Sunday, October 12, 2025

Wk.42- Pretty Please, with Coco on Top









futuristic-fonts




*WEEK 42 CHAMPIONS*
WUHAN, CHINA (WTA 1000; Hard Court Outdoor)
S: Coco Gauff/USA def. Jessie Pegula/USA 6-4/7-5
D: Storm Hunter/Katerina Siniakova (AUS/CZE) def. Anna Danilina/Aleksandra Krunic (KAZ/SRB) 6-3/6-2
Mallorca, Spain (WTA 125; Red Clay Outdoor)
S: Solana Sierra/ARG def. Lola Radivojevic/SRB 6-3/6-1
D: Jesika Maleckova/Miriam Skoch (CZE/CZE) def. Noma Noha Akugue/Mariella Thamm (GER/GER) 6-4/6-0




kosova-font



PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Coco Gauff/USA
...for all the "guff" that Gauff continues to field from detractors despite her so-far compellingly successful career while still only 21, she always puts her head down and bounces back from any setbacks.

After a sometimes-rocky SF run in Beijing that ended in a wipeout loss to Amanda Anisimova, Gauff just moved on to Wuhan and won her third career 1000 title. Aside from her win at Roland Garros, Gauff has also reached three 1000 finals in '25 (w/ previous losses in the back-to-back Madrid/Rome clay combo before her maiden RG title run in Paris).

Gauff didn't drop a set in Wuhan, allowing a combined 16 games over her first four wins vs. Moyuka Uchijima (6-1/6-0), Zhang Shuai (3 & 2), Laura Siegemund (3 & love) and Jasmine Paolini (4 & 3, erasing her 0-3 season record against the Italian). In the final vs. Jessie Pegula, she rallied from 5-3 down in the 2nd to close out her countrywoman in straight sets, 6-4/7-5, to pick up career title #11.

Gauff is now 9-0 in her career in tour-level finals on hard court, making her the first player to ever start with such a winning record, and is the first player on tour to win nine straight hard court finals since Serena Williams won twelve in a row from 2013-15.

This time of the season has proven to be a traditionally great one for Gauff. Over the last three years, she's put together a combined 22-3 mark in Beijing/Wuhan, with two titles and three SF over those five events. The last two years, the momentum she gathered with those results ultimately led to a SF and title run at the last two WTA Finals.
===============================================



RISERS: Jasmine Paolini/ITA and Jessie Pegula/USA
...don't look back, Elena, because Jasmine... oops, too late. Paolini just passed Rybakina in the WTA Finals Race.

Outdistancing her Kazakh competition by one round in Wuhan -- the Italian reached the semis, while Rybakina fell in the QF -- allows Paolini to move into the eighth and final spot in the WTAF field heading into Week 43 (of 45 regular season chapters).

The last *big* event before the WTAF, Wuhan saw Paolini post wins over Yuan Yue, Clara Tauson (who retired in the "overly-warm" conditions in the 3rd set) and Iga Swiatek (her first win over the Pole in seven tries) before falling to Coco Gauff (she'd been 3-0 vs. the world #3 this season).

While this season may not have seen Paolini equal her heady '24 career year slam results, when she reached consecutive major finals (going 18-4 overall in slam play, vs. 8-4 in '25), she's still had a fabulous follow-up campaign. She's posted better W/L stats (44-17 vs. 42-21), claimed her biggest-ever title in Rome (and reached another 1000 final in Cincinnati), and is in position for another WTAF berth after recording five of her eleven career Top 10 wins this season alone.

And, of course, that's not even counting Paolini's "side hustles," which have included leading Italy to a second straight BJK Cup title, and what will likely be another "Doubles Duo of the Year" campaign with Sara Errani, with whom she's won four titles, including her maiden major (RG) and three 1000 crowns (w/ repeats in Rome and Beijing).



Meanwhile, Pegula followed up her two-week long Beijing SF run -- during which she won a match after facing down 3 MP, then lost a match after holding 3 MP -- with an even *more* interesting week in Wuhan.

She very nearly lost a second straight match after holding MP, just getting past Hailey Baptiste in the 2nd Round in a deciding TB after having lost a 5-2 3rd set lead and holding five MP before falling behind 6-5. She finally won the TB on MP #7. Pegula then dropped the opening set in three consecutive come from behind wins over Ekaterina Alexandrova (Pegula lost the 1st after leading 5-2), Katerina Siniakova and Aryna Sabalenka (erasing the world #1's unbeaten 20-0 mark in Wuhan) to reach her sixth final of the season (second-most in the WTA in '25).

Pegula dropped the 1st set in the final vs. Coco Gauff, as well, but led 5-3 in the 2nd set with a chance to play in her *ninth* straight three-set match during this year's Asian swing (she'd gone 7-1 in the eight up to that point), only to see Gauff sweep the final four games to get the title.

Though Pegula couldn't add her first 1000 title of the season to her totals (her three wins have come in a combination of 500/250 events on three different surfaces), but she did officially qualify for the WTA Finals for a fourth straight season.
===============================================
SURPRISE: Katerina Siniakova/CZE
...it's expected that Siniakova is going to shine in doubles (which she did in Wuhan), but the Czech has recently been letting her singles side shine a bit, as well.

The Czech made her way through qualifying in Wuhan, then knocked off Diana Shnaider, Maya Joint and Iva Jovic -- 2025 WTA singles champions all -- before becoming another in the run of vanquished Jessie Pegula opponents who lost to the Bannerette despite grabbing the 1st set in their encounter.

Still, the QF was Siniakova's first such singles run in a 1000 event since 2018, and just the third in her career at that level.

10-3 during this year's 4Q swing through Asia, Siniakova will jump 17 spots in the new rankings to #45, while also maintaining her usual position atop the doubles field.


===============================================



VETERAN: Laura Siegemund/GER
...while Siegemund has yet to reach a singles final in '25, the 37-year old has put together her best season since she aged out of her twenties.

Already with her first slam QF result (at Wimbledon) since the 2020 Roland Garros, and with her three Top 10 wins this year her most in a single season since 2017, Siegemund has now added her first-ever 1000 QF run in Wuhan. Her week included wins over Dayana Yastremska (who retired in the 3rd set), world #5 Mirra Andreeva and Magdalena Frech.

Siegemund lost in the QF to #3 Coco Gauff, but will climb into the Top 40 on Monday. It'll be her highest ranking in more than eight years.


===============================================



FRESH FACES: Solana Sierra/ARG and Lola Radivojevic/SRB
...Sierra and Radivojevic faced off in the final of the Mallorca 125 challenger on the clay in Spain, with the 21-year old Argentine grabbing her second 125 event title of the season while dropping just one set all week. She defeated Radivojevic 6-3/6-1, running her '25 singles title total to four (along w/ a pair of $75K wins early this year).

After setting her career high of #64 this summer, Sierra had slipped to #86 heading into this past week. She'll rise back to #71 on Monday.

After the final, Sierra was greeted during the trophy ceremony by none other than Argentinian tennis legend Gabriela Sabatini.



20-year old Radivojevic followed up her final in the Rende 125 final a week ago with a career best-tying second straight such result in Mallorca.

The Serb's ranking will tick back up about 20 spots on Monday to match the career high of #152 she set in August.


===============================================



DOWN: Mirra Andreeva/RUS
...the long WTA season has worn on the 18-year old Hordette, who burst out of the gates in the early months of '25 and gave the appearance of a legit Player of the Year candidate, winning back-to-back 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells while racking up five Top 10 wins in the first three months of the season (three of them vs. Sabalenka and Swiatek).

