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Thursday, September 5, 2024

US.10- Seventh Heaven


Nobody drops Jessie Pegula to 0-7 in career major quarterfinals. Noooobody.




Not even Iga Swiatek. But much of that remains on the world #1's own shoulders.

For all the wins and titles she collects, has any recent #1 looked so completely lost so often when facing a certain type of player -- essentially the only players she has to worry about... so you'd think a gameplan to better combat their kind would be atop her and "Team Iga's" To-Do List -- that they regularly make one question whether she's *really* deserving of the top spot even with the mountain of evidence she's built up that *should* say that such a notion is ridiculous?

But that's where we (still) are with Swiatek, and her QF loss to Pegula on Wednesday night in New York only further highlights that fact.

One of these days, Swiatek will grow tired of falling into the pattern of being shown up by heavy hitters while employing the same exposed and worn-out tactics, often appearing lost (and worse, surprised by what happens) while falling behind early and often, even after winning a U.S. Open title and amassing a large collection of big hard court titles. One of these days, she'll seek to do something about it.

But that moment did not occur on this night. Instead it was another case of "wash, rinse and repeat."

Thing is, with three career wins over Swiatek, Pegula had no particular reason to "fear" Swiatek. Not on this surface, and not even at this event, even if Swiatek *did* defeat her in New York in a QF match-up two years ago en route to her lone title at Flushing Meadows. Since then, Pegula had beaten the Pole twice, though she came into this match having posted just a single game vs. the world #1 in their last meeting, losing 1 & love in the WTA Finals last fall (when Pegula was worn out after a big week of results).

Their summers couldn't have been more different. While Iga played precious little on hard court (3-1, w/ a not-close loss to Aryna Sabalenka) and even lost on the terre battue in the Olympic semis, Pegula (fresher at this point in the season after missing time early in the year with injury) has been the hottest player in North America. She won Toronto and reached the Cincinnati final. 13-1 on hard courts over the past month, Pegula came into the night still with a chance to become the first woman to reach the finals of those two 1000 events *and* the Open in the same season in 51 years.

Once play began, as has often been the case when the world #1 faces players with bigger games on a fast surface, Swiatek seemed unprepared for what she had to know (should have known) she would face, was pressured and rushed into littering the court with errors, and failed to employ the tactics and in-match changes that coach Tomasz Wiktorowski was offering from the stands (again, this is a pattern when Swiatak... do those two not talk and gameplan before these matches, or employ appropriate hitting partners to prepare her for the game she'll face?).

After not facing a BP since the 1st Round, and not losing serve all tournament, Swiatek was broken in both of her first two service games by Pegula, DF'ing to end both games.



Pegula raced out to a 4-0 lead, didn't pull a Badosa, and finished off Swiatek with a 6-2 set. Swiatek committed 19 unforced errors (vs. 3 winners) in the set, seemed out of sort and was surely increasingly frustrated. She put in just 36% of her first serves.

As is her pattern, Swiatek spent quite a bit of time off-court before the 2nd set after losing the 1st, finally returning more than six minutes later (w/ an entirely new outfit).

It didn't take long for Pegula to climb into the lead again, taking a love/40 lead in game 3 and breaking for a 2-1 lead. Swiatek got an important break a game later to stay in contact on the scoreboard, hitting a line with a forehand on BP and getting things back on serve.

But Swiatek continued to play from atop the baseline -- preventing herself from having more time to take swings at Pegula's deep, flat balls -- when a step back might actually make a difference, allow her to play some defense and force Pegula to make more shots to win points. Again, it's a pattern with Swiatek in fast surface match-ups vs. power players that more often than not has blown up in her face. Yet, nothing changes.

Come game 7, Swiatek was playing better, but it still wasn't enough. Pegula's return winner saved Swiatek's first of two GP, then the Bannerette's constant pressure continued to carve out BP chances. Finally, on BP #3, Pegula's deep shots kept Swiatek back, and the Pole's UE ended a rally that gave Pegula a break lead 4-3. Swiatek slammed her racket on the net cord as she walked in front of the umpire's chair on her way to the changeover area.

