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Sunday, April 21, 2024

Wk.16- Queen of the Road

Elena's a woman of means by no means... Queen of the road.






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*WEEK 16 CHAMPIONS*
STUTTGART, GERMANY (WTA 500/Red Clay Indoor)
S: Elena Rybakina/KAZ def. Marta Kostyuk/UKR 6-2/6-2
D: Chan Hao-ching/Veronika Kudermetova (TPE/RUS) def. Ulrikke Eikeri/Ingrid Neel (NOR/EST) 4-6/6-3 [10-2]
ROUEN, FRANCE (WTA 250/Red Clay Indoor)
S: Sloane Stephens/USA def. Magda Linette/POL 6-1/2-6/6-2
D: Timea Babos/Irina Khromacheva (HUN/RUS) def. Naiktha Bains/Maia Lumsden (GBR/GBR) 6-3/6-4
OEIRAS, PORTUGAL (WTA 125/Red Clay Outdoor)
S: Suzan Lamens/NED def. Clara Tauson/DEN 6-4/5-7/6-4
D: Francisca Jorge/Matilde Jorge (POR/POR) def. Harriet Dart/Kristina Mladenovic (GBR/FRA) 6-0/6-4




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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Elena Rybakina/KAZ
...though she played three straight three-setters on her way to the final (her fifth of the year, earlier in the season than anyone since Vika in 2012) and notched another #1 win (her fifth, behind only Venus, Svitolina and Petra amongst active players), it felt a bit like a "no sweat" sort of week for Rybakina in Stuttgart.

Veronika Kudermetova, Jasmine Paolini and Iga Swiatek all pushed the Kazakh to three sets after Rybakina had claimed the 1st, but she was the picture of button-down precision down the stretch vs. all three, including while getting her fourth win in her last five meetings vs. the world #1. Only this time she took down the Pole -- who employed (shocker!) the same game plan she used in her other losses -- in an event in which she'd never lost.

Hmmm, does this mean it could happen in Paris, too?

But before that we have to note that Rybakina, 5-0 in '24 semis but at times experiencing some difficulty in finishing off great weeks with titles (going 6-11 since the start of her breakout run in early '20, and dropping her last two this year), never really stressed her 2 & 2 win over Marta Kostyuk in *this* final to pick up career title #8.

15-2 on clay the last two seasons, with two wins over Iga (who's 21-1 vs. everyone else), Rybakina has proven capable vs. *anyone* on *any* surface the last few seasons. Maybe the only surface she's yet to conquer is asphalt.



Since...


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RISERS: Marta Kostyuk/UKR and Marketa Vondrousova/CZE
...what a couple of seasons ago felt like the "inevitable" rise of Kostyuk truly seems *this* close to becoming a reality in 2024. Though the 21-year old Ukrainian didn't win the title in Stuttgart, her week was surely one of the best we'll see all year when it comes to a player *not* walking off with the big(ger) trophy.



Kostyuk had twice failed to serve out the match in the 2nd set of her 1st Round encounter with Laura Siegemund, but ultimately won in 3:09. The resilence proved to be her "norm" for the week. Against Zheng Qinwen she saved 5 MP, and against Coco Gauff she rallied from a set down, a break down twice in the 2nd, 3-1 in the 3rd (Gauff served for the match) and didn't let squandering seven MP get in the way of her finally winning on #8. A third straight Top 10 win came vs. Marketa Vondrousova in the semis as Kostyuk reached her second 500 final this season (w/ San Diego) to go along with a SF in Indian Wells.



Though she did anything but fold, Kostyuk was never really able to find a way into the match in the final vs. Elena Rybakina, but she'll be on the cusp of her Top 20 breakthrough (at #23) on Monday.

Vondrousova went out by the hand of Kostyuk in the Stuttgart semis, but it was a nice run considering the Czech had arrived having played just two matches since Dubai. She ran off wins over Donna Vekic, Anastasia Potapova and Aryna Sabalenka, ending the world #2's three-year run of finals in the event (and ending her four-match winning streak vs. Vondrousova, defeating her for first time since 2018) as she swept the final three games of the 3rd to collect her first Top 10 win since her title run at Wimbledon last summer, reaching her first semi since SW19.



If this week means that Vondrousova is *back* for this spring/summer, top players are hereby advised to watch their back.
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SURPRISES: Suzan Lamens/NED and the Jorge sisters (POR)
...Lamens might think about moving to Oeiras full (or at least part) time, because the city seems to be pretty good to her.

After a sterling week in Portugal for BJK Cup play, where she led the Netherlands to the Playoffs this fall, she stayed around for the 125 event this week. By the end of the second week in town, she stood at 9-0 in singles (14-1 w/ doubles) and her biggest career title in hand.