The Russian's only Top 10 win since came in Wimbledon (over then-Top 10er Navarro) during a QF run in London. From that point on, with her SW19 last eight finish her best result since she lost to Lois Boisson in the Roland Garros QF, Andreeva has gone just 4-5. She exited in the 1st round in Wuhan, emotionally falling in three sets to (understandably) pain-in-the-butt opponent Laura Siegemund. Thanks to the German's frustrating opposition, Andreeva committed 64 UE, with 15 double faults, in her first opening round loss since Berlin.

The good news: thanks to her 19-3 start, Andreeva is still an impressive 40-15 this season (even if the potential of a 0-3 week next month in her WTAF debut, ala that of an 18-year old Coco Gauff in *her* first appearance three seasons ago, surely looms around the corner) and remains ensconced in the Top 10 (at #6 on Monday).

And, of course, she's still only 18. Next year she'll be a *waaay* older 19, and will surely be thanking herself again soon.


===============================================
ITF PLAYER: Elli Mandlik/USA
...Mandlik won the biggest title of her career, taking the $100K challenger in Edmond, Oklahoma to improve to 9-2 in career ITF finals.

Mandlik, 24, ran off wins over Fiona Crawley, Julieta Pareja, Olivia Gadecki, Cadence Brace and Marina Stakusic in a 6-3/7-5 final. It was the Bannerette's second appearance in a $100K final, along with a 2022 loss to Zhu Lin. She's reached one bigger final, a 125 in '23 in which she fell to Sorana Cirstea.

The loss is 20-year old Canadian Stakusic's first in a pro singles final, after having been 4-0 (3-0 ITF, 1-0 125) in her career.
===============================================
JUNIOR STARS: Teodora Kostovic/SRB and Chukwumelije Clarke/USA
...18-year old Kostovic is turning her final junior campaign/part-time first newbie season on the big tour into a true self-introduction moment.

The 2024 European Junior Champion followed up her girls' QF runs at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year with another last eight finish this summer at SW19, as well as making her tour-level MD debut (as the world #625) as a successful qualifying wild card this spring in Madrid.

In Mallorca, up to #213 after reaching her first pro event finals (going 1-1 in two $75K challengers), Kostovic reached her biggest career SF in this week's 125 event with consecutive wins over Mayar Sherif and Maria Carle. She lost there to Lola Radivojevic, but will next crack the Top 200 and come in at a new career high of #184 on Monday.



Meanwhile, 16-year old Bannerette Clarke won the Spring (Texas) Pan-American J300 crown.

The #6 seed, the Houston native upset top seeded Annikova Penickova in the SF, then took out #5 Carrie-Anne Hoo in the final. Clarke's previous biggest career title was a J200 won in Monterrey in July.

Penickova rebounded to take the doubles with Capucine Jauffret (who will *surely* appear on the "Best Names in Tennis" list on an upcoming post).
===============================================



DOUBLES: Storm Hunter/Katerina Siniakova, AUS/CZE
...in this case, Siniakova probably counts as the *second* story in this particular title-winning duo, as Wuhan provided the first title for Hunter (herself a former WD #1) since her return from a ruptured Achilles tendon during BJK Cup play in the spring of '24 (about six months after she'd debut in the doubles #1 ranking). Hunter returned to action this past February.

The pair didn't lose a set en route to the crown, dropping just a single game vs. Krueger/Pegula, six to Hc.Chan/Jiang, three vs. Mihalikova/Nicholls and then five in the final vs. Danilina/Krunic.

The run represented Hunter's first tour final since Indian Wells in March '24 (w/ Siniakova) and her first title since Dubai (also w/ Siniakova) the previous month. It's the Aussie's ninth career tour title, and the win makes her and Siniakova 3-2 together in WTA finals.

Siniakova, who recently moved into sole possession of third place all-time in weeks as the doubles #1 (165 this coming week), picks up career title #32. Her four wins this season tie the Czech for the tour lead along with Sara Errani, Jasmine Paolini and Erin Routliffe. She's qualified for the WTA Finals with Taylor Townsend.



BTW, the *top three* doubles teams in Wuhan all withdrew before playing a match last week, and the #4 and #5 teams both lost in their openers.
===============================================
WHEELCHAIR: Aniek Van Koot/NED
...there were only six players in the Series 1 field in Manacor (ESP), and none of them were named Diede de Groot.

But a noteworthy result still came about, as #1 Yui Kamiji failed to come away with the title, losing to #2 Van Koot in a 6-2/6-3 final that gives the Dutch veteran her third S1 singles title this season. Along with an additional Super Series crown, Van Koot has won four titles for the first time since 2014, which just so happens to be the last season in which she finished in the Top 2 in the year-end rankings.

In the late/post-Vergeer and pre-de Groot period, Van Koot had year-end finishes of 2-2-1-2 from 2011-14.

Meanwhile, Kamiji still left town with something, winning the doubles (competed via a round robin format featuring just three teams) alongside Zhu Zhenzhen.
===============================================













kosova-font

1. Wuhan 2nd Rd. - Jessie Pegula def. Hailey Baptiste
...6-4/4-6/7-6(6). This one became a THING, but not the THING that it *almost* became. And then Pegula proceded in Wuhan to make this victory the beginning of a whole *other* thing.

After falling in the Beijing SF after having held three MP, Pegula served for the match vs. Baptiste with a 5-2 3rd set lead. She held two MP in the game, then three more in the following game on return. Baptiste won both games to survive, then broke Pegula at love and held to suddenly take a 6-5 final set lead.

In the deciding TB, Pegula fell behind 5-4, but rallied to reach (but fail to convert) MP #6 before finally putting away the win on MP #7 after nearly three hours in the Wuhan autumn heat.



Pegula then went on to win matches against her next three opponents after dropping the opening set, reaching the final that had eluded her in Beijing.
============================================



2. Wuhan SF - Jessie Pegula def. Aryna Sabalenka
...2-6/6-4/7-6(2). After post-Baptiste comeback wins over Ekaterina Alexandrova and Katerina Siniakova, Pegula added another vs. Sabalenka in what was her eighth straight three-set match this Asian swing, recording her fifth career #1 win and ending a whole slew of streaks in the process.

Sabalenka led 5-2 in the 3rd, and served at 5-3, but Pegula kept the match alive and even held a pair of MP on serve (because of course she did) after taking a 6-5 lead. She DF'd four times in the game (her only DF on the day) and things went to a TB, of which Sabalenka had won nineteen straight this season. But instead of once again closing out a win with a TB victory, Sabalenka saw Pegula turn the tables with a 7-2 win, putting away her fourth MP attempt.

Not only did the result end Sabalenka's streak of 19 TB wins, it also ended her 20-match win streak in Wuhan (she's now 20-1, with titles in 2018-19 and, after the event's hiatus from 2020-23, another run in '24). Pegula had dropped four straight matches to the Belarussian (she's now 3-8), getting her first win since the '23 WTA Finals, and had also been 0-29 in her career vs. Top 10 opponents after losing the 1st set (only three times before had she even *forced* a 3rd set, let alone win it). Make it 1-29.


============================================

In her next match, Pegula got an answer... you just lose in two, apparently.


3. Wuhan Final - Coco Gauff def. Jessie Pegula
...6-4/7-5. In the fourth all-U.S. final on tour this season (all four of which included Pegula), the most since there were five in 2003, Gauff triumphed in straights. Pegula was in prime position to force a ninth straight three-set affair during her Asian swing, as she led 5-3 in the 2nd, only to again have difficulties closing. Gauff swept the final four games for the title.



