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Wednesday, July 1, 2026

W.3- Krejcikova Shoulders Through













=DAY 3 NOTES=
...Wednesday was a day for champions, as five of the sixteen 2nd Round matches on the courts of the All-England Club featured six former grand slam singles title winners (w/ four of them being multi-title champions). Five of them advanced, and the only reason it wasn't a clean sweep was because two faced off *against* each other.

The first to go through was #14 Naomi Osaka, maintaining the grass court momentum she brought with her after reaching her first career final on the surface at Bad Homburg. Of course, with Osaka at the majors this year, the show starts with the entrance...



Osaka's 6-3/6-2 win over qualifier Anastasia Gasanova allows her to equal her best career Wimbledon result, a trio of 3rd Round runs in 2017-18 and '25 (she didn't play the tournament between 2021-23). She's reached the 3rd Round at the first three majors in a season for the first time since 2018, the major campaign that later in the summer ended with Osaka claiming her first slam win at the U.S. Open.



Osaka will next face Dasha Kasatkina, after the Aussie got back upon the proverbial slam horse with a 6-7(5)/6-1/6-4 win over Janice Tjen.

The win gives Kasatkina a second straight 3rd Round at a '26 major following her disappointing 1st Round exit in her first AO as an Australian in her newly adopted country back in January. Last year, her 4r-4r-3r-3r runs in majors (tying for her career high in slam match wins in a season, with 2018 when the total was powered by a pair of QF) "saved" what was otherwise a pretty dreadful campaign.

This year, Kasatkina started the year at 4-7 and had to deal with a hip injury that cost her two months. She returned and put together an 11-2 stretch this spring, winning a 125 title last month. But she came into this Wimbledon having dropped four straight matches.

...top seed Aryna Sabalenka finds herself once again looking to get over the slam hump almost three-quarters of the way into the season's schedule of majors, after her missed opportunity in the Melbourne final and epic semifinal collapse in Paris. Last year, she "salvaged" the year with a title run at the U.S. Open, but would surely like to get the job done in London this time around without having to head to NYC on a do-it-or-else mission.

She got past McCartney Kessler in straight sets today, but only after having to climb out of a 5-2 hole in the 2nd. Kessler had a pair of SP at 5-3, then two more in the ensuing TB. But Sabalenka, as she does, hit her way into the lead in the breaker, winning 11-9 on her third MP to close out the 6-1/7-6(9) victory.



...the third multi-slam winner to advance on Wednesday was #7 Coco Gauff, who once again had to put her renowned ability to fight and win a match without her "A"-game making the machine run smoothly.

The 1st of July holds significance at Wimbledon for Gauff, as it was on that day in 2019 that she made her slam debut at 15-years old, defeating none other than Venus Williams on Court 1 to mark the occasion on her way to the Round of 16.

Last year, also on July 1st on Court 1, the #2-seeded Gauff was upset by Dayana Yastremska in the 1st Round just weeks after having won Roland Garros. She was joined on the sidelines by fellow one-and-doner Jessie Pegula, the #3 seed, marking the first time two of the Top 3 seeds lost at SW19 in the opening round.

Today, back on Court 1, Gauff battled Solana Sierra to reach the 3rd Round, a year after the Argentine had reached the 4th Round at the AELTC as a lucky loser. Sierra saved a pair of MP in her 1st Round win over Anna Bondar, but today it was *she* who had her opponent on the ropes.

Sierra broke Gauff to take a 4-3 lead in the 3rd set, and held for 5-3. In game 9, Sierra fired a rocket of a return for a winner to get within two points of the win at 30/30 on Gauff's serve. Gauff managed the hold, then saw Sierra fumble away her opportunity to serve out the match, throwing in a double-fault, wild forehand error and flubbed drop shot attempt to essentially break herself and level the set at 5-5.

