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Monday, July 8, 2024

W.8- Reconstitution on Centre Court


Maybe the Tennis Gods have decided that it's time to get back to basics. In the case of today's match-up between Elena Rybakina and Anna Kalinskaya, that means the former is healthy and awesome, while the latter is injured and going home.



The #4-seeded Kazakh, the champ at SW19 just two years ago, *should* have come into this slam as the clear favorite, but her lingering health issues (illness had already caused her to skip title defenses in Indian Wells and Rome, just as last year the same thing had caused her to exit Paris and be a shadow of her usual self for weeks/months on end) put a decided asterisk beside her name in the draw. The reservations were legitimate, but if they could be set aside for the *whole* fortnight a second major title seemed very well within Rybakina's grasp, if not more likely than not.

Still, while cast as the "big underdog" in her 4th Round match-up with Rybakina today, Kalinskaya couldn't be discounted. The Russian has been (finally) having the season of her career since she's been able to (finally) be healthy enough to play week in and week out rather than have a series of one-off highlights immediately followed by a retirement or injury break. (Oh, I'm sorry, I guess we're supposed to say she's having a career year because she's dating men's #1 Jannik Sinner, right? Sure, you go with that.)

This year, Kalinskaya posted her maiden slam QF result at the Australian Open *and* reached the Round of 16 in Paris, played in the Dubai 1000 final (with Top 10 wins over Ostapenko, Gauff and Swiatek) and was RU on the grass in Berlin (she had 5 MP vs. Pegula). Though without a tour singles title (the only player in the Top 20, which she just cracked, without one in her career), Kalinskaya has collected seven of her ten career Top 10 wins over the first six months of this season.

Of course, it pays to be *able* to play. That hasn't often been the case for Kalinskaya in recent years. From 2020-23, she went out via retirement/walkover thirteen times, missing stretches of the tour schedule due to injury and often playing while hampered after having posted a big and/or encouraging win and being unable to give her best effort on the way out of many tournaments. Coming into her Centre Court debut today, the Hordette only had one such skip in her record (a Miami 4r walkover more than three months ago).

Kalinskaya got off to a good start today, breaking Rybakina in the opening game and soon leading 3-1. But the Kazakh picked things up, getting the break to tie the score at 3-3. She held at love for 4-3, having won ten straight points.

But that was when Kalinskaya could no longer outrun her own history. She called for a trainer, and was soon in an MTO with her neck/arm (a pinched nerve, maybe?) being flexed and worked on. She was given some medication, but then dropped serve at love (14 straight points). The run ended at 15 for Rybakina, but she went up 40/15 on serve in game 9. Kalinskaya managed a BP shot, but Rybakina held on her fifth GP, taking the set 6-3 with her fifth straight game. She won 14 of 17 first serve points in the set.

It was soon clear that Kalinskaya was no longer going to be a factor. Three games into the 2nd, Rybakina was up 3-0, and the Russian retired right there.



As for Kalinskaya, 2024 could *still* be the first season of her career in which she plays in the MD at *all four* slams. Thus far, it's never happened. She missed *two* (RG/WI) just last year, being out all of June/July and not playing in August until the start of the U.S. Open. Of course, it's a long summer still ahead.

We'll see if Kalinskaya came make it all the way through.

Rybakina isn't positioned at #2 or #3 in the rankings largely because of her health, but she's still had some amazing results this year: three titles (on hard and clay) in five finals, two of those in 1000 events, and wins over both #1 Swiatek and then-#2 Sabalenka, the first two '24 major champions. In fact, Rybakina has collected five victories over that pair, who have held the top two spots in the rankings for nearly the entire stretch, over the past two seasons.

If Rybakina were to add a second Wimbledon crown, a '24 win on a third surface, she'd be right in the mix (if not at the top of the list) for Player of the Year consideration even with all that's been held back from her campaign. (With Diede de Groot's two losses, and no U.S. Open because of the Paralympics, the WC #1 is likely playing for second or third, at least as far as this space's "Ms.Backspin" race is concerned.)

