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Wednesday, May 31, 2023

RG.4- Elina Has Things To-Do

Elina Svitolina had quite the day in Paris. Well, quite the *half* day, spread out over two.



The Ukrainian, in a fit of really poor scheduling (you know it wouldn't have happened that way had the match days been reversed on the schedule), had to stay up late to watch her husband stage a comeback from 4-0 down in the 5th set during Day 3's night session (a lotta good that'll likely do him in the 2nd Round+, but that's another story) and then had to arrive on the grounds for a session-starting 2nd Round match early on Day 4 against Aussie qualifier Storm Hunter. While "Mr.Svitolina" has likely had his one on-court moment in the spotlight at this Roland Garros, Elina could be another story altogether.

If so, and if things were to remarkably play *all* the way out, it will have been a long time coming.

For all her abilities, Svitolina has always seemed to come up short at the most inopportune times in the past. Of course, that was before. Before getting married. Before having a baby. Before the war. Before realizing that she still had things she'd always wanted to accomplish in the sport, and that it now also allows her to use the platform such success might bring her to help people back home and spread her message about the need for assistance in Ukraine during the nation's war against Putin aggression.

Maybe, as far as tennis goes, that will be the stepping stone she's always been missing.

In many ways, Svitolina's should-win-a-major (or-come-close-to-it) early career fate was similar to that of Kim Clijsters, who *did* win one in her "before" career but rightly should have had quite a few more. The Belgian's retirement, motherhood and realization that she didn't need to be "nervous" anymore in big matches ultimately changed her entire career bio once she returned to the sport (until injuries finally ended things), winning three slams in a year and a half in 2009-11 after going 1-4 in major finals and losing seven other times at the SF stage in slams from 2001-07.

Former #3 Svitolina, who finished in the Top 6 four straight years from 2017-20, is a former WTA Finals champ and Olympic medalist with six #1 wins in her career (tied for the most, with Petra Kvitova, by any player active on tour in 2023 who is also not named Venus). But the slam title (or even final appearance) that seasons ago seemed destined to be checked off her "To-Do" list has still yet to come. 2-6 in career slam QF, she failed to win either of the back-to-back summertime semis she played four years ago at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

But could it be, in a slam that has already seen more than half the women's seeds fall halfway through the 2nd Round, that this Roland Garros could be the host to something special, with Svitolina featured right at the center of the story? She's surely giving signs of it being possible.

Svitolina returned in April after a year away from tennis, during which she gave birth to daughter Skai and developed her let's-get-things-done voice. It didn't take her long to find her stride on the court, either, and she's only picked up speed in the days since then.

Last week in Strasbourg she notched her first tour-level MD win since her return. She'd gone 0-3 in WTA MD matches, 1-2 in ITF challengers and 3-1 in a WTA 125 in Saint-Malo that saw her reach the semis. With a wild card as the #508-ranked player, Svitolina staged a comeback from a set and 4-1 back vs. Clara Burel in the semis to reach her first WTA final since winning in Chicago in October '21. In the final against Anna Blinkova, on the eve of Roland Garros' Sunday start, Svitolina handled the Hordette with ease in a 6-2/6-3 win to claim the 17th tour-level title of her career and become the second-lowest ranked (not counting *unranked* players, ala the un-retired Clijsters) tour singles champion in WTA history. After being ranked #1344 just six weeks earlier, Svitolina burst back into the Top 200.

Afterward, Svitolina donated her prize money to the children of Ukraine.

After a win over #26 Martina Trevisan, a RG semifinalist last year, in the 1st Round, Svitolina took a bit of time to find her form on Day 4 vs. Hunter. After her long night, the Ukrainian dropped the first four games and lost the opening set 6-2.

With the Aussie up 2-1 in the 2nd, Hunter had five GP to hold for 3-1. But Svitolina got the break to get the set back on serve at 2-2. She didn't look back, winning 11 of the final 13 games en route to a 2-6/6-3/6-1 victory some fourteen hours after she'd settled for a vicarious celebratory feeling of a match win from the comfort of her hotel room.

As Svitolina said today of last night, "I was screaming in my room, so if someone heard me -- it's me cheering for Gael (Monfils)." Today on Court Simonne-Mathieu there would be no reason for any "misunderstanding."



Positioned in the side of the draw with a collection of two slam winners, two RG finalists and a '22 semifinalist in Paris, none of them have won as many matches in recent days without a loss as Svitolina's current seven-match jaunt on red clay. Yes, Svitolina has seemingly found herself in prime position in the past on major stages only to come up short.

But that was before. Maybe it'll be different this time... Elina has things to do.




=DAY 4 NOTES=
...with all the talk of handshakes, politics, Iga, Mirra and the like at this Roland Garros, it feels like everyone is afraid to highlight the fact that the Hordette tennis talent machine, which has started to ramp up to Renaissance levels the last couple of seasons, has really hit its stride in Paris. After going 11-2 in the 1st Round, eight Russians combined to go 6-2 today (for the mathematically challenged, that means they're 18-4 combined... to date).

