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Sunday, August 25, 2024

Wk.34- Linda Crushes It


Another week, another Crusher champion.







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*WEEK 34 CHAMPIONS*
MONTERREY, MEXICO (WTA 500/Hard Court Outdoor)
S: Linda Noskova/CZE def. Lulu Sun/NZL 7-6(6)/6-4
D: Guo Hanyu/Monica Niculescu (CHN/ROU) def. Giuliana Olmos/Alexandra Panova (MEX/RUS) 3-6/6-3 [10-4]
CLEVELAND, OHIO USA (WTA 250/Hard Court Outdoor)
S: McCartney Kessler/USA def. Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA 1-6/6-1/7-5
D: Cristina Bucsa/Xu Yifan (ESP/CHN) def. Shuko Aoyama/Eri Hozumi (JPN/JPN) 3-6/6-3 [10-6]




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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Linda Noskova/CZE
...for the second time, a Crusher named Linda has won her maiden WTA title.

Two years ago, it was Linda Fruhvirtova, and now 19-year old Noskova is the latest of the current generation of young Czechs to lift a trophy. She did so on her third try after reaching a pair of previous finals last season in Adelaide and Prague, and will climb to a new career high of #24 heading into the U.S. Open.

Noskova's week in Monterry began with a love & 1 win over Anna Danilina, which was followed by four more straight sets victories over the likes of Wang Xiyu, Elina Svitolina, Emma Navarro and Lulu Sun in a final between two players seeking their first WTA crown.

Noskova had come into this week on a three-match losing streak, with her most recent loss having come to Sun in the 1st Round in Cincinnati (and the one before that being vs. another of her Monterrey victims -- Wang in the opening round at the Olympics). Her spring/summer had been a far cry from the 12-3 start to her season which included a Brisbane SF, Australian Open QF and upset of #1 Iga Swiatek in Melbourne. The Czech had gone 11-12, and only once won consecutive matches (3 in a row in Prague) from the start of Indian Wells in March until the end of Cincinnati last week.

Unseeded at Flushing Meadows, Noskova will open vs. #30 Yulia Putintseva.
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RISER: Beatriz Haddad Maia/BRA
...I don't think Haddad Maia will be making the same mistake when it comes to what to call her opponent/conqueror in the Cleveland final.

Haddad Maia is still ranked around #20, but before this week's run of wins -- over Viktorija Golubic, Cristina Bucsa, Clara Burel and Katerina Siniakova -- she hadn't reached a SF since Abu Dhabi in early February, nor a final since she took the title at the season-ending Elite Trophy last October.

The Brazilian likely *should* have taken home her fourth WTA title. She dominated a 6-1 1st set in the final, and led Kessler 3-1 in the 3rd before falling 7-5 at the wire.

Haddad Maia will lead a five-strong contingent of South American women into Flushing Meadows, but will be the lone Brazilian with a shot at a 1st Round win when she faces the *first* Armenian woman (Elina Avanesyan) to appear in the U.S. Open MD.
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SURPRISE: McCartney Kessler/USA
...a former Florida Gator, 25-year old Kessler has only been playing professional tennis on a full-time basis for less than two years. When the 2024 season started, she'd appeared in just one tour-level event -- a qualifying run at last year's U.S. Open that ended in the final round. She received a wild card into the AO after a fine stretch on U.S. hard courts on the challenger level last fall, then posted a 1st Round win over Fiona Ferro and took Linda Noskova to three sets in the next round.

Coming into this week in Cleveland, that AO win was her only tour-level MD victory, but she'd since won three ITF crowns, cracked the Top 100 *and* earned the USTA's discretionary MD WC into the Open. Not having to play the Q-rounds, Kessler took advantage of her position and went to The Land this past week and pulled out a shocker by taking the title. Along with Paula Badosa (Washington), she's the second wild card champ on U.S. hard courts this summer.

Wins over Katrina Scott, Wang Xinyu, Arantxa Rus and Anastasia Potapova carried her past her first WTA SF and into her maiden final. After being outclassed in the 1st set by Beatriz Haddad Maia, Kessler went on to rally from 3-1 down in the 3rd to upend the nearly-back-in-the-Top-20 Brazilian (#21 after Week 34) in a 7-5 decider.

After being ranked #948 at the end of '22, and #221 at the end of last season, Kessler will rise to #64 in the pre-Open rankings.


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VETERAN: Monica Niculescu/ROU
...in Monterrey, 36-year old Romanian veteran Niculescu claimed her 12th career title (second of '24), teaming with Guo Xanyu to win a trio of MTB en route to the crown.

The duo won MTB in the final three of their four matches on the week, over #2 seeds Eikeri/Sutjiadi in the QF, Mihalikova/Nicholls in the semis and #1 seeds Olmos/Panova in the final. The win is Guo's second WTA title, after she'd gone 1-3 in previous finals with Jiang Xinyu (all since September of last year).



Giuliana Olmos, the only Mexican woman to win a tour-level WD title in the Open era, had been seeking her seventh career title and first since 2022. She'd won a previous title in Mexico (in Acapulco) in 2020, and has played in five WTA doubles finals in tournaments held in the nation (going 1-4).
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COMEBACKS: Katerina Siniakova/CZE and Ana Bogdan/ROU
...Siniakova has been having her usual stellar season in doubles, winning four titles, a pair of majors, an Olympic Gold medal in MX, and will take a shot at regaining the #1 ranking at the U.S. Open (top-ranked Erin Routtliffe is a defending WD champ). Singles has been more of struggle, though.

After reaching three finals (a career best) and winning two titles (her most since '17) last season, Siniakova hadn't reached the SF stage in '24 until her final four run this past week in Cleveland. Since reaching a grass court QF in Berlin (she'd put up an interesting back-to-back win combo involving both Emma Navarro and Zheng Qinwen), the Czech had gone just 3-6 and exited an event via a walkover.

Siniakova's SF in The Land took some doing, as she had to save three MP (after trailing 5-1 in the 3rd) vs. Japanese qualifier Sayaka Ishii in the 18-year old's tour MD debut, won a 3rd set TB over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and rallied from 6-1/3-0 (a double-break) deficit against Peyton Stearns. Siniakova lost to Beatriz Haddad Maia a round short of the final, but remains within striking distance of a career-high ranking in singles.

She'll be #36 heading into NYC, with her best standing being #27 earlier this year.



Ana Bogdan starred on home soil with a final in Cluj in February, but the Romanian had suffered through a pair of five-match losing streaks in the months that have followed. She came to Cleveland with just an 11-18 mark on the year, with five straight one-and-done (in either Q/MD) event results.

But Bogdan's qualifying run (w/ wins over Shelby Rogers and Greet Minnen) set up even bigger moments in the MD, as she knocked off Leylah Fernandez (who served for the match) and Greet Minnen (again), having ended all four victories with a confirming ace on MP (including *both* wins over Minnen). Bogdan lost to Anastasia Potapova, but her comeback week will be enough to lift her back into the Top 100.
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FRESH FACES: Lulu Sun/NZL and Erika Andreeva/RUS
...maybe Sun's Wimbledon QF run was only an early preview of things to come, for the look of determination and promise that the Kiwi showed at SW19 was in evidence once again in Monterrey as the 25-year old played into her maiden tour singles final.

