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Saturday, June 3, 2023

RG.7- An Age of Innocence, and a House of Mirth

In a single match, Coco Gauff saw a vision of what she once was, while Mirra Andreeva caught a glimpse of what she may one day be.




Being a teenage phenom comes with built-in advantages (wild cards, endorsements, etc.) as well as disadvantages (pressure, pressure and, oh yeah, pressure... aka "the three P's). Few have handled both parts better than Gauff over the last few years, as after bursting onto the seen as a 15-year old (in her slam MD debut she upset Venus Williams, at Wimbledon!) and being predicted to one day win every tournament ever played and maybe even a few that weren't (or so it seemed) she has settled into a fine career -- Top 10 in singles and doubles, a multiple tour title-winner, and slam finalist in *both* WS/WD in Paris a year ago -- while also being recognized as one of the nicest players on tour, a voice of reason and an example for other players to follow, whether they be younger or older than all of her (still just) 19 years.

But as Gauff slides into the next stage of her career and leaves her teen years behind, the natural evolution of sport (especially this one) is that one phenom must be replaced in a timely manner by another, and she by another, and so on. It's how the sport thrives, with multiple generations of athletes competing on a level playing field at the same time for season after season.

The candidates to be the "next Coco" (or whichever one-name young star happens to be centerstage in her era) have already begun to pop up. A *whole lotta* them are Czech, but to date none have quite had the immediate impact that 16-year old Hordette Andreeva has had during this clay season so soon after her teary loss in the Australian Open girls' final in January, from her ITF success to Madrid 4th Round run, qualification for Roland Garros, and then consecutive MD wins in Paris while barely batting an eye. Charming the press and fans alike (even Gauff took a moment to introduce herself during a practice session before the start of the tournament) while dispensing opinions about the WTA's "prettiest face" (Coco) and her dream MX doubles partner (Rublev), the kid has given off the youthful, but still thoughtful, charisma of a young Monica Seles, instantly becoming a one-name personality -- "Mirra" -- during this Roland Garros.

Andreeva now enters into the Thunderdome, hopefully coming out in one piece on the other side.



Of course, there *was* an actual match to be played on Saturday. A big one, too.

#6 seed Gauff, the women's runner-up at RG last year, was coming off her first back-to-back wins this clay season, but suddenly faced the prospect of a younger would-be tennis superstar on the other side of the net on the big stage she already craves. How would Gauff handle this new situation, and would the details make a difference?

The new junior #1 (though she's not playing the junior event in Paris), Andreeva came into the match 22-2 on clay this season. The lingering question was just how much Andreeva had left after running at full throttle through five matches in Paris, winning ten straight sets, while also doing heavy lifting with microphones in front of her face (i.e. "the Coco treatment" from a few season ago).

Well, as it turned out, the kid had one good set remaining in reserve before she hit the proverbial wall.

It was Andreeva who recorded the first break of serve in the match, taking a 3-1 lead in the opening set. But Gauff broke back a game later, and the set stood knotted at 4-4, 40/40 when consecutive loose forehand and backhard errors from the Russian caused her to drop serve for a third time in the set. Gauff served at 5-4, and led 30/love, but lost serve with a DF on BP.

[Side note: I had to laugh at this point, not because of Coco, but because right before Gauff served down BP Tennis Channel's Lindsay Davenport had gushed about how great it was that Coco had flashed a fist-pump to her box. When Gauff DF'd seconds later? Dead silence from Davenport.]

Andreeva saved a BP in game 11 and held for 6-5, then another Gauff DF put her down 15/30 in the following game. But Coco strung together three consecutive points to send things to a tie-break.

Gauff grabbed the early mini-break lead, but Mirra took it back and established her own mini-break edge at 4-3. Andreeva stepped in and fired a clean forehand winner into the corner to go up 5-3, then Gauff missed on a drop shot to give the Hordette multiple SP at 6-3. Gauff then held her two service points, and Andreeva hit her racket on something out of frustration. At or near what was hard to tell, but it garnered a code warning from the chair umpire, as well as giving a small clue that Andreeva wasn't as cool under the surface as she appeared on it.

On her third SP, Andreeva's deep court ball pulled Gauff to the corner, and after retrieving the ball she stumbled while trying to change directions and race back down the baseline. As Gauff kept her feet and moved toward the center of the court, Andreeva took a ball out of the air and sent a put-away shot behind her to claim the breaker at 7-5.



