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Monday, August 26, 2024

US.1- Queen's Gambit


Due to the Olympic sojourn in Paris on clay, precious few players (including many of the title "contenders") have had a great deal of match play on hard court since the early spring, so slow starts in these opening rounds might just become a thing to keep a close eye on.

We certainly had a few such instances today, chiefly among them one involving the reigning Olympic Gold medalist. But, have no fear...



#7 Zheng Qinwen came to NYC having played just *two* hard court matches (one a loss to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova) since her 1st Round exit at the hands of Lulu Sun at SW19. Of course, she at least made good use of the rest of her summer, winning back-to-back titles at Palermo and the Olympics on red clay, extending her winning streak to a career-best twelve matches (w/ just 1 coming on hard court).

Meanwhile, wild card Amanda Anisimova was one of those who didn't make the trip to France and instead rediscovered her form again in North America in recent weeks. After being just 4-6 since her 4th Round result at the Australian Open, Anisimova reached the Washington QF and Toronto final (going a combined 9-2). She burst into Monday's match vs. Zheng, as well, taking a 5-1 1st set lead.

But, being the competitor she is (at whatever percentage of "cuttthroat" certain opponents deem acceptable), Zheng didn't give up, and continued to apply pressure as she got her footing in the contest. After Anisimova twice failed to serve out the set, and saw Zheng save three BP to get a late hold for 5-3, the set was back on serve at 5-4. But Anisimova then got the break to win the 1st 6-4, anyway.

Anisimova dropped serve just once in the 2nd, but it was enough for Zheng to gradually pull the match back in her favor. She took it 6-4, then saw Anisimova treated for foot blisters and have some sort of hand/wrist injury (she quickly dropped her racket and grabbed her hand after one shot in a rally). Zheng continued to build her momentum and won 4-6/6-4/6-2. She reached the QF in Queens last year, a result which at the time was her best at any major in her career until she reached the AO final in January.



*Last* year's winner at Flushing Meadows saw her summer hit an early snag via a 1st Round upset at Wimbledon, just as occurred with Zheng this year, and used that disappointing moment as a stepping stone from which to make the *rest* of the summer her own, just as Zheng did a few weeks ago in France. Today's result improves the Chinese #1's record to 13-1 since she left London.

Just to stay on top of things, the Olympic/U.S. Open double has been pulled off by three women: Steffi Graf (1988), Venus Williams (2000) and Serena Williams (2012).

Not predicting anyway, but "just sayin'." You know, just in case.




=DAY 1 NOTES=
...in the early going on Monday, #12 Dasha Kasatkina seemed well on her way to garnering the First Victory at this U.S. Open. She led Jaqueline Cristian by a set and a break before any of the other first-up matches had really gotten close to seeing the opening set finished off.

The Hordette *did* go on to become the first player to win (6-1/6-4) a *completed* match and reach the 2nd Round but, well, Maria Sakkari happened (IYKYK) again in a major, and *that* produced the first final result of Day 1.



I mean, it wouldn't be a slam without an early plotz from a certain Spartan Greek, right?

A year ago, Sakkari (as the #8 seed) was the First Seed Out in New York, falling to Rebeka Masarova. This year as the #9 seed, Sakkari was the first to go again (and first to exit, period, in the MD) when she dropped a 6-2 opening set (Sakkari had 3 BP in the final game) to Wang Yafan, then retired after having been treated earlier for an apparent shoulder injury.



Sakkari hadn't played a hard court match this summer, and her only event prior to the Open since Wimbledon had been her 3rd Round result at the Olympics. So *maybe* this was a pre-existing injury... not that a loss might not have otherwise occurred. I mean, this *is* a major, after all. Since reaching the Round of 16 in Melbourne in 2022, Sakkari has gone 9-9 in slams (3-4 in '24).

Of course, since she was also gone in a blink a year ago, Sakkari will take no points hit for this result. She could very well *continue* to hold onto her Top 10 ranking coming out of this tournament. In a season in which she's fired two coaches, Sakkari's 1000 results in Indian Wells (RU) and Miami (QF) are doing the heavy lifting as far as her '24 numbers, while her Guadalajara win last fall and appearance in the WTAF are the culprits for her continued (and continual) presence in the Top 10.

Since reaching the SF in Charleston in April, Sakkari is 8-9 in WTA tournament matches.

...like Zheng, #27 Elina Svitolina also had to work her way back into her 1st Round match, dropping the 1st set vs. Maria Lourdes Carle, but then rallying to win 3-6/6-3/6-4. She'd failed to serve out the match at 5-3, but took a love/40 edge on the Argentine in the following game. She put away her third MP to win her 19th straight 1st Round match at a major, and her 33rd in the last 34 (2015-24).