In the deciding MTB, Sierra led the majority of the way, but Gauff would not let her get *too* far ahead. She consistently rebounded to edge within a point on the scoreboard, at 4-3, 5-4 and 7-6 (after having fallen behind 7-4 after Sierra's best stretch in the breaker). Finally, at 7-7, Gauff flicked a winner from the baseline on a ball that was bouncing behind and away from her to take an 8-7 lead.



Serving two for the match, Gauff rushed over the finish line, winning both points, the last with an ace, to take the match by a 6-3/3-6/7-6(10-7) score, winning the final six points of the MTB.



...later in the day on Centre Court, newly-minted RG champ and #5-seeded Mirra Andreeva faced off with '24 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in what was clearly the women's match-up of the day.

While so many went about touting the Swiatek/Townsend match yesterday as a big "test" for the defending champion, *this* one was that -- times about ten (and more as long as Krejickova stayed healthy throughout) -- for Andreeva, who reached the QF a year ago.

Andreeva was looking to avoid the earliest exit at Wimbledon by a woman who'd just won her maiden major title at Roland Garros since Li Na's 2nd Round SW19 loss after winning in Paris in 2011. Since then, the likes of Alona Ostapenko (2017 QF), Simona Halep (2018 3r), Ash Barty (2019 4r) and Krejcikova (2021 4r) had all at least followed up by posting *two* victories at the All-England Club. [Note: Iga Swiatek's 2020 RG win, of course, happened in the fall, so *her* next major was AO21, where she lost in the 4r.]

It was a back-and-forth affair. Andreeva overcame an early 3-0 deficit to win the 1st set 6-4, then when Krejcikova served for the 2nd at 5-3 the Hordette broke serve to keep hopes alive for a straight sets win. Eventually, the Czech broke Andreeva to take the set 7-5 and head to a 3rd.

Krejcikova pulled out to a 4-2 lead there, and served for what seemed like it would be an easy finish at 5-4. It didn't *quite* happen that way, though.

What occurred was an epic 15-minute service game that one wishes could only be bottled. In it, Krejcikova, working points to perfection to set herself up for victory held *six* MP, but Andreeva wouldn't lay down and let the "inevitable" happen. Finally, on her *fourth* BP, the 19-year old converted to put the set back on serve.

Things might have gotten *really* sticky down the stretch if Krejcikova had been dragged even further into battle (it's never a good thing when she has to overextend herself), but she took advantage of MP #7 and finally closed out the 4-6/7-5/6-4 win to send the first Top 5 women's seed out of this Wimbledon.





As usual, Krejcikova has a Jana on her shoulder at this event (see the post-match kiss to the sky to her former coach/mentor)...



But this year she also has a niece on her mind...



Immediately after the loss, Andreeva chucked her racket into the changeover area and yelled "I quit!" to her box, and was still reeling from the result in her post-match presser. But, considering some of her reactions in the past, she's gradually easing -- with the occasional, expected rocky moment -- into a more mature, though still fiery and competitive, attitude about wins and losses in maybe the mentally toughest of all individual sports.



With Krejcikova's win, along with that of #10 Karolina Muchova and Nikola Bartunkova (w/ an upset of another Czech, #32 Katerina Siniakova), there seems to be a pretty good chance we'll see at least one Crusher in the QF, they take up 3/4 of a section (w/ qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew) from which one quarterfinalist will emerge.

...Alona Ostapenko was the fifth of the former slam winners to advance into the 3rd Round in the top half of the draw, allowing just two games to Antonia Ruzic.

It's sets up a potentially bombastic match-up for Friday.



...hmmm, if you go into the day knowing that it is a known fact that there is no lead that Jessica Bouzas Maneiro can't somehow lose, then nothing that happens in one of the Spaniard's matches will ever be a surprise. That knowledge came in handy today.

Bouzas Maneiro led Dayana Yastremska 6-3/4-2 on Wednedsay, and got within two points of the win at 5-4, only to find herself not long afterward having to break the Ukrainian's serve just to reach a 2nd set TB. Once she did, she lost it 7-1, as Yastremska (who saved four MP in her 1st Round match vs. Aoi Ito) pushed things to a 3rd.

