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Tuesday, July 11, 2023

W.9- If Wishes Were Ukrainians


Sometimes, one should be careful what they wish for.

#1 Iga Swiatek rode into today's quarterfinal on the wave of saving two MP vs. Belinda Bencic, and for all the world seeming to be in a good spot in the draw. No matter who was in the top half's final four along with her, they weren't the defending champ, '22 finalist, reigning AO winner (and the player hot on her heels in the rankings) and the former slam finalist and recent grass title winner on a nine-match winning streak. Those four players in question were all in the bottom half of the draw, set to battle it out between one another just to reach the final.

Turned out, Elina Svitolina was more than enough for Swiatek to handle. Or not handle, as the case my be.



While Svitolina's pre-motherhood career was scarred far more often by what she let slip through her fingers between the lines than marked by the great runs on big stages that she *did* have, one thing that the Ukrainian has never had a problem with is knocking off #1-ranked players. Today, she added Swiatek to the list of big name victims she's been collecting her entire career, and not just in London over the past week.

Through most of the opening set, Swiatek seemed intent on making a weekend date with destiny. After exchanging early breaks, Iga regained the lead and led 5-3, then went up love/30 on Svitolina's serve. Then the bottom fell out of her SW19 journey in what seemed like slow-motion, and none of the scribbles jotted down in her notebook could save her in the end.

Maybe she'll be able to take in a Harry Styles concert this weekend instead. I hear Svitolina has "connections," and might be able to set things up.



Still, even after squandering that lead, Swiatek had a chance to serve out the set at 5-4, only to fall behind love/40, then DF on BP. The world #1 then missed an easy forehand down the line off a drop shot and went down 40/love a game later, dropping her 11th straight point. Svitolina's DF ended the string, but Swiatek pulled a return wide and Svitolina grabbed a 6-5 lead. Continuing the trend, Swiatek fell behind love/30 in game 12, dropping her sixth straight point on serve. A big Svitolina return of a second serve gave the Ukrainian double SP at 15/40. As Iga pushed a volley outside the lines, she'd managed to drop a set she'd been two points from taking *before* she served for it, then proceeded to lose 16 of the final 18 points of the set. Swiatek won just one of twelve second serve points in the 1st.

Part of the problem for the Pole was Svitolina's willingness to engage in a more offensive attack, something she was reluctant to do during the "Elina 1.0" years (aka "The To-Do List" era), when the process she put her trust in never quite worked out. Over the last two slams, we've seen quite the sea change, and the resulting success has been telling.



With rain on its way, the Center Court roof was closed between sets, and then Swiatek went about showing why she's the world #1, and why even on her least favorite surface her ability to fight (put on display last summer in NYC) gives her a chance as long as her opponent doesn't blow her off the court with superior power.

Early in the 2nd, Svitolina opened the door a crack, and Iga wiggled her way through.

Serving at 1-1, Svitolina flubbed an easy shot at the net (Swiatek, well behind the baseline, had stopped playing the point) on GP, making it 40/15. She then DF'd, and saw Iga's deep return produce an error to get the game to deuce. Svitolina held another GP, but DF'd again. Swiatek grabbed the break lead, but Svitolina got things back on serve three games later at 3-3. The two then worked their way into an inevitable TB, with Swiatek holding from 30/30 in game 8, the Svitolina from 15/40 in game 9. Swiatek's ace closed out game 12.

It was Svitolina who took the early lead. A mini-break edge at 2-1, then 4-1 with an ace. But Swiatek's #1 resume shined the rest of the breaker, as three straight winners evened the score. After netting a forehand, another forehand winner into the corner knotted the score again. A crosscourt backhand out of reach of the Ukrainian's racket gave Swiatek a SP, and Svitolina's long error gave her a 7-5 win in the TB to send the match to the 3rd. Staring eye-to-eye with Defeat for a second straight match, Swiatek had bloodied its nose once again.



One might have thought that the surge would carry Swiatek to victory, but it was Svitolina who proved to be the more durable player down the stretch.

At 1-1, Swiatek fell behind 15/40. Deep shots saved both BP, but on a third Svitolina chance Iga fired a shot long and found herself down a break. Svitolina struggled to hold a game later, but did so for a 3-1 edge. On Swiatek's serve in game 5, Svitolina led 15/40. On the second BP, a Swiatek error put the Pole down a double-break. Picking up steam, a Svitolina ace finished off a hold for 5-1. She got the chance to serve for her third career slam SF two games later.