The final two sets didn't turn into a teenage battle for supremacy. In fact, Gauff asserted her experience, while Andreeva showed her youth and gave her and her coach something to work on, as the emotional side of Andreeva that we saw via tears in Melbourne emerged in a different form this time.

Even with a set lead, Andreeva didn't play with confidence or a positive outlook throughout the 2nd set, and was continually (needlessly) irritated by errors. Early, after dumping a short ball into the net, she angrily swatted down at it and it bounced well over the net and onto Gauff's side of the court (but thankfully didn't get near Coco or anyone else). Gauff held her first two games in the 2nd at love, took an early break lead and kept it safe on her way to a 6-1 set.



By the looks of things, Andreeva didn't seem to *personally* have much of a margin for error in the 3rd. A bad stretch was probably going to do in her chances. With Gauff flowing as she opened up her game more and more, it felt like it was only a matter of time before things would tilt decisively in the 19-year old's favor. Mirra saved two BP, averting disaster and holding with an ace in the opening game. With Andreeva holding on by her virtual fingertips, Coco failed to convert another BP in game 3, but on her fourth chance of the 3rd set saw the Hordette DF to give her a 2-1 lead. She'd never relinquish it, or even drop another game.

With the competitive edge she'd shown all week (and earlier) wearing down a bit more almost every point, the end would be swift for the newcomer. Gauff twice held at love around another break of serve (Andreeva had a GP) and took a 5-1 lead. Coco closed things out with authority, not with a serve that lost just five points in the 2nd & 3rd sets, but by breaking the 16-year old's serve one final time to complete a 6-7(5)/6-1/6-1 win.



It was an impressive no-flinch victory for Gauff, who now finds herself one win away from a possible QF rematch of last year's final vs. #1 Iga Swiatek. As Coco played the role of both accomplished "veteran" and "big sister" in the post-match, being equally comforting and encouraging of Andreeva, one couldn't help but wonder whether this match was as much of a hallmark career moment for *her* as it had been for Andreeva.



Gauff no longer sees the *next* generation creeping up in her rear view mirror. Its members are right there sitting in the passenger seat and trying to grab the steering wheel out of her hands (or at least positioned in the backseat asking "are we there yet?"). Maybe, as *they* have arrived, it's now time for Coco to take the "next step," as well.

By the middle of next week, she might just get the perfect opportunity to do just that, too.




=DAY 7 NOTES=
...Day 7 got off to an inauspicious start, as one of the tournament favorites was gone without even picking up a racket on Saturday. Rome champ and #4 seed Elena Rybakina withdrew from her 3rd Round match due to illness, removing a rather significant (though not the only potential one) obstacle that might challenge two-time champ Iga Swiatek's attempt to reach (and possibly win) her third title in four years in Paris.



Rybakina's exit pushes Sara Sorribes Tormo, who before this slam had reached just one 3rd Round in 21 slam MD appearances (w/ 13 1st Round losses), into her maiden Round of 16 in a major. The walkover is a nice bonus for the Spaniard, recently returned from six months out with a broken bone in her foot and known for playing the sort of marathon matches that likely contributed to her injury issues.

A day off? Yes, please!

...one of those possible obstacles for Iga at this RG surely wasn't Wang Xinyu. Guess who Swiatek's opponent was today. And as we've seen so often, especially on red clay, Swiatek set up a pop-up bakery shop on Chatrier. Today's special: a selection of sweet & sour-flavored macarons (not *bagels*... this is Paris, after all -- I'd forgotten the other day to adjust for the French style code).

Xinyu attests, "They're tasty! I ate the whole box!"



Down 6-0/5-0, Wang managed to get to 30 on serve, but Swiatek offered no free sample and reached MP, then fired a backhand winner down the line. She won 50 of the 67 points "contested" in the match. She's hand-delivered four macarons in six sets played in Paris so far.

Clearly, Frontrunner Iga is like a boulder rolling down Mt.Everest... no, that'd be top-form Serena... how about (at least on clay) K2? If Swiatek is up early and rolling, this is what happens. Even if she has a slow start, especially on the dirt, she can win. But opponents can give themselves at least a *chance* if they don't get rolled over in the 1st, as they can then hope -- if they're able -- to make it a hitting contest and, on Iga's side of the net, maybe a *bit* of a psychological test if things start to go against her (see vs. Sabalenka, Rybakina and Krejcikova).

