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Monday, November 6, 2023

Wk.44- Still an Iga World

And to the winner goes an "I Survived the WTA Finals Cancun!" t-shirt in the color of her choice.



And, you know, the season-ending #1 ranking.




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*WEEK 44 CHAMPIONS*
WTA FINALS; Cancun, MEX (Hard Court Outdoor)
S: Iga Swiatek/POL def. Jessie Pegula/USA 6-1/6-0
D: Laura Siegemund/Vera Zvonareva (GER/RUS) def. Nicole Melichar-Martinez/Ellen Perez (USA/AUS) 6-4/6-4
MIDLAND (MI), USA (WTA 125/Hard Court Indoor)
S: Anna Kalinskaya/RUS def. Jana Fett/CRO 7-5/6-4
D: Hailey Baptiste/Whitney Osuigwe (USA/USA) def. Sophie Chang/Ashley Lahey (USA/USA) 2-6/6-2 [10-1]




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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Iga Swiatek/POL
...so the red dress *was* an omen in Cancun. The WTA is *still* an Iga World.

Swiatek was never going to "live up" to her brilliant '22 campaign, and in most instances the Pole's 2023 was just *slightly* less than her performance from last year. Often she looked "human," and beatable by a certain few. On occasional she was predictably bested, and lost her #1 ranking as a result.

But if a great athlete is best judged by how they react to adversity, or a dip (however minimal it may be) in their results, well, then Swiatek more than "lived up" to expectations down this season's final stretch. Much like her title run last year at the U.S. Open, Swiatek has maybe been at her most impressive when she's suddenly found herself pushed into a "corner." Not necessarily in any particular *match*, but over a stretch of time during which she can discover a route around "trouble," masterfully managing her path while gaining momentum toward a bigger overall goal.

Since falling to #2 after the U.S. Open, all she did was go 12-1, ending her WTA season on an 11-match winning streak (winning 22 of 23 sets). After sweeping through round robin play, in a Sunday semifinal she handily won her first hard court face-off with #1 Aryna Sabalenka since last year's WTAF, keeping her season-ending #1 hopes alive, and on Monday she claimed her first WTA Finals title with a dominant 6-1/6-0 win over Jessie Pegula to reclaim the tour's top spot for a second straight year.



Over the course of the event, Swiatek dropped just 20 games, obliterating the record set by Serena Williams (w/ 32) in 2012, as she collected her sixth singles title of the season and the 17th of her WTA career. With all claimed since the start of the 2020 season, Swiatek's total more than doubles the players -- Sabalenka and the retired Ash Barty, both with 8 wins -- who've been crowned champion the second most times this decade.

And yet it still feels like she's just getting started.


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RISER: Jessie Pegula/USA
...everyone struggled through what turned out to be the opening *week* of the WTA Finals, an event beset by poor planning, late construction, bad scheduling, wind, rain, delays, postponements, broken umbrellas and injured reputations (if your three-world organization's name contains words that begin with "W," "T" and "A"). And then there was Jessie Pegula.

Pegula breezed through round robin play, going 3-0 (after being 0-3 in '22) and reaching the semifinals with a match yet to play, recording her third win over a world #1 this season (Aryna Sabalenka), and then coasted through the semifinals (erasing Coco Gauff) without having dropped a set as she improved to 51-0 this season when winning the opening set. She headed off to the final (shifted to Monday) after having posted wins over three of the world's Top 4, with the last remaining (#2 Iga Swiatek) eventually advancing to face her in the championship match. Pegula arrived for "the second week" having already beaten Swiatek twice this season, and riding a 7-match winning streak over Top 10 players.

Of course, that was where the fairy tale ended. Pegula got just one game off Swiatek in the final, for no tour player does momentum quite like the Pole as *that* Iga showed up in the closing stages in Cancun after occasionally having hidden in the shadows over the course of the season.

Pegula still ends her career year at #5, having reached her biggest final, won two titles (one a 1000), reached five of her 10 career tour finals, and even climbed into the doubles #1 ranking (even if *that* aspect of her week led to her losing her position).

A year ago, Sabalenka found herself in a similar situation at the end of the WTAF, having defeated the world's #1, #2 and #3 to reach her biggest career final, only to fall at the final hurdle (to Caroline Garcia). She rode that late surge to a maiden slam title and (for a while) the #1 ranking in '23.

Pegula's 2024 season begins in less than two months.


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VETERAN: Yui Kamiji/JPN
...first, no, she didn't end Diede de Groot's long singles winning streak in the season-ending Wheelchair Masters. But Kamiji didn't go home empty-handed, either.

In fact, Kamiji and Kgothatso Montjane ended de Groot's three-event reign as the Doubles Masters champion (2019 and 2021-22, all three w/ Aniek van Koot) with a 6-2/6-1 victory in the final. With the win, Kamiji won her first season-ending doubles crown since claiming back-to-back titles with Jordanne Whiley in 2013-14. It's Montjane's first Masters title.

Once again, Kamiji ran through the singles round robin and SF draw, as well, running her season record vs. non-de Groot opponents to 49-1 (92-2 the last two seasons). In the final vs. the world #1, for the fourth time in nine meetings in '23, Kamiji claimed the 1st set (ending de Groot's 44-set streak) before losing in three. It's Kamiji's *24th* straight loss to de Groot since defeating the Dutch star in a pre-AO event in January of 2021.