Sometimes after losing a big lead, Bouzas Maneiro manages to build up another... and occasionally she even holds onto it. That's what she did this time. After racing out to a 4-1 lead in the decider, she (of course) immediately dropped serve, but quickly broke back and then put away eight of nine points in the final two games to win 6-3/6-7(1)/6-2.

Last year, Bouzas Maneiro reached the Wimbledon Round of 16.



...elsewhere, #29 Anna Kalinskaya battled back from a 3-1 3rd set deficit vs. Diane Parry, then rallied from 8-4 down in the deciding MTB to win 6-4/3-6/7-6(10-8), sweeping the final six points of the match.

The win assures at least one Hordette in the 3rd Round of a 101st of the last 103 majors at which the group has been allowed to participate (and 25 in a row).

...after today's results, the group of sixteen women who'd reached the 3rd Round of every '26 major after AO/RG was pared down a bit.

Six -- Coco Gauff, Iva Jovic, Anna Kalinskaya, Karolina Muchova, Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka -- have now gone three-for-three this major season, with four more -- Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Diana Shnaider and Iga Swiatek -- in line for a chance to join them if they can win on Thursday.





...WELP... ON DAY 3:




...REGIONAL COMARADERIE... ON DAY 3:




...AND SO IT IS WRITTEN (Destination: Indian Wells)... ON DAY 3:




...IT YOU CHECKED YOUR WIMBLEDON CALENDAR ON WEDNESDAY, YOU'D HAVE NOTICED THAT IT WAS "RAD DAY"... ON DAY 3:

It was a pretty quiet one, though, as these things go.




Last week, on the official June 26 "Remembrance Day" of a particularly devastating series of results at the AELTC back in 2013, two of the Eastbourne women's semifinals ended via retirement.

Today, on the annual "observed" moment of Day 3 at SW19, the only out-of-the-ordinary moment of note was probably #5 Mirra Andreeva's exit as the highest seed to lose so far at this Wimbledon.

A history...


*"RAD REMEMBRANCE DAY" HISTORY*
=2013 (inciting event)=
June 26 (Wimbledon Day 3)
"The Radwanskian Massacre" - 7 former #1's lose, w/ 4 additional walkovers and three ret. on day filled with falls, slips and stumbles

=2014=
June 26 (Wimbledon Day 3)
First unofficial commemoration of The Radwanskian Massacre. With the Radwanskian Threat Level meter in place and all on guard and vigilent, calm prevails.

=2015=
June 26 (official)
Aga Radwanska & the seagull (in Eastbourne, bird swoops at Radwanska as she serves... one day later, she loses in the singles final)
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
The hottest day ever recorded in Wimbledon history (35.7 C / 96 F), fire alarm evacuates Centre Court.

=2016=
June 26 (official)/Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
The wet London weather rains... err, reigns. 74 singles and doubles matches are scheduled: 41 are cancelled, 15 interrupted and 18 completed. Only 6 matches were both started and finished solely on Day 3, with 4 of those played under the Centre Court roof. But Aga Radwanska opens the Centre Court schedule and wins without incident and, in a previously unscheduled C.C. match, Radwanska's '16 RG conqueror, Tsvetana Pironkova, loses.

=2017=
June 26 (official)
Eastbourne defending champ Dominika Cibulkova loses in opening match to WC Heather Watson; 4 LL's win MD matches (one LL vs. LL match-up); LL Tsvetana Pironkova advances to 2nd Rd. w/ 1st Rd. bye when Petra Kvitova withdraws, gets 2nd Rd. win
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
It's "Flying Ant Day" as the newly-emerged insects swarm the AELTC grounds. Meanwhile, six women's seeds fall, including two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.