With a pair of previous tour-level QF already on her resume (Wimbledon, plus Seoul '22), Sun ran off wins over Chloe Paquet and Maria Lourdes Carle to reach that stage for a third time. The latter win over the Argentine came after Carle had held a MP before Sun won a deciding TB. After a QF win over Erika Andreeva, Sun won another 3rd set TB over Ekaterina Alexandrova to reach the final.

She fell in straights to Linda Noskova, but had two SP chances in the 1st set TB. Once that opportunity slipped through her fingers, Sun's long week traveled down the probably inevitable path of coming up just short.

Already with two ITF wins, a WTA final, Wimbledon QF, and a Top 10 win (Zheng Qinwen at SW19) on her season resume, Sun will now crack the Top 50 (at #42) in the new rankings.



Younger sister Mirra has been getting far more attention this season, but 20-year old Erika Andreeva has been having a career year in her own right while playing in her sibling's long shadow.

Already ths summer, Andreeva had recorded her first slam MD win at Wimbeldon (as a LL) and qualified in 1000 Toronto. In Monterrey, she strung together upset victories over Anhelina Kalinina and Danielle Collins, the latter her first Top 20 win, to reach her maiden WTA QF.

Andreeva fell to Sun, but will crack the Top 80 for the first time heading into the Open.
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DOWN: Veronika Kudermetova/RUS
...2024 has been a no good, miserable year for Kudermetova. She returned this week in Monterrey after missing the early summer hard court season due to injury, losing in three to Maria Lourdes Carle after having led 6-1/4-3 with a break edge (and 3-1 in the 3rd) before going down in defeat on the back of 44 UE.

In truth, the Hordette's season has been stuck in the mud since the start.

Kudermetova started '24 at 2-5, then later dropped five of her last six matches on clay this spring. Her lone QF result came in April in Charleston, but she'll come to New York without a match win since the 1st Round in Bad Homburg two months ago. 12-18 on the year, she'll open vs. Elise Mertens.

Kudermetova came into '24 off a good two-year stretch that saw her crack the Top 10, but she's now hovering around #40 as her ranking line graph for this season resembles a steadily descending ski slope. Oddly, she'll actually climb a few spots (#44 to #38) in the final pre-U.S. Open rankings despite her early exit this week, but the only other time the Russian has seen her ranking *rise* this season was a tiny (#16 to #17) bump immediately after the Australian Open.
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JUNIOR STARS: Teodora Kostovic/SRB and Beatrise Zeltina/LAT
...a pair of J300 events were held this past week, with Latvian Zeltina winning her biggest career title with a clay run in Panceva, Serbia that ended with a final victory over Romania's Diana-Ioana Simionescu, and Serbian Kostovic adding another J300 crown to her season haul in College Park, Maryland.

Zeltina's 6-4/2-6/6-2 victory was the 17-year old's maiden J300 win, and comes following an August stretch in two J200 tournaments that included another title and a semifinal (she's gone a combined 13-1, with 10 straight wins).

Kostovic knocked off Rositsa Dencheva (BUL) in the semis, then Bannerette Thea Frodin in a 7-5/6-2 final, giving the 17-year old girls' #6 her third J300 of the season (fifth overall), but her first on hard court.

Kostovic has compiled a 19-1 mark from the start of her Roehampton title run ahead of Wimbledon through this week. Her last two events have seen her claim a pair of titles without losing a set, running her winning streak to ten matches (and twenty consecutive sets).
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DOUBLES: Cristina Bucsa/Xu Yifan, ESP/CHN
...the Bucsa doubles train kept on chugging along in Cleveland, picking up a different passenger at yet another stop and delivering her to the desired destination. The Spaniard grabbed her fourth title of the season, tying Katerina Siniakova for the tour lead.

Bucsa teamed with Xu Yifan for their first win, taking MTB in the 1st Round (vs. Sizikova/Wu) and final (vs. Aoyama/Hozumi) as Bucsa improved to 4-0 in '24 finals. It's veteran Xu's 14th tour win.

Bucsa has won five tour titles in her career, each with a different partner (she's also reached another final w/ a sixth).


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1. Cleveland 1st Rd. - Katerina Siniakova def. Sayaka Ishii
...6-7(5)/6-3/7-6(5). Whew! A veteran player never wants to lose to a teenager, let alone one ranked #284 and making her tour-level MD debut. But Ishii, who met all those standards, very nearly got (and probably *should* have gotten) the upset.

Siniakova had served for the 1st set at 5-4, but saw the Japanese youngster grab the lead with a 7-5 TB win. Up 5-1 in the 3rd, Ishii twice served for the match and held three MP at 5-3 (from 40/15 up). In the deciding TB, Siniakova trailed 5-3, but managed to sweep the final four points to get the win and (eventually) advance to her first SF of the season.
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2. Cleveland Final - McCartney Kessler def. Beatriz Haddad Maia
...1-6/6-1/7-5. Kessler overcomes a set deficit, and 3-1 hole in the 3rd, to take her maiden WTA title.

It's a tour-best tenth singles title won by a Bannerette in '24, and Kessler is the eighth different U.S. woman to lift a trophy (the most since 2000). She's the third maiden U.S. title winner this season, the most since four Bannerettes (Kenin, Anisimova, Pegula & Gauff) won title #1 in 2019.


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3. Monterrey 2nd Rd. - Lulu Sun def. Maria Lourdes Carle
...6-3/2-6/7-6(2). Sun is no once-in-a- blue-moon achiever, and clearly Wimbledon was no fluke.

The gritty Kiwi's big run in Monterrey included this little gem, in which she erased Carle's 4-1 3rd set lead, saving a MP on serve at 5-4.


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4. Cleveland QF - Katerina Siniakova def. Peyton Stearns
...1-6/6-3/6-4. Siniakova's "lesser" comeback of the week, but only because the more experienced (than Ishii) Stearns never reached MP despite winning nine of the first ten games of the match, going up 6-1/3-0 with a double-break bulge in the 2nd.
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5. Monterrey Final - Linda Noskova def. Lulu Sun
...7-6(6)/6-4. Sun couldn't convert on two SP chances in the 1st set TB, and Noskova took the opportunity to finish things off in straights to avoid going 0-3 in career WTA finals. She's the second of the Crushers (after Linda Fruhvirtova) to pick up her maiden tour title before turning 20.

Sun was seeking to become just the third New Zealander to win a tour singles title, after Belinda Cordwell (1989) and Marina Erakovic (2013).
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6. Monterrey SF - Linda Noskova def. Emma Navarro 7-6(7)/7-5
Monterrey SF - Lulu Sun def. Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5/3-6/7-6(6)
...Hmm, I'm not sure how I feel about Navarro as a competitor. Maybe if she was a bit more "cuttthroat" out there she wouldn't (now) be 1-5 in semis this season.

Meanwhile, Alexandrova fell to 1-4 in '24 semis after Sun converted on her fourth MP in the deciding TB, as the Russian's season mark is *still* not over .500 (20-20) even with *five* SF-or-better results on the year.

Eleven one-and-dones will do that, I guess.
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7. Cleveland 1st Rd. - Sofia Kenin def. Katie Volynets
...6-2/2-6/7-5. Still trying to avoid having her head go (totally) underwater for the season, Kenin trailed 3-0 and 5-3 in the deciding set, with Volynets serving for the win and holding a MP on Kenin's serve at 5-4. Kenin got the hold, broke Volynets, then saved two BP to avoid a TB.

