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Tuesday, July 7, 2026

W.9- Time Cop: SW19













=DAY 9 NOTES=
...on the first day of quarterfinal action, the match-up of former (and occasional) Bannerette doubles partners in #4 Jessie Pegula and #7 Coco Gauff turned out to be a master class in playing one's best in the biggest moments of the match.

And, yet again, Gauff, the WTA's very own "time cop," proved to have the tactic down to a fairly exact science.

While Gauff came into the day looking to complete a Career Semifinal Slam with her maiden trip to the final four at SW19, Pegula, seeking an extension of her three-match winning streak in major QF, was surprisingly (just as was the case yesterday with Madison Keys) playing in her very first singles match ever on Centre Court.

Pegula got out to the quicker start, breaking to open the match and then pushing her lead out to 3-1. She gave back her advantage (via a love break from Gauff) in game 6, but reestablished her lead with another break to take a 5-3. She served out the set at 6-4.



From then forward, though, Gauff's ability to do *just enough* at precisely the right time gradually turned the match in her favor. She saved a pair of BP to hold to open the 2nd, then saved another BP two games later. Still on serve, Gauff held from love/30 to go up 4-3. But, down a set, it was clear that the time was coming to make a move.



Right on cue, Gauff went up love/40 on Pegula's serve, breaking via a Pegula double-fault. A game later, Gauff rallied from 15/30 to hold and claim the set, finishing off the game with an ace to win 6-3.

In the 3rd, Gauff was at it again. She saved a BP in game 2, then broke Pegula to take a 2-1 lead a game later. Pegula got the break back to knot the score at 3-3, only to be unable to back it up as Gauff broke to go ahead again.



Serving to stay in the match at 5-3, Pegula led 30/love. But Gauff saw the finish line and ran for it, sweeping the final four points to win her fourth straight three-set match, 4-6/6-3/6-3, as she converted for the fifth time on five BP opportunities on the day.



With her first Wimbledon SF berth (and her first at any slam since she won RG in '25), Gauff completes her Career Semifinal Slam, doing so in her 28th major MD and as the youngest woman to accomplish the feat since Maria Sharapova in 2007.

...afterward, in the second quarterfinal...



"Peak Muchova" moved one step closer to reality in London on Day 9, as #10 Karolina Muchova became the latest Czech to live up to her AELTC birthright and reach the event's final four, completing her own Career Semifinal Slam (also in her 28th MD) with a straight sets victory over #14 Naomi Osaka.

After the two entered the match with the best service numbers of any two women in the draw, naturally, the contest began with four consecutive breaks of serve. Finally, Muchova held for 3-2 to break the string. With the Czech covering the entire court and volleying everything in sight, Osaka managed to keep pace with her own hold (from love/30) a game later, but couldn't crack Muchova's own consistent service game when it mattered. Muchova saved a BP to keep a nose ahead at 6-5, and the 1st set went to a tie-break.

After Osaka had ended Aryna Sabalenka's Open era slam record 21-TB winning streak in the last round, it was Muchova who dominated this one. Racing to a 5-1 lead, helped along by too many errors off Osaka's racket, the Czech's forehand winner secured a 7-4 win on her third SP to take the lead in the match.



In the 2nd, Osaka held for 2-1 in a four-deuce game, but would never be able to find her way to an advantageous position down the stretch. At 4-4, her mid-game ace-DF-ace-DF stretch only maintained her spinning-of-wheels place in the match. After one forehand unforced error gave Muchova a BP (which she saved), another gave the Czech a second opportunity. This time, Osaka's wild miss on a swinging forehand volley gave Muchova the break for a 5-4 lead and the chance to serve out the win. It was the first break of the match since the opening four games.

With a semifinal spot on her racket, Muchova put in a pair of aces and held at love, winning 7-6(4)/6-4 to reach her maiden Wimbledon semifinal.



Her "reward" is another match-up with Gauff, with whom she's had trouble over the course of her career. Gauff leads the head-to-head 6-1, though Muchova finally got both her first ever set off Gauff at the Australian Open in January, as well as her first victory in the series this spring in Stuttgart. This will be their first meeting on grass.

