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Saturday, July 5, 2025

W.6- A Dane with Designs to Reign?


You know what would be so very Wimbledon...?




Clara Tauson has been raising her hand since the very first moment she stepped on the slam stage. Back in 2020, the then 17-year old Dane -- the AO19 girls' champ -- began her major career with a qualifying run at Roland Garros and a 1st Round upset of a Top 25-ranked (before all the injuries) Jennifer Brady. It was one of the more brilliant debut slam match performances in recent memory.

Since then, the Dane has steadily risen, then often fallen back, sometimes due to injury, sometimes inconsistency, and for a bit even due to financial issues. But she's continued to improve, and maintained the look of a big-hitting player, if she could just get *everything* together at once, who could produce some very remarkable results. Having gradually improved her movement, and stabilized her coaching situation with Kasper Elsvad (also her boyfriend), Tauson has been climbing the WTA ladder over the past year-plus.

Through it all, the big stage has proven to be one where the Dane has thrived. Through the ups-and-downs, she continued to post big early-round upsets in slams. Over a #6-seeded Anett Kontaveit at the '22 AO (2r), #27 Anastasia Potapova at the '23 U.S. (1r), #9 Alona Ostapenko at RG in '24 (2r), and then #29 Linda Noskova earlier this year at the AO (1r).

In 2025, when her health has allowed, Tauson often *has* (or come close to it) at times put everything together. She opened '25 on a 16-4 run, winning a title in Auckland (her third at tour-level, but first since 2021), and reached her biggest final at 1000 Dubai, an event that included her first #1 win over Aryna Sabalenka before a loss in the final to Mirra Andreeva (against whom Tauson has often seemed *this close* to a big moment, only to see the teenager raise her game and again close the door in her face, to the tune of a 4-0 mark against her already this season).

After her maiden Round of 16 slam result last year in Paris, Tauson had consecutive 3rd Round runs in the first two majors this season, climbing as high as #21 in the rankings. She came into today having reached the same stage at a third straight slam, this time as the #23 seed despite having previously been 0-3 in her Wimbledon career. In fact, before her two wins this week, the Dane had never before won a MD match on grass in *any* pro tournament, with her only victories (2) coming during a Wimbledon qualfying attempt in 2023 that ended a round short of the MD.

But none of that mattered today.



Today against #11-seeded '22 Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina, in a match-up of the two top ace producers on tour, it was Tauson who appeared the more composed and prepared of the two. In fact, at times, the Kazakh appeared uncharacteristically scattered, with her 31 unforced errors sometimes shocking and usually very ill-timed, be it all the result of the pressure that Tauson's power shots put on her or the lingering issues revolving around her oft-troublesome coaching situation.



Tied at 4-4 when rain stopped play in the 1st set, the two were on serve with Rybakina up 5-4 with neither having lost serve. Rybakina had staved off three BP, and Tauson one, when the Kazakh had two BP/SP at 5-4. Tauson saved them both and got the hold. Rybakina tossed her racket in frustration.

Tauson often found herself winning points on the day not with her power, but with some ingenuity and hustle, employing lobs and drop shots on occasion as Rybakina's on-court movement became the sticking point that Tauson's sometimes has been in the past. In the 1st set tie-break, the Dane twice led by an early mini-break, only to see Rybakina twice get back on serve. Tauson dropped back-to-back serves to give the Kazakh a 4-3 lead, but Rybakina couldn't take advantage of her edge. Tauson got the TB back on serve and was the first to see a SP, converting on her second in the breaker when a second consecutive Rybakina UE gave the Dane an 8-6 win.

With Rybakina still shaken by the loss, Tauson raced out to a 4-1 led in the second. Another rain delay arrived with Tauson serving at 4-2, 40/30. When play resumed, she needed just one point to take a 5-2 lead. Fighting her nerves, Tauson faced a BP when serving for the win at 5-3. She saved it with a big serve, then followed up with a service winner. Another Rybakina UE gave the Dane a MP, and a final one on a short ball ended things.

