Semifinals Saturday Arrives at Volvo Car Open with A Surprising Field
In 10 years of covering the WTA Charleston event, I haven’t seen so many upsets over the course of a week. Gone are the days when Serena Williams would come through and pencil in a spot in the final. Even World #1 Ashleigh Barty couldn’t take advantage of the gaping holes in the field as she fell to Paula Badosa yesterday, 6-3, 6-3. A resurgent Sloane Stephens sputtered against Victoria Kudermetova, 6-3, 6-4. After beating #3 seed Petra Kvitova the day before, Danka Kovinic found a way to advance against the plucky and lucky Yulia Putintseva, 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-1. Ons Jabeur (#12) was the highest-seeded player left in the tournament before stunning a sluggish Coco Gauff, 6-3, 6-3.
Danka Kovinic (Credit: Chris Simon, Volvo Car Open)
That sets up four players who have never won a WTA tour level title and yet are this close to taking home the most impressive trophies of their collective careers. If you looked at this field before the tournament began, you’d have plenty of educated guesses on who would hoist the hardware, from Kvitova, Barty, Stephens, Kenin, Muguruza, Keys, Bencic, Mertens or Bertens. But no.
(Credit: Chris Simon, Volvo Car Open)
Instead, you’ve got a semifinal field that could pose for a couple of Charleston qualifying finals just a few years back. Still, you’ve got to believe that Ons Jabeur’s experience and momentum will propel her to a berth in the final when she steps on court against Danka Kovinic later today. She’s a deserved -239 favorite, and even though the unimaginable has already happened this week, the green clay dust of uncertainty will certainly settle today.
The match between Badosa and Kudermetova is a little more unpredictable.
Victoria Kudermetova, (Credit: Chris Simon, Volvo Car Open)
Although the Russian owns a 2-0 head to head against Badosa, the lower-ranked Spaniard has beaten the better players this week and is the tournament’s leader in aces with 24. It’s also Kudermetova’s first semifinal on clay. I’m going with Badosa, a +110 underdog in this match.
The parlay: Jabeur (-239) & Badosa (+110) for a +197 payout
Tommy Paul, 2018 Charlottesville Challenger (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)
Big Finish Ahead at @CMPChallenger as @TommyPaul1 and @PPolansky Face Off in Final
Though nothing was more exciting than a Federer-Djokovic semifinal in Paris, there was some impressive tennis on display in North America, and fittingly, there’ll be a Canadian-American final on Sunday.
Peter Polansky was a finalist at the Charlottesville Men’s Pro Tennis Challenger in 2013, and five years later, he looks to do it again. The Canadian eased past fan favorite Thai-Son Kwiatkowski in straight sets today, 6-2, 7-6(4), to advance to tomorrow’s final against Tommy Paul.
Peter Polansky, 2018 Charlottesville Challenger (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)
Post-match, Polansky opined about facing Paul in the final. “I think it would be (fun)”, he said. “He’s a very animated guy and has a lot of passion out there and personality. I’ve played doubles with him in only one tournament (Columbus) but we won it, so we had a good time there.”
Tommy Paul is a giant slayer and the lucky loser’s reputation to pull off the upset continued in Charlottesville today as he overpowered top seed Bradley Klahn, 6-3, 6-4 in a little over an hour after knocking out 3 seed Ivo Karlovic last night. Paul is now 9-2 in his last 11 matches on hardcourts, and the 2015 Charlottesville finalist finds himself in his first final of the season. “It should be fun and we’ll make it competitive, for sure,” he said of playing Peter Polansky for the first time. “It’s going to be a good match and a lot of fun to watch.”
UNIONDALE, N.Y—Adrian Mannarino is a curious case. At 29, he’s playing some of his best tennis yet and he’s achieved a career high ranking at #25. But somehow, he’s earned less than $5 million on the pro tour and is the only player in the New York Open semifinals who has never hoisted a champions trophy at an ATP Tour level event.
He can take care of both of those things here in New York in two matches. A title would vault Mannarino into the top 20 and the $119,000 winner’s check will put him just over $5,000,000 in career earnings. He’ll face Sam Querrey this afternoon, and although Querrey is ranked higher than Mannarino, the Frenchman has owned the American in their three prior meetings, including straight sets in Cincinnati last summer.
It’s impressive enough to make the fourth round at Wimbledon, but I’m sure Mannarino would like some tour level hardware and I can’t imagine him not being motivated today in the semis.
