2024 AO Survivor Pool: WTA Picks and Results Summary

[ashkor87]

Jumping from the juniors to the pros is not easy. And, besides, the whole purpose if to pick a winner, not show respect

Well, they didn't pick a winner, did they?! I am referring to Korneeva of course..everyone raves about Andreeva but Korneeva is ranked even higher, AND she won both the French and AO last year..she is very very good .

[meganfernandez]

9 people picked against the #1 junior in the world! Who is also the reigning AO junior champion..these juniors just don't get respect!!

Although not the match I picked, I'm guessing there are at least 9 people other than myself who don't know who the defending junior or #1 junior player in the world is I'm doing well just keeping up with the main tour!

I'm one of the 9, and had I known who Korneeva was, I would have felt even better about the pick!

[ashkor87]

it is, of course, difficult to transition from Juniors to seniors but some people have done it - for instance, Swiatek is a junior Wimbledon champion. it takes a about 2-3 years normally.. btw, even Prizmic, who pushed Djokovic to 4 sets yesterday, is the reigning FO champion in juniors.. point is, these junior champs are worth keeping an eye on..

[meganfernandez]

Day 2 Summary - 106 qualified for Day 2. We lost 30 good souls today, leaving 76 survivors.

Mertens - 26
Hunter - 12
Siniakova - 10
Kostyuk - 7
Svitolina - 6
Andreeva - 6
Potapova - 6
Paolini - 5
Ferro - 4
Bouzkova - 3
Saville - 2
Kudermetova - 2
Badosa - 2
Alexandrova - 1
Haddad Maia - 1
Kalinina - 1
Putintseva - 1
Tomova - 1
Vekic - 1
Vondrousova - 1
Zidansk - 1
No pick - 7

SELECTED REACTIONS
Full disclosure - I'm writing these after knowing the results. And after two weeks of late nights watching tennis from the US, I'm a zombie. Plus, I'm already out of the pool, so what do I know? If you want expert, well-reasoned opinions, petition for JT Continental to come back to this role.

Mertens - the SP gods smiled upon you with this no-brainer pick that ended the best way possible, in a retirement. You will pay later. I'm sorry. (Seriously, this former semifinalist/Hobart finalist is a tough out and might make a run. She's in Sakkari's and BHM's section. I like Mertens' chances to make the quarters vs Gauff.)

Hunter - You people watch too much tennis if you knew this was a safe pick. Is your family aware?

Kostyuk - Solid pick, in retrospect. For me, it's one of the 90% of matches that fall into "should win but who the hell knows" territory of SP-istan. So many matches feel like toss-ups in an SP. We've seen the mighty fall and the weak triumph too many times, reminding us that no one is actually weak in pro tennis and the mighty are often false gods, separated from the scrubs by nothing more than their mood that day. But anyway, nice job.

Potapova - Ah, the classic "low seed versus a sub-100 player" situation. Maybe you remembered that Potapova pushed Serena in Melbourne one time. Did you also remember that she double-faulted five times in one game trying to serve out the first set? (I didn't - I looked it up.)

Paolini - This was going to be my Day 2 pick if I had survived. So you're in bad company here, as I clearly don't know what I am doing. Your SP days are numbered. I'm sorry. Seriously, solid pick. I don't watch her very much but caught a little in her win over Kerber at the the United Cup. And she pushed Garcia in a tight three-setter there. She's playing well.

Saville - Seemed like a good pick if it worked. A bit risky, but she just won three matches in Hobart and played Mertens tight in the semi. I don't blame you. I like a risk. But we are both out of the SP, so the joke's on us.

Badosa - What were you thinking? The scoreline vs Townsend surprised me. It was Badosa's first match since Wimbledon. Seriously, I want to know what you were thinking.

Alexandrova - The heart-attack pick today. Siegemund played great in the United Cup. And she is just a tough competitor. This was a 50/50 match for me. But Alexandrova had match points, so you weren't far off. Just too close to call for a R1 SP. Curious who your backup pick was.

Tomova - I don't know you, ckelsall34, but I want to, and I admire you, and are you related to Tomova or something? Do you only pick Bulgarians? Or did you know she just beat Kayla Day, her opponent, in Hobart? The three-set scoreline in Hobart would have given me pause. Tomova got into Hobart as a LL, not exactly a flying start to the season. She took a set off Navarro but she also lost to someone named Julia Reira in Brisbane the week before. How did you bring yourself to type T-O-M-O-V-A???

Vekic - risky. You evidently aren't a scholar of Ashkor's court-speed posts on TAT.

Vondrousova - I would have been nervous picking her against Yastrameska, who just won three matches in qualifying. I have no clue how Vondrousova matches up against a big hitter on a medium-fast court, but Yastrameska can hit anyone off the court on a good day, and qualifiers are usually in form.

[ptmcmahon]

Day 2 Summary - 106 qualified for Day 2. We lost 30 good souls today, leaving 76 survivors.


Vekic - risky. You evidently aren't a scholar of Ashkor's court-speed posts on TAT.

Hehe.

[ponchi101]

Hunter - You people watch too much tennis if you knew this was a safe pick. Is your family aware?

