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

[kskate2]

Seems like only Simona can ruffle her feathers.

 

[DarthFed]

I'm not liking my Cibby's chances vs Maddy Keys. Sharapova looked good the other night, maybe makes the finals here?

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I think with Serena, it will really depend on how well she can keep that serve going and keep that return cranking. She has been rather vicious on both accounts although her first serve percentage has dipped a bit. I have been rather happy with Serena here. It is like she finally flipped that switch and is progressing in the direction she needs to win or lose here. She is trying to end points quickly which is what she should be doing in the interest of body preservation and in general given the nature of her game.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I'm not liking my Cibby's chances vs Maddy Keys. Sharapova looked good the other night, maybe makes the finals here?

Bottom half is decimated. Meldopova has good chances of reaching finals. But, she is doing excessive DFs and yet winning. As you go deep, it does not bode well.

 

[DarthFed]

Bottom half is decimated. Meldopova has good chances of reaching finals. But, she is doing excessive DFs and yet winning. As you go deep, it does not bode well.

My beauty is being ballbashed as we speak. Maddy could ballbash her way to the finals but that Sabalenka has a hot hand too. Pretty open bottom half I guess

 

[golds girl]

Didn't understand why you guys called her Pliskobot till I watched her match in length the other day. Literally someone painted a face on one of those Terminator robots...so stiff.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Match of the day, for me, coming up. Osaka v Sabalenka. Sabalenka the hot player. Osaka playing well for sure. But benefiting from the draw sort of falling apart. Sabalenka definitely now looks like she can win a grand slam. But Osaka looked like that in IW. So I really have no idea who is gonna win this one and that's exciting. Because while I'm definitely more of a Osaka fan and want to see her come through. I won't be surprised or disappointed if Sabalenka comes through. Osaka definitely hasn't been great since IW. But she's been really solid here. And while Sasnoich isn't exactly a great player, double bagelling someone always shows you're playing well and mean business.

Still curious if Suarez Navarro can push Sharapova tonight. But Sabalenka/ Osaka is the match I'm all about today. And honestly, while they could both be upset by Tsurenko/Vondrousova, just because young players have let downs so often, I could totally see whoever wins this match thumping Keys or Sharapova. And will be pulling for whoever wins this match to make the final.

 

[AnonymousFan]

Same, Osaka Sabalenka is the one I’m most excited to watch!

 

[GameSetAndMath]

. And while Sasnoich isn't exactly a great player, double bagelling someone always shows you're playing well and mean business.

.

Monica Puig double bagelled her opponent in first round and lost in the second.

Gavrilova double bagelled her opponent in first round and lost in the second.

Whom you are playing against is more important than what score line you beat your opponent.

 

[kskate2]

First blood to Naomi 6-3

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Monica Puig double bagelled her opponent in first round and lost in the second.

Gavrilova double bagelled her opponent in first round and lost in the second.

Whom you are playing against is more important than what score line you beat your opponent.

I don't disagree. But Puig or Gavrilova, Osaka is not. As the first set against Sabalenka just showed. Also, Sasnovich won two matches before being bagelled. Gavrilova lost to Vika Azarenka a two time grand slam champ and former #1 and two time finalist here (only losing to Serena both times in two of the best women's grand slam finals of the last ten years). And Puig lost to Garcia, the 6th seeded player, in three sets. So lets give those losses the qualifiers they deserve. But all I meant by the double bagel point is that Osaka is feeling it. She means business. And she's not scared of Sabalenka, despite her great play recently.

As to this match, the first set stats show Osaka had the higher first serve percentage. Higher return percentage against Sabalenka's 1st serves. Less unforced errors. Despite struggling more on her serve the first few games it looked like, she came through with the holds and found the break she needed. Nice tidy first set. Struggling to hold here again in the third game of the second. Not terribly surprising. Sabalenka's returns are solid. But so far the percentage of them in has not been good enough (less than 50% first set). We'll see if she can bring it up.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Sabalenka really finding her range now. Osaka just unable to hang in there. And I think her first serve percentage is down. Double break now. Letting her bad attitude/body language in. Needs to rein it in.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

I love how Osaka is just looking at Sabalenka, before her serves, when Sabalenka isn't quite ready, like, "You ready? Can we go? Today please?!"

 

[golds girl]

Sabalenka's going to be Top 5 soon?
She seemed really to come out of nowhere....albeit I find it hard to keep track of all the Eastern European up-and-comers.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Osaka's back and forth with these weak serves followed by great serves is driving me nuts. She's just rolling in some first serves and they are fittingly being properly thwacked away by Sabalenka.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Sabalenka's going to be Top 5 soon?
She seemed really to come out of nowhere....albeit I find it hard to keep track of all the Eastern European up-and-comers.

Definitely didn't come out of nowhere. But she is just 20 and has struggled the last couple years. I feel like I saw something somewhere about her doing really well on the ITF circuit in like 2015 or 2016. And I saw her name in draws last year but never saw any matches with her and didn't really know what her deal was. She continued to struggle this year. Then made that final at Eastbourne against Wozniacki and hasn't really looked back. Maybe she got a new coach or something just clicked? I don't know. I definitely remember when she was one of those that beat Sloane Stephens after she won the US Open last year. But that was about it.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

I quit watching the match for 3 minutes and Osaka is back up and has break points (well now it's deuce.) Wild ride with these two.

 

[golds girl]

Definitely didn't come out of nowhere. But she is just 20 and has struggled the last couple years. I feel like I saw something somewhere about her doing really well on the ITF circuit in like 2015 or 2016. And I saw her name in draws last year but never saw any matches with her and didn't really know what her deal was. She continued to struggle this year. Then made that final at Eastbourne against Wozniacki and hasn't really looked back. Maybe she got a new coach or something just clicked? I don't know. I definitely remember when she was one of those that beat Sloane Stephens after she won the US Open last year. But that was about it.

Yeah makes sense. I had time and looked at her Wikipedia and she was ousted in the 1R for all of the Slams this year and then came on strong for the hard court season. I'm always suspicious of people who have a sudden turn but it seems that she has a new-ish coach, so that's perhaps it.

 

[AnonymousFan]

DF on MP #4, Osaka wins

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Yeah makes sense. I had time and looked at her Wikipedia and she was ousted in the 1R for all of the Slams this year and then came on strong for the hard court season. I'm always suspicious of people who have a sudden turn but it seems that she has a new-ish coach, so that's perhaps it.

Well I know at Wimbledon she had just been to the final of Eastbourne and then ran into Buzarnescu in the first round. Buzarnescu has had a great year and isn't here because of an ankle injury. Buzarnescu was seeded 29th. And Sabalenka still took the first set in a tiebreak. Fell 7-6 1-6 4-6. Lost to Bertens at the French. And lost to Barty at the AO. All seeded.

But Sabalenka double faults to give Osaka the deciding break and match. Close one. Thrilled to see Osaka come through!!!!! Her first major quarterfinal. With a serious chance to make the semis.

Now if I could just find a feed for Vondrousova v Tsurenko.