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Monday, June 5, 2023

RG.9- Bueno, Bia

Sometimes, the simple act of diving into the fray *one more time* proves to make all the difference in the world. Just look at Beatriz Haddad Maia.



For all she's done since she reclaimed and greatly improved her position in the game (she'd been a tour finalist and had a Top 60 ranking in '17) after returning from an injury break (wrist, back) and 2019 suspension(*), Haddad Maia has largely been more of a novelty than a true big-time threat.

(*) - Haddad Maia was one of a handful of Brazilian players forced out after testing positive following the ingestion of a contaminated supplement, in her case for a period of 10 months, though she was "set free" in the middle of the pandemic when all tour events had been cancelled.

The rangy lefty returned to the Top 100 in '21, then last season developed into the best Brazilian female player since Hall of Famer Maria Bueno, climbing into the Top 20 in both singles and doubles, reaching three finals (winning back-to-back grass events) and becoming the first player from Brazil to reach a 1000 final (Toronto, after she'd defeated #1 Iga Swiatek en route).

But the reputation-making slam run continued to elude her. Despite her pre-event sparks, Haddad Maia won just one match (though it was a double-bagel in NYC) at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open combined last summer. As the spring began, in 11 slam MD appearances she'd never advanced past the 2nd Round, going 0-7 in such matches while losing 14 of 15 sets.

Haddad Maia's clay court results this season had been a mixed bag. She went out early in Madrid (losing in the 2nd Round to some teenager named Mirra), but stuck around to win the doubles. She rebounded to play into the QF in Rome, but lost a 3-0 3rd set lead to Anhelina Kalinina in a three-and-a-half-hour marathon, her second 3.5-hour match loss of the season, along with a defeat at the hands of Sorana Cirstea in Dubai in which she'd had 2 MP in the 2nd set and led 4-1 in the 3rd.

But once the #14-seeded Haddad Maia stepped foot in Paris, something seemed to click. She allowed just one game to Tatjana Maria in her opening match, then won in three sets over Diana Shnaider, squandering a set and a break lead, then a 4-2 edge in the 3rd before sweeping the final two games to avoid a TB. She was the first Brazilian woman to reach the 3rd Round in Paris since 1989, and a round later became the first in the Round of 16 since 1979, courtesy of another three-set win over #23 Ekaterina Alexandrova, losing a break lead in the final set and saving a MP before another late-stage surge.

Today's 4th Round match against Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo promised to be another long, drawn-out affair, as both women have resumes filled with 3-hour plus matches. And it was, too.

Haddad Maia jumped ahead in the 1st set, but after leading 5-2 couldn't serve things out on three tries, then saw Sorribes Tormo claim a 7-3 TB.

The Spaniard raced to a double-break lead at 3-0 in the 2nd, and had three GP for 4-0. But Haddad Maia got the break and knotted the score. Another break gave her the chance to serve out the set, which she did by winning her sixth straight game.



The game streak went to seven, and the Brazilian built a 4-2 lead on the scoreboard. She held for 5-3, then had three MP on Sorribes Tormo's serve before she held the 11-minute game. Serving for the match, Haddad Maia fell behind 15/40 with three UE and was broken for 5-5.

As the momentum swung back and forth, Sorribes Tormo trailed love/30 on serve in game 11, reached GP, but still saw Haddad Maia get another late break and serve for the match for a second time.



She fell down love/30, but battled back and fired an inside-out lefty forehand that Sorribes Tormo couldn't get back, reaching her fourth MP. Another forehand, down the right sideline, propelled Haddad Maia into her first slam QF with a 6-7(3)/6-3/7-5 victory. She's the first Brazilian woman to reach the semis of a slam event since seven-time slam singles champ Bueno at the U.S. Open in 1968.



The 3:51 contest is the longest in women's tennis in 2023, topping the 3:41 match Haddad Maia had vs. Kalinina in Rome, and it's the longest since a 3:54 marathon last summer in Cleveland that featured Camila Osorio and, of course, Sorribes Tormo. It's the third longest in the RG MD in the Open era.



Still outside the Top 10 in the live rankings, another win in Paris would likely make Haddad Maia the first Brazilian to reach that stage in Open era women's tennis.