Keninthen lost in the 2nd Round to Clara Burel to fall to 8-20 on the year. She'll face Emma Raducanu in the 1st Round in New York.
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8. Monterrey 2nd Rd. - Emma Navarro def. Camilo Osorio
...3-6/7-5/7-6(2). Osorio led 6-3/5-3 and served for the win, but in the 3rd had to save two MP (at 5-4) en route to forcing a deciding TB, won 7-2 by Navarro.

It was great turnaround by Navarro, and maybe the most backbone she's shown in a tough match in a bit.



Of course, Osorio had the chance to say the funniest thing ever to Navarro at the net. Alas, she did not.
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9. Cleveland 1st Rd. - Wang Xinyu def. Anna Blinkova
...6-1/6-1. Make it seven straight losses for Blinkova. 11-23 on the season, the Russian is in a 4-17 spiral.
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10. Cleveland Q2 - Ana Bogdan def. Greet Minnen 6-3/6-3
Cleveland 2nd Rd.- Ana Bogdan def. Greet Minnen 7-6(3)/6-3
...6-3/6-2. Minnen probably had Bad Bogdan dreams all week. The Romanian ended *both* wins over the Waffle with an ace on MP.
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HM- Monterrey 2nd Rd. - Elina Svitolina def. Elina Avanesyan
...6-4/6-3. For the record, we now know that ethnic Armenians who used to play under the flag of Russia (where her family fled to avoid war three decades ago) aren't worthy of a handshake, racket tap *or*, for that matter, any general acknowledgement of persisting on the same plane of existence, either, I guess.



It's a good thing Svitolina wasn't playing Irina Spirlea when she zipped past her opponent -- nearly shoulder-to-shoulder at one point -- with nary a glance there at the end.

If so, Jannik Sinner might have been involved in the *second*-biggest controversy of the week.
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1. Cleveland 1st Rd. - Ana Bodgan def. Leylah Fernandez
...1-6/7-6(2)/6-2. Despite dropping seven of the first eight games in the match, and seeing Fernandez serve for the win at 6-1/5-4, Bogdan rallies to win a 2nd set TB and 3rd set en route to the QF, by far her best result since her Cluj runner-up six months ago.


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2. Monterrey 1st Rd. - Maria Lourdes Carle def. Veronika Kudermetva
...1-6/7-5/6-4. Part of the long overdue resurgence of Argentinian women's tennis, Carle's comeback victory over Kudermetova from a set and a break down (6-1/4-3), then 3-1 back in the 3rd, preceeds her being one of *three* Argentines in the U.S. Open MD (w/ Nadia Podoroska and qualifier Solana Sierra), the second most of any North or South American nation behind only the United States.


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3. Monterrey 2nd Rd. - Erika Andreeva def. Danielle Collins
...1-6/6-3/6-3. Hey, sis. Look what I can do, too!

Andreeva's first Top 20 victory set the stage for her maiden tour QF and a new career high ranking, though her sister Mirra (ranked about 50 spots above her) could very well set the family bar *still higher* in New York.


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Hmmm, so the men's #1 puts up *two* positive tests, but the results aren't immediately made public, he's allowed to play on in the season, and he isn't tagged with a virtual scarlet letter and made to withstand unending attacks on his character and career accomplishments before his case has been heard and an official ruling issued. He's given a quick hearing and a final judgment that deems him to be of "no fault" and he can now immediately go forward (minus some points and prize money) without any *real* provisional suspension being served while things are sorted out, while being made to twist in the wind and stare down the loss of sponsorships and (maybe) his career (Sinner is too young for that, though others haven't been) before even being able to *present* his case to the authorities, and then sitting out still longer while going through more hearings and cases before finally "winning" the case in the end.

Simona Halep, Maria Sharapova, Tara Moore and others would like a word.

Halep's "final judgment," for one, ruled her ultimate suspension to be far *shorter* than the time she was made to fight and wait just to get a ruling; while Sharapova had been legally taking meldonium for a decade before it was added (and only noted in the fine print of an offseason email) to the banned list just a few weeks before her positive test, so *clearly* (unless she was considered to be an imbecile) someone hadn't seen the notice and an "accident" had occurred.

All were purposely -- and sometimes vindictively, as anyone knows who was paying attention -- put through the wringer (Step 1: suspension and public shaming) and damaged in ways that could never be overturned no matter the final ruling, while Sinner was believed (others had to try to prove their innocence, step by step by step by step, but his was automatically assumed), protected and handled with extreme care ("hey, remember that thing no one knew about...? Yeah, it was nothing, so you guys don't need to worry about it"), though all three ultimately received "no fault" judgments at the end of very different processes.



You don't think the likes of Sharapova going on the offensive and making the test announcement first herself (robbing the Alphabets of their "glory moment") and/or Halep quickly and vigorously denying any wrongdoing, shining a light on the feet-dragging, etc. had anything to do with the -- cough-cough -- different treatment (amongst other obvious reasons), do you? First you must kiss the ring, after all.



Now, that said, *this* is how these things *should* be handled. Much of the talk over the "differences" in the cases, etc. is somewhat warranted (though "inadvertent" contamination didn't prevent immediate suspensions from being enacted in the past, as has been the case with players who simply missed tests, often due to the lack of common sense practiced by the testers), but since Sinner received precious little punishment that's really beside the point.

The *real* issue here is the vast double standard applied with Sinner versus the cases of other players (mostly WTA, but some ATP, too, who weren't as young or "beloved" as Sinner has quickly become) in recent years.



And if the differences in how this case played out came down to "better" lawyers being the reason the Sinner case was handled so differently, that just points out still more "inequities" (at best) in the process, since a player in a similar "accidental positive" case wouldn't have the ability to throw as much money at the problem and have people to handle it so well (and discreetly), and I doubt they'd have such a key "in" in the deal, either, since apparently one of Sinner's high-grade lawyer's clients (or former client) has links to the International Tennis Integrity Agency, one of the Alphabets involved in the thick of all these issues.

When it comes down to how much money the athlete has at hand and who he/she knows, therein lies the *first* problem for any system that dare to use word "integrity" in the name of any group involved, or the actions they undertake.

If this (don't suspend or go public until the case is over, and get it over quickly... as well as not treating every tiny infraction as an assault on all civilization and worthy of flogging with barbed wire) is how these cases are going to be handled from here forward, well, maybe someone *finally* learned something from the Halep fiasco.

But let's see how the *next* big case goes. (I bet I know what the answer will be.)



It's hardly ever a wrong step to paraphrase Orwell, I've always believed.

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Hmmm, I wonder how many sponsorships might offer bonuses to Sinner for each week he's ranked #1? And, if so, how much of that prize money fine he'll get returned to his pocket with that erroneous "additional" (i.e. bogus) week atop the rankings?

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Exactly. The sport is multi-generational, and one replaces the next that replaces the next, etc.

While some fans might not "get over" their favorite exiting the stage, as far as the sport goes, every page is immediately turned.

It's been "Roger who?" for a few years now, just like it quickly became "Steffi who?," and will become "Rafa who?," and is already "Andy who?" and, yes, even "Serena who?" They aren't *forgotten*, but everything and everyone just makes due and move on, just like with anything in life, if you know what's good for you.

