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

[golds girl]

DF on MP #4, Osaka wins

Bad look for Sabalenka to throw her racquet before the handshake

 

[Hoergren]

emotional Osaka wins battle of youth

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Tsurenko up 5-4 but taking a medical timeout.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Still wild to think Tsurenko, after such a so so career has made her second grand slam fourth round this year. Didn't really have to beat anyone at the French. Vogele, seeded CoCo Vandeweghe and seeded Rybarikova before retiring early in the match against Muguruza. But I don't really have very high respect for CoCo and Rybarikova, despite a great run to the semis of Wimbledon last year is a journeywoman at about the same level as Tsurenko. After this run, especially if she can pull out a win today, she'll probably be seeded for the AO next year. At 36 now. Lost first round here last year. All of like 160 points to defend after the US Open. But 165 to defend before the AO next year. Still, this run here should be enough to put her in the seeds for the AO. And just a second round to defend at the AO next year.

Down triple break point serving at 5-all.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Tsurenko somehow eeks out a break back. First set tiebreak. Vondrousova definitely helped her out there with a couple loose shots to lose the game.

Tsurenko looks exhausted and in pain. Doubling over multiple times a game. Not sure how she can come through this match or win the next one. In that case ya wanna see Vondrousova come through to at least have a match in the quarters. But, I'm not sure she's consistent enough to get it done. Tsurenko just making her play so many balls. Putting everything back in play.

 

[britbox]

First blood Vondrousova.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

First blood Vondrousova.

And she takes first blood in the second set.

 

[golds girl]

And she takes first blood in the second set.

Even though neither of these will win the tourney, I'm always happy when journeywomen or men make it farther because of the huge bump in match payouts. That cash pays salaries and tickets to tourneys.
Not everyone's a Serena or Roger, who absolutely don't need the cash

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Even though neither of these will win the tourney, I'm always happy when journeywomen or men make it farther because of the huge bump in match payouts. That cash pays salaries and tickets to tourneys.
Not everyone's a Serena or Roger, who absolutely don't need the cash

ABSOLUTELY!!!!! Totally agree.

Also I just love looking up to see where they've been the last year or two. And that usually leads me to other players like them that have had similar years. So I've been looking into Sasnovich today because of something someone said about a double bagel comment I made earlier today and she's like actually had a really nice year in the slams. Not to most of us. Because she's not made a quarter. But to her, it's been one of her best years. And she's made a lot more money than she previously had. She's made a heck of a lot more money than me. She brought home 163k pounds at Wimbledon which is over 200k USD right now. And 142500 at the AO which is 102k ish in USD right now.

Which is good. Because she's got a coach and physio and any other paid members of her team to pay.

But while looking at all this I saw that Mertens lost to Venus Williams at Wimbledon in a tiebreak and 4-6 at the 2017 Wimbledon. Go check her out and you see that she lost to Venus at the 2017 French too. In the third round. Before her Wimbledon loss. Then lost to Keys 3-6 and a tiebreak in the 1r of the 2017 US Open. Venus and Keys went to the final at Wimbledon and the US Open. Wonder how much confidence it gave her that she played them close. Because then she gets to the semifinals of the AO this year. Beating Gavrilova, Martic, and Svitolina along the way. The funny thing is she was in Venus' 16th again. But on the other side. Venus lost to Bencic in the first round and Mertens got Martic in the fourth round instead. Looking further back, the first slam she qualified for was the 2016 US Open. Lost to Muguruza in the first round. But took the first set. I don't remember that at all. So just cool to look back and see where people came from.

Meanwhile Tsurenko got a break and served out the second set. I did not think she'd be able to go to a third set.

Plenty more to say about all these players that don't make the slam quarters but it's because they ran into a top 10 or 20 player. And how some top players do lose to these folks. Like poor Gavrilova. Lost to Vika here. Mertens at the AO. I saw she lost to another youngster or journeywoman at another slam. But I'll leave it here. Because there's too much to say.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Tsurenko takes the first break of the third set.


Edit: Should be said that Vondrousova took a medical timeout between sets and now has her leg taped. Looks a bit hampered. Hence Tsurenko being close to a second straight break, with triple break point right now.


2nd Edit: I thought it might automatically show that I edited this post. It didn't. So I'm editing it again to show that I did.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Well Vondrousova broke back but then was broken back immediately. Which is because the leg she uses for the push off of her serve, she's a lefty, is the taped up right leg.

Tsurenko serving 4-1.

 

[Moxie]

Happy for Keys and Osaka!

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Vondrousova holds. But Tsurenko comes through 6-7 7-5 6-2. Vondrousova will jump from 103 in the world to the top 75ish. Still just 19. This is only her 7th grand slam showing. And if Wikipedia isn't missing anything, she qualified, at the 2017 French Open, the first time she ever tried to qualify for a slam. Made the second round because she played a young WC. Lost to seeded Kasatkina in the second. Has been a direct acceptance into every slam since. Lost a three setter to Peng 1r 2017 Wimbledon and a very close 3 setter against Kuznetsova at the 2017 US Open. Was world number 50 back in March.

Won two girls doubles slams as a junior.

Lost today but looks to have a very bright future.

Congrats to Tsurenko though! Her first quarterfinal!!!!!!!

 

[Tenfan63]

CSN is giving Sharapova a run for her money. She won the first set

 

[kskate2]

CSN and her pretty BH are schoolin Pova on Ashe 6-4 4-2. Two games away...

 

[atttomole]

Hopefully, CSN finishes the job

 

[AnonymousFan]

Agree, Hope CSN serves it out

 

[Tenfan63]

Looks like Sharapova might be going home early this year

 

[kskate2]

Evert sounds like she's tearing up because Pova is losing... LOL

 

[AnonymousFan]

MP...