Despite there being no reason to believe that Haddad Maia's slam breakthrough would come at this Roland Garros, just that has played out. Positioned in the top of the RG draw where three of the four Top 10 players remaining in the Final 8 reside, one might also think that the Brazilian may have reached her limit of "first to..." moments at this tournament. But then one realizes she's 8-2 in her last ten match-ups with Top 10 players. Having gotten the win over Swiatek last summer, she's also defeated Elena Rybakina *twice* in 2023, on hard court in Abu Dhabi as well as on clay in Stuttgart.

If that's not further reason to (at least) believe (a little), then what would it take?






=DAY 9 NOTES=
...the other early-starting women's 4th Rounder (yes, they both began at the same time) was over before the opening *set* had concluded of Haddad Maia/Sorribes Tormo, which didn't finish until nearly three hours later.



For the most part, #7 Ons Jabeur's first trip into the QF in Paris never seemed in doubt. That'll happen when you break your opponent -- Bernarda Pera -- in all eight of the service games she undertook on the day, as the Tunisian converted 8 of the 9 BP she saw. The Bannerette won just 1 of 16 of her second serve points in the match (1-for-11 in the 1st set, when she dropped serve *five* times, as hard as that is to fathom).

But the 6-3/6-1 final score shows that Pera wasn't served a double helping of bagels *or* macarons (thumbs-up, Iga... hey, maybe we could start calling love sets "Igas" instead?), so that means, yes, Jabeur was broken four times in the match, including in three of her first four service games.

So while Jabeur can rightfully feel good about her Career QF Slam, becoming the first player from an African nation to pull off the feat, and about the fact that she's now just a little bit closer to reaching a third slam final in the last four (the last to do it: Serena Williams, who reached 4 of 5 over 2016-17... and 8/10 back to '14), she also has something to work on to keep her focused until the next match.

...Monday's other Round of 16 matches featured both of last year's women's finalists as #6 Coco Gauff and #1 Iga Swiatek, a combined 19-1 in the last two RG coming into the day, squared off with opponents seeking to prevent the two from meeting up again in Paris, only this time in the QF.

Gauff ran out to 5-2 leads in both the 1st and 2nd sets, but had a little difficulty closing out both against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. In the 1st, the 19-year old couldn't convert a SP in her first attempt to serve out the set, nor could she get a hold at 5-4. After AKS has gotten the set back on serve at 5-5, though, Gauff broke the Slovak to get another chance. She held at love.

Serving at 5-2 in the 2nd, Gauff fell behind 15/40, but didn't waver and served out the 7-5/6-2 win, reaching the Final 8 in Paris for a third straight year.



The final piece of the women's QF puzzle turned out to be no surprise. But, then again, World #1 Extraordinaire Iga Swiatek didn't even have to play a full set to advance. Lesia Tsurenko was forced to retire down 5-1 in the 1st set due to illness (the same thing that took out Rybakina?), sending the Pole in her fourth straight Final 8 in Paris.



...in junior action, #1-seeded Sara Saito (JPN) was knocked off by unseeded Melisa Ercan of Turkey in the 2nd Round, 6-7(4)/6-3/6-3.

Ercan won J300 Traralgon heading into the AO junior event in January, defeating *both* eventual AO girls' finalists (Alina Korneeva in the semis, Mirra Andreeva in the final) along the way, only to then fall in the 1st Round in Melbourne.








*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#1 Iga Swiatek/POL vs. #6 Coco Gauff/USA
#14 Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA vs. #7 Ons Jabeur/TUN
Karolina Muchova/CZE vs. (PR) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS
(PR) Elina Svitolina/UKR vs. #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF=
(PR) Bouzkova/Sorribes Tormo (CZE/ESP) vs. #6 Melichar-Martinez/Perez (USA/AUS)
#15 V.Kudermetova/Samsonova (RUS/RUS) vs. (PR) Hsieh S-w./Wang Xinyu (TPE/CHN)
#10 Fernandez/Townsend (CAN/USA) vs. #14 Chan/Chan (TPE/TPE)
Bondar/Minnen (HUN/BEL) vs. #2 Gauff/Pegula (USA/USA)

=MIXED DOUBLES QF=
Kato/Putz (JPN/GER) def. Stefani/Matos (BRA/BRA)
Sutjiadi/Middelkoop (INA/NED) vs. Chan H-c./Martin (TPE/FRA)
#7 Kostyuk/Arevalo (UKR/ELS) vs. (Alt.) Andreescu/Venus (CAN/AUS)
Dabrowski/Lammons (CAN/USA) def. Muhammad/Glasspool (USA/GBR)