Wins over Emiliana Arango, Julia Avdeeva, Aliona Falei and Kristina Mladenovic (by a very odd 4-6/6-0/6-0 scoreline... a match which would have nothing on the final) to get within one win of the crown. In the final vs. Clara Tauson, Lamens lost a 6-4/5-0 (and 3 MP) lead, fell behind 4-1 to the Dane in the 3rd, but then battled back to sweep the final five games to get the title.



The 24-year old Dutch woman, who started the year at #211, will climb another 29 spots on Monday to a new career high of #134.

Also in Oeiras, the homegrown Jorge sisters proved to be unexpected stars.



First, both progressed through the singles draw. Francisca (24, #190... she took Ostapenko to three sets in BJK last week) defeated Anastasia Zakharova and Renata Zarazua, while Matilde (20, #556) knocked off Harriet Dart (her first Top 100) win. Both reached the QF, one round from facing each other for a berth in the final. Well, at least until Francisca lost to top seed Bernarda Pera, and Matilde fell to Clara Tauson.

Ah, but their story didn't end there. There was still doubles to play!

Having played in 29 ITF finals together since 2021, winning 14 (though going 1-5 back to last fall, and being 0-3 in '24), the duo played into their biggest final ever this week, defeating the #4 (Barnett/Christie) and #1 (Kolodziejova/Siskova) seeds en route, then taking out #2 Dart/Mladenovic in a 6-0/6-4 final to claim their greatest prize to date in their nation's biggest women's event.


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VETERAN: Sloane Stephens/USA
...the WTA tour is always a better place when Sloane Stephens is winning. So this was a good week.

Any Stephens surge can no longer count as a "Future Sloane" sighting, as the now 31-year old's greatest career moments are now long enough ago (7 years? Eek.) that they qualify as being "Past Sloane." So consider her week in Rouen a nice reminder of "Peak Sloane," as she dropped the opening set of a 1st Rounder to Peyton Stearns and then promply ripped off the next nine (def. Karolina Pliskova, Yuan Yue and Caroline Garcia in straights), reaching her 11th tour final and winning the 1st set there vs. Magda Linette.

The Polish vet forced a 3rd, and Stephens finally put her away to win 6-1/2-6/6-2. Her run had already produced Stephens' first SF since last May (just her second SF in 47 events!), and career title #8 is her first since taking Guadalajara in February 2022.

One could sense all the way back in Week 2 that there might be something to Stephens in 2024, when she lost in her 1st Round match to Yuan in Hobart. Yuan had led 4-1 in the 3rd, but Stephens flipped the switch and found herself serving at 6-5. She got within two points of the win three times in game 12, but Yuan ultimately forced a TB. Stephens led 5-4 there, but Yuan swept the final three points. As I noted then, it was a *good* sign for Sloane because "she was mighty PO'd at blowing those leads" after Yuan converted MP. Her first three losses of the season came in three-setters, further proof that she was again -- win or lose -- ready, willing and able to go the distance.

When Yuan came around again this week, Stephens won 2 & 2, and was the champion two rounds later.

Stephens will climb to #33 on Monday, and looks on target for a seed at Roland Garros. That hasn't happened at a major since the 2020 Roland Garros.


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COMEBACKS: Gabriela Ruse/ROU and Kristina Mladenovic/FRA & Timea Babos/HUN
...Ruse's season was put on pause in January when she missed a month and a half due to injury after an opening week qualifying run in Auckland.

The Romanian had her best week of the (still) young season in Rouen, qualifying and getting MD wins (her first at tour-level in '24) over Nao Hibino (off her big BJK weekend) and Clara Burel before falling to Caroline Garcia, in the fifth QF of Ruse's WTA career.

Ruse reached a pair of WTA finals in 2021 (going 1-1), and was RU in Cluj last October. The 26-year old, who's ranked as high as #51 (2022), will climb back into the Top 140 on Monday.



Mladenovic and Babos, great friends who have shared much success in doubles in the past, didn't reunite this week, but both posted resurgent results about 1180 miles (1910 km) apart.



A wild card entrant in Oeiras, Mladenovic ran off wins over Katherine Sebov, Francesca Jones and Varvara Lepchenko, reaching the SF while also playing into the WD final alongside Harriet Dart. All the court time took a lot out of her, though, as after winning the opening set in the semis vs. Suzan Lamens the Pastry was bageled in *both* the 2nd and 3rd set, when went out with Dart a few hours later and lost the doubles final 6-0 (a third straight love set on the day!), 6-4 to the Jorge sisters.

