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Saturday, July 1, 2023

Wk.26- Madison Avenue






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*WEEK 26 CHAMPIONS*
EASTBOURNE, ENGLAND (WTA 500/Grass Outdoor)
S: Madison Keys/USA def> Dasha Kasatkina/RUS 6-2/7-6(13)
D: Desirae Krawczyk/Demi Schuurs (USA/NED) def. Nicole Melichar-Martinez/Ellen Perez (USA/AUS) 6-2/6-4
BAD HOMBURG, GERMANY (WTA 250/Grass Outdoor)
S: Katerina Siniakova/CZE def. Lucia Bronzetti/ITA 6-2/7-6(5)
D: TBD




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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Madison Keys/USA
...a couple of weeks a year each season, Keys blesses everyone with the opportunity to see her in her very best form. It's usually quite thrilling, even if it does serve to remind you how often she *doesn't* play to such a level and makes you wonder all over again just how great a career she might have had over the years if she could only bring that level of tennis half of the time (and maybe even just a third more often) in the events when she doesn't. She'd surely have won a slam, and probably reached another final (or two).

Anyway, this week in Eastbourne was one of those weeks. Naturally, though not without a slightly-skittish trip down the final stretch, Keys didn't lose a set and walked off with her seventh career tour title, capturing the same tournament at which she'd won her maiden WTA crown back in 2014.

Down went Tereza Martincova, Wang Xiyu, Petra Martic and Coco Gauff as Keys reached her 12th tour final. She led Dasha Kasatkina 6-2/4-1 before alarm-belling it the rest of the way, losing the 2nd set lead and failing to convert on four MP, while saving four SP, before finally emphatically ending the final 30-plus stroke rally with a winner to claim a 15-13 TB and her first grass title since winning Birmingham in 2016. The win will lift Keys' ranking back into the Top 20 (#18). She was at #10 in early January.


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RISERS: Dasha Kasatkina/RUS and Coco Gauff/USA
...last month, Kasatkina slipped just out of the Top 10 for the first time since October, but her Eastbourne final run will put her right back just before she returns to Wimbledon for the first time since 2021 (she's 1-2 since her QF in '18).

The Hordette's Eastbourne run included straight sets wins over Anhelina Kalinina (1r) and Camila Giorgi (SF), a three-setter over Karolina Pliskova (2r) and a 2nd set retirement from Caroline Garcia (QF). In her 13th career final, Kasatkina fell behind an in-form Madison Keys 6-2/4-1, then very nearly pushed things to a 3rd (she saved 4 MP, and held 4 SP) -- where she'd likely have wrestled away the mental advantage -- before losing a 15-13 TB.



U.S. #2 (and world #7) Gauff continues to make progress in fits and starts, with Eastbourne providing another example of a great start -- three consecutive straight sets wins over Bernarda Pera, Jodie Burrage and U.S. #1 and doubles partner Jessie Pegula -- to reach her second career grass SF (w/ Berlin '22), only to see another open-and-shut exit close things out. In this case, a definitive 3 & 3 defeat vs. U.S. #3 Madison Keys.

Gauff, of course, made her headline-making big stage debut at Wimbledon four years ago, taking out Venus Williams in her maiden slam MD match and then reaching the Round of 16. She's posted consistent SW19 results since, with 4th and 3rd Rounds the last two years, while reaching three other slam QF and a final ('22 RG).

She's still yet to pull down the sort of next-level defining singles moment, though, with her best 1000 result a pair of semis, a 0-3 mark in her one WTAF appearance (2022), a 1-9 record vs. world #1/#2 players (w/ the win a retirement) and with none of her three titles being above the 250 level (which will be much more difficult to replicate starting in '24 with the new entry rules).

There's still no reason to think she won't get *there* eventually, it's just becoming a far more naturally-moving evolution than anyone thought would be the case back in 2019.


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SURPRISE: Lucia Bronzetti/ITA
...Bronzetti cracked the Top 100 last season, and in early '23 jumped the Top 50 hurdle. Though she left Bad Homburg without a title, the 24-year old Italian continued her rise by reaching her third final in the past year.

