Tennis: Wuhan Open Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff set up semi-final clash after victories in quarter-finals

Tennis: Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will play each other in semi-finals at the Wuhan Open in China after comfortable straight-set wins in quarter-finals. World No 1 Sabalenka and No 4-ranked Gauff will compete for a place in Wuhan Open final, with the winner to face either Xinyu Wang or Qinwen Zheng. Gauff claimed her eighth Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) win in a row and 50th of the year with a 6-0 6-4 triumph over Poland’s Magda Linette as she chases back-to-back tournament successes after victory at China Open in Beijing.

While Gauff won the first set without losing a game, she had to save four break points on her serve in order to do so, with her returns ultimately proving too strong for Linette at the decisive moments. Gauff was really happy with how she played, she overcame making eight double-faults in the match. Sabalenka later cruised through to her third successive Wuhan Open semi-final by beating Polish opponent Magdalena Frech 6-2 6-2 in a one-sided match in which she delivered 42 winners.

Sabalenka won the previous two editions of the tournament, in 2018 and 2019, prior to its five-year absence from the calendar after the covid pandemic. In September 2020, two more victories would allow Serena Williams to claim a record-tying 24th Grand Slam tennis singles title. In the beginning, Williams was a little fatigued. Williams has won six United States Open championships and was the runner-up the past two years.

Williams last lost before the semifinals in New York in 2007, when Justine Henin eliminated her in the quarterfinals.

Williams will face Victoria Azarenka, who returned to the United States Open semifinals for the first time since 2013 by overwhelming Elise Mertens 6-1. Williams leads her head-to-head series against Azarenka 18-4, including beating her in the 2012 and 2013 finals in New York. It was in a 2012 match against Azarenka at Wimbledon that Williams last topped 20 aces, producing 24.

The other women’s semifinal will be 2018 champion Naomi Osaka vs. No. 28 seed Jennifer Brady. Williams also needed a comeback and the maximum number of sets to get through the fourth round before defeating 15th-seeded Maria Sakkari. The first key moment involved 24 strokes, the next-to-last a cross-court forehand by Williams from wide of the doubles alley, and the last an on-the-run squash forehand by Tsvetana Pironkova that landed in the net.

That gave Williams a break and a 5-3 edge in the second set. Williams raised her left fist as her husband yelled from his front-row corner seat. Pironkova put a hand on her knee, smiled ruefully and squatted behind the baseline. The other key moment came in a four-deuce opening game of the final set, and began with the right-handed Williams taking a page out of old friend Maria Sharapova’s playbook by hitting a left-handed return of serve.

Another 15 strokes followed, with Williams smacking a forehand passing shot that Pironkova volleyed into the net tape.

That was intense. Williams was just trying to do everything she can, whether righty or lefty. Pironkova dropped onto her back, chest heaving. Pironkova left so much sweat on the court that a ball person was beckoned to wipe it away with a towel. That afforded Williams a third break point, which was converted for a 1-0 lead when Pironkova sent a forehand long.

Williams definitely played like the champion she is. Williams then only added to the lead, her strokes finding targets better the longer the match went on. Williams’ serve was especially good, as it usually is. In contrast, Pironkova began to have more trouble on the longer points that she dominated early. Pironkova won the first half-dozen that lasted 10 strokes or more before Williams found more success.

A couple of times, Pironkova drew Williams forward with a drop shot, then took the point with a perfectly arced lob. Pironkova tried everything. But after compiling only five unforced errors in the first set, Pironkova had 21 over the last two. Williams, in contrast, made 11 in the first set, just 13 the rest of the way. Definitely, the first set, I think

Pironkova was definitely in control of the match, she was doing all kinds of shots and everything went her way, but it is not going to last forever.

Novak Djokovic was kicked out of the United States Open for accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a tennis ball after dropping a game in his fourth-round match. A stunning end to Djokovic’s 29-match winning streak and bid for an 18th Grand Slam title. As Djokovic walked to the Arthur Ashe Stadium sideline for a changeover, trailing Pablo Busta 6-5 in the first set, Djokovic angrily smacked a ball behind him.