Mladenovic came into the week at #252 in singles and #56 in doubles, but did manage to level off her solo record in '24 to 8-8. It's no small feat, as her career numbers are shockingly poor for a player who has ranked in the singles Top 10 (along w/ being WD #1). Since 2013, she's finished 8 of 11 seasons under .500, even while finishing in the Top 50 in singles every year from 2015-20.

[https://tennistonic.com]

Mladenovic, even with a faltering season-ending singles ranking streak (40-49-92-112-249 from 2019-23) is still only 30 years old, so unless she (ironically) pulls a Muguruza there's still time to stage a legit comeback (at least, realistically, in doubles).

Meanwhile, in Rouen...



Babos teamed with Irina Khromacheva to win her first tour-level WD title since taking slam #4 in Paris in 2020 alongside Mladenovic. A four-time slam champ (and four-time RU... she's 4-3 in finals w/ Mladenovic), as well as a back-to-back-to-back WTAF doubles winner (two w/ Kiki in 2018-19), Babos has posted just two MD doubles wins in majors since that title run in Roland Garros almost five years ago.

Babos/Khromacheva defeated Brits Naiktha Bains & Maia Lumsden 3 & 4 in Rouen final, giving Babos 25 career tour titles.
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FRESH FACES: Mirra Andreeva/RUS and Clara Tauson/DEN
...with Conchita Martinez by her side (on a coaching trial), 16-year old Andreeva reached her second WTA QF this season (and second of her career) in Rouen, posting wins over Nadia Podoroska and Elina Avanesyan before falling to Anhelina Kalinina.



Though it's still part of a remarkably small sample size, Andreeva's numbers remain impressive. A 4th Round in Madrid and Wimbledon last year, an Australian Open 4th Round and a pair of QF already in '24. Coming into the week, she hadn't posted a win since Melbourne, and her three-match losing streak was the longest of her career in pro events.

She's still 83-23 as a pro.

Other than maybe Emma Raducanu, no player was more clutch during the opening BJK Cup week of the season than Tauson, as the Dane stepped up when Caroline Wozniacki was injured and went 5-0 in Oeiras while leading Denmark to the November Playoffs.

Still in Oeiras in Week 16 for this week's WTA 125 tournament, Tauson didn't let up. She reached the final without dropping a set, getting a walkover from top seed Bernarda Pera in the semis.

These were Tauson's words before the final...



In the final against Suzan Lamens, Tauson was medically treated early in the 2nd set, and soon fell behind 6-4/5-0, facing three MP. She survived and actually *led* 4-1 in the 3rd before dropping the final five games.

With so many twists and turns, it was surely one of the craziest set of swings that'll be seen all year. And it took place on a rather nice little court, too. Pity there weren't more people there to see it play out (unfortunately, the image reminds one of a WC slam final)...


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DOWN: Alona Ostapenko/LAT
...off a lackluster-to-bad BJK Cup week in which she lost to Suzy Lamens and was taken to three sets by the likes of Francisca Jorge and Zenep Sonmez, Ostapenko was run out quickly in Germany by the sort of power shots from Linda Noskova that the Latvian employs against others.



After starting the season at 16-3 (w/ all three losses to Vika Azarenka), Ostapenko has now gone 3-5 in her last eight.
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ITF PLAYERS: Julia Riera/ARG and Veronika Erjavec/SLO
...once again, here comes Riera. The Argentine reached the SF in her tour-level debut in Rabat last May, and has since gradually climbed the rankings. This week she grabbed her biggest career title in the $75K challenger in Chiasso (SUI), defeating Anna Bondar 6-3/7-6 in the final to improve her current winning streak (w/ her great BJK Cup play) to 10. She's 14-2 on clay this season.

Riera will crack the Top 100 on Monday, giving Argentina three players (w/ Podoroska and Carle) there after so many post-Sabatini years of underachievement.

In Koper (SLO), Erjavec won the all-Slovenian battle on home clay vs. countrywoman Polona Hercog. The 24-year old, playing in her biggest career final, rebounded from a bad BJK Cup week (0-2 vs. SVK) to close out the weekend with a 6-4/6-3 victory that will jump her 34 spots to a new career high of #169. It's Erjavec's fifth ITF title since last April.
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JUNIOR STAR: Tyra Caterina Grant/USA
...the 16-year old Bannerette (jr. #8, #2 seed) picked up her second J300 title of the season, winning the tournament in Beaulieu-sur-Mer (FRA) with a 6-3/6-2 win over Austrian qualifier Lilli Tagger in the final.