Gauff and Pegula represented the 25th and 26th Bannerette singles finalists in WTA events in 2025, the most by any nation since the Russians produced 29 in 2010. The 13 titles won this year by U.S. women are the most since that same group of Hordettes won the same amount fifteen years ago.
============================================



4. Wuhan QF - Jasmine Paolini def. Iga Swiatek
...6-1/6-2. Few players could use a rest (at least before the WTAF) more than Swiatek, and her post-Seoul title exits in Beijing and Wuhan have more than showcased that fact.

Last week, she was sent out in a love 3rd set by Emma Navarro, who'd never previously won a set against the Pole. This week, it was Paolini who took advantage of the moment, handing Swiatek her second worst loss of the season. The three games she won here is fewer than only that 6-1/6-1 defeat vs. Gauff during Iga's disappointing spring clay stretch.

Paolini had been 0-6 vs. Swiatek, and won just one set in the series (in BJK Cup play last year) before this dominating victory, Iga's tenth straight sets loss in '25 (as many as her has two seasons combined).

Still, even in defeat, Swiatek added to her career totals, reaching her 25th career 1000 QF, and running her season win total on hard court to 40, just two less than her career-best of 42 in both 2022 and '23.

Of some note, this result came on the five-year anniversary of Swiatek's maiden title at Roland Garros.


============================================
5. Wuhan Q1 - Viktoriya Tomova def. Katie Boulter
...3-6/6-4/6-1. Boulter's faltering '25 campaign continues to wind down in uninspiring fashion, as she falls in the opening round of qualifying to drop to 19-19.

4-10 in her last fourteen matches, Boulter's only two-win event since Roland Garros came on the grass in Nottingham. She managed to win her first pro title on clay this year (a 125 in May), but was a three-time *tour-level* champ in 2023-24. Ranked at a career-best #23 eleven months ago, the Brit recently fell out of the Top 60 and was #61 heading into this event.

In true Sakkarian fashion, Boulter's winless week will be followed by a *rise* to #52 on Monday.
============================================
6. Wuhan Q2 - Anastasia Zakharova def. Bianca Andreescu 1-6/7-6(6)/6-3
Wuhan 1st Rd. - Sofia Kenin def. Anastasia Zakharova 3-6/7-6(5)/6-3
...after Zakharova defeated Tereza Valentova 4 & 2 in the opening round of qualifying, the Hordette rallied from 6-1/5-3 down (w/ Andreescu serving for the match) to get the win to reach the MD.

There, *she* failed to put the match away vs. Kenin, holding two MP at 5-4 in the 2nd, and leading 5-4 in the TB before the Bannerette forced a 3rd set. In the decider, Kenin pushed through for the win, improving to 2-3 this season in MD WTA matches in which the winner saved MP (her five such outings lead the tour).


============================================
7. Wuhan 1st Rd. - Ekaterina Alexandrova def. Victoria Mboko
...6-3/6-2. Mboko, 53-12 on the year on all levels, falls to 0-3 since her title run in Montreal.
============================================



8. Wuhan 1st Rd. - Karolina Muchova def. Marta Kostyuk
...2-6/6-2/6-4. Muchova survived the Wuhan heat (and Kostyuk) in her opening three-set victory (while Kostyuk's search for her '25 "signature moment" continues into the season's eleventh hour)...




Wuhan 2nd Rd. - Magdalena Frech def. Karolina Muchova
...7-6(1)/4-1 ret. But the Czech wasn't able to do the same her next time out, hitting the physical wall and pulling the ripcord five games into the 2nd set.


============================================
9. Wuhan 1st Rd. - Zhang Shuai def. Emma Navarro
...6-2/2-6/6-3. Off her QF run in Beijing (w/ a win over Swiatek), Navarro can't outlast Zhang, who ultimately fell in the 3rd Round to Coco Gauff.


============================================
10. $35K Seville ESP Final - Ane Mintego del Olmo def. Lucia Cortez Llorca
...6-2/6-1. The 2021 Wimbledon junior champ, 21, wins her second challenger title of the season.


============================================
11. $50K Heraklion GRE Final - Laura Samson def. Selena Janicijevic 5-7/6-2/6-1
$35K Santa Margherita di Pula ITA Final - Julie Pastikova def. Tena Lukas 6-2/4-6/6-2
...another week, another *two* Crusher champions.

In this case, it's a pair of 17-year old Czechs, with Samson (#273) winning her third title of the season and improving to 6-1 in pro finals in her career; while qualifier Pastikova (#754) grabs her maiden pro crown.

There was a chance for a trio of Crusher wins, but 15-year old Jana Kovackova (#587) fell 6-2/7-6 to 18-year old Hordette Kristina Kroitor in the $15K final in Sharm El Sheikh. Kovackova has won a pair of ITF challengers in 2025.
============================================
12. $35K Kunshan CHN Final - Carol Young Suh Lee def. You Xiaodi
...6-4/7-5. #StingEm !

Lee, the former Georgia Tech Yellowjacket, continues to build up her resume on the challenger level, reaching her seventh final of the season and claiming her fifth title with a straight sets victory in China.

The 23-year old Northern Mariana Islands native has now racked up 76 match wins in 95 matches in '25, and will edge close to her Top 200 breakthrough on Monday, coming in at a career-best #214.
============================================








It's kind of been lurking under the surface all season, and finally...




kosova-font





kosova-font






















futuristic-fonts





kosova-font




















kosova-font

*2025 WTA SINGLES TITLES*
4 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR = 1 GS, 2 1000, 1 500
3 - Jessie Pegula, USA = 2 500, 1 250
3 - Iga Swiatek, POL = 1 GS, 1 1000, 1 500
2 - Mirra Andreeva, RUS = 2 1000
2 - Amanda Anisimova, USA = 2 1000
2 - COCO GAUFF, USA = 1 GS, 1 1000
2 - Maya Joint, AUS = 2 250
2 - McCartney Kessler, USA = 2 250
2 - Madison Keys, USA = 1 GS, 1 500
2 - Elise Mertens, BEL = 2 250
[2020-25]
25 - 1/2/8/6/5/3 = Iga Swiatek
16 - 3/2/0/3/4/4 = Aryna Sabalenka
10 - 0/1/0/4/3/2 = COCO GAUFF
8 - 1/5/2 = Ash Barty (ret.)
8 - 0/3/2/2/1/0 = Barbora Krejcikova
8 - 0/0/1/2/2/3 = Jessie Pegula
8 - 1/0/1/2/3/1 = Elena Rybakina
[2020-25, hard court]
13 - Sabalenka (3/1/0/2/4/3)
13 - Swiatek (0/1/5/3/2/2)
8 - GAUFF (0/0/0/4/3/1)
6 - Barty (1/3/2 ret)
5 - Kasatkina (0/2/2/0/1/0)
5 - Kontaveit (0/4/1/0 ret)
5 - Krejcikova (0/1/2/2/0/0)
5 - Pegula (0/0/1/2/1/1)

*MOST WTA FINALS in 2025*
8 - Aryna Sabalenka (4-4)
6 - JESSIE PEGULA (3-3)
5 - Amanda Anisimova (2-3)
4 - Iga Swiatek (3-1)
4 - COCO GAUFF (2-2)
3 - McCartney Kessler (2-1)
3 - Elise Mertens (2-1)
3 - Ekaterina Alexandrova (1-2)
[2020-25]
30 - 3/3/3/6/7/8 = Sabalenka (16-14)
29 - 1/2/9/8/5/4 = Swiatek (25-4)
18 - 1/0/2/5/4/6 = PEGULA (8-10)
18 - 5/0/3/4/5/1 = Rybakina (8-10)
14 - 0/4/2/2/6/0 = Kasatkina (6-8)
13 - 0/1/1/4/3/4 - GAUFF (10-3)

