An Ultimate Guide To The Eight Women Seeking World No.1 In New York - UBITENNIS
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An Ultimate Guide To The Eight Women Seeking World No.1 In New York

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Current world No.1 Karolina Pliskova (zimbio.com)

After what has been a roller coaster season for the women’s tour, the US Open promises to be one filled with excitement as eight players battle it out for the No.1 spot.

 

Karolina Pliskova headlines the field for the final grand slam event of 2017. At the age of 25, she is seeking to become the first player (male or female) from her country to win the US Open since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993. Also chasing after their maiden major trophy will be Simona Halep and Elina Svitolina, both of whom has already won premier titles this season. Then there is Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza.

“I think it’s quite interesting. I feel like every week it’s changing. Every week it depends on who wins the tournament. I think it’s fun. I think for the fans and the tour it makes it interesting to have the diversity. I think coming up to the US Open and the Asian swing is going to be a real battle.” Muguruza recently commented about closeness in the rankings.

A lot can happen over the next two weeks, but here is a player-by-player guide to what each must achieve at the US Open to rise to the top of the rankings.

Karolina Pliskova

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Seeding: 1
Age: 25
Ranking high: 1

Champion – Will stay at world No.1 unless she faces Halep in the final. If she plays Muguruza, both players will be tied at the top with the same points.
Runner-up – Only possible if both Halep and Muguruza fail to reach the semifinals, Svitolina fails to reach the final and the title can’t be won by either Wozniacki or Konta.
Semifinals – No chance

Simona Halep
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Seeding: 2
Age: 25
Ranking best: 2

Champion – Halep will become world No.1 no matter what
Runner-up – Halep will be No.1 unless Muguruza or Svitolina wins the title.
Semifinalist – Only be at the top if Muguruza losses before the semifinals and Svitolina or Pliskova doesn’t win the title.
Quarter-finalist – Will only become No.1 if the following happens:-

  • Muguruza loses before the quarter-finals
  • Pliskova and Svitolina loses before the semifinals
  •  Konta or Wozniacki doesn’t win the title

Garbine Muguruza

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Seeding: 3
Age: 23
Ranking best: 2

Champion – No.1 no matter what
Runner-up – Needs Halep to go out in the semifinals and Svitolina fail to win the title. If Pliskova wins the title, she will have the exact same amount of points as Muguruza.
Goes out in the semifinals – Only become No.1 if the following happens :-

  • Halep must not go beyond the quarter-finals
  • Svitolina doesn’t reach the semifinals
  • Pliskova doesn’t win the title
  • If Wozniacki wins, she will draw even

Quarter-finalist – will only become No.1 if the following happens :-

  • Halep losses before the fourth round
  • Svitolina and Pliskova must not reach the final
  • Konta, Kuznetsova or Wozniacki can’t win the title

Elina Svitolina

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Seeding: 4
Age: 22
Ranking best: 4

Wins the title – No.1 no matter what
Finishes runner-up – Needs Halep to lose before the quarter-finals, Muguruza to go out before the semifinals and for Pliskova not to win the title.
Goes out in the semifinals – Six players need to benefit Svitolina in this scenario.

  • Wozniacki, Kuznetsova or Konta can’t win the title
  • Pliskova needs to go out before the semifinals
  • Muguruza before the fourth round and Halep before the third.

A quarter-final loss – No chance

Caroline Wozniacki

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Seeding: 5
Age: 27
Ranking best: 1

The only possible way for Wozniacki to become No.1 is for :-

  • Her winning the title
  • Halep goes out before the quarter-finals
  • Muguruza crashes out before the semifinals (if she reached the semifinals, both will be tied on points)
  • Svitolina fails to make final.

Johanna Konta

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Seeding: 7
Age: 26
Ranking best: 4

The only possible way for Konta to become No.1 is for :-

  • Her winning the title
  • Both Halep and Muguruza to go out before the quarter-finals
  • Svitolina to fail to reach the final

Svetlana Kuznetsova

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Seeding: 8
Age: 32
Ranking best: 3

The only possible way for Kuznetsova to become No.1 is for

  • Her winning the title
  • Halep to lose before round 4
  • Muguruza to lose before the quarter-finals
  • Both Svitolina and Pliskova to fail to reach the final

Venus Williams

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Seeding: 9
Age: 37
Ranking best: 1

The only possible way for Williams to become world No.1 is :-

  • She wins the title
  • Halep fails top go beyond the second round
  • Muguruza fails to go beyond the third round
  • Svitolina to fail to reach the semifinals
  • Pliskova to not reach the final

 

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Nick Kyrgios Opens Up About His Self-Harm Battle And Murray’s Support

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Nick Kyrgios (AUS) playing against Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) in the third round of the Gentlemen's Singles on No.1 Court at The Championships 2021. Held at The All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon. Day 6 Saturday 03/07/2021. Credit: AELTC/Jonathan Nackstrand

Nick Kyrgios says he became addicted to pain during his battle with self-harm that lasted between 18 and 24 months.

 

In an exclusive interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV, the former Wimbledon finalist spoke about his mental health issues. Kyrgios has previously spoken publically about the topic but has now revealed further details about the extent he went through and the role Andy Murray played in supporting him. He was admitted to a psychiatric ward in London and contemplated suicide following the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.