Since the start of the '21 season, 8 of the 11 sets that de Groot has lost came at the hands of Kamiji.


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COMEBACKS: Anna Kalinskaya/RUS and Jana Fett/CRO
...two players putting on late-season runs met for the WTA 125 title in Midland, Michigan, with Kalinskaya coming out on top against Fett in a 7-5/6-4 final.

Kalinskaya, a player constantly beset by injuries that always seem to arrive just as her results are starting to pop, managed to follow up her 125 runner-up result last week in Tampico by doing one better this time around, staging a pair of comebacks to reach the final. In the QF, Hailey Baptiste held triple MP at 6-5, 40/love in the 3rd, only to lose a deciding TB; then in the SF, Alycia Parks served for the match at 6-5 in the 2nd.

24-year old Kalinskaya's title run is the biggest of her career, and she'll climb 38 spots from #77 to finish her second straight season in the Top 100.

Fett reached a $60K SF in Toronto last week, and this week backed it up with the biggest final of her career, knocking off the likes of Rebecca Marino and Emma Navarro to get there. She didn't grab her biggest title since 2015 ($75K), but will jump 47 spots to finish the '23 season at #151. It's her best season-ending ranking since 2017.



Looks like they had as many (more?) fans in attendance for the Midland final than they did for a lot of the matches in Cancun. Hmmm... 2024 WTA Finals Midland???
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FRESH FACE: Coco Gauff/USA
...2023 was the season in which Gauff cleared the high hurdle that was placed before her after she first burst onto the sport's biggest stages as a 15-year old in 2019. So the WTA Finals was something of a "victory lap."

Still, Gauff had some unfinished business in the event after going a combined 0-6 in s/d in her debut a year ago. While she and Jessie Pegula remained stuck in reverse in the doubles, going 0-3 and seeing their co-#1 ranking slip away, Gauff won her first career singles match wins in the event over Ons Jabeur and Marketa Vondrousova (the latter served for the match in the 2nd), though her lone RR loss came when Swiatek once again renewed her career-long mastery of the (still, for a bit longer) teenager.



Gauff's win over the Czech got her (w/ a slight assist from Iga Swiatek in the last RR match, to officially eliminate Jabeur) into the semifinals, where Pegula handled her in straight sets in the lone match on the schedule completed on Saturday (the "eyes-bigger-than-its-stomach" original slate had *wished* to play four and finish another, with up to three of those featuring Gauff).

As it is, Gauff will finish at #3 in both singles and doubles, her best season-ending standing in both.
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DOWN: Coco Gauff/Jessie Pegula (USA/USA) and Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE/CZE)
...while all the arms of the WTA that decided to play the WTA Finals in Cancun in November surely more than earned this dishonor, I'll reserve the actual spot for players and what they did on the court this past week. Or didn't do, in this case.

Gauff/Pegula came into the WTAF as the #1-ranked doubles players in the world. Last year, as the #3 seeds in the event, they went 0-3 in round robin play (and a combined 0-6 in singles, BTW). While they turned around their singles results this time around, they again went 0-3 in doubles, finally having their fate sealed on Sunday afternoon when the final RR match that began on Friday was finally completed with Siegemund/Zvonareva rallying from a set down to win and advance to the semis.

Meanwhile, the only win that Krejcikova/Siniakova notched in Cancun came *against* Gauff/Pegula, as the Czechs also failed to advance out of group play with a 1-2 mark. They'd been 12-4 in their WTAF history prior to this tournament, winning one title and reaching two other finals.

While they still could play a few more matches in '23, as they're scheduled to be part of the Czech squad at the BJK Cup finals in Seville, the future Hall of Fame duo are currently 18-7 on the season, but only after having started the year 11-0.
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ITF PLAYERS: Destanee Aiava/AUS and Ella Seidel/GER
...as the weather begins to turn cool around much of the world (or, you know, hurricane season flexes its muscles), it's springtime Down Under with summer just around the corner in December. So the Aussie challenger circuit is in full force.

In Sydney, in a battle of native daughters, Aiava outlasted Astra Sharma in a 6-3/6-4 final to pick up her third '23 ITF crown and the biggest of her career in the $60K event. She'd previously reached a pair of $60K finals back in 2017-18, losing both.

Even with the loss, Sharma continues her late year surge. She won a WTA 125 crown in September, as well as a $60K title last week. She's gone 15-4 since losing in the opening round of U.S. Open qualifying.



Meanwhile, in Bratislava, 18-year old Seidel added another early career point of success for one of the many NextGen German stars.

After fighting through a trio of three-setters to reach her fifth career ITF final (all in '23), Seidel defeated Russian Sofya Lansere 6-4/7-6(4) to pick up her third and biggest title. Seidel will crack the Top 200 in what will be the official season-ending rankings.

Meanwhile, a few members of the German "OldGen" is still cookin', as well, with Siegemund playing in the WTAF this week and Angelique Kerber returning in January (when she'll celebrate her first birthday as a new mother *and* at 36 will be twice Seidel's age).


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DOUBLES: Laura Siegemund/Vera Zvonareva, GER/RUS
...they were the last team to qualify for the WTA Finals (w/ an eleventh hour title in the final regular season event), and the last team to reach the semifinals (w/ a win in the postponed, delayed and interrupted concluding RR match on Sunday), but Siegemund/Zvonareva ended up being the final duo to lift their arms in victory this 2023 WTA season.

