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Sunday, March 28, 2021

Wk.9- Mid-event in the Gardens of Good and Miami

A Miami Open field without the men's Big 3 and, let's be honest, not too many ATP players worth even a fraction of the time and effort necessary to, well, pay attention at all?

(I mean, Tennis Channel wasted almost two hours on Sunday showing a commercial for sleep aids a John Isner match -- guess what, there were multiple tie-breaks involved.)

Don't worry, the competitive field of WTA stars have things covered in South Florida.

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*WEEK 10*

=Qualifying through 3rd Round=


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SURPRISE: Kristina Kucova/SVK
...a week after her "upset" of Sloane Stephens in Monterrey, the 30-year Slovak (#149) qualified in Miami with victories over Wang Yafan and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. In the MD, she outlasted teenager Hailey Baptiste in a 7-5 3rd set, then had (still, for now) #1-ranked Ash Barty dead to rights for her biggest career victory (her only Top 10 win came vs. Carla Suarez Navarro in 2016). Kucova served for the win over the Aussie at 5-3 in the 3rd, holding a MP. But after failing to put it away, Kucova didn't win another game in the match.
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FRESH FACES: Anna Kalinskaya/RUS and Hailey Baptiste/USA
...a week after being the eighth Russian quarterfinalist (and the only one not in Saint Petersburg) in Week 8, 22-year old Kalinskaya took her wild card into the Miami Open MD and did some work, taking down Irina-Camelia Begu and Petra Martic (staging a comeback from 3-1 down in the 3rd against the Croat) to reach her first career WTA 1000 3rd Round. Facing the red-hot Garbine Muguruza, the Hordette took the 1st set and battled the Spaniard deep into the 3rd. With Muguruza serving for the match at 5-4, Kalinskaya held BP to get things back on serve but was unable to keep her hopes afloat.



19-year old D.C. native Baptiste was given a qualifying wild card and made the most of it, upsetting top-seeded Misaki Doi in a 3rd set TB to start things out, then Greet Minnen to reach the MD. She pushed fellow qualifier Kristina Kucova, who'd go on to hold MP vs. #1 Ash Barty a round later, to three sets before seeing the Slovak get a late break in game #11 then serve out the match. Baptiste has trailed 5-2 in the set, but rallied to knot the score at 5-5 and held a GP for a 6-5 lead.

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DOWN: Yulia Putintseva/KAZ
...another week, another match lost by Putintseva after having held MP. This makes *three* such instances on the season so far for the Kazakh.

Having already blown MP leads in '21 against Sofia Kenin (Abu Dhabi) and Vika Azarenka (Grampians), as well as dealing with Melbourne quarantine and the Great Hotel Mice War, Putintseva fell to Serbia's Nina Stojanovic in the 2nd Round in Miami after having led 7-5/5-2 and holding two MP.

Putintseva's overall 6-5 record on the season is hardly horrendous, but it could (and should) be *so* much better.
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ITF PLAYER: Linda Noskova/CZE
...the 16-year old Czech follows up her maiden pro win with a second title in as many weeks in this week's $15K challenger in Bratislava. Noskova knocked off #5 seed Verena Meliss (2r), #1 Rebecca Sramkova (QF) and #8 Alina Charaeva (SF) before downing unseeded Croatian Iva Primorac (who'd upset #6 Chantal Skamlova, #2 Reka-Luca Jani and #4 Tereza Smitkova) to claim the final via a 6-3/7-6(4) scoreline.

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JUNIOR STAR: Alexandra Yepifanova/USA
...in 2019, Yepifanova reached the U.S. Open girls singles final, but notched just a single game vs. Maria Camila Osorio Serrano. A year and a half later, the now 18-year old Bannerette picked up her biggest career junior crown this weekend in the Grade 1 International Open of Southern California in San Diego.



The top seed, Yepifanova (girls #22) didn't drop a set all week, defeating fellow U.S. teen Reese Brantmeier in the final. Meanwhile, Brantmeier teamed with Kimmi Hance to win the doubles.