Tauson won 7-6(6)/6-3, recording her sixth career win over a seeded player at a major, but her first as a seeded player *herself*. Her first second week run at SW19 puts her on equal par with *the* all-time great Dane, Caroline Wozniacki, whose career-best SW19 result was also the 4th Round. She went 0-6 in those matches, while Tauson now gets her first shot at breaking that losing string.



Meanwhile, Rybakina exits Wimbledon earlier than she ever has (she'd had W-QF-SF results since her debut 4r in '21), and will only face more questions about her current headspace and future as the summer wears on.

Next up for the Dane? Another big stage moment against a big-named player. After several seasons waiting for it to become a reality, has Tauson's *moment* finally arrived?








=DAY 6 NOTES=
...the women's 3rd Round wrapped up on Saturday, and women from twelve different nations fill the Final 16, the most at any slam this season. Ten nations are one-woman shows, while the U.S. managed to slip in a second with a late-in-the-day victory over the defending champion (more on that in a moment). The other four slots? All occupied by Hordettes.

Yesterday, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova made it 93 of 105 majors with at least one Russian in the 4th Round, and she was joined by three of her countrywomen on Day 6.



In a match-up against a former Hordette, #16-seeded Aussie Dasha Kasatkina, #19 Liudmila Samsonova made it two consecutive second week runs at majors this season (and a third in the last four slams) with a straight sets victory, reaching her first 4th Round at SW19 since her 2021 debut. Samsonova's seasons generally begin to heat up about this time of year and, right on cue, after a 10-11 start to '25 she's gone 13-4 since the middle of May (w/ a Strasbourg RU, RG 4r, Berlin SF and now this).

Joining Samsonova was #7 Mirra Andreeva, who reached the second week at her third straight slam with a 6-1/6-3 victory over Hailey Baptiste. The match was more entertaining than the scoreline would suggest, as Baptiste pushed Andreeva into often finding her best to keep ahead. The Bannerette had chances to push the 18-year old in the 2nd, which might have been interesting considering Andreeva's emotional responses (and often corresonding losses) to such things of late. Baptiste had five BP in game 7 at 4-2, looking to get back on serve. But Andreeva prevailed in two sets, reaching her second Wimbledon 4th Round in three years.

Andreeva has a pair of second week runs at three different majors on three different surfaces, but is still oh-fer at the U.S. Open, where she's gone out in the 2nd Round both of the last two years.



#18 Ekaterina Alexandrova rounded out the quartet of second week Hordettes, ending Zeynep Sonmez's historic run with a 6-3/7-6 win that gives her back-to-back 4th Rounds in majors. The 30-year old didn't reach her first slam second week until her 26th career major MD, at the '23 Wimbledon (she missed last year's edition with an injury).



...last year, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro made a big statement in just her third career slam MD match, knocking off defending Wimbledon champ Marketa Vondrousova in the 1st Round. The Spaniard ultimately retired in the 3rd Round vs. Barbora Krejcikova, who'd go on to win the title. Since then, Bouzas Maneiro has often played some great tennis, but just as often has had a hard time holding big leads in matches and/or following up her best wins with another to pull off a deep event run (she's 0-3 in tour-level QF).

In Paris, she got her second Top 10 slam victory in less than a year with a win over Emma Navarro in the 1st Round, and in her Wimbledon return she's now strung together three straight wins, including over former slam champ #28 Sofia Kenin and today vs. former slam semifinalist Dayana Yastremska, who upset #2 Coco Gauff earlier in the week. Bouzas Maneiro's 6-1/2-6/6-3 gets her over the "3rd Round hump" after being 0-3 in 3rd Round matches at three of the last four majors.



...Belinda Bencic got off to a great start in '25. After returning last October from having a baby, the Swiss reached the AO 4th Round in January and won a 500 title in Abu Dhabi, part of a 13-3 opening record that included a pair of Top 5 wins. But an arm injury has recently slowed her roll, keeping her out of RG and coming into Wimbledon she'd gone 4-6 since reaching the Indian Wells QF in March.

Against Elisabetta Cocciaretto today, Bencic rallied from 4-2 down in 3rd set, pushing things to a MTB and winning it 10-7.