#32 Dayana Yastremska, who started the slam year by reaching the semis in Melbourne, also found herself playing from behind on Day 1. Jule Niemeier, a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon in '22 (the season she also reached the U.S. 4th Rd.), took the 1st set and found herself serving for the win at 6-4/6-5.

The German was broken at love, then Yastremska took the 2nd set TB to knot the match. But, unlike her Ukrainian countrywoman Svitolina, Yastremska did not begin to pull away in the decider. Instead, Niemeier went out to a 4-1 (single-break) lead. Yastremska got the set back on serve, but Niemeier converted a match-ending break to win 6-4/6-7(3)/6-4 in 3:10. It's the 25-year old's first MD win in New York since her '22 run.

Needless to say, it wasn't exactly the *cleanest* of contests...



...elsewhere, 18-year old Aussie Maya Joint, a Texas Longhorn recruit, was the youngest of the five Australian women to make it through Open qualifying and is the third-youngest of the six teenagers in the 1st Round. In her major MD debut, she took out veteran Laura Siegemund (18 years her senior) 6-4/7-5 to post her first career win in slam play.



Joint's seemingly promising future (and whether she ever plays at Texas) is likely tied up in the case of University of North Carolina tennis player Reese Brantmeier against the NCAA, which seeks to overturn the organization's bylaws that restrict college athletes from receiving compensation "for monetary prizes earned through their athletic performance outside of NCAA competitions."

With over $100K now available to Joint at this event, under the current rules she'd lose her college eligibility should she accept the prize money, which might be difficult to turn down (at least for very much longer, see only-briefly-a-college-player Diana Shnaider).

That it's taken this long for such a case to come about is surprising, considering the NCAA's 2021 rules change that allowed athletes to earn upwards up seven figure payments via name, image and likeness (NIL) deals while retaining their eligibility. Meanwhile, with money flowing freely in some areas, college athletes are also largely prohibited from accepting any compensation for their efforts (and winnning results) while playing in non-NCAA competitions, such as challenger and tour-level WTA/slam events (athletes such as swimmers, wrestlers, gymnasts, equestrians, etc. are also subjected to this rule if they participate and win prize money).

Brantmeier's lawsuit was filed in March.

...the U.S. came into this Open with a draw-best 21 players in the women's field. Ten played today, combining for a 6-4 record.

The youngest player in the draw was 16-year old wild card Iva Jovic, making her slam and tour-level MD debut as the USTA's 18u national champion. Facing 32-year old Magda Linette, Jovic stunned the Polish vet with a 6-4/6-3 win.



Jovic has won a pair of girls' doubles slams titles this season at the Australian Open and Wimbledon (and reached the RG final, as well), all while partnering Tyra Caterina Grant. She reached the junior singles semis at SW19 this summer.

#13 Emma Navarro downed Anna Blinkova 6-1/6-1, dropping the Russian to 4-18 in her last 22 (11-24 on the year, with eight straight losses). Blinkova knocked off Elena Rybakina in a slam record 42-point tie-break in the opening major of the season in Melbourne.

In the opening night session match on Ashe, we had a Sloane Stephens Double Feature that turned into a binge watch. In other words, we got Good Sloane, Bad Sloane and all versions in between.



Unexpectedly awarded the big spot in the lineup ahead of Novak Djokovic's Night 1 match when Coco Gauff (apparently) requested to play during the day session, Stephens raced out to a 6-0/3-0, double-break lead against Pastry Clara Burel. She got within two points at 30/15 of a 4-0 edge, but then went on to drop serve four out of five games the rest of the 2nd set, including when she served for the win at 5-4. Burel took the set 7-5.



The 3rd set was a more back-and-forth affair, but Stephens led 4-2 and again served for the win at 5-4. Again, she was unable to do so. Burel broke Stephens in her final three service games of the match, denying her a final time as she tried to send things to a deciding MTB, to win 0-6/7-5/7-5.



Sloane is gonna Sloane... and no one can do anything about it, least of all Stephens.

...in weekend ITF action, Noma Noha Akugue won the biggest challenger of the week, taking the $75K crown in Prerov (CZE) over Kristina Dmitruk. It's the 20-year German's biggest title, her second at the ITF level. It's her first since 2022, after losing in her last eight singles finals, including at tour-level Hamburg in the summer of last year.

Elsewhere, it was a parade of Canadians arriving in the winner's circle. 19-year old Kayla Cross defeated fellow Canadian Mia Kupres (20) in the $35K in Saskatoon (home of the Berrypickers elking club... and, I guess, the minor league baseball teamed named the Berries, too) to claim her maiden pro title; while Carson Branstine defeated Serb Lola Radinovic at $35K Vmjacka Banja (SRB) as the oft-injured 23-year old wins career title #6 (third of '24).