Pegula held for 5-3, and her roll felt unstoppable as, on the other side of the court, Swiatek's exchanges with Wiktorowski continued to not be of the sort to be accompanied by smiley-face emojis. Nor were they of much use.

Swiatek fell behind 15/30 as she served to stay in the match, but she managed the hold to make Pegula serve it out. It was the perfect opportunity for Pegula to emphatically slam a door on *one* of her remaining negative career narratives. And that she did. Pegula took a 40/love lead. It took three MP to finally seal the deal, as Swiatek only belatedly resembled a world #1 for a few moments on the night until the Pole pulled a backhand wide to end the 6-2/6-4 match.

Pegula's fourth career win over Swiatek made her a first-time slam semifinalist, on her seventh attempt at the QF stage of a slam event.



And with one door closing, another opens for Pegula. The last two U.S. women to win at Flushing Meadows did so with summer flourishes that saw them build to a crescendo that ended with them lifting the trophy at Ashe Stadium. But even if an ultimately triumphant Pegula Summer isn't in the cards, another step into a first major final would look pretty good on the Buffalo native, well.



The last woman to reach the Canada, Cincinnati and U.S. Open finals in a season was Evonne Goolagong in 1973, with the only other to do it was Rosie Casals in 1970. With one more win, Pegula would be the third.

At the same time, Swiatek once again stumbles out of a big event via the exact same pratfall as nearly every other time she's done it.

The well-worn (and probably apocryphal) Einstein quote about the definition of insanity being to do "the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" would seem to apply to the world #1 in cases like this.

How many times, Iga? How many will it take?

Maybe *this* one will cause a sea change of tactics and/or training designed to win precisely these sort of matches. Maybe.

If nothing else, one has to wonder if the coaching dynamic between herself and Wiktorowski might be close to being bad for both of them, and maybe some soul-searching might be in order for Swiatek before the start of the 2025 season, maybe even to the point of some major personnel changes coming to Team Iga.





=DAY 10 NOTES=
...the opening women's QF of Wednesday once again featured Karolina Muchova making the most of an opportunity. In her fifth career major QF, the Czech improved to 4-1 in those matches by defeating #22 Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1/6-4.



The Brazilian was never really in the match, was unable to deal with Muchova's variety of shot, and would surely have preferred to play almost any other type of opponent. Muchova ran off to a 5-0 lead in the 1st, winning it 6-1.

The 2nd set saw Muchova go off court multiple times (often just for a short time) as she dealt with some unannounced issue (she winced on occasion during the match, seeming to signal some sort of hip ailment, but didn't go into detail when asked about it by Pam Shriver immediately after the match, and later said she wasn't dealing with an "injury"). Still, Muchova managed to keep ahead of Haddad Maia, save for one brief instance. Up a break at 3-2, Muchova came back from off-court and DF'd twice (her first DFs of the day) and dropped serve; but the Brazilian could not take advantage of the moment and lost her own serve in the next game.

A beautiful drop and forehand pass combo gave the Czech a 40/love lead in game 8, and she got the hold to lead 5-3. During that game, Haddad Maia was having difficulty catching her breath, and was treated by trainers right away (Muchova took the moment to briefly run off court again). Perhaps complicating Haddad Maia's situation (or at least her head space) was the recent death of one of her absent physio's infant children.

Haddad Maia managed to hold serve for 5-4, then Muchova served out the win, finishing off with an ace. In just her sixth tournament back from wrist surgery after her SF run *last* year in New York, the Czech has yet to lose a set at this U.S. Open.



While several Czechs have reached the U.S. Open semis in the Open era, only one (Hana Mandlikova in 1985) has managed to win it (Martina Navratilova reached one SF, but no finals, while representing Czechoslovakia, but was under the U.S. flag in her eight finals in NYC). The only Czech to reach the U.S. final since Helena Sukova played in her third in 1993 has been Karolina Pliskova in 2016.

The four major semis on Muchova's resume stand behind just Aryna Sabalenka (9) and Iga Swiatek (6) in the 2020s, and she's tied on the list with Coco Gauff.