Placed in the WTAF group (of death?) that included the world #1's (Gauff/Pegula), a Career Slam-winning duo (Krejcikova/Siniakova) and the U.S. Open champs (Dabrowski/Routliffe, who defeated them in the final in NYC two months ago), the veterans went 2-1 in RR play and then took out new #1 Storm Hunter and WTAF defending champ Elise Mertens in the semis.

On Monday, in a final that pitted the two pairs who've reached the most tour finals (5) this season, it was Siegemund/Zvonareva who completed their season-ending rush with the title, taking a 6-4/6-4 match over Nicole Melichar-Martinez/Ellen Perez to claim their second straight tour title, fourth this season and seventh as a pair since first teaming up in 2020.



Siegemund, who actually won a tour-best five WD crowns this season (w/ Hobart alongside Kirsten Flipkens), and Zvonareva thus end '23 on a 19-4 run starting with the U.S. Open, and 24-6 beginning with their title run in Washington this summer. Siegemund has 14 career titles and will finish at a career-best #5; Zvonareva gets her 16th and finishes at #9, matching her career-best WD ranking from *2005*.

Meanwhile, Melichar-Martinez & Perez complete a very good season without having won a title, remarkably going 0-5 in finals (NMM went 0-6). They're 1-8 in finals during their partnership over the last two seasons. After dropping their opening RR match, the pair had rallied to win three straight matches to reach the WTAF final.
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WHEELCHAIR: Diede de Groot/NED
...rolling into the offseason, de Groot completed her second straight spotless singles campaign as she ran her winning streak to 127 matches (53-0 in '23) while claiming her sixth consecutive Wheelchair Masters singles crown.

De Groot saw her 44-match set streak end in the final against Yui Kamiji, as the world #2 took the opening set for the fourth time in their nine meetings this season. De Groot rallied to win 1-6/6-1/6-4, defeating Kamiji for a 24th straight time to be crowned the singles champion for the 33rd time in her last 33 events.

De Groot is 131-1 since the start of 2021. Dutch rollers have won 28 of the 29 Wheelchair Masters singles crowns. De Groot's six wins now ranks second, behind what might be the untouchable record of 14 wins by Hall of Famer Esther Vergeer.

De Groot didn't win her fourth straight Doubles Masters title, though. After winning the last three season-ending titles alongside Aniek Van Koot, de Groot (w/ Jiske Griffioen) fell in a 6-2/6-1 final to Kamiji & Kgothatso Montjane.
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1. WTAF Final - Iga Swiatek def. Jessie Pegula
...6-1/6-0. Pegula became the first player since the start of the weekly singles rankings in 1975 to face the #1, #2, #3 and #4 ranked players in the same event, but she didn't then become the first to defeat all four in a tournament as by Monday night she had a good sense of what it felt like to be a player on her family's Buffalo Bills in the 1990s when they'd ride a wave into the Super Bowl only to then be overwhelmed by an NFC "superteam" in the Big Game.

In Cancun, Swiatek was that superteam, securing her second straight year-end #1 while giving up just 20 games all week (a WTAF record).


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2. WTA Finals rr - Aryna Sabalenka def. Elena Rybakina
...6-2/3-6/6-3. This match -- played at Estadio Paradisus (Stadium of Paradise... you can't make this stuff up) -- served as the week's poster child for the WTA's mismanagement, ineptitude and outright disrespect of its own product and athletes, a situation (as usual) saved only by the players themselves in a match with high stakes (with not only a SF berth at stake, but Sabalenka's #1 ranking in the mix, as well) and high drama featuring a pair of recent slam champions. You know, the sort of players and competition that the tour has no idea how to promote, leaving such things to the athletes themselves and/or her sponsors.

Ridiculous conditions -- wind, driving rain -- and far too many stoppages to count on Thursday night (at least half a dozen) pushed the completion of this match to Friday, but only after Rybakina had rallied from a set and a break down to put herself in position to serve for the 2nd set at 5-3. It was then that the weather finally put a stop to things.



A day later (albeit not live on Tennis Channel, naturally, as it chose to feature a regular tour event QF match featuring Djokovic instead), Rybakina served out the 2nd set, but Sabalenka again took an early break lead in the 3rd. She saved a BP at 3-1, then five more as she tried to serve out the win at 5-3. Finally, on her fourth MP of game 9, Sabalenka pushed her way into the semis, becoming the first player in 17 years (Henin '06) to reach at least the SF at all four slams and the season-ending championships in the same season.


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They weren't, per usual.

3. WTAF SF - Iga Swiatek def. Aryna Sabalenka
...6-3/6-2. Maintaining the theme of the week, the players continued to set up big moments but the event and location consistenly thwarted any from truly "hitting big."

This was the third #1-vs.-#2 meeting this season between the same two players, the most on tour in a season since 2013 (when both S.Williams/Sharapova and S.Williams/Azarenka both produced a trio of matches between the top two ranked players in the sport). A year ago, kicking off what turned out to be her push to the #1 ranking, Sabalenka had defeated Swiatek in the WTA Finals Fort Worth semifinals. This was their first meeting on hard court (they split two matches on clay in '23) since that match.

Of course, if Sabalenka/Rybakina was the poster child for the WTA Finals Cancun, this one was the punchline to a week-long (season-long) joke that is WTA (mis-)management, planning and organization. The biggest match of the week was suspended after just three games on Saturday, during which the tournament only completed *one* match. And even that wouldn't have happened had Jessie Pegula not steamrolled through Coco Gauff in the first semi.