For all the acclaim and honors the button-down Kazakh has earned in recent seasons, partly because of her own foibles (mainly a few losses in finals that she *maybe* could/should have won) and partly because of things outside of her control (scheduling, no ranking points for her Wimbledon title, etc.), it still feels as if Rybakina has been "left short" of what she *should* have received by now in so many areas for her efforts and the way she's handled herself.

Maybe the Tennis Gods are finally ready to settle accounts with Elena. If so, it'd be about time.








=DAY 8 NOTES=
...meanwhile, maybe Elina Svitolina should petition the governing bodies of the sport to *only* hold majors all season long.



The #21-seeded Ukrainian's 2 & 1 quick-work ousting of Wang Xinyu today puts her into her third Wimbledon QF in her last four appearances (w/ SF in 2019 and '23), and improves her '24 slam record to 10-2 (4r-4r-QF so far). In her other events this year she's gone 12-10, and 4-1 of that came in a Week 1 runner-up result in Auckland. (So she's 8-9 outside of those four events.)

While Rybakina, Svitolina's next opponent, has the best high-end results in majors of all the women remaining, Svitolina (though final-less) still has the most experience by far.

But will it matter if the Kazakh comes in their QF with all that she's *capable* of bringing? (If *that* is the case, we probably already know the answer.)

...the 4th Rounder between #13 Alona Ostapenko and Yulia Putintseva was either going to be a fit of craziness that you'd have to buckle yourself in for, or it was going to be a "drive-by" situation where your interest was piqued, but only for a moment because things went by so fast (sort of like watching trailers at the movie theater... if they still play those before the feature, as I'm not sure considering I haven't seen a movie in an actual theater in, hmm, more than a decade, I guess).

Well...



Ostapenko ran out to a 5-0 lead in the 1st, and there was often little that Putintseva could do about it. Though they didn't take time to compare notes and chuckle about defeating Polish #1-ranked players, things were a bit more competitive in the 2nd set. But the Latvian got done what she needed to in a 6-2/6-3 win to advance to her third Wimbledon QF (first since her 2018 semi). It's Ostapenko's first good slam run this year, after 3r/2r results at the AO/RG, despite starting so quickly that she was the first player to claim two titles this season (which she did by the end of February, with wins in Adelaide and Linz).

Of course, though the match didn't turn out to be one of the Tilt-a-Penko variety, there were (as always) some Ostapenkian aspects to it all...



...the final women's Round of 16 of the day was also the last match that came up a bit short (again somewhat because of injury).



Krejickova is always the sort of player who "lurks," as rarely have any of her big results (other than in WD) come when anyone has really truly seen or heard her coming. She just pushes her way through, and then comes up super-solid in the end. She won her lone slam title at RG in similar fashion in 2021 (she was unseeded, but knocked off five seeds PLUS an unseeded Sloane Stephens en route). Krejcikova "lurked" her way to two wins in finals over Iga Swiatek (who has lost only four in her career) in 2022-23, too, so she's not to be trifled with if she finds her way deep into an event.

She's the #31 seed at this Wimbledon, and her straights sets win over #11 Danielle Collins gives the Czech a pair of slam QF (w/ AO) results this year despite her being just 3-8 in her other events in '24 combined. One of those wins came via retirement (Sorribes Tormo in Abu Dhabi), meaning her only two completed wins outside of majors occurred just a few weeks ago in Birmingham (over Dasha Saville and Harriet Dart).

Krejcikova never faced a BP in the 1st vs. Collins, then broke the Bannerette late and served out a 7-5 set win. In the 2nd, Collins took a bad step early on, but likely waited a bit too long to take an MTO. By the time she did, she was down 3-1 and love/30 on serve. When she returned with her left thigh wrapped, she winced upon landing after her serve and quickly fell behind a double-break at 4-1. Collins got one of the breaks back (after having seen no BP chances until Krejcikova served at 5-2), but it was too little too late. She was broken at love to end the match, losing 7-5/6-3. Hopefully the injury won't hurt her chances to play in the Olympics for the first and last time later this month in Paris.

Just recently, Collins and fellow former Cavalier Emma Navarro were the first women in Virginia tennis history to be selected to represent the U.S. in Olympic play.



