Backspin Sites

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

RG.3- You Can't Spell Elena without Suzanne Lenglen

No one would ever confuse Elena Rybakina with Suzanne Lenglen, but on Day 3 in Paris their paths crossed -- 100 years apart -- to great effect.



While the rain held up play on the roof-less courts early on Tuesday, the two arenas with a "Plan B" in place saw one Roland Garros quest begin, and a tennis career end.

As for the former, it featured the 1st Rounder of an individual in #4-seed Rybakina who could hardly be more diametrically opposed -- I mean, except for the tennis thing -- from the match court's namesake (La Divine herself, Lenglen). The Kazakh returned to action for the first time in over three weeks, as when last seen Rybakina was losing in a SF clash with Aryna Sabalenka via a 3rd set TB in Madrid.

Soon after that defeat, Rybakina withdrew from a would-be title defense attempt in Rome due to illness, the Kazakh's second tournament this spring (w/ Indian Wells) that she won a year ago but failed to attempt to defend due to health-related issues. She also withdrew from the Dubai QF due to illness (Jasmine Paolini said "thank you"). A year ago, remember, Rybakina's spring & summer plans were also thwarted/re-arranged by illness, including a 3rd Round walkover at Roland Garros.

Set up on the other side of the draw from #1 Iga Swiatek, Rybakina has a long road ahead before she might be able to try to get a third win in three tries on clay vs. the Pole, and the recurrence of questions about her health leave the realistic odds of her being able to pull off such a two-week run in far worse shape than they'd otherwise be.

Nevertheless, Rybakina had now made her first step toward whatever awaits her, taking care of Greet Minnen 6-2/6-3 to move a round closer to the moment at which she "pulled the ripcord" a year ago in Paris.

The win came after a disjointed start, as Rybakina committed 6 UE in the first six points of the match... but we'll just whistle-past-the-graveyard when it comes to that stretch.



Rybakina says that she's "much better" health-wise than last year, but we shall see. Her results since dropping that 42-point TB at the Australian Open have been a yin-yang of brilliance and head-slapping frustration: W-RU-QF (Dubai walkover-illness)-DNP (Indian Wells-illness)-RU-W-SF-DNP (Rome-illness). Her five finals still lead the tour this season, while her three titles (all at 500 level) rank behind only Swiatek's four (all at 1000).

Meanwhile, the button-down nature of Rybakina is almost iconic at this point, but it's interesting how many "truths" she's been telling over the past year or so. If it were one of several others on tour doing it, the words would surely cause a "sensation," but since it's Rybakina it gets far less attention. Of course, mostly, I'm talking about her pointed social media jabs at the tour's scheduling last year (complete with clown emoji). But just the other day when asked about who is the tougher opponent for her, Swiatek or Sabalenka, she said Sabalenka without hesitation. Some have tried to make it out to be an "eyebrow raising" comment, but what else could she say?

Rybakina is 3-6 vs. Sabalenka (0-1 on clay), though 3-2 in the last five; while she's 4-2 vs. Swiatek (4-1 since the start of last year), and 2-0 on clay.

She could face Sabalenka in the QF, but (as noted) Swiatek is all the way off in a potential final, and Roland Garros isn't the *most* likely site of Rybakina's second slam title run. She's only reached one QF in Paris (2021), and hasn't been past the 3rd Round otherwise.

Still, in a slam with such an overwhelming favorite at the top of the draw, alternate versions of the story are often the most interesting thing going. Until, and unless, something really big (and maybe unexpected) happens, that is.





=DAY 3 NOTES=
...as for the other part of that early Tuesday storyline, today was the final day of Alize Cornet's singles career. The curtain officially came down on Court Chatrier.



It came as little surprise that the 34-year old French woman's farewell at Roland Garros lasted just one round, as she drew #7 Zheng Qinwen, the '24 AO finalist and '22 RG 4th Rounder (the event in which she took a set off Iga, the only one who did that year).