=WHEELCHAIR SINGLES ROUND OF 16=
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. (WC) Emmanuelle Morch/FRA
(WC) Pauline Deroulede/FRA vs. Shiori Funamizu/JPN
#4 Momoko Ohtani/JPN vs. Angelica Bernal/COL
Kgothatso Montjane/RSA vs. Manami Tanaka/JPN
Lucy Shuker/GBR vs. Dana Mathewson/USA
Macarena Cabrillana/CHI vs. #3 Jiske Griffioen/NED
Katharina Kruger/GER vs. Maria Florencia Moreno/ARG
Zhu Zhenzhen/CHN vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

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

=GIRLS SINGLES ROUND OF 16=
Melisa Ercan/TUR vs. Alevtina Ibragimova/RUS
(WC) Astrid Lew Yan Foon/FRA vs. #6 Lucciana Perez Alarcon/PER
x vs. x
x vs. x
x vs. x
Emerson Jones/AUS vs. #3 Alina Korneeva/RUS
x vs. x
Iva Ivanova/BUL vs. #2 Clervie Ngounoue/USA







...Hmmm... ON DAY 9:



I'd say the behavior is just like any other year, only it's getting more attention this time because of the focus on the Ukrainians.




...SPEAKING OF... ON DAY 9:



So Svitolina *did* respond in kind to Dasha. Finally, first with Blinkova and now Kasatkina, Svitolina was the one UKR player to *try* to diffuse the situation a little.

But, with all the coverage, no one -- not the WTA, media partners, and especially Roland Garros/FFT -- saw fit to flood the stream with that video shot of Svitolina's response immediately after the match was played? (Eyeroll.)

Thumbs-up is the new handshake. The Fonz would be proud.




...BJK SAYS PRESSURE IS A PRIVILEGE, and it's also not relegated to just *one* side of the court... ON DAY 9:




...GO ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANNA... ON DAY 9:



...say something about a "future doubles team."


...MAKE ME WANT TO CHANGE A RADIO STATION WITHOUT SAYING YOU WANT ME TO CHANGE A RADIO STATION... ON DAY 9:



H-A-T-E that song.

Silver medalist: "The Boys Are Back in Town" (Thin Lizzy)



















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"I'm an athlete, I don't have to be smart."