And, of course, it was another week, another Crusher champion. Along with Linda Noskova at the WTA Monterrey event, Karolina Vlckova defeated fellow Czech Linda Sevcikova in Krakow, Poland, grabbing the $15K for the 23-year old's first pro title.









...WELL, AT LEAST SHE'S ASSURED OF MAKING HER MARK IN THE FASHION DEPARTMENT... ON DAY 1:





...AHH, THAT'S MORE LIKE IT... ON DAY 1:





...Hmmm... ON DAY 1:




Just when you thought it was safe to walk back into the darkness...

Seriously, with the long black hallway, it seems a bit like a trailer for horror movie. For an anticipatory walk onto the big stage, it feels a little underwhelming. I mean, small black-and-white photos lined up down the wall like long forgotten Employees of the Month? Tennis Australia is chuckling inside.

I hope the lights don't dim, or the USTA might end up seeing a sequel to the Bouchard lawsuit ("...and this time it's personal").




...WEIRD STAT OF THE DAY... ON DAY 1:













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**RECENT U.S. OPEN "FIRST VICTORY"**
2016 Cagla Buyukakcay, TUR (def. Falconi)
2017 Kristyna Pliskova, USA (def. Eguchi)
2018 Jil Teichmann, SUI (def. Jakupovic)
2019 Ana Bogdan, ROU (def. Dart)
2020 Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (def. Minnen)
2021 Kristina Kucova, SVK (def. Li)
2022 Anna Kalinskaya, RUS (def. Peterson)
2023 Karolina Muchova, CZE (def. Hunter)
2024 Wang Yafan, CHN (def. Sakkari)

**RECENT U.S. OPEN "FIRST SEED OUT"**
2016 #30 Misaki Doi, JPN (Witthoeft)
2017 #32 Lauren Davis, USA (Kenin)
2018 #31 Magdalena Rybarikova, SVK (Q.Wang)
2019 #27 Caroline Garcia, FRA (Jabeur)
2020 #32 Rebecca Peterson, SWE (Flipkens)
2021 #31 Yulia Putintseva, KAZ (Kanepi)
2022 #7 Simona Halep, ROU (Snigur)
2023 #8 Maria Sakkari, GRE (Masarova)
2024 #9 Maria Sakkari, GRE (Wang Yafan)
[2024]
AO: #13 Samsonova (lost to Anisimova)
RG: #29 V.Kudermetova (lost to Bouzkova)
WI: #8 Zheng Q. (lost to Sun)
US: #9 Sakkari, GRE (Wang Yafan)

**BACKSPIN 2024 WTA PLAYER-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN (pre-AO): Elena Rybakina, KAZ
AO: Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
FEB: Elena Rybakina, KAZ
MAR: Iga Swiatek, POL
1Q...SWIATEK
APR: Danielle Collins, USA
MAY: Iga Swiatek, POL
RG: Iga Swiaek, POL
2Q Clay Court...SWIATEK
JUN: Katie Boulter, GBR
WI: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
2Q Grass Court...KREJCIKOVA
JUL: Zheng Qinwen, CHN
OLY: Zheng Qinwen, CHN
AUG (pre-U.S.): Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
[Multiple 2024 Weekly POW Award Wins]
5 - Iga Swiatek, POL
3 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ
2 - Katie Boulter. GBR
2 - Danielle Collins, USA
2 - Alona Ostapenko, LAT
2 - Jessie Pegula, USA
2 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
2 - Zheng Qinwen, CHN
[2024 Weekly POW Award Wins]
Week 1: Elena Rybakina, KAZ
AO Q: Alina Korneeva, RUS
Week 2: Alona Ostapenko, LAT
AO: Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Week 5: Alona Ostapenko, LAT
Week 6: Elena Rybakina, KAZ
Week 7: Iga Swiatek, POL
Week 8: Jasmine Paolini, ITA
Week 9: Katie Boulter, GBR
IW: Iga Swiatek, POL
Miami: Danielle Collins, USA
Charleston: Danielle Collins, USA
BJK Qualifiers: Emma Raducanu, GBR
BJK Zones: Clara Tauson, DEN
Week 16: Elena Rybakina, KAZ
Madrid: Iga Swiatek, POL
Rome: Iga Swiatek, POL
Week 21: Madison Keys, USA
RG Q: Jule Niemeier, GER
RG: Iga Swiatek, POL
Week 24: Katie Boulter, GBR
Week 25: Jessie Pegula, USA
Week 26: Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
WI Q: Katie Volynets, USA
WI: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
Week 29: Zheng Qinwen, CHN and Diana Shnaider, RUS
Week 30: Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova, CZE/CZE
Wk.32/Olympics: Zheng Qinwen, CHN
Week 32: Jessie Pegula, USA
Week 33: Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Week 34: Linda Noskova, CZE
US Q: Yuliia Starodubtseva, UKR