[weefunk]

Vondrousova - I would have been nervous picking her against Yastrameska, who just won three matches in qualifying. I have no clue how Vondrousova matches up against a big hitter on a medium-fast court, but Yastrameska can hit anyone off the court on a good day, and qualifiers are usually in form.

I considered Vondrousova, because, well, she did win Wimbledon last year. But picking a #7 seed so early seemed wrong. Plus her tattoos give me the creeps.

[ptmcmahon]

Another reason to add people to the do not pick list!

[meganfernandez]

Vondrousova - I would have been nervous picking her against Yastrameska, who just won three matches in qualifying. I have no clue how Vondrousova matches up against a big hitter on a medium-fast court, but Yastrameska can hit anyone off the court on a good day, and qualifiers are usually in form.

I considered Vondrousova, because, well, she did win Wimbledon last year. But picking a #7 seed so early seemed wrong. Plus her tattoos give me the creeps.

Haha! One of the weirder reasons for staying alive in an SP, but i love it.

Another reason to add people to the do not pick list!

Exactly! At this point, is it possible to pick anyone and not violate the ruless?

[texasniteowl]

Hunter - You people watch too much tennis if you knew this was a safe pick. Is your family aware?

For me it was more about the fact she was playing Errani. I thought Errani retired years ago to be honest. Yes, Errani is ranked higher, but Hunter, out of qualifying with 3 match wins, was a better choice over Errani, ranked 101. Was it a bit risky? Maybe. But I tend to try not to overthink my SP picks (explains my day 1 exit on the ATP side) and this was the one that looked good to me.

[meganfernandez]

Hunter - You people watch too much tennis if you knew this was a safe pick. Is your family aware?

For me it was more about the fact she was playing Errani. I thought Errani retired years ago to be honest. Yes, Errani is ranked higher, but Hunter, out of qualifying with 3 match wins, was a better choice over Errani, ranked 101. Was it a bit risky? Maybe. But I tend to try not to overthink my SP picks (explains my day 1 exit on the ATP side) and this was the one that looked good to me.

Bravo, then.

[JTContinental]

Hunter’s singles games has improved markedly with her doubles success

[meganfernandez]

Hunter’s singles games has improved markedly with her doubles success

Just enough to knock a bunch of us out of the RG SP on day 1 or 2.

[ashkor87]

Hunter’s singles games has improved markedly with her doubles success

Just enough to knock a bunch of us out of the RG SP on day 1 or 2.

Sometimes, I think, that is what they play for ..to make us look stupid (not that it is very difficult!)

[meganfernandez]

Day 3 Summary - 75 greeted the day with promise and hope

Burel - 21
Stephens - 17
Cirstea - 8
Zhu - 6
Trevisan - 4
Azarenka - 3
Boulter - 3
Kasatkina - 3
Cocciaretto - 2
Navarro - 2
Collins - 1
Martic - 1
Ostapenko - 1
Zheng - 1
No Pick -1

SELECTED REACTIONS

Burel: She's on the upswing, having won her first title (a 125) in December and up to a career-high ranking, which is about 600 spots above her opponent's ranking. I assume Krunic is playing with a protected ranking. Burel should win, but the thing is, she also might beat Pegula in the next round. Overall, solid pick.

Cirstea: We have all been knocked out by Cirstea at some point, right? But it's hard to swear her off. She is a R64, R32 career specialist - and also 2023 US Open quarterfinalist, beating Rybakina and Bencic. If that Cirstea shows up, so will you on Day 5.

Zhu: For a seeded player, I know nothing about her. She beat Azarenka at the US Open last year, though, and has a winning record this year! And she made the fourth round here last year, losing to... Azarenka. Plays Dodin, who won a lot of ITF matches last fall and might be on a confidence high. Guessing this pick was rated DO - don't overthink.

Azarenka: R1 vs Giorgi is riskier than a projected R2 versus Minnen or Tauson. Should get through but not the path of least resistance. Makes me think that I'd love to see someone play a WTA SP picking only Slam winners and finalists.

Boulter: I like her to win - and possibly upset Zheng in the next round and maybe even make the quarters in Pegula's section. All because I saw her play a couple games in the United Cup and was seriously impressed. But for today, you're safe.

Navarro: Too early. Did you see her play at all in Hobart? The improvement is insane. The only player to beat her this year is Gauff. Navarro will make the fourth round and maybe quarters, where she'd have a good chance vs Svitolina. But you will survive Day 4.

Collins: Imagine picking a recent finalist to beat a former champion in round 1! Do you also fight bears? Do you like polar plunges? It might work out - after all, Kerber let herself get bageled by Sakkari at the United Cup - but Collins isn't in the business of winning matches these days. Apropos of nothing, Collins is wearing blousy pink ruffled shorts. I sewed a pair like this in home-ec class in 1986.

Martic: Plays Tomljanovic in front of a hostile crowd. You've been burned too many times by Cirstea, I guess, and sought refuge here.

Stephens, Trevisan, Kasatkina, Cocciaretto - Such good picks that they were done and on the massage table before I posted this.