Girls' #244 Tagger, 16, had earlier defeated the #4, #5 and #6 seeds to reach the final, losing no sets over her seven-match run.
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DOUBLES: Chan Hao-ching/Veronika Kudermetova, TPE/RUS
...two sisters are better than one, even when their other sisters are nowhere in sight.

Chan/Kudermetova didn't lose a set en route to the final in Stuttgart, defeating Mattek-Sands/Zhang in the semis, then won a 10-2 MTB in the final over Ulrikke Eikeri/Ingrid Neel (previously 2-0 in finals together) to claim their first title as a team. It's Chan's 21st on tour (second in '24), and #8 for Kudermetova.


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WHEELCHAIR: Yui Kamiji/JPN
...clearly, Yui likes to play. For while Diede de Groot plays fairly sparingly (at least compared to Kamiji), the world #2 is out there almost every week.

This week it was the Series 2 Kobe Open in Japan, where she ran over the field like a steamroller, dropping just two games over three matches in singles (defeating Shiori Funamizu 6-0/6-1 in the final in what wasn't even her most dominant win of the week), improving her non-Diede '24 season mark to 28-0 (w/ 41 straight wins). She's 120-2 against *everyone else* from 2022-24.

Oh, and Kamiji and Kgothatso Montjane won the doubles, too. After a 1st Round bye, they produced three bagel sets in the four they played in the SF/F.
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1. Stuttgart 2nd Rd. - Marta Kostyuk def. Zheng Qinwen
...6-2/4-6/7-5. A huge one for Zheng to let slip, and a tremendous "get" for Kostyuk.

After sweeping the final three games to take the set (and extend the run to five games at 2-0 in the 3rd), Zheng had five MP at 5-4 in a six-deuce game before eventually DF'ing on Kostyuk's second BP.



Two games later, Zheng had a GP to force a deciding TB, but couldn't convert and, on Kostyuk's second MP, DF'd again.

It's Kostyuk's second WTA/slam MD match won this season from MP down, tying Linda Noskova for the tour lead.


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2. Stuttgart QF - Marta Kostyuk def. Coco Gauff
...3-6/6-4/7-6(6). Kostyuk follows up her five MP-saving Top 10 win over Zheng Qinwen with her biggest win yet vs. #3 Gauff, staging multiple comebacks over the course of the proceedings without ever facing a MP.

Gauff won the 1st set, and was twice up a break in the opening four games of the 2nd. She led 3-1 in the 3rd, as well. At 4-4, Gauff had three BP opportunities to get the chance to serve for the match. Kostyuk held, then had three MP chances on Gauff's serve in the following game. Gauff saved all three.

With another chance, Gauff got the break for 6-5 and *did* have a chance to serve out the win. But, again, Kostyuk battled back to force a deciding TB. The Ukrainian jumped out to a 6-2 lead, only to see Gauff save four more MP before Kostyuk took the breaker on MP #8 to win 8-6.

Stuttgart is the first multi-Top 10 win event of Kostyuk's career. She made it *three* straight Top 10 victories with a win over Marketa Vondrousova in the semis.


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3. Rouen 1st Rd. - Natalija Stevenovic def. Anna Blinkova
...7-6(2)/3-6/7-6(2). Blinkova continues to have perhaps the most odd season on tour, compete with at least one outrageous high (the 22-20 TB vs. Rybakina at the AO) as well as otherwise impressive wins over the likes of Pegula, Pliskova, Yastremska and Wozniacki. She reached a QF in San Diego. But the spectacular finish she had against Rybakina has been difficult to replicate.

Blinkova broke for a 6-5 lead in the 1st vs. Stevanovic, but couldn't serve out the set and lost a TB. She came back from a break down to the 2nd, then turned around a 4-1 deficit in the 3rd. Down 4-5, Blinkova took a 40/love lead in game 10. She needed five GP to get the hold to knot the score, then broke Stevanovic at love to lead 6-5. Serving for the match, Blinkova held triple MP at 40/love, but lost five straight points to head to a TB, where she dropped the opening two points and trailed 5-1. Stevanovic won the breaker 7-2, with the world #204 picking up her second career Top 50 win in 3:17.

Blinkova is 7-9 on the year.


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4. Stuttgart SF - Elena Rybakina def. Iga Swiatek
...6-3/4-6/6-4. It sounds like a broken record but, again, what does Tomasz Wiktorowski actually do?

The 2022 (wink,wink) 2023 WTA Coach of the Year's charge looks great when Swiatek runs roughshod over opponents she shouldn't have trouble with, as she did *before* he became her coach. But anytime Swiatek goes against anyone that hits the ball with any real intent it's like a potluck dinner on a 100-degree day -- spoilage is *really* possible, and in some cases quite probable.