...meanwhile, the women's doubles final match-up has been set.

Lyudmyla Kichenok & Alona Ostapenko knocked off Chan Hao-ching & Veronika Kudermetova in the semis to reach their second '24 slam final (w/ AO, a loss to Hsieh/Mertens). Ostapenko, a major singles champion and MX finalist ('19 WI), will play for her first doubles slam, while Kichenok will look to add a maiden WD win to her '23 Wimbledon MX crown.



Now, some success for two veteran players who could really use it.

Kristina Mladenovic & Zhang Shuai, two players who've been struggling in singles -- though Mladenonvic has reached a $100K final this year, her solo act is 15-21 overall; while Zhang has lost a record 23 straight matches -- combined to defeat no less than Katerina Siniakova & Taylor Townsend (the reigning Wimbledon champs, while Siniakova also won RG) to advance to their first final as a duo.



Mladenovic has collected six major WD titles, but is 0-2 in U.S. Open finals (2016 and '18). In her eleventh WD slam final, the Pastry also has three MX slam wins. Zhang has a pair of doubles majors, including the '21 U.S. Open crown with Samantha Stosur.

Siniakova won't be adding another trophy to her case, but the Czech finishes the '24 slam season at 19-2 with two titles and two semis. She's also won a MX Gold medal, two additional regular WTA titles and reached the Indian Wells final (all with a handful of partners). The semifinal result, along with Erin Routliffe not defending her '23 U.S. Open title, will lift the Czech back into the #1 doubles ranking next week.

...the junior QF include four Bannerettes. Three -- #3 Iva Jovic and wild cards Valerie Glozman and Annika Penickova (def. #5 Jeline Vandromme) -- fill the four slots in the top half of the draw, while #2 Tyra Caterina Grant is stationed at the bottom.

There has been one all-U.S. junior final in New York in the last 31 years, in 2017 when Amanda Anisimova defeated Coco Gauff. It was the last of three all-Bannerette girls' slam finals that season (w/ RG and WI).

Home favorites have won the U.S. girls' title in two of the last three years ('21 Robin Montgomery, '23 Katherine Hui).

Meanwhile, the Czechs are all gone, but two Brits remain as #8 Mimi Xu and Mika Stojsavljevic (who upset #1 Emerson Jones) remain. #7 Wakana Sonobe (JPN) and #4 Teodora Kostovic (SRB) round out the final eight.

...the Paralympic singles final will resemble the final that might have happened had the rollers been playing in New York, as Diede de Groot and Yui Kamiji will face off for the Gold just as they did three years ago in Tokyo (they also played for the Bronze in Rio in '16, with Kamiji winning). Today de Groot allowed just 3 games to Wang Ziying in the semis at Roland Garors, while Kamiji went three sets vs. Aniek Van Koot in a 6-0/4-6/6-4 win.

De Groot won that final vs. Kamiji in 2021, of course, as she generally does when she faces the Japanese veteran (and everyone else). But Kamiji has made some inroads when facing the Dutch #1 this year, winning one of their five matches and holding a MP in another. Of course, de Groot has still won 35 of their last 37 meetings.





*WOMEN'S SINGLES SF*
#6 Jessie Pegula/USA vs. Karolina Muchova/CZE
#13 Emma Navarro/USA vs. #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#7 L.Kichenok/Ostapenko (UKR/LAT) vs. Mladenovic/Zhang S. (FRA/CHN)

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
(WC) Townsend/Young (USA/USA) vs. #3 Errani/Vavassori (ITA/ITA)

*GIRLS SINGLES QF*
Mika Stojsavljevic/GBR vs. (WC) Annika Penickova/USA
#3 (WC) Iva Jovic/USA vs. (WC) Valerie Glozman/USA
#7 Wakana Sonobe/JPN vs. #4 Teodora Kostovic/SRB
#8 Mimi Xu/GBR vs. #2 Tyra Caterina Grant/USA