In this sport, only the Tennis Gods persist in their original form.

Also, I'm *shocked* (!!!) -- yeah, not really -- that some people found a new reason to attack Raducanu. Imagine that. Zzzzzzzzzzz.



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Speaking of double standards and penalties not being fairly doled out. The match should have ended *right there*, no questions asked nor needing to be answered.



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View...




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No. No, we do not. Nothing in the sport is more meaningless/pointless than the first set and a half of a best-of-five men's match at a major.


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*TOP U.S. OPEN Q-ROUND PLAYERS*

1. Yuliia Starodubtseva, UKR (24, #146)
...the Ukrainian completed a successful qualifying run at a fourth consecutive '24 major, taking out Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, Gao Xinyu and Sonay Kartal. Starodubtseva reached the 2nd Round at SW19.


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2. Priscilla Hon, AUS (26, #205)
...one of five Aussies to make their way through qualifying, Hon's week included a 6-1/6-0 blowout of #23 Daria Snigur (who upset Simona Halep in the 1st Rd. two years ago) and win over top Q-seed Kamilla Rakhimova in the final round. This will be Hon's first slam MD since the '22 AO, and first in New York since '19.
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3. Maya Joint, AUS (18, #136)
...the youngest of the Aussie qualifiers, and the sixth teenager to join the field of 128, Joint secured her slam MD debut with a win over #3 Hailey Baptiste.



The Michigan-born Joint is a Texas Longhorn commit for tennis this fall.
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4. Ena Shibahara, JPN (26, #218)
...the consistent doubles power -- a '23 AO finalist, '21 WI semifinalist and '20 RG quarterfinalist -- makes her slam singles MD debut after deciding that she'd work to make a go as a solo act this season. Even before this week, Shibahara had reached her first singles challenger final, won her first title and is on the cusp of crackinf the Top 200.


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5. Jessika Ponchet, FRA (27, #143)
...the Pastry didn't drop a set all week, knocking off #7 Jana Fett, Lucija Ciric Bagaric and Elli Mandlik.
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*OTHER US QUALIFIERS*

Destanee Aiava, AUS (24/#180)...ended the run of Ana Konjuh (in her second event since April) in the Q3 to reach her first slam MD outside of Australia

Marina Bassols Ribera, ESP (24/#115)...makes her slam MD debut after preventing a *sixth* Aussie (Talia Gibson) from getting a Q3 victory

Kimberly Birrell, AUS (26/#147)...a LL in New York a year ago, Birrell plays her way into a slam MD for the first time. Aside from her LL U.S. appearance, her other six slam MD came via wild cards.

Nao Hibino, JPN (29/#157)...she hasn't posted a slam MD win since '21, but after relying on LL berths to reach three MD in 2022-23, Hibino has earned a spot in all four major 1st Rounds (w/ the first 3 via automatic entry) in '24

Varvara Lepchenko, USA (38/#196)...after weathering past suspensions, Lepchenko will play in her first slam MD since the '21 RG. With a U.S. Round of 16 (2015) under her belt, the 38-year old will be the oldest woman in the singles draw.

Ann Li, USA (24/#131)...with fellow qualifier Lepchenko, Li runs the total number of Bannerettes in the draw to 21

Eva Lys, GER (22/#113)...she's qualified at three straight majors

Arina Rodionova, AUS (34/#118)...the oldest of the five Aussie qualifiers, Rodionova will play in just her third U.S. MD since her qualifying debut sixteen years ago in 2008 (she's lost in the Q-round ten times)

Gabriela Ruse, ROU (26/#123)...two consecutive slam Q-runs, and two consecutive in New York

Aliaksandra Sasnovich, BLR (30/#101)...the Belarusian dropeed no sets, and at just outside the Top 100 she's the highest ranked of all the qualifiers

Solana Sierra, ARG (20/#159)...after falling in qualifying in 2024's first three majors, she'll make her slam MD debut after rallying from 6-1/4-0 down vs. Usue Arconada in the final round

*US LUCKY LOSERS (as of August 24)*

Kamilla Rakhimova, RUS (22/#104)




*RECENT U.S. OPEN "Q-PLAYER OF THE WEEK" WINNERS*
2014 Aleksandra Krunic, SRB
2015 Jessica Pegula, USA
2016 Taylor Townsend, USA
2017 Kaia Kanepi, EST
2018 Genie Bouchard, CAN
2019 Peng Shuai, CHN
2020 DNP Q
2021 Rebecca Marino, CAN
2022 Sara Bejlek, CZE
2023 Wang Yafan, CHN
2024 Yuliia Starodubtseva, UKR
[2024 slams]
AO: Alina Korneeva, RUS
RG: Jule Niemeier, GER
WI: Katie Volynets, USA
US: Yuliia Starodubtseva, UKR




US Q1 - Mananchaya Sawangkaew def. #26 Laura Pigossi 6-4/6-0
...Thailand's Sawangkaew, a 22-year old Oklahoma State product ranked #182, pulls the big upset here over Pigossi, then knocked off Celine Naef 6-2/7-6(5) in the next round to get within a win of her maiden tour-level MD.



Sawangkaew fell to Arina Rodionova in the final round. Her only previous appearances in tour-level events were in qualifying in Hua Hin in 2020, and Wimbledon earlier this year. She lost her first match both times.
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US Q1 - Francesca Jones def. #5 Rebeka Masarova 6-1/2-6/7-6(10-6)
...Jones wins a duel with Masarova, who'd erased the Brit's 5-1 3rd set lead to force a TB. The Spaniard led 4-2 in the MTB, but Jones rallied to secure the victory.

Unfortunately, as is often the case with Jones, a big win was followed by a retirement in the next round vs. Ena Shibahara.
===============================================
US Q1 - Elli Mandlik def. #27 Sara Bejlek 6-3/6-4
US Q1 - Kristina Mladenovic def. Linda Fruhvirtova 3-6/6-3/6-3
...the Crushers are hitting a bad patch, at least when it comes to slam qualifying.

None of the four Czechs made it through RG qualifying this spring, and five failed to do so at SW19. In New York, the Czech Collective was a combined 0-4 in their opening round matches, with quick exits by Bejlek, L.Fruhvirtova, Linda Klimovicova and Gabriela Knutson.

Bejlek has made it through qualifying four times over the last two and a half slam seasons, but went 0-4 in 1st Round matches. In her other five slam qualifying attempts, the teenager has been one-round-and-out all five times.

Meanwhile, L.Fruhvirtova was the first of the Crushers to win a tour title, taking Chennai in 2022. She reached the 2nd Round of the '22 U.S. Open, and Round of 16 at the '23 AO. Since then, the Czech's slam results line is this: 1r-1r-1r-1r-Q2-Q2-Q1. Over the course of the last two full tour seasons, Fruhvirtova has gone a combined 40-52, and hasn't been past the 2nd Round in any tour-level event this season. After being in the Top 50 in June of last year, she was at #138 at the start of U.S. Open qualifying.
===============================================
US Q3 - #20 Gabriela Ruse def. Alex Eala 6-1/1-6/6-4
...as 2025 begins, Eala will *still* be trying to become the first woman from the Philippines to reach a slam singles MD. The 19-year old, the U.S. Open girls' champ in 2022, posted qualifying wins over Maddison Inglis and #15 Nuria Parrizas Diaz this week, but fell to Ruse in three sets, once again one round short of history.