It'd be one thing if she changed things up a bit while trying to combat an opponent she's consistently had issues with, such as Rybakina, in an attempt to find a "new" way other than hoping her opponent has trouble keeping the ball inside the lines. But that didn't happen here. It's the same roll of the dice every single time. Even the Tennis Channel commentator for this match -- Jason Goodall, maybe? -- noted that taking a step back to return Rybakina's serve on occasion might give Swiatek a split second of additional time that would allow her to more consistently contend during her service games. But that never happened, even in the 3rd when Rybakina was mostly holding serve quite easily and Swiatek got in to long, drawn out, multiple-deuce/BP games when *she* stepped up to the line.

In that deciding set, Swiatek managed to survive two BP in game 1, then five more in game 3 without being broken. Rybakina faced no BP in her follow-ups. Finally, Rybakina's 0-for-8 BP run in the set ended and she took a 3-2 lead with a big return and Swiatek error. The Kazakh saved a BP in the next game (w/ a drop shot off a short ball), then saved another two games later to lead 5-3. Rybakina converted on her second MP on Swiatek's serve to win 6-4, ending in 2:49 the world #1's two-year reign as Stuttgart champion.

Rybakina is now 4-2 vs. Swiatek, winning four of five, including a 2-0 edge on clay (and now in an event in which Iga had never lost to *anyone*).

As the Tennis Channel stats noted, a top player (especially hard hitters) getting up on Swiatek and forcing her to rally is a key to taking her down. She's 32-2 vs. the Top 10 when she wins the 1st set, but just 3-12 when she loses it.


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5. Rouen 1st Rd. - Caroline Garcia def. Elisabetta Cocciaretto
...6-1/3-6/7-5. Cocciaretto has let slip quite a few opportunities for wins this season. This was just the latest.

The Italian led 5-3 in the 3rd, and was two points from the win at 30/30 on Garcia's serve. The Pastry held, then broke Cocciaretto as she served for the match in the following game. Serving to force a TB, Cocciaretto had a pair of GP, but saw Garcia get the break to end the match.


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6. Oeiras 125 Final - Suzan Lamens def. Clara Tauson
...6-4/5-7/6-4. A crazy one, indeed.

Lamens led 6-4/5-0 and had three MP in the 2nd set. Though Tauson had had a medical timeout early in the set, the Dane managed to fight back late to knot the match, then surged into a 4-1 lead in the 3rd. But Lamens won the final five games in the battle of last week's BJK Cup heroes, picking up her biggest title.


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7. Stuttgart 2nd Rd. - Emma Raducanu def. Linda Noskova 6-0/7-5
Stuttgart QF - Iga Swiatek def. Emma Raducanu 7-6(2)/6-3
...coming in off her BJK heroics, Raducanu continued to show great promise on the surface she's barely played on, further proving that we still don't know just what sort of player the Brit truly is/will be after watching an historic slam run in New York almost three years ago, the multiple injuries/surgeries that have followed, along with six coaching changes (up now: Nick Cavaday) and an admirable pile of evidence that she's got the goods to hang with and beat anyone when she's capable of taking the court.



*If* she can stay there...



Hey! Considering that photo, is this a rare action shot *of* @JJlovesTennis?



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8. Rouen 1st Rd. - Sloane Stephens def. Peyton Stearns
...1-6/6-1/6-3. At some point, as she's always up for the fight, Stearns' results have to turn in her favor. But when?

After being ranked #48 in January, she's now barely holding onto a Top 90 position.

Stearns' loss to Stephens drops her to 1-8 in three-setters this season, including in her last five such affairs.
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9. Stuttgart QF - Marketa Vondrousova def. Aryna Sabalenka
...3-6/6-3/7-5. Sabalenka's run of three straight Stuttgart finals ends (losses to Barty, Iga and Iga) at the hands of Vondrousova, who ends her personal four-match losing streak vs. the Belarusian by getting the key break in game 11 and serving out the match in the 3rd.

Since winning her second straight Australian Open title, Sabalenka has gone 4-4.


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10. Stuttgart 1st Rd. - Linda Noskova def. Alona Ostapenko
...6-3/6-1. Noskova gets her third Top 10 win already this year, after notching three *all* season in '23. She didn't get a chance at a fourth, losing in the 2nd Round to Emma Raducanu, when a win would have set up a *fourth* '24 meeting with Iga Swiatek.


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11. Rouen 2nd Rd. - Yuan Yue def. Varvara Gracheva
...6-4/4-6/7-6(6). Gracheva's comeback, in her first event in France since she began to represent the nation a few weeks after last year's RG, from 3-0 down in the 3rd is thwarted.