Eventually, the tour's social media discontinued posting anything about all the delays, clearly hoping to avoid the continual onslaught of well-earned abuse in the comment threads (no worry, comment sections were still open in the non-rain delay posts).



When things finally started again on Sunday, Swiatek broke to take a 3-1 1st set lead and never let up, transitioning into "Frontrunner Iga" mode, notching her *maiden* career #1 win, and keeping her season-ending #1 hopes alive while dropping Sabalenka to 5-3 since she assumed the #1 spot (while improving to 11-1 in the #2 ranking since the U.S. Open).



With the year-end #1 ranking now out of her control, Sabalenka -- in a situation she's often found herself in all season long -- saw her ranking fate rest in the hands of another. In this case, Jessie Pegula in the final. Well, and Swiatek.

It didn't go well for the Belarusian there, either.
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4. WTAF rr - Elena Rybakina def. Maria Sakkari
...6-0/6-7(4)/7-6(2). After a series of blink-and-you-missed-it matches to open the WTAF, Rybakina and Sakkari finally combined for a good one (even with a love 1st set).

Credit to Sakkari for fighting back to make a match of things, saving a MP and forcing a deciding TB. Yeah, Rybakina then steamrolled (she led 6-0) to record her first career WTAF match win, but since the Greek went 0-3 this year (she slipped into the field with Karolina Muchova's injury withdrawal) after reaching the SF in 2022, this still serves as her highlight of the week.

It was also Rybakina's first and only match win in her WTAF debut.


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5. WTAF rr - Coco Gauff def. Ons Jabeur
...6-0/6-1. Gauff, while she still can, adds another "first U.S. teen to..." feat to her career resume, this time with *Venus* on the other side of the time gap rather than her younger sister.



In case you were wondering, though Serena won her first slam at age 17 in '99, she didn't make her WTA Championships/Finals debut and notch her first win in the event until 2001 (at age 20).
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6. Midland 125 2nd Rd. - Rebecca Marino def. Emiliana Arango
...6-3/6-7(9)/7-5. Marino won the 1st and managed to force a TB in the 2nd after falling behind 5-1. The Canadian held two MP in the breaker but lost it 11-9.

Arango led 5-3 in the 3rd, but Marino than ran off 12-of-13 points to lead 6-5. She then broke the Colombian's serve for the win.
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7. WC Masters rr - Lizzy de Greef/Aniek Van Koot def. Dana Mathewson/Lucy Shuker 6-2/6-3
WC Masters SF - Deide de Groot/Jiske Griffioen def. Lizzy de Greef/Aniek Van Koot 6-3/6-1
...de Greef's week didn't end with any titles, but the 19-year old Dutch roller *did* make her WC Masters debut in doubles (w/ Aniek Van Koot), notching her first win over Dana Mathewson/Lucy Shuker. It was enough (at 1-1) to advance out of round robin play to the semis, where the pair fell to Diede de Groot & Jiske Griffioen.

Though they have yet to meet in singles, de Greef and de Groot have now played twice in doubles, with the world #1 going 2-0 (after winning the initial meeting, with the teenager partnering Anjelica Bernal, in the 1st Round of this year's U.S. Open).
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8. WTAF rr - Iga Swiatek def. Coco Gauff
...6-0/7-5. Since losing to Gauff in the Cincinnati semifinals, sparking the Summer of Coco momentum that was carried through to the U.S. Open title, Swiatek has gone 2-0 in their next two meetings. Her 2 & 3 and love & 5 wins improve her record in their head-to-head to 9-1.

This win -- #65 on the season -- made Iga part of one of the more difficult to answer trivia questions that have involved Swiatek the last few years ("Serena" wasn't the easy, reflexive answer this time around)...


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9. WTAF rr - Jessie Pegula def. Aryna Sabalenka
...6-4/6-3. Pegula's third #1 win of the season (the first two came vs. Swiatek), tying Elena Rybakina for the tour lead.


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10. WTAF rr - Coco Gauff def. Marketa Vondrousova
...5-7/7-6(4)/6-3. Gauff battled her opponent, her own serve (17 DF!) and the hurricane season weather of Cancun, but still managed to get the win that allowed her to advance out of round robin play one year after she went 0-3 in her WTAF debut.

Vondrousova erased Gauff's 5-2 2nd set lead, and served for the match at 6-5 in the 2nd. But Gauff got the break, then forced things to a 3rd set with a 7-4 TB win. She won the decider, then watched Iga Swiatek take the 1st set vs. Ons Jabeur to extend Gauff's singles run.

With Vondrousova's loss, this year's WTAF newcomers (the Czech and Elena Rybakina) went a combined 1-5.
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11. Midland 125 QF - Anna Kalinskaya def. Hailey Baptiste
...7-6(4)/4-6/7-6(5). Kalinskaya's two-week run of success stayed alive as Baptiste failed to serve out the win at 6-5, 40/love in the 3rd. After Kalinskaya saved triple MP, she then rallied from 3-0 down in the deciding TB to get the win, breaking a 5-5 tie by taking the final two points.

Midland 125 SF - Anna Kalinskaya def. Alycia Parks
...3-6/7-6(3)/6-3. Parks failed to serve out the match at 6-5 in the 2nd set, but her week still produced her best singles result on any level since her brilliant maiden tour title run in Lyon in February. She'll climb back into the Top 50 this week and will officially end a WTA season there for the first time.

