the set. Serena broke back, only to drop serve again in game #8, giving the Hordette a chance to serve out the 1st. With Williams' game far from its peak form, the last thing Potapova wanted to do was crack under the pressure. But that's just what she did. After not having had a DF to that point in the match, Potapova opened the game by committing two in a row. Williams' gifted her a lifeline by shooting a 2nd serve return long, and it looked as Potapova would take advantage of it. She reached SP, then DF'd for a third time. Holding a second SP, the Russian DF'd -- by a long shot -- on a fourth occasion. Down BP, she had her *fifth* DF of the game.

After Williams knotted the set at 5-5, Potapova survived another DF to hold for 6-5. The set went to a TB, and again Potapova held a 5-3 advantage. But with another SP opportunity within reach, Potapova's loose, mid-rally error sent the match down a path from which she couldn't divert it. She didn't win another point in the TB, as Williams eked out a 7-5 win.

After Potapova opened the 2nd set with a break of Williams' serve, Serena immediately broke back and then found ways to overcome her still-sketchy shots. After a medical time out, a more settled Potapova held at love for pull within 4-2, but Williams proceeded to close her out, 7-6(5)/6-2, in short order, nonetheless.



Williams' 63rd career slam Round of 16, her 16th in Melbourne, also allows her to become the first woman to crack the 90-win barrier in AO play.

...#19 Marketa Vondrousova, who came into this AO having gone 1-4 in slam competition since her '19 Roland Garros final defeat, reached her first career Round of 16 in Melbourne with a 2 & 4 victory over Romanian Sorana Cirstea. As it stands, though she's exited in the 1st Round seven times her thirteen previous appearances in majors, Vondrousova is now just one second week run at Wimbledon away from having reached the 4th Round at all four majors in her career. The Czech is currently 0-3 in MD matches at SW19.

2020 finalist Garbine Muguruza continued her roll on Day 5, smothering Zarina Diyas 6-1/6-1 to advance to her third straight AO Round of 16. The Spaniard has lost a total of ten games through three matches this week. By this time a year ago in this event, Muguruza had lost a total of 22 games and twice been forced to play a 3rd set.



...in a back and forth affair, Hsieh Su-wei outlasted qualifier Sara Errani in a battle of veterans. Down 5-3 in the 3rd, and with Errani serving for the match at 5-4, Hsieh ulimately swept the final four games to win 6-4/2-6/7-5 and reach her fourth career slam Round of 16. Three have come in Melbourne.



...not far behind Muguruza on the games-allowed list is #3 Naomi Osaka. Against a formidable string of opponents that has included the likes of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Caroline Garcia and (today) #27 Ons Jabeur, the reigning U.S. Open champ has dropped just thirteen games. Her Day 5 win extends her undefeated (albeit while having given two walkovers over the stretch) run to seventeen straight matches.

Osaka fill face Muguruza next.

...after being pushed to the virtual limit two nights ago by Ajla Tomljanovic, #2 Simona Halep heeded coach Darren Cahill's advice to be more aggressive on Night 5 against #32 Vernonika Kudermetova. After winning the opening set 6-1, Halep saw the Russian take a break lead at 3-2 in the 2nd. The Romanian immediately got the break back, then stepped on the gas and finished off the Hordette 6-1/6-3.

With neither Kudermetova nor Potapova being able to reach the Round of 16 today, tomorrow Ekaterina Alexandrova (vs. #1 Ash Barty) will be the last Russian hope to put a player into the AO Round of 16 for the 22nd time in the last 23 years (and 73rd time in the last 81 majors).

With #15 Iga Swiatek still to play her 3rd Round match (vs. Fiona Ferro) on Night 5, the possibility remains that the eight remaining players in the bottom half of the draw could include five former slam champions (as well as a slam finalist in Vondrousova). Only Barty has lifted a major title from the group of sixteen still alive in the top half.

Yeah, a bottom half with *Round of 16* match-ups like Halep/Swiatek, S.Williams/Sabalenka and Osaka/Muguruza would be, well, *pretty* nice looking. Even if there won't be any fans there to actually see it all first hand.

...in doubles, Coco Gauff & Caty McNally knocked off #6-seeded Gaby Dabrowski & Bethanie Mattek-Sands. With Ash Barty/Jennifer Brady pulling out, #2-seeded Sabalenka & Elise Mertens advanced to the 3rd Round via a walkover.



In mixed doubles, three-time slam champs (though never at the AO) Latisha Chan & Ivan Dodig (the #7 seeds) were upset by Lucie Hradecka & Filip Polasek. Chan/Dodig won back-to-back RG titles in 2018-19, as well as Wimbledon in the latter season. It wasn't a good AO for the Chan sisters. As a duo, they fell in the 1st Round of WD, while Hao-ching (w/ Juan Sebastian Cabal) also lost in the 1st Round in MX on Day 5, making the siblings a combined 0-3 less than a week after reaching the Gippsland event final.

