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Tuesday, January 24, 2023

AO.9 - The Delightfully Button-Down Style of Elena Rybakina

Even Alona Ostapenko couldn't ruffle Elena Rybakina, the delightfully button-down queen of women's tennis.



In the only women's AO quarterfinal match featuring a pair of former slam winners, reigning Wimbledon champ Rybakina was faced with the rare opponent in '17 Roland Garros winner Ostapenko (who could say the same of Rybakina) with the power off the ground to match her own. Other than that, though, the two couldn't be much more different.

While #17 Ostapenko is often everything everywhere all at once, #22-seeded Rybakina seems to play matches as if they're taking place in a corridor down which she focuses her gaze (and shots) to great effect. Rybakina, though she admits to being nervous under the surface, is told that she should probably try to show more emotion *sometime*, while Ostapenko can be expected to go through enough expressions for both herself *and* her opponent *every* time out (and still have some to spare). There is rarely an emotion that Ostapenko doesn't show in any single match. Whether she's sparring with her players box, questioning line calls (seriously or not), mimicing a poor swing or celebrating a laser-like winner off the line, the Latvian brings more bang for the entertainment buck than any player on tour.

As Ostapenko was playing to reach the semifinals at a third different major, Rybakina was seeking her second final four run in the last three slams, having proved whatever point that was needed with her win over #1 Iga Swiatek a round earlier and now simply going about reminding everyone just how dominant she was last summer at SW19.

Most knew such form wasn't a fluke then, and neither is it now.

As she has throughout this slam, Rybakina served her way to prominance on Day 9, and no rain delays, mini-surges, remaining inklings of nerves or Ostapenko was going to stop her forward progression in the draw.

Not today, at least.

It didn't take long for the Kazakh to cleanly impose her will on the match, with her backhand crosscourt winner in the opening game giving her an immediate BP chance. Ostapenko flew a forehand a point later, and Rybakina was out in front. She followed up with an ace to reach GP at 40/15 in her own maiden service game, and saw another Ostapenko forehand error stretch her early lead to 2-0. Meanwhile, Ostapenko was already busy seemingly "questioning" every third line call.

Two games later, a wide ace secured a love hold for Rybakina, giving her a no-drama 3-1 edge as she served big while also using her reach to get to Ostapenko's wide serves and never allow the Latvian to seize quick control of rallies with follow-up shots that Rybakina would then be tasked with trying to chase down. In game 5, one of Rybakina's crosscourt returns was sent back by Ostapenko off the net post beneath the chair umpire, grazing off its side and landing out on the Kazakh's side of the court. It gave Rybakina a BP for a double-break lead.

And then the match was stopped for about half an hour due to rain completely drenching the court. In an arena with a retractable roof (that wasn't closed in time), at a facility with access to weather reports that should have prevented such a needless delay just sixteen minutes into a match.



Of course, such a thing -- playing well and having your flow unduly interrupted -- is a familiar refrain in Rybakina's career (see 2020), so she should be used to such potential misfortune. Still, once play resumed, there *was* the thought that the Kazakh's early control of the match might be upended with time away from the court for Ostapenko to re-think her plans, and for Rybakina's momentum to have been lost in the delay.

Facing BP in her opening point, Ostapenko put in a slower first serve, then won a short rally. But a wide backhand handed Rybakina another chance, and Ostapenko's down-the-line miss saw the delayed double-break lead become a reality. The time away seemed as if it might impact the match a few moments later, though, as a Rybakina error put her in a love/30 hole on serve, then a deep Ostapenko return forced another as the Latvian led 15/40. But Rybakina saved both BP with big serves. On her second GP, she followed up another big serve with a put-away shot to lead 5-1, stealing away like a smooth criminal any brief turn in momentum that Ostapenko might have been hoping for.

Ostapenko held to force Rybakina to serve out the set, and she did just that while seeming to barely break a sweat. A big serve and smash put Rybakina up 40/love, and she claimed the 1st at 6-2 on her second SP when Ostapenko sent a backhand return long. For the set, Rybakina won 92% of her first serves in (12/13) and had 12 winners (w/ 3 aces).

Ostapenko staged a brief mini-comeback early in the 2nd, taking a 40/love lead and holding to start the set, then firing a forehand return winner to open game 2. She took a 15/40 lead with another big forehand, and saw Rybakina net a forehand of her own on the Latvian's second BP to fall behind 2-0.

But Rybakina quickly thwarted Ostapenko's increasing momentum once again, taking a 15/40 lead in the next game and getting the break back. A game later, an Ostapenko forehand winner gave her a BP, but Rybakina saved it with a clean forehand through the court. Ostapenko nearly beaned a ballgirl (who didn't even flinch, largely because it looked like she didn't see the projectile coming her way) with a sprayed forehand return that clanged off the umpire's chair, then promptly saw three more BP chances come and go. Rybakina saved BP #3 with an expert volley, and #4 with an ace, as she got the hold. She then broke Ostapenko's serve in the follow-up game.