It's why Rybakina's Rome comeback (from 6-2/4-2) to force a 3rd vs. Swiatek was so impressive. It's a pity we won't get chance to see that match-up on clay again until, probably, next spring.

...having already become the first Brazilian woman to reach the 3rd Round in Paris since 1989, #14 Beatriz Haddad Maia took things a step further today by becoming the first since Patricia Medrado to reach the Round of 16 since 1979. Having arrived at Roland Garros with a significant hole in her career resume (namely any slam success to speak of), Bia has done quite a bit of patchwork during the opening week of play.



Last season, after winning titles on grass in consecutive weeks in Nottingham and Birmingham (and reaching the Eastbourne SF on a 12-match grass streak, the longest on tour in a decade), it was expected that the Brazilian's slam breakthrough would occur at Wimbledon. But she shockingly fell in the 1st Round at SW19. After reaching her maiden 1000 final in Toronto, thoughts turned to the U.S. Open. But Haddad Maia lost in the 2nd Round at Flushing Meadows.

But, finally... Paris.

Things took quite a bit longer, with far more drama, that she might have liked, but Haddad Maia managed to crash into the second week with a three-set triumph over #23 Ekaterina Alexandrova, staging a comeback, squandering a lead, and saving a MP before coming out on top.

In the 1st, Alexandrova led 5-1, only to then be broken at love and lose eight of nine points. She served for the set again at 5-3, and held a SP on Haddad Maia's serve before the Brazilian held for 5-5. A game later, Alexandrova fell behind love/30 and saved a BP, but closed strong with a key hold and break to take the set 7-5.

With a break lead late in the 2nd, Haddad Maia saw Alexandrova level the set at 4-4, but responded by immediately breaking back and serving out the set to knot the match. The Brazilian then took a double-break lead at 4-1 in the 3rd, only to then drop her next two service games as Alexandrova won four straight games to lead 5-4. The Russian held a MP on Bia's serve a game later, but again Haddad Maia finished out a set strongly. She saved the MP and held to tie the match at 5-5. A break and hold combo finished off Alexandrova's chances, as Haddad Maia won 5-7/6-4/7-5.

She'll next face Sorribes Tormo in an opportunity-laden 4th Round encounter.

...late in the day, more first-time visitors to the second week of a major found their way through the draw.

Bernarda Pera, a back-to-back clay court title winner last July in the first two tour finals of her career, reached her maiden slam Round of 16 with a straight sets win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto.



At this year's AO, Pera recorded her second career 3rd Round result in a major, five years and 19 slams after she'd originally advanced that far in her slam MD debut in Melbourne in 2018.

Meanwhile, playing at the same time, Anna Karolina Schmiedlova ended qualifier Kayla Day's dream run with a concise 1 & 3 victory over the Bannerette. In her 33rd career slam MD, at age 28, AKS finally cracks the Round of 16 barrier. It's the third-longest path to a maiden major 4th Round that any woman has taken in the 2020s, behind only Heather Watson (43 MD) and Tatjana Maria (35), who both reached that stage at Wimbledon last year. (I saw a list that put Schmiedy tied for sixth all-time as far as how many slams it took her, but that list had left off Maria... still, either way, her perseverance has paid off.)

Remember, today was just Schmiedlova's second slam 3rd Round since reaching the same stage in Paris in 2014, when she was just 19. The other had come at RG in 2020. From 2015-20, she lost 13 consecutive matches (12 in the 1st Rd.) in majors.



...34-year old Lesia Tsurenko joined Ukrainian countrywoman Elina Svitolina in the Round of 16, the fourth of her career, with a 1 & 1 win over Bianca Andreescu today. The Canadian, so fortunate to be playing at all after what had looked like an horrific ankle injury in Miami, thus ends her best RG to date. She now heads to the grass, where her best Wimbledon result is a 2nd Round last year.

#66-ranked Tsurenko, just the *sixth* lowest-ranked woman in the final sixteen in this very eclectic major, last reached the 4th Round at RG in 2018.



