WTA 500 Stuttgart 4/15 - 4/21 2024

[mick1303]

The usual pattern is unfolding...Rybakina wins the first set, loses the second..then scraps for the third..Iga is a better scrapper than she is, so it won't work.

Well, well, Rybakina comes through 6-3 in the third. Iga made a few too many mistakes. Rybakina has played okay, served okay, but this is about Iga missing. In the final game, she missed two routine short balls going for the lines and another fairly routine rally ball into the net. She was on her back foot - Rybakina's return landed by Iga's feet, and Iga tried to change directions on it, which was a bad decision.

In the last point, Iga got the short FH she wanted, just behind the service line, and she looped it back safely cross-court - I assume because she missed the previous 2 attack balls in that game. She got tenatively. Should have been more aggressive. That's her game. A few shots later, Rybakina got the ball to Iga's feet on the baseline and Iga hit it long. She should have played a safer rally shot.

This tournament is a bit unique as indoor clay. In outdoor conditions Elena's shots may lack that crucial bit of precision and Iga will have an advantage.

[ashkor87]

Her margin of error is minimal. With her flat forehand, I really wonder how she can beat players on clay.
But, she does. It is just never routine.
She'll give Iga a good workout, but I don't think she can beat her here.
(Now, watch this go in the same direction as my Raducanu prediction).

I am on a roll this week. That's for sure...
But love that Elena beat Iga. Also glad that I did not see that match because watching Elena makes me nervous.

You like her too much! Me too.

[ti-amie]

Sunday Order of Play

Centre Court
Starts at 7:00 AM

Final
KAZ E. RYBAKINA (4) vs UKR M. KOSTYUK
UPCOMING
Final
TPE H. CHAN/RUS V. KUDERMETOVA vs NOR U. EIKERI/EST I. NEEL

[ti-amie]

[ashkor87]

Rybakina hitting at Swiatek's feet is anyway a good ploy against a good mover ..they are often not good at getting OUT of the way..that is how Muguruza beat Serena at the French Open first time they played. Didn't work against Sharapova, maybe because Sharapova was happy to stand in one place and whack the ball!

[ashkor87]

Loved the way Rybakina attacked the net behind good approach shots, despite getting passed a few times...showed us how to win on clay .topspin is not the only way

[ponchi101]

Absolutely no surprise that Elena has no driver's license.
Just in character.

[meganfernandez]

Rybakina hitting at Swiatek's feet is anyway a good ploy against a good mover ..they are often not good at getting OUT of the way..that is how Muguruza beat Serena at the French Open first time they played. Didn't work against Sharapova, maybe because Sharapova was happy to stand in one place and whack the ball!

True. Just a risk if you aren’t precise. Then the ball lands in her strike zone or short, and Iga pounces better than anyone.


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[ashkor87]

Absolutely no surprise that Elena has no driver's license.
Just in character.

yes, probably the menfolk around her want to drive her around so they know where she is at all time!
PS: me just being snarky but that is how it is in India I always urge all my women friends to learn to drive so they can be independent of their menfolk

[mick1303]

The usual pattern is unfolding...Rybakina wins the first set, loses the second..then scraps for the third..Iga is a better scrapper than she is, so it won't work.

Well, well, Rybakina comes through 6-3 in the third. Iga made a few too many mistakes. Rybakina has played okay, served okay, but this is about Iga missing. In the final game, she missed two routine short balls going for the lines and another fairly routine rally ball into the net. She was on her back foot - Rybakina's return landed by Iga's feet, and Iga tried to change directions on it, which was a bad decision.

In the last point, Iga got the short FH she wanted, just behind the service line, and she looped it back safely cross-court - I assume because she missed the previous 2 attack balls in that game. She got tenatively. Should have been more aggressive. That's her game. A few shots later, Rybakina got the ball to Iga's feet on the baseline and Iga hit it long. She should have played a safer rally shot.

This tournament is a bit unique as indoor clay. In outdoor conditions Elena's shots may lack that crucial bit of precision and Iga will have an advantage.

I actually didn't realize that Stuttgart lost his uniqueness, because another event this week in France is also indoor clay. That atrocity of a website which is WTA does not make a distinction between indoor and outdoor. Unfortunately ATP site, which used to give much better info, now also got dumbed down and lost this piece of data as well ((

[ashkor87]

If I remember right, the French created the first indoor clay court at Grenoble when they had to host the US in a DC final ..their stalwart was Noah, who was very good on clay and pretty useless on anything else ..didn't help them though! I remember watching that tie. McEnroe beat Noah and the only point France got was a dead rubber match where Noah beat Gene Mayer...

[ashkor87]

Ryba is up 6-2, 2-0 as I write this...hope she can stay focused and not play drama queen again...I find it nerve-wracking

[ashkor87]

That was a dominant performance..saved me a lot of anxious moments. Ryba is better in clay than we give her credit for..clean hitting is effective on any surface ..

[ashkor87]

Ryba pretty much outclassed Kostyuk..didn't expect that .
Could be i am overestimating Kostyuk..

[meganfernandez]

Absolutely no surprise that Elena has no driver's license.
Just in character.

isn't it expensive is some countries to get a driver's license, unlike the US? It's not a given you'll get a license the day you're legally old enough, like it is here. For you non-Americans, do you have to pay a lot annually or just once?