After taking a 40/love lead in game 6, Rybakina finally closed it with an ace on her third GP shot to lead 4-2, and started to roll toward the finish line. Ostapenko again held (via a backhand passing shot) to transfer the pressure to Rybakina's side of the net, and the Kazakh again refused to lose focus. With her power remaining precise, and with a concise mind, Rybakina held at love for 5-3.

After another hold from Ostapenko, Rybakina stepped to the line to serve her way into her first AO semifinal. From 30/30, she closed down the Latvian's final opportunity to get back into the match, firing an ace down the T to reach MP. Ostapenko saved it at the net with a put-away winner, but another Rybakina ace gave her a second MP. Ostapenko's backhand return winner kept the game alive. Finally, on her third MP attempt, Rybakina fired her third ace of the final game, succinctly ending the 6-1/6-4 affair.



While Ostapenko bolted for the lockerroom with lightning-like speed once the match was over, Rybakina was left to sparkle a bit longer under the lights of the stage that she is becoming increasily comfortable on. She noted in her post-match press conference that she answered the remaining questions about her slam viability in London, and that now she's just doing the sort of thing that she knows (and expects) that she can do, and that everyone else should, too... even if she's *still* not yet in the Top 10 in the live rankings even with a slam title and SF on her resume due to getting a big *zero* for winning at SW19.



One match away from a second slam final in less than seven months, Rybakina leads the tournament in aces (she had 12 today) and unreturned serves. What she did at the AELTC, she's now doing in Melbourne with equally relative ease. It looks like it'll take someone -- if they can -- coming along and taking her out of that rhythm, for it doesn't seem likely that she's going to suddenly lose the form on her own.

That person never showed up in London, and the player who had the best chance to turn the tide, well, Rybakina may have already beaten *her* a few days ago.






=DAY 9 NOTES=
...so, if you've been keeping score, Rybakina came into the day with a win over a former slam champ (Iga), and has now added another (Alona) before possibly facing still *another* in her next match (and that'd be just to get *to* the final).

The night session QF match-up features #3 Jessie Pegula, seeking her maiden slam SF, and #24 Victoria Azarenka, the two-time champ who is the oldest player left in the draw *and* the one who has had to put in the most work to get to this point in the event.



...in between the rain drops, the wheelchair competition got underway on Tuesday, with a full 16-player field with no 1st Round byes.

#1 Diede de Groot did her usual, defeating Kgothatso Montjane 6-1/6-1 to collect her 79th straight singles win, and 26th in a row in slam competition as she seeks her ninth consecutive major crown.

One interesting note revealed in the post-match interview (which we got since the match was played at Kia Arena, about as good as it's *ever* been for a WC 1st Round match at a major -- even if the match *didn't* have any attached commentary) was that de Groot will be debuting a new playing chair this season, but won't be able to use it in competition until her *next* event (some sort of approval process, or a contract with a different manufacturer that includes this slam, maybe?).





...ANNIVERSARIES...ON DAY 9:










=WOMEN'S SINGLES QF=
#22 Elena Rybakina/KAZ def. #17 Alona Ostapenko/LAT
#3 Jessie Pegula/USA vs. #24 Victoria Azarenka/BLR
#30 Karolina Pliskova/CZE vs. Magda Linette/POL
#5 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR vs. Donna Vekic/CRO

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF=
#1 Krejcikova/Siniakova (CZE/CZE) vs. #6 Krawczyk/Schuurs (USA/NED)
#4 Hunter/Mertens (AUS/BEL) vs. Kostyuk/Ruse (UKR/ROU)
#10 Aoyama/Shibahara (JPN/JPN) vs. Dolehide/Kalinskaya (USA/RUS)
#11 H-C.Chan/Yang (TPE/CHN) vs. #2 Gauff/Pegula (USA/USA)

=MIXED DOUBLES QF=
Mirza/Bopanna (IND/IND) w/o Ostapenko/Vega Hernandez (LAT/ESP)
#3 Krawczyk/N.Skupski (USA/GBR) vs. Townsend/J.Murray (USA/GBR)
(WC) Gadecki/Polmans (AUS/AUS) def. (WC) Inglis/Kulber (AUS/AUS)
Stefani/Matos (BRA/BRA) def. (WC) Cabrera/Smith (AUS/AUS)

=WHEELCHAIR SINGLES 1st Rd.=
#1 Diede de Groot/NED def. Kgothatso Montjane/RSA
Momoko Ohtani/JPN def. Saki Takamuro/JPN
#3 Aniek Van Koot/NED def. Angelica Bernal/COL
Manami Tanaka/JPN vs. Macarena Cabrillana/CHI
Zhu Zhenzhen/CHN vs. Shiori Funamizu/JPN
#4 Jiske Griffioen/NED def. Katharina Kruger/GER
Maria Florencia Moreno/ARG vs. Dana Mathewson/USA
Lucy Shuker/GBR vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

=WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES QF=
#1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED) vs. Cabrillana/Moreno (CHI/ARG)
Bernal/Kruger (COL/GER) vs. Mathewson/Shuker (USA/GBR)
Funamizu/Takamuro (JPN/JPN) vs. Montjane/Tanaka (RSA/JPN)
Griffioen/Ohtani (NED/JPN) vs. #2 Kamiji/Zhu (JPN/CHN)