...later in the day (well, barely mid-day, actually), the U.S.'s nutsy weekend RG coverage saw Tennis Channel move on from live coverage to a weeks-old ATP match, while NBC picked up coverage but chose to air the hours-earlier-finished Gauff/Andreeva match before briefly looking in on the lone women's match (featuring a two-time '22 slam singles finalist) before leaving that one in the dust and airing about a set of another match featuring exciting U.S. men's player Frances Tiafoe.

NBC then left *that* one mid-stream (pun intended), too, before going off air in favor of USFL spring football and pushing the men's match behind the Peacock streaming pay wall. Meanwhile, TC was still showing repeat men's matches from Monte-Carlo (at least it wasn't Pickleball), never to return to live coverage, while the match between #7 Ons Jabeur and Olga Danilovic ultimately went three sets.

Sigh (with accompanying eyeroll).

Jabeur won 4-6/6-4/6-2, reaching her seventh slam 4th Round and third in Paris in four years (another win and she'll complete a Career QF Slam) while leaving the Serbian qualifier in a four-way tie for Last Qualifier Standing with Andreeva, Day and Clara Tauson.

...in all, there are five first-timer slam 4th Rounders in the Final 16, and seven who are in their maiden Round of 16 in Paris, along with three players utilizing protected rankings, a lucky loser and five additioned unseeded players. One is the second-lowest ranked (#333) player to get so far in Paris in the Open era, while four others are ranked in triple-digits. There were five #100+ players in slam Round of 16 fields in the last *six* majors *combined*, since then-#338 Emma Raducanu reached the 4th Round at Wimbledon in 2021.

2021 US - #150 Raducanu
2022 AO - #114 Kanepi
2022 RG - none
2022 WI - #115 Tan
2022 WI - #121 Watson
2022 US - #108 Niemeier
2023 AO - none
2023 RG - five w/ #100+ rankings

Additionally, with Jabeur representing the North African region, every world tennis region -- w/ North America, South America, Western Europe and Eastern Europe -- save for one (Asia/Oceania) has at least one woman remaining in the field.

...in doubles, Alize Cornet/Diane Parry upset #4-seeded Lyudmyla Kichenok/Alona Ostapenko, while #2 Gauff & Jessie Pegula got some revenge on their Madrid final conquerors, defeating Victoria Azarenka & Haddad Maia.

...in the Astrid Bowl (J300) in Charleroi-Marcinelle (BEL), Japan's Wakana Sonoba (girls' #45) claimed the last big junior event before the Roland Garros competition, defeating Bulgaria's Elizara Yaneva (unseeded, but with two J200 titles this spring, she'd knocked off three seeds, including #1 Mayu Crossley in the semis) in three sets. The #8 seed, it's Sonoba's biggest career win.

In the same event, recent J300 Santa Croce champ Tyra Caterina Grant (USA) lost to Gloriana Nahum, a 16-year old from the West African nation of Benin, in the 2nd Round. Grant went on to make it through RG junior qualifying.

...in Royan, France, Yui Kamiji took yet another Diede-free Series 1 title, posting four singles wins to extend her streak vs. players other than de Groot to 67 matches (72-1 in 2022-23). Kamiji defeated Zhu Zhenzhen 6-4/6-1 in the final, and teamed with Kgothatso Montjane to win the doubles.

De Groot will arrive in Paris on a 99-match winning streak, having won nine straight slam singles titles during that stretch. She's defeated Kamiji 20 times in a row, and is 21-1 vs. the world #2 since the start of 2021.





*WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Iga Swiatek/POL vs. Lesia Tsurenko/UKR
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova/SVK vs. #6 Coco Gauff/USA
(PR) Sara Sorribes Tormo/ESP vs. #14 Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA
Bernarda Pera/USA vs. #7 Ons Jabeur/TUN
Karolina Muchova/CZE vs. (LL) Elina Avanesyan/RUS
(PR) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS vs. #28 Elise Mertens/BEL
(PR) Elina Svitolina/UKR vs. #9 Dasha Kasatkina/RUS
Sloane Stephens/USA vs. #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR







...STRANGE-BUT-TRUE STAT (w/ a wink)... ON DAY 7:




...GUESS I'M GONNA HAVE TO... ON DAY 7:

Start playing that theme up a bit more.

Kidding.

Yeah, not really.


...I CONCUR... ON DAY 7:



Though, admittedly, I've never actually *seen* "The Never Ending Story." I still suspect I'm correct, though.






