Yuan failed to convert a pair of MP at 5-4, and soon had to stave off a MP on her own serve at 6-5, then two more at 6-4 in a deciding TB before finishing off the final four points of the match.


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12. Stuttgart Final - Elena Rybakina def. Marta Kostyuk
...6-2/6-2. Coming soon to a roadway near you (she promises).


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13. Rouen Final - Sloane Stephens def. Magda Linette
...6-1/2-6/6-2. With Stephens at 31 and Linette at 32, this was the "oldest" singles final contested between thirtysomethings on tour since S.Williams/Kerber at Wimbledon in 2018.

It was just the third 30-vs.-30 tour-level championship match in the 2020s, joining '21 Konta/Zhang and Pliskova/Bogdan from earlier this year (which this edged by just one year).



In the end, an additional nod to Linette, who came into the week at just 5-10 on the year. Charleston (3r) had been her first multi-win event of '24, and this run was just her second SF+ at tour-level since she reached the Australian Open final four last year.
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14. Stuttgart 1st Rd. - Ons Jabeur def. Ekaterina Alexandrova
...2-6/6-3/7-6(1). Finally!

After five straight losses (though the last two had come in three-setters), Jabeur gets on the board with a "W" for the first time since February 7.

The spring/summer slam season is just around the corner (and the Olympics, too). So, game on?

The Tunisian fell in the next round to Jasmine Paolini in straights, but had a pair of SP in the 1st. Steps are being made, no matter how halting.


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15. Stuttgart 1st Rd. - Jasmine Paolini def. Sara Errani
...6-1/6-0. "Thanks for helping me win those two WTA doubles titles, Sara. Now take that!"

At the net, Errani didn't seem to have any hard feelings about taking such a beating from her countrywoman and doubles partner, though.



Of course, the Italian pair lost their 1st Round doubles match in Stuttgart the following day, too.
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16. Stuttgart 2nd Rd. - Jasmine Paolini def. Ons Jabuer 7-6(8)/6-4
Stuttgart QF - Elena Rybakina def Jasmine Paolini 6-3/5-7/6-3
...Paolini didn't carry her flow all the way to the final weekend of another big event, but picked up her fourth career Top 10 win over Jabeur before belatedly (on a different surface) finally getting that QF match-up with Rybakina (who'd withdrawn) that she avoided en route to the Doha title earlier this year.

The Italian continues to consistently knock down career signposts. In 2021, she got her first WTA title. In 2022, she reached the Top 50 and posted her first Top 10 win. In 2023, she climbed into the Top 30 and played in her first 1000 QF. This year, she's reached her maiden slam Round of 16, won a 1000 title and is now ranked in the Top 20.

Up to #13 on Monday, with the likes of Top 10ers Jabeur and Alona Ostapenko slipping, the next logical jump is into the Top 10 (she's only 500 points away).
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17. Stuttgart 2nd Rd. - Aryna Sabalenka def. Paula Badosa
...7-6(4)/4-6/3-3 ret.. Badosa's ongoing plight.

Even when the Spaniard plays well enough to pull off what would have tied for her second-biggest career win (#2 Sabalenka at the '21 WTAF, after #1 Barty in Charleston that same year), her body won't allow her to finish the job. At least it wasn't her back.


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18. $15K Antalya TUR Final - Denisa Hindova def. Chantal Sauvant
...6-2/6-7(3)/7-6(5). Another week, another Crusher champion.

This time it's 21-year old Hindova who picks up her first title.

There might have been a second, but Lucie Havlickova handed Ayla Aksu a walkover in the $35K Santa Margherita di Pula final. Havlickova reached and lost another final in the city *last* week.
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HM- $35K Hammamet TUN Final - Alyson Van Uytvanck def. Sada Nahimana
...6-4/6-2. The Waffle -- ranked at #491 after missing time between February-October of last year -- improves to 23-8 in pro finals (5-0 WTA, 3-1 125, 15-7 ITF).
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1. Stuttgart 1st Rd. - Veronika Kudermetova def. Barbora Krejcikova
...5-7/6-4/6-4. Already out of her usually successful doubles loop with her partnership with Katerina Siniakova taking (at least) a one-year hiatus, Krejcikova has been a bit invisible in singles this season, too. She's currently ranked outside the Top 20 in both disciplines (and could be outside the Top 30 soon).

Against Kudermetova, Krejcikova lost a 4-1 3rd set lead, and was unable to put away any of three GP for a 5-2 edge after serving at 4-2, 40/15. The Hordette swept the final games to win in 3:06, as the Czech fell to just 5-4 in 2024, sixteen weeks into the new year.