Cornet's career ends with six career WTA titles (the last coming in 2018), one 1000 final appearance (2008 Rome), a career-high ranking of #11 (2009), six second week slam results (w/ one QF at the AO in '22, setting a record for the latest final eight run in career slam MD #63), a "Career Round of 16 Slam" with 4th Round results at all four majors (completed in #57 at the 2020 U.S. Open), 25 career Top 10 wins (four over #1, including in 2014 being the rare player to defeat Serena Williams three times in a season, and with the other ending Iga Swiatek's 37-match winning streak in '22), one Hopman Cup title (2014) and a Fed Cup final (2016).



But Cornet's lasting legacy -- well, aside from the sort of in-match dramatics that ultimately brought as many knowing smiles as sighs and/or forehead slaps -- will be her resiliency, as her playing career's final line includes an appearance in a women's record 69th consecutive major MD.

Now Alize can be "life" outside the lines, some 19 years after her debut on the big stage as a 15-year old wild card in Paris in 2005 (two years *before* she was crowned the RG girls' champion). Of course, since she's already a published author (thrice, in fact -- one autobiography, then two novels), the Pastry has already started to move on to her next chapter (and beyond).

Adieu, Alize.

...suddenly, drama (like it often did with Cornet, but in a very different way) just seems to find its way to Peyton Stearns.

Just last week, the Bannerette's road to her maiden tour title in Rabat included consecutive comebacks, from 5-0 down in the 3rd in a QF vs. Lucia Bronzetti (saving 3 MP), then from 4-1 down in the 3rd in a SF against Victoriya Tomova. Today, she staged a third big comeback in four matches, but this one was not the same as the others.

This time it was Stearns who couldn't put the match away (first). The former NCAA champ served up 6-3/5-3, taking a 40/15 lead and holding two MP. Qualifier Lucija Ciric Bagaric forced a TB, where Stearns rallied from 0-4 down to hold three more MP at 6-5, 7-6 and 8-7. The Croat won 10-8 to force a decider.

As much of the final set was played in the rain that threatened to make the terre battue a mud track (it helped with Ciric's many drop shots, though), the two traded breaks. Ciric went up a break at 3-2, then gave it back. She consolidated her next break and led 5-3, and served for her maiden slam MD win. She still couldn't do it.

The contest went to a deciding match TB, where Stearns took a 7-4 lead and started toward the net, thinking she'd won the match before realizing she needed *10* points (now *that* was a touch of Cornet-like drama). At least she didn't let loose with a mighty yell, as that would have been far *more* awkward.

Later, reaching MP for the sixth time at 9-6, Stearns fired a wide serve that Ciric couldn't get back, taking the victory by a 6-3/6-7(8)/7-6(10-6) score.



Thus, Stearns maintains her 3rd Set Maven status, winning her fifth straight such match (and going 6-1 in her last 7) after she'd started '24 at 1-9 in such affairs (1-12 dating back to '23) and recently dropped six in a row.



...at times this season, Anna Blinkova has looked like a star. She notched a pair of Top 10 wins and reached a slam 3rd Round, defeating Elena Rybakina in a record 42-point TB in Melbourne. Still, she came to Paris at just 8-13 on the season.

Immediately after her AO upset of Rybakina, Blinkova lost 3 of 4 matches. Since that win, she came into Day 3 having gone 6-11, including a 1-7 slump (1-5 on clay) since knocking off Karolina Pliskova and Jessie Pegula in back-to-back matches in Indian Wells.

Facing #28 Sorana Cirstea, Blinkova took a 4-1 lead in the 3rd, only to see the veteran Romanian knot the set at 4-all. Blinkova broke to get a chance to serve for the win at 5-4, but gave the break back. Onto a tie-break they went. So, right in the Hordette's wheelhouse.

Cirstea took a 5-4 lead but -- sorry, Sorana -- this is Blinkova in a MTB at a major, so, well, you know. Blinkova swept the final six points to win 6-3/3-6/7-6(10-5).



...later, Tamara Korpatsch *finally* put the German women on the board at this Roland Garros (in their sixth match), first squandering a lead, then another, before rallying in the final moments to win by being the last player to *not* DF at the worst possible time.