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*"FIRST SLAM..." FEATS IN 2020s*
=ROUND OF 16=
2020 AO - Ons Jabeur, TUN (13th MD)
2020 AO - Maria Sakkari, GRE (17th)
2020 US - none
2020 RG - Paula Badosa, ESP (6th)
2020 RG - Fiona Ferro, FRA (10th)
2020 RG - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (3rd)
2020 RG - Nadia Podoroska, ARG (2nd)
2020 RG - Laura Siegemund, GER (16th)
2020 RG - Martina Trevisan, ITA (2nd)
2021 AO - Jessie Pegula, USA (10th)
2021 RG - Marta Kostyuk, UKR (5th)
2021 RG - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (7th)
2021 RG - Tamara Zidansek, SLO (9th)
2021 WI - Viktorija Golubic, SUI (18th)
2021 WI - Emma Raducanu, GBR (1st)
2021 WI - Liudmila Samsonova, RUS (6th)
2021 US - Leylah Fernandez, CAN (7th)
2022 AO - none
2022 RG - Veronika Kudermetova, RUS (13th)
2022 RG - Jil Teichmann, SUI (11th)
2022 RG - Zheng Qinwen, CHN (2nd)
2022 WI - Marie Bouzkova, CZE (14th)
2022 WI - Tatjana Maria, GER (35th)
2022 WI - Jule Niemeier, GER (2nd)
2022 WI - Harmony Tan, FRA (7th)
2022 WI - Heather Watson, GBR (43rd)
2022 US - none
2023 AO - Linda Fruhvirtova, CZE (2nd)
2023 AO - Magda Linette, POL (30th)
2023 AO - Zhu Lin, CHN (15th)
2023 RG - Elina Avanesyan, RUS (2nd)
2023 RG - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA (12th)
2023 RG - Bernarda Pera, USA (21st)
2023 RG - Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, SVK (33rd)
2023 RG - Sara Sorribes Tormo, ESP (22nd)

*RG "Légion de Lenglen" HONOREES*
[former "Joie De Vivre" Award]
2011 Virginie Razzano, FRA
2012 Virginie Razzano, FRA
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2014 Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2015 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
[Lenglen Honorees & Incidents]
2016 Alize Lim, FRA
2017 Caroline Garcia, FRA
2018 Serena Williams, USA
2019 Court Simonne-Mathieu debut
2020 US Open Special: Madison Brengle & her wine
2020 Court Chatrier roof (and night tennis) debuts
2021 Naomi Osaka press conference controversy
2022 Alize Cornet, FRA
2022 US Open Special: Jessie Pegula & her Heineken
2023 Ukraine/RUS-BLR controversy
2024...pre-award: Court Lenglen roof debuts

*RECENT RG "LAST QUALIFIER STANDING"*
[2015]
(2nd) L.Dominguez-Lino/ESP, P.Kania/POL, S.Karatantcheva/BUL & T.Pereira/BRA
[2016]
(2nd) C.Buyukakcay/TUR, V.Cepede Royg/PAR, L.Chirico/USA & V.Golubic/SUI
[2017]
(4th) Petra Martic/CRO
[2018]
(2nd) C.Dolehide/USA, A.Dulgheru/ROU, M.Duque-Marino/COL, M.Frech/POL, G.Garcia-Perez/ESP & R.Peterson/SWE
[2019]
(4th) Aliona Bolsova/ESP
[2020]
(SF) Nadia Podoroska/ARG
[2021]
(2nd) Hailey Baptiste/USA, Anhelina Kalinina/UKR & Varvara Lepchenko/USA
[2022]
(2nd) Fernanda Contreras/MEX, Olga Danilovic/SRB, Aleksandra Krunic/SRB, Donna Vekic/CRO
[2023]
(3rd) Mirra Andreeva/RUS, Olga Danilovic/SRB, Kayla Day/USA, Clara Tauson/DEN