...the AO wheelchair draws have been made, and Diede de Groot wasn't provided any favors.

While it'll still be *expected* to be a de Groot vs. Yui Kamiji final (they've already met in the two singles finals this month, splitting the titles, as well as in two doubles matches, winning one each), it's worth noting that the Dutch #1 was upset at last year's AO by Zhu Zhenzhen in her slam debut. Zhu isn't in this year's draw.

De Groot opens against countrywoman and doubles partner Aniek Van Koot, then could face Momoko Ohtani (who upset the world #1 at last year's RG) in the semis. Kamiji, meanwhile, is in the half of the draw with two South Americans -- 1st Round opponent Macarena Cabrillana, and Angelica Bernal -- and K.J. Montjane.

In doubles, de Groot/Van Koot open against Kamiji/Ohatani, with the winners facing either #2 Montane/Lucy Shuker or Bernal/Cabrillana.





...AHH, METAPHORS... ON DAY 5:



...NOT THE ENDING WE WERE PROMISED! ON DAY 5:



...A LEGEND IN HER OWN TIME ON DAY 5:



..."Was That Wrong? Should I Not Have Done That?"... ON DAY 5:



...RADKA LEITMERITZ STRIKES AGAIN ON DAY 5:



...I DON'T KNOW, BUT... ON DAY 5:



...a sport that acknowledges it has a problem with -- and actively seeks to ban players for -- match fixing, it *seems* like a bad look to have betting odds announced mid-match on Tennis Channel. I'm just sayin'.

...RIGHT ON BRAND ON DAY 5:



And then, after he got better, he *still* ignored the pandemic the rest of his presidency. Not a surprise, not even a microscopically small one, but still something that should be pointed out.





I'm not sure how the leap from Jordis Unga to Fiona Apple occurred (via the YouTube recommendation list?), but it gives me a chance to highlight her work, stating with a couple of songs from her "Tidal" album, one of *the* great debut albums of recent times.

First, an entertaining version of "Criminal" from a 1997 appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman" at age 19, as well as "Shadowboxer" from the "Sessions at West 54th" series from that same year.



After several long breaks (and a few other albums), Apple -- well, at least her music and voice -- returned in full form in 2020 with her "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" album.

Due to obvious reasons and restrictions, it doesn't seem as if Apple has been able to perform her songs live over the past year (or at least I couldn't really find anything, save for one video). The quality of her voice on official recordings is great, but to see her in emotional action -- usually behind a piano -- is a whole other thing. Hopefully we'll see some of her new songs in that way soon.

I especially want to see her sing "For Her," which includes a tremendous tone change about half way through (1:42) which begins with a lyric that demands you stop and listen.



That one live (in studio) Apple (somehow now 43 -- Time really covers ground, doesn't it?) performance of her new songs I found is this one, a three-song set which I've set to begin (at 3:15) with the Grammy-nominated "Shameika." She said Fiona had potential, after all. As usual, *seeing* Apple perform this one takes it to another level, I think.



And from Apple we hop to...







=WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16=
x vs. x
x vs. x
x vs. x
x vs. x
Hsieh Su-wei/TPE vs. #19 Marketa Vondrousova/CZE
#14 Garbine Muguruza/ESP vs. #3 Naomi Osaka/JPN
#7 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR vs. #10 Serena Williams/USA
x vs. #2 Simona Halep/ROU

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES ROUND OF 16=
x vs. x
Kalinskaya/Kuzmova (RUS/SVK) vs. (PR) Krunic/Trevisan (SRB/ITA)
#3 Krejcikova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE) vs. x
Fernandez/Watson (CAN/GBR) vs. Fichman/Olmos (CAN/MEX)
Gauff/McNally (USA/USA) vs. x
x vs. x
#7 Aoyama/Shibahara (JPN/JPN) vs. #12 Carter/Stefani (USA/BRA)
x vs. #2 Mertens/Sabalenka (BEL/BLR)

=MIXED DOUBLES QF=
x vs. x
x vs. x
x vs. x
x vs. x

=WHEELCHAIR SINGLES=
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. Aniek Van Koot/NED
Momoko Ohtani/JPN vs. Lucy Shuker/GBR
Angelica Bernal/COL vs. KJ Montjane/RSA
Macarena Cabrillana/CHI vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

=WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES=
#1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED) vs. Kamiji/Ohtani (JPN/JPN)
Bernal/Cabrillana (COL/CHI) vs. #2 Montjane/Shuker (RSA/GBR)