This result gives Krejcikova her "Career QF Slam" in her 18th major MD. Since, of course, she does this at the tournament that was so special to her late mentor/coach Jana Novotna, the Czech gets the "Spirit of Jana" award for this Wimbledon. It's the second time she's been so honored for her SW19 achievements, and the fourth time overall (she also won special RG awards in 2020 and 2021).

So, with the final eight set, the top half of the draw features three players who have previously won majors (plus Svitolina, with three previous major SF, two at the All-England Club), while the bottom has four players who have won zero slam titles (and only Jasmine Paolini has reached a SF/F).

...in women's doubles, Coco Gauff rebounded from her singles loss by getting any remaining frustrations out of her system with Jessie Pegula by her side, taking out the all-ITA duo of Sara Errani & Jasmine Paolini to reach the QF. Gauff & Katerina Siniakova defeated Errani/Paolini in the RG WD final last month.

It's possible that Gauff could *face* Siniakova in the SF, as the Czech & Taylor Townsend are alive in the QF, as well. Before that, Gauff/Pegula face top seeds Hsieh Su-wei & Elise Mertens.







*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#13 Alona Ostapenko/LAT vs. #31 Barbora Krejcikova/CZE
#4 Elena Rybakina/KAZ vs. #21 Elina Svitolina/UKR
(Q) Lulu Sun/NZL vs. Donna Vekic/CRO
#7 Jasmine Paolini/ITA vs. #19 Emma Navarro/USA

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
#1 Hsieh/Mertens (TPE/BEL) vs. #11 Gauff/Pegula (USA/USA)
#4 Siniakova/Townsend (CZE/USA) vs. #9 L.Kichenok/Ostapenko (UKR/LAT)
#7 Dolehide/Krawczyk (USA/USA) vs. Babos/N.Kichenok (HUN/UKR)
x vs. x

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S SINGLES 1st Rd.*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. Momoko Ohtani/JPN
Manami Tanaka/JPN vs. Dana Mathewson/USA
#3 Jiske Griffioen/NED vs. Guo Luoyao /CHN
Wang Ziying/CHN vs. Maria Florencia Moreno/ARG
Angelica Bernal/COL vs. Li Xiaohui/CHN
Lizzy de Greef/NED vs. #4 Aniek Van Koot/NED
Kgothatso Montjane/RSA vs. Lucy Shuker/GBR
Zhu Zhenzhen/CHN vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
#1 Kamiji/Montjane (JPN/RSA) vs. Mathewson/Tanaka (USA/JPN)
Bernal/Shuker (COL/GBR) vs. Li/Zhu (CHN/CHN)
Guo/Wang (CHN/CHN) vs. de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED)
Moreno/Ohtani (ARG/JPN) vs. #2 de Groot/Griffioen (NED/NED)








...I KNOW WHAT SHE MEANT, BUT I ALSO KNOW WHAT IT MAKES ONE FEAR... ON DAY 8:




...ESPN DOING ALL IT CAN TO REPLACE THE F.U.B.A.R. THAT WAS NBC TENNIS COVERAGE IN RECENT YEARS... ON DAY 8:

Not that I'm going to fight tooth-and-nail against some extra coverage of The Rock of Charleston (aka "a cool cucumber," as Navarro said Navratilova called her on TC yesterday), but still...




Not to mention the million shots of Kalinskaya's players box (do they call that tactic the "Director's Cut" version of a tennis match?) just so they could show Sinner (shades of the brief Thiem/Mladenovic relationship that tainted the coverage of so many matches years ago).

It's not "The Real Girlfriends/Boyfriends of Tennis," it's Wimbledon.

Of course, one questions whether Wimbledon itself realizes that at times, too.

(The tournament cracks down on fans posting two-second clips on social media -- aka free, harmless promotion of the event -- while never itself posting the little moments that make people smile -- like "Maria Kassari," or even important ones like Radacanu's slip yesterday -- but, sure, let's show Katie Boulter clapping every third point.)



Of course, NBC is still the zombie of U.S. tennis TV, as the Olympic broadcast schedule is out and 95% (more like 99.5%, really) of the tennis event will be on Peacock.