*2023 RG FINAL 16*
[by ranking]
#1 - Iga Swiatek
#2 - Aryna Sabalenka
#6 - Coco Gauff
#7 - Ons Jabeur
#9 - Dasha Kasatkina
#14 - Beatriz Haddad Maia
#28 - Elise Mertens
#30 - Sloane Stephens
#36 - Bernarda Pera
#43 - Karolina Muchova
#66 - Lesia Tsurenko
#100 - Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
#132 - Sara Sorribes Tormo
#134 - Elina Avanesyan
#192 - Elina Svitolina
#333 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
[by age]
19 = Gauff
20 = Avanesyan
22 = Swiatek
25 = Sabalenka
26 = Kasatkina, Muchova, Sorribes Tormo
27 = Haddad Maia, Mertens
28 = Jabeur, Pera, Schmiedlova, Svitolina
31 = Pavlyuchenkova
34 = Tsurenko
[by nation]
3...RUS (Avanesyan,Kasatkina,Pavlyuchenkova)
3...USA (Gauff,Pera,Stephens)
2...UKR (Svitolina,Tsurenko)
1...BEL (Mertens)
1...BLR (Sabalenka)
1...BRA (Haddad Maia)
1...CZE (Muchova)
1...ESP (Sorribes Tormo)
1...POL (Swiatek)
1...SVK (Schmiedlova)
1...TUN (Jabeur)
[by career slam Round-of-16's]
16 - Stephens
14 - Svitolina
13 - Mertens
12 - Swiatek
10 - Pavlyuchenkova
8 - Gauff, Sabalenka
7 - Jabeur
5 - Kasatkina, Muchova
4 - Tsurenko
1 - Avanesyan, Haddad Maia, Pera, Schmiedlova, Sorribes Tormo
[w/ consecutive slam Round of 16's]
3 - Gauff
3 - Sabalenka
3 - Swiatek
[w/ multiple career RG Round of 16's]
9 - Stephens
5 - Svitolina, Swiatek
3 - Gauff, Jabeur, Kasatkina, Mertens, Pavlyuchenkova
2 - Tsurenko
[w/ consecutive RG Round of 16's]
5 - Swiatek
3 - Gauff, Stephens
2 - Kasatkina, Mertens
1+1 - Pavlyuchenkova (2021/23; DNP 2021)
[WTA career slam Round of 16's - active]
50...Venus Williams
32...Svetlana Kuznetsova
28...Victoria Azarenka
23...Angelique Kerber
22...Simona Halep
22...Petra Kvitova
17...Madison Keys
16...Garbine Muguruza
16...Sloane Stephens
16...Vera Zvonareva
14...Karolina Pliskova
14...Elina Svitolina
13...Elise Mertens
12...Iga Swiatek
10...Kaia Kanepi
10...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
9...Petra Martic
8...Caroline Garcia
8...Coco Gauff
8...Sabine Lisicki
8...Aryna Sabalenka
[WTA slam Round of 16's since 2020 (of 13) - active]
11 - Swiatek
8 - Mertens, Sabalenka
7 - Gauff, Jabeur
6 - Halep, Krejickova
5 - Azarenka, Badosa, Pegula, Sakkari
4 - Garcia, Kenin, Kerber, Kvitova, Muchova
4 - Pavlyuchenkova, Ka.Pliskova, Rybakina, Svitolina
3 - Anisimova, Collins, Cornet, Keys, Muguruza
3 - Rogers, Stephens, Tomljanovic, Sh.Zhang
2 - Bencic, Brady, Cirstea, Fernandez
2 - Kasatkina, Kontaveit, V.Kudermetova, Martic
2 - Niemeier, Osaka, Ostapenko
2 - Raducanu, Riske-A., Samsonova
2 - Trevisan, Vekic, Vondrousova
[2023 slam Rd. of 16's - youngest]
17 - Linda Fruhvirtova (AO)
18 - Coco Gauff (AO)
19 - Coco Gauff (RG)
20 - Elina Avanesyan (RG)
21 - Iga Swiatek (AO)
[2023 slam Rd. of 16's - oldest]
34 - Zhang Shuai (AO)
34 - Lesia Tsurenko (RG)
33 - Victoria Azarenka (AO)
31 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RG)
30 - Magda Linette (AO)
30 - Karolina Pliskova (AO)
30 - Sloane Stephens (RG)
[2023 slam Rd. of 16's - unseeded]
=AO (4)=
L.Fruhvirtova, Linette, Vekic, Zhu
=RG (9)=
Avanesyan(LL), Muchova, Pavlyuchenkova(PR), Pera,
Schmiedlova, Sorribes Tormo(PR), Stephens, Svitolina(PR), Tsurenko
[2023 slam Rd. of 16's - 1st-time GS 4th Rd.]
AO - (3) L.Fruhvirtova, Linette, Zhu
RG - (5) Avanesyan, Haddad Maia, Pera, Schmiedlova, Sorribes Tormo
[2023 slam Rd. of 16's - completed "Career Round of 16 Slam"]
AO - none
RG - Muchova (17th slam MD)
RG - Sabalenka (21st)
[2023 slam Rd. of 16's - lowest-ranked]
#333 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RG)
#192 - Elina Svitolina (RG)
#134 - Elina Avanesyan (RG)
#132 - Sara Sorribes Tormo (RG)
#100 - Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (RG)
#87 - Zhu Lin (AO)
#82 - Linda Fruhvirtova (AO)
[2023 slam Rd. of 16's]
2 - Coco Gauff (AO/RG)
2 - Aryna Sabalenka (AO/RG)
2 - Iga Swiatek (AO/RG)
[2023 slam Rd. of 16's - by nation]
5 = 2/3/-/- = USA (Gauff,Pera,Stephens)
4 = 3/1/-/- = CZE (Muchova)
3 = 2/1/-/- = BLR (Sabalenka)
3 = 2/1/-/- = POL (Swiatek)
3 = 0/3/-/- = RUS (Avanesyan,Kasatkina,Pavlyuchenkova)
2 = 2/0/-/- = CHN
2 = 0/2/-/- = UKR (Svitolina,Tsurenko)
1 = 0/1/-/- = BEL (Mertens)
1 = 0/1/-/- = BRA (Haddad Maia)
1 = 1/0/-/- = CRO
1 = 0/1/-/- = ESP (Sorribes Tormo)
1 = 1/0/-/- = FRA
1 = 1/0/-/- = KAZ
1 = 1/0/-/- = LAT
1 = 1/0/-/- = SUI
1 = 0/1/-/- = SVK (Schmiedlova
1 = 0/1/-/- = TUN (Jabeur)
[2023 slam Rd. of 16's - by region]
13 (8/5) - W.Europe/Scandinavia (BEL-CZE-ESP-POL)
9 (3/6) - Eastern Europe/Russia (BLR-RUS-UKR)
5 (2/3) - North America/Atlantic (USA)
3 (3/0) - Asia/Oceania
1 (0/1) - South America (BRA)
1 (0/1) - Africa/Middle East/Mediterranean (TUN)