Wins over Julia Grabher and Mayar Sherif (from a set back, after winning a 2nd set TB) guided Bronzetti into uncharteded territory on grass. In her first QF on the surface, she downed Pastry (yes, it's official) Varvara Gracheva in straights and then got a SF walkover from #1 Iga Swiatek (ill) to become the ninth woman to reach tour finals in '23 on multiple surfaces (Dasha Kasatkina also joined that list this week).

The Italian was down a set a 2-1 when rain interrupted the final against Katerina Siniakova. After falling behind 5-2, Bronzetti pushed the set to a TB before the Czech finally won it 7-5.

Bronzetti will climb to a new career high of #47.


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VETERAN: Camila Giorgi/ITA
...Giorgi has a history of playing well on the grass, with a QF at Wimbledon (the only one in her 43-slam MD career), as well as one tour title (at Rosmalen in '15, her long-awaited maiden tour win after she'd squandered MP in two of her first three finals) and six (five at Eastbourne alone after her win this week's over Ons Jabeur) of her 17 career Top 10 victories coming on the surface.

Bookending her win over Jabuer with a triumph over Heather Watson and a 2nd set retirement from Alona Ostapenko, Giorgi reached her second tour SF (w/ her Merida title run) this season, and her third straight in Eastbourne (she lost to Ostapenko last year, Anett Kontaveit in '21).

Of course, with Giorgi you never *quite* know what you're going to get. In her semifinal loss to Dasha Kasatkina, we saw a little of the fiery side that often comes back to bite her.


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COMEBACK: Katerina Siniakova/CZE
...the hope was that the singles success of doubles partner Barbora Krejcikova might ultimately spur Siniakova to a resurgence in her own singles career, which had seen her win a pair of titles six seasons ago (she played in five finals from 2016-18) and reach a high of #31 in 2018. It seems to be happening, too.

Since Krejcikova's RG title run in '21, Siniakova has ended her three-year singles final drought (two years ago at Bad Homburg), and this weekend she returned to that event to claim her second title in less than ten months (w/ Portoroz last September) after previously weathering a five-year title drought. Wins over Elisabetta Cocciartetto, Evgeniya Rodina, Liudmila Samsonova (stretched out over two days) and Emma Navarro got Siniakova into the final, and on Saturday she defeated Lucia Bronzetti 6-2/7-6(5) -- after nearly wasting a 6-2/5-2 lead -- to claim her fourth career title.



(And the Berlin trophies hide their chocolate bar wrapper-looking heads in shame.)


After dipping into the #90s in the rankings last summer, Siniakova has climbed back into the Top 50, though her spring leg injury had pushed her just outside that over the past few weeks. This result will lift her to #32, just a shade off her career best from five years ago.

Of course, Krejcikova/Siniakova, after coming up well short at RG of winning a fourth consecutive (and fifth straight in which they'd played) slam WD crown after Siniakova's injury left them severely match deprived, will next be looking to defend their Wimbledon crown. An eighth slam win would tie the Czechs for the fourth-most in the Open era (behind only Navratilova/Shriver, G.Fernandez/Zvereva and Venus/Serena).
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FRESH FACE: Emma Navarro/USA
...days after reaching the $100K Ilkley challenger final, Navarro made her tour-level grass debut in Bad Homburg (as an alternate inclusion in the MD) and played all the way into the semifinals, recording wins over Nadia Podoroska, Alize Cornet and Rebeka Masarova (who had to retire after winning the 1st set). She lost 2 & 2 to Katerina Siniakova.

The 22-year old U-Va. product is set to make her Wimbledon debut next week, and will enter having reaching another new career high of #55. She'll face Ekaterina Alexandrova.
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DOWN: Elise Mertens/BEL, Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA and Ons Jabeur/TUN
...Mertens' lower back injury is putting her Wimbledon prospects -- maybe more significantly, in doubles -- in jeopardy. Having already retired from the Rosmalen doubles (she didn't even play singles), she did the same in her first grass singles match vs. Karolina Pliskova in Eastbourne, after having won the opening set but eventually falling behind 3-0 in the 3rd after putting up 15 DF.