Around her year-long absence from a major MD in '24, as well as missing this year's RG, Bencic has reached the 4th Round at the last four majors she's played and at five of six back to the start of '23.



...#8 Iga Swiatek's grass court season continues to bear fruit, this time with a 6-2/6-3 win over Danielle Collins that joins the Pole with just Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva with second week runs at all three slams thus far in 2025. But even with the win, this still isn't her best Wimbledon result. She reached the QF in 2023.

She'll face the big-hitting Tauson next. It'll be just their second meeting, with the other a while ago at Indian Wells in 2022. The Dane won the 1st set in a TB, but lost in three.



...meanwhile, when you see an image like this, you know it ain't good.



Although, the way things started when #17-seeded defending champ Barbora Krejcikova faced off with #10 Emma Navarro, that moment seemed a long way off. The Czech opened in fine form, while the reticent Navarro resembled the player who'd been ridden rather hardly out of the last two majors, to the tune of 6-1/6-2 by Swiatek at the AO and 6-0/6-1 by Bouza Maneiro at RG.

Krejcikova arrived at SW19 lightly played, having (maybe) recovered from a back injury just long enough to retire from the QF in Eastbourne with a thigh injury after having saved MP in back-to-back match wins there. Still, she arrived at Wimbledon and extended her AELTC winning streak to nine matches with her third and fourth straight three-set wins this grass season. After opening with a 6-2 1st set win over Navarro today, the hope that she'd get off the court quicker this time was alive and well.

But everything caught up with Krejcikova the rest of the way. Her health, her lack of match play, and a more aggressive, better-centered Navarro all produced Thunderdome conditions for Krejcikova when it came to keeping her SW19 experience (at least in singles, as she's still alive in doubles) going as she grew and more tired down the stretch, took an MTO (she seemed ill, in addition to everything else) and often hunched over and pushed the serve clock to its limit between points.

Able to keep herself alive in the 3rd with her return game, as the two combined for five straight breaks of serve in the middle of the final set, Krejcikova's serve ultimately became the last straw that broke the camel's back. A 1st set first serve percentage of 70% (winning 81%) devolved to 50% and 57% in the final two sets, and the Czech finally could see the writing on the wall. Not as she cried into it the closing moments, but proverbially, in general.

Navarro finally served out the 2-6/6-3/6-4 win, ending Krejcikova's reign. We're now assured of a ninth different Wimbledon champ in nine years, and a first-time SW19 winner for an eighth straight summer.

Navarro is the only woman to repeat her '24 run to the Wimbledon 4th Round this year, but there *are* four others in the remaining sixteen who missed the tournament last year but got at least that far in their previous most recent MD appearance at SW19.



...I kind of got caught slow-on-the-uptake with this past week's junior and wheelchair events, since they wrapped up on *Friday* at Roehampton in order to get to Wimbledon early for the start of the competitions there. The winners were noteworthy.

Bannerette Julieta Pareja rallied from a set and a break down to defeat Bulgaria's Elizara Yaneva. The 16-year old, remember, reached the Bogota SF during the spring in her maiden *tour-level* MD appearance.

The Kovackovas won the doubles.

As for as the wheelchair event...



Yui Kamiji's second straight Roehampton win was the fourth at the event in her career (she's still looking for the one major title that's eluded her with the Wimbledon singles crown), coming with a 6-0/6-4 victory in the final over Aniek Van Koot. The bigger news came earlier in the event, though.

In the 2nd Round, Kamiji faced off with Diede de Groot for the first time since the Dutch woman's return, and she got the win (again), taking the match 6-0/4-6/7-6(1) to notch her *third* straight victory over de Groot (the last two years at Roehampton, with the Paralympics in between before de Groot's hip surgery).

If and when de Groot gets herself right post-surgery, she'll have a revenge tour to plan (vs. Kamiji, Li Xiaohui, and Angelica Bernal, as of now). De Groot arrives at SW19 as the #3 seed, having won the last four Wimbledon titles, and six of the last seven.

Manami Tanaka & Zhu Zhenzhen won the doubles.