Granted, Krejcikova's losses haven't come against a collection of schlubs, as before Kudermetova she was taken down by the likes of Sabalenka and Samsonova. But since reaching the AO quarterfinals, she's lost of three of four matches.
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2. Stuttgart Final - Chan Hao-ching/Veronika Kudermetova def. Ulrikke Eikeri/Ingrid Neel
...4-6/6-3 [10-2]. A rare double-not-my-sister combo for the win!

Hao-ching is still 12 behind her sister Latisha when it comes to titles, while Veronika holds an 8-0 edge over Polina.


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3. Oeiras 125 QF - Bernarda Pera def. Francisca Jorge 6-4/6-1
Oeiras 125 QF - Clara Tauson Pera def. Matilde Jorge 6-1/6-3
...the Portuguese sisters both reach the QF in Oeiras, but fall a match short of a QF meeting that would have been by far the biggest match-up in their career head-to-head series. They've met five times, all in either the 1r/2r in $25K challengers over the past two seasons.

Francisca leads 3-2, but Matilde has won the last two (most recent: June '23).

The two siblings ended their week well, though, coming together to win the doubles title.



Well, at least there were a *few* more fans in Oeiras for that one.
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4. Rouen 1st Rd. - Martina Trevisan def. Naomi Osaka
...6-4/6-2. Hey, at least Osaka is *playing* on clay. She *said* she would, but I was skeptical.

From 2020-22, before sitting out all of '23, she played just eight matches on the surface (going 3-5). She *was* 9-2 in 2019, with a Stuttgart SF, QF in Rome and Madrid and 3rd Round in Paris (her best RG result, w/ 2016 & '18).
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5. Rouen QF - Anhelina Kalinina def. Mirra Andreeva
...6-4/7-5. Kalinina's run ended in the SF (vs. Linette), but the Ukrainian has turned around what had been a bad season start (0-4, and 2-6). Since then, she's gone 9-5 with two SF (Austin/Rouen), and 4th (Miami) and 3rd Round (Charleston) results.
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6. Rouen 1st Rd. - Karolina Pliskova def. Polina Kudermetova
...7-5/1-6/7-5. After three straight losses, Pliskova finally notches her first win since the Dubai 2nd Round in February. She lost in the 2nd Round to Sloane Stephens.
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7. $50K Calvi FRA Final - Urszula Radwanska/Valentina Ryser def. Sarah Beth Grey/Amandine Hesse
...6-3/6-2. Aga's younger sister, now 33, wins her first doubles title since 2012, and first title of any kind since 2021 (ITF singles $25K).

Radwanska's biggest WD win was her lone tour-level crown (w/ Aga) in Istanbul in 2007.
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8. $35K Santa Margherita di Pula ITA Final - Elena Christofi/Lia Karatantcheva def. Eleonora Alvisi/Federica Urgesi
...6-0/6-4. Sesil's younger sister, 20, wins her second career ITF title.

Actually, all *four* of the Karatantcheva sisters are tennis players...


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Meanwhile, Tennis Twitter has the memory of an elephant...



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Hmmm, so you're saying Katerina Siniakova now needs a new regular doubles partner (Hunter/Siniakova in 2024: 14-3, Dubai W, I.W. RU, AO/SD semis)?

I know someone...

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Haha... good for her! By the time that thing got into her hands, it was probably filthy with germs.

Later (maybe she wiped that thing down)...














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*2024 WTA SINGLES TITLES*
3 - ELENA RYBAKINA, KAZ = 500(3)
2 - Danielle Collins, USA = 1000,500
2 - Alona Ostapenko, LAT = 500(2)
2 - Iga Swiatek, POL = 1000(2)
[2020-24]
19 - 1/2/8/6/2 = Iga Swiatek
9 - 3/2/0/3/1 = Aryna Sabalenka
8 - 1/5/2 = Ash Barty (ret.)
7 - 0/3/2/2/0 = Barbora Krejcikova
7 - 1/0/1/2/3 = ELENA RYBAKINA
6 - 0/1/0/4/1 = Coco Gauff

*MOST WTA FINALS in 2024*
5 - ELENA RYBAKINA (3-2)
3 - Dasha Kasatkina (0-3)
2 - Danielle Collins (2-0)
2 - Alona Ostapenko (2-0)
2 - Iga Swiatek (2-0)
2 - Aryna Sabalenka (1-1)
2 - MARTA KOSTYUK (0-2)

*CAREER #1 WINS - active*
15 - Venus Williams
7 - Elina Svitolina
6 - Petra Kvitova
5 - ELENA RYBKINA
4 - Alize Cornet
4 - Belinda Bencic
4 - Aryna Sabalenka
4 - Caroline Wozniacki