Reaching MP, Svitolina wasted her first chance with a DF, but her second proved true as a Swiatek forehand error sealed the 7-5/6-7(5)/6-2 victory.



The win brands Svitolina a Wimbledon semifinalist for the first time since 2019, for the first time since becoming a mother just nine months ago, and for the first time since her country (and, to a far lesser degree, her sport) became embroiled in conflict resulting from a war of aggression by an invader from its eastern flank. The deeper she goes in this draw, combined with the efforts of her WTA countrywomen (most noteably Lesia Tsurenko), the ongoing war, its impact on the sport, and Svitolina's own inspiration and influence on her nation will only become more and more intertwined with this Wimbledon, perhaps creating one of the most unique chapters in slam event history.

Svitolina is the first wild card entrant to reach this stage in a slam since Sabine Lisicki did it at the AELTC in 2011. The Ukrainian's seventh career #1 win, tied for the most by any active woman not named Venus, comes against a fourth different top-ranked player (3-Kerber, 2-Halep, 1-Serena).

Meanwhile, that sound you hear is the #1 ranking back in play. With Swiatek's loss, the door has now swung open for #2 Aryna Sabalenka. There is quite a lot still blocking her path, from Madison Keys tomorrow onward, not the least of which could be a potential no-handshakes-but-no-holds-barred weekend meeting with Svitolina that could be both tennis' greatest moment *and* its worst nightmare.

While pronouncements were going around after this match that Sabalenka only needed *two* wins to reach #1, a week ago the WTA said that it'd be *three* with the way things have turned out. We should probably go with that.



Not that it's wise to take the WTA's word on, well, much of anything, really.





=DAY 9 NOTES=
...Jessie Pegula has done quite a lot over the past few seasons, putting forth a stunning run of consisist results across just about all levels, quarterfinals have come to her with the ease of a Prince-penned song. Stacked up one upon another upon another they can't help but inspire something resembling awe. Pegula has been a virtual "Quarterfinal Queen." Ah, but there's the rub.

In tennis, if you're a *quarter*-final master, it means you're not winning the big ones. Not even giving yourself a real chance at a truly big-time final stage, really.

Today, opposition met opportunity for the Buffalo native. While the heavy hitters and recent Wimbledon stars were far away in the bottom half of the draw, and the world #1 and the tournament's Cinderella story were in the *other* QF in the top half, the #4 seed faced off with Marketa Vondrousova. While not a neophyte to big time tennis, the Czech -- a former slam ('19 RG) and Olympic finalist ('21) -- came into this Wimbledon sporting a 1-4 record in the event. Unseeded due to her second battle with a wrist injury in the wake of her two previous biggest career runs, Vondrousova arrived with little pressure compared to Pegula. While Pegula arrived on Day 9 on a seven-set winning streak, Vondrousova was looking to take out her *fourth* straight seed and come out from "under the radar" to remind everyone that she's back as well as still here.

Still, even while trying to outrun a winless (0-5) record in slam QF, Pegula put herself into position to achieve the grass court goal she'd set out for herself when she'd said that she felt that the grass might finally be good to her this year after progressively (1r-2r-3r) improving her SW19 results in recent trips to the All-England Club.

What happened though was a case of Pegula walking herself to the edge of achieving that goal, but being unable to step over the threshold.



It all started in the opening set. Pegula held an early break lead at 2-0, but she and Vondrousova battled for the advantage down the stretch. With five breaks of serve over the first nine games, Vondrousova took the final lead by claiming Pegula's serve for a 5-4 edge and then serving out the set.

Pegula again led in the 2nd. Her 3-1 advantage was threatened when she fell behind 15/30 in game 5. But she held her lead, then broke the Czech to close out a 6-2 2nd set.

In the decider, again it was Pegula who came out strong. She saved two BP in the opening game, and got the hold as Vondrousova's forehand breakdowns squandered her chances. The Bannerette broke for a 3-1 lead, only to see play stopped and the roof closed in the latest episode of match/weather mismanagement by the AELTC. But when the players returned, Pegula didn't lose her momentum. She held for 4-1, and even held a BP (30/40) on Vondrousova's serve a game later for a commanding lead. But she missed on a routine backhand, sending it long.

While her shot didn't go in that direction, it might have well been "wide right."