Freaky Friday at Citi Open as Top Seeds Lose Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic
Fridays can be a little sad at a tennis tournament. You notice the almost-bare practice courts, fewer players passing by, and mostly, less fans zigging and zagging their way through the grounds en route to a match on a far-flung court. Everyone, it seems, is now inside the Stadium and Grandstand watching a limited number of matches of paramount importance.
Well, this Friday had a few surprises on the court. Freaky Friday, as it were.
The women were relegated and cursed to spend all match eternity away from Stadium Court, and so they battled it out on Grandstand 1. Top men’s seed John Isner fizzled on Stadium, and you could feel the hot winds of change blowing through the Washington tournament.
Top Seed Sam Stosur felt the freak the hardest, as she was stunned by Jessica Pegula in straight sets. Pegula survived a first set tiebreak before going into Beast Mode in the second, and the former US Open champion was reduced to rubble, 7-6(4), 6-3, by the #173-ranked Pegula, who moves on to face….
Lauren Davis?
That’s right. The #122, who told me yesterday that she wanted to be in the top 50 at year’s end, sure sounds prescient now after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Camila Giorgi. She’s on a mission.
Yanina Wickmayer was the first on to the semis today, with a turnaround 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Kiki Mladenovic in 2:11 under sunny skies in 91-degree heat. Wickmayer went on to play doubles after the win. And she won again, telling me that the conditions weren’t the worst she’d seen. “We have”, she replied. “A lot of times it is humid and hot conditions and that’s just how it is. I guess it’s for both of us. Your opponent has to deal with the same conditions. We just have to hang in there and stay positive.”
Wickmayer (Photo: @Tennis_Shots, Christopher Levy)
Awaiting Wickmayer will be Yulia Putintseva, a winner over Risa Ozaki in straights, 6-4, 6-2 in 86 torturous minutes. Putintseva, who hit a career high ranking of 35 in June, is playing excellent stateside tennis in 2016. Wickmayer has a 1-0 head to head with Putintseva.
Putintseva !
As far as I am concerned, this will be the real final. Although Poots has never won a WTA tour title and Wickmayer has four, these are solid top 50 players, unlike the participants in the other semifinal, the all-American one, who hope to break the top 100.
Everyone in the business of making money on this tournament wanted Sloane against Sam for the final. The television ratings, the re-tweets! It would’ve been great. I would call what they have on their hands a small marketing disaster, except for the fact that tournament organizers here have never really cared nearly as much about the women’s event for it to count as a disaster. Some hopes are raised as an all-American semifinal between Pegula and Davis tomorrow night will guarantee an American a spot in Sunday’s final.
With just 4 WTA titles combined among the semifinalists all belonging to Wickmayer, this ‘disaster’ also represents an opportunity for three young women to come away with a maiden title. Where were you when Jessica Pegula won her first WTA title? And where will you be when Poots or Davis nabs hers?
Super Saturday Set @CVilleTennis: Doubles Championship and Semifinals
Only four competitors remain alive in singles play after Friday’s intense action. When all was said and done, Denis Kudla, James Duckworth, Alex Kuznetsov and Liam Broady emerged as this year’s semifinalists. They will battle it out Saturday for a spot in Sunday’s championship match.
Kudla’s opponent, Tennys Sandgren, won Friday night’s first set convincingly, but the No. 3 seed forced a third set in which he cruised to a 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 win.
Duckworth, the No. 6 seed, won his first five games en route to a 6-1, 6-2 rout of Japan’s Taro Daniel on Friday.
Kuznetsov ended the run of French qualifier Laurent Lokoli, who upset No. 1 seed Sam Groth in the opening round of the Main Draw, with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win in just under two hours.
Broady outlasted Ryan Harrison in a back-and-forth affair that lasted over two and a half hours, 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 6-3.
The doubles title is set for Saturday afternoon, as top seeds Treat Huey and Frederik Nielsen defeated Sekou Bangoura and Evan King, 6-3, 7-6(2). Huey and Nielsen will go up against the British tandem of Lewis Burton and Marcus Willis in Saturday’s doubles final at 1 p.m. Burton and Willis got past Gastao Elias and Sean Thornley in Friday’s opening match in a thriller, 7-6(9), 6-7(2), 10-6.
Huey will look to become the tournament’s first repeat doubles champion after winning the title with former University of Virginia teammate Dominic Inglot in 2011.
After Saturday’s doubles awards ceremony, the singles semifinals will begin (not before 3 p.m.) with Duckworth squaring off against Kuznetsov. The final match on Saturday pits Kudla against Broady.