#24 Anastasia Potapova got a challenge from Mayar Sherif, who'd become the first Egyptian woman in a slam MD in Paris three years ago, dropping the 1st set before gradually seizing control in a 3-6/6-4/6-1 (she'd been up 5-0 in the 3rd) victory. Meanwhile, in taking out Marketa Vondrousova, #9 Dasha Kasatkina (a '22 RG semifinalist) was doing this...



2021 RG finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's injury comeback continued with a 4-6/7-5/7-5 win over #15-seeded fellow Hordette Liudmila Samsonova. Samsonova had led 3-0 (w/ a BP) and 5-2 in the 3rd, and served at 5-3 in the 3:06 match.



And days after reaching the Strasbourg final, Anna Blinkova reached her second career slam 3rd Round ('19 RG) with an upset of #5 Caroline Garcia in a 4-6/6-3/7-5 match that lasted 2:50 and saw Blinkova take *nine* MP before she finally advanced. Blinkova defeated Garcia in the 2nd Round the *last* time she reached this stage in Paris, as well.



Garcia put up a fight with her back against the wall, and if she'd been able to hold serve late (or forced a deciding TB) might have surfed the French crowd all the way to a win. But Blinkova didn't, well, blink... at least not at the very end.

Blinkova served at 5-3 in the final set, holding double MP at 40/15. She held a third MP in the game before Garcia broke on her fourth BP, just her fourth converted BP in 15 chances on the day. But Garcia couldn't back up the break, and dropped serve to give Blinkova another chance to serve it out.

Blinkova went up 40/15 again, but DF'd on MP #4, and was passed by a Garcia backhand on #5. After saving BP, Blinkova DF'd in the wind on MP #6. She saved another BP with a deep serve and crosscourt forehand winner, but netted a low ball backhand down the line shot on MP #7. A Blinkova ace got her an eighth chance. Nope. Finally, on MP #9, Blinkova's 111-mph serve (her biggest of the day) was too much for Garcia to handle.



While hers has happened somewhat under the radar, Blinkova's comeback has come after dropping outside the Top 100 in 2021. She reached her maiden tour final and won it to become the Transylvania Open champ in Cluj last October. Seven months later, the Hordette reached her second final in Strasbourg, losing to Elina Svitolina. It'll be the Ukrainian on the other side of the next in the next round.

Garcia's clay spring ends at 4-4, with the Pastry having not won consecutive matches since Indian Wells.

Other Russian winners today were Kamilla Rakhimova and Elina Avansyan, the latter lucky loser posting a *second* MD win by eliminating the *other* Pastry (Leolia Jeanjean) in action on Day 4.

With all the Hordette success today, it was never in doubt whether one would reach the 3rd Round. With six (so far) in the Final 32, it marks the 88th of 90 slams (w/o '22 WI) in which at least one has reached the 3rd Round. Three more play 2nd Rounders on Day 5.

...while the Hordettes' 1st Round success carried over into the 2nd today, so did the late opening round surge of the Bannerettes. Three U.S. woman hit the court on Wednesday, and all three left with a "W."

#3 Jessie Pegula, with QF finishes in four of the last five majors (but still looking to break into a slam semi), didn't have to work overtime. The Buffalo native raced to a 4-0 1st set lead against Camila Giorgi, then saw the Italian retire after dropping the set at 6-2.

Sloane Stephens (shhh, don't let that *other* Sloane hear) looked good yet again, winning 2 & 1 over Varvara Gracheva, and was joined in the 3rd Round (for the first time in her career) by 2022 NCAA champ Peyton Stearns, edging close to cracking the Top 50 a year after winning the college women's championship last year as a Texas Longhorn.

Stearns won the "pass/fail" contest with #17 Alona Ostapenko, who once again in Paris wasn't able to recapture the magic of her now-six-years-ago RG title run. After dropping a 6-1 2nd set to the Latvian, Stearns didn't fall prey to the Tilt-a-Penko dangers and ran off with a 6-1/1-6/6-2 victory, her first over a Top 20 opponent.



...late in the day, Dane Clara Tauson became the only of the three qualifiers in action on Day 4 to advance, pulling away in the 3rd set against Leylah Fernandez to win 6-3/5-7/6-4. It's Tauson's first trip to the 3rd Round in Paris (2020-21 2r), while '22 RG quarterfinalist Fernandez's quest to hold onto a Top 50 ranking has come to an end. With her year-old points falling off, the Canadian is now #89 in the live rankings. It'll be her lowest standing since March 2021, six months *before* she reached the U.S. Open final.

...meanwhile, in doubles, top-seeded Czechs Barbora Krejickova & Katerina Siniakova fell in the 1st Round to Ulrikke Eikeri & Eri Hozumi, 3-6/6-2/6-2, ending their bid for a fourth straight slam crown (and fifth in a row in which they played, as they withdrew from the '22 RG when Krejcikova got Covid) and bringing a halt to their 24-match winning streak in majors.