*GIRLS DOUBLES QF*
#1 Ivanova/Vandromme (BUL/BEL) vs. Krejcova/Tichackova (CZE/CZE)
El Allami/Sartz-Lunde (MAR/NOR) vs. #5 Stojsavljevic/Xu (GBR/GBR)
Pastikova/Stusek (CZE/CZE) vs. Barros/Kostovic (BRA/SRB)
#7 De Zeeuw/Klugman (NED/GBR) vs. Jauffret/McNeil (USA/USA)

*WHEELCHAIR JUNIOR SINGLES QF*
#1 Vitoria Miranda/BRA def. Ailina Mosko/LAT
Luna Gryp/BEL def. Rio Okano/JPN
Frederique Berube Perron/CAN def. Isla Gillespie/AUS
#2 Yuma Takamuro/JPN def. Sabina Czauz/USA

*WHEELCHAIR JUNIOR DOUBLES SF*
#1 Gryp/Miranda (BEL/BRA) vs. Berube Perron/Czauz (CAN/USA)
Gillespie/Mosko (AUS/LAT) vs. #2 Okano/Takamuro (JPN/JPN)

*PARALYMPICS WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S FINAL*
#1 Diede de Groot/NED vs. #2 Yui Kamiji/JPN

*PARALYMPICS WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 de Groot/Van Koot (NED) vs. #2 Kamiji/Tanaka (JPN)







...WIN OR LOSE, LET'S JUST NOT REPEAT *THIS* AFTER *THIS* OPEN... ON DAY 10:





...PAMMY BEING PAMMY (she should be doing more on-court interviews, too)... ON DAY 10:





..."GIVE ME MY PHONE." "Which one is it? "IT'S THE ONE THAT SAYS 'BILES'"... ON DAY 10:




Sort of reminds me of...










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**SLAM QF IN 2020s**
10 - ARYNA SABALENKA (9-1)
9 - IGA SWIATEK (6-3)
7 - Coco Gauff (4-3)
7 - Ons Jabeur (3-4)
7 - JESSIE PEGULA (1-6)
6 - Elena Rybakina (3-3)
5 - KAROLINA MUCHOVA (4-1)
5 - Barbora Krejcikova (2-3)
5 - Elina Svitolina (1-4)
4 - Ash Barty (3-1)
4 - Karolina Pliskova (1-3)
3 - Simona Halep (2-1)
3 - Madison Keys (2-1)
3 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (1-2)
3 - Marketa Vondrousova (1-2)
3 - ZHENG QINWEN (1-2)
3 - Alona Ostapenko (0-3)
3 - Ajla Tomljanovic (0-3)

**2024 - FIRST SLAM SF**
=AO=
Dayana Yastremska, UKR (17th MD)
Zheng Qinwen, CHN (9th)
=RG=
Mirra Andreeva, RUS (5th)
Jasmine Paolini, ITA (18th)
=WI=
Donna Vekic, CRO (43rd)
=US=
Emma Navarro, USA (8th)
Jessie Pegula, USA (23rd)

**"FIRST SLAM..." FEATS IN 2020s**
=SF=
2020 AO - Sofia Kenin, USA (12th slam MD)
2020 US - Jennifer Brady, USA (13th)
2020 RG - Nadia Podoroska, ARG (2nd)
2020 RG - Iga Swiatek, POL (7th)
2021 AO - Karolina Muchova, CZE (9th)
2021 RG - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (5th)
2021 RG - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS (52nd)
2021 RG - Maria Sakkari, GRE (21st)
2021 RG - Tamara Zidansek, SLO (9th)
2021 WI - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (15th)
2021 US - Leylah Fernandez, CAN (7th)
2021 US - Emma Raducanu, GBR (2nd)
2022 AO - none
2022 RG - Coco Gauff, USA (10th)
2022 RG - Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (26th)
2022 RG - Martina Trevisan, ITA (8th)
2022 WI - Ons Jabeur, TUN (21st)
2022 WI - Tatjana Maria, GER (35th)
2022 WI - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (12th)
2022 US - Caroline Garcia, FRA (42nd)
2023 AO - Magda Linette, POL (30th)
2023 RG - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA (12th)
2023 US - none
2024 AO - Dayana Yastremska, UKR (17th)
2024 AO - Zheng Qinwen, CHN (9th)
2024 RG - Mirra Andreeva, RUS (5th)
2024 RG - Jasmine Paolini, ITA (18th)
2024 WI - Donna Vekic, CRO (43rd)
2024 US - Emma Navarro, USA (8th)
2024 US - Jessie Pegula, USA (23rd)