...the Wimbledon junior action began on Saturday, and while #7 Mika Stojsavljevic fell to Mia Pohanka, and #11 Jelina Vandromme to Neus Torner Sensano, the upset bug didn't spread. The #1 (Emerson Jones), #2 (Hannah Klugman), #3 (RG champ Lilli Tagger) and #4 (Kristina Penickova) seeds all moved on.








*WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR vs. #24 Elise Mertens/BEL
(LL) Solana Sierra/ARG vs. Laura Siegemund/GER
#30 Linda Noskova/CZE vs. #13 Amanda Anisimova/USA
Sonay Kartal/GBR vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/RUS
#7 Mirra Andreeva/RUS vs. #10 Emma Navarro/USA
#18 Ekaterina Alexandrova/RUS vs. Belinda Bencic/SUI
#8 Iga Swiatek/POL vs. #23 Clara Tauson/DEN
#19 Liudmila Samsononva/RUS vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro/ESP

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Siniakova/Townsend (CZE/USA) vs. #15 Melichar-Martinez/Samsonova (USA/RUS)
#10 Bondar/Stefani (HUN/BRA) vs. #7 L.Kichenok/Perez (UKR/AUS)
#4 Hsieh/Ostapenko (TPE/LAT) vs. #14 Alexandrova/Zhang (RUS/CHN)
Cirstea/Kalinskaya (ROU/RUS) vs. #5 M.Andreeva/Shnaider (RUS/RUS)
Birrell/Joint (AUS/AUS) vs. Gadecki/Krawczyk (AUS/USA)
#16 Dolehide/Kenin (USA/USA) vs. Chan H-c./Krejcikova (TPE/CZE)
#8 V.Kudermetova/Mertens (RUS/BEL) vs. #11 Haddad Maia/Siegemund (BRA/GER)
#13 Khromacheva/Stollar (RUS/HUN) vs. #2 Dabrowski/Routliffe (CAN/NZL)

*MIXED DOUBLES ROUND OF 16*
Siniakova/Verbeek (CZE/NED) vs. Mihalikova/Gonzalez (SVK/MEX)
(WC) Silva/Paris (GBR/GBR) vs. (Alt) Sutjiadi/Galloway (INA/USA)
#3 Errani/Vavassori (ITA/ITA) vs. Khromacheva/Withrow (RUS/USA)
(WC) Lumsden/Stevenson (GBR/GBR) vs. #8 Babos/Pavic (HUN/CRO)
Stefani/Salisbury (BRA/GBR) vs. Muhammad/Molteni (USA/ARG)
Hsieh/Zielinski (TPE/INA) vs. #4 Townsend/King (USA/USA)
Panova/Lammons (RUS/USA) vs. Krawczyk/Skupski (USA/GBR)
Jiang/Bhambri (CHN/IND) vs. #2 Zhang/Arevalo (CHN/ELS)








...A GOOD WALK SPOILED... ON DAY 6:




...BELATED DAY 5 SNARK TRUTH ON DAY 6:



...and six of the eight women's matches would have been the first-up at the start of the day, with the other two second-up behind men's matches. So if the right combination of quick men's matches and long women's matches happened, seven (and maybe even all eight) would have been taking place simultaneously for a short period of time.

(In French...) "Just get off the court so the real matches can start!"


...MEANWHILE... ON DAY 6:



WIMBLEDON "PROP PICK" PREDICTIONS
1. The Wimbledon champion will be a former SW19 finalist, or an unnamed first-time Czech Wimbledon finalist. With Krejcikova and Rybakina's exits today, that leaves just Linda Noskova as the last remaining hope for a "W." Not feelin' good for this one, but I guess *stranger* things have happened.
2. The runner-up will be a first-time Wimbledon finalist who *has* reached a final at another major. Still alive: Sabalenka, Pavlyuchenkova and Swiatek
3. Dark horse: Amanda Anisimova For a "YES" she'd need to reach the QF, and she plays Noskova next. So one pick is going to pull the rip cord soon.
4. A final four member will be a first-time slam semifinalist, and be outside the Top 20 seeded players (possibly unseeded, and probably more likely so). Still w/ a shot: Sierra/Siegemund (one will reach QF), #30 Noskova, Kartal, #23 Tauson and Bouzas Maneiro
x- I really should have made the pick about Top 10 seeds reaching the QF. I figured just *two*, with definitely no more than three. There are four left (#1 Sabalenka, #7 Andreeva, #8 Swiatek, #10 Navarro), and two play each other in the 4th Round... so 2 or 3, probably.

