Korpatsch led Ashlyn Krueger 4-1 in the 3rd, and held a MP on return at 5-4. But her lead evaporated and soon it was Krueger serving for the win at 6-5. The Bannerette was broken and things went to the MTB, where Korpatsch again took a 4-1 lead. But Krueger reeled off six straight points to lead 7-4. She served two up 8-5, with the win on her racket, but dropped them both.

At 8-8, Korpatsch double-faulted to give Krueger her first MP (nope), then saw Krueger DF soon after to give Korpatsch a second MP at 10-9. Finally, the German got the win just after the match hit the three-hour mark, prevailing 4-6/6-4/7-6(11-9).

...later, a pair of matches featuring past slam champions took place. After Angelique Kerber had earlier gone out to Arantxa Rus, #19 Victoria Azarenka pounded Nadia Podoroska (a 2020 semifinalist) 6-1/6-0.

Meanwhile, well, Sloane is gonna Sloane.

Stephens, the '18 RG finalist, began this clay season on a 9-1 jaunt, winning a title in Rouen. After her straight sets 1st Round loss in Paris today to Yulia Putintseva, she actually *ends* it on a 0-5 slide. The loses have been by scores of 6-1/6-3, 6-3/6-2, 6-3/2-1, 6-3/6-3 and (now) 6-1/6-2.

...as far as some early-round awards...

NATION OF POOR SOULS: For one, the Hordettes rebounded from their slow start (0-3 and 2-6) to finish 8-7 in the 1st Round, just two behind the U.S.'s 2nd Round-leading 10 players into the 2nd Round. So they're out.

Argentina went 0-3, but the victory there was the country *getting* three players into the MD in the first place. Hopefully that's the start of something good.

Combined with their South American brethren, the Argentines combined with Brazil (0-2) and Colombia (1-0) to push just *one* player (Camila Osorio) into the 2nd Round. Throw in Mexico and Latin America is 1-6. I thought one of the young Argentines (Riera or Carle) would do better. Maybe next time.

I'm tempted to jump on the FFT's load of French wild cards, many of them questionable choices, as they went 1-5. But Chloe Paquet's win -- her first in seven years, and the *only* one by any of the eight WC -- saved the day. Overall, France was 4-7, not nearly as bad as seemed possible.

In the wake of Garbine Muguruza's retirement, Spain is just 2-4, but Paula Badosa's late Tuesday win over #26 Katie Boulter in a match-up of players who have battled back injuries in recent seasons (Badosa trailed 6-4/4-2, but won in three, breaking the Brit to take the match 4-6/7-5/6-4) knocked the Spaniards out of the running here. Before Badosa's eleventh hour win in the final match of the 1st Round, Spain's only victory had come from doubles specialist (just kidding -- but she *did* just crack the WD Top 20 this week) Cristina Bucsa.

Nothing could really top the overall futility of the German effort, though. Overall, the veteran-laden lineup didn't get much help from the younger set (qualifer Jule Niemeier won a love 1st set, but lost in three; though Eva Lys put in a good effort vs. Caroline Garcia) as the group combined for a 1-5 1st Round record. The only win, from the aforemetioned Korpatsch, came after blowing two leads and having to save a MP.

REVELATION LADIES and UPSET QUEENS: Both are still to be determined.

China seemed set for this, getting off to a 4-1 start (w/ the loss coming in an all-CHN match), but a 4-3 finish puts things in question. Still, younger players Zheng Qinwen and the Wangs Xinyu & Xiyu are all alive (w/ veteran Wang Yafan).

Hey, Canada is 2-0! It won't win anything, but it's nice to see both Leylah Fernandez *and* Bianca Andreescu getting wins (and, well, in the draw). Croatia is 3-1 (yeah, one came via a Tsurenko ret.), but if Ciric Bagaric had served things out vs. Stearns that would have earned something here. Italy remains three strong with a trio spanning from age 37 (Sara Errani) to 28 (Jasmine Paolini) and 23 (Elisabetta Cocciaretto).