Suddenly, everything was soon in play once again. Serving at 4-2, Pegula fell down 15/40, dropping the game as the set went back on serve. At 4-4, after holding multiple GP, she overshot a forehand on a Vondrousova BP and was suddenly down 5-4.

With the headshaking symbolism of a misplaced Thurman Thomas helmet, the die had been cast.

Serving for her first slam semi since her '19 final run in Paris, Vondrousova quickly went up 40/love. On her second MP, a put-away at the net collected her fifth straight game, sending yet another Czech lefty into the SW19 final four by a score of 6-4/2-6/6-4. After seeing her career momentum from RG four years ago and the Olympics in '21 thwarted by wrist injuries (she missed six months last season), Vondrousova will get another chance to get things right.



Pegula's loss, which drops her to 0-6 in career slam QF, ends the run of 12 straight Wimbledons with at least one first-time slam semifinalist.



...there were no junior girls' singles Round of 16 matches scheduled for today, as they got a rare mid-event day-off while the AELTC tried to catch up on the boys' singles (not yet finished the 2nd Rd.) and junior doubles.

There will again be 14-and-under junior singles competition later this week.

...the wheelchair draws are out.

As in the past, while the other slams have increased draws to 16, Wimbledon remains at eight in singles (and four teams in doubles) after being late to the game in even adding the solo competition (not until 2016, otherwise Esther Vergeer would have a whole lot *more* slam crowns) because of the supposed wear and tear on the grass courts.

#1 Diede de Groot opens vs. Kgothatso Montjane, a former Wimbledon singles finalist (2021) and the player who has come the closest to upsetting the Dutch star during her 108-match (and 10-slam title) winning streak. In a clay event just after RG, the South African took the 1st set (ending de Groot's 42-set run) and nearly avoided a 3rd before de Groot won a 7-5 TB and then took the 3rd at 6-2. Still, de Groot is 14-0 vs. Montjane during her streak, the second most wins over any player during the stretch behind Yui Kamiji's 22.

De Groot could face usual (but not this week) doubles partner Aniek Van Koot (1r vs. Lucy Shuker) in the SF. Van Koot defeated de Groot in the 2019 Wimbledon final, a loss that remains her only defeat in her five Wimbledon singles competition appearances.

After having an injury a few weeks ago, #2 Kamiji makes her grass season debut, facing countrywoman Momoko Ohtani. Last year, Kamiji finally had her SW19 breakthrough in reaching her maiden Wimbledon singles final in her sixth try. Kamiji has reached more slam WC singles finals than anyone (25) during her career.

Jiske Griffioen, the winner of the inaugural Wimbledon singles title in '16, has perhaps her best chance to reach her first slam final since her comeback from her retirement following the '16 season. So far, she's topped out in the SF (three times) since her return to slam competition last year. She faces Zhu Zhenzhen in the 1st Round, with the Kamiji/Ohtani winner waiting in a possible semifinal match-up.

It might not be Griffioen's only first comeback slam final chance, as she's also teaming with de Groot in doubles. Van Koot, de Groot's regular doubles, was injured and missed about three months earlier this year. It led de Groot to team with Maria Florencia Moreno at RG, reaching the final. Van Koot didn't make her return until late June, reaching a hard court final in Tokyo, so one suspects that de Groot had already committed to playing Wimbledon with Griffioen. They won the lone British grass pre-SW19 WC event just before Wimbledon.

Naturally, the Dutch duo's 1st Round (SF) opponents will be Van Koot & Lucy Shuker.

...Invitational Doubles (and MX) matches began on Day 9, with some duos so interesting you not only think they outshine the *regular* doubles matches on the schedule, but the teams might have a shot at the *big* title, as well, if given the shot.

In action today were names like Wozniacki, Clijsters, Hingis, Mirza, Li and Radwanska.



...in the Contrexeville 125, top seed Tatjana Maria's freefall continued with a 1st Round loss to Tereza Martincova, her fourth straight defeat. Diane Parry defeated fellow Pastry Kristina Mladenovic in straights.