*2025 TOP 10 FINALS*
Miami - #1 Sabalenka def. #4 Pegula
Madrid - #1 Sabalenka def. #4 Gauff
Rome - #5 Paolini def. #3 Gauff
Roland Garros - #2 Gauff def. #1 Sabalenka
Bad Homburg - #3 Pegula def. #8 Swiatek
Cincinnati - #3 Swiatek def. #9 Paolini
U.S. Open - #1 Sabalenka def. #9 Anisimova
Wuhan - #3 Gauff def. #6 Pegula

*RECENT ALL-USA WTA FINALS*
2012 Stanford - S.Williams d. Vandeweghe
2016 Rome - S.Williams d. Keys
2017 Australian Open - S.Williams d. V.Williams
2017 Stanford - Keys d. Vandeweghe
2017 US Open - Stephens d. Keys
2020 Auckland - S.Williams d. Pegula
2022 Adelaide 2 - Keys d. Riske
2024 Strasbourg - Keys d. Collins
2024 Toronto - Pegula d. Anisimova
2025 Adelaide - Keys d. Pegula
2025 Austin - Pegula d. Kessler
2025 Charleston - Pegula d. Kenin
2025 Wuhan - Gauff d. Pegula
--
NOTE: Keys or Pegula in all 8 in 2020s, Keys in two previous to that (2017)

*2025 WTA ALL-NATION FINALS*
(USA) Adelaide - Keys d. Pegula
(USA) Austin - Pegula d. Kessler #
(USA) Charleston - Pegula d. Kenin #
(CZE) Prague - Bouzkova d. Noskova #
(RUS) Monterrey - Shnaider d. Alexandrova
(USA) Wuhan - Gauff d. Pegula
-
#- tournament in home nation

*#1 WINS BY U.S. WOMEN in 2020s*
2020 #53 Jennifer Brady def. #1 Barty (Brisbane 2nd)
2020 #15 Sofia Kenin def. #1 Barty (AO SF)
2021 #37 Danielle Collins def. #1 Barty (Adelaide 2nd)
2021 #35 Coco Gauff def. #1 Barty (Rome QF)
2021 #43 Shelby Rogers def. #1 Barty (US Open 3r)
2022 #24 Madison Keys def. #1 Swiatek (Cincinnati 3r)
2023 #3 Jessie Pegula def. #1 Swiatek (United Cup SF)
2023 #3 Jessie Pegula def. #1 Swiatek (Montreal SF)
2023 #7 Coco Gauff def. #1 Swiatek (Cincinnati SF)
2023 #5 Jessie Pegula def. #1 Sabalenka (WTA Finals rr)
2024 #6 Jessie Pegula def. #1 Swiatek (U.S. Open QF)
2024 #3 Coco Gauff def. #1 Sabalenka (WTA Finals SF)
2025 #14 Madison Keys def. #1 Sabalenka (Australian Open F)
2025 #2 Coco Gauff def. #1 Sabalenka (Roland Garros F)
2025 #12 Amanda Anisimova def. #1 Sabalenka (Wimbledon SF)
2025 #6 Jessie Pegula def. #1 Sabalenka (Wuhan SF)
--
5 - Pegula
4 - Gauff
2 - Keys
1 - Anisimova, Brady, Collins, Kenin, Rogers

*CAREER WTA #1 WINS active*
15 - Venus Williams, USA
7 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ
7 - Elina Svitolina, UKR
5 - JESSIE PEGULA, USA
5 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR

*WTA #1 WINS (51) - 2020-25*
7 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ
5 - JESSIE PEGULA, USA
4 - Coco Gauff, USA
4 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
2 - Ekaterina Alexandrova, RUS
2 - Madison Keys, USA
2 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
2 - Alona Ostapenko, LAT
2 - Zheng Qinwen, CHN
1 - Mirra Andreeva, RUS
1 - Amanda Anisimova, USA
1 - Paula Badosa, ESP
1 - Jennifer Brady, USA
1 - Danielle Collins, USA
1 - Alize Cornet, FRA
1 - Caroline Garcia, FRA
1 - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA
1 - Anna Kalinskaya, RUS
1 - Sofia Kenin, USA
1 - Petra Kvitova, CZE
1 - Magda Linette, POL
1 - Karolina Muchova, CZE
1 - Linda Noskova, CZE
1 - Yulia Putintseva, KAZ
1 - Shelby Rogers, USA
1 - Sara Sorribes Tormo, ESP
1 - Elina Svitolina, UKR
1 - Iga Swiatek, POL
1 - Clara Tauson, DEN
1 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
[wins-by-nation, 2020-25]
16 - USA
8 - KAZ
6 - CZE
4 - BLR,RUS
2 - CHN,ESP,FRA,LAT,POL
1 - BRA,DEN,UKR
--
LOSSES (51): 24-Swiatek, 16-Sabalenka, 11-Barty

*2025 WINS OVER SABALENKA & SWIATEK*
Mirra Andreeva
Amanda Anisimova
Coco Gauff
Madison Keys
Alona Ostapenko
Jessie Pegula
Clara Tauson
[..and Gauff]
Amanda Anisimova

*MOST FINALISTS BY COUNTRY - since 2004*
38 - Russia 2008
34 - Russia 2006
33 - Russia 2004
29 - Russia 2010
27 - Russia 2007
26 - Russia 2009
26 - UNITED STATES 2025
25 - United States 2004
23 - United States 2016
[most titles, since 2004]
19 - Russia 2006
18 - Russia 2008
15 - Russia 2004
13 - Belgium 2005
13 - Russia 2009
13 - Russia 2010
13 - UNITED STATES 2025
12 - United States 2004
12 - Russia 2007
12 - United States 2024

*MOST WTA SF in 2025*
11 - ARYNA SABALENKA (8-3)
9 - Iga Swiatek (4-5)
8 - JESSIE PEGULA (6-2)
7 - Ekaterina Alexandrova (3-4)
6 - Amanda Anisimova (5-1)
6 - JASMINE PAOLINI (2-4)
6 - Elena Rybakina (1-5)
5 - COCO GAUFF (4-1)

*2025 SLAM-WTAF/1000 CHAMPIONS*
Australian Open - Madison Keys, USA
Doha - Amanda Anisimova, USA
Dubai - Mirra Andreeva, RUS
Indian Wells - Mirra Andreeva, RUS
Miami - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Madrid - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Rome - Jasmine Paolini, ITA
Roland Garros - Coco Gauff, USA
Wimbledon - Iga Swiatek, POL
Canada - Victoria Mboko, CAN
Cincinnati - Iga Swiatek, POL
US Open - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Beijing - Amanda Anisimova, USA
Wuhan - Coco Gauff, USA
[doubles]
Australian Open - Katerina Siniakova/Taylor Townsend, CZE/USA
Doha - Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini, ITA/ITA
Dubai - Katerina Siniakova/Taylor Townsend, CZE/USA
Indian Wells - Asia Muhammad/Demi Schuurs, USA/NED
Miami - Mirra Andreeva/Diana Shnaider, RUS/RUS
Madrid - Sorana Cirstea/Anna Kalinskaya, ROU/RUS
Rome - Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini, ITA/ITA
Roland Garros - Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini, ITA/ITA
Wimbledon - Veronika Kudermetova/Elise Mertens, RUS/BEL
Canada - Coco Gauff/McCartney Kessler, USA/USA
Cincinnati - Gaby Dabrowski/Erin Routliffe, CAN/NZL
US Open - Gaby Dabrowski/Erin Routliffe, CAN/NZL
Beijing - Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini, ITA/ITA
Wuhan - Storm Hunter/Katerina Siniakova, AUS/CZE