While the Belgian's SW19 singles results have been good, 3r-4r-3r-4r the last four Wimbledons, her grass court doubles results have made even more of a mark. She's reached the Wimbledon WD final the last two years (1-1), and last year was a runner-up in Rosmalen and Birmingham, as well.

A year ago, Haddad Maia was the toast of the pre-Wimbledon grass court stint, winning in Nottingham and Birmingham, then reaching the Eastbourne semis on a 12-match winning streak. The Brazilian arrived at the '23 grass season off a career-best slam run to the RG semis, and has severely run aground with her results on the lawns. She fell in the 1st Round in Nottingham, then this week -- after an encouraging three-set win over Marie Bouzkova, retired from her 2nd Round Eastbourne contest vs. Petra Martic.

Haddad Maia fell in the 1st Round at Wimbledon a year ago, so maybe she'll be healthy enough to simply "flip" her grass results a bit this time around?

Meanwhile, Jabeur's Wimbledon prep didn't go very well this year.

In 2021, the Tunisian won in Birmingham and then reached the Wimbledon QF; while last year she took the Berlin title, then reached the Wimbledon final. After going 21-3 the last two grass seasons combined, Jabeur heads into Wimbledon this time around having gone just 1-2.

After falling to Jule Niemeier in her opening match last week, she split matches with two Italians in Eastbourne, defeating Jasmine Paolini but losing to Camila Giorgi in their first meeting in *nine* years (October '14). Jabeur went out by the exact same score both times, 6-3/6-2.


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DOUBLES: Desirae Krawczyk/Demi Schuurs, USA/NED
...Krawczyk/Schuurs are throwing their personal hats into the ring for Doubles Duo of the Year, with their Eastbourne title run putting them in a tie with Krecjickova/Siniakova and Gauff/Pegula with a tour-leading two titles on the season.

The pair didn't lose a set on the week, helped along by a walkover in the semis (w/ a day lost to the weather and other proverbial fish to fry) from top seeded Gauff/Pegula. In the final, the #3 seeds defeated #2 Melichar-Martinez/Perez 2 & 4. It's their overall third tour crown as a team.

The win is the 17th of Schuurs' career, and #10 for Krawczyk. For all her regular tour success, Schuurs has yet to reach a slam WD final (and just one semi), while Krawczyk has picked up four mixed titles in just over two years and reached the RG final (2020) and semis in London (2022) and NYC (2021). Some big success at SW19 will truly put them in the Best Doubles Team race.


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WHEELCHAIR: Diede de Groot/NED
...de Groot made her '23 grass debut at the Rothesay International event in Eastbourne. Guess what... she didn't lose a match.

The living legend extended her singles winning streak to 108 matches (and 28 tournament titles) with a pair of wins (it was just a six-player women's draw), defeating Lucy Shuker 1 & 2 and Jiske Griffioen in a 3 & 2 final to defend her '22 title and improve to 34-0 this season.

De Groot and Griffioen teamed to win the doubles, defeating Shuker and Zhu Zhenzhen in the final.


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1. Eastbourne Final - Madison Keys def. Dasha Kasatkina
...6-2/7-6(13). Keys' dominant side flashed early, as she built a 6-2/4-1 lead before nearly succumbing to the sort of skid that has always kept a rein on her overall results. Kasatkina denied a MP and actually led the 2nd 6-5 before Keys pushed the set into a TB.

She led there 4-1, as well, and held two MP (only to commit two UE), as the momentum swung back and force. Kasatkina held two SP of her own, only to see errors throw them away. She failed to convert two more SP, then another Keys UE squandered MP #4.

Finally, on MP #5, a Keys forehand winner ended a 31-shot rally as she picked up her seventh career title nine years, and on the same court, where she'd won her first back in 2014.


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2. Eastbourne 1st Rd. - Beatriz Haddad Maia def. Marie Bouzkova
...3-6/6-3/7-6(3). Though Haddad Maia retired from her next match, this win had given a series of good signs that her grass game was back, mostly because she never blinked in the face of adversity.

Down a set and 0-2 to Bouzkova, then 2-3, love/30 in the 3rd, Haddad Maia broke the Czech to reach 4-4, then calmly held from 15/30 back in game 12 to force the TB.