*LOWEST-SEEDED WOMEN IN US OPEN SF, since 2000*
Unseeded - 2000 Elena Dementieva, RUS
Unseeded - 2009 Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
Unseeded - 2011 Angelique Kerber, GER
Unseeded - 2013 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
Unseeded - 2014 Peng Shuai, CHN
Unseeded - 2015 Roberta Vinci, ITA (RU)
Unseeded - 2016 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
Unseeded - 2017 Sloane Stephens, USA (W)
Unseeded - 2020 Victoria Azarenka, BLR (RU)
Unseeded - 2021 Leylah Fernandez, CAN (RU)
Unseeded - 2024 KAROLINA MUCHOVA
Wild Card - 2009 Kim Clijsters, BEL (W)
Qualifier - 2021 Emma Raducanu, GBR (W)
#28 - 2020 Jennifer Brady, USA
#28 - 2011 Serena Williams, USA (RU)
#26 - 2015 Flavia Pennetta, ITA (W)
#20 - 2018 Naomi Osaka, JPN (W)
#20 - 2017 CoCo Vandeweghe, USA

**U.S. WOMEN IN U.S. OPEN SF - since 2017**
2017 Sloane Stephens (W)
2017 Madison Keys (RU)
2017 CoCo Vandeweghe
2017 Venus Williams
2018 Serena Williams (RU)
2018 Madison Keys
2019 Serena Williams
2020 Jennifer Brady
2020 Serena Williams
2021 none
2022 none
2023 Coco Gauff (W)
2023 Madison Keys
2024 Emma Navarro
2024 Jessie Pegula

**CZE/TCH IN U.S. OPEN SF**
1975 Martina Navratilova
1980 Hana Mandlikova (RU)
1982 Hana Mandlikova (RU)
1985 Hana Mandlikova (W)
1986 Helena Sukova (RU)
1987 Helena Sukova
1993 Helena Sukova (RU)
1994 Jana Novotna
1998 Jana Novotna
2016 Karolina Pliskova (RU)
2023 Karolina Muchova
2024 Karolina Muchova

**NCAA PLAYERS IN SLAM WS FINAL (#-NCAA women's champ)**
1979 Australian - Stanford / Barbara Jordan, USA (W)
1983 Australian - Stanford / Kathy Jordan, USA (L)
2021 Australian - UCLA / Jennifer Brady, USA (L)
2022 Australian - Virginia / Danielle Collins, USA# (L)
-
NOTE: Navarro (Virginia) was 2021 NCAA champion

**2024 - #1 WINS**
Australian Open 3r - #50 Noskova d. Swiatek
Dubai SF - #40 Kalinskaya d. Swiatek
Miami 4r - #16 Alexandrova d. Swiatek
Stuttgart SF - #4 Rybakina d. Swiatek
Wimbledon 3r - #35 Putintseva d. Swiatek
Olympics SF - #7 Zheng Q. d. Swiatek
Cincinnati SF - #3 Sabalenka d. Swiatek
U.S. Open QF - #6 Pegula d. Swiatek

*RECENT U.S. OPEN "IT" WINNERS*
2015 [Kiki] Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2016 [Teen] Ana Konjuh, CRO
2017 [Jr. Wild Card] Coco Gauff, USA
2018 [Court] (new) Louis Armstrong Stadium
2019 [Canadian] Bianca Andreescu, CAN
2020 [Champion Moms] Vera Zvonareva/RUS and Jordanne Whiley/GBR
2021 [Teens] Leylah Fernandez/CAN and Emma Raducanu/GBR
2022 [Diede Slam] Diede de Groot, NED [WC]
2023 [Summer of...] Coco Gauff, USA
2024 [Bannerette Teen] Iva Jovic, USA