=GIRLS SINGLES ROUND OF 16=
Sonja Zhiyenbayeva/GER vs. #15 Renata Jamrichova/SVK
Rositsa Dencheva/BUL vs. #7 Mirra Andreeva/RUS
Ella Seidel/GER vs. #13 Ranah Akua Stoiber/GBR
#11 Ena Koike/JPN vs. Weronika Ewald/POL
#8 Nina Vargova/SVK vs. #12 Sayaka Ishii/JPN
#14 Yaroslava Bartashevich/FRA vs. Alevtina Ibragimova/RUS
(Q) Rebecca Munk Mortensen/DEN vs. #9 Alina Korneeva/RUS
#16 Hayu Kinoshita/JPN vs. #2 Tereza Valentova/CZE
















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**WTA "CAREER SF SLAM" - active**
[with slam at which completed]
Victoria Azarenka - 2013 RG (30th)
Simona Halep - 2018 AO (31st)
Karolina Pliskova - 2021 WI (36th)
Venus Williams - 2001 AO (15th)


*LOWEST-SEEDED WOMEN IN AO SF, since 2000*
Unseeded - 2000 Jennifer Capriati, USA
Unseeded - 2007 Serena Williams, USA (W)
Unseeded - 2010 Zheng Jie, CHN
Unseeded - 2015 Madison Keys, USA
Unseeded - 2016 Johanna Konta, GBR
Unseeded - 2017 Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, CRO
Unseeded - 2017 CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
Unseeded - 2018 Elise Mertens, BEL
Unseeded - 2019 Danielle Collins, USA
Unseeded - 2020 Garbine Muguruza, ESP (RU)
Unseeded - 2022 Madison Keys, USA
Wild Card - 2010 Justine Henin, BEL (RU)
#32 - 2004 Fabiola Zuluaga, COL
#30 - 2014 Genie Bouchard, CAN
#29 - 2013 Sloane Stephens, USA
#27 - 2022 Danielle Collins, USA (RU)
#25 - 2021 Karolina Muchova, CZE
#22 - 2004 Patty Schnyder, SUI
#22 - 2021 Jennifer Brady, USA (RU)
#22 - 2023 ELENA RYBAKINA, KAZ
#21 - 2018 Angelique Kerber, GER
#20 - 2014 Dominika Cibulkova, SVK (RU)
--
TO PLAY: #24 Azarenka, #30 Pliskova, (un) Linette, (un) Vekic





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TOP QUALIFIER: Katherine Sebov/CAN
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): #3 Jessie Pegula/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2 - #27 Brenda Fruhvirtova/CZE def. Daria Snigur/UKR 5-7/7-6(3)/6-3 (rallies from 7-5/5-1, break down twice early in the 3rd; 15-year old is youngest in AO MD in slam debut)
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #6 Maria Sakkari/GRE def. (Q) Diana Shnaider/RUS 6-3/5-7/3-6
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F/WC/Doub.): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #3 Jessie Pegula/USA (def. Jaqueline Cristian/ROU)
FIRST SEED OUT: #28 Amanda Anisimova/USA (1r-lost to Kostyuk/UKR)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Anna Bondar/HUN, Olivia Gadecki/AUS, Diana Shnaider/RUS, Lucrezia Stefanini/ITA
BEST PROTECTED RANKING MD RESULT: Laura Siegemund/GER, Marketa Vondrousova/CZE (both 3rd Rd.)
UPSET QUEENS: UKR
REVELATION LADIES: CZE (three youngest players in MD)
NATION OF POOR SOULS: GER (1-4 1r; Petkovic ret., Kerber pregnant; NextGen 0-2)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Cristina Bucsa/ESP and Katie Volynets/USA (both 2nd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Kimberly Birrell/AUS, Olivia Gadecki/AUS, Taylor Townsend/USA (all 2nd Rd.)
LAST AUSSIE STANDING: Kimberly Birrell, Olivia Gadecki (both 2nd Rd.)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: Magda Linette/POL Additional nominees: Pegula, Sabalenka
IT (Czech Crusher): Linda Fruhvirtova, CZE (into second week at age 17 in second major)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Donna Vekic/CRO
CRASH & BURN: Garbine Muguruza/ESP (1r; 5 con. losses; out of Top 80 first time in a decade)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF MELBOURNE: Miriam Kolodziejova/Marketa Vondrousova, CZE/CZE (2r: down 5-0, 40/love in 3rd; saved 9 MP vs. Haddad Maia/Zhang; won 14-12 MTB)
KIMIKO VETERAN CUP: Nominees: Pliskova, Azarenka, (doubles), (WC)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Victoria Azarenka/BLR
AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGE ARTS AWARD: One year after Barty is first WS champ in 44 years, #160 Fourlis is highest ranked AUS in MD; only two AUS wild cards get 1r wins, none past 2r
DOUBLES STAR: xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx





All for Day 9. More tomorrow.
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