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Monday, July 1, 2024

W.1- First Crush


Well, the first thought for Day 1 was that, hey, it's not like a Wimbledon 1st Round match-up of 17-year olds named Andreeva and Fruhvirtova is akin to the sort of dramatic all-teenager clashes we *used* to see on the big stage -- think Seles/Capriati, or Venus/Martina -- but then again... the first one turned out to be pretty noteworthy.



Mirra Andreeva came into London on a recent high. Just last month, the Hordette continued to add to her "youngest to (fill in the blank) since..." records with a Roland Garros semifinal run. A year ago, at just 16, she'd reached the Round of 16 in her Wimbledon debut. She arrived at SW19 as a seed at a major (#24) for the first time, and was taking photos with none other than countrywoman Maria Sharapova as it was noted that the latter's age -- the *exact* age, to the day -- when she won her first slam in London back in 2004 was the same that Andreeva would be when the women's final was set to be contested *this* year.

Hmmm, so we sort of know what people were getting at.

But the age-related stats that were being ignored turned out to be the most important. In today's match-up of 17-year olds between Andreeva and Brenda Fruhvirtova, the two youngest players in the women's draw and both the younger siblings in a pair of tennis-playing sisters, it was the Czech -- born just 27 days before the Russian back in 2007 -- who proved to be the player better built for the occasion.

It didn't look that way early on, as Fruhvirtova seemed overwhelmed by the whole deal. She fell behind 6-1/3-0, Andreeva ran off nine straight games, and (at 3-2, after finally getting on the board with a hold of serve and backed it up with a break) Fruhvirtova went through the whole leave-the-court and "check-her-blood-pressure" (see Maria) steps during an MTO that carried on off-court. When she returned, though, everything changed.

Crusher gonna crush (or something), after all.

Fruhvirtova, playing with more intent behind her shots than Andreeva, swept the remaining six games of the 2nd to knot the match, then extended her run to eight games into the 3rd. The Czech led 3-1. Andreeva got the break to get back on serve, giving herself a chance to turn the match back in her favor. But that didn't happen. Instead, she never won another game. Fruhvirtova treated the moment as just a minor blip on her radar, while Andreeva's error totals climbed.

Serving down 5-2, Andreeva fell behind love/40, and saw Fruhvirtova break at love with a crosscourt forehand winner to end the 1-6/6-3/6-2 match, claiming 12 of the final 14 games en route to victory.

So, it's Andreeva who now has to maneuver around her first experience with a crushing loss as a favorite on the big stage; while Fruhvirtova adds her name to the members of the young Crush of Czechs -- after the likes of two Lindas, Noskova and Brenda's own big sister -- to have proven their mettle in the heat of battle.

Of course, considering Fruhvirtova's impressive 15-0 record in career ITF finals over the last few years, that she has the "closer" gene probably shouldn't really come as anything resembling a surprise, huh?





=DAY 1 NOTES=
...the race to become the first player through to the 2nd Round was, as usual, on in the early hours of play on Monday. Chiefly in the mix were Zhu Lin, serving for the match at 5-2 in the 2nd set against Irina-Camelia Begu, and Varvara Gracheva, serving at 6-3/4-1 vs. Lesia Tsurenko at the same time.

Zhu was broken by Begu, while Varvara held to take a 5-1 lead. Soon both Zhu and Gracheva were two points from victory, with Zhu at deuce and Gracheva at 30/30 in the next game. They simultaneously held MP moments later. Begu saved hers, while Tsurenko did not, as Gracheva won 6-3/6-1 to collect the First Victory at this Wimbledon.

Gracheva, off her Round of 16 run in Paris, advances to the 2nd Round in London for a second straight year. Tsurenko played into the 4th Round at last year's Wimbledon and has won more MD matches at SW19 (11) than she has at any other major. But, hey, she made it through to the end and didn't retire, so it's a moral victory, right?



Zhu finally won 6-0/6-4, but ended up being the *third* through on the day, as #9 Maria Sakkari finished off qualifier McCartney Kessler 6-3/6-1, avoiding the 1st Round fate that befell her at four of the last five slams. So no one has to be fired on Tuesday.