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3. Bad Homburg 1st Rd. - Anna Blinkova def. Sabine Lisicki
...3-6/6-1/7-5. Lisicki, a Wimbledon finalist now ten years (and who knows how many surgeries) ago, led 4-1 in the 3rd. Blinkova got the love break to lead 6-5, then denied a BP and held for the win.


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4. Bad Homburg Final - Katerina Siniakova def. Lucia Bronzetti
...6-2/7-6(5). After having to play the 3rd set of her QF and entire SF on Friday, Siniakova saw the final suspended with her leading 6-2/2-1.

Once play resumed, the Czech ran her lead to 5-2, then had to withstand Bronzetti's comeback. She finally won a 7-5 TB, becoming the 15th active woman on tour -- umm, make that the *16th*, as I realize that now I have to add Wozniacki back to all those "active" lists -- with career singles titles on hard court, clay and grass.

Walk the dinosaur, kiss the elephant. Same difference.


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5. Eastbourne 1st Rd. - Dasha Kasatkina def. Anheilina Kalinina
...6-3/6-1. There was just one Hordette in the final Eastbourne MD, so of course she drew a Ukrainian.

If you were wondering whether Kasatkina's grace in Paris, thumbs-up from Svitolina, and unwarranted booing from French fans would mean anything after MP in this one... well, what were you thinking?


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6. Bad Homburg 1st Rd. - Varvara Gracheva def. Jaqueline Cristian
...6-2/6-1. Meanwhile, Gracheva is now *officially* a Pastry. Her first match under the new flag resulted in a win.

Hmmm, does one smell an incoming conundrum? What happens the *next* time she faces a Ukrainian?
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7. Bad Homburg 1st Rd. - Iga Swiatek def. Tatjana Maria
...5-7/6-2/6-0. First "scotch egg" (or "strawberry" at SW19) of the grass season? Although this was in Germany, so... a meatball?
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8. Bad Homburg QF - Emma Navarro def. Rebeka Masarova
...6-7(2)/1-1 ret. An unfortunate turn of events for Masarova, who'd looked good while posting wins over Sasnovich and Andreescu before falling and being forced to retire. Gotta wonder about her Wimbledon prospects of playing at all, as well.


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9. Bad Homburg SF - Lucia Bronzetti walkover Iga Swiatek
...citing a fever and potential food poisoning, Swiatek withdrew from her first career tour-level SF on grass, after what had been a pretty impressive week of wins over Tatjana Maria, Jil Teichmann and Anna Blinkova.

It's the first walkover that Swiatek's has given to an opponent since her pro debut (in the qualifying draw, at least) at a $10K challenger in 2016. Incidentally, she'd been given a 1st Round bye in that event, then handed Polina Bakhmutkina a pass in the 2nd, so she hadn't actually yet *played* a pro singles match before she'd gone out via a walkover. The event isn't even included on her match activity page on the WTA tour site, only on that of the ITF.

Bakhmutkina is still playing, by the way, and it currently ranked #1117. She's 8-8 in '23 play.

Swiatek isn't listed as having given a walkover in any ITF level junior matches from 2014-16.

[Whew! I actually managed to get through that and not mention that -- once more -- Swiatek has held to form and managed to now set up a reasonable "excuse" should she lose early at Wimbledon, where in the past she's expressed little confidence about producing great results. Aren't you proud of me? And, no, this doesn't "count."]
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10. $25K Tarvisio ITA Final - Petra Marcinko def. Katarzyna Kawa
...6-1/4-6/6-2. The 17-year old Croat improves to 5-0 in career ITF final, winning her second straight title and 10th consecutive match.
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HM- Bad Homburg Final - Ingrid Gamarra Martins/Lidziya Marozava vs. Eri Hozumi/Monica Niculescu
...3-0 suspended. One suspects that this one will get finished on Sunday (weather permitting). If not, the title may just go unclaimed.
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Some highlights:

More dual WTA/ATP events, an increase in the two-week format for 1000 events: Beijing in '24, Canada & Cincinnati in '25. 500s increase to seventeen, and a "stronger regional focus" for 250s (whatever that means).