...SO NZL HAS FAR MORE NOTABLE WTA/ATP TOUR PLAYERS THAN THE ENTIRE U.S. DOES TOP WHEELCHAIR TENNIS PLAYERS... ON DAY 8:




...YEP... ON DAY 8:









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*"CAREER SLAM" FEATS IN 2020s*
=QF=
2021 WI - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (36th slam MD)
2022 AO - Kaia Kanepi, EST (53rd)
2023 RG - Ons Jabeur, TUN (24th)
2023 RG - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (21st)
2023 WI - Jessie Pegula, USA (19th)
2023 WI - Iga Swiatek, POL (18th)
2023 US - Karolina Muchova, CZE (19th)
2023 US - Alona Ostapenko, LAT (31st)
2024 WI - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (18th)

*FIRST-TIME SLAM SEMIFINALISTS AT WIMBLEDON SINCE 2010*
2010 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2010 Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL
2011 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2011 Sabine Lisicki, GER (RU)
2012 Aga Radwanska, POL (RU)
2013 Kirsten Flipkens, BEL
2014 Lucie Safarova, CZE
2015 Garbine Muguruza, ESP (RU)
2016 Elena Vesnina, RUS
2017 Magdalena Rybarikova, SVK
2018 Julia Goerges, GER
2019 Barbora Strycova, CZE
2019 Elina Svitolina, UKR
2021 Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
2022 Ons Jabeur, TUN (RU)
2022 Tatjana Maria, GER
2022 Elena Rybakina, KAZ (W)
--
NOTE: Sun/Vekic winner is first-timer; Navarro would be first-timer





*2024 WIMBLEDON FINAL 8*
[by career slam QF]
11 - Elina Svitolina
6 - Alona Ostapenko
6 - Elena Rybakina
5 - Barbora Krejcikova
3 - Donna Vekic
2 - Jasmine Paolini
1 - Emma Navarro
1 - Lulu Sun

[by career WI QF]
3 - Ostapenko, Rybakina, Svitolina
1 - Krejcikova, Navarro, Paolini, Sun, Vekic

[w/ consecutive slam QF]
2 - Paolini
2 - Rybakina

[w/ consecutive WI QF]
3 - Rybakina
2 - Svitolina

[2024 slam QF - unseeded]
AO - Anna Kalinskaya, RUS
AO - Marta Kostyuk, UKR
AO - Linda Noskova, CZE
AO - Dayana Yastremska, UKR (Q)
RG - Mirra Andreeva, RUS
WI - Lulu Sun, NZL (Q)
WI - Donna Vekic, CRO

[2024 1st-time GS QF]
AO - Anna Kalinskaya, RUS (14th MD)
AO - Marta Kostyuk, UKR (16th)
AO - Linda Noskova, CZE (6th)
AO - Dayana Yastremska, UKR (17th)
RG - Mirra Andreeva, RUS (5th)
RG - Jasmine Paolini, ITA (18th)
WI - Emma Navarro, USA (7th)
WI - Lulu Sun, NZL (2nd)

[2024 multiple slam QF]
2 - Coco Gauff (AO/RG)
2 - Barbora Krejcikova (AO/WI)
2 - Jasmine Paolini (RG/WI)
2 - Elena Rybakina (RG/WI)
2 - Aryna Sabalenka (AO/RG)

[2024 slam QF - by nation]
4...CZE (2/1/1) - Krejcikova
3...UKR (2/0/1) - Svitolina
3...USA (1/1/1) - Navarro
2...BLR (1/1/0)
2...ITA (0/1/1) - Paolini
2...KAZ (0/1/1) - Rybakina
2...RUS (1/1/0)
1...CHN (1/0/0)
1...CRO (0/0/1) - Vekic
1...LAT (0/0/1) - Ostapenko
1...NZL (0/0/1) - Sun
1...POL (0/1/0)
1...TUN (0/1/0)