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Might have to try this, actually.













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*TAUSON SLAM WINS OVER SEEDS*
2020 RG 1st Rd.: #21 Jennifer Brady (lost in 2r)
2022 AO 2nd Rd.: #6 Anett Kontaveit (lost in 3r)
2023 US 1st Rd.: #27 Anastasia Potapova (lost in 2r)
2024 RG 2nd Rd.: #9 Alona Ostapenko (lost in 4r)
2025 AO 1st Rd.: #29 Linda Noskova (lost in 3r)
2025 WI 3rd Rd.: #11 Elena Rybakina
--
OVERALL GS MD: 20-15
...AO 5-3 / RG 9-5 / WI 3-3 / US 3-4
...vs. seeded players: 6-11
...vs. unseeded players: 14-4
...as seeded player (2 events): 5-1

*RECENT WIMBLEDON "ZOMBIE QUEEN" WINNERS*
2015 Serena Williams, USA
2016 Dominika Cibulkova/SVK & Aga Radwanska/POL
2017 Arina Rodionova, AUS
2018 Katerina Siniakova, CZE
2019 Elina Svitolina, UKR
2021 Kristie Ahn, USA
2022 Elise Mertens, BEL
2023 Lesia Tsurenko, UKR
2024 Marta Kostyuk, UKR
2025 Solana Sierra, ARG (LL)



*2025 WI FINAL 16*
[by ranking]
#1 - Aryna Sabalenka
#4 - Iga Swiatek
#7 - Mirra Andreeva
#10 - Emma Navarro
#12 - Amanda Anisimova
#17 - Ekaterina Alexandrova
#19 - Liudmila Samsonova
#22 - Clara Tauson
#23 - Elise Mertens
#27 - Linda Noskova
#35 - Belinda Bencic
#50 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
#51 - Sonay Kartal
#62 - Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
#101 - Solana Sierra
#104 - Laura Siegemund

[by age]
18 - M.Andreeva
20 - Noskova
21 - Sierra
22 - Anisimova, Bouzas Maneiro, Tauson
23 - Kartal
24 - Navarro, Swiatek
26 - Samsonova
27 - Sabalenka
28 - Bencic
29 - Mertens
30 - Alexandrova
34 - Pavlyuchenkova
37 - Siegemund

[by nation]
4...RUS (Alexandrova, M.Andreeva, Pavlyuchenkova, Samsonova)
2...USA (Anisimova, Navarro)
1...ARG (Sierra)
1...BEL (Mertens)
1...BLR (Sabalenka)
1...CZE (Noskova)
1...DEN (Tauson)
1...ESP (Bouzas Maneiro)
1...GBR (Kartal)
1...GER (Siegemund)
1...POL (Swiatek)
1...SUI (Bencic)

[by career slam Round-of-16s]
19 - Swiatek
16 - Sabalenka
15 - Mertens
12 - Pavlyuchenkova
11 - Bencic
8 - Anisimova
6 - M.Andreeva
5 - Navarro, Samsonova
3 - Alexandrova
2 - Noskova, Siegemund, Tauson
1 - Bouzas Maneiro, Kartal, Sierra

[w/ consecutive slam Round of 16s]
4 - Sabalenka (last 11 played, DNP Wimb.'24)
4 - Swiatek
3 - M.Andreeva
2 - Alexandrova
2 - Anisimova
2 - Samsonova
1+2+4 - Bencic (AO/WI '25, DNP RG; in last 4 slam MD played starting w/ WI '23)

[w/ multiple career WI Round of 16s]
4 - Bencic
3 - Mertens, Sabalenka, Swiatek
2 - Alexandrova, M.Andreeva, Anisimova, Navarro, Pavlyuchenkova, Samsonova