*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
(WC) Elina Svitolina/UKR def. #1 Iga Swiatek/POL
Marketa Vondrousova/CZE def. #4 Jessie Pegula/USA
#6 Ons Jabeur/TUN vs. #3 Elena Rybakina/KAZ
#25 Madison Keys/USA vs. #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
#16 Dolehide/Zhang Sh. (USA/CHN) def. Kalashnikova/Shymanovich (GEO/BLR)
#3 Hunter/Mertens (AUS/BEL) vs. (WC) Bains/Lumsden (GBR/GBR)
(PR) Hsieh/Strycova (TPE/CZE) def. Garcia/Stefani (FRA/BRA)
Bouzkova/Sorribes Tormo (CZE/ESP) vs. Siegemund/Zvonareva (GER/RUS)

*MIXED DOUBLES QF*
#7 L.Kichenok/Pavic (UKR/CRO) def. (Alt.) Danilina/Mahut (KAZ/FRA)
(WC) Nicholls/O'Mara (GBR/GBR) def. #5 Perez/Ebden (AUS/AUS)
Sutjiadi/Middelkoop (INA/NED) def. Kostyuk/Arevalo (UKR/ELS)
Xu Y./Vliegen (CHN/BEL) def. L.Chan/Salisbury (TPE/GBR)

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S QF*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. Kgothatso Montjane/RSA
Aniek Van Koot/NED vs. (WC) Lucy Shuker/GBR
Jiske Griffioen/NED vs. Zhu Zhenzhen/CHN
Momoko Ohtani/JPN vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S SF*
#1 Kamiji/Montjane (JPN/RSA) vs. Ohtani/Zhu (JPN/CHN)
Shuker/Van Koot (GBR/NED) vs. #2 de Groot/Griffioen (NED/NED)

*GIRLS' SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Alina Korneeva/RUS vs. (Q) Greta Greco Lucchina/ITA
Taylah Preston/AUS vs. #8 Ena Koike/JPN
Francesca Pace/ITA vs. Ranah Akua Stoiber/GBR
Nikola Bartunkova/CZE vs. Mingge Xu/GBR
#5 Renata Jamrichova/SVK vs. Rebecca Munk Mortensen/DEN
#13 Emerson Jones/AUS vs. (WC) Mika Stojsavljevic/GBR
#7 Sayaka Ishii/JPN vs. Hannah Klugman/GBR
Rositsa Dencheva/BUL vs. #2 Clervie Ngounoue/USA







...THE BEST LAID PLANS OF MICE AND PEGULAS... ON DAY 9:

So, Pegula pulled out the MX Doubles due to playing in the singles QF, then after losing there, she and Coco Gauff lost in the women's doubles. Hey, I guess she can go home early now.



Does Pegula even need doubles anymore? They helped her on the way up over the past two seasons, but now she risks overplaying any time she's entered. If McNally could ever stop squandering leads *her* ranking would be high enough that she could enter the same events as Gauff and "McCoco" could be reborn.


...BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS, IS THAT YOU?... ON DAY 9:




...OH, GREAT... MORE TOUR-BACKED SPONSORSHIP THAT SEEDS THE LANDSCAPE FOR PLAYERS TO BE ATTACKED ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHEN THEY LOSE A MATCH. BRILLIANT BUSINESS DECISION... ON DAY 9:




...DIDN'T SEE THIS YESTERDAY, BUT... ON DAY 9:

I'm not really sure what the point was in releasing it. It doesn't solve anything. It doesn't help anything. It just feels like a CYA move that they'll pat themselves on the back for both now and later (see #WhereIsPengShuai).




...THIS MAKES IT TWO DAYS IN A ROW THAT WERTHEIM HAS LAUDED HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO HAVE GREAT WOMEN'S MATCHES TAKING PLACE SIMULTANEOUSLY... ON DAY 9:

I thought maybe he was being sarcastic yesterday, but...



What is he talking about? How is it great -- and not stupid scheduling -- to have the only two matches in a singles draw scheduled for that day taking place at the same time, ensuring that anyone who cares is going to (at least) miss half of the action, or not really fully absorb *either* contest?

With multiple stadiums with roofs there's no reason to not spread the schedule out a bit.
















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**CAREER #1 WINS - active**
15 - Venus Williams
7 - Svetlana Kuznetsova
7 - ELINA SVITOLINA
6 - Petra Kvitova
4 - Belinda Bencic
4 - Alize Cornet
4 - Garbine Muguruza
4 - Aryna Sabalenka
4 - Caroline Wozniacki

**BEST SLAM WILD CARD RESULTS - since 2000**
=W=
2009 US - Kim Clijsters
=RU=
2010 AO - Justine Henin
=SF=
2008 WI - Zheng Jie
2011 WI - Sabine Lisicki
2023 WI - ELINA SVITOLINA
=QF=
2006 AO - Martina Hingis
2009 AO - Jelena Dokic