**BACKSPIN 2024 ITF PLAYER-OF-THE-MONTH WINNERS**
JAN (pre-AO): Antonia Ruzic, CRO
JAN 2: Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, ESP
FEB: Lucija Ciric Bagaric, CRO
MAR: Tereza Valentova, CZE
1Q...BOUZAS MANEIRO
APR: Julia Riera, ARG
MAY: Moyuka Uchijima, JPN
2Q 1...UCHIJIMA
JUN: Rebecca Marino, CAN
2Q 2 (grass)...MARINO
JUL: Alex Eala, PHI
AUG: Nuria Parrizas Diaz, ESP
[Multiple 2024 Weekly ITF Award Wins]
4 - Moyuka Uchijima, JPN
2 - Jana Fett, CRO
2 - Rebecca Marino, CAN
2 - Nuria Parrizas Diaz, ESP
2 - Julia Riera, ARG
2 - Dominika Salkova, CZE
2 - Tereza Valentova, CZE






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I've always been a Democrat, but the one time I would have been truly pressed when it came to a presidential vote would have been in 2000, when I was truly energized by John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" movement during the Republican primaries (you know, back when you could dig into the process for *both* parties and not have your stomach turned). Had McCain won the GOP nomination that year I would have had a difficult choice come November with him and Al Gore on the ballot.



Of course, that never happened, as McCain's primary campaign was pretty much run off a cliff in South Carolina that year when "Dubya" supporters (shocking, I know, considering the current state of the GOP) employed racism (via a whisper campaign that floated the rumor that his adopted Bangladeshi child was the result of an affair with a black woman) and other underhanded tactics to doom his chances before the key votes and ultimately crash the entire endeavor, making George W. Bush the nominee.

Of course, come 2008 (after 8 years of Bush 43, 9/11 and a war with Iraq), McCain (though always far from perfect) pretty much had to sell his political soul to win the GOP nomination, and was hardly the candidate he'd been eight years earlier. The Sarah Palin choice to join him on the ticket was one of the most wrong-headed moves in presidential election history *in the moment*, not to mention that it opened the door for the whack-a-doos to begin to overwhelm the Republican party. First with the Tea Party movement, followed by the knownothings, grifters and worse that have assumed control of the second U.S. party (it's essentially only a two-party system, so this sort of thing can't be allowed to happen) in the Trump years, turning it into a cult of personality.

(NOTE: I watched a Jonestown documentary this weekend, and it was stunning how the descriptions of Jim Jones' personality were so often a direct match with that of you-know-who).



In his finals years, though, McCain managed to provide a necessary counterpoint to the madness that played out "over there," maintaining (for as long as he could) any remaining sense of decency in positions of power within the GOP. Once he died, that faction and their influence died with him, and we're all still dealing with the still-spreading fallout of it.

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THREAD




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TOP QUALIFIER: Yuliia Starodubtseva, UKR (4 con. slam Q-runs)
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): x
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1: Francesca Jones/GBR def. #5 Rebeka Masarova/ESP 6-1/2-6/7-6(6) - Masarova comes back from 5-1 in 3rd to force MTB, and leads 4-2 before Jones rallies for 10-6 win
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): x
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: Wang Yafan/CHN (def. #9 Sakkari/GRE, ret. after 1st set)
FIRST SEED OUT: #9 Maria Sakkari/GRE (1r- retired vs. Wang Yafan after losing 1st set)
FIRST CAREER SLAM MD WINS: Day 1: Maya Joint/AUS
PROTECTED RANKING MD WINS: Day 1: Tomljanovic/AUS
LUCKY LOSER MD WINS: x
UPSET QUEENS: x
REVELATION LADIES: x
NATION OF POOR SOULS: x
CRASH & BURN: x
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEW YORK: Nominee: Burel (1r- down 6-0/3-0 double-break vs. Stephens, who served for win in 2nd & 3rd sets)
IT ("??"): Nominee: Joint
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: x
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Day 1 wins: Joint/AUS, Ruse/ROU
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Day 1 wins: Jovic/USA
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: Day 1 wins: Gauff, Jovic, Keys, Navarro, Stearns, Townsend
COMEBACK: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): x
DOUBLES STAR: x
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Nominee: Jovic
BROADWAY-BOUND: x
LADY OF THE EVENING: x
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x







All for Day 1. More tomorrow.
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