Oddly enough, the Hordettes are in the UQ mix, with Blinkova getting a seeded win (#28 Cirstea) and Elina Avanesyan knocking off Zhu Lin. The *former* Russians are popping, too, with Rybakina, Putintseva and Varvara Gracheva all posting wins.





...AND TO THINK THEY BOOED AND WHISTLED AT HER WHEN SHE RETIRED FROM A 2022 3rd ROUND MATCH AT RG (also vs. Zheng)... ON DAY 3:




...Hmmm... ON DAY 3:


Not bad, but I wish the green was just a tad brighter. Then it'd be reminiscent of the great (between the lines, and fashion-wise) 2017 RG final face-off (Ostapenko/Halep).





...BTW, ELENA WAS A BIT IRRITATED AGAIN... ON DAY 3:



After having dropped a few *more* truths the other day...





...I HAVEN'T HEARD WHAT HER PLANS ARE... ON DAY 3:



...but I hope Collins does commentary after she stops playing. She could be a *star* there. (Bonus: maybe we'd get less of Davenport, as well as a few... well, actually quite a few... others.)









kosova-font

**CAREER SLAM MD APPEARANCES - WOMEN**
93 - Venus Williams *
81 - Serena Williams
72 - ALIZE CORNET *
71 - Svetlana Kuznetsova
71 - Amy Frazier
70 - Francesca Schiavone
69 - Samantha Stosur
67 - Martina Navratilova
64 - Conchita Martinez
63 - Ai Sugiyama

**CONSECUTIVE SLAM MD APPEARANCES - WOMEN**
69 - ALIZE CORNET
62 - Ai Sugiyama
61 - Francesca Schiavone
56 - Jelena Jankovic
54 - Nathalie Dechy
54 - Elena Likhovtseva

*2024 FIRST CAREER SLAM MD WINS (w/ career slam MD)
-AUSTRALIAN OPEN (5)-
Brenda Fruhvirtova, CZE (3rd slam MD)
McCartney Kessler, USA (1st)
Alina Korneeva, RUS (1st)
Maria Timofeeva, RUS (1st)
Anastasia Zakharova, RUS (1st)
-ROLAND GARROS (1)-
Moyuka Uchijima, JPN (2nd)

*MAIDEN CAREER SLAM MD WINS - 2020-24*
-ROLAND GARROS (24)-
2020 Irina Bara, ROU
2020 Clara Burel, FRA
2020 Jasmine Paolini, ITA
2020 Nadia Podoroska, ARG
2020 Anastasia Rakhimova, RUS
2020 Clara Tauson, DEN
2020 Martina Trevisan, ITA
2020 Renata Zarazua, MEX
2021 Hailey Baptiste, USA
2021 Tereza Martincova, CZE
2021 Harmony Tan, FRA
2022 Fernanda Contreras, MEX
2022 Elsa Jacquemot, FRA
2022 Leolia Jeanjean, FRA
2022 Katie Volynets, USA
2023 Mirra Andreeva, RUS
2023 Elina Avanesyan, RUS
2023 Julia Grabher, AUT
2023 Emma Navarro, USA
2023 Linda Noskova, CZE
2023 Iryna Shymanovich, BLR
2023 Peyton Stearns, USA
2023 Simona Waltert, SUI
2024 Moyuka Uchijima, JPN

*MEXICAN WOMEN IN SLAM WS MD, since 2000*
2000 AO - Angelica Gavaldon (2r)
2020 RG - Renata Zarazua (2r)
2022 RG - Fernanda Contreras (2r)
2022 WI - Fernanda Contreras (1r)
2024 AO - Renata Zarazua (1r)
2024 RG - Renata Zarazua (1r)
---
most recent QF: 1995 AO - Gavaldon (3r: 1995 WI/US)
==MEXICANS WITH SLAM MD WINS; Open era==
Elena Subirats
Angelica Gavaldon
Renata Zarazua
Fernanda Contreras

