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Sunday, September 3, 2023

US.7- Coco's Summer Work Project Plays On


"Comeback Caro" has had its final show in New York (for now), while the successful run of "Project Coco" continues to draw crowds.




Coming into this U.S. Open, the prevailing story in women's tennis this hardcourt summer was centered around the rise of Coco Gauff. Still just 19, with a recent coaching change acting like rocket fuel to her game's development, Gauff won a pair of titles in Washington and Cincinnati, the latter the biggest of her career, a run that included her first win in eight tries over #1 Iga Swiatek. As a result, Gauff arrived in New York as a legitimate "co-favorite" along with the likes of defending champ Swiatek, AO winner Aryna Sabalenka and whichever from the other top tier players turned out to be physically sound enough to consistently play a top-level brand of tennis at the end of a long summer.

But on the other side of the net from the #6 seed today was a player who was threatening to steal this slam's top storyline out from under Gauff. 33-year old wild card Caroline Wozniacki, who made her U.S. Open debut back in 2007 (Coco was 3, as in years old), returned this summer after a three and a half year retirement during which she had two children. While the Dane had been fairly quiet in the lead-up to her first slam since before the pandemic ('20 AO), Wozniacki's 2nd Round win over #11 Petra Kvitova changed all that. Her follow-up, a wearing down of fellow comebacker Jennifer Brady, only added more momentum behind the notion that Wozniacki *could* be following in the footsteps of another blond mom who returned from retirement, came to New York, and walked off with a title (back in 2009).

But any true Wozniacki second week run would need an even bigger moment than the ones she'd already produced through the first three rounds. A Round of 16 upset of Gauff would surely fit the bill.

What occurred was a match between players who often mirrored each other with their defensive skills, as well as an itch to take a chance when it benefited them the most.

Gauff opened the match by dropping her serve in the first game. But after losing the 1st set in two of her previous three matches at this Open, the teenager quickly seized control of the set to avoid such a scenario this time around. Not waiting around for her game to kick in later, Gauff got the break back soon afterward. When she broke Wozniacki to take a 5-3 lead, she'd won eight straight points. She served out the 1st set at 6-3.

But one should have expected Wozniacki to course-correct in the 2nd, which of course she did.

In game 2, sprinting from behind the baseline to reach a short ball and fire a forehand passing shot, Wozniacki had her first BPs (at 15/40) since her opening game break. Gauff saved both and held serve, but Wozniacki continued to take more chances, knowing that it was likely her only path to victory. It was still a struggle to get at Gauff's game, as she saved two more BP in game 4. Finally, two games later, a Gauff DF opened another door, giving Wozniacki another 15/40 lead. The Dane's crosscourt backhand pass from well behind the baseline thudded off a stretching Gauff's racket, giving Wozniacki the break lead at 5-3. She served out the set, knotting the match.

After exchanging breaks in the first two games of the 3rd, in game 4, Gauff's defense kept a rally alive until a Wozniacki unforced error ended it. She broke to take a 3-1 lead. A game later, Wozniacki took a love/30 lead and seemed on her way to leveling the set, but it was at this moment that the Ashe lights were turned on as the encroaching late afternoon darkness suddenly disappeared, providing far better visibility for the remainder of Gauff's service game. Still, Gauff DF'd and handed Wozniacki a BP chance, but saved it with more sideline to sideline defense and ultimately got the hold to lead 4-1. During the changeover, Wozniacki (quite correctly) noted to the chair umpire how "ridiculous" it was that the lights were turned on at that particular moment, which turned out to be a fairly key point of the match.

But, by now, Gauff was rolling and wasn't to be turned back. She broke the Dane to lead 5-1, then took a 40/love lead in game 7. On her second MP, Gauff bounded into the Open QF for a second straight year, winning her ninth straight match and improving to 15-1 this hardcourt "Summer of Coco" with a 6-3/3-6/6-1 lead.