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WHEELCHAIR: Aniek Van Koot/NED
...Van Koot swept the singles and double titles at the Series 2 Loughborough Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Tournament in Great Britain. The #1 seed, she defeated #4 Lucy Shuker (SF) and #3 Dana Mathewson (3 & 2 in the final) to claim the crown. In doubles, Van Koot teamed with countrywoman Jiske Griffioen to defeat the field, knocking off the #2 (Kruger/Mathewson SF) and #1 (Shuker/Whiley F) seeds en route to the title.

For Griffioen, the former #1 who returned in 2019 after a two-year retirement, it's her first title of any kind in her comeback. Her last title was a singles crown in France four seasons ago (def. Yui Kamiji in the final), and most recent in doubles was her '17 Australian Open win alongside Van Koot (def. Kamiji/de Groot for the title).

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=Qualifying through 3rd Round=


1. Miami 2nd Rd. - Ash Barty def. Kristina Kucova 6-3/4-6/7-5
Miami 2nd Rd. - Aryna Sabalenka def. Tsvetana Pironkova 0-6/6-3/7-6(9)
Miami 2nd Rd. - Simona Halep def. Caroline Garcia 3-6/6-4/6-0
Miami 2nd Rd. - Elina Svitolina def. Shelby Rogers 3-6/7-5/6-3
...just call it Escape Thursday, as both simultaneously and within a span of a few hours four different top women's seeds managed to avoid upsets. Some got *far* closer to defeat than others.

Barty faced qualifier Kucova in just the Aussie's second event (w/ Doha '20) outside of Australia since November 2019 (she played the '19 Fed Cup final in Perth to end that season). The world #1 looked about to suffer a third straight loss for the first time since 2014, with Kucova about to notch her second career Top 10 win. The Slovak served for the match at 5-3 in the 3rd, holding a MP. But Barty, with her #1 ranking in jeopardy at this event, avoided an early disaster, getting the break and then never losing another game. She held from love/40 down to close out the 7-5 set and get the win.

While Barty was contending with Kucova, #7 Sabalenka was dropping the 1st set to qualifier Pironkova at love, then collecting herself to force a 3rd in a match in which both women took medical timeouts and had ice bags on their heads during changeovers. In the final set, the Bulgarian veteran surged to a 5-2 lead, serving at 5-3. Sabalenka got the break to get the match back on serve, and the two soon headed to a deciding TB. Again, Pironkova took the early lead at 2-0, only to see the Belarusian battle back to 4-4. Sabalenka held back-to-back MP at 6-4 but couldn't convert, then saw Pironkova hold two MP of her own (at 7-6 and 8-7) in the back-and-forth breaker. But this match wasn't contended at a major, so Pironkova didn't get the last laugh (or gasping triumph in the heat). Finally, Sabalenka put away MP #3 to win the tie-break 11-9 and advance.



Later in the afternoon, Garcia led #3 Halep 6-3/3-1 before the Romanian turned things around, ultimately bageling the Pastry in the 3rd set to record her 400th career WTA MD victory.

Finally, with few top players *needing* an affirming victory more than #5 Svitolina, the Ukranian got it after falling down a set and early break against Rogers.

Whew!
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2. Miami 2nd Rd. - Ons Jabeur def. Paula Badosa
...7-6(6)/5-7/7-5. In a physically draining 2:36 affair in the afternoon heat, Jabeur pulled her way through the muck (sometimes to the consternation of Badosa) to emerge with a warrior-cred-earning victory.

After failing to serve out the 1st set, Jabeur was forced to save a SP before finally winning an 8-6 TB. The Tunisian called for a trainer mid-way through the 2nd set, and threw up on the court (in the corner, while Badosa waited to serve, then eventually DF'd and dropped the game). Badosa served for the win in the 3rd, only to fail to get the job done, as Jabeur laughed at the audacity of it all and then swept the final four games. As a still peeved Badosa exited, Jabeur sank to the court and stayed behind, worked on by a team of trainers/doctors.