**RECENT U.S. OPEN "BROADWAY-BOUND" WINNERS**
2017 Sharapova vs. Halep ("Opening Night")
2018 Kaia Kanepi, EST
2019 "Call Me Coco" summer preview shows
2020 "Three Moms & the Quarterfinals" (Serena, Vika and Pironkova)
2021 "Oh Canada!" (Fernandez, Andreescu, Dabrowski... +Auger-Aliassime men's SF)
2022 "Danielle After Dark" (Collins)
2023 "Jabeurwocky" (Jabeur)
2024 "In the Heat of the Night" (Zheng/Vekic 2:16 a.m. finish)




*CAREER SLAM SF - active*
23 - Venus Williams, USA (16-7)
9 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (6-3)
9 - Simona Halep, ROU (5-4)
9 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (3-5)*
7 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (3-4)
7 - Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (3-4)
6 - Iga Swiatek, POL (5-1)
6 - Madison Keys, USA (1-5)
4 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (4-0)
4 - Coco Gauff, USA (2-2)
4 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (2-2)
4 - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (2-2)
4 - Karolina Muchova, CZE (1-2)*
3 - Genie Bouchard, CAN (1-2)
3 - Sara Errani, ITA (1-2)
3 - Ons Jabeur, TUN (3-0)
3 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (2-1)
3 - Sloane Stephens, USA (2-1)
3 - Elina Svitolina, UKR (0-3)
2 - Jennifer Brady, USA (1-1)
2 - Danielle Collins, USA (1-1)
2 - Sofia Kenin, USA (2-0)
2 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (2-0)
2 - Sabine Lisicki, GER (1-1)
2 - Alona Ostapenko, LAT (1-1)
2 - Jasmine Paolini, ITA (2-0)
2 - Maria Sakkari, GRE (0-2)
2 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (2-0)
--
*-to play SF

[SLAM SF 2020-24]
9 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (3-5)*
6 - Iga Swiatek, POL (5-1)
4 - Coco Gauff, USA (2-2)
4 - Karolina Muchova, CZE (1-2)*
3 - Ash Barty, AUS (2-1)
3 - Ons Jabeur, TUN (3-0)
3 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (2-1)
2 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (1-1)
2 - Jennifer Brady, USA (1-1)
2 - Simona Halep, ROU (0-2)
2 - Sofia Kenin, USA (2-0)
2 - Madison Keys, USA (0-2)
2 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (2-0)
2 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2-0)
2 - Jasmine Paolini, ITA (2-0)
2 - Maria Sakkari, GRE (0-2)
2 - Serena Williams, USA (0-2)
1 - Mirra Andreeva, RUS (0-1)
1 - Danielle Collins, USA (1-0)
1 - Leylah Fernandez, CAN (1-0)
1 - Emma Navarro, USA (0-0)
1 - Jessie Pegula, USA (0-0)
1 - Caroline Garcia, FRA (0-1)
1 - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA (0-1)
1 - Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (0-1)
1 - Angelique Kerber, GER (0-1)
1 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (0-1)
1 - Magda Linette, POL (0-1)
1 - Tatjana Maria, GER (0-1)
1 - Garbina Muguruza, ESP (1-0)
1 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS (1-0)
1 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (1-0)
1 - Nadia Podoroska, ARG (0-1)
1 - Emma Raducanu, GBR (1-0)
1 - Elina Svitolina, UKR (0-1)
1 - Martina Trevisan, ITA (0-1)
1 - Donna Vekic, CRO (0-1)
1 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (1-0)
1 - Dayana Yastremska, UKR (0-1)
1 - Zheng Qinwen, CHN (1-0)
1 - Tamara Zidansek, SLO (0-1)
--
*-to play SF

[2024 SLAM SF BY NATION]
4 - USA (0-2)**
2 - BLR (1-0)*
2 - CZE (1-0)*
2 - ITA (2-0)
1 - CHN (1-0)
1 - POL (1-0)
1 - CRO (0-1)
1 - KAZ (0-1)
1 - RUS (0-1)
1 - UKR (0-1)