Kalinskaya took advantage of her second (and third) life in the event and went on to win the title.
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12. WTAF SF - Laura Siegemund/Vera Zvonareva def. Storm Hunter/Elise Mertens
...3-6/6-3 [10-5]. Siegemund/Zvonareva's fall drive pushes them all the way into the tour finals, ending Mertens' bid to repeat at WTAF doubles champion (she won in '22 w/ Veronika Kudermetova).

Even with the loss, the 0-3 round robin mark of #1's Gauff/Pegula allowed Hunter to slip into the #1 ranking for the first time (the 48th different woman to do so in WTA history, and the fifth in '23 alone), where she'll end the season. She's the first season-ending doubles #1 to hail from Australia since Sam Stosur in 2006.


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WTA Finals Cancun in-tournament "talking points"...?

1) "I love Cancun -- the weather's great!" (not to be used when it's raining and/or windy... so you probably won't get much use out of this one)

2) "I want to thank all the fans for coming out to watch us play" (try to avoid pointing out each individual by name, though you likely could)

3) "I've never had a tennis experience like the one I've had here in Cancun this year!" (hey, you wouldn't be lying)

4) "I'm proud to be a part of the WTA!" (hey, where ELSE are you gonna go?)



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Rinaldi strikes...




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*2023 WTA SINGLES TITLES*
6 - IGA SWIATEK = GS,WTAF,1000,500(3),250
4 - Coco Gauff = GS,1000,500,250
3 - Aryna Sabalenka = GS,1000,500
[2023 finals]
8 - IGA SWIATEK, POL (6-2)
6 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (3-3)
5 - JESSIE PEGULA, USA (2-3)
4 - Coco Gauff, USA (4-0)
4 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (2-2)
4 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (2-2)

*2023 WTA TITLES w/o LOSING A SET*
3 - IGA SWIATEK (Doha/Warsaw/WTAF)
2 - Coco Gauff (Auckland/Washington)
1 - Aryna Sabalenka (Adelaide)
1 - Lauren Davis (Hobart)
1 - Ons Jabeur (Charleston)
1 - Katie Boulter (Nottingham)
1 - Beatriz Haddad Maia (Elite)
1 - Petra Kvitova (Berlin)
1 - Madison Keys (Eastbourne)
1 - Elise Mertens (Monastir)
1 - Maria Sakkari (Guadalajara)

*2023 WTA DOUBLES TITLES*
5 - LAURA SIEGEMUND, GER
4 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
4 - VERA ZVONAREVA, RUS
3 - Desirae Krawczyk, USA
3 - Erin Routliffe, NZL
3 - Katerina Siniakova, CZE
3 - Luisa Stefani, BRA
3 - Aldila Sutjiadi, INA
3 - Taylor Townsend, USA
[duos]
4...SIEGEMUND/ZVONAREVA, GER/RUS
3...Krejcikova/Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2...Aoyama/Shibahara, JPN/JPN
2...Dabrowski/Routliffe, CAN/NZL
2...Eikeri/Neel, EST/NOR
2...Gauff/Pegula, USA/USA
2...Hunter/Mertens, AUS/BEL
2...Kato/Sutjiadi, JPN/INA
2...Krawczyk/Schuurs, USA/NED
[2020-23 - individuals]
16 - Katerina Siniakova (1/6/6/3)
13 - Barbora Krejcikova (1/5/3/4)
9 - Elise Mertens (1/4/2/2)
9 - LAURA SIEGEMUND (1/0/3/5)
8 - Shuko Aoyama (1/5/0/2)
8 - Hsieh Su-wei (4/2/0/2)
8 - Desirae Krawczyk (2/2/1/3)
8 - Ena Shibahara (1/5/0/2)
7 - VERA ZVONAREVA (1/0/2/4)
[2020-23 - duos]
12..Krejcikova/Siniakova (1/5/3/3)
8...Aoyama/Shibahara (1/5/0/2)
7...SIEGEMUND/ZVONAREVA (1/0/2/4)
5...Gauff/Pegula (0/0/3/2)
5...Hsieh/Strycova (4/0/-/1)

*2023 WTA DOUBLES FINALS*
7 (5-2) = LAURA SIEGEMUND, GER
6 (0-6) = NICOLE MELICHAR-MARTINEZ, USA
5 (4-1) = VERA ZVONAREVA, RUS
5 (3-2) = Desirae Krawczyk, USA
5 (3-2) = Katerina Siniakova, CZE
5 (3-2) = Taylor Townsend, USA
5 (2-3) = Shuko Aoyama, JPN
5 (2-3) = Storm Hunter, AUS
5 (2-3) = Ena Shibahara, JPN
5 (0-5) = ELLEN PEREZ, AUS
[2023 finals - duos]
5...SIEGEMUND/ZVONAREVA, GER/RUS (4-1)
5...MELICHAR-MARTINEZ/PEREZ, USA/AUS (0-5)
4...Aoyama/Shibahara, JPN/JPN (2-2)
4...Gauff/Pegula, USA/USA (2-2)

*MULTIPLE #1 WINS IN A SEASON - since 2010*
2010 (2) Samantha Stosur
2011 (2) Dominika Cibulkova, Julia Goerges, Vera Zvonareva
2012 (4) Serena Williams
2012 (2) Maria Sharapova
2013 - none w/ 2
2014 (3) - Alize Cornet
2015 - none w/ 2
2016 (2) - Elina Svitolina
2017 (3) - Elina Svitolina, Caroline Wozniacki
2017 (2) - Garbine Muguruza, CoCo Vandeweghe
2018 - none w/ 2
2019 (3) - Belinda Bencic; (2) Sonya Kenin
2020 - none w/ 2
2021 - none w/ 2
2022 - none w/ 2
2023 (3) - Jessie Pegula, Elena Rybakina