=2018=
June 26 (official)
In Eastbourne, Aga Radwanska, playing in her first event in two months, saves 2 MP vs. Dasha Gavrilova (both via DF), wins a 2nd set tie-break, then takes the 3rd set at love. Gavrilova has 17 DF on the day.
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
As insects swarm the AELTC grounds on Flying Ant Day, reigning AO champ #2 Caroline Wozniacki falls on the infested Court 1 to Ekaterina Makarova, becoming the sixth Top 8 seed to fall in the tournament's first three days. Aga Radwanska flirts with staging a comeback from a set and 5-1 down and force a 3rd set (after having saved 6 MP in the 1st Rd.), saving a MP vs. Lucie Safarova before the Czech staves off a total of seven BP in an 11-minute game to hold and secure the win. It's Aga's first career "Rad Day" defeat (and she never plays at Wimbledon again after retiring at the end of the season). Later, rain interrupts play for the first time in the fortnight.

=2019=
June 26 (official)
In Eastbourne, a day after her first Top 10 victory in over a year (and first consecutive wins in back-to-back events since last grass season), '18 Wimbledon semifinalist (and former SW19 girls champ) Alona Ostapenko is forced to retire from her 3rd Round match with a hip injury.
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
Margarita Gasparyan, having overcome three knee surgeries and missing most of two years between 2016-18, comes within two points of defeating #8-seeded Elina Svitolina at 7-5/5-4. Five minutes later, she serves and lands awkwardly on her "bad" leg and immediately doubles over in pain. She is treated for cramping, and ultimately, in tears, retires while still leading 7-5/5-6, with an 82-81 points edge and 42-15 lead in winners.

=2021=
June 26 (official)
All quiet, but on 25th Ula Radwanska loses in final qualifying round and on 27th top-ranked Brit Konta w/d due to COVID quarantine
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
After two days of rain following a 715-day break since the last Wimbledon, the Day 3 schedule includes 39 women's (23 1r/16 2r) and 41 men's (27 1r/14 2r) singles matches. Slips and falls that led to back-to-back Centre Court retirements (including S.Williams) on Day 2 continued, and the day began with the unusual news that a pair of lucky losers -- Astra Sharma and Tsvetana Pironkova -- were being added to the draw three days into the event due to injuries (both former semifinalist Tsvetana Pironkova and Astra Sharma lost, the latter after holding a 4-2 3rd set lead). In all, three Top 10 women's seeds (#4 Kenin, #5 Andreescu and #9 Bencic) were ousted, longtime Wimbledon "marathon" man John Isner *lost* a five-setter, and 41-year old five-time champ Venus Williams was defeated a day after her sister left the tournament due to injury (marking just the fourth time in their long slam history that neither reached the 3rd Round of a major, and the first time ever at Wimbledon, where Venus became the first Williams to make her debut 24 years earlier).

=2022=
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
Rain delays the start of play (The Rad was having an extra scone for breakfast). Once play begins, three Top 10 women's seeds fall: #2 Anett Kontaveit, a former Wimbledon champion (a crying) #9 Garbine Muguruza, the great British hope in #10-seeded U.S. Open champ Emma Raducanu and two additional seeds (#26 Sorana Cirstea and #29 Anhelina Kalinina). Another (#24 Elise Mertens) saves 2 MP and escapes the guillotine (for now). In the men's, #3 seed and RG finalist (Casper Ruud) loses, along with former men's (Andy Murray) and boys' (#15 Reilly Opelka) champions. Another seed (#31 Sebastian Baez) also exits. Meanwhile, a young Pole (Maja Chwalinska) slips and falls in the backcourt in a fashion very reminscent of the sort of spills that occurred on that fateful June 26 back in 2013. After Chwalinska fell, she never won another game in the match from 6-3/1-0 up.

=2023=
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
After near-washout on Day 2, still more rain backs up match schedule (87 singles matches were on original Order of Play). By end of day, some 1st Round matches still haven't been started as things head to Day 4 (though a few from Centre Court matches, including #1's Djokovic and Swiatek are already in 3rd Round). One of last year's semifinalists (Tatjana Maria) goes out in her opening match, as does a Top 10 seed (#8 Maria Sakkari) and a former world #1 and Wimbledon finalist (Karolina Pliskova). A men's player (Wu Yibing) fainted during a match. Multiple stunts from a group of oil protesters litter Court 18 with confetti, and protesters are dragged from the court, arrested and removed from the grounds. Meanwhile, Katie Boulter and Dasha Saville become "the clean-up crew" as they get down on hands and knees and help clean up confetti from incident that interrupted their match.