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*2023 RG FINAL 8*
[by career slam QF]
9 - Elina Svitolina
8 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
6 - Iga Swiatek
5 - Ons Jabeur
5 - Aryna Sabalenka
4 - Coco Gauff
4 - Karolina Muchova
1 - Beatriz Haddad Maia
[by career RG QF]
4 - Elina Svitolina
4 - Iga Swiatek
3 - Coco Gauff
3 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
1 - Beatriz Haddad Maia
1 - Ons Jabeur
1 - Karolina Muchova
1 - Aryna Sabalenka
[w/ consecutive slam QF]
3 - Aryna Sabalenka
[w/ consecutive RG QF]
4 - Iga Swiatek
3 - Coco Gauff
1+1 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2021/23; DNP 2022)
[2023 slam QF - unseeded]
AO - Magda Linette, POL
AO - Donna Vekic, CRO
RG - Karolina Muchova, CZE
RG - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS (PR)
RG - Elina Svitolina, UKR (PR)
[2023 1st-time GS QF]
AO - Magda Linette (30th MD)
RG - Beatriz Haddad Maia (12th)
[2023 multiple slam QF]
2 - Aryna Sabalenka (AO/RG)
[2023 slam QF - by nation]
3...BLR (2/1/-/-) - Sabalenka
2...CZE (1/1/-/-) - Muchova
2...POL (1/1/-/-) - Swiatek
2...USA (1/1/-/-) - Gauff
1...BRA (0/1/-/-) - Haddad Maia
1...CRO (1/0/-/-)
1...KAZ (1/0/-/-)
1...LAT (1/0/-/-)
1...RUS (0/1/-/-) - Pavlyuchenkova
1...TUN (0/1/-/-) - Jabeur
1...UKR (0/1/-/-) - Svitolina
[WTA career slam QF - active]
39...Venus Williams, USA
18...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
16...Simona Halep, ROU
16...Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
13...Petra Kvitova, CZE
11...Angelique Kerber, GER
11...Karolina Pliskova, CZE
9...Elina Svitolina, UKR *
8...Madison Keys, USA
8...Garbine Muguruza, ESP
8...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS *
7...Sara Errani, ITA
7...Kaia Kanepi, EST
7...Sloane Stephens, USA
6...Iga Swiatek, POL *
6...Vera Zvonareva, RUS
5...Ons Jabeur, TUN *
5...Sabine Lisicki, GER
5...Jessie Pegula, USA
5...Aryna Sabalenka, BLR *
[WTA slam QF & W/L in 2020s - 13 events]
6 - Swiatek (4-1) *
5 - Jabeur (2-2) *
5 - Pegula (0-5)
5 - Sabalenka (4-0) *
4 - Barty (3-1)
4 - Gauff (1-2) *
4 - Ka.Pliskova (1-3)
3 - Halep (2-1)
3 - Krejcikova (1-2)
3 - Pavlyuchenkova (1-1) *
3 - Muchova (1-1) *
3 - Rybakina (2-1)
3 - Svitolina (0-2) *
3 - Tomljanovic (0-3)
2 - Azarenka (2-0)
2 - Brady (2-0)
2 - Collins (1-1)
2 - Fernandez (1-1)
2 - Kenin (2-0)
2 - Kvitova (1-1)
2 - Osaka (2-0)
2 - Sakkari (2-0)
2 - Trevisan (1-1)
2 - S.Williams (2-0)
1 - Anisimova (0-1)
1 - Badosa (0-1)
1 - Bencic (0-1)
1 - Bouzkova (0-1)
1 - Cornet (0-1)
1 - Garcia (1-0)
1 - Golubic (0-1)
1 - Haddad Maia (0-0) *
1 - Hsieh (0-1)
1 - Kanepi (0-1)
1 - Kasatkina (1-0)
1 - Kerber (1-0)
1 - Keys (1-0)
1 - Kontaveit (0-1)
1 - V.Kudermetova (0-1)
1 - Linette (1-0)
1 - Maria (1-0)
1 - Mertens (0-1)
1 - Muguruza (1-0)
1 - Niemeier (0-1)
1 - Ostapenko (0-1)
1 - Pironkova (0-1)
1 - Podoroska (1-0)
1 - Putintseva (0-1)
1 - Raducanu (1-0)
1 - Rogers (0-1)
1 - Siegemund (0-1)
1 - Stephens (0-1)
1 - Vekic (0-1)
1 - Zidansek (1-0)
[WTA slam QF by nation in 2020s - 13 slams/104]
21 - USA (1)
13 - CZE (1)
7 - AUS
7 - BLR (1)
7 - POL (1)
5 - RUS (1)
5 - TUN (1)
4 - GER
4 - KAZ
3 - ROU
3 - UKR (1)
2 - CAN
2 - ESP
2 - EST
2 - FRA
2 - GRE
2 - ITA
2 - JPN
2 - SUI
1 - ARG,BEL,BRA,BUL,CRO,GBR,LAT,SLO,TPE
[WTA slam QF W/L by nation in 2020s]
21 - USA (9-11)*
13 - CZE (4-8)*
7 - AUS (3-4)
7 - BLR (6-0)*
7 - POL (5-1)*
5 - RUS (2-2)*
5 - TUN (2-2)*
4 - GER (2-2)
4 - KAZ (2-2)
3 - ROU (2-1)
3 - UKR (0-2)*
2 - CAN (1-1)
2 - ESP (1-1)
2 - EST (0-2)
2 - FRA (1-1)
2 - GRE (2-0)
2 - ITA (1-1)
2 - JPN (2-0)
2 - SUI (0-2)
1 - ARG (1-0)
1 - BEL (0-1)
1 - BRA (0-0)*
1 - BUL (0-1)
1 - CRO (0-1)
1 - GBR (1-0)
1 - LAT (0-1)
1 - SLO (1-0)
1 - TPE (0-1)

*UNSEEDED/WC/Q in SLAM QF IN 2020s*
2020 AO - Jabeur,Muguruza[RU]
2020 US - Azarenka[RU],Pironkova,Rogers
2020 RG - Collins,Podoroska,Siegemund,Swiatek[W],Trevisan
2021 AO - Hsieh,Pegula
2021 RG - Krejcikova[W],Zidansek
2021 WI - Golubic,Tomljanovic
2021 US - Fernandez,Raducanu(q)[W]
2022 AO - Cornet,Kanepi,Keys
2022 RG - Stephens,Trevisan
2022 WI - Bouzkova,Maria,Niemeier,Tomljanovic
2022 US - Tomljanovic
2023 AO - Linette,Vekic
2023 RG - Muchova,Pavlyuchenkova,Svitolina