...*officially* (though not technically), #8 Zheng Qinwen was the First Seed Out, suffering a loss to (now) New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun, who picked up her first career Top 10 win (and her maiden MD win at any major) with a 4-6/6-2/6-4 victory. Since reaching the Australian Open final (after a U.S. Open QF last summer), Zheng has posted 3rd and 1st Round results in her next two slams. She's gone 11-10 in tournament play since Melbourne (not counting BJK).



But...



Before any seeds had lost on the court, the #3 seed was already out. And Aryna Sabalenka wasn't even the first women's seed to pull the rip cord before picking up a racket. #22 Ekaterina Alexandrova was the first, exiting due to an illness. For Sabalenka it's the shoulder injury that had led to much speculation coming into the tournament about her status.

Sabalenka's exit allowed Erika Andreeva to join (for a while) sister Mirra (#24 seed) in the MD as a lucky loser; while Alexandrova was replaced by Renata Zarazua.

Zarazua had already started the day with a new career-high ranking of #88, and her inclusion in the MD (her first at SW19) meant that she became the first Mexican woman this century to play in three consecutive MD at majors. The last woman from Mexico to do so was Angelica Gavaldon, who last played all four MD in 1995 (she also did so in 1993-94, part of a 13 straight major MD streak).

Before the end of the day, a *third* seed -- #16 Victoria Azarenka -- was out before playing a match (and before Zheng had been sent packing). She was replaced by Elsa Jacquemot.



Andreeva, Zarazua and Jacquemot were all immediately thrown into the stew today. Zarazua somehow found her way to Centre Court in an event in which her time had seemed up heading into the weekend. She lost to Emma Raducanu, 7-6(0)/6-3; while Jacquemot fell 6-3/6-3 to Sloane Stephens.

As was the case when compared with her youngest sister today, Andreeva was the one who faired better (the "more favorable" opponent likely helped), notching her first career slam MD win with a 7-6(5)/3-6/6-3 win over Emina Bektas.



...in addition to Raducanu, the Brits had their fair share of success today. Of the four women on the docket, three of them won to advance to the 2nd Round.

Wild card Lily Miyazaki defeated Tamara Korpatsch, while qualifier Sonay Kartal notched her maiden tour and slam MD win with an upset of #28 seed Sorana Cirstea.

Qualifier Sonay Kartal rode the British wave late in the day, knocking off the veteran Romanian by sweeping the final ten games of the match (from 6-3/2-0 down) to hand Cirstea her fourth straight loss.



Kartal's win gave the Brits a 3-1 mark on Day 1, totaling just one fewer advancing into the second round as both the Hordettes (4-1) and Bannerettes (4-4).



...elsewhere, Eastbourne champ and #14 seed Dasha Kasatkina maintained her roll. Of course, she was essentially given a speedbump of an opponent, too. Kasatkina won 6-3/6-0 over Zhang Shuai, handing the Chinese veteran her 21st straight loss.

RG finalist Jasmine Paolini, previously 0-3 in Wimbledon MD matches, reminded the Tennis Gods that it's 2024. So she won 7-5/6-3 over Sara Sorribes Tormo, improving to 10-2 in majors this season. The Italian was 4-16 in her slam career coming into this season.

Kasatkina's countrywoman and fellow Week 26 title winner, Diana Shnaider, had to stage a comeback from a set down and an early break in the 3rd vs. Karolina Pliskova, but she got the win. She trailed 2-0 in the decider, and later saved three BP at 4-4. After failing to put away two MP at 5-4, Shnaider ultimately broke the Czech to end the match, winning 4-6/6-4/7-5.

...well, the bright side is that we have Karolina Muchova back. She made her 1st Round match today vs. Paula Badosa, which was a legitimate question that needed to be answered after her mid-week tournament pull-out last week in Eastbourne in her first action since last year's U.S. Open.

But the Czech fell in straights to the Spaniard. Now we wait, and hope we don't hear "the other shoe" drop with news of a further diagnosis that sounds like trouble and/or an announcement of a return to the shelf for the three-time slam semifinalist and '23 RG runner-up.



That said, a thumbs-up to Badosa, who has struggled with her own injury issues the last two years. She retired from the Wimbledon 2nd Round last year with her back injury and didn't play again until 2024.