The ball flew right at the line judge, who dropped to her knees at the back of the court and reached for her neck. During a discussion of about 10 minutes near the net involving tournament referee Soeren Friemel, Grand Slam supervisor Andreas Egli, and chair umpire Aurelie Tourte, Djokovic pleaded his case. Djokovic’s point was that he did not hit the line umpire intentionally, so he should not be defaulted for it.

Friemel made the decision to end the match, he did not see what happened and was not allowed to check a video replay, but was given a rundown by Egli and Tourte. Even if Djokovic did not intend to hurt the line judge, she was hurt, and that was enough to merit the ruling. Eventually, Djokovic walked over to shake hands with Busta. Tourte then announced that Djokovic was defaulted, the tennis equivalent of an ejection.

Busta was a little bit in shock. Djokovic quickly left the tournament grounds without speaking to reporters, posting an apology on social media hours later.

The whole situation had left Djokovic really sad and empty. Djokovic was extremely sorry to have caused the line judge such stress. As for the disqualification, Djokovic needed to go back, worked on his disappointment, and turned it into a lesson for his growth as a player and human being. Djokovic apologized to the United States Open tournament and everyone associated for his behavior.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) issued a statement saying that Friemel defaulted Djokovic in accordance with the Grand Slam rulebook, following his actions of intentionally hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences. The USTA went on to say Djokovic forfeits the ranking points and $250,000 in prize money he earned in the tournament in addition to any or all fines levied with respect to the offending incident. Defaulting a player at a Grand Slam is a very important, very tough decision.

And for that reason, you need to get it right. This was the latest example of Djokovic finding himself at the center of the tennis world for a reason other than his best-in-the-game returns, can’t-miss groundstrokes, and body-contorting defensive prowess. Djokovic tested positive for covid, as did his wife, one of his coaches, and other players after participating in a series of exhibition matches with zero social distancing he organized in Serbia and Croatia in June 2020.

Djokovic began the day 26-0 this season and with an unbeaten run that extended to his last three matches of 2019.

Djokovic had won five of the past seven Grand Slam tournaments to raise his total to 17, closing in on rivals Roger Federer, who has a men’s-record 20, and Rafael Nadal, who has 19. With reigning United States Open champion Nadal who cited concerns about traveling amid the pandemic, and Federer sidelined after two knee operations and not in the field, Djokovic was expected to claim a fourth trophy in New York and gain on them. But it all came apart so suddenly.

Djokovic was not looking in the line judge’s direction when his racket made contact with the ball, and there was concern on his face as soon as he realized what had happened. Players who hit a ball out of anger and make contact with an on-court official have been disqualified in the past. In 2017, Denis Shapovalov was defaulted from a Davis Cup match against Britain when he accidentally hit the chair umpire in the face with a ball.

At Wimbledon in 1995, Tim Henman hit a ball into the head of a ball girl and was defaulted from a doubles match. Accidents like this happen. Just a fluke, if it would have landed anywhere else Djokovic would have been fine. Among the many oddities about the 2020 United States Open, which has no spectators, is that only the two largest arenas Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadium have full complements of line judges.

Elsewhere, chair umpires are aided by an electronic line-calling system.

Djokovic’s mood had soured over the preceding few minutes. In the prior game, Djokovic wasted three consecutive break points, then whacked a ball off a courtside advertising sign. On the second point of what would become Djokovic’s last game at 2020 United States Open, he stumbled and fell, clutching his left shoulder. Play was delayed for a few minutes while a trainer checked on Djokovic.

On the second point after they resumed, the 20th-seeded Busta hit a passing winner to break Djokovic’s serve. That was when Djokovic got himself into trouble. Djokovic’s departure means there is no man left in the field who has won a Grand Slam singles title. Whoever emerges as champion will be the first first-time major trophy winner in men’s tennis since 2014, when Marin Cilic won the United States Open.

Plus, each of the last 13 Grand Slam trophies had been won by either Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic. This is definitely not the way we wanted to have a new Grand Slam champion, but it has been getting pretty boring with these three guys winning every tournament. Djokovic arrived in New York prepared to hit the reset button on his reputation and continue his quest to surpass Federer and Nadal on the Grand Slam board.