The rumored limitations for top players in 250s is real. In weeks with a 500 and 250 event, exemptions for a Top 30 player to play the 250 will be that they're the defending champ, a home nation player, or are ranked between #11-30. A player gets just two such exemptions per season. In weeks with *only* 250 events, one Top 10 player will be allowed in the draw.

125 events will eventually increase to over 40 events person season (including those during the second weeks of slams for non-Top 10 players).



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"Accidental Shot of the Year"...




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Nice to see The Countess involved... this tournament consisently *gets it*. #SpookyOpen




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In the (sometimes) weekly Casey Kasem Top 40 flashback, it's July 4, 1987.

#37 - "Luka" (Suzanne Vega)
#36 - "Back in the High Life" (Stevie Winwood)
#18 - "Wanted Dead or Alive" (Bon Jovi)
#17 - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (U2)




#20 - "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" (Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine)
#3 - "Shakedown" (Bob Seger)
#2 - "Alone" (Heart)




#1 - "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" (Whitney Houston) - her fourth straight #1 hit

...this is a reminder that the heart of music *superstardom* in the 1980s was probably a four-headed beast that included Michael Jackson, Madonna, Whitney Houston and Prince. We've already lost three of them far too early, and seemingly came close to losing a third last week with Madonna's health emergency. Of course, that situation only set off a round of snide comments about her face and a whole host of other hateful things you expect to see on social media. It was really kind of pathetic. She's always said she won't really be appreciated and respected until she's gone, and she's probably right.

Hopefully, this past week will lead her to produce something in which she has "the last word" for those who take so much joy in attacking her, to be played only when that day comes. Of course, knowing her, she may have *already* done something like that.

Anyway, Whitney Houston before all the ballads...



During all that earlier this week, I saw a photo of Madonna that I don't think I'd ever seen before. I liked it, so...










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*2023 WIMBLEDON...*
=youngest=
16 - Mirra Andreeva, RUS (Q) - DOB: April 29, 2007
18 - Celine Naef, SUI (Q) - DOB: June 25, 2005
18 - Linda Fruhvirtova, CZE - DOB: May 1, 2005
18 - Linda Noskova, CZE - DOB: November 17, 2004
19 - Coco Gauff, USA - DOB: March 13, 2004
=oldest=
43 - Venus Williams, USA (WC) - DOB: June 17, 1980
38 - Kaia Kanepi, ESP - DOB: June 10, 1985
37 - Barbora Strycova, CZE (PR) - DOB: March 28, 1986
36 - Sara Errani, ITA - DOB: April 29, 1987
35 - Tatjana Maria, GER - DOB: August 8, 1987
34 - Zhang Shuai, CHN - DOB: January 21, 1989
34 - Lesia Tsurenko, UKR (Q) - DOB: May 30, 1989

*CAREER WTA GRASS TITLES - active*
6 - Petra Kvitova
6 - Venus Williams
3 - Caroline Garcia
3 - Angelique Kerber
3 - MADISON KEYS
3 - Karolina Pliskova
2 - Ekaterina Alexandrova
2 - Beatriz Haddad Maia
2 - Simona Halep
2 - Ons Jabeur
2 - Alona Ostapenko
2 - CoCo Vandeweghe
2 - Caroline Wozniacki

*2023 WTA TITLES w/o LOSING A SET*
Adelaide 1 - Aryna Sabalenka
Auckland - Coco Gauff
Hobart - Lauren Davis
Doha - Iga Swiatek
Charleston - Ons Jabeur
Nottingham - Katie Boulter
Berlin - Petra Kvitova
Eastbourne - Madison Keys

*2023 WTA FINALS, MOST SURFACES*
2 - Belinda Bencic = Hard,Green Clay
2 - LUCIA BRONZETTI = Red Clay,Grass
2 - DASHA KASATKINA = Hard,Grass
2 - Barbora Krejcikova = Hard,Grass
2 - Petra Kvitova = Hard,Grass
2 - Elena Rybakina = Hard,Red Clay
2 - Aryna Sabalenka = Hard,Red Clay
2 - Iga Swiatek = Hard,Red Clay
2 - Donna Vekic = Hard,Grass