Earlier this season, Eala lost in the final qualifying round for both Roland Garros *and* Wimbledon, as well.
===============================================

*MULTI-SLAM QUALIFIERS IN 2024*
4 - Yuliia Starodubtseva, UKR (AO-RG-WI-US)
3 - Eva Lys, GER (RG-WI-US)
3 - Katie Volynets, USA (AO-RG-WI)
2 - Olivia Gadecki, AUS (AO-WI)
2 - Leolia Jeanjean, FRA (AO-RG)
2 - McCartney Kessler, USA (AO-WI)
2 - Gabriela Ruse, ROU (WI-US)
2 - Daria Snigur, UKR (AO-WI)
2 - Lulu Sun, SUI/NZL (AO-WI)

*US OPEN WILD CARDS*
Bianca Andreescu, CAN (24)
Amanda Anisimova, USA (22)
Iva Jovic, USA (16)*
McCartney Kessler, USA (25)
Alexa Noel, USA (21)*
Naomi Osaka, JPN (26)
Chloe Paquet, FRA (30)
Taylah Preston, AUS (18)
-
* - slam MD debut

*US OPEN - MD PROTECTED RANKING*
Kateryna Baindl, UKR (30)
Lauren Davis, USA (30)
Julia Grabher, AUT (28)
Shelby Rogers, USA (31)
Ajla Tomljanovic, AUS (31)
Wang Qiang, CHN (32)
Zhang Shuai, CHN (35)
Zheng Saisai, CHN (30)

*2024 US OPEN - MOST IN MD (NATIONS) - as of Aug.24*
21 - United States
11 - Russia
8 - Australia
8 - China
7 - Czech Republic
7 - France
7 - Ukraine
5 - Germany
5 - Italy
5 - Spain
[ages]
33 - 30-and-over
6 - 19-and under




A little bit of something different (inspired by the "prediction" -- for what it was worth -- at Wimbledon that the champion wouldn't be a Top 4 seed -- it was #31 Krejcikova), something of a collection of "prop bet" (but not quite) predictions for the U.S. Open...

U.S. OPEN PREDICTIONS
1. Zhang Shuai will end her 22-match losing streak
2. Iga Swiatek will win a 1r/2r match while losing 1 or fewer total games
3. The '24 champion will come from the Top 6 seeds (five times since 2015 the Open has been won by a player outside the Top 6)
4. Dark Horse pick from outside the Top 8: Paula Badosa
5. No more than one '23 quarterfinalist will reach the final eight in '24. (2023 QF: Gauff/Ostapenko, Cirstea/Muchova, Vondrousova/Keys, Zheng/Sabalenka... Cirstea and Vondrousova are DNP this year.)


*YOUNGEST 2024 SLAM...*
=WC=
US - Iva Jovic, USA (16)
AO - Taylah Preston, AUS (18)
AO - Taylah Preston, AUS (18)

=Q=
AO - Alina Korneeva, RUS (16)
AO - Brenda Fruhvirtova, CZE (16)
AO - Sara Bejlek, CZE (17)
AO - Ella Seidel, GER (18)
US - Maya Joint, AUS (18)
WI - Marina Stakusic, CAN (19)
WI - Anca Todoni, ROU (19)
WI - Robin Montgomery, USA (19)

=LL=
AO - none
WI - Erika Andreeva, RUS (20)
WI - Elsa Jacquemot, FRA (21)
RG - Hailey Baptiste, USA (22)
US - Kamilla Rakhimova, RUS (22)
WI - Olga Danilovic, SRB (23)

=PR=
AO - Emma Raducanu, GBR (21)
AO - Amanda Anisimova, USA (22)

=OLDEST 2023 SLAM...=
=WC=
WI - Angelique Kerber, GER (36)
RG - Alize Cornet, FRA (34)
AO - Alize Cornet, FRA (33)
WI - Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (33)
AO - Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (33)
WI - Heather Watson, GBR (32)
RG - Kristina Mladenovic, FRA (31)
WI - Ajla Tomljanovic, AUS (31)
RG - Ajla Tomljanovic, AUS (31)

=Q=
US - Varvara Lepchenko, USA (38)
RG - Sara Errani, ITA (37)
US - Arina Rodionova, AUS (34)
AO - Rebecca Marino, CAN (33)
US - Aliaksandra Sasnovich, BLR (30)

=LL=
AO - none
RG - Jana Fett, CRO (27)
WI - Renata Zarazua, MEX (26)
RG - Dalma Galfi, HUN (25)
RG - Panna Udvardy, HUN (25)

=PR=
RG - Angelique Kerber, GER (36)
AO - Angelique Kerber, GER (35)
US - Zhang Shuai, CHN (35)
WI - Zhang Shuai, CHN (35)
RG - Irina-Camelia Begu, ROU (33)
RG - Irina-Camelia Begu, ROU (33)
US - Wang Qiang, CHN (32)
WI - Wang Qiang, CHN (32)
US - Shelby Rogers, USA (31)
AO - Shelby Rogers, USA (31)
RG - Aleksandra Krunic, SRB (31)
US - Ajla Tomljanovic, AUS (31)

=MAKING SLAM MD DEBUTS (*-won in 1r)=
=AUTOMATIC ENTRY MD=
AO - none
RG - Maria Lourdes Carle, ARG
WI - none
US - none

=WC=
AO - McCartney Kessler, USA*
AO - Taylah Preston, AUS
RG - none
WI - none
US - Iva Jovic, USA
US - Alexa Noel, USA

=Q=
AO - Alina Korneeva, RUS*
AO - Ella Seidel, GER
AO - Yuliia Starodubtseva, UKR
AO - Lulu Sun, SUI
AO - Maria Timofeeva, RUS*
AO - Anastasia Zakharova, RUS*
RG - Julia Avdeeva, RUS
RG - Irene Burillo Escorihuela, ESP
RG - Lucija Ciric-Bagaric, CRO
RG - Julia Riera, ARG
RG - Zeynep Sonmez, TUR
WI - Marina Stakusic, CAN
WI - Anca Todoni, ROU*
US - Marina Bassols Ribera, ESP
US - Maya Joint, AUS
US - Ena Shibahara, JPN
US - Solana Sierra, ARG

=LOW-RANKED 2024 SLAM QUALIFIERS=
#295 - Sonay Kartal, GBR (WI)
#280 - Irene Burillo Escorihuela, ESP (RG)
#218 - Ena Shibahara, JPN (US)
#205 - Priscilla Hon, AUS (US)
#196 - Varvara Lepchenko, USA (US)
#191 - Anastasia Zakharova, RUS (AO)
#189 - Lulu Sun, SUI (AO)
#188 - Julia Avdeeva, RUS (RG)

=LL=
#151 - Elsa Jacquemot, FRA (WI)
#147 - Dalma Galfi, HUN (RG)
#132 - Panna Udvardy, HUN (RG)
#126 - Jana Fett, CRO (RG)
#123 - Olga Danilovic, SRB (WI)