...the first final match-up has been set at this Wimbledon, as we know who'll be playing for the mixed title.

#2 seeds Alona Ostapenko & Marcelo Arevalo defeated #3 Zhang Shuai & Chris Harrison in today's second semifinal, setting up a meeting with Storm Hunter & Marc Polmans, who'd earlier defeated Fanny Stollar & Mate Pavic.

While Hunter will be going for her second career MX crown (w/ '22 U.S.), Ostapenko will be seeking her first in her second final ('19 Wimbledon). If the Latvian gets the crown she'll become one of just four active women -- along with Serena & Venus Williams, and Barbora Krejcikova -- with major titles in singles ('17 RG), doubles ('24 U.S.) and mixed.

...the wheelchair competition got underway on Tuesday, and the opening round didn't provide any surprises.

#1 Yui Kamiji downed former Wimbledon champ Jiske Griffioen, while Diede de Groot (who *did* get the #2 seed, after all, after recently moving up in the rankings) took out Zhu Zhenzhen. De Groot had retired from the Roehampton final a few days ago.

Also advancing to the quarterfinals were #3 Li Xiaohui, #4 Wang Ziying, Aniek Van Koot, Ksenia Chasteau, Lizzy de Greef and Jinte Bos.





*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#10 Karolina Muchova/CZE def. #14 Naomi Osaka/JPN
#7 Coco Gauff/USA def. #4 Jessie Pegula/USA
#12 Marta Kostyuk/UKR vs. #13 Jasmine Paolini/ITA
#9 Linda Noskova/CZE vs. #25 Elise Mertens/BEL

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF*
#1 Siniakova/Townsend (CZE/USA) vs. #10 Guo/Mladenovic (CHN/FRA)
(PR) Neel/Olmos (EST/MEX) vs. Jiang X./Xu Y. (CHN/CHN)
#9 Perez/Schuurs (AUS/NED) vs. #13 Aoyama/Liang (JPN/TPE)
Piter/Siskova (POL/CZE) vs. #2 Dabrowski/Stefani (CAN/BRA)

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
Hunter/Polmans (AUS/AUS) vs. #2 Ostapenko/Arevalo (LAT/ELS)

*WHEELCHAIR WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#1 Yui Kamiji/JPN vs. Jinte Bos/NED
#4 Wang Ziying/CHN vs. Lizzy de Greef/NED
Ksenia Chasteau/FRA vs. #3 Li Xiaohui/CHN
Aniek Van Koot/NED vs. #2 Diede de Groot/NED

*GIRLS' SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Sun Xinran/CHN vs. Thea Frodin/USA
(Q) Anna Pircher/AUT vs. (WC) Daniella Britton/GBR
#3 Jana Kovackova/CZE vs. Emily Victoria Eigelsbach/GER
#10 Charo Esquiva Banuls/ESP vs. Janae Preston/USA
#7 Mariia Makarova/RUS vs. Shao Yushan/CHN
#15 Polina Skliar/UKR vs. Maia Ilinca Burcescu/ROU
Qu Yihan/CHN vs. #9 Mariella Thamm/GER
#14 Anna Pushkareva/RUS vs. Chukwumelije Clarke/USA









...UMMM... ON DAY 9:

For some reason, the ESPNers (at least Mary Joe Fernandez, I know) were busy today referring to Muchova as a "grass court specialist." Yes, she's Czech, and uses a slice shot a lot, but she's hardly a "grass court specialist."

Seriously, they will do and/or say anything to try to prop up the chances of their most-favored players (i.e. any from the U.S. or, in this case, "close enough to it" Osaka).

Fact is, Muchova would easily be in contention to be dubbed the *most* surface-versatile player on tour. Before today, she'd reached the RG final on clay, an AO semi and two U.S. Open semis on hard court, as well as this being her third Wimbledon QF on the grass.

Earlier this season she won a 1000 title on hard court (and has two other HC 1000 finals), and she's spread her twenty career Top 10 wins over hard (13), clay (6) and grass (just 1, her very first back in 2019), while playing in four career tour finals on hard court, four on clay and one on grass (and that one only came *this* season).