“It was pretty dark to be honest,” Kyrgios told Morgan. “I won tournaments on the professional tour, drinking every night, self-harming, burning things on my arm, cutting myself for fun. It became an addiction of pain. I hated myself. I hated waking up and being Nick Kyrgios.”

One of those who tried to help the Australian address his self-harm problem was three-time Grand Slam champion Murray who noticed cuts on Kyrgios’ arms during one of their practice sessions four years ago. According to The Times, the former world No.1 then alerted Kyrgios’ manager John Morris about the cuts.

Paying tribute to the Brit, Kyrgios says Murray has supported him throughout his career. The 28-year-old has been ranked as high as 13th in the world and has won seven ATP titles. Besides his run to the Wimbledon final last year, he has also reached the quarter-final stage of a major on three other occasions.

“Andy was always a big supporter of me,” Kyrgios said. “As soon as I came on the tour, he kind of saw a work in progress and took me under his wing. Then he realised later in my career that I don’t think I was coachable or I was on my own path, but he was always someone that was looking out for me.
“He saw it [the self-harm] and he said, ‘What’s that on your arm?’ It was pretty bad at that stage. Andy obviously was trying to give me advice on it. But I was just so stuck in my ways at that time that I didn’t listen. Obviously I’m very thankful. I thank him a lot.”

Kyrgios, who has only played one match on the Tour this season due to injury, hopes that he can help others by speaking publicly about his mental health battle. Something he describes as ‘the most powerful thing in his career.’

“I feel like I’ve helped so many people after I opened up about it and put it on social media,” Kyrgios said.
“I’ve almost been a beacon for people who are struggling. When they feel like they’re overwhelmed and they’re going towards drinking, drugs and stuff, they open up and they feel like I’m relatable.
“That’s been the most powerful thing in my career; people coming to me with genuine issues.
“They send me photos in my Instagram, direct messages, self-harming and genuinely wanting to commit suicide.
“I have conversations with these people. Sometimes I’ve had phone calls with these people. That’s making a real difference and I’m just really proud.”

Kyrgios recently had a stint in broadcasting after working for The Tennis channel during the ATP Finals in Milan. He is continuing his rehab from injury but it is unclear as to when he will make his return to professional tennis.

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Hamad Medjedovic earns first place in Red Group at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah

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Hamad Medjedovic beat Abdullah Shelbayh 3-4 (6-8) 4-2 4-3 (7-5) 4-2 to earn first place in the Red Group with a perfect 3-0 record at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah. 

 

Medjedovic needed to win at least one set to reach the semifinals, while Shelbayh needed to win the match in three or four sets. Luca Van Assche qualified as the second-placed player from the Red Group.

Medjedovic will face Dominic Stricker in the semifinal, while Van Assche takes on Arthur Fils.  

Medjedovic fired 18 aces and won 88 % of his first-serve points. He saved all three break points against Shelbayh. 

Medjedovic fired a tournament-leading 45 aces and was broken twice. 

Medjedovic saved three break points to hold serve in the fourth game of the first set. Shelbayh went up a mini-break twice, but Medjedovic pulled back on serve both times. Shelbayh won the final three points to clinch the tie-break 8-6. Both players went on serve in the first five games before Medjedovic earned the break to win the second set 4-2. 

The third set went on serve with no break points en route to the tie-break. Shelbayh earned the first mini-break to take a 3-2 lead. Medjedovic pulled back on serve to draw level to 3-3. The Serbian player earned a second mini-break to close out the tie-break 7-5. 

Medjedovic started the fourth set with an early break in the first game. He held on his next service games and sealed the win on his first match point. 

Medjedovic set up a semifinal match against Dominic Stricker. Luc Van Assche will face Arthur Fils in an all-French semifinal.“It was a great match. I played really good after the first set He is a very good friend of mine. He is a very good player and obviously the crowd here loves him and I respect that. It was a pleasure to play in front of the crowd”, said Medjedovic. 

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Dominic Stricker cruises past Luca Nardi at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah

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Third seed Dominic Stricker cruised past Luca Nardi 4-1 4-1 4-2 in 54 minutes in the fastest match in the history of the Next Gen Finals at the Next Gen ATP Finals at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah bouncing back from his defeat in the first match against Flavio Cobolli on Tuesday. 

 

Stricker converted four of his six break points and hit 13 winners, including 3 aces. 

Stricker came back from 15-40 down in the first game after two double faults from Nardi and broke serve with a return winner on the deciding point to take a 1-0 lead. The world number 94 saved three break-back-back points in the second game from 15-40 down before breaking for the second time in the fifth game to win the first set 4-1. 

Stricker broke serve at 30 in the second game of the second set and held serve at love in the third game to race out to a 3-0 lead. Stricker served it out on his second set point. 

Stricker earned an early break in the first game of the third set on the deciding point and held his next service games. Nardi saved the first match point but he hit his backhand into the net on the second match point after the longest rally of the match. 

“We had a long discussion yesterday evening about how to do it today. I think it was really good that we talked a lot after what maybe was not my best performance. Now to come out today like that, I think nobody expected that. I am just happy that I did it and now I am going to try my best to recover for the third group match”, said Stricker. Stricker is now 1-1 in Green Group. The Swiss player is aiming to reach his second consecutive semifinal at the Next Gen Finals. He is looking to crown a good year after reaching the fourth round at the US Open. 

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