Krejickova's forgettable clay season thus ends, after she'd already been bounced from the 1st Round in singles. Siniakova had only recently returned from injury, and the two hadn't played together since Indian Wells. With Krejcikova and other partners, Siniakova had been 14-1 on the season.




...AGREED... ON DAY 4:



...which is why purposely doing (or not doing, in this case) something that diverts attention away from the real issues was and remains a stupid move. Strive to be *better* and to a set good example *on* court as well as off (where Svitolina has been the best of all the Ukrainians) rather than provide the fodder that so many complain is filling too much of the air space. If withholding a generally meaningless gesture (which it obviously isn't, or else why withhold it?) is being talked about too much and blurring and/or hijacking the focus, it's really quite simple.... stop fueling that fire.

Consider the moment -- possibly a step toward reconciliation, and maybe a united stand by all involved -- that would be created by such a small act.



If, say, Svitolina were to clearly consider the situation after a match vs. a Russian/Belarusian, walk to and stand at the net and then motion for the opponent to join her, talk for a few moments and hold out her hand for a handshake, a bit of the tennis cold war would be broken. The act would be applauded, and it would stand as one of the tennis moments of the year (and produce an iconic photo that would last even longer) that would rightly remind everyone why the WTA is celebrating its 50th anniversary. And then the more important things would get the attention they deserve.

At some point this thing is going to be over, hopefully far sooner than later. How (if ever) are things going to have an opportunity to be mended? The best chance is to start the process now, with a simple, "tiny" act of courtesy.

Even if it stings, be *better.*


















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*RECENT SLAM 3rd Rd.+ "LUCKY LOSER" RESULTS*
=AO=
3rd Rd. - Sandra Kleinova, CZE (1997)
3rd Rd. - Bernarda Pera, USA (2018)
=RG=
3rd Rd. - Veronika Martinek, GER (1995)
3rd Rd. - Gloria Pizzichini, ITA (1996)
3rd Rd. - Ons Jabeur, TUN (2017)
In 3rd Rd. - Elina Avanesyan, RUS (2023)
=WI=
3rd Rd. - Tine Zwaan, NED (1974)
3rd Rd. - Lauren Davis, USA (2019)
=US=
4th Rd. - Maria-Jose Gaidano, ARG (1993)
3rd Rd. - Nathalie Herreman, FRA (1991)
3rd Rd. - Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (2015)
3rd Rd. - Kamilla Rakhimova, RUS (2021)
3rd Rd. - Greet Minnen, BEL (2021)
-
NOTE: Aliona Bolsova to play 2nd Rd.






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Apparently, everyone is okay here, so I'll go with it. But, seriously, how does this happen?













TOP QUALIFIER: Mirra Andreeva/RUS (16; youngest in MD)
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1: #29 Brenda Fruhvirtova/CZE def. Antonia Ruzic/CRO 3-6/6-2/7-6(10) - Ruzic MP in MTB; B.Fruhvirtova qualifies for first RG
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Magdalena Frech/POL (def. Sh.Zhang)
FIRST SEED OUT: #29 Zhang Shuai/CHN (1r: Frech/POL)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: M.Andreeva/RUS, Avanesyan/RUS, Grabher/AUT, Navarro/USA, Noskova/CZE, Shymanovich/BLR, Stearns/USA, Waltert/SUI
UPSET QUEENS: ITA
REVELATION LADIES: RUS (11-2 1st Rd.)
NATION OF POOR SOULS: CZE (3-9 1st Rd.; four seeds out 1r; Krejcikova 0-2 since '21 title)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: In 2r: M.Andreeva/RUS, Danilovic/SRB, Day/USA, Hunter/AUS(L), Shymanovich/BLR(L), Tauson/DEN(W), Waltert/SUI
LAST LUCKY LOSER STANDING: In 2r: Avanesyan/RUS(W), Bolsova/ESP, Osorio/COL(L)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: In 2r: Jeanjean/FRA(L), Navarro/USA, Parry/FRA
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: In 2r: Pavlyuchenkova/RUS(W), Sorribes Tormo/ESP, Svitolina/UKR(W)
LAST PASTRY STANDING: In 2r: Garcia(L), Dodin, Jeanjean(L), Parry
Ms./Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITY: xx
IT "TBD": Nominee: M.Andreeva (teen), Stearns (NCAA)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominee: Svitolina, Pavlyuchenkova, Tauson
CRASH & BURN: Barbora Krejcikova/CZE (0-2 since winning '21 title; 24 con. slam WD streak ends) Additional nominees: xx
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Nominees: Andreescu (1r-down 6-2/3-1 vs. Azarenka); Pavlyuchenkova (2r-down 5-2 3rd vs. Samsonova)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): xx
Mademoiselle/Madame OF THE EVENING: xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
Légion de Lenglen HONOREE: xx
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: xx






All for Day 4. More tomorrow.
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