*2025 WTA DOUBLES TITLES*
4 - Sara Errani, ITA
4 - Jasmine Paolini, ITA
4 - Erin Routliffe, NZL
4 - KATERINA SINIAKOVA, CZE
3 - Timea Babos, HUN
3 - Gaby Dabrowski, CAN
3 - Luisa Stefani, BRA
3 - Taylor Townsend, USA
[2020-25]
25 - KATERINA SINIAKOVA (1/6/6/3/5/4)
15 - Barbora Krejcikova (1/5/3/4/1/1)
13 - Elise Mertens (1/4/2/2/3/1)
12 - Erin Routliffe (0/1/1/3/3/4)
11 - Gaby Dabrowski (0/1/3/2/2/3)
11 - Anna Danilina (0/1/2/1/5/2)
11 - Hsieh Su-wei (4/2/0/2/3/0)
11 - Nicole Melichar-Martinez (2/2/2/0/3/2)
11 - Demi Schuurs (2/2/1/2/2/2)
11 - Laura Siegemund (1/0/3/5/1/1)
11 - Luisa Stefani (1/1/2/3/1/3)

*2025 WTA DOUBLES FINALS*
7 (2-5) = ANNA DANILINA, KAZ
5 (4-1) = Sara Errani, ITA
5 (4-1) = Jasmine Paolini, ITA
5 (4-1) = KATERINA SINIAKOVA, CZE
5 (3-2) = Taylor Townsend, USA
5 (2-3) = ALEKSANDRA KRUNIC, SRB
5 (2-3) = Alona Ostapenko, LAT
5 (2-3) = Guo Hanyu, CHN
5 (1-4) = Zhang Shuai, CHN
[duos]
5...Errani/Paolini (4-1)
4...Guo/Panova (2-2)
3...Babos/Stefani (3-0)
3...Dabrowski/Routliffe (3-0)
3...Jiang/Wu (2-1)
3...Siniakova/Townsend (2-1)
3...DANILINA/KRUNIC (1-2)
3...V.Kudermetova/Mertens (1-2)
3...Hsieh/Ostapenko (0-3)

*SINIAKOVA - 32 WTA TITLES (# w/ partners)*
18 - Barbora Krejcikova
3 - Storm Hunter
3 - Taylor Townsend
2 - Aleksandra Krunic
1 - Belinda Bencic
1 - Coco Gauff
1 - Kristina Mladenovic
1 - Alona Ostapenko
1 - Bernarda Pera
1 - Zhang Shuai

*ALL-TIME WEEKS AT WTA DOUBLES #1*
237 - Martina Navratilova
199 - Liezel Huber
165 - KATERINA SINIAKOVA (current)
163 - Cara Black
137 - Lisa Raymond
124 - Natasha Zvereva
111 - Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
110 - Roberta Vinci






futuristic-fonts





kosova-font

Diane Keaton by Jill Krementz, 1977 #Caturday

[image or embed]

— Susan DuBose (@houseofbast777.bsky.social) October 11, 2025 at 5:41 PM


kosova-font



kosova-font

James Comey, Letticia James,.... (from the archives)

[image or embed]

— Ann Telnaes (@anntelnaes.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 5:36 PM


kosova-font



kosova-font



kosova-font



kosova-font



kosova-font




kosova-font



kosova-font






All for now.

Read more...

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 7:00 PM  0 comments

Sunday, October 05, 2025

Wk.41- The Anisimova Ascendency






futuristic-fonts




*WEEK 41 CHAMPIONS*
BEIJING, CHINA (WTA 1000; Hard Court Outdoor)
S: Amanda Anisimova/USA def. Linda Noskova/CZE 6-0/2-6/6-2
D: Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini (ITA/ITA) def. Fanny Stollar/Miyu Kato (HUN/JPN) 6-7(1)/6-3 [10-2]
Rende Italy (WTA 125; Red Clay Outdoor)
S: Sara Bejlek/CZE def. Lola Radivojevic/SRB 6-2/6-7(1)/6-3
D: Nicole Fossa Huergo/Ekaterine Gorgodze (ITA/GEO) def. Federica Urgesi/Aurora Zantedeschi (ITA/ITA) 3-6/6-1 [10-4]
Samsun, Turkey (WTA 125; Hard Court Outdoor)
S: Kaja Juvan/SLO def. Nikola Bartunkova/CZE 7-6(8)/6-3
D: Naima Karamoko/Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah (SUI/FRA) def. Harriet Dart/Maia Lumsden (GBR/GBR) 7-5/1-6 [10-6]
Suzhou, China (WTA 125; Hard Court Outdoor)
S: Viktorija Golubic/SUI def. Katie Volynets/USA 4-6/6-4/6-4
D: Aldila Sutjiadi/Janice Tjen (INA/INA) def. Katarzyna Kawa/Makoto Ninomiya (POL/JPN) 6-4/6-3




kosova-font

[Beijing 3rd Rd. Monday-to-Final]




PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Amanda Anisimova/USA
...Anisimova was owed a big week after her title-free -- but very big -- summer. In Beijing, she got it.

Coming into the event, in a year when Bannerettes have been posting some remarkable stats, Anisimova was already arguably the U.S. "Player of the Year," even with her top competition for the honor either being a reigning major champ (Gauff and Keys) or the only player on tour with titles on three surfaces this season (Pegula). For her part, Anisimova's two slam final appearances, combined with more dominant stretches/moments of anyone in the group, was enough to get close to the top of the heap. But she'd won only one title, the Doha 1000 event back in February, and had lost in three finals since. Anisimova seemingly needed *something* more to truly validate her candidacy.

Her last two weeks in China, as of now, effectively accomplish that task. After wins over Katie Boulter and Zhang Shuai, Anisimova rallied from a set down vs. Karolina Muchova and Jasmine Paolini, then improved to 5-1 in '25 semifinals with an authoritative 6-1/6-2, 58-minute victory over Coco Gauff, picking up her eighth Top 10 win of the year (second only to #1 Sabalenka) and advancing to her fifth final this year (she'd reached four in her career before this season). With the victory over her countrywoman, Anisimova became the only player this season to post wins over the entire current Top 3: Sabalenka, Swiatek and Gauff.

Linda Noskova managed to push the title match to a 3rd set, but Anisimova (who opened w/ a love 1st) allowed just two total games in the opening and closing stanzas.



It's the fourth career title for Anisimova, who further solidifies her #4 ranking. She's now offficially closer to #3 Gauff on the computer than she is #5 Mirra Andreeva, with her maiden appearance in the WTA Finals on the horizon.
===============================================



RISERS: Linda Noskova/CZE and Marta Kostyuk/UKR
...though Noskova remains without a tour title in 2025, this season has likely been her "career year" to date. The 20-year old's run to her biggest career final in Beijing is added to a season resume that includes a Wimbledon Round of 16, a home title run in Prague, two other SF, a 1000 QF in Dubai, a career-high five Top 10 wins (w/ two in this latest event) and, as of Monday, a maiden Top 20 ranking (at #17) that makes her the new Czech #1.