*WTA TITLES ON HARD/CLAY/GRASS (active)*
[w/ diff. clay wins: red/green]
Belinda Bencic, SUI (gc)
Caroline Garcia, FRA (rc)
Simona Halep, ROU (rc)
Angelique Kerber, GER (rc/gc)
Madison Keys, USA (gc)
Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (gc)
Petra Kvitova, CZE (rc)
Sabine Lisicki, GER (gc)
Garbine Muguruza, ESP (rc)
Alona Ostapenko, LAT (rc)
Karolina Pliskova, CZE (rc)
Elena Rybakina, KAZ (rc)
KATERINA SINIAKOVA, CZE (rc)
Venus Williams, USA (rc/gc)
Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (rc/gc)
Vera Zvonareva, RUS (rc)

*2023 WEEKLY BACKSPIN PLAYERS OF THE WEEK*
Week 1: Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
AO Q: Katherine Sebov, CAN
Week 2: Belinda Bencic, SUI
AO: Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Week 5: Alycia Parks, USA
Week 6: Belinda Bencic, SUI
Week 7: Iga Swiatek, POL
Week 8: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
Week 9: Donna Vekic, CRO
IW: Elena Rybakina, KAZ
Miami: Petra Kvitova, CZE
Week 14: Ons Jabeur, TUN
BJK Q MVP: Leylah Fernandez, CAN
BJK Zones MVP: Suzy Lamens/Demi Schuurs, NED
Week 16: Iga Swiatek, POL
Madrid: Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Rome: Elena Rybakina, KAZ
Week 21: Elina Svitolina, UKR
RG Q: Mirra Andreeva, RUS
Roland Garros: Iga Swiatek, POL
Week 24: Ekaterina Alexandrova, RUS
Week 25: Petra Kvitova, CZE
WI Q: Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, ESP
Week 26: Madison Keys, USA

*UNITED STATES - WTA TITLES (active)*
49 - Venus Williams
7 - MADISON KEYS
7 - Sloane Stephens
5 - Sofia Kenin
3 - Alison Riske-Amritraj
2 - Amanda Anisimova
2 - Danielle Collins
2 - Lauren Davis
2 - Coco Gauff
2 - Jessie Pegula
2 - Bernarda Pera
2 - CoCo Vandeweghe
1 - Jennifer Brady
1 - Ann Li
1 - Alycia Parks

*CZECH REPUBLIC - WTA TITLES (active)*
31 - Petra Kvitova (2009-23)
16 - Karolina Pliskova (2013-20)
6 - Barbora Krejcikova (2021-23)
4 - KATERINA SINIAKOVA (2017-23)
2 - Barbora Strycova (2011-17)
1 - Marie Bouzkova (2022)
1 - Linda Fruhvirtova (2022)
1 - Karolina Muchova (2019)
1 - Kristyna Pliskova (2016)
1 - Marketa Vondrousova (2017)

*2023 WTA DOUBLES TITLES*
3 - DESIRAE KRAWCZYK, USA
3 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
3 - Luisa Stefani, BRA
2 - Coco Gauff, USA
2 - Jessie Pegula, USA
2 - DEMI SCHUURS, NED
2 - Katerina Siniakova, CZE
2 - Aldila Sutjiadi, INA
2 - Taylor Townsend, USA
[duos]
2...Gauff/Pegula, USA/USA
2...KRAWCZYK/SCHUURS, USA/NED
2...Krejcikova/Siniakova, CZE/CZE
[2020-23 - individuals]
15 - Katerina Siniakova (1/6/6/2)
12 - Barbora Krejcikova (1/5/3/3)
8 - DESIRAE KRAWCZYK (2/2/1/3)
8 - Elise Mertens (1/4/2/1)
7 - Shuko Aoyama (1/5/0/1)
7 - Hsieh Su-wei (4/2/0/1)
7 - Jessie Pegula (0/0/5/2)
7 - DEMI SCHUURS (2/2/1/2)
7 - Ena Shibahara (1/5/0/1)
7 - Luisa Stefani (1/1/2/3)