*2024 U.S. OPEN...*
=youngest=
16 - Iva Jovic, USA (WC) - DOB: December 6, 2007
17 - Mirra Andreeva, RUS - DOB: April 29, 2007
17 - Brenda Fruhvirtova, CZE - DOB: April 2, 2007
18 - Maya Joint, AUS (Q) - DOB: April 16, 2006
18 - Taylah Preston, AUS (WC) - DOB: October 27, 2005
19 - Linda Noskova, CZE - DOB: November 17, 2004
=youngest - 2024 slams=
16 - AO: Alina Korneeva, RUS (Q) - DOB: June 23, 2007
16 - AO: Mirra Andreeva, RUS - DOB: April 29, 2007
16 - AO: Brenda Fruhvirtova, CZE (Q) - DOB: April 2, 2007
16 - US: Iva Jovic, USA (WC) - DOB: December 6, 2007
17 - AO: Sara Bejlek, CZE (Q) - DOB: January 31, 2006
17 - RG: Mirra Andreeva, RUS - DOB: April 29, 2007
17 - WI: Mirra Andreeva, RUS - DOB: April 29, 2007
17 - US: Mirra Andreeva, RUS - DOB: April 29, 2007
17 - WI: Brenda Fruhvirtova, CZE - DOB: April 2, 2007
17 - US: Brenda Fruhvirtova, CZE - DOB: April 2, 2007

*2024 U.S. OPEN...*
=oldest=
38 - Varvara Lepchenko, USA (Q) - DOB: May 21, 1986
37 - Sara Errani, ITA - DOB: April 29, 1987
36 - Tatjana Maria, GER - DOB: August 8, 1987
36 - Laura Siegemund, GER - DOB: March 4, 1988
35 - Zhang Shuai, CHN (PR) - DOB: January 21, 1989
35 - Lesia Tsurenko, UKR - DOB: May 30, 1989
35 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR - DOB: July 31, 1989
34 - Arina Rodionova, AUS (Q) - DOB: December 15, 1989
34 - Caroline Wozniacki, DEN - DOB: July 11, 1990
=oldest - 2024 slams=
38 - US: Varvara Lepchenko, USA (Q) - DOB: May 21, 1986
37 - US: Sara Errani, ITA - DOB: April 29, 1987
37 - WI: Sara Errani, ITA - DOB: April 29, 1987
37 - RG: Sara Errani, ITA - DOB: April 29, 1987
36 - US: Tatjana Maria, GER - DOB: August 8, 1987
36 - US: Laura Siegemund, GER - DOB: March 4, 1988
36 - WI: Tatjana Maria, GER - DOB: August 8, 1987
36 - WI: Laura Siegemund, GER - DOB: March 4, 1988
36 - WI: Angelique Kerber, GER (WC) - DOB: January 18, 1988
36 - RG: Tatjana Maria, GER - DOB: August 8, 1987
36 - RG: Angelique Kerber, GER (PR) - DOB: January 18, 1988
36 - RG: Laura Siegemund, GER - DOB: March 4, 1988
36 - AO: Sara Errani, ITA - DOB: April 29, 1987
36 - AO: Tatjana Maria, GER - DOB: August 8, 1987

*IN WOMEN'S SLAM SINGLES MD...*
[oldest]
=2022=
AO: Samantha Stosur, AUS (37)
RG: Kaia Kanepi, EST (36)
WI: Serena Williams, USA (40)
US: Venus Williams, USA (42)
=2023=
AO: Kaia Kanepi, EST (37)
RG: Kaia Kanepi, EST (37)
WI: Venus Williams, USA (43)
US: Venus Williams, USA (43)
=2024=
AO: Sara Errani, ITA (36)
RG: Sara Errani, ITA (37)
WI: Sara Errani, ITA (37)
US: Varvara Lepchenko, USA (38)
[youngest]
=2022=
AO: Coco Gauff, USA (17)
RG: Linda Noskova, CZE (17)
WI: Coco Gauff, USA (18)
US: Sara Bejlek, CZE (16)
=2023=
AO: Brenda Fruhvirtova, CZE (15)
RG: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (16)
WI: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (16)
US: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (16)
=2024=
AO: Alina Korneeva, RUS (16)
RG: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (17)
WI: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (17)
US: Iva Jovic, USA (16)








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kosova-font

*2024 FIRST-TIME WTA CHAMPIONS*
Hobart - Emma Navarro, USA (22/#31)
Hua Hin - Diana Shnaider, RUS (19/#108)
Austin - Yuan Yue, CHN (25/#68)
Rabat - Peyton Stearns, USA (22/#81)
Iasi - Mirra Andreeva, RUS (17/#32)
Cleveland - McCartney Kessler, USA (25/#98)
Monterrey - LINDA NOSKOVA, CZE (19/#35)

*2024 YOUNGEST WTA CHAMPIONS*
17 - Mirra Andreeva, RUS (Iasi)
19 - Coco Gauff, USA (Auckland)
19 - Diana Shnaider, RUS (Hua Hin)
19 - LINDA NOSKOVA, CZE (Monterrey)
20 - Diana Shnaider (Bad Homburg)
20 - Diana Shnaider (Budapest)
21 - Zheng Qinwen (Palermo)
21 - Zheng Qinwen (Olympics)

*2024 LOW-RANKED WTA CHAMPIONS*
#108 - Diana Shnaider (Hua Hin)
#98 - McCARTNEY KESSLER (Cleveland)
#85 - Camila Osorio (Bogota)
#81 - Peyton Stearns (Rabat)
#78 - Karolina Pliskova (Cluj-Napoca)
#68 - Yuan Yue (Austin)
#62 - Paula Badosa (Washington)

*2024 FIRST-TIME WTA FINALISTS*
Emma Navarro, USA (#31/22 = Hobart)-W
Diana Shnaider, RUS (#108/19 = Hua Hin)-W
Anna Kalinskaya, RUS (#40/25 = Dubai)
Mirra Andreeva, RUS (#32/17 = Iasi)-W)
Elina Avanesyan, RUS (#76/21 = Iasi)
Magdalena Frech, POL (#57/26 = Prague)
LULU SUN, NZL (#57/23 = Monterrey)
McCARTNEY KESSLER, USA (#98/25 = Cleveland)-W

*2024 BEST WILD CARD (unseeded) RESULTS*
W - Paula Badosa - Washington (def. Bouzkova)
W - McCARTNEY KESSLER - Cleveland (Haddad Maia)
RU - Bianca Andreescu - Rosmalen (L- Samsonova)
SF - Dasha Saville - Hobart (L- Mertens)
SF - Emma Raducanu - Nottingham (L- Boulter)
SF - Laura Samson - Prague (L- Frech)

*AGE OF RECENT CZECHS' FIRST WTA TITLES*
15 - Nicole Vaidisova (2004)
17 - Daja Bedanova (2000)
17 - Marketa Vondrousova (2017)
17 - Linda Fruhvirtova (2022)
18 - Lucie Safarova (2005)
18 - Petra Kvitova (2009)
19 - LINDA NOSKOVA (2024)
20 - Karolina Pliskova (2013)
20 - Katerina Siniakova (2017)
21 - Iveta Benesova (2004)
22 - Kveta Peschke (nee' Hrdlickova) (1998)
23 - Klara Koukalova (2005)
23 - Kristyna Pliskova (2016)
23 - Karolina Muchova (2019)
24 - Marie Bouzkova (2022)
25 - Barbora Strycova (2011)