While Wozniacki proved in her third tournament back from retirement that she's going to soon be a factor (she'll now be ranked inside the Top 250, after starting this Open at #623), though as in her previous run she'll always be in danger of being out-hit by opponents with more firepower (so the aggressive game play will have to become a far more regular tactic), Gauff now finds herself just three *wins* from claiming her maiden slam title.

But it's the WTA... there are surely a few twists and turns, and maybe another turn or twist, that would have to happen before such a thing could ever become a reality.

Would we have it any other way?




=DAY 7 NOTES=
...in the opening Round of 16 match of Labor Day Sunday in New York, #10 Karolina Muchova struggled to put away first-time slam second-weeker Wang Xinyu, but after being forced to a 3rd set the Roland Garros finalist put her shaky game away and rounded back into form, keeping her name alive in the crowded "quest pool" (Sabalenka seeking #1, Jabeur and Gauff seeking a maiden slam, etc.) for this U.S. Open as we head into its latter stages.



Muchova's 6-3/5-7/6-1 win improves her '23 mark in slams to 11-3 (a feast-or-famine journey that has produced a 2r-RU-1r-QF+ result line so far). She's 5-1 in career 4th Round appearances in majors, and today's win completed her "Career QF Slam" in her 19th slam MD. The Czech finished off her full set of Round of 16s earlier this year in Paris (in MD #17).

Asked in one of this tournament's increasingly inane post-match interviews (I guess it depends on who is holding the microphone) what song she'd choose to play on the guitar (What's your favorite color, Karolina? Do you like poodles? What about pineapple on your pizza?), Muchova could only think of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell." Well, that was at least *something*, I guess. If anyone has a sense of anything, they'll play that as her intro song for her next match.



...in the other daytime 4th Round match, #30 Sorana Cirstea wrapped up a little unfinished business.



The 33-year old Romanian became the oldest first-time U.S. Open quarterfinalist with a 6-3/6-3 win over #15 Belinda Bencic, finally picking up her second slam QF result fourteen years after her first ('09 RG). Her Paris run had come in Cirstea's sixth career slam MD. This is her 59th.

...in junior play on Sunday, #6 seed Mayu Crossley withdrew, while #15 Rebecca Munk Mortensen was sent out by, naturally, a Crusher. Nikola Bartunkova, to be specific. #1 Renata Jamrichova won 6-1/6-1, depriving us at this Open of the continued presence in the singles draw of fabulously-named Aussie Maya Joint.

Spanish #16 seed Charo Esquiva Banuls (she really should just go by "Charo," though) remains, as does Bannerette wild card Akasha Urhobo. Both got wins today. Of course, so did British qualifier Mika Stojsavljevic (now that'll be a good one to memorize if it comes to that... she's the new Tessah Andrianjafitrimo, who has never really done enough as a pro to have made the memorization effort of a few years ago quite worth it).

...the wheelchair draw is out. The 16-player field is, of course, topped by #1 Diede de Groot as she seeks to win her 6th straight U.S. Open (and 12th consecutive slam singles crown). She enters on a 118-match winning streak, and opens vs. Pastry Pauline Deroulede.

Momoko Ohtani (#4) is the seed in de Groot's half of the draw, while #2 Yui Kamiji (1st Rd. vs. the only Bannerette, Dana Mathewson) and #3 Jiske Griffioen lead the bottom half. One interesting 1st Round match-up features an all-NED contest between veteran Aniek Van Koot and "the next Dutch roller to watch" in Lizzy de Greef, a 19-year former junior star making her slam debut.

A can remember talking about de Groot in this space ahead of her slam debut in 2017, and we've seen how that's turned out. The Dutch machine churns them out at an alarming rate, so this could be the beginning of another successful wheelchair tale.

...on the ITF circuit, Romanian Andreea Mitu claimed the Prague $60K, defeating 17-year old Czech Sara Bejlek in a 7-6(1)/2-6/6-3 final. In Collonge-Bellerive (SUI), Pastry Chloe Paquet won the week's other $60K, defeating Italy's Lucrezia Stefanini, 6-2/6-1.