Kurumi Nara (Photo: Chris Levy @Tennis_Shots for TennisEastCoast.com)
WTA Quarterfinals a Speedy Affair @CitiOpen Friday Stephan Fogleman, Tennis East Coast
It was almost over before it began. In a little more than two and a half hours, three WTA quarterfinals were decided in straight sets and another was actually over before it began via retirement. The speedy results quickly determined tomorrow’s semifinal match-ups.
Nara continued to surprise many American tennis fans again today with a 6-3, 6-1 trouncing of Kristina Mladenovic, who played poorly and seemed a little surpised herself. With 5 double faults and a 48% first serve percentage, there was almost nothing positive for her to take out of the match. Nara doesn’t seem to exude the least bit of nerves this week.
Marina Erakovic continued her great week and Bojana Jovanovski ceded the match to Erakovic with double faults and five breaks of serve.
That sets up Erakovic-Nara and Nara is the clear favorite.
Sveta Kuznetsova won in a walkover against Vania King, who suffered a right hip injury. After the match, King explained that she felt some pressure on the hip last night and knew this morning that it would be unwise to proceed. Since King is not playing in Montreal next week, she should be healthy to play in Cincinnati the following week.
Ekaterina Makarova beat 2012 Citi Open Finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6 (3), 6-3 in a tale of two sets. Pavs did almost everything right in the first set except win the tiebreak. After that, as often is the case, the winds come right out of the sails in the second set. They did, and Makarova, the top remaining seed, walked away with the win.
Tomorrow WTA semifinals are docketed with Kurumi Nara taking on Marina Erakovic at 1 p.m. on the Grandstand and Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ekaterina Makarova graced with a Stadium Court hit at 9:15 p.m.
Week 1 is (almost) in the books at Wimbledon, and here is a look at the men’s round of 16 matchups, featuring some traditional top players and a few dark horses who have already exceeded expectations through their first three matches.
Novak Djokovic vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Djokovic has looked strong this week with wins over Andrey Golubev in straights, Radek Stepanek in 4 and Gilles Simon in straights. Though he took a nasty fall against Simon, he should be fine against Tsonga, who has been pushed to five sets twice this week, in round 1 against Jurgen Melzer and round 2 against Sam Querrey (a match he won 14-12 in the fifth that stretched over a couple of days). In round 3, he had an easier time against Jimmy Wang winning in straights, but Djokovic just dismantled him at the French in Paris and has a 2-0 overall grass h2h.
Thus, I don’t see this being that much of a match.
Djokovic in 3 or 4 should be the result.
Jeremy Chardy vs. Marin Cilic
Chardy has reached the second week of a slam for the third time in his career, but he will be a big underdog against Cilic, who is playing well again. To some extent, Cilic is now playing like he did earlier in the season, seeming like a man on a mission.
Chardy has wins over Dan Cox in 4, Marinko Matosevic in an exciting 5 sets, and Sergiy Stakhovsky in 4.
Cilic has wins over Paul-Henri Mathieu and Andreas Haider-Maurer in 4, before that set 3 win over Tomas Berdych in an upset that finished in the dark.
Chardy could trouble Cilic for a bit, but with his new-found mental fortitude, the Croat should advance in 3 or 4 sets.
Andy Murray vs. Kevin Anderson
Murray has 17 straight wins at the Wimbledon venue (2012 Olympic gold medalist and 2013 Wimbledon champion), and he looks to extend his winning streak to 18 against the big South African Kevin Anderson.
Anderson is three out of three in reaching the round of 16 in grand slams this year, even while having inconsistent results at smaller tournaments. The h2h is 1-1 with both meetings taking place on hard court and Murray’s wins this week were over David Goffin, Blaz Rola, and Roberto Bautista Agut, all without dropping a set.
Anderson beat Aljaz Bedene in straights, Edouard Roger-Vasselin in 4 and the combustible Fabio Fognini in 5.
Murray should win this in 3 or 4 close sets.
Grigor Dimitrov vs. Leo Mayer
Dimitrov is on a 7 match winning streak, which is also 7 straight on grass, and he survived a five set battle with Alex Dolgopolov in round 3 last, along with previous 3 set wins over Ryan Harrison and Luke Saville in rounds 1 and 2.