*2024 WTA TITLES - U.S.*
2 - Jessie Pegula (Berlin,Toronto)
2 - Danielle Collins (Miami,Charleston)
1 - Coco Gauff (Auckland)
1 - McCARTNEY KESSLER (Cleveland)
1 - Madison Keys (Strasbourg)
1 - Emma Navarro (Hobart)
1 - Peyton Stearns (Rabat)
1 - Sloane Stephens (Rouen)
[finals - North Americans]
3 - Danielle Collins, USA (2-1)
3 - Jessie Pegula, USA (2-1)
1 - Coco Gauff, USA (1-0)
1 - McCARTNEY KESSLER, USA (1-0)
1 - Madison Keys, USA (1-0)
1 - Emma Navarro, USA (1-0)
1 - Peyton Stearns, USA (1-0)
1 - Sloane Stephens, USA (1-0)
1 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (0-1)
1 - Amanda Anisimova, USA (0-1)
1 - Leylah Fernandez, CAN (0-1)

*U.S. WOMAN WINS MAIDEN WTA TITLE - since 2019*
2019: Sofia Kenin (Hobart)
2019: Amanda Anisimova (Bogota)
2019: Jessica Pegula (Washington)
2019: Coco Gauff (Linz)
2020: Jennifer Brady (Lexington)
2021: Danielle Collins (Palermo)
2021: Ann Li (Tenerife)
2022: Bernarda Pera (Budapest)
2023: Alycia Parks (Lyon)
2023: Ashlyn Krueger (Osaka)
2024: Emma Navarro (Hobart)
2024: Peyton Stearns (Rabat)
2024: McCartney Kessler (Cleveland)

*MOST DIFFERENT U.S. CHAMPIONS in SEASON (since 1998)*
=1999 (8)=
S.Williams,V.Williams,Capriati,Davenport,Frazier,Morariu,Rubin,Seles
=2000 (8)=
S.Williams,V.Williams,Capriati,Davenport,Raymond,Rubin,Seles,Shaughnessy
=2024 (8)=
Gauff,Kessler,Navarro,Collins,Stephens,Keys,Stearns,Pegula
=2001 (7)=
S.Williams,V.Williams,Capriati,Davenport,Seles,Shaughnessy,Tu
=2002 (7)=
S.Williams,V.Williams,Capriati,Craybas,Raymond,Rubin,Seles
=2016 (7)=
S.Williams,V.Williams,Falconi,Keys,McHale,Puig(PUR),Stephens,Vandeweghe

*MOST DIFFERENT CHAMPIONS in SEASON (since 2007)*
=2010 (9)=
RUS - Chakvetadze,Dementieva,Kleybanova,Kudryavtseva,Kuznetsova,Makarova,Pavlyuchenkova,Sharapova,Zvonareva
=2007 (8)=
RUS - Chakvetadze,Dementieva,Kirilenko,Kuznetsova,Petrova,Safina,Sharapova,Shvedova
=2024 (8)=
USA - Collins,Gauff,Kessler,Keys,Navarro,Pegula,Stearns,Stephens

*MOST WTA SF in 2024*
9 - Iga Swiatek (4-4 +W)
7 - Elena Rybakina (5-2)
6 - Aryna Sabalenka (4-2)
6 - Jessie Pegula (3-2 +L)
6 - EMMA NAVARRO (1-5)
6 - Coco Gauff (1-5)
5 - EKATERINA ALEXANDROVA (1-4)

*2024 FIRST-TIME WTA SEMIFINALISTS*
Cluj-Napoca: Harriet Dart, GBR (27/#103)
Roland Garros: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (17/#38)
Iasi: Elina Avanesyan, RUS (21/#76)-RU
Prague: Magdalena Frech, POL (26/#57)-RU
Prague: Laura Samson, CZE (16/#634)
Monterrey: LULU SUN, NZL (23/#57)-RU
Cleveland: McCARTNEY KESSLER, USA (25/#98)-W

*2024 WTA DOUBLES TITLES*
4 - CRISTINA BUCSA, ESP
4 - Katerina Siniakova, CZE
3 - Sara Errani, ITA
3 - Jasmine Paolini, ITA
3 - Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
3 - Irina Khromacheva, RUS
3 - Elise Mertens, BEL
3 - Asia Muhammad, USA
3 - Taylor Townsend, USA

*2024 OLDEST WTA WD/MX CHAMPIONS*
38 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (Miami)
38 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (Abu Dhabi)
38 - Hsieh Su-wei (Wimbledon MX)
38 - Hsieh Su-wei (Berlin)
38 - Hsieh Su-wei (Indian Wells)
38 - Hsieh Su-wei (Australian Open)
38 - Hsieh Su-wei (Australian Open MX)
37 - Sara Errani (Olympics)
37 - Sara Errani (Rome)
36 - Sara Errani (Linz)
36 - Laura Siegemund (Roland Garros MX)
36 - Monica Niculescu (Strasbourg)
36 - Bibiane Schoofs (Rosmalen)
36 - MONICA NICULESCU (Monterrey)





**RECENT WOMEN'S U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS**
2010 Kim Clijsters, BEL
2011 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2012 Serena Williams, USA
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2014 Serena Williams, USA
2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER
2017 Sloane Stephens, USA
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN
2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN
2020 Naomi Osaka, JPN
2021 Emma Raducanu, GBR
2022 Iga Swiatek, POL
2023 Coco Gauff, USA

**RECENT U.S. OPEN TOP SEEDS**
2010 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (SF)
2011 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (SF)
2012 Victoria Azarenka, BLR (RU)
2013 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2014 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2015 Serena Williams, USA (SF)
2016 Serena Williams, USA (SF)
2017 Karolina Pliskova, CZE (QF)
2018 Simona Halep, ROU (1st)
2019 Naomi Osaka, JPN (4th)
2020 Karolina Pliskova, CZE (2nd)
2021 Ash Barty, AUS (3rd)
2022 Iga Swiatek, POL (W)
2023 Iga Swiatek, POL (4th)
2024 Iga Swiatek, POL

**EARLIEST EXIT BY SLAM #1 at U.S. OPEN**
2018 1st Rd. - Simona Halep (lost to Kaia Kanepi)
1966 2nd Rd. - Billie Jean King (lost to Kerry Melville)
2008 2nd Rd. - Ana Ivanovic (lost to Julie Coin)
2020 2nd Rd. - Karolina Pliskova (lost to Caroline Garcia)

**EARLIEST EXIT BY SLAM #1**
[pre-Open era]
1962 Wimbledon 1st Rd. - Margaret Court (lost to Billie Jean Moffitt)
[Open era]
1979 Australian Open 1st Rd. - Virginia Ruzici (lost to Mary Sawyer)
1994 Wimbledon 1st Rd. - Steffi Graf (lost to Lori McNeil)
1999 Wimbledon 1st Rd. - Martina Hingis (lost to Jelena Dokic)
2001 Wimbledon 1st Rd. - Martina Hingis (lost to Virginia Ruano Pascual)
2017 Roland Garros 1st Rd. - Angelique Kerber (lost to Ekaterina Makarova)
2018 US Open 1st Rd. - Simona Halep (lost to Kaia Kanepi)