*RECENT RG "NATIONS OF POOR SOULS"*
[2017]
GER (2-5 1st Rd.; #1 Kerber out)
[2018]
LAT (both DC Ostapenko & Sevastova out 1st Rd.)
[2019]
ITA (0-2; first none in RG 2nd Rd. since 1982)
[2020]
USA (4 seeds pre-3r, Serena w/d 2r, US QF/SF Rogers/Brady 1r, Venus 1r, Gauff 2r w/ 19 DF)
[2021]
GER (0-3 in 1st Rd.; Kerber FSO 2 con GS/2 of 3 RG; Siegemund 1r)
[2022]
HUN (0-4 in 1st Rd.; Galfi 2 MP in loss)
[2023]
CZE (3-9 in 1st Rd.; four seeds out 1r; Krej. 0-2 since '21 title; 24 con. slam WD streak ends)
[2024]
GER (1-5 in 1st Rd.)

*RECENT RG "LAST WILD CARD STANDING"*
2017 Chloe Paquet/FRA (2nd Rd.)
2018 Pauline Parmentier/FRA (3rd Rd.)
2019 Lauren Davis/USA, Priscilla Hon/AUS & Diane Parry/FRA (2nd)
2020 G.Bouchard/CAN, C.Burel/FRA & T.Pironkova/BUL (3rd)
2021 Astra Sharma/AUS & Harmony Tan/FRA (2nd)
2022 Leolita Jeanjean/FRA & Dasha Saville/AUS (3rd)
2023 L.Jeanjean/FRA, E.Navarro/USA & D.Parry/FRA (2nd)
2024 Chloe Paquet/FRA (in 2nd Rd.)



kosova-font


kosova-font








TOP QUALIFIER: Jule Niemeier/GER
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2: Raluca Serban/CYP def. Dominika Salkova/CZE 3-6/6-4/7-6(13-11) - both served for win in 3rd, w/ Salkova 2 MP, then third in TB; Serban wins 24-point MTB
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): xx
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Donna Vekic/CRO (def. Tsurenko/UKR ret.)
FIRST SEED OUT: #29 Veronika Kudermetova/RUS (1r: Bouzkova/CZE)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Moyuka Uchijima/JPN (2nd MD)
UPSET QUEENS: x
REVELATION LADIES: x
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Germany (1-5 1st Rd.)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: 1r wins: Danilovic/SRB, Errani/ITA, Uchijima/JPN, Volynets/USA, Zidansek/SLO
LUCKY LOSER WINS: 1r wins: Baptiste/USA, Fett/CRO
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Chloe Paquet/FRA (in 2nd Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: 1r wins: Andreescu/CAN, Anisimova/USA, Begu/ROU, Osaka/JPN
LAST PASTRY STANDING: 1r wins: Garcia, Gracheva, Paquet, Parry
Ms./Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITY: x
IT "TBD": x
COMEBACK PLAYER: x
CRASH & BURN: Nominees: #6 Sakkari (lost 1st Rd. 4 of 5 slams); #24 Krejcikova (1st Rd.- 0-3 since '21 title)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Nominees: Fett (LL; 1st Rd.- down 4-1 3rd vs. Bouzas Maneiro and rain, Bouzas Maneiro served at 5-3, Fett wins 7-5 for first slam win since '18); Kostyuk (1st Rd.- down 4-0 and 2 GP for 5-0 in 3rd vs. Pigossi, 4-2 and rain suspension, wins 6-4; Osorio (1st Rd.- down set and 6-5, 3 MP at love/40 vs. Kalinina); Stearns (1st Rd.- down 5-3 in 3rd vs. Ciric after having had 5 MP of own in 2nd set; Korpatsch (1st Rd.- saved Krueger MP in 3rd set MTB, wins on MP #2 after had first pre-TB)
DOUBLES STAR: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): x
Mademoiselle/Madame OF THE EVENING: x
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
Légion de Lenglen: Nominee: Cornet farewell tournament
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: Nominee: Iga attempt at first three-peat since Henin in 2007






All for Day 3. More tomorrow.
Posted by at