[w/ consecutive WI Round of 16s]
2 - Navarro
1+2 - Sabalenka (last 3 MD: 2021,'23,'25; DNP '24)
1+1 - Alexandrova (last 2 MD: 2023,'25; DNP '24)
1+1 - Anisimova (last 2 MD: 2022,'25; DNP '24)
1+1 - Bencic (last 2 MD: 2023,'25; DNP '24)

[WTA career slam Round of 16s - active]
30...Victoria Azarenka
23...Petra Kvitova
[23...Caroline Wozniacki]
22...Madison Keys
20...Elina Svitolina
19...Iga Swiatek
16...Aryna Sabalenka
16...Sloane Stephens
[16...Vera Zvonareva]
15...Coco Gauff
15...Elise Mertens
14...Karolina Pliskova
12...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
11...Belinda Bencic

[WTA slam Round of 16s since 2020 (of 22) - active]
18 - Swiatek
16 - Sabalenka
13 - Gauff
10 - Jabeur, Mertens, Svitolina
9 - Pegula, Rybakina
8 - Badosa, Keys, Krejcikova
7 - Azarenka
6 - M.Andreeva, Anisimova, Bencic
6 - Muchova, Pavlyuchenkova
5 - Kasatkina, Kvitova, Navarro
5 - Paolini, Sakkari, Samsonova
5 - Vekic, Vondrousova, Zheng Q.
4 - Collins, Garcia, Kasatkina
4 - Kenin, Ostapenko, Ka.Pliskova
3 - Alexandrova, Cirstea, Cornet
3 - Haddad Maia, V.Kudermetova
3 - Raducanu, Stephens, Tomljanovic, Zhang Sh.
2 - Avanesyan, Bouzkova, Danilovic
2 - Fernandez, Kalinskaya, Kostyuk, Martic
2 - Niemeier, Noskova, Osaka, Putintseva
2 - Riske-A., Siegemund, Tauson, Trevisan
2 - Tsurenko, Wang Xinyu, [Wozniacki]

[2025 slam Rd. of 16s - youngest]
17 - Mirra Andreeva (AO)
18 - Mirra Andreeva (RG)
18 - Mirra Andreeva (WI)
20 - Coco Gauff (AO)

[2025 slam Rd. of 16s - oldest]
37 - Laura Siegemund (WI)
34 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenokva (WI)
33 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (AO)
31 - Jessie Pegula (RG)
30 - Ekaterina Alexandrova (WI)
30 - Ekaterina Alexandrova (RG)
30 - Madison Keys (RG)
30 - Elina Svitolina (RG)
30 - Elina Svitolina (AO)

[2025 slam Rd. of 16s - unseeded]
=AO (4)=
Bencic(PR), Danilovic, V.Kudermetova, Lys(LL)
=RG (2)=
Baptiste, Boisson(WC)
=WI (6)=
Bencic, Bouzas Maneiro, Kartal, Pavlyuchenkova, Siegemund, Sierra(LL)

[2025 slam Rd. of 16s - 1st-time GS 4th Rd.; w/ MD #]
AO - (1) Lys (6th)
RG - (2) Baptiste (8th), Boisson (1st)
WI - (3) Bouzas Maneiro (7th), Kartal (6th), Sierra (3rd)

[2025 slam Rd. of 16s - completed "Career Round of 16 Slam"]
AO - Dasha Kasatkina (36th slam MD), Emma Navarro (9)
RG - none
WI - none

[2025 slam Rd. of 16s - lowest-ranked]
#361 - Lois Boisson (RG)
#294 - Belinda Bencic (AO)
#128 - Eva Lys (AO)
#104 - Laura Siegemund (WI)
#101 - Solana Sierra (WI)

[2025 slam Rd. of 16s]
3 - M.Andreeva (AO/RG/WI)
3 - Sabalenka (AO/RG/WI)
3 - Swiatek (AO/RG/WI)
2 - Alexandrova (RG/WI)
2 - Anisimova (RG/WI)
2 - Bencic (AO/WI)
2 - Gauff (AO/RG)
2 - Kasatkina (AO/RG)
2 - Keys (AO/RG)
2 - Navarro (AO/WI)
2 - Pavlyuchenkova (AO/WI)
2 - Rybakina (AO/RG)
2 - Samsonova (RG/WI)
2 - Svitolina (AO/RG)