*WTA #1 WINS (30) - 2020-23*
4 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ
3 - JESSIE PEGULA, USA
3 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
2 - Coco Gauff, USA
2 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
1 - Paula Badosa, ESP
1 - Jennifer Brady, USA
1 - Danielle Collins, USA
1 - Alize Cornet, FRA
1 - Caroline Garcia, FRA
1 - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA
1 - Sofia Kenin, USA
1 - Madison Keys, USA
1 - Petra Kvitova, CZE
1 - Magda Linette, POL
1 - Karolina Muchova, CZE
1 - Alona Ostapenko, LAT
1 - Shelby Rogers, USA
1 - Sara Sorribes Tormo, ESP
1 - Elina Svitolina, UKR
1 - IGA SWIATEK, POL
[wins-by-nation, 2020-23]
10 - USA
4 - CZE,KAZ
3 - BLR
2 - ESP,FRA, POL
1 - BRA,LAT, UKR
--
LOSSES: 16-Swiatek, 11-Barty, 3-Sabalenka

*CAREER WTA #1 WINS active*
15 - Venus Williams, USA
7 - Elina Svitolina, UKR
6 - Petra Kvitova, CZE
4 - Belinda Bencic, SUI
4 - Alize Cornet, FRA
4 - Garbina Muguruza, ESP
4 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ
4 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
4 - Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
3 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR
3 - Sofia Kenin, USA
3 - JESSIE PEGULA, USA

*RECENT WTA #1 vs. #2 MATCH-UPS*
2014 Brisbane Final - #1 S.Williams d. #2 Azarenka
2014 Miami Final - #1 S.Williams d. #2 Li
2015 Australian Open Final - #1 S.Williams d. #2 Sharapova
2018 Australian Open Final - #2 Wozniacki d. #1 Halep
2019 WTA Finals SF - #1 Barty d. #2 Ka.Pliskova
2023 Stuttgart Final - #1 Swiatek d. #2 Sabalenka
2023 Madrid Final - #2 Sabalenka d. #1 Swiatek
2023 WTA Finals SF - #2 Swiatek d. #1 Sabalenka

*MOST #1 vs. #2 MATCH-UPS IN SEASON, since 2000*
2000 (5) - Davenport vs. Hingis 3-2
2012 (4) - Azarenka vs. Sharapova 2-2
2013 (3) - S.Williams vs. Sharapova 3-0
2013 (3) - Azarenka vs. S.Williams 2-1
2023 (3) - Swiatek vs. Sabalenka 2-1

*TOP 10 WTA SINGLES SEASONS*
[all-time]
19 - Martina Navratilova
16 - Serena Williams
14 - Chris Evert
14 - Venus Williams
13 - Steffi Graf
13 - Monica Seles
11 - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
10 - Lindsay Davenport
10 - Gabriela Sabatini
10 - Maria Sharapova
[active]
14 - Venus Williams
8 - Simona Halep
8 - Petra Kvitova
8 - Caroline Wozniacki
6 - Angelique Kerber
6 - Karolina Pliskova
[2023 season-ending Top 10]
4 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
3 - Ons Jabeur, TUN
3 - Maria Sakkari, GRE
3 - Iga Swiatek, POL
2 - Coco Gauff, USA
2 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
2 - Jessie Pegula, USA
1 - Karolina Muchova, CZE
1 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ
1 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE

*CAREER WTA SINGLES TITLES - ACTIVE*
49 - Venus Williams, USA (most recent title: 2016)
31 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (2023)
30 - Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (2018)
24 - Simona Halep, ROU (2022)
21 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (2020)
17 - IGA SWIATEK, POL (2023)
17 - Elina Svitolina, UKR (2023)
16 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (2020)
14 - Angelique Kerber, GER (2022)
13 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (2023)

*CAREER WTA FINALS - active*
83...Venus Williams
55...Caroline Wozniacki
42...Petra Kvitova
42...Simona Halep
41...Victoria Azarenka
32...Karolina Pliskova
31...Angelique Kerber
30...Vera Zvonareva
24...Aryna Sabalenka
21...IGA SWIATEK
21...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
20...Elina Svitolina