=2024=
June 26 (official)
Eastbourne 2nd Rd.: Emma Raducanu saves MP, def. #5 Jessie Pegula for first Top 10 win; Harriet Dart def. ex-slam W Sofia Kenin; Katie Boulter def. ex-slam W Alona Ostapenko (day later all three Brits lose) Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
#25 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and #26 Linda Noskova lose; six men's seeds lose; otherwise no reported Rad activity; Maria Sharapova on Centre court on 20th anniversary of 2004 title

=2025=
June 26 (official)
In Eastbourne, reigning Wimbledon champ Barbora Krejickova w/d from QF after back-to-back wins in which she saved MP.
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
After two-hour rain delay to open day, '24 runner-up (#4 Jasmine Paolini) and semifinalist (Donna Vekic) fall, as does '23 champ Marketa Vondrousova; Brit Katie Boulter upset by lucky loser; four of Top 5 seeds out 1r/2r

=2026=
June 26 (official)
In Eastbourne, both singles semifinals end with retirements (Keys d. Marcinko, Maria d. Ostapenko)
Wimbledon Day 3 (observed)
#5 Mirra Andreeva, weeks after claiming her maiden major at Roland Garros, loses in the 2nd Round to former Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova.




















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Coco Gauff after beating Sierra at Wimbledon “I really try to enjoy every moment. There’s gonna be one day when I’m gonna be the one watching someone my age playing and I’m gonna miss being out here” ❤️

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— The Tennis Letter (@thetennisletter.bsky.social) July 1, 2026 at 12:38 PM













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*EARLIEST LOSS IN WIMBLEDON TITLE DEFENSES (Open era)*
1994 1st Rd. - Steffi Graf
2024 1st Rd. - Marketa Vondrousova
2018 2nd Rd. - Garbine Muguruza
2019 2nd Rd. - Angelique Kerber
2006 3rd Rd. - Venus Williams
2015 3rd Rd. - Petra Kvitova
2025 3rd Rd. - Barbora Krejcikova
2007 4th Rd. - Amelie Mauresmo
2011 4th Rd. - Serena Williams
2013 4th Rd. - Serena Williams

*WIMBLEDON DC RESULTS (Open Era; by season of defense)*
1969 Billie Jean King [RU]
1970 Ann Jones [DNP, retired from sport]
1971 Margaret Court [RU]
1972 Evonne Goolagong [RU]
1973 Billie Jean King [W]
1974 Billie Jean King [QF]
1975 Chris Evert [SF]
1976 Billie Jean King [DNP, retired from sport]
1977 Chris Evert [SF]
1978 Virginia Wade [SF]
1979 Martina Navratilova [W]
1980 Martina Navratilova [SF]
1981 Evonne Goolagong [DNP, pregnant]
1982 Chris Evert-Lloyd [RU]
1983 Martina Navratilova [W]
1984 Martina Navratilova [W]
1985 Martina Navratilova [W]
1986 Martina Navratilova [W]
1987 Martina Navratilova [W]
1988 Martina Navratilova [RU]
1989 Steffi Graf [W]
1990 Steffi Graf [SF]
1991 Martina Navratilova [QF]
1992 Steffi Graf [W]
1993 Steffi Graf [W]
1994 Steffi Graf [1st Rd.]
1995 Conchita Martinez [SF]
1996 Steffi Graf [W]
1997 Steffi Graf [DNP, injured]
1998 Martina Hingis [SF]
1999 Jana Novotna [QF]
2000 Lindsay Davenport [RU]
2001 Venus Williams [W]
2002 Venus Williams [RU]
2003 Serena Williams [W]
2004 Serena Williams [RU]
2005 Maria Sharapova [SF]
2006 Venus Williams [3rd Rd.]
2007 Amelie Mauresmo [4th Rd.]
2008 Venus Williams [W]
2009 Venus Williams [RU]
2010 Serena Williams [W]
2011 Serena Williams [4th Rd.]
2012 Petra Kvitova [QF]
2013 Serena Williams [4th Rd.]
2014 Marion Bartoli [DNP, retired from sport]
2015 Petra Kvitova [3rd Rd.]
2016 Serena Williams [W]
2017 Serena Williams [DNP, pregnant]
2018 Garbine Muguruza [2nd Rd.]
2019 Angelique Kerber [2nd Rd.]
2020 Simona Halep [event cancelled; DNP/injured '21; SF in '22]
2022 Ash Barty [DNP, retired from sport]
2023 Elena Rybakina [QF]
2024 Marketa Vondrousova [1st Rd.]
2025 Barbora Krejcikova [3rd Rd.]
2026 Iga Swiatek