[2025 slam Rd. of 16s - by nation]
11 = 4/3/4/- = RUS (Alexandrova,M.Andreeva,Pavlyuchenkova,Samsonova)
10 = 3/5/2/- = USA (Anisimova,Navarro)
3 = 1/1/1/- = BLR (Sabalenka)
3 = 1/1/1/- = POL (Swiatek)
2 = 1/0/1/- = ESP (Bouzas Maneiro)
2 = 1/0/1/- = GER (Siegemund)
2 = 1/1/0/- = KAZ
2 = 1/0/1/- = SUI (Bencic)
2 = 1/1/0/- = UKR
=
1 AO: CRO,SRB
1 RG: AUS,CHN,FRA,ITA
1 WI: ARG(Sierra),BEL(Mertens),CZE(Noskova),DEN(Tauson),GBR(Kartal)

[2025 slam Rd. of 16s - by region]
17 = (6/3/8/-) - W.Europe/Scandinavia (BEL-CZE-DEN-ESP-GBR-GER-POL-SUI)
16 = (6/5/5/-) - Eastern Europe/Russia (BLR-RUS)
10 = (3/5/2/-) - North America/Atlantic (USA)
4 = (1/3/0/-) - Asia/Oceania
1 = (0/0/1/-) - South America (ARG)
0 = (0/0/0/-) - Africa/Middle East/Mediterranean





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The fact we have secret police whisking people off the streets doesn’t get enough attention. It ain’t normal and we’re further down the road to authoritarianism than you think.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) July 4, 2025 at 10:52 PM


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For context, this was in late October...




Then this was less than a month later...




And then the bleepin' kicker missed the extra point.


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TOP QUALIFIER: Carson Branstine/CAN
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #13 Amanda Anisimova/USA (7 games lost 1r/2r, double-bagel win in 1st)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3 - #30 Priscilla Hon/AUS def. Victoria Mboko/CAN 4-6/7-6(4)/6-1 - Mboko led love/40 at 6-5 in the 2nd on Hon's serve, holding five MP
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - #6 Madison Keys/USA def. Gabriela Ruse/ROU 6-7(4)/7-5/7-5 - Ruse fights off Keys' comeback to claim 1st, then Keys fights off Ruse's comeback in 3rd, serves out on second try
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): x
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FIRST VICTORY: #14 Elina Svitolina/UKR (def. Bondar/HUN)
FIRST SEED OUT: #20 Alona Ostapenko/LAT (1st Rd. to Kartal/GBR)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Veronika Erjavec/SLO, Solana Sierra/ARG, Zeynep Sonmez/TUR
UPSET QUEENS: Great Britain
REVELATION LADIES: Italy
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Australia (1-6 1st Rd.; only new Aussie Kasatkina w/ win)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Diane Parry/FRA (3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: no wins (0-8)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: Caty McNally/USA (2nd Rd.)
LUCKY LOSERS: in 4r: Solana Sierra/ARG (2r: Victoria Mboko/CAN)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Sonay Kartal (in 4th Rd.)
Ms./Mrs. OPPORTUNITY: Nominee: Bouzas Maneiro, Noskova, Pavlyuchenkova, Tauson, (WC)
IT "Turk": Zeynep Sonmez/TUR (first TUR player into slam 3r)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominee: Anisimova, Bencic, Swiatek
CRASH & BURN: #2 Coco Gauff/USA & #3 Jessie Pegula/USA - first slam w/ two Top 3 out in 1st Rd. (Gauff won RG, Pegula won grass title pre-Wimb.)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: Solana Sierra/ARG (LL, first into WI 4th Rd.)
DOUBLES STAR: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Laura Siegemund/GER (oldest to 3r since 1970; in first WI 4th Rd.)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: Petra Kvitova/CZE - plays final Wimbledon match







All for Day 6. More tomorrow.
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