*WTA SEASON-ENDING #1's - w/ finish the following season*
1975 Chris Evert, USA (1)
1976 Chris Evert, USA (1)
1977 Chris Evert, USA (2)
1978 Martina Navratilova, TCH (1)
1979 Martina Navratilova, TCH (3)
1980 Chris Evert-Lloyd, USA (1)
1981 Chris Evert-Lloyd, USA (2)
1982 Martina Navratilova, USA (1)
1983 Martina Navratilova, USA (1)
1984 Martina Navratilova, USA (1)
1985 Martina Navratilova, USA (1)
1986 Martina Navratilova, USA (2)
1987 Steffi Graf, FRG (1)
1988 Steffi Graf, FRG (1)
1989 Steffi Graf, FRG (1)
1990 Steffi Graf, GER (2)
1991 Monica Seles, YUG (1)
1992 Monica Seles, YUG (8)
1993 Steffi Graf, GER (1)
1994 Steffi Graf, GER (1)
1995 (co) Steffi Graf, GER (1) and Monica Seles, USA (2)
1996 Steffi Graf, GER (28 = injury)
1997 Martina Hingis, SUI (2)
1998 Lindsay Davenport, USA (2)
1999 Martina Hingis, SUI (1)
2000 Martina Hingis, SUI (4)
2001 Lindsay Davenport, USA (12 = injury)
2002 Serena Williams, USA (3)
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne, BEL (8)
2004 Lindsay Davenport, USA (1)
2005 Lindsay Davenport, USA (25 = injury)
2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne, BEL (1)
2007 Justine Henin, BEL (retired)
2008 Jelena Jankovic, SRB (8)
2009 Serena Williams, USA (4)
2010 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (1)
2011 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (10)
2012 Victoria Azarenka, BLR (2)
2013 Serena Williams, USA (1)
2014 Serena Williams, USA (1)
2015 Serena Williams, USA (2)
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER (21)
2017 Simona Halep, ROU (1)
2018 Simona Halep, ROU (4)
2019 Ash Barty, AUS (1)
2020 Ash Barty, AUS (1)
2021 Ash Barty, AUS (retired)
2022 Iga Swiatek, POL (1)
2023 Iga Swiatek, POL

*WTA SEASON-ENDING DOUBLES #1's*
1984 Martina Navratilova, USA
1985 Pam Shriver, USA
1986 Martina Navratilova, USA
1987 Martina Navratilova, USA
1988 Martina Navratilova, USA
1989 Martina Navratilova, USA
1990 Helena Sukova, TCH
1991 Jana Novotna, TCH
1992 Helena Sukova, TCH
1993 Gigi Fernandez, USA
1994 Natasha Zvereva, BLR
1995 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, ESP
1996 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, ESP
1997 Natasha Zvereva, BLR
1998 Natasha Zvereva, BLR
1999 Anna Kournikova, RUS
2000 Ai Sugiyama, JPN
2001 Lisa Raymond, USA
2002 Paola Suarez, ARG
2003 Paola Suarez, ARG
2004 Virginia Ruano Pascual, ESP
2005 Cara Black, ZIM
2006 Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur, USA/AUS
2007 Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2008 Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2009 Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2010 Gisela Dulko, ARG
2011 Liezel Huber, USA
2012 Roberta Vinci, ITA
2013 Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2014 Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
2015 Sania Mirza, IND
2016 Sania Mirza, IND
2017 Latisha Chan/Martina Hingis, TPE/SUI
2018 Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
2019 Barbora Strycova, CZE
2020 Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
2021 Katerina Siniakova, CZE
2022 Katerina Siniakova, CZE
2023 Storm Hunter, AUS

=WTA CHAMPIONSHIP/WTAF WS FINALS=
1972 Chris Evert d. Kerry Reid
1973 Chris Evert d.Nancy Richey
1974 Evonne Goolagong d. Chris Evert
1975 Chris Evert d. Martina Navratilova
1976 Evonne Goolagong d. Chris Evert
1977 Chris Evert d. Sue Barker
1978 Martina Navratilova d. Evonne Goolagong
1979 Martina Navratilova d. Tracy Austin
1980 Tracy Austin d. Martina Navratilova
1981 Martina Navratilova d. Andrea Jaeger
1982 Sylvia Hanika d. Martina Navratilova
1983 Martina Navratilova d. Chris Evert-Lloyd
1984 Martina Navratilova d. Chris Evert-Lloyd
1985 Martina Navratilova d. Helena Sukova
1986a Martina Navratilova d. Hana Mandlikova
1986b Martina Navratilova d. Steffi Graf
1987 Steffi Graf d. Gabriela Sabatini
1988 Gabriela Sabatini d. Pam Shriver
1989 Steffi Graf d. Martina Navratilova
1990 Monica Seles d. Gabriela Sabatini
1991 Monica Seles d. Martina Navratilova
1992 Monica Seles d. Martina Navratilova
1993 Steffi Graf d. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1994 Gabriela Sabatini d. Lindsay Davenport
1995 Steffi Graf d. Anke Huber
1996 Steffi Graf d. Martina Hingis
1997 Jana Novotna d. Mary Pierce
1998 Martina Hingis d. Lindsay Davenport
1999 Lindsay Davenport d. Martina Hingis
2000 Martina Hingis d. Monica Seles
2001 Serena Williams w/o Lindsay Davenport
2002 Kim Clijsters d. Serena Williams
2003 Kim Clijsters d. Amelie Mauresmo
2004 Maria Sharapova d. Serena Williams
2005 Amelie Mauresmo d. Mary Pierce
2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne d. Amelie Mauresmo
2007 Justine Henin d. Maria Sharapova
2008 Venus Williams d. Vera Zvonareva
2009 Serena Williams d. Venus Williams
2010 Kim Clijsters d. Caroline Wozniacki
2011 Petra Kvitova d. Victoria Azarenka
2012 Serena Williams d. Maria Sharapova
2013 Serena Williams d. Li Na
2014 Serena Williams d. Simona Halelp
2015 Aga Radwanska d. Petra Kvitova
2016 Dominika Cibulkova d. Angelique Kerber
2017 Caroline Wozniacki d. Venus Williams
2018 Elina Svitolina d. Sloane Stephens
2019 Ash Barty d. Elina Svitolina
2021 Garbine Muguruza d. Anett Kontaveit
2022 Caroline Garcia d. Aryna Sabalenka
2023 Iga Swiatek d. Jessie Pegula