Mayer, who is normally a clay specialist, has shockingly reached the second week of a slam for the first time in his career. He scored a five set win over Andreas Seppi in round 1, a 4 set win over Marcos Baghdatis in round 2, and a straight sets win over Andrey Kuznetsov, who knocked David Ferrer out of the tournament with a great performance in round 2.
Mayer really doesn’t have the weapons or the game to trouble Mayer, and I like Dimitrov to advance easily in 3 sets.
Stan Wawrinka/Denis Istomin vs. Feliciano Lopez/John Isner
Rain postponed some of the matches on Saturday at Wimbledon, and with no play on Middle Sunday, Wawrinka/Istomin and Lopez/Isner must complete their third round matches tomorrow, then play their fourth round meeting on Tuesday.
I like Wawrinka to get past Istomin, and Isner to defeat Lopez, so Wawrinka/Isner is the expected Tuesday matchup.
Wawrinka has wins over Joao Sousa in 3 and Rendy Lu in 4 thus far. Istomin beat Dmitry Tursunov in 4 and Julian Reister in 3. Lopez is on a massive hot streak and extended it with wins over Yuichi Sugita in 3 tiebreaks and Ante Pavic in 3.
Istomin did beat Wawrinka at Wimbledon in 2010, but the Swiss looks better than he did at Roland Garros, and then Lopez-Isner should be a great match. I think John just edges that one out. I’m going with my prediction at the beginning of the week, which is Isner in the quarters, so I like him to beat both opponents and reach that stage.
Roger Federer vs. Tommy Robredo
Fed has looked textbook against Paolo Lorenzi, Gilles Muller and Santiago Giraldo, surrendering just 23 games total, while Robredo beat Lukas Lacko in 4, Adrian Mannarino in straights and Jerzy Janowicz in 5. He avoiding collapsing from 2 sets to love up against the Pole. This is already Robredo’s best ever result at Wimbledon, at an advanced stage in his career no less, and Federer should win this comfortably in 3 sets.
Milos Raonic vs. Simone Bolelli/Kei Nishikori
Milos Raonic has suddenly played well on grass, not dropping a set to Matt Ebden, Jack Sock and Lukasz Kubot, while Nishikori rolled past Denis Kudla and Kenny De Schepper before finding himself in a war with the qualifier Simone Bolelli, a former top 40 Italian who has done well on the challenger circuit this year and is now back performing well in the slams.
Bolelli pushed the Japanese number 1 to five sets before the match was suspended due to darkness on Saturday with the score 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-7 3-3. It really is a toss-up who will win the match, but one would have to think Nishikori, being the better player, has an edge to get through.
Bolelli did defeat Tatsuma Ito in 4 and then upset Philipp Kohlschreiber in 5 sets to reach the third round in a poor showing from the German.
The real question to me is whether Nishikori will be fresh enough on Tuesday to deal with Raonic, who has found the formula on grass for the moment. It should be a close match, but I originally favored Nishikori and I’m sticking with that: Nishikori to dispatch both Bolelli and Raonic and reach the final 8.
Rafael Nadal vs. Nick Kyrgios
Nadal did as I predicted, surviving the first week, but dropping a set in all 3 of his contests, as he dropped the first set against Martin Klizan, Lukas Rosol and Mikhail Kukushkin. Meanwhile, my dark horse pick Nick Kyrgios did make the second week, in amazing fashion no less: he beat Stephane Robert in 4 sets, then saved an incredible 9 match points, tying a grand slam record first set in 1982, against Richard Gasquet to prevail 10-8 in the fifth set in round 2. All those match points were saved in the span of a few games in set 5 (including a hold from 0-40 down, and a match point saved by challenge), and on top of that, he came back from 2 sets down. The scoreline 3-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-5 10-8 shows you how close the contest was, a heartbreak for Gasquet who has lost 6 matches from the position of 2 sets to love ahead in his professional career.
Kyrgios followed that up by beating fellow rising young gun Jiri Vesely in 4 sets.
This is a huge opportunity and a big stage for Kyrgios, who seems to up his game under pressure and against top opponents. Now that he should be fresh, with this match not taking place until Tuesday, he should be ready for a renewed push.
But Rafa is Rafa, and I like the Spaniard in 4 or 5 because again, I see him finding a way to win, behind his grit and experience, even while his movement on grass isn’t as good as it was and his consistency with groundstrokes sometimes escape him.
Kyrgios’ rising is great for the game and he will bring more fans to the sport, but I don’t think he’s quite up to grand slam quarterfinal level yet. It’s a match worth watching, regardless.