Jabeur didn't just sink in the next round, either. Against Sofia Kenin, against whom she had yet to win a set in four meetings, Jabeur rallied to take the 1st set by winning the final twelve points (gonig from 3-4 down to a 6-4 win) en route to a three-set victory.

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3. Miami 1st Rd. - Sara Sorribes Tormo def. Bernarda Pera
...6-2/2-6/7-5. Sorribes won their previous meeting in 3:23 in Abu Dhabi in January, and went 2:44 to get this victory, staging a comeback from 5-1 down in the 3rd set (saving 2 MP) to continue her early '21 North American momentum.

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4. Miami 1st Rd. - Anastasija Sevastova def. Olga Danilovic 6-1/3-6/7-6(3)
Miami 2nd Rd. - Anastasija Sevastova def. Coco Gauff 1-6/6-2/6-3
...Sevastova is playing as if the Miami Open is the new U.S. Open (where the Latvian posted QF-QF-SF results from 2016-18). First, she rallied from 5-2 down in the 3rd vs. Danilovic in her opening match. Then she rallied from 3-1 down in the 3rd (and 15/40 down in game #5) to take out Gauff, who was playing in her 10th three-setter in 17 matches this season.

The winner -- unbeknownest to either player -- would get the gift of a 3rd Round walkover from Simona Halep (shoulder) two days later.
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5. Miami 2nd Rd. - Nina Stojanovic def. Yulia Putintseva
...5-7/7-5/6-2. After squandering four SP in the 1st, Stojanovic staged a comeback from 7-5/5-2 down, saving two MP, to take the 2nd and put the pressure on Putintseva's shoulders. The Serb then claimed the 3rd 6-2, handing the Kazakh a third loss this season after having held MP.



One of the most improved players on tour this season, Stojanovic had qualified with wins over Linda Fruhvirtova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (a two-fer opponent combo with a 21-year age span), and had knocked off Heather Watson before Putintseva. Unfortunately, Stojanovic withdrew from the event (w/ a thigh injury, which was wrapped during her 2nd Round win) before she could face off with Naomi Osaka in the 3rd Round. Stojanovic is 8-5 on the season.

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6. Miami Q1 - Mihaela Buzarnescu def. Leylah Fernandez
...6-4/6-2. One would think that the Monterrey champ might have had reserved a complimentary main draw WC berth in Miami for "the good of the tour," but instead Fernandez was immediately forced into a qualifying situation that prevented one of the new young stars of the tour to be given a bigger stage on which to perform and be seen.

That said, not holding a potential WC spot for Fernandez doesn't even come close to that ridiculous MD wild card that was gifted to Mari -- not Naomi -- Osaka a couple of years ago at this same event, so there's that.
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7. Miami Q2 - Elisabetta Cocciaretto def. Timea Babos 2-6/6-3/6-3
Miami 1st Rd. - Danielle Collins def. Kristina Mladenovic 6-3/6-3
...with both players "focusing on singles" (though Babos continues to regularly play doubles), the slam-winning doubles duo didn't last too long in their solo stints in Miami.

To date, Babos has gone 7-6 in singles (though many matches have come in qualifying rounds) this season, while Mladenovic's loss drops her to 5-8.
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8. Miami 1st Rd. - Simona Halep/Angelique Kerber def. Elise Mertens/Aryna Sabalenka
...7-5/7-5. The ad hoc doubles duo of former #1's/slam champs (well, actually, I guess Simona is *still* the reigning Wimbledon champ) takes out the #1 seeds and reigning (2019) Miami champions.