...Olga Danilovic didn't make her way through qualifying last week, but got into the main draw as a LL when Elisabetta Cocciaretto withdrew late last week. She faced 19-year old Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni today. As it turned out, last week's results held up, as Todoni continued on by posting her maiden slam win in her MD debut match, winning 7-5/6-1. It's Danilovic's first 1st Round exit in a major, after having gotten at least one win in all of her previous five slam appearances (including a Round of 16 run last month at RG).



Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva, a qualifier at the last three slams, became one of five women to record their maiden slam wins on Day 1, defeating Alison Van Uytvanck 6-4/6-3. The result drops the Belgian, who otherwise plays well on grass, to 5-9 in her Wimbledon career. She's lost four straight at SW19.

...with so many questions about the would-be contenders for this Wimbledon title (we're to the point where Iga is a legit "favorite" even with no *true* grass results of note since she won the junior title at SW19 in 2018, though she *has* made progress the last two years in London), no player should look at what is before them as anything other than a potential opportunity of enormous proportions. Thus, enter Naomi Osaka.

After her own missed oportunity vs. Swiatek in Paris, Osaka is back for the *next* slam. But it's Wimbledon, where she hadn't played since 2019 (w/ her last match exactly five years ago today) and hadn't posted a win since 2018. She reached the 3rd Round in 2017-18, but Osaka wouldn't really be looked at as someone to *really* watch here if not for so many questions elsewhere. But she won today, so let's see.

Osaka had to go three sets vs. Diane Parry, as well as rally from 3-1 back in the decider before winning 6-1/1-6/6-4.

Still, this tournament as well as the weeks after it (including a needless trip back to Paris for the Olympics following SW19, considering Osaka's "bigger" games were in Tokyo three years ago -- where she lost in the 3rd Rd. -- or are maybe still four years away in Los Angeles) feel a bit like a case of Osaka biding time before she really has to be on her game during the summer hard court season.

That key part of the schedule starts three weeks after the end of Wimbledon, the same week as the tennis event in Paris.



Ah, so I guess we've got an answer about whether the WTA social media thinks Osaka is a "mom on a mission" at this major. Apparently not (as of now). Good to know.

...in weekend ITF action, before Fruhvirtova took her shot today, the lower circuit experienced the new/old tried-and-true formula on Sunday: it was a case of another week, another Crusher champion. In fact, make it two.

In the $75K challenger in Stare Splavy (CZE), 17-year old Roland Garros girls' champ Tereza Valentova took advantage of the home cooking and picked up her fifth ITF title of the season, tying Moyuka Uchijima for the '24 circuit lead. Valentova defeated countrywoman Aneta Kucmova 6-3/7-5 in the final, improving to 5-1 in finals and 30-2 overall on the pro circuit this year.

Valentova cracked the Top 300 in the new rankings.



In Palma del Rio (ESP), 20-year old Czech Linda Klimovicova defeated Swiss Leonie Kung 7-5/6-4 to grab her second title of the year in the $50K event.

Meanwhile, after getting herself involved in a whole heap of controversy back at the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Anastasia Gasanova has pretty much pretty dropped off the radar for most of the last two seasons. She came back in a big way (at a lower level) this weekend in Monastir (TUN).

The 25-year old Russian swept the titles at the small $15K challenger, defeating Egypt's Lamis Alhussein Abdel Aziz in the singles final, and teaming with Vladislava Andreevaskaya in doubles. It's Gasanova's first singles win since 2018.

A former #121 (in early 2022, after a '21 season in which she reached a pair of tour-level QF), Gasanova is now ranked outside the Top 600. She hasn't played in even the qualifying of a tour-level event since her Q1 loss at the Australian Open in January '23.





...YEARLY BECKHAM SIGHTING IN THE WILD (officially recorded by David Attenborough)... ON DAY 1:




...RENNAE KEEPING HER EYE ON A MORE IMPORTANT BALL IN THE MIDDLE OF CALLING MATCHES IN LONDON... ON DAY 1:




...2024... ON DAY 1:




...SOME THINGS DON'T CHANGE (well, the computers do, of course)... ON DAY 1:




...IF ONLY... ON DAY 1:




...BEFORE SOMETHING GREAT FOR TWO SISTERS, AND BEFORE SOME (temporary) DARKNESS FOR ANOTHER... ON DAY 1:




...HMMM, CAN A WIMBLEDON POSTER BE *TOO* COMPLICATED FOR ITS OWN GOOD?... ON DAY 1:



I mean, it's nice work. But should a slam event poster be so much work to enjoy?




