Predictions Quarters
Djokovic d. Cilic in 3
Murray d. Dimitrov in 5
Federer d. Isner in 3
Nishikori d. Nadal in 5
Djokovic has defeated Cilic every time they have played, including twice this year, and nothing suggests that he won’t do so again.
I said Murray-Dimitrov would be a battle going into the tournament and that appears to continue to be the case, but Murray should have the experience edge to prevail.
Fed looks strong and shouldn’t have trouble reaching the semis.
Though Nishikori struggled against Bolelli, I’m going to stick with my guns and go with him over Rafa in the quarters.
Semis
Murray d. Djokovic in 5
Federer d. Nishikori in 4
Again, sticking with my original picks: Murray to survive Novak on grass, Fed to prevail over Kei.
Final
Murray d. Federer in 4
Going with the original prediction since both players haven’t had any trouble in their first three matches and are still alive and healthy. There will be a lot at stake should they meet in the final.
World Group DC Semifinals Set: Italy/Switzerland, Czech Republic/France Steen Kirby, Tennis East Coast
It was a wild weekend of Davis Cup action, and upsets seemed possible, but in the end, all the favored teams advanced to the world group semifinals. Here is a review.
Czech Republic d. Japan 5-0
Radek Stepanek led the way as the Czechs whitewashed Japan, winning both singles rubbers on Friday in 4 and 5 sets respectively (Stepanek d. Tatsuma Ito, Lukas Rosol d. Taro Daniel) and then clinching the doubles with Rosol/Stepanek defeating Ito/Yasutaka Uchiyama for a 3-0 victory.
Rosol beat Uchiyama and Jiri Vesely beat Daniel in the dead rubbers to complete the sweet, as the defending DC champions earned a big road win and are into the semis again.
France d. Germany 3-2
France was nearly upset at home by an underdog German team that put up a good fight, but they managed to pull themselves together after an atrocious Friday singles to win a deciding fifth rubber.
Tobias Kamke upset Julien Benneteau, and Peter Gojowczyk played well above his normal level to defeat a struggling Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 5 sets, 6-8 in the fifth. Germany had 3 chances from there to clinch the tie, but never came close to doing so, as Benneteau/Michael Llodra beat Andre Begemann/Kamke in Saturday doubles, in 4 sets, and then Tsonga and Gael Monfils beat Kamke and Gojowczyk in the Sunday live singles rubbers to clinch the tie. Both Sunday singles matches were straight sets, and not particularly close, as Monfils was a big injection of energy for the French team, and Kamke and Gojowczyk returned to their normal level, along with being fatigued.
A French team strong on paper, they will face the Czechs in the semis at home.
Italy d. Great Britain 3-2
In another near upset, Italy was put on the ropes by team GB but clawed back on Sunday for a big victory at home. Fabio Fognini was again the hero, as he won twice in singles, on Friday with a 4 set victory over James Ward, and on Sunday to keep the tie alive with a straight set drubbing of Andy Murray.
Andreas Seppi went 1-1 in singles, as he lost on Friday to Murray in straights, but clinched the tie with a straight set victory over Ward in the fifth rubber on Sunday. Colin Fleming and Murray won the doubles over Simone Bolelli and Fognini in 4 sets on Saturday to put team GB up 2-1 and a win away from clinching, but team GB was hapless from there on out.
Switzerland d. Kazahkstan 3-2
The Swiss very nearly choked in what would have been one of the biggest Davis Cup upsets in modern history, but they survived just like their French and Italian counterparts to prevail at home in Geneva.
Stan Wawrinka continued his string of poor play post Australian Open, as he lost in 4 sets to Andrey Golubev on Friday, and then lost the doubles with partner Roger Federer to Golubev/Aleksandr Nedovyesov on Saturday in 4 sets as well.
Federer was really the hero this time for Switzerland, as his two straight sets singles victories over Mikhail Kukushkin and Golubev on Friday and Sunday clinched the tie. Wawrinka kept it alive on Sunday with a 4 set victory over Kukushkin, credit to the Kazahks for battling hard in this one.
Switzerland hosts Italy at home in the semis.
Action Outside World Group:
Brazil and Colombia made their way to the World Group playoffs out of Americas Group 1, as Rogerio Dutra and Brazil beat Emilio Gomez and Colombia 3-1, and Santiago Giraldo and Alejandro Falla teamed up for Colombia yet again to defeat Victor Estrella and the Dominican Republic 4-1.