[SLAM SF BY NATION 2020-24 / 19 slams]
15 - USA (6-7)**
11 - BLR (4-6)*
9 - CZE (5-3)*
7 - POL (5-2)
3 - AUS (2-1)
3 - KAZ (2-1)
3 - RUS (1-2)
3 - TUN (3-0)
2 - GER (0-2)
2 - GRE (0-2)
2 - ITA (2-0)
2 - JPN (2-0)
2 - ROU (0-2)
2 - UKR (0-2)
1 (W) - CAN,CHN,GBR,ESP
1 (L) - ARG,BRA,CRO,FRA,SLO,ITA

[2024 US SEMIFINALISTS - career US SF]
4 - Aryna Sabalenka
2 - Karolina Muchova
1 - Emma Navarro
1 - Jessie Pegula

[2024 US SEMIFINALISTS - consecutive US SF]
4 - Aryna Sabalenka
2 - Karolina Muchova

[2024 US SEMIFINALISTS - consecutive Slam SF]
2 - none

[2024 US SEMIFINALISTS - career US W/L]
26-6...Aryna Sabalenka
17-6...Karolina Muchova
17-7...Jessie Pegula
5-2...Emma Navarro

[2024 US SEMIFINALISTS - career Slam W/L]
75-23...Aryna Sabalenka
46-22...Jessie Pegula
43-20...Karolina Muchova
15-7...Emma Navarro

[2024 US SEMIFINALISTS - 2024 Slam W/L]
16-1...Aryna Sabalenka
14-3...Emma Navarro
7-2...Jessie Pegula
5-1...Karolina Muchova






kosova-font

Anytime you see the name of a random high school trending, you know...



Naturally, the online conspiracy theories started about two minutes later.









TOP QUALIFIER: Yuliia Starodubtseva, UKR (4 con. slam Q-runs)
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #2 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR
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): 2nd Rd. - #29 Ekaterina Alexandrova/RUS def. (WC) Iva Jovic/USA 4-6/6-4/7-5 - Alexandrova outlasts 16-year old, wins on MP #7
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 3rd Rd. - #26 Paula Badosa/ESP def. (Q) Gabriela Ruse/ROU 4-6/6-1/7-6(10-8) - saved MP at 4-5 3rd, led by break twice in 3rd (3-2,6-5); wins 10-8 TB on MP #2 for first U.S. second week)
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: Maya Joint/AUS, Iva Jovic/USA, Ashlyn Krueger/USA, Jessika Ponchet/FRA, Ena Shibahara/JPN
PROTECTED RANKING MD WINS: Ajla Tomljanovic/AUS (2r)
LUCKY LOSER MD WINS: none
UPSET QUEENS: United States
REVELATION LADIES: Italy
NATION OF POOR SOULS: CAN (0-2 1st Rd.; '19 champ Andreescu & '21 finalist Fernandez)
CRASH & BURN: #4 Elena Rybakina/KAZ (2nd Rd. walkover is 8th '24 event pulled out, walkover or retired; at third different 2022-24 major)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEW YORK: Paula Badosa/ESP (3r- MP down 5-4 3rd vs. Ruse; 10-8 MTB win for first U.S. Open second week)
IT ("Bannerette Teen"): Iva Jovic/USA
Ms.OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Navarro, Pegula, Muchova
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Jessika Ponchet/FRA and Gabriela Ruse/ROU (both 3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Iva Jovic/USA and Naomi Osaka/JPN (both 2nd Rd.)
LAST BANNERETTE STANDING: in SF: Navarro, Pegula
COMEBACK: Nominees: Muchova, Mladenovic/Zhang (WD)
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominees: Pegula, Errani (MX), Zhang (WD)
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Townsend, L.Kichenok/Ostapenko
BIG APPLE BANNERETTE BREAKTHROUGH: Ashlyn Krueger
BROADWAY-BOUND: "In the Heat of the Night" (Zheng/Vekic 2:16 a.m. finish, latest for U.S. women's match)
LADY OF THE EVENING: Aryna Sabalenka/BLR
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Nominee: Grant (MX SF/Jr.QF), Brits







All for Day 10. More tomorrow.
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