[WTA career slam QF - active]
39...Venus Williams, USA
18...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
16...Simona Halep, ROU
13...Petra Kvitova, CZE
11...Angelique Kerber, GER
11...Karolina Pliskova, CZE
11...Elina Svitolina, UKR
10...Madison Keys, USA
10...Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
9...Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
8...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
8...Iga Swiatek, POL
7...Sara Errani, ITA
7...Coco Gauff, USA
7...Ons Jabeur, TUN
7...Kaia Kanepi, EST
7...Sloane Stephens, USA
6...Alona Ostapenko, LAT
6...Jessie Pegula, USA
6...Elena Rybakina, KAZ
6...Vera Zvonareva, RUS
5...Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
5...Sabine Lisicki, GER
5...Karolina Muchova, CZE

[WTA slam QF & W/L in 2020s - 18 events]
9 - Sabalenka (8-1)
8 - Swiatek (6-2)
7 - Gauff (4-3)
7 - Jabeur (3-4)
6 - Rybakina (2-3)*
6 - Pegula (0-6)
5 - Krejcikova (1-3)*
5 - Svitolina (1-3)*
4 - Barty (3-1)
4 - Muchova (3-1)
4 - Ka.Pliskova (1-3)
3 - Halep (2-1)
3 - Keys (2-1)
3 - Pavlyuchenkova (1-2)
3 - Vondrousova (1-2)
3 - Ostapenko (0-2)*
3 - Tomljanovic (0-3)
2 - Azarenka (2-0)
2 - Brady (2-0)
2 - Collins (1-1)
2 - Fernandez (1-1)
2 - Kenin (2-0)
2 - Kvitova (1-1)
2 - Osaka (2-0)
2 - Paolini (1-0)*
2 - Sakkari (2-0)
2 - Trevisan (1-1)
2 - Vekic (0-1)*
2 - S.Williams (2-0)
2 - Zheng Q. (1-1)
1 - M.Andreeva (0-1)
1 - Anisimova (0-1)
1 - Badosa (0-1)
1 - Bencic (0-1)
1 - Bouzkova (0-1)
1 - Cirstea (0-1)
1 - Cornet (0-1)
1 - Garcia (1-0)
1 - Golubic (0-1)
1 - Haddad Maia (1-0)
1 - Hsieh (0-1)
1 - Kalinskaya (0-1)
1 - Kanepi (0-1)
1 - Kasatkina (1-0)
1 - Kerber (1-0)
1 - Kontaveit (0-1)
1 - Kostyuk (0-1)
1 - V.Kudermetova (0-1)
1 - Linette (1-0)
1 - Maria (1-0)
1 - Mertens (0-1)
1 - Muguruza (1-0)
1 - Navarro (0-0)*
1 - Niemeier (0-1)
1 - Noskova (0-1)
1 - Pironkova (0-1)
1 - Podoroska (1-0)
1 - Putintseva (0-1)
1 - Raducanu (1-0)
1 - Rogers (0-1)
1 - Siegemund (0-1)
1 - Stephens (0-1)
1 - Sun (0-0)*
1 - Yastremska (1-0)
1 - Zidansek (1-0)

[WTA slam QF by nation in 2020s - 18 slams/144]
28 - USA (1)
20 - CZE (1)
11 - BLR
9 - POL
7 - AUS
7 - KAZ (1)
7 - RUS
7 - TUN
7 - UKR (1)
4 - GER
4 - ITA (1)
4 - ROU
3 - LAT (1)
2 - CAN
2 - CHN
2 - CRO (1)
2 - ESP
2 - EST
2 - FRA
2 - GRE
2 - JPN
2 - SUI
1 - ARG,BEL,BRA,BUL,GBR,NZL(1),SLO,TPE

[WTA slam QF W/L by nation in 2020s]
28 - USA (13-14)*
20 - CZE (7-12)*
11 - BLR (10-1)
9 - POL (7-2)
7 - AUS (3-4)
7 - KAZ (2-4)*
7 - RUS (3-4)
7 - TUN (3-4)
7 - UKR (2-4)*
4 - GER (2-2)
4 - ITA (2-1)*
4 - ROU (2-2)
3 - LAT (0-2)*
2 - CAN (1-1)
2 - CHN (1-1)
2 - CRO (0-1)*
2 - ESP (1-1)
2 - EST (0-2)
2 - FRA (1-1)
2 - GRE (2-0)
2 - JPN (2-0)
2 - SUI (0-2)
1 - ARG (1-0)
1 - BRA (1-0)
1 - BEL (0-1)
1 - BUL (0-1)
1 - GBR (1-0)
1 - NZL (0-0)*
1 - SLO (1-0)
1 - TPE (0-1)