Of course, the Crushers didn't go home empty this weekend, as Brenda Fruhvirtova defeated NED's Anouk Koevermans, 7-5/6-2, to win a $40K in Oldenzaal, Netherlands. The 16-year old is now 12-0 in career ITF finals.



...in the night session, the world #1 and defending champ finally finds her way to an Ashe court match under the lights, and she'll get the "Tilt-a-Penko" experience vs. #20 Alona Ostapenko.

Iga Swiatek is 0-3 in her career vs. the Latvian, who has not-unexpectedly been up, down and all around on the scoreboard (and elsewhere) through the first week en route to her first U.S. Open Round of 16 (which completes her career slam set, in MD #31).

While Ostapenko has dropped 36 games and gone three sets in three straight rounds, Swiatek has won all nine sets and lost just eight games. What will happen if Ostapenko truly threatens, and Swiatek doesn't have a confident memory from their history to keep her centered? Will we see that look of "panic" on her face for the first time at this Open, opening the door for Iga to problem-solve her way past Alona for the first time (granted, Ostapenko's own racket would play a big role in that, too), shutting down the blasted amusement park contraption for the safety of all involved, or will there be a trace of Thunder echoing over Corona Park by the end of the night?

Stay tuned.





*WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Iga Swiatek/POL vs. #20 Alona Ostapenko/LAT
#6 Coco Gauff/USA def. (WC) Caroline Wozniacki/DEN
#30 Sorana Cirstea/ROU def. #15 Belinda Bencic/SUI
#10 Karolina Muchova/CZE def. Wang Xinyu/CHN
Peyton Stearns/USA vs. #9 Marketa Vondrousova/CZE
#17 Madison Keys/USA vs. #3 Jessie Pegula/USA
#5 Ons Jabeur/TUN vs. #23 Zheng Qinwen/CHN
#13 Dasha Kasatkina/RUS vs. #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
x vs. #6 Fernandez/Townsend (CAN/USA)
x vs. #8 Hsieh Su-wei/Wang Xinyu (TPE/CHN)
#12 Siegemund/Zvonareva (GER/RUS) vs. x
x vs. (PR) Brady/Stefani (USA/BRA)

*MIXED DOUBLES QF*
#1 Pegula/Krajicek (USA/USA) vs. #5 Perez/Rojer (AUS/NED)
Townsend/Shelton (USA/USA) vs. #7 Schuurs/Nys (NED/MON)
Strycova/S.Gonzalez (CZE/MEX) vs. Shibahara/Pavic (JPN/CRO)
Danilina/Heliovaara (KAZ/FIN) vs. Xu Yifan/Vliegen (CHN/BEL)

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S 1st ROUND*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. Pauline Deroulede/FRA
Lucy Shuker/GBR vs. Manami Tanaka/JPN
#4 Momoko Ohtani/JPN vs. Zhu Zhenzhen/CHN
Kgothatso Montjane/RSA vs. Maria Florencia Moreno/ARG
Aniek Van Koot/NED vs. Lizzy de Greef/NED
Shiori Funamizu/JPN vs. #3 Jiske Griffioen/NED
Angelica Bernal/COL vs. Katharina Kruger/GER
Dana Mathewson/USA vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN





...I'VE KIND OF IGNORED ALONA A BIT DURING THIS OPEN... ON DAY 7:

Maybe I take her... *her-ness*... for granted? To make up a bit, here's a thumbnail sketch of her U.S. Open journey heading into her match vs. Iga...




...AS THE MILLMAN TURNS... ON DAY 7:



Earlier this year, John Millman was rightly saying how ridiculous the media reaction was to "unknown" men's players who were actually Top 20 or 30-ranked players in the world (apparently not knowing that that's something which has happend to Top *10* women's players for years). During Wimbledon, he'd advanced to being angered by how Vondrousova was being portrayed as a "random nobody who has scammed her way to the final," noting that she'd won a tour title at age 17 and was in a slam final at 19 before injuries slowed her down.