=WTA CHAMPIONSHIP/WTAF WD CHAMPIONS=
1973 Rosie Casals / Margaret Court
1974 Billie Jean King / Rosie Casals
1975 Margaret Court / Virginia Wade
1976 Billie Jean King / Betty Stove
1977 Martina Navratilova / Betty Stove
1978 Billie Jean King / Martina Navratilova
1979 Francoise Durr / Betty Stove
1980 Billie Jean King / Martina Navratilova
1981 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1982 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1983 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1984 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1985 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1986a Hana Mandlikova / Wendy Turnbull
1986b Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1987 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1988 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1989 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1990 Kathy Jordan / Liz Smylie
1991 Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver
1992 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario / Helena Sukova
1993 Gigi Fernandez / Natalia Zvereva
1994 Gigi Fernandez / Natalia Zvereva
1995 Jana Novotna / Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1996 Lindsay Davenport / Mary Joe Fernandez
1997 Lindsay Davenport / Jana Novotna
1998 Lindsay Davenport / Natasha Zvereva
1999 Martina Hingis / Anna Kournikova
2000 Martina Hingis / Anna Kournikova
2001 Lisa Raymond / Rennae Stubbs
2002 Elena Dementieva / Janette Husarova
2003 Virginia Ruano-Pascual / Paola Suarez
2004 Nadia Petrova / Meghann Shaughnessy
2005 Lisa Raymond / Samantha Stosur
2006 Lisa Raymond / Samantha Stosur
2007 Cara Black / Liezel Huber
2008 Cara Black / Liezel Huber
2009 Nuria Llagostera-Vives / Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez
2010 Gisela Dulko / Flavia Pennetta
2011 Liezel Huber / Lisa Raymond
2012 Maria Kirilenko / Nadia Petrova
2013 Hsieh Su-Wei / Peng Shuai
2014 Cara Black / Sania Mirza
2015 Martina Hingis / Sania Mirza
2016 Ekaterina Makarova / Elena Vesnina
2017 Timea Babos / Andrea Hlavackova
2018 Timea Babos / Kristina Mladenovic
2019 Timea Babos / Kristina Mladenovic
2021 Barbora Krejcikova / Katerina Siniakova
2022 Veronika Kudermetova / Elise Mertens
2023 Laura Siegemund / Vera Zvonareva

*2023 WTAF FIELD - CAREER W/L*
#1 Sabalenka (6-6)
#2 Swiatek (10-3)
#3 Gauff (2-5)
#4 Rybakina (1-2)
#5 Pegula (4-4)
#6 Jabeur (2-4)
#7 Vondrousova (0-3)
DNP - Muchova (DNP)
#8 Sakkari (5-6)

*WHEELCHAIR TENNIS MASTERS CHAMPIONS*
[singles]
1994 Monique Kalkman, NED
1995 Monique Kalkman, NED
1996 Chantal Vandierendonck, NED
1997 Maaike Smit, NED
1998 Esther Vergeer, NED
1999 Esther Vergeer, NED
2000 Esther Vergeer, NED
2001 Esther Vergeer, NED
2002 Esther Vergeer, NED
2003 Esther Vergeer, NED
2004 Esther Vergeer, NED
2005 Esther Vergeer, NED
2006 Esther Vergeer, NED
2007 Esther Vergeer, NED
2008 Esther Vergeer, NED
2009 Esther Vergeer, NED
2010 Esther Vergeer, NED
2011 Esther Vergeer, NED
2012 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2013 Yui Kamiji, JPN
2014 Aniek Van Koot, NED
2015 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2016 Jiske Griffioen, NED
2017 Diede de Groot, NED
2018 Diede de Groot, NED
2019 Diede de Groot, NED
2020 DNP
2021 Diede de Groot, NED
2022 Diede de Groot, NED
2023 Diede de Groot, NED
[doubles]
2000 Daniela di Toro/Maaike Smit (AUS/NED)
2001 Maaike Smit/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2002 Maaike Smit/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2003 Maaike Smit/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2004 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2005 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2006 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2007 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2008 Jiske Griffioen/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2009 Korie Homan/Esther Vergeer (NED/NED)
2010 Aniek Van Koot/Sharon Walraven (NED/NED)
2011 Esther Vergeer/Sharon Walraven (NED/NED)
2012 Jiske Griffioen/Aniek van Koot (NED/NED)
2013 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley (JPN/GBR)
2014 Yui Kamiji/Jordanne Whiley (JPN/GBR)
2015 Jiske Griffioen/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2016 Diede de Groot/Lucy Shuker (NED/GBR)
2017 Marjolein Buis/Diede de Groot (NED/NED)
2018 Marjolein Buis/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2019 Diede de Groot/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2020 DNP
2021 Diede de Groot/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2022 Diede de Groot/Aniek Van Koot (NED/NED)
2023 Yui Kamiji/Kgothatso Montjane (JPN/RSA)






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I believe these dumbasses are from the same group that were throwing puzzle pieces around Wimbledon and glueing their feet to the floor at the U.S. Open...




I suppose congratulations are in order? You know, for continuing to ignore the chatter and charging forward with actions that turn still *more* people against their cause by making the stupidity of their protesters the *only* story that emerges from their antics.

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*Another* fellow Shepherd alum makes good...




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All for now.
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