With their diminishing returns since announcing they'd no longer be "regular" partners (except in big events), one has to at least wonder if this might be the swan song of Mertens/Sabalenka for a while.
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9. Miami 1st Rd. - Anna-Lena Friedsam/Storm Sanders def. Vania King/Yaroslava Shvedova
...7-5/6-2. Speaking of swan songs, King's is (belatedly) nearly here. This was the latest of several of her announced "farewell to tennis" events, and the first of two alongside old partner Shvedova. Unfortunately, this stop didn't last long. Maybe they'll at least get a win or two in Charleston before King hangs up her racket for good.

King's last match win alongside Shvedova came in their most recent pairing prior to this week, at the Miami Open in 2017, a run that ended with a QF loss to Sania Mirza and (the newly-announced-mom-to-be) Barbora Strycova.
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10. Miami 2nd Rd. - Petra Kvitova def. Alize Cornet
...6-0/6-4. Kvitova nearly pulls off a Golden Set, winning 24 of 27 points (and all 12 on Cornet's serve) in the 1st.
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11. Miami 1st Rd. - Ana Konjuh def. Katerina Siniakova 7-6(3)/7-5
Miami 2nd Rd. - Ana Konjuh def. Madison Keys 6-4/6-2
Miami 3rd Rd. - Ana Konjuh def. Iga Swiatek 6-4/2-6/6-2
...Konjuh's run has become increasing impressive, from her first WTA MD win since 2018 (Beijing) over Siniakova, followed up by her first Top 20 victory since '17 with her win over Keys, and then the #338-ranked Croat's three-set triumph over Swiatek, giving her back-to-back Top 20 wins for the first time in over four years.

With four elbow surgeries behind her and after having missed a total of three years since her first surgery in September '17, Konjuh is assured of her best WTA 1000 result since Dubai '17. Of course, this is only the *second* such event she's played (the other was Dubai earlier this month) since her injury woes began.

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12. Miami 1st Rd. - Sloane Stephens def. Oceane Dodin 6-7(6)/6-4/6-2
Miami 2nd Rd. - Amanda Anisimova def. Sloane Stephens 6-3/6-3
...Stephens' long winless streak -- 176 days -- finally ended when she won her very first sets of 2021. But the "Future Renaissance" was short-lived, as she seemed unwilling to even attempt to make a true late push in the 2nd set against Anisimova even after she got a break to close within 4-2 and Anisimova (however briefly) seemed to possibly be having a temporary physical issue.
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13. Miami 2nd Rd. - Bianca Andreescu def. Tereza Martincova
...7-6(5)/6-2. In her first match since Phillip Island (Melbourne) a month ago, Andreescu fell behind early, as Martincova served for the 1st set. Then Bianca started to do Bianca things all over again. The Canadian won the TB, raced to a 5-0 lead in the 3rd and finished off the win in straights.
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14. Miami 3rd Rd. - Sara Sorribes Tormo def. Elena Rybakina
...6-1/3-6/6-2. With her wins over Pera, Jennifer Brady and now Rybakina, Sorribes with a "W" beside her name is becoming frighteningly routine. 10-1 in North America, and 14-4 overall in 2021, Sorribes had never advanced past the 2nd Round in any WTA 1000 event in her career (8 MD, 14 losses in Q) before this week.


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15. Miami 2nd Rd. - Coco Gauff/McNally def. Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova
...6-7(5)/6-4 (10-8). "McCoco" have always been a good doubles team, but might this huge win be the one that lauches them to another level?
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HM- $15K Sharm El Sheikh Final - Yuriko Lily Miyazaki def. Matilda Mutavdzic
...6-3/6-3. 16-year old Brit Mutavdzic, the #16 junior who was defeated by both of last year's girls slam champs (Kasintseva at the AO, Jacquemot at RG) en route to their titles, had the chance to pull off ITF title #2 with a win over #2-seeded Miyazaki (after previously upsetting the #1 seed), but the former Oklahoma Sooner, 25, prevails in straights to go home with career win #3.
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=Qualifying through 3rd Round=
1. Miami 3rd Rd. - Jessica Pegula def. Karolina Pliskova
...6-1/4-6/6-4. No one has feasted on the ennui of Pliskova this season more than Pegula. She lost a 6-1/4-1 lead vs. the Czech on Sunday in their third meeting of 2021, then later *trailed* 4-1 (and BP down) in the 3rd.

