US OPEN 2018, Flushing Meadows, NY, USA, GRAND SLAM (Women)

[atttomole]

She went through some personal issue last year which is why her ranking tumbled. That may have caused her to lose some weight

What happened to her?

 

[Hoergren]

Impressive - beware

 

[golds girl]

I'm feeling a little disappointed in Ostapenko...was hoping she could take Sharapova out and it doesn't seem likely at this point

 

[Jelenafan]

I'm feeling a little disappointed in Ostapenko...was hoping she could take Sharapova out and it doesn't seem likely at this point

And we have to hear the commentators gush and praise Sharapova for her "perfect" night record at the USO, conveniently forgetting she's won only 1 title here in 15 years...

 

[atttomole]

And we have to hear the commentators gush and praise Sharapova for her "perfect" night record at the USO, conveniently forgetting she's won only 1 title here in 15 years...

It looks like it is the media that likes Sharapova, not so much the fans. Records for night matches are useless statistics because they depend also on how many times one gets to play at night.

 

[atttomole]

Sabalenka is a very solid player. She has powerful and accurate ground strokes. In addition, she exudes confidence.

 

[kskate2]

What happened to her?

I don't know the details. I just know it was something in her personal life. It was mentioned once or twice by the commies during her matches when she was losing to any and everybody

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Very interesting a lot of slam winners removed from the draw today. Could get very interesting this US Open. Quite the opportunity for someone.

 

[kskate2]

Very interesting a lot of slam winners removed from the draw today. Could get very interesting this US Open. Quite the opportunity for someone.

There's only 3 slam champs left in the draw. Pova is the only one in the bottom half, Sloane & Serena in the top half

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

There's only 3 slam champs left in the draw. Pova is the only one in the bottom half, Sloane & Serena in the top half

It’s a good opportunity for Serena to get a slam. She seems to be getting the elements of her game on track this slam. There are still some dangerous players in the draw, but still good shot for her.

 

[Jelenafan]

Sabalenka's win was an upset, agreed, but she seemed to be this year's annoited hot player on a streak when the USO started...

 

[kskate2]

@Sundaymorningguy The same thing happened at Wimby when the draw completely fell away and then she got to the final and was flat as a pancake.

 

[kskate2]

I'm feeling a little disappointed in Ostapenko...was hoping she could take Sharapova out and it doesn't seem likely at this point

Osta was never going to beat Pova. Her serve isn't good enough against someone who returns well. So someone else will have to do that for you. Sabalenka, Osaka, Cibby are all capable of doing it. In fact Osaka and Cibby already have wins over her.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

@Sundaymorningguy The same thing happened at Wimby when the draw completely fell away and then she got to the final and was flat as a pancake.

I am afraid Serena will falter some where or other and won't win this USO.

 

[kskate2]

I am afraid Serena will falter some where or other and won't win this USO.

Well she's got 3 land mines on her side of the draw and they've all beaten her on a HC.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Yeah so after Kerber's loss today and Ostapenko's loss tonight, Sloane and Serena are the only slam winners from the last two years. Actually they're the only two slam winners since 2014 (Sharapova at 2014 French) left in the draw. Now, that's mostly because Serena won 3 of 4 in 2015 (Panetta won the US Open). Kvitova won the 2014 Wimbledon, but she lost today too. Li Na won the 2014 AO. So your defending champion and Serena are the only two recent slam winners in the draw and Maria Sharapova is the only other slam winner still left in the draw.

Of course, you do have Keys, last year's finalist and Pliskova 2016s finalist against Kerber. So this has turned into a group of people who do well at the US Open basically. Kanepi a quarterfinalist here last year (and 2010). Sevastova a quarterfinalist here last year (l. Stephens in third set tiebreak). Cibulkova an AO finalist. Svitolina the only top 8 seed left besides Sloane and Pliskova. And then Osaka, winner of IW. Sabalenka winner of New Haven right before the US Open. Riding a serious hot streak. Really coming into her own basically. Starting back before Wimbledon making the final of Eastbourne (l. Wozniacki). Looking at her match activity this year is funny. Because she lost to Barty in the first round of the AO. Barty still in it here. Lost to Tsurenko before that in the quarterfinals of Hobart. Lost to Tsurenko's upcoming opponent Vondrousova in the third round of IW. Then beat Vondrousova in the first round of 'S-Hertogenbosch, AFTER losing the first set to love. Could play Vondrousova if she beats Osaka. Lost to Mertens in the final of Lugano on clay and then again in Canada a few weeks ago. Mertens still in it here. And I worry is a serious threat to Sloane. Though I expect Sloane to figure it out after her recent loss to her in Cincy. Just sort of strange that with everyone that has fallen, of those that remain, Sabalenka has played most of them this year. But, of course, one of those people is not Osaka. Has not played Osaka this year. They've never played in fact. Sabalenka perhaps, somehow, more powerful than Osaka. But the beat down Osaka put on Sasnovich today should send a message, even if she wasn't beating Kvitova. Should be an awesome match. The only person left I haven't mentioned is Suarez Navarro. Sabalenka beat her in the New Haven final last week. So clearly playing well right now as well. Sharapova has won 4 of their 5 meetings. They've never played in a slam.

Also, I don't know if anyone picked this out when the draw first came out. But I just got curious tonight. Serena would have been the 25th seed if left at her ranking of 26 because Buzarnescu is out. Gavrilova was seeded 25th with Serena at 17. Gavrilova is in Sloane's 16th. Would have had to play Vika in the second round. And Sloane in the third round if she'd beaten Vika. Bad for Vika. Sloane. But also perhaps for Serena. All got lucky she got moved about. Of course, Venus was not so lucky.

 

[Jelenafan]

@Sundaymorningguy The same thing happened at Wimby when the draw completely fell away and then she got to the final and was flat as a pancake.

True, though one would hope that IF Serena got that far this time she’d be be better prepared. I wonder if even she thought she would win W with so little matchplay and boy did the tightness flare up.


On a side note: it occurred to me that the last 5 Major winners after Serena,s 2017 AO, ie Ostapenko (17 FO) Muguruza (17 W) Stephens (17 USO) Wozniak ( 18 AO) Halep (18 FO) and Kerber ( 18 W) have all subsequently lost in at least one Major in the 1st or 2nd round. Halep, Ostapenko and Stephens in the 1st round Wozniak and Muguruza in the 2nd. That has to be unprecedented.

ETA: For obvious reasons doesn’t apply to Kerber since there has only been one Major since her win but all the rest of these Major winners have subsequently lost at least two matches in different Majors by the 3rd round.

 

[britbox]

Results Recap - Day 6

 

[britbox]

Highlights / Pressers

Madison Keys





Suarez Navarro



Osaka





Cibulkova



Masha

 

[britbox]

Order of Play