**World Number 1's Slam Bests (29) at U.S. OPEN**
[W - 16]
Austin, Clijsters, Davenport, Evert, Graf, Henin, Hingis, Kerber, Navratilova, Osaka, Sanchez Vicario, Seles, Sharapova, Swiatek, S.Williams, V.Williams
[RU - 6]
Azarenka, Goolagong, Jankovic, Pliskova, Sabalenka, Wozniacki
[SF - 4]
Capriati, Halep, Mauresmo, Safina
[QF - 1]
Ivanovic
[4th Rd. - 2]
Barty, Muguruza

**RECENT U.S. OPEN DC OUT IN SLAM 1st RD.**
2005 Svetlana Kuznetsova
2017 Angelique Kerber
2022 Emma Raducanu

**FIRST-TIME SLAM CHAMPS AT U.S. OPEN - OPEN ERA**
1968 Virginia Wade, GBR
1979 Tracy Austin, USA
1990 Gabriela Sabatini, ARG
1998 Lindsay Davenport, USA
1999 Serena Williams, USA
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2005 Kim Clijsters, BEL
2011 Samantha Stosur, AUS
2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2017 Sloane Stephens, USA
2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN
2019 Bianca Andreescu, CAN
2021 Emma Raducanu, GBR
2023 Coco Gauff, USA

**LOW-SEEDED U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS - OPEN ERA**
Unseeded/Wild Card - Kim Clijsters, BEL (2009)
Unseeded - Sloane Stephens, USA (2017)
Qualifier - Emma Raducanu, GBR (2021)
#26 - Flavia Pennetta, ITA (2015)
#20 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2018)
#15 - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (2019)
#9 - Samantha Stosur, AUS (2011)
#9 - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (2004)
#7 - Serena Williams, USA (1999)
#6 - Virginia Wade, GBR (1968)
#6 - Coco Gauff, USA (2023)

**LOW-RANKED U.S. OPEN FINALISTS - since 1975**
Unranked - Kim Clijsters, 2009 (W)
#150 - Emma Raducanu, 2021 (W)
#83 - Sloane Stephens, 2017 (W)
#73 - Leylah Fernandez, 2021
#66 - Venus Williams, 1997

*U.S. OPEN DEFENDING CHAMP RESULTS - OPEN ERA*
1968 Virginia Wade (SF)
1969 Margaret Smith-Court (W)
1970 Margaret Smith-Court (DNP; SF in '72)
1971 Billie Jean King (W)
1972 Billie Jean King (3rd Rd.)
1973 Margaret Smith-Court (DNP; QF in '75)
1974 Billie Jean King (DNP; QF in '77)
1975 Chris Evert (W)
1976 Chris Evert (W)
1977 Chris Evert (W)
1978 Chris Evert (RU)
1979 Tracy Austin (SF)
1980 Chris Evert-Lloyd (SF)
1981 Tracy Austin (QF)
1982 Chris Evert-Lloyd (RU)
1983 Martina Navratilova (W)
1984 Martina Navratilova (RU)
1985 Hana Mandlikova (4th Rd.)
1986 Martina Navratilova (W)
1987 Martina Navratilova (QF)
1988 Steffi Graf (W)
1989 Steffi Graf (RU)
1990 Gabriela Sabatini (QF)
1991 Monica Seles (W)
1992 Monica Seles (DNP-stabbing; RU in '95)
1993 Steffi Graf (RU)
1994 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (4th Rd.)
1995 Steffi Graf (W)
1996 Steffi Graf (DNP; 4th Rd. in '98)
1997 Martina Hingis (RU)
1998 Lindsay Davenport (SF)
1999 Serena Williams (QF)
2000 Venus Williams (W)
2001 Venus Williams (RU)
2002 Serena Williams (DNP; QF in '04)
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne (4th Rd.)
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova (1st Rd.)
2005 Kim Clijsters (DNP; W in '09)
2006 Maria Sharapova (3rd Rd.)
2007 Justine Henin (DNP; retired)
2008 Serena Williams (SF)
2009 Kim Clijsters (W)
2010 Kim Clijsters (DNP; 2nd Rd. in '12)
2011 Samantha Stosur (QF)
2012 Serena Williams (W)
2013 Serena Williams (W)
2014 Serena Williams (SF)
2015 Flavia Pennetta (DNP; retired)
2016 Angelique Kerber (1st Rd.)
2017 Sloane Stephens (QF)
2018 Naomi Osaka (4th Rd.)
2019 Bianca Andreescu (DNP; 4th Rd. in '21)
2020 Naomi Osaka (3rd Rd.)
2021 Emma Raducanu (1st Rd.)
2022 Iga Swiatek (4th Rd.)
2023 Coco Gauff

**BACK-TO-BACK WIMB/US TITLES - OPEN ERA**
1970 Margaret Court, AUS
1972 Billie Jean King, USA
1976 Chris Evert, USA
1982 Chris Evert-Lloyd, USA
1983 Martina Navratilova, USA
1986 Martina Navratilova, USA
1987 Martina Navratilova, USA
1988 Steffi Graf, GER *
1989 Steffi Graf, GER
1993 Steffi Graf, GER
1995 Steffi Graf, GER
1996 Steffi Graf, GER
1997 Martina Hingis, SUI
2000 Venus Williams, USA *
2001 Venus Williams, USA
2002 Serena Williams, USA
2012 Serena Williams, USA *
--
* - also won Olympic Gold

*RG/US TITLES IN SEASON - OPEN ERA*
1969 Margaret Court, AUS
1970 Margaret Court, AUS
1972 Billie Jean King, USA
1973 Margaret Court, AUS
1975 Chris Evert, USA
1980 Chirs Evert, USA
1984 Martina Navratilova, USA
1988 Steffi Graf, FRG
1991 Monica Seles, YUG
1992 Monica Seles, YUG
1993 Steffi Graf, GER
1994 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, ESP
1995 Steffi Graf, GER
1996 Steffi Graf, GER
2002 Serena Williams, USA
2003 Justine Henin, BEL
2007 Justine Henin, BEL
2013 Serena Williams, USA
2022 Iga Swiatek, POL

*AO/US TITLES IN SEASON - OPEN ERA*
[Sept/Dec finals; 1977-86]
1982 Chris Evert, USA
1983 Martina Navratilova, USA
[Jan/Sept finals]
1969 Margaret Court, AUS
1970 Margaret Court, AUS
1973 Margaret Court, AUS
1988 Steffi Graf, FRG
1989 Steffi Graf, FRG
1991 Monica Seles, YUG
1992 Monica Seles, YUG
1997 Martina Hingis, SUI
2016 Angelique Kerber, GER

**CAREER SLAM #1 SEEDS - active**
11..Iga Swiatek
6...Simona Halep
6...Caroline Wozniacki
3...Victoria Azarenka
2...Naomi Osaka
2...Karolina Pliskova
1...Venus Williams






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Not surprisingly, a lot of those posts from "name" accounts were deleted soon after the blowback they got. I guess they realized that not only Democrats have children with special needs, learning/emotional disabilities or are on the spectrum.

Of course, it shouldn't take *that* political realization to come to the conclusion that one should backtrack from such comments. Hmmm, what *should* be the driving force? Oh, yes... an ounce of human decency and common sense, which clearly very few of them have (since if they did, you know, they wouldn't have posted such things in the first place... but, then again, they're just following the lead of their party's national standard-bearers).

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If I eliminate all four, do I get a prize?


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Yeah, that's exactly how a presidential candidate *should* react to crazy nutjobs.

Of course, if you're also one yourself...



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All for now.
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