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*WTA "CAREER ROUND OF 16 SLAM" - active*
[with slam at which completed]
Victoria Azarenka - 2009 Wimbledon (15th)
Ash Barty - 2019 Wimbledon (20th)
Genie Bouchard - 2014 US Open (5th)
Kim Clijsters - 2001 US Open (10th)
Alize Cornet - 2020 US Open (57th)
Simona Halep - 2014 Wimbledon (17th)
Angelique Kerber - 2013 Australian (21st)
Madison Keys - 2016 Roland Garros (16th)
Johanna Konta - 2019 Roland Garros (22nd)
Petra Kvitova - 2011 Australian (11th)
Svetlana Kuznetsova - 2005 Australian (11th)
Petra Martic - 2019 US Open (32nd)
Elise Mertens - 2019 Wimbledon (12th)
Garbine Muguruza - 2017 US Open (20th)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - 2017 Australian (37th)
Karolina Pliskova - 2018 Wimbledon (25th)
Sloane Stephens - 2013 US Open (10th)
Carla Suarez-Navarro - 2013 US Open (20th)
Elina Svitolina - 2018 Australian (22nd)
Serena Williams - 2000 Wimbledon (8th)
Venus Williams - 1998 Wimbledon (6th)
Vera Zvonareva - 2004 US Open (11th)

*AO "LAST AUSSIE STANDING" WINNERS*
2008 Casey Dellacqua (4th Rd.)
2009 Jelena Dokic (QF)
2010 Samantha Stosur (4th Rd.)
2011 Samantha Stosur (3rd Rd.)
2012 C.Dellacqua, J.Dokic, O.Rogowska (2nd)
2013 Samantha Stosur (2nd Rd.)
2014 Casey Dellacqua (4th Rd.)
2015 C.Dellacqua, J.Gajdosova, S.Stosur,A.Tomljanovic (2nd)
2016 Dasha Gavrilova (4th Rd.)
2017 Dasha Gavrilova (4th Rd.)
2018 Ash Barty (3rd Rd.)
2019 Ash Barty (QF)
2020 Ash Barty (SF)
2021 Ash Barty (in 3rd Rd.)

*AO "LAST WILD CARD STANDING" WINNERS*
2008 Jessica Moore, AUS (2nd Rd.)
2009 Jelena Dokic, AUS (QF)
2010 Justine Henin, BEL (RU)
2011 J.Dokic/AUS, C.Garcia/FRA & A.Molik/AUS (2nd)
2012 Casey Dellacqua, AUS & Olivia Rogowska, AUS (2nd)
2013 Madison Keys, USA (3rd Rd.)
2014 Casey Dellacqua, AUS (4th Rd.)
2015 K-C.Chang/TPE, O.Dodin/FRA & I.Falconi/USA (2nd)
2016 Han Xinyun, CHN (2nd Rd.)
2017 Ash Barty, AUS (3rd Rd.)
2018 Olivia Rogowska, AUS (2nd Rd.)
2019 Kimberly Birrell, AUS (3rd Rd.)
2020 Patricia Hon, AUS & Arina Rodionova, AUS (3rd Rd.)
2021 Dasha Gavrilova, AUS & Samantha Stosur, AUS (2nd Rd.)



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TOP QUALIFIER: Francesca Jones/GBR
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): #3 Naomi Osaka/JPN
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: Whitney Osuigwe/USA def. #22 Mihaela Buzarnescu/ROU 2-6/7-6(1)/6-2 (trailed 6-2/5-2)
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): #2 Simona Halep/ROU def. Ajla Tomljanovic/AUS 4-6/6-4/7-5; 2:34; trailed 5-2 in 3rd, Tomlj. for match; won last 5 games
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/WC/Doub.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Naomi Osaka/JPN (def. Pavlyuchenkova/RUS)
FIRST SEED OUT: #23 Angelique Kerber/GER (1st Rd.-Pera/USA)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Olga Danilovic/SRB, Mayar Sherif/EGY, Liudmila Samsonova/RUS, Nina Stojanovic/SRB
UPSET QUEENS: United States
REVELATION LADIES: Estonia
NATION OF POOR SOULS: China (1-5, 2 seeds out 1r & all 3 Top 50; Wang Xiyu w/d with COVID)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: In 3r: Errani(L), Juvan ... (LL: Schmiedlova-2r)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Dasha Gavrilova/AUS, Samantha Stosur/AUS (both 2nd Rd.)
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: Ash Barty (in 3rd Rd.)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: xx
IT (TBD): Nominees: Sherif (1st EGY slam MD win), Juvan, Kanepi, Hsieh
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominee: Marino (first GS win in 10 yrs.; battled depression)
CRASH & BURN: Sofia Kenin/USA (2nd Rd. to Kanepi; earliest AO DC exit since 2003)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE: Simona Halep/ROU (2nd Rd.- down 5-2 in 3rd vs. Tomljanovic, sweeps final 5 games)
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: Nominees: S.Williams, Hsieh
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominees: Barty, Halep
"G'DAY/GOOD ON YA, MATE" AWARD: nominee: Barty
DOUBLES STAR: xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: [jr. event to be held later in '21]





All for Day 5. More tomorrow.
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