**LOW-SEEDED WIMBLEDON SEMIFINALISTS - Open Era**
[unseeded]
1968 Ann Jones
1969 Rosie Casals
1970 Francoise Durr
1971 Judy Dalton
1983 Yvonne Vermaak
1989 Catarina Lindqvist
1994 Gigi Fernandez
1994 Lori McNeil
1996 Meredith McGrath
1997 Anna Kournikova
1998 Natasha Zvereva
1999 Alexandra Stevenson (Q)
1999 Mirjana Lucic
2000 Jelena Dokic
2008 Zheng Jie (WC)
2010 Petra Kvitova
2010 Tsvetana Pironkova
2011 Sabine Lisicki (WC)
2016 Elena Vesnina
2017 Magdalena Rybarikova
2019 Barbora Strycova
2022 Tatjana Maria
2023 Marketa Vondrousova
2023 Elina Svitolina (WC)
[seeds]
#25 - Angelique Kerber, 2021
#25 - Serena Williams, 2018 (RU)
#23 - Lucie Safarova, 2014
#23 - Sabine Lisicki, 2013 (RU)
#23 - Venus Williams, 2007 (W)
#21 - Vera Zvonareva, 2010 (RU)
#20 - Garbine Muguruza, 2015 (RU)
#20 - Kirsten Flipkens, 2013
#18 - Marion Bartoli, 2007 (RU)
#17 - Elena Rybakina, 2022 (W)
--
TO PLAY QF: #25 Madison Keys

**WIMBLEDON INVITATION DOUBLES WINNERS - SINCE 2007**
2007 Jana Novotna & Helena Sukova
2008 Jana Novotna & Kathy Rinaldi
2009 Martina Navratilova & Helena Sukova
2010 Martina Navratilova & Jana Novotna
2011 Lindsay Davenport & Martina Hingis
2012 Lindsay Davenport & Martina Hingis
2013 Lindsay Davenport & Martina Hingis
2014 Jana Novotna & Barbara Schett
2015 Magdalena Maleeva & Rennae Stubbs
2016 Martina Navratilova & Selima Sfar
2017 Cara Black & Martina Navratilova
2018 Kim Clijsters & Rennae Stubbs
2019 Cara Black & Martina Navratilova
2020-21 DNP
2022 Kim Clijsters & Martina Hingis



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TOP QUALIFIER: Jessica Bouzas Maneiro/ESP
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #25 Madison Keys/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3 - #18 Lucrezia Stefanini def. (PR) Hsieh Su-wei 6-2/6-7(3)/7-6(11-9)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #20 Donna Vekic/CRO def. Sloane Stephens/USA 4-6/7-5/6-4 - trailed 6-4/3-0 and 2 BP, Stephens served at 5-3
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: (PR) Barbora Strycova/CZE (def. Zanevska/BEL; first Wimb. match since 2019 SF)
FIRST SEED OUT: #15 Liudmila Samsonova/RUS (1st Rd.-Bogdan/ROU)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Bai Zhuoxuan/CHN, Jodie Burrage/GBR, Tamara Korpatsch/GER, Natalija Stevanovic/SRB
UPSET QUEENS: Romania
REVELATION LADIES: The Return of the Hordettes
NATION OF POOR SOULS: ITA (1-6 1st Rd.)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Mirra Andreeva/RUS (4th Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Elina Svitolina/UKR (in QF)
PROTECTED RANKING: Jaqueline Cristian/ROU, Sara Sorribes Tormo/ESP, Barbora Strycova/CZE (all 2nd Rd.)
LUCKY LOSER WINS: Tamara Korpatsch/GER (2nd Rd.)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Katie Boulter (3rd Rd.)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Svitolina, Vondrousova, Keys, Jabeur
IT "??": Nominees: M.Andreeva, Korneeva, (jr.)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominees: Svitolina, Hsieh/Strycova, Kenin
CRASH & BURN: Tatjana Maria/GER ('22 semifinalist, loses 1st Rd.)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: Lesia Tsurenko/UKR (3rd Rd.: in 3:40, wins slam record 38-pt. TB over Bogdan on 7th MP; saved 5 MP in TB; Bogdan served for match at 5-3 3rd)
DOUBLES STAR: xx
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Svitolina, Hsieh/Strycova, Siegemund/Zvonareva, (Invitational)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: xx
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: Karolina Muchova/CZE






All for Day 9. More tomorrow.
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