*"FIRST SLAM..." FEATS IN 2020s*
=QF=
2020 AO - Ons Jabeur, TUN (13th)
2020 AO - Sofia Kenin, USA (12th)
2020 AO - Anett Kontaveit, EST (21st)
2020 US - Jennifer Brady, USA (13th)
2020 RG - Nadia Podoroska, ARG (2nd)
2020 RG - Laura Siegemund, GER (16th)
2020 RG - Iga Swiatek, POL (7th)
2020 RG - Martina Trevisan, ITA (2nd)
2021 AO - Hsieh Su-wei, TPE (38th)
2021 AO - Jessie Pegula, USA (9th)
2021 RG - Paula Badosa, ESP (8th)
2021 RG - Coco Gauff, USA (6th)
2021 RG - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (5th)
2021 RG - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (7th)
2021 RG - Maria Sakkari, GRE (21st)
2021 RG - Tamara Zidansek, SLO (9th)
2021 WI - Viktorija Golubic, SUI (18th)
2021 WI - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (15th)
2021 WI - Ajla Tomljanovic, AUS (27th)
2021 US - Leylah Fernandez, CAN (7th)
2021 US - Emma Raducanu, GBR (2nd)
2022 AO - Alize Cornet, FRA (63rd)
2022 RG - Veronika Kudermetova, RUS (13th)
2022 WI - Marie Bouzkova, CZE (14th)
2022 WI - Tatjana Maria, GER (35th)
2022 WI - Jule Niemeier, GER (2nd)
2022 US - none
2023 AO - Magda Linette, POL (30th)
2023 RG - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA (12th)

*WTA "CAREER QF SLAM" - active*
[with slam at which completed]
Azarenka - 2012 US (28th)
Halep - 2015 US (22nd)
Jabeur - 2023 RG (24th) *
Kanepi - 2022 AO (53rd)
Kerber - 2016 AO (33rd)
Keys - 2018 RG (23rd)
Kuznetsova - 2006 RG (16th)
Kvitova - 2015 US (30th)
Pavlyuchenkova - 2017 AO (37th)
Ka.Pliskova - 2021 WI (36th)
Sabalenka - 2023 RG (21st) *
Stephens - 2018 RG (25th)
Svitolina - 2019 US (29th)
V.Williams - 1998 WI (6th)
Zvonareva - 2010 US (31st)

*RECENT RG "IT" WINNERS*
2017 [Teen] Alona Ostapenko, LAT
2018 [NextGen Hordette] Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
2019 [GenPDQ Teens] A.Anisimova/USA, I.Swiatek/POL, M.Vondrousova/CZE
2020 [New Dane on the Block] Clara Tauson, DEN
2021 [Teen] Coco Gauff, USA
2022 [Teens] L.Fernandez/CAN, C.Gauff/USA, Zheng Q./CHN
2023 [One-Name Star] Mirra Andreeva, RUS






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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 (4th Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Leolia Jeanjean/FRA, Emma Navarro/USA & Diane Parry/FRA (all 2nd Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: In QF: Pavlyuchenkova/RUS, Svitolina/UKR; Sorribes Tormo/ESP (4r)
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Oceane Dodin, Caroline Garcia, Leolia Jeanjean & Diane Parry (all 2nd Rd.)
Ms./Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITY: Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA (first BRA slam QF since '68) Additional nominees: Jabeur, Muchova
IT "One-Name Teen": Mirra Andreeva/RUS
Additional nominees: Gauff
COMEBACK PLAYER: Elina Svitolina, UKR
CRASH & BURN: Barbora Krejcikova/CZE (0-2 since winning '21 title; 24 con. slam WD streak ends)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2nd Rd.: down 5-2 3rd vs. Samsonova; #333 second-lowest ranked RG 4r; 4th Rd.: down set and 3-1, w/ 7 BP for 4-1 vs. Mertens)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Pavlyuchenkova, WD player, WC player, Tsurenko
Mademoiselle/Madame OF THE EVENING: Nominee: Sabalenka
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 9. More tomorrow.
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