Noskova's time at the China Open included wins over Wang Xiyu, Zheng Qinwen (who ret. in the 3rd set), Anastasia Potapova, Sonay Kartal and Jessie Pegula, with the latter match featuring a comeback that overcome the veteran Bannerette holding three MP and later serving two up 5-4 in a deciding 3rd set TB.

Noskova pushed Amanda Anisimova to three sets in the final, but added her name to the list of foes who ultimately could not slow down the surging would-be Beijing champ.

Meanwhile, Kostyuk had another good, but not great -- and one without a "big" moment -- run in a significant event. 2025 has been a very strange, difficult to read, year between the lines for the Ukrainian.



Kostyuk has so far maintained a Top 30 ranking, but one would be hard-pressed to identify a "signature moment" in her season, aside from maybe that unnecessary underarm serve on MP and/or her wonderful Wilson tennis attire (she's probably the most consisently best-dressed player on tour on gameday). She's gone 29-18 on the year (3-1 of that in Cup play), but has not reached a single semifinal, going 0-3 in QF appearances in '25. But, still, with her Beijing result this time out (after wins over Ella Seidel and Aliaksandra Sasnovich before a three-set loss to Jessie Pegula), Kostyuk has posted eight 4r+ results in 1000/slam events (by comparison, #1 Aryna Sabalenka has 9, but 7 of *hers" were SF+) with her ten 1000 MD wins a career season high, as well as some of the best performances in *losses* by any player this year (including a pair of straight sets defeats vs. #1 Sabalenka which might qualify of the two most entertaining two-set encounters of the entire season).

But Kostyuk's lone Top 10 win of '25 (Gauff in Doha) came almost eight months ago, and she slogged through a six-match losing streak during the summer. She *has* gone 11-3 since that slide, though, and helped lead Ukraine to its first BJK Cup semifinal in September. If the team had reached the final she *might* (2-0 in singles in the QF/SF, Kostyuk played in the deciding doubles loss vs. ITA) have been the star and MVP of the whole event in Shenzhen but, again, the ending to her story was left wanting.

There's still time for a season-ending "moment" to send Kostyuk soaring into 2026 on a high note, but it's dwindling quite fast.
===============================================



SURPRISE: Sonay Kartal/GBR
...Kartal carried over her momentum from Cup play, during which she won her QF match as Great Britain reached yet another BJK semifinal (she took Emma Navarro to three sets in the SF tie vs. the U.S.).

In Beijing, she posted a series of impressive wins over Alycia Parks, Dasha Kasatkina, Maya Joint and, for her first career Top 10 victory, Mirra Andreeva in a 7-5 3rd set, breaking the Hordette to end a set in which the two had both faced just a lone BP each (each got holds of serve).

Kartal lost in the QF vs. Linda Noskova, but her Beijing run tops her previous career-best 1000/big event results (4r this year at Indian Wells and Wimbledon) and she'll climb 21 spots on Monday to return to the Top 60. The Brit reached a career high of #44 in July, and has now reclaimed her position as the GBR #2 ahead of Katie Boulter and Francesca Jones, and behind only Emma Raducanu.
===============================================



VETERANS: Jessie Pegula/USA and Viktorija Golubic/SUI
...Pegula's two weeks in Beijing were highlighted by a win after facing down three MP vs. Emma Raducanu in the 3rd Round, and then it ended with *her* being unable to put away any of her own three MP vs. Linda Noskova in the semis.

Along with an opening win over Ajla Tomljanovic, Pegula added additional three-set victories over Marta Kostyuk and Emma Navarro. Having previously been 5-1 in semifinals in '25, Pegula was in position to improve upon that winning percentage vs. Noskova, serving at 6-5 in the third and holding those three MP, then serving two at 5-4 in the deciding TB, as well. She ultimately lost 8-6.

While Pegula fell short of what would have been her sixth final of the season (behind only Sabalenka's eight), her Beijing result continued her rebound from a summer slump following her grass title at Bad Homburg. She'd gone 2-4 before her U.S. Open semifinal result, to which she's since added the U.S.'s BJK Cup final and another SF here, a stretch during which she's gone 10-4 (9-2 in tour/slam events).



In Suzhou, Golubic had quite the impressive week en route to her fifth career 125 crown.

In a run that might rival (or surpass) more than a few 250 title jaunts, the 32-year old Swiss (33 this month) posted wins over Rebeka Masarova and Linda Fruhvirtova early on, then proceeded to take out #4 seed Alex Eala (saving two MP at 6-5 in the 3rd, then reeling off eleven straight points to end the match in a 7-0 TB win), #2 Tatjana Maria in straights in the semis, then Katie Volynets from a set down in the final.

After finishing outside the Top 100 last season, Golubic has quietly scaled her way back up the rankings and will come in at #65 on Monday heading into the final five weeks of the WTA season.
===============================================



COMEBACKS: Emma Navarro/USA and Kaja Juvan/SLO
...compared to her breakout '24 campaign, Navarro's 2025 season has certainly been a step-back year. But she's had isolated pockets of success, amongst them managing to win her biggest career title in the Merida 500 in March, rising to the occasion in the majors with an AO QF and Wimbledon Round of 16, and with her lone Top 10 win since last year's U.S. Open coming nine months ago in Melbourne vs. then #10 Dasha Kasatkina.

And to that list Beijing, where a fairly routine beginning -- a win over Gabriela Ruse, a retirement from Lois Boisson -- was suddenly bolstered by the latest of this season's out-of-nowhere crash-out exits by Iga Swiatek, as Navarro ousted the world #2 and '23 tournament champ (who'd never lost in the event) via a love 3rd set. Navarro had won just five *total* games in her two previous match-ups vs. Swiatek, the most recent at this year's AO.

Against Jessie Pegula in the QF, Navarro saved six SP in the 1st set after trailing 5-3, then took the match lead with a TB win. But she won just three combined games vs. her countrywoman in the 2nd/3rd sets. The loss drops Navarro to 1-7 in QF matches this season, with her lone win coming in her title run in Merida. Her three wins in Beijing level her 1000 won/lost at 8-8 in '25.



Meanwhile, Juvan's return from her second hiatus from the sport has truly started to sprout wings as the season has moved along.

With the Slovenian's title run at the Samsun 125 in Turkey, Juvan is close to a Top 100 return (#107 on Monday) after having been outside the Top 500 in early May. Over the past five months, she's reached four singles finals (3 in 125 events, 1 ITF) after having not played in a title match since 2022 (WTA Strasbourg), collecting three titles (her first on any level since 2019) and running her season match win total to a career best 46.

In Samsun, Juvan rallied from a set down vs. Linda Klimovicova to win a semifinal clash, then defeated Nikola Bartunkova 7-6(8)/6-3 to take the crown.

Since the start of her Saint-Malo 125 final run (the one final she's lost in '25, vs. Naomi Osaka) this spring, Juvan has gone 32-10, and she's now 10-1 in her last 11.


===============================================



FRESH FACES: Eva Lys/GER and Sara Bejlek/CZE
...Lys' first week run in Beijing carried into the second, as the German added to her wins over Iva Jovic (from 5-2 down in the 3rd) and Elena Rybakina (in 3 sets for her maiden career Top 10 win) with another over McCartney Kessler to reach her first 1000 QF (and just second in a tour-level event, along with the smallish Cleveland tournament before this year's U.S. Open).



While Lys generally stood her ground quite well, showing her vast improvement over the course of '25, against Coco Gauff in the QF, she nonetheless fell in two sets. A win would have taken her into the Top 40, but the world #66 will settle for cracking the Top 50 for the first time in the new rankings.