But, have no fear, Pegula *still* did what she did the last two times she faced Pliskova this season. She won the match, sending her opponent that much farther down the deep well that has become her '21 campaign.

Meanwhile, since I've said it *enough* in these early months of the new season, I'll let someone else do it...

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2. Miami 1st Rd. - Zarina Diyas def. Venus Williams
...6-2/7-6(10). Venus makes her return from her Australian Open injury (when she recorded just one game vs. Errani in the 2nd Rd.), losing in two.

Since Diyas came in ranked #89 (Venus is #79), this one won't be added to the lengthening list of players ranked #90+ who've knocked off Williams in recent seasons. Venus has had 21 such losses in her two-decades-plus-long (over four different decades) career, but six have come since the start of 2018, a stretch during which she's had the three longest losing streaks of her career (two five-match slumps, and another of four). Though Williams is a "better" 2-3 in '21, she's now a combined 3-13 back to Beijing in Sept.'19, and her last two-win event came that same season in Cincinnati during a QF run.

On Tennis Channel, Lindsay Davenport made note of the stat that shows that Diyas is now 46-5 in her last 51 matches in which she's won the 1st set. Unfortunately for the Kazakh, she lost the 1st set in her 2nd Round match against Belinda Bencic and fell 6-2/6-1.
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3. Miami 2nd rd. - Naomi Osaka def. Alja Tomljanovic
...7-6(3)/6-4. In her first outing since winning the Australian Open, Osaka trailed the Aussie 5-3 in the 1st set, but rallied to get the straight sets victory and remain unbeaten since February 2020 (vs. Sorribes Tormo in Fed Cup qualifying).

Her run has now stretched to 22 matches (though she failed to advance due to two walkovers during the stretch, making it an "unofficial streak"... something which I was glad to hear Martina Navratilova -- who once won 74, 58, 54, 41, 37 and 36 straight -- note on Tennis Channel this week after so many other announcers/tennis entities have pretty much ignored that fact).
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=MIAMI, FLORIDA=







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*2021 TOP JUNIOR EVENT CHAMPIONS*
SVYATOPETRIVSKE VILLAGE UKR J1: Anastasiia Gureva/RUS
SALINAS ECU J1: Natalia Szabanin/HUN
ASUNCION BOWL PAR J1: Petra Marcinko/CRO
PORTO ALEGRE BRA J1: Natalia Szabanin/HUN
BANANA BOWL BRA G1: Oceane Babel/FRA
BARRANQUILLA COL J1: Johanne Christine Svendsen/DEN
SAN DIEGO USA J1: Alexandra Yepifanova/USA

*LONG WTA WINNING/UNDEFEATED STREAKS - last 15 seasons (2006-21)*
34 - Serena Williams, 2013
32 - Justine Henin, 2007-08
27 - Serena Williams, 2014-15 [w/o after #5 and #12]
26 - Victoria Azarenka, 2012
25 - Serena Williams, 2013-14
24 - Serena Williams, 2015 [w/o after #12]
22 - NAOMI OSAKA, 2020-21 [w/o after #4 and #14] - through Miami 3r








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Hmmm, it's too bad Dr. Birx wasn't installed in a public position of authority back when all that was... oh, wait. She was.

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I thought it was interesting that Judy Blume was a trending Twitter topic the other days in the hours after it was announced that Beverly Cleary had died... because Cleary's passing had caused me to reminisce and look up Blume's name, as well. Her Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was one of the first must-reads that I can remember from elementary school.

For the record, the three books that I most remember from the pre-school and elementary years...



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One shot down, one to go...





Stay the course.
All for now.
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