*DIEDE DE GROOT vs. IN STREAK*
[108-0, + 1 w/o W]
22 - Yui Kamiji, JPN (+1 w/o)
14 - Kgothatso Montjane, RSA
10 - Aniek Van Koot, NED
9 - Momoko Ohtani, JPN
6 - Angelica Bernal, COL
6 - Dana Mathewson, USA
4 - Jiske Griffioen, NED
4 - Lucy Shuker, GBR
4 - Jordanne Whiley, GBR
3 - Macarena Cabrillana, CHI
3 - Katharina Kruger, GER
3 - Emmanuelle Morch, FRA
2 - Pauline Deroulede, FRA
2 - Viktoriia Lvova, RUS
2 - Cornelia Oosthuizan, GBR
2 - Saki Takamuro, JPN
2 - Manami Tanaka, JPN
2 - Zhu Zhenzhen, CHN
1 - Shelby Baron, USA
1 - Nalani Buob, SUI
1 - Huang Jinlian, CHN
1 - Busra Un, TUR
1 - Britta Wend, GER
1 - Louie Charlotte Willerslev-Olsen, DEN
1 - Wang Ziying, CHN
1 - Maayan Zikri, ISR


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Meanwhile...

Picking Wimbledon is sometimes like putting on a blindfold and playing pin-the-tail-on-the-grasscourter. Often players come out of nowhere, and pre-slam form and results mean little. This year feels like potentially one of those years.

After I did my initial picks, I looked at them and went, "Nope." Too many seeds. Too many high seeds.

So, after rearranging things, I changed about half my QF and ended up with a different winner. I'm fine with her, because she's a legitimate pick and she's not being talked about a *whole* lot because she skipped the pre-SW19 tune-ups on "foreign grass," at least as far as the AELTC is concerned. She has a very good Wimbledon history, but has a tough draw and isn't *assured* of even surviving the 1st Round, though. But, so be it.

I just knew I *wasn't* picking Iga until she proves something at SW19, nor Petra because winning *before* Wimbledon doesn't really mean that much anymore. I liked Rybakina, and picked her to defend the title at first, then pulled away. I've *already* picked Sabalenka (correctly, at least) to win a slam this year, so no on this one. Plus, I *do* wonder whether the memory of her RG semifinal collapse might linger into this tournament (plus, we don't know *what* awaits the returning BLR/RUS players at this thing once the ball, and the London/tennis press, starts rolling).

Things turned out like this...

4th
#1 Swiatek def. #23 Linette
#11 Kasatkina def. #7 Gauff
#15 Samsonova def. Osorio
#20 Vekic def. #32 Bouzkova
#6 Jabeur def. #9 Kvitova
#3 Rybakina def. #13 Haddad Maia
(Q) M.Andreeva def. (Q) Golubic
#16 Muchova def. #2 Sabalenka
QF
#11 Kasatkina def. #1 Swiatek
#20 Vekic def. #15 Samsonova
#3 Rybakina def. #6 Jabeur
#16 Muchova def. (Q) M.Andreeva
SF
#20 Vekic def. #11 Kasatkina
#16 Muchova def. #3 Rybakina
FINAL
#16 Muchova def. #20 Vekic







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FREE WaPo ARTICLE LINK


I've said before that art critic Sebastian Smee's writing is my favorite thing in the Washington Post, and his latest article is another prime example. It's essentially a review of a current art exhibition (called "Trembling Earth") featuring the work of Edvard Munch, but at its heart it's a profile of the artist himself.

It reads like a story that should be made into a movie. There was a Norwegian film made in 1974, but there doesn't seem to have even been an English-language production.

Mother dies of tuberculosis at 5. Sister raises him and encourages his art. Then another sister dies of tuberculosis, and her "demise cut a swath through his future. But he had his art, which bubbled up from a cauldron of morbidity into sinuous vapors of eroticized melodrama." (What a sentence.)

Artistic success followed, as well as a lovers' quarrel that resulted in a gunshot wound, depression, a bout of paranoid psychosis and a nervous breakdown that led to Munch checking himself into a psychiatric hospital for eight months. Later, well after "The Scream," one painting showed a ghostlike woman turning away from a man dressed in black. It would be an image that would recur in several works.



In Munch's "Self Portrait with Palette" (1926, at age 63), there's even a hint of who could play him in a movie. Come on, tell me that doesn't look like Tom Hanks.



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Every person in the photo is fit for their own thought bubble.




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All for now.
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