In Rende (ITA), 19-year old Bejlek claimed her third career 125 crown (second in '25), improving to 10-3 in pro singles finals. The Czech is nipping at the heels of her Top 100 debut, and will rise to a new career high of #106.

Bejlek outlasted Serbia's Lola Radivojevic, the recent BJK Cup understudy who was playing in her biggest career final, in a 6-2/6-7(1)/6-3 final.


===============================================
ITF PLAYER: Alina Korneeva/RUS
...the former junior #1 (and '23 AO & RG girls' champ), Korneeva claimed her third ITF title since the start of September, adding the $75K Bratislava crown to the pair of $50K challengers she picked up last month.

The Hordette's 7-6(7)/7-5 victory in the final over Lucie Havlickova improves her record to 15-1 since her loss in U.S. Open qualifying.

The 18-year old also added the doubles title alongside Lily Miyazaki.
===============================================
JUNIOR STAR: Eva Bennemann/GER
...the new young German contingent has seen Eva Lys and Ella Seidel make moves in '25 at tour level. Meanwhile, on the junior -- and now challenger -- level we can add the likes of Bennemann.

In Verna (BUL), the 17-year old grabbed her first career pro singles title, defeating Anastasija Cvetkovic in a 7-5/6-2 final to take home her maiden win. Earlier this year, Bennemann won the girls' doubles at Roland Garros.

NOTE: BTW, one of the players that Bennemann defeated en route to the title was Alexa Karatantcheva. And, yes, the 18-year old most definitely *is* a member of *that* Karatantcheva tennis family.

@eva_bennemann

===============================================



DOUBLES: Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini, ITA/ITA
...the Italians are beginning to leave little doubt about whether they are once again the Doubles Duo of the Year, claiming the Beijing crown as the event's first repeat champions and adding a third '25 1000 crown to this spring's Roland Garros win and last month's latest BJK Cup title run (where they won a deciding doubles match in the semis).

At the China Open, Errani & Paolini closed out their title run with a 4 & love SF victory over Hsieh Su-wei/Alona Ostapenko, then won a 10-2 MTB in the final over Miyu Kato/Fanny Stollar to claim the crown.

The Italians' ninth career title as a pair is their fourth this year, more than any other doubles team in '25, while Errani's 36th career tour win puts her alone atop the active title leader list (breaking a tie w/ Hsieh). The veteran has also won a pair of MX slams (counting the U.S.), as well as the Indian Wells MX invitational, this season.


===============================================
WHEELCHAIR: Diede de Groot/NED
...flashforward one year, and one wonders whether the women's wheelchair tour will have experienced a 2026 season with a theme of "Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss."

While de Groot has readied for and recovered from hip surgery, and then undergone a (mostly) season-long comeback campaign that has seen more rough patches than her Hall of Fame career has (anywhere close to) experienced over the years, the rest of the WC field has surely taken advantage of an unexpected break in what had been a nearly decade-long period of dominance from de Groot. For the first time *ever* in her career, she won *no* slam titles in singles or doubles.

But, with every passing week, the Dutch great is looking more and more like her old self. Her latest title run this week on the French Riviera was a significant one.

In Biot, France, not only did de Groot roll her way to a Super Series title, her fourth singles title in her last five events and biggest since taking last year's Wimbledon crown, she also cleared a big hurdle in her comeback. While she posted wins over the likes of Manami Tanaka, Ksenia Chasteau (the young Pastry took the 2nd set, but lost a 6-1 3rd) and Aniek Van Koot (in a 6-2/6-0 final), she also ended her recent losing streak to current #1 Yui Kamiji.

After having defeated Kamiji 28 straight times, de Groot had lost four straight to her longtime rival over the past year-plus, both just before and after her surgery. In Biot, she got her first win in the series since the last edition of this French Riviera event was held (in June '24) with a 6-2/4-6/6-0 SF victory that surely was accompanied by a feeling of long-awaited relief.

De Groot has gone 15-1 since her QF loss at Wimbledon.

Kamiji didn't leave Biot empty handed, though, as she teamed with Zhu Zhenzhen to win the doubles, defeating de Groot & Jiske Griffioen in a 10-8 MTB in the final to claim the crown.


===============================================









kosova-font

[Beijing 3rd Rd. Monday-to-Final]


1. Beijing SF - Linda Noskova def. Jessie Pegula
...6-1/1-6/7-6(6). For Noskova, the road to CZE #1 went through Pegula.

Of course, Pegula had the match on her own racket. After two quick sets which were split between the two, the 3rd opened with four straight breaks of serve. Serving up 6-5, 40/15, Pegula couldn't put away three MP. After Noskova broke to force a TB, Pegula led 3-1 and served two with a 5-4 edge before eventually falling 8-6 as the Czech notched her fifth Top 10 win of the season (two of them over Pegula) to reach her biggest career final.


============================================



2. Beijing 4th Rd. - Coco Gauff def. Belinda Bencic
...4-6/7-6(4)/6-2. Gauff's serve remains a work in progress, but her guts and resilience remain an asset.

Here, after losing the 1st set after having led 4-1, Gauff staged a comeback from a set and a break down (at 4-3), as well as 3-1 back in the 2nd set TB (sweeping the final four points from 4-3 down), to improve to 3-1 vs. Bencic this season.

Meanwhile, in the latest bit of "The Real Players of the WTA," Bencic and Gauff clashed a bit mid-match when the Swiss openly complained to the chair umpire about Gauff's team cheering for Coco as she was about to serve. When Gauff attempted to intercede to see what the problem was, she was told by Bencic, "No one's talking to you."

"I'm too old for these mind games," the 28-year old Swiss bemoaned.



Ultimately, Gauff responded mostly with her racket, and sent Bencic packing (while also officially qualifying herself for the WTAF field for a fourth straight year).
============================================



3. Beijing 3rd Rd. - Linda Noskova def. Zheng Qinwen 6-4/3-6/3-0 ret.
Beijing 3rd Rd. - Iga Swiatek def. Camila Osorio 6-0 ret.
Beijing 3rd Rd. - Emma Navarro def. Lois Boisson 6-2/1-0 ret.
Beijing 3rd Rd. - Jessie Pegula def. Emma Raducanu 6-3/6-7(3)/6-0
...one day, 8 matches, which included 3 walkovers and a love 3rd set. Yeah, the tennis season isn't too long at all.

In the match of the day, Raducanu was unable to put away Pegula after holding three MP -- at 6-5, 8-7 and 9-8 -- in a 2nd set TB ultimately won by the Bannerette 11-9.

The 3rd set then turned into a whitewash.


============================================



5. Beijing 4th Rd. - Emma Navarro def. Iga Swiatek
...6-4/4-6/6-0. Well, when Iga crashes out, she does it with the best of them. In this case, with 70 UE and her second love 3rd set defeat (w/ Sabalenka at RG) of the season. Before this exit, she'd dropped a pair of bagel sets on her first two opponents in Beijing, was 8-0 for her career in the event, and had never lost more than two games in a set in any of her previous two matches (one in '18, the other at this year's AO) vs. Navarro.

The result helps the idle Sabalenka's cause greatly when it comes to repeating as the season-ending #1, while three of Navarro's six career Top 10 wins have now come vs. three different (Aryna, Coco and now Iga) world #2-ranked players.
============================================
6. Beijing QF - Amanda Anisimova def. Jasmine Paolini
...6-7(4)/6-3/6-4. The Beijing journey (in singles, at least) of "Baozong" ends at the QF pole, but Paolini made significant progress over the past two weeks when it comes to qualifying in singles for the WTAF for a second straight season. With current Race #8 Elena Rybakina's early exit, the #9-standing Italian stands just 65 points out of the field heading into the final month of the regular season.
============================================
7. $35K San Rafael USA Final - Madison Brengle def. Lucciana Perez Alarcon
...7-6(9)/6-0. 35-year old Brengle, ranked #738, wins her first singles title (ITF career #20) since 2022 with a win over 20-year old Peruvian LPA.