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TOP QUALIFIER: Mirra Andreeva/RUS (16; youngest in MD)
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): (Q) Mirra Andreeva/RUS (6 games lost in fewest in field; 10 con. sets Q+MD)
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): 2nd Rd. - Anna Blinkova/RUS def. #5 Caroline Garcia/FRA 4-6/6-3/7-5 (Garcia saves 8 MP, but Blinkova gets upset on #9)
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: Mirra Andreeva/RUS, Olga Danilovic/SRB, Kayla Day/USA, Clara Tauson/DEN (all 3rd Rd.)
LAST LUCKY LOSER STANDING: Elina Avanesyan/RUS (in 4th Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Leolia Jeanjean/FRA, Emma Navarro/USA & Diane Parry/FRA (all 2nd Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: In 4r: Pavlyuchenkova/RUS, Sorribes Tormo/ESP, Svitolina/UKR
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Oceane Dodin, Caroline Garcia, Leolia Jeanjean & Diane Parry (all 2nd Rd.)
Ms./Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Avanesyan, Svitolina, Haddad Maia, Pera, Schmiedlova
IT "TBD": Nominee: M.Andreeva (teen), Avanesyan (LL)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominees: Svitolina, Pavlyuchenkova
CRASH & BURN: Barbora Krejcikova/CZE (0-2 since winning '21 title; 24 con. slam WD streak ends)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Nominees: Pavlyuchenkova (2r-down 5-2 3rd vs. Samsonova; #333 second-lowest ranked RG 4r); Haddad Maia (3r-saved MP vs. Alexandrova; first slam 4r)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominee: Pavlyuchenkova, Stephens, Tsurenko
Mademoiselle/Madame OF THE EVENING: xx
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
Légion de Lenglen: UKR/RUS-BLR controversies
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: 20th Anniv. of Justine Henin's first RG title in 2003






All for Day 7. More tomorrow.
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