Now this. The learning curve is real.

By 2024 he'll have *fully* recognized -- and no longer be surprised -- that 99.9% of the women's tour couldn't give two hoots or a holler (is that a thing?) about *anyone* else on tour unless doing so benefits them *personally*, makes them look like a humanitarian (which will then benefit them), or it's happening to a select handful of fellow players they call "best friends." Otherwise... pfffttt!

A belated welcome to The Club, mate!


...LATE DAY 6 TIP-IN... ON DAY 7:




...IS IS JUST ME?... ON DAY 7:

Or do Pegula and Keys almost look like twins in these photos?





...EVER WONDER WHY "SERENA" SEEMS TO TREND AT WEIRD TIMES? ON DAY 7:

Things like this...





...PAY NO ATTENTION TO THIS TWEET/POST... ON DAY 7:

But it's here to just highlight a photo of quite possibly the two ugliest helmets in the 32-team NFL, in a single photo. The Titans should have never gone away from the white helmet, and I still say the Commanders' helmets look like the beta version in a process that would eventually come up with a *better* design. (Both uniforms are in the bottom-quarter of the league, too.)





















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**2023 OLDEST SLAM QF**
33 - Victoria Azarenka (AO)
33 - SORANA CIRSTEA (US)
31 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RG)
30 - Magda Linette (AO)
30 - Karolina Pliskova (AO)

**"CAREER SLAM" FEATS IN 2020s**
=QF=
2021 WI - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (36th)
2022 AO - Kaia Kanepi, EST (53rd)
2023 RG - Ons Jabeur, TUN (24th)
2023 RG - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (21st)
2023 WI - Jessie Pegula, USA (19th)
2023 WI - Iga Swiatek, POL (18th)
2023 US - Karolina Muchova, CZE (19th)

**FEWEST MD TO "CAREER QF SLAM" - active**
6 - Venus Williams - 1998 WI
16 - Svetlana Kuznetsova - 2006 RG
18 - Iga Swiatek - 2023 WI
19 - Karolina Muchova - 2023 US
19 - Jessie Pegula - 2023 WI
21 - Aryna Sabalenka - 2023 RG
22 - Simona Halep - 2015 US
23 - Madison Keys - 2018 RG
24 - Ons Jabeur - 2023 RG
25 - Sloane Stephens - 2018 RG
28 - Victoria Azarenka - 2012 US
29 - Elina Svitolina - 2019 US
30 - Petra Kvitova - 2015 US
31 - Vera Zvonareva - 2010 US
33 Angelique Kerber - 2016 AO
36 - Karolina Pliskova - 2021 WI
37 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - 2017 AO
53 - Kaia Kanepi - 2022 AO

*BEST 2023 SLAM RESULTS*
[wild cards]
WI SF - Elina Svitolina, UKR
US 4th Rd. - Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
WI 3rd Rd. - Katie Boulter, GBR
AO 2nd Rd. - Kimberly Birrell, AUS
AO 2nd Rd. - Olivia Gadecki, AUS
AO 2nd Rd. - Taylor Townsend, USA
RG 2nd Rd. - Leolia Jeanjean, FRA
RG 2nd Rd. - Emma Navarro, USA
RG 2nd Rd. - Diane Parry, FRA
WI 2nd Rd. - Jodie Burrage, GBR