It's a nice moment for Brengle, who has dealt with a number of health issues in recent years, from an arm injury from a blood test (which ultimately required fusion surgery, as well as resulting in a lawsuit) to a battle with skin cancer last year. She returned to the court this spring after having been out since September 2023.
============================================
8. $35K Monastir TUN Final - Vendula Valdmannova def. Mika Stojsavljevic
...6-1/6-1. Another week, another Crusher champion.

17-year old Valdmannova, a '25 Wimbledon girls' doubles champ and 2024-25 singles semifinalist at SW19, picks up her second and biggest career ITF crown in Monastir, defeating '24 U.S. Open junior champ Stojsavljevic in straight sets.
============================================
9. $15K Sibenik CRO Final - Ana Konjuh def. Pia Lovric
...6-2/6-2. Traditionally injury-plagued, but still only 27, Konjuh wins her first singles title on any level in almost three years.

Her return in Croatia this past week was her first action since June and ended what had been a six-match losing streak. Her most recent match win had been in May.
============================================



10. Suzhou 125 Final - Aldila Sutjiadi/Janice Tjen def. Katarzyna Kawa/Makoto Ninomiya
...6-4/6-3. Sutjiadi & Tjen, The Indonesian Connection, win the Suzhou 125 without dropping a set, claiming their first title as a duo (they reached a $35K final in February), and perhaps ushering in a(nother) new era for the nation's tennis fortunes?


============================================











kosova-font



Speaking of Kostyuk, here's another "Could Be the Logo" candidate (on the left)...




And another (on the left, of course)...




kosova-font





kosova-font



Oh, for a tennis player in 2025 to matter-of-factly come with the same sort of Jim Mora-esque energy after a bad performance (w/ no forthcoming apologies two days later)...




Example: "Did *she* play well in the final? I don't know, I guess. I know I played like s***, and she played better than me. So I guess that's a good thing." (pause) "For her. Not for me, because I played like s---t. *You* might've beaten me today."

Maybe the closest we've seen in the modern day? Hmmm, Medvedev?
















futuristic-fonts





kosova-font




















kosova-font

*MOST TOP 10 WINS IN 2025 (w/ #1 wins)*
10 - Sabalenka
8 - ANISIMOVA(1), Swiatek
7 - Gauff(1)
6 - M.Andreeva(1)
5 - Alexandrova(1), Keys(1), NOSKOVA
4 - Ostapenko(1), Paolini, Rybakina(1), Samsonova
4 - Svitolina, Tauson(1), Vondrousova(1)
3 - Bencic, Kalinskaya, Kessler
[most events w/ mult. Top 10 wins]
3 - Gauff (Madrid/Rome/RG)
3 - Sabalenka (Miami/RG/US)
2 - Alexandrova (Doha/Stuttgart)
2 - M.Andreeva (Dubai/IW)
2 - ANISIMOVA (London/Beijing)
2 - Keys (Adelaide/AO)
2 - Ostapenko (Doha/Stuttgart)
2 - Vondrousova (Berlin/US)

*MOST WTA FINALS in 2025*
8 - Aryna Sabalenka (4-4)
5 - Jessie Pegula (3-2)
5 - AMANDA ANISIMOVA (2-3)
4 - Iga Swiatek (3-1)
3 - McCartney Kessler (2-1)
3 - Elise Mertens (2-1)
3 - Ekaterina Alexandrova (1-2)
3 - Coco Gauff (1-2)

*2025 FINALISTS BY COUNTRY*
24 (12 wins) - USA [Anisimova]
10 (5) - RUS
8 (4) - BLR
5 (3) - POL
4 (2) - CZE [Noskova], ROU

*MOST WTA SF in 2025*
10 - Aryna Sabalenka (8-2)
9 - Iga Swiatek (4-5)
7 - JESSIE PEGULA (5-2)
7 - Ekaterina Alexandrova (3-4)
6 - AMANDA ANISIMOVA (5-1)
6 - Elena Rybakina (1-5)
5 - Jasmine Paolini (2-3)
4 - COCO GAUFF (3-1)
4 - Maya Joint (2-2)
4 - Madison Keys (2-2)
4 - LINDA NOSKOVA (2-2)
4 - Clara Tauson (2-2)
4 - Wang Xinyu (1-3)
[most by nation]
36 - USA (24-12)***
21 - RUS (10-11)
13 - CZE (4-9)*
11 - BLR (8-3)
11 - POL (5-6)

*2025 WTA DOUBLES TITLES*
4 - SARE ERRANI, ITA
4 - JASMINE PAOLINI, ITA
4 - Erin Routliffe, NZL
3 - Timea Babos, HUN
3 - Gaby Dabrowski, CAN
3 - Katerina Siniakova, CZE
3 - Luisa Stefani, BRA
3 - Taylor Townsend, USA
[duos]
4...ERRANI/PAOLINI
3...Babos/Stefani
3...Dabrowski/Routliffe
2...M.Andreeva/Shnaider
2...Guo/Panova
2...Jiang/Wu
2...N.Kichenok/Ninomiya
2...Muhammad/Schuurs
2...Siniakova/Townsend

*CAREER WTA DOUBLES TITLES - active*
36 - SARA ERRANI, ITA
35 - Hsieh Su-Wei, TPE
33 - Latisha Chan, TPE
31 - Katerina Siniakova, CZE
30 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA

*2025 MOST SF FROM NATION*
[3]
Charleston: USA = Pegula (W); Kenin (RU); Anisimova (SF)
Iasi: ROU = Begu (W); Cristian (SF), Cirstea (SF)
Prague: CZE = Bouzkova (W); Noskova (RU); Valentova (SF)
Beijing: USA = Anisimova (W); Pegula (SF), Gauff (SF)






futuristic-fonts





kosova-font


kosova-font



kosova-font



kosova-font

And after 40 minutes of cringe-Thunderous applause from the generals! Just kidding. Total silence. ?? ?? ??

[image or embed]

— The Tennessee Holler (@thetnholler.bsky.social) September 30, 2025 at 9:33 AM

When you think you're World War II's Patton, but you're really just M*A*S*H's Major Frank Burns.

[image or embed]

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) September 30, 2025 at 12:36 PM


kosova-font



kosova-font

I have a new post on my author blog: Where does a poem come from? dianeelaynedeesauthor.blogspot.com/2025/10/wher... #poetry #poetrycommunity #WritingCommunity

[image or embed]

— Diane Elayne Dees (@womenwhoserve.bsky.social) October 1, 2025 at 12:12 PM


kosova-font

Liquidity #Caturday

[image or embed]

— Democrat Cats (@democratcats.bsky.social) October 4, 2025 at 4:44 PM


kosova-font

One thing I've learned from the Internet is that a lie needs 0% proof to be believed, but the truth requires thousands of pages of proof and still won't be believed.

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) September 28, 2025 at 1:36 AM

Donated to Wikipedia. Uncensored information matters. Donate if you can: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivian_...

[image or embed]

— Nancy Levine Stearns ?? (@nancylevinestearns.bsky.social) October 1, 2025 at 2:59 PM





All for now.

Read more...

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 8:54 PM  2 comments