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*RECENT WIMBLEDON "FIRST SEED OUT"*
2015 #24 Flavia Pennetta, ITA (Diyas/KAZ)
2016 #25 Irina-Camelia Begu, ROU (Witthoeft/GER)
2017 #31 Roberta Vinci, ITA (Kr.Pliskova/CZE)
2018 #19 Magdalena Rybarikova, SVK (Cirstea/ROU)
2019 #10 Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (Rybarikova/SVK)
2021 #10 Petra Kvitova, CZE (Stephens/USA)
2022 #31 Kaia Kanepi, EST (Parry/FRA)
2023 #15 Liudmila Samsonova, RUS (Bogdan/ROU)
2024 #8 Zheng Qinwen, CHN (Sun/NZL)

*RECENT WIMBLEDON "FIRST VICTORY OF THE FORTNIGHT"*
2015 Victoria Azarenka/BLR (L: Kontaveit/EST)
2016 Dasha Kasatkina/RUS (L: Duval/USA)
2017 Wang Qiang/CHN (L: Chang/TPE)
2018 Yanina Wickmayer/BEL (L: Barthel/GER)
2019 Madison Keys/USA (L: Kumkhum/THA)
2021 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR (L: Niculescu/ROU)
2022 Alison Riske/USA (L: In-Albon/SUI)
2023 Barbora Stycova/CZE (L: Zanevska/BEL)
2024 Varvara Gracheva/FRA (L: Tsurenko/UKR)

*MEXICANS IN SLAM 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)
2024 WI - Renata Zarazua (1r)
--
2000+ slam MD streak (3): Renata Zarazua ('24 AO/RG/WI)
Recent all four slam MD: Angelica Gavaldon (1993,1994,1995)
Most recent slam MD streak (13): Gavaldon (1993-96)
Best recent slam result: 1995 AO QF - Gavaldon (3r: 1995 WI/US)
--
[MEXICANS WITH SLAM MD WINS; Open era]
Elena Subirats
Angelica Gavaldon
Renata Zarazua
Fernanda Contreras



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TOP QUALIFIER: Katie Volynets/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): x
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2 -Robin Montgomery/USA def. #10 Kamilla Rakhimova/RUS 7-6(0)/6-7(4)/7-6(10-4) - no breaks in 36 games, only 5 BP face; Montgomery w/ 20 aces; combined for 132 winners (67/65)
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): x
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Varvara Gracheva/FRA (def. Lesia Tsurenko/UKR)
FIRST SEED OUT: #8 Zheng Qinwen/CHN (1st Rd. to Sun/NZL) (after #22 Alexandrova/RUS, #3 Sabalenka/BLR and #16 Azarenka/BLR withdrew)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Day 1: Erika Andreeva/RUS, Sonay Kartal/GBR, Yuliia Starodubtseva/UKR, Lulu Sun/NZL, Anca Todoni/ROU
UPSET QUEENS: x
REVELATION LADIES: x
NATION OF POOR SOULS: x
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: 1r wins: Kartal/GBR, Starodubtseva/UKR, Sun/NZL, Todoni/ROU
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: 1r wins: Miyazaki/GBR, Osaka/JPN, Raducanu/GBR
PROTECTED RANKING: 1r wins: Andreescu/CAN, Badosa/ESP
LUCKY LOSER WINS: 1r wins: E.Andreeva/RUS
LAST BRIT STANDING: 1r wins: Kartal, Miyazaki, Raducanu
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: x
IT "??": x
COMEBACK PLAYER: x
CRASH & BURN: Nominee: #24 M.Andreeva (1st Rd.- led B.Fruhvirtova 6-3/3-0 in all-17 year old match-up; RG semifinalist last month and WI 4r last year)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: Nominee: B.Fruhvirtova (1st Rd.- trailed #24 M.Andreeva 6-3/3-0 in meeting of two youngest in draw; wins 12/14 games to end)
DOUBLES STAR: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): x
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: Nominee: Jabeur slam quest






All for Day 1. More tomorrow.
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