*CZECHS IN WIMBLEDON SF - Open era*
1981 Hana Mandlikova (RU)
1984 Hana Mandlikova
1986 Hana Mandlikova
1993 Jana Novotna (RU)
1995 Jana Novotna
1997 Jana Novotna (RU)
1998 Jana Novotna (W)
2010 Petra Kvitova
2011 Petra Kvitova (W)
2014 Petra Kvitova (W)
2014 Lucie Safarova
2019 Barbora Strycova
2021 Karolina Pliskova
2023 Marketa Vondrousova (W)

*WIMBLEDON "SPIRIT OF JANA" ANNUAL HONOREES*
[2018]
Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
...Brno-born; wins WD title in first Wimbledon since ex-coach Novotna's death
Nicole Melichar, USA
...born in Brno, CZE (like Jana); wins MX title in first Wimbledon since death
Donna Vekic, CRO
..."Good Donna"
[2019]
Donna Vekic, CRO
..."Bad Donna"
[2020]
RG Special: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
...to RG 3rd Rd. (Oct.) on Novotna's 52nd birthday; dedicates to Jana
[2021]
RG Special: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
...wins maiden slam singles crown w/ Jana as inspiration; also wins WD
[2022]
Marie Bouzkova, CZE
...Czech with first slam QF
[2023]
Karolina Muchova, CZE
...hard-luck Czech falls and injures self (again)
[2024]
Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
...completes "Career QF Slam" at Jana's special tournament

*"SPIRIT OF JANA" RING OF HONOR*
Marie Bouzkova, CZE (2022)
Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (2018, 2020 RG, 2021 RG, 2024)
Nicole Melichar, USA (2018)
Karolina Muchova, CZE (2023)
Donna Vekic, CRO [Good Donna 2018, Bad Donna 2019]



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TOP QUALIFIER: Katie Volynets/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #14 Dasha Kasatkina/RUS
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): 2nd Rd. - #18 Marta Kostyuk/UKR def. Dasha Saville/AUS 4-6/7-6(2)/6-4 - Saville served for match three times in 2nd set, had a MP; Kostyuk break on BP #8 of game to force TB; Kostyuk wins on MP #5 in 3rd set
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, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro/ESP, Sonay Kartal/GBR, Robin Montgomery/USA, Yuliia Starodubtseva/UKR, Lulu Sun/NZL, Anca Todoni/ROU
UPSET QUEENS: Spain
REVELATION LADIES: Great Britain
NATION OF POOR SOULS: ROU (1-5 1st Rd.; #29 Cirstea out, Bogdan 2 MP, no Halep)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Lulu Sun/NZL (in QF)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Emma Raducanu/GBR (4th Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING: Paula Badosa/ESP (4r), Bianca Andreescu/CAN (3r)
LUCKY LOSER WINNERS: Erika Andreeva/RUS (2nd)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Emma Raducanu (4th Rd.)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Navarro, Ostapenko, Vekic, Krejcikova, Paolini
IT "Kiwi": Lulu Sun/NZL
COMEBACK PLAYER: Paula Badosa/ESP
CRASH & BURN: #6 Marketa Vondrousova/CZE (1st Rd. to Bouzas Maneiro/ESP; first defending champ out 1r since 1994 Graf loss vs. McNeil; second in Open era)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: #18 Marta Kostyuk/UKR (2nd Rd.- down 5-2 vs. Saville in 3rd, who served for win three times and held MP; in '24 slams has won from MP down at AO/WI, and 4-0 down in 3rd at RG)
DOUBLES STAR: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Svitolina, (doubles)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: Barbora Krejcikova/CZE (completes "Career QF Slam" at major won by former coach/mentor)







All for Day 8. More tomorrow.
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