And, of course, her win over Osaka completed Muchova's Career Semifinal Slam, so she's reached at least the SF at *all four* majors on *three different surfaces*. You know, just like what you'd expect from a "grass court specialist."




...ALONA BEING ALONA ALL OVER THE PLACE (FROM DAY 8)... ON DAY 9:



Translation:
"Ostapenko enjoyed every second of this discussion 😂

Let me explain what happened:

Siegemund is about to serve at one point in the match, and the referee gives her a warning for time-wasting. It was the second one.

She serves and commits a double fault. She loses the point and gets angry.

She tells the chair umpire that Ostapenko is the one who wastes time on purpose, that “she tosses the ball into the air 18 times” to waste time.

She ends up losing the match, and that's when everything goes down at the net.

Siegemund and her companion complain to the referee that Ostapenko is the one wasting time and that the warning came at a really bad moment.

The Latvian, who had been listening to everything with laughter, says to Siegemund:

🗣️ “You need to handle defeats better, huh? Learn to lose”

The German walked off angry, and Ostapenko ended up signing autographs and taking photos with everyone on the court, satisfied that everything turned out well."





...A NICE HISTORY OF... ON DAY 9:




...WIMBLEDON SOCIAL MEDIA IS REALLY INTO TOKITO ODA, AND GOOD FOR THEM... ON DAY 9:























kosova-font










kosova-font

*"CAREER SEMIFINAL SLAM" - active*
2001 AO - Venus Williams, USA (15th slam MD)
2023 AO - Serena Williams, USA - 2003 AO (18th)
2013 RG - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (30th)
2021 WI - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (36th)
2023 RG - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (21st)
2025 WI - Iga Swiatek, POL (26th)
2026 WI - Coco Gauff, USA (28th)
2026 WI - Karolina Muchova, CZE (28th)

*TCH/CZE IN WIMBLEDON SF - Open era*
1981 Hana Mandlikova (RU)
1984 Hana Mandlikova
1986 Hana Mandlikova
1993 Jana Novotna (RU)
1995 Jana Novotna
1997 Jana Novotna (RU)
1998 Jana Novotna (W)
2010 Petra Kvitova
2011 Petra Kvitova (W)
2014 Petra Kvitova (W)
2014 Lucie Safarova
2019 Barbora Strycova
2021 Karolina Pliskova (RU)
2023 Marketa Vondrousova (W)
2024 Barbora Krejcikova (W)
2026 Karolina Muchova
--
NOTE: Noskova to play QF




kosova-font

Baahahahahahahahahaha...




In baseball terms, would that be similar to a "Little League home run?"













TOP QUALIFIER: Robin Montgomery/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #1 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR (two straight sets wins; extends slam TB win streak to 21)
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): 1st Rd. - Maya Joint/AUS def. Serena Williams/USA 6-3/6-7(6)/6-3 - 20-year old Aussie, 1-13 in her last 14 matches, defeats returning 44-year old Williams in her first singles match since 2022
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: Czech Republic
REVELATION LADIES: Southeast Asians
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: Ashlyn Krueger/USA (4th Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Katie Swan/GBR (2nd Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: Karolina Pliskova/CZE, Sara Sorribes Tormo/ESP (both 2nd Rd.)
LUCKY LOSERS: Darja Semenistaja/LAT(L)
LAST BRIT STANDING: Katie Swan/GBR (2nd Rd.)
Ms. OPPORTUNITY: xx
IT "Filipina": Alex Eala/PHI (first PHI to slam Round of 16)
COMEBACK PLAYER: Jasmine Paolini/ITA
CRASH & BURN: #2 Elena Rybakina/KAZ, #3 Iga Swiatek/POL and #6 Amanda Anisimova/USA ('22 champ and both '25 finalists lose in 3rd Round on middle Saturday)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF LONDON: Linda Noskova/CZE (3r- saved MP vs. Cirstea)
DOUBLES STAR: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): xx
LAWN COURT ROLLER: x
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
SPIRIT OF JANA (NOVOTNA) HONOREE: Maja Chwalinska/POL (devastating loss in 1st Rd. after having MP at 6-2/5-2 before fall injuries ankle); Additional nominees: Muchova, Noskova








All for Day 9. More tomorrow.
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