Asia/Oceania Group 1 World Group Playoff representatives will be India and Uzbekistan, as Somdev Devvarman led India to a 3-1 victory over South Korea, and Denis Istomin led Uzbekistan to a 3-2 victory over China, as Di Wu won twice for them but Ze Zhang couldn’t do the same in a super close, competitive tie that came down to a live fifth rubber won by Farrukh Dustov over Zhang in 5 sets.
In Europe/Africa Group 1 finals Marin Cilic and Croatia beat Jerzy Janowicz and Poland 3-1, as Janowicz was upset by the young and rising Borna Coric, Dudi Sela and Israel upset Blaz Rola and Slovenia 3-1, Sergiy Stakhovsky and his teammates gave Ukraine something to cheer for, as they beat Sweden 4-1, including a 13-11 final set victory by Stakhovsky over Johan Brunstrom in the first rubber and Lukas Lacko and Slovakia beat Dominic Thiem and Austria 4-1 to complete the world group playoffs participants.
In a couple of notable Europe/Africa Group 2 ties, Damir Dzhumhur and Bosnia beat Jarkko Nieminen and Finland 3-2 with a live fifth rubber, and Ricardas Berankis and Lithuania beat Rik De Voest and South Africa in the same fashion 3-2 with a live fifth rubber.
BOUCHARD ADVANCES TO THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEMIFINALS 19-year-old Canadian beats Ivanovic for the second time at a Grand Slam
Montreal, January 20, 2014 – On Monday at the Australian Open, Eugenie Bouchard (Westmount, QC) became the second Canadian in history to reach the singles semifinals of a Grand Slam, matching the performance of Carling Bassett at the U.S. Open in 1984.
Bouchard, seeded no. 30 in the tournament, took on Serbian Ana Ivanovic, who upset World No. 1 Serena Williams in the Round of 16. Even though she lost the first set, Bouchard continued to battle and play aggressively, a strategy that ultimately paid dividends as she came out on top 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. In victory, the 19-year-old Canadian hit 47 winners compared to 34 for her opponent and she was able to break Ivanovic’s serve seven times in the match. She remained calm and focused until she converted her first match point.
Bouchard will now take on world no. 4 Li Na of China, a finalist last year at the Australian Open who defeated Flavia Pennetta 6-2, 6-1 in her quarter-final match. The two players met in 2012 in the second of the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank and it was Li Na who came away with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph.
Following the Australian Open, Bouchard will be in Montreal for Canada’s World Group II first round tie against Serbia at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex on February 8 and 9.
Duval, Vickery Advance to USTA Australian Open Wild Card Final
Duval
Vicky Duval’s left knee held up today long enough to survive top seed Shelby Rogers to advance to tomorrow’s USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoff Final at Lifetime Athletic in Norcross, Georgia. Rogers did her best to move Duval all over the court to exploit the health advantage, but Duval’s accuracy allowed her to hold off the South Carolinian by a score of 6-4, 7-5. Rogers was out of the facility and on her way to pack for her long flight to New Zealand after a very quick shower.
A Warrior
#168 Duval will face Sachia Vickery in tomorrow’s final after a long and pushing match against Grace Min. It was not a pretty one to watch, as both players simply tried to wear each other down with long but unimpressive rallies. “We played and trained together so much, we really know each other’s games well”, Vickery admitted after the 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 grind.
Vickery
Both finalists have reached the second round of a major before, and one will earn a direct chance to do it again. Vickery won their only pro meeting 6-0, 6-4 in Midland qualifying earlier this year. Vickery says she would expect a closer result tomorrow. Colette Lewis and others on twitter quickly and correctly pointed out that these players are hardly strangers, with several previous encounters as juniors.
Since no one else will probably say it, I will. I think it is a testament to the growth of tennis that two African-American young women will meet for this title tomorrow. Even with the success of Sloane Stephens, Stephens and the Williams have been the exception rather than the rule in American tennis. This is a significant achievement for pro tennis and bodes well for the future interest in the women’s game in the United States.
Tomorrow’s final will begin at 1:00 p.m. I want to personally apologize for the twitter meltdown. This place is a wi-fi desert. Erik Gudris of @ATNTennis is using T-Mobile and doesn’t seem to be having the same problems the rest of us are. If you’re not following him yet, it be a good idea. In fact, @RickRoswell has three phones here with separate carriers and couldn’t get a single one to work. This is what twitter was like in 1995, if twitter had been around in 1995.
Tennis Atlantic 