Instead, Djokovic was defaulted from the United States Open for inadvertently striking a line judge in the throat with a ball he smacked in anger over a lost game.

The incident that led to the disqualification of the top seed occurred in the first set of his fourth-round clash with No. 20 seed Busta. With Djokovic serving a break point at 5-5, Busta outfoxed him with a passing shot to secure the 6-5 break. Djokovic, head bowed in disgust, yanked a spare ball from his pocket and hit it toward the back netting. The ball struck the standing line judge, who dropped to her knees.

Djokovic’s hopes to pull within one Grand Slam singles title collapsed as a stunned television audience at this fan-less United States Open looked on, watching as the officials convened on the court to decide his fate. It is very unfortunate that Djokovic hit the line judge, especially where it hit her. If Djokovic would have hit a few inches anywhere else or landed a few inches anywhere else, he would have been fine.

But tennis is a game of inches. Djokovic has benefited from that as much as anyone. Perhaps Djokovic should have been more prudent, aware that the rule is likely to manifest anywhere at any time. But prudence has not been Djokovic’s strong suit lately. That helps explain why Djokovic is such a compelling, successful champion. Nothing pleases Djokovic more than finding himself outmaneuvered by an opponent.

Djokovic manages to turn a hopeless defensive position into a lethal, offensive one.

Djokovic had been riding a remarkable winning streak of 26-0 in 2020. Djokovic has been on an extended roll since 2011. As such, it should hardly be surprising that a touch of overconfidence has crept into Djokovic’s persona. That might be the factor that has turned this into such a difficult year for Djokovic. At least Djokovic collected his most recent major title at the Australian Open in February 2020.

After laboring for years as the third wheel in the Federer-Nadal rivalry, Djokovic hit his stride both as personality and as player. Djokovic carved out a distinct, but no less powerful, positive identity. Djokovic immersed himself in tennis politics, taking the lead in sketching out the vague outline of a new players’ association that would improve the lot of his fellow pros, including those of average and lower rankings.

In April 2020, Djokovic expressed an anti-vaccination stance in a Facebook livestream, saying, “Personally, I am opposed to vaccination, and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel.” Later in the spring, as USTA officials embraced the grand ambition to host the United States Open at its scheduled time with a host of health protocols in place, Djokovic emerged as a leading naysayer. Djokovic bridled at many of the restrictions players might be asked to face, objecting strenuously to the idea that he, like everyone else, might be limited to bringing one guest.

Djokovic said it would be impossible for him to compete in the United States Open because the rules are extreme.

That stance did not play well with many of the lower-ranked players who were suffering economic hardships and hoping for a chance to play again, exactly the players Djokovic was purporting to represent and fight for if and when his players’ association matured. The greatest miscalculation of all was the cavalier way Djokovic organized and presented his ill-fated Adria Tour. Although the Serbian government green-lighted the enterprise, the flagrant lack of social distancing led to a number of positive covid tests.

Djokovic and his wife were among them, though they manifested no symptoms. Djokovic tried to do something with the right intentions, citing the charitable goals of the tour. But many were disappointed by what they perceived as an assumption by Djokovic that the tour could not possibly be a bad idea because it was his idea. Djokovic came to New York in need of a public relations win, and it looked for a week-and-a-half like he might score one.

Djokovic won the Western and Southern Open, he made grand pronouncements about his new players’ association. Djokovic also sang a different tune about the United States Open and New York City after the flattening of the curve of the pandemic allowed USTA officials to stage the tournament with slightly less onerous restrictions. Djokovic talked about how much he loves New York, saying he hoped all along to come and play. As a seeded player, Djokovic had a luxury suite all to himself and his entourage.

Djokovic commuted to the National Tennis Center from a rented home, expressing sympathy for the vast majority of players who had to tough it out not being able to open their window and being in a hotel in a small room.

Andy Murray decided to forgo the rental home because of the astronomical cost. Murray said he was content in the hotel. A champion of women’s rights, Murray also told the media that he would not sign up with Djokovic’s group because female players were not included in the plans, which Djokovic later disputed. Others called out Djokovic for being tone-deaf.

Winning is a tonic, a good cure for almost any challenge in an athlete’s life.