*30-vs-30 FINALS - since 2014*
2014 Miami - S.Williams (32) d. Li (32) = 64
2014 Quebec City - Lucic-B.(32) d. V.Williams (34) = 66
2015 US Open - Pennetta (33) d. Vinci (32) = 65
2017 Aust.Open - S.Williams (35) d. V.Williams (36) = 71
2017 Ind.Wells - Vesnina (30) d. Kuznetsova (31) = 61
2018 Wimbledon - Kerber (30) d. S.Williams (36) = 66
2021 Nottingham - Konta (30) d. S.Zhang (32) = 62
2024 Cluj-Napoca - Pliskova (31) d. Bogdan (31) = 62
2024 Rouen - STEPHENS (31) d. LINETTE (31) = 63

*MOST WTA SF in 2024*
5 - ELENA RYBAKINA (5-0)
4 - IGA SWIATEK (1-2 +W)
3 - Dasha Kasatkina (2-0 +W)
3 - MARTA KOSTUK (2-1)
3 - Ekaterina Alexandrova (1-2)
3 - Coco Gauff (1-2)
3 - Emma Navarro (1-2)
3 - Jessie Pegula (0-2 +L)

*2024 OLDEST WTA SEMIFINALISTS*
36 - Sara Errani (Bogota)
34 - Victoria Azarenka (Miami)
34 - Victoria Azarenka (Brisbane)
33 - Sorana Cirstea (Dubai)
32 - Anastasia Pavlychenkova (Doha)
32 - Anastasia Pavlychenkova (Linz)
32 - MAGDA LINETTE (Rouen)-RU

*CAREER WTA TITLES - active USA*
49 - Venus Williams
8 - SLOANE STEPHENS
7 - Coco Gauff
7 - Madison Keys
5 - Sofia Kenin
4 - Danielle Collins
4 - Jessica Pegula

*CAREER WTA TITLES - KAZ*
8 - ELENA RYBKINA (2019-24)
2 - Yulia Putintseva (2019-21)
1 - Zarina Diyas (2017)
1 - Elena Likhovtseva (1993)-later RUS
--
NOTE: Shvedova won 1 rep. RUS in '07; 0-1 in finals as KAZ
NOTE: Pervak won 1 rep. RUS in '11; never in final as KAZ

*WEEKS AT WTA SINGLES #1 (w/ titles/slam)*
377 Steffi Graf (107/22)
332 Martina Navratilova (167/18)
319 Serena Williams (73/23)
260 Chris Evert (154/18)
209 Martina Hingis (43/5)
178 Monica Seles (53/9)
121 Ash Barty (15/3)
117 Justine Henin (43/7)
100 - IGA SWIATEK (19/4)
--
NOTE: as of week of April 22

*WTA DOUBLES TITLES - active*
34 - Hsieh Su-Wei
33 - Latisha Chan
30 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands
29 - Sara Errani
28 - Kristina Mladenovic
25 - TIMEA BABOS
24 - Katerina Siniakova
22 - Venus Williams
21 - CHAN HAO-CHING
20 - Elise Mertens

*2024 FIRST-TIME WTA WD FINALISTS*
Linda Noskova, CZE (Abu Dhabi)
Olivia Gadecki, AUS (Austin)-W
Ashlyn Krueger, USA (Charleston)-W
NAIKTHA BAINS, GBR (Rouen)
MAIA LUMSDEN, GBR (Rouen)

*2024 WTA 125 CHAMPIONS*
Canberra, AUS (hc) - Nuria Parrizas Diaz, ESP
Mumbai, IND (hc) - Darja Semenistaja, LAT
Puerto Vallerte, MEX (hc) - McCartney Kessler, USA
Charleston, USA (gc) - Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ITA
Antalya, TUR (rc) - Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, ESP
San Luis Potosi, MEX (rc) - Nadia Podorosa, ARG
La Bisbal d'Emporda, ESP (rc) - Maria Lourdes Carle, ARG
Oeiras, POR (rc) - Suzan Lamens, NED

*STUTTGART/MADRID FINALS*
2009 Dinara Safina (RU-W)
2012 Victoria Azarenka (RU-RU)
2014 Maria Sharapova (W-W)
2017 Kristina Mladenovic (RU-RU)
2021 Ash Barty (W-RU)
2021 Aryna Sabalenka (RU-W)
2023 Aryna Sabalenka (RU-W)
2023 Iga Swiatek (W-RU)






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Martina for the score...




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FREE LINK




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FREE LINK




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Continuing the Backspin tradition of personally not giving a crap about anything soccer, but always liking David Beckham.

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All for now.
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