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I was 12 years old the summer of 1976, and I can attest that this country was FESTOONED in red, white, and blue for our bicentennial. Celebrations took place all over the country, and we rocked with patriotism all year long. So marking our 250th in 2026 makes me especially sad.

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— Judge You Harshly 🦋✌️🤟🖖🌈 (@judgeyouharshly.bsky.social) July 1, 2026 at 12:50 PM


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Wow. What an asshole.

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— Mueller, She Wrote (@muellershewrote.com) June 30, 2026 at 6:56 PM









TOP QUALIFIER: Robin Montgomery/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): x
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1 - Anastasia Gasanova/RUS def. Varvara Lepchenko/USA 2-6/6-1/7-6(12-10) - Lepchenko led 5-3 in the 3rd, twice served for the match, led 5-1 in MTB and at 9-6 held four MP over a 5-point stretch. Gasanova wins 12-10.
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): x
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): x
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #11 Belinda Bencic/SUI (def. Stojsavljevic/GBR)
FIRST SEED OUT: #20 Maja Chwalinska/POL (1st Rd. - hurt ankle/foot on MP up 6-2/5-2 vs. Sawangkaew/THA)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Anastasia Gasanova/RUS (2nd MD), Tyra Grant/ITA (1st MD), Mananchaya Sawangkaew/THA (2nd MD), Lanlada Tararudee/THA (2nd MD)
UPSET QUEENS: Southeast Asians
REVELATION LADIES: x
NATION OF POOR SOULS: GBR (1-7 1st Rd., after 0/7 through qualfiying; Kartal DNP, Raducanu w/d and started 0-7 in MD play)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: in 2r: Bolkvadze/GEO, Gasanova/RUS(L), Grant/ITA, Jeanjean/FRA, Krueger/USA, Liu/USA(W), Sawangkaew/THA(W), Timofeeva/UZB
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Katie Swan/GBR (in 2r)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: in 2r: Pliskova/CZE, Sorribes Tormo/ESP(L)
LUCKY LOSERS: Darja Semenistaja/LAT(L)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Katie Swan/GBR (in 2r)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: xx
IT "?": x
COMEBACK PLAYER: x
CRASH & BURN: x
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: Nominees: Sawangkaew (1r- trailed #20 Chwalinska 6-2/5-2 and MP down when #20 seed hurt ankle/foot; first career slam MD win; in Q: three 3-setters, 3-1 down in 3rd vs. Stoiana Q2, 3 MP vs.Dodin Q3); Navarro (1r- trailed Badosa 5-2 in 3rd); Krueger (1r- trailed Vekic set and 5-3, twice served for match); Gauff (2r- Sierra at 5-4 in 3rd, 7-4 in MTB); Kalinskaya (2r- Parry led 3-1 3rd, 8-4 in MTB)
DOUBLES STAR: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Nominee: S.Williams returns at age 44 (WD w/ Venus, combined age of 90)
LAWN COURT ROLLER: x
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: Nominee: Chwalinska (devastating loss in 1st Rd. after having MP at 6-2/5-2 before fall injuries ankle)








All for Day 3. More tomorrow.
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