**BACKSPIN 2023 DOUBLES PLAYER-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN (pre-AO): Taylor Townsend, USA
AO: Krejcikova/Siniakova, CZE/CZE
FEB: V.Kudermetova/Samsonova, RUS/RUS
MAR: Krejcikova/Siniakova, CZE/CZE
1Q...KREJCIKOVA/SINIAKOVA
APR: Krawczyk/Schuurs, USA/NED
MAY: Hunter/Mertens, AUS/BEL
RG: Hsieh/Wang Xinyu, TPE/CHN
2Q Clay Court...GAUFF/PEGULA, USA/USA
JUN: Krawczyk/Schuurs, USA/NED
WI: Lyudmyla Kichenok, UKR
2Q Grass Court...HSIEH/STRYCOVA, TPE/CZE
JUL: Watson/Wickmayer, GBR/BEL
AUG (pre-U.S.): Aoyama/Shibahara, JPN/JPN
[2023 Weekly DOUBLES Award Wins]
4 - Gauff/Pegula, USA/USA
3 - Aoyama/Shibahara, JPN/JPN
2 - Hunter/Mertens, AUS/BEL
2 - Krawczyk/Schuurs, USA/NED
2 - Krejcikova/Siniakova, CZE/CZE

**BACKSPIN 2023 TEAM-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN (pre-AO): USA (United Cup)
AO: Stefani/Matos, BRA/BRA (MX)
APR: CZE (BJK Cup Qualifiers)
MAY: NED (World Team WC Cup) and North Carolina (NCAA)
RG: Kato/Puetz, JPN/GER (MX)
JUL: Clijsters/Hingis, BEL/SUI (WI Invitational)
WI: L.Kichenok/Pavic, UKR/CRO (MX)
JUL: Vekic/Coric, CRO/CRO (Hopman Cup)
AUG (pre-U.S.): CZE JR. 14u



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Die Hard
The Fugitive
GoodFellas
Jaws
Pulp Fiction
Rear Window
The Shining
Star Wars
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Couldn't really think of a comedy. Maybe...

National Lampoon's Vacation


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TOP QUALIFIER: #15 Wang Yafan/CHN
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #6 Coco Gauff/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2 - Elsa Jacquemot/FRA def. #2 Diana Shnaider/RUS 6-7(5)/7-5/6-3 - down 7-6/5-3, saved 7 MP in 2nd set (trailed 5-4, 40/love)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - #32 Elise Mertens/BEL def. Mirjam Bjorklund/SWE 3-6/6-3/7-6(10-3) - down 3 MP at 4-5, love/40 in 3rd, won 4 con. pts to hold; wins TB 10-3
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #10 Karolina Muchova/CZE (def. WC Hunter)
FIRST SEED OUT: #8 Maria Sakkari/GRE (1r- lost to Masarova/ESP)
FIRST CAREER SLAM MD WINS: Eva Lys/GER, Lily Miyazaki/GBR
PROTECTED RANKING MD WINS: Jennifer Brady/USA (3rd Rd.); Dasha Saville/AUS (2nd Rd.), Patricia Maria Tig/ROU (2nd Rd.)
LUCKY LOSER MD WINS: Yanina Wickmayer/BEL (2nd Rd.)
UPSET QUEENS: United States
REVELATION LADIES: China
NATION OF POOR SOULS: France (1-6 in 1st; 9 of FRA Top 10 out Q/1r)
CRASH & BURN: #8 Maria Sakkari/GRE (3 consecutive slam 1st Rd. losses)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEW YORK: #32 Elise Mertens/BEL (5 MP saved 1r/2r; 4-5, love/40 in 3rd vs. Bjorklund/SWE 1r; 2 MP 2nd set TB vs. Collins/USA 2r)
IT ("??"): x
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: x
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Kaja Juvan/SLO, Greet Minnen/BEL (3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Caroline Wozniacki/DEN
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: In 4r: Gauff(W), Keys, Pegula, Stearns
COMEBACK: Caroline Wozniacki/DEN
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Cirstea, Strycova
DOUBLES STAR: x
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Peyton Stearns/USA
BROADWAY-BOUND: Nominees: "Project Coco," "Jabeurwocky"
LADY OF THE EVENING: Nominees: Gauff, Wozniacki
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x







All for Day 7. More tomorrow.
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