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September 4, 2021,
A Changing of the Guard is a formal ceremony in which sentries providing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new regiment of sentries.
That is a simple, detached and direct definition.
There is another description, almost spiritual and absolutely sad in nature.
As shared by programmerinterview.com, “The phrase “changing of the guard” is used to refer to a situation in which there is a dramatic or big change, and a “changing of the guard” is basically a time in which new people are replacing other people in positions of importance.”
Well Said.
Often really sad.
Happens in all industries. Talk show hosts. NFL dynasties. Top pop singers. Once popular products. New technology swiftly outdating the old. Everyday people in positions of leadership.
Even ice cream is slowly being replaced by non-dairy ice cream. The sales of the latter is booming.
Life is one big transition.
If the 2021 US Open is any indicator, the professional female tennis world appears to be going through a transition.
In recent times, in the third round, it would be filled with big named stars who survived the upstarts and lower ranked opportunists making their surprising run.
Many of whom, you never hear much from again.
Names like Serena and Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozinacki who was ranked world No. 1 in singles for a total of 71 weeks will not be in the third round of this year’s open.
In times past, it would be guaranteed they would be featured on Ashe or Armstrong.
You can add Madison Keys, Julia Goerges, Jelena Ostapenko and Johanna Konta, all who will not be in the third round as well.
So new faces must emerge. A changing of the guard. But they are having trouble taking the mantle.
Young sensations Coco Gauff, Sofia Kenin and Caty McNally will not make their mark this year.
So this made the second round showdown between the young 20 year old American Amanda Anisimova, the possible new guard, and Karolina Pliskova, at 29, a stability of the older guard an intriguing matchup.
Time for a tale of the tape.
Karolína is a Czech professional tennis player who was the world No. 1 in singles, reaching the top of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings on 17 July 2017 and holding the position for eight weeks.
On October 31, 2016, she peaked at world No. 11 in the doubles rankings.
Known for her powerful serve and forehand, Ms. Plíšková has won 16 singles and five doubles titles on the WTA tour, 10 singles and six doubles titles on the ITF Circuit, and over $20 million in prize money.
Though extremely wealthy, she still seems determined to win another major.
She has reached two Grand Slam singles finals at the 2016 US Open and the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.
Karolina is currently ranked number 4 in the world.
Amanda is the third-youngest player ranked in the top 100 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and has a career-high ranking of No. 21 in the world. Anisimova won her first WTA title at the Copa Colsanitas in April 2019 at the age of 17.
She is currently ranked number 75 in the world.
She then rose to prominence at the 2018 Indian Wells Open where she scored her first top 10 victory, against Petra Kvitová, at the age of 16.
At the Australian Open, she upset No. 11 Aryna Sabalenka, one of the leading contenders for the title, to reach the fourth round. She then upset the defending champion and world No. 3 Simona Halep at the French Open to become the youngest semifinalist at the tournament in over a decade.
Impressive though that may be, we were a little surprised that Amanda’s ranking had dropped as far as it has.
Injuries have been a factor, but in all fairness, uneven play and results as well.
Our associates at FCI Elite Competitor featured her when she was accelerating and only 17.
https://fciwomenswrestling2.com/2019/02/21/tennis-sensation-amanda-anisimova-at-17-living-the-dream/
How quickly times flies and things change. In Amanda’s case, significantly.
This had the makings of Amanda being routined by Karolina and the first set, though very competitive, appeared to speak to that. Karolina won 7-5.
This is the point where a lesser player would falter.
It was the second set where Amanda began to assert herself and her ground strokes were well placed and fiercely hit. To our surprise she won the second set in a tie breaker 7-6 (7-5).
The tension was now in the air and the American crowd was firmly backing Amanda, loudly applauding and screaming at every Karolina unforced error and at Amanda’s lightning fast ground strokes.
Two determined warriors found themselves in a third set tie-breaker.
Every time one of them appeared ready to take control, the other would counter.
It was the tie-breaker that was most revealing.
At one point Amanda led 5-2.
That’s right. We watched the match but had to review it again.
This was Amanda’s match to win and she let it slip away.
When it was Karolina’s turn to close it out, she did at 9-7.
We’ve seen her do that often. Is that all that separates the number 75th player in the world from the number 4 ranked titan? Apparently so.
Will Amanda begin to recharge her career and start to climb again? If this vibrant and thrilling affair was any indicator, we say yes. When she is on, her powerful ground strokes are incredible.
This appears to be a factor too.
In 2019 she had a respectable, but by her standards, under achieving season. Still, she qualified for the WTA Elite Trophy, the second-tier year-end championships, but did not accept the invitation.
That is very telling. It appears the WTA thought much of her play but Amanda did not.
So, on this electric New York night, during what we feel was the most dramatic and thrilling match thus far of the 2021 Open, the established older guard survived.
Barely.
Iga Swiatak is 20 and previously defeated Karolina in 2 sets.
On May 16, 2021 at tennis.com they share, “In one of the more bizarre championship matches in recent memory, teenage sensation Iga Swiatek demolished Karolina Pliskova in Rome, 6-0, 6-0. The Pole, who saved two match points in her third-round win over Barbora Krejcikova, won an incredible 51 out of 64 points to capture her first WTA 1000 level title.”
If the two meet here again we doubt lightning will strike twice.
Iga is winning and headed to the third round as well.
Naomi Osaka at 23, is now part of the establishment.
As far this year’s Open, she is now part of the past. She lost in excruciating fashion to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in three sets, where the American crowd actually turned on their once darling favorite and booed her.
Naomi announced afterwards during her press conference that she is taking an extended break from tennis. Given how she emotionally broke down more than once during the match, it might be for the best.
For now.
Many of the remaining female players are in their mid to late twenties.
Currently the old guard is stable.
For now.
~ ~ ~
OPENING PHOTO Femcompetitor.com, grapplingstars.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com James-Boyes-from-UK-Aegon-International-Womens-Final-2017-Pliscova-v-Wozniacki-900.jpg-wikipedia-photo-credit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changing_of_the_Guard
https://www.programmerinterview.com/american-vocabulary/meaning-of-changing-of-the-guard/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karol%C3%ADna_Pl%C3%AD%C5%A1kov%C3%A1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Anisimova
https://www.fcielitecompetitor.com/
https://fciwomenswrestling.com/
