TENNIS PLAYERS (Off-Court Shenanigans)

[ponchi101]

She is 18, and not built as if she is very strong. But I look at Iga and she also does not look like a body builder. Perfect frame for a tennis player (lite, slender, tall) but Iga has no issues with physical stamina.
Then again, she has been crushing everybody 0 & 1, so no need to be super strong.
I say Emma's problems right now is that everybody knows how to play her. After the USO, her then-coach gave an interview explaining how she attacks returns, which was pretty dumb. I guess now all players know her return patterns and that must be a killer.
I like Emma, but it is starting to look like indeed she may have been the ultimate case of somebody that caught lightning in a bottle. I was not expecting her to do a Naomi and win the Aussie, or IW/MIA, but it has been a barrage of 1st round loses. By now, she has to do something on the next three months or when the USO comes around (and she won't defend that) she will be back into the qualies.

[Deuce]

... and once Emma is playing the qualies again, she'll have everyone right where she wants them!

[ashkor87]

She is 18, and not built as if she is very strong. But I look at Iga and she also does not look like a body builder. Perfect frame for a tennis player (lite, slender, tall) but Iga has no issues with physical stamina.
Then again, she has been crushing everybody 0 & 1, so no need to be super strong.
I say Emma's problems right now is that everybody knows how to play her. After the USO, her then-coach gave an interview explaining how she attacks returns, which was pretty dumb. I guess now all players know her return patterns and that must be a killer.
I like Emma, but it is starting to look like indeed she may have been the ultimate case of somebody that caught lightning in a bottle. I was not expecting her to do a Naomi and win the Aussie, or IW/MIA, but it has been a barrage of 1st round loses. By now, she has to do something on the next three months or when the USO comes around (and she won't defend that) she will be back into the qualies.

Everyone knows how to play everyone..coaches watch and analyse everyone these days ..I don't agree that she is a flash-in-the-pan...I think she is the real deal but not strong enough yet. We shall see...

[ponchi101]

Agree. Everybody knows what the other players do, to a point. The question is: can you neutralize it? For almost 12 years everybody knew what Sampras was going to do, but nobody could stop him. Everybody knows what Nadal is going to do but, so far, the only player that can neutralize that forehand-into-the-backhand has been Nole. For Emma, if players are knowing where the return is coming, that is a huge handicap.
When she won the USO, I said that no player has ever won one slam as a teenager and then not win at least another one (Tracy Austin won two USO, both as a teenager, and then injuries stopped her). But it has not been that she is not winning tournaments; this is her record after the USO (how many rounds played, since she has gotten several BYES): 1R, 3R, 1R, 1R, 2R, 1R, 2R, 1R. That is not a glitch, that is a pattern.
And as she has not been the sole player from the last few years that have had a great season and then has dipped (Bouchard, Ostapenko, Garcia, Mladenovic, I am sure I am missing a few), I wonder by now where she is heading. If somebody bring those numbers to me, I find it hard to say that she is still headed for greatness.

[meganfernandez]

Agree. Everybody knows what the other players do, to a point. The question is: can you neutralize it? For almost 12 years everybody knew what Sampras was going to do, but nobody could stop him. Everybody knows what Nadal is going to do but, so far, the only player that can neutralize that forehand-into-the-backhand has been Nole. For Emma, if players are knowing where the return is coming, that is a huge handicap.
When she won the USO, I said that no player has ever won one slam as a teenager and then not win at least another one (Tracy Austin won two USO, both as a teenager, and then injuries stopped her). But it has not been that she is not winning tournaments; this is her record after the USO (how many rounds played, since she has gotten several BYES): 1R, 3R, 1R, 1R, 2R, 1R, 2R, 1R. That is not a glitch, that is a pattern.
And as she has not been the sole player from the last few years that have had a great season and then has dipped (Bouchard, Ostapenko, Garcia, Mladenovic, I am sure I am missing a few), I wonder by now where she is heading. If somebody bring those numbers to me, I find it hard to say that she is still headed for greatness.

We have no idea if she's headed for greatness or not and we won't for a while. Too many variables. But we have some info to gauge its likelihood - one, she is good enough to win 20 sets in a row at a Grand Slam, so she has what it takes. Two, not many players are truly great, so the odds are against her there. We'll see if she can produce that USO level consistently at some point. If not, it doesn't mean she won't have a very good career. She may never win another Slam, but most players don't win Slams anyway. I think she will be a top 50 player for most of her career, probably higher once she gets more experience. Remember, she hasn't even been on tour for a full year! She has a lot to learn and, as ashkor said, a lot of strength to gain.

[Liamvalid]

I’m with Ashkor on this one. I’ve watched most if not all of those early losses, and the more recent ones have been encouraging (if there is such a thing as an encouraging loss) in that she is showing flashes of the USO form, but doesn’t yet have the physicality or the tactical awareness to keep it over the course of 3 sets and win those kind of matches. What she does seem to have is a realistic outlook that she knows she has a lot of work to do and that wins just won’t fall in her lap because she won a slam. If she is still losing in every R1 in 12 months time then I might have to change my mind about her, but for now I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt that her post USO poor form is temporary

[meganfernandez]

I’m with Ashkor on this one. I’ve watched most if not all of those early losses, and the more recent ones have been encouraging (if there is such a thing as an encouraging loss) in that she is showing flashes of the USO form, but doesn’t yet have the physicality or the tactical awareness to keep it over the course of 3 sets and win those kind of matches. What she does seem to have is a realistic outlook that she knows she has a lot of work to do and that wins just won’t fall in her lap because she won a slam. If she is still losing in every R1 in 12 months time then I might have to change my mind about her, but for now I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt that her post USO poor form is temporary

I’m with you guys on this, too. But let’s remember that losing matches isn’t always indicative of poor form. I believe she has had decent form in a lot of her matches.

I’m encouraged that she seems to have a good perspective.

[meganfernandez]

Aww, Garbi volunteers as a museum docent




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[meganfernandez]

Glamouruza

[ponchi101]

Please, please, please, Garbie, post at least ONE PICTURE of you training on a court. I want to believe that there is hope for one more slam in you. Please.
(I would be doing the same thing, sans the fashion shoot because who are we going to kid here, if I lived in Geneva).

[meganfernandez]

Please, please, please, Garbie, post at least ONE PICTURE of you training on a court. I want to believe that there is hope for one more slam in you. Please.
(I would be doing the same thing, sans the fashion shoot because who are we going to kid here, if I lived in Geneva).

She has, within the last day or so. Gym and court.

[ponchi101]

Ok. Thanks. It is that I am not in any social media and I rely on TAT for stuff like that. And all the last posts of her have been doing anything other then hitting a ball.

[meganfernandez]

Ok. Thanks. It is that I am not in any social media and I rely on TAT for stuff like that. And all the last posts of her have been doing anything other then hitting a ball.

Fear not.



Too much fun not to post, though... the red dress is smoking.

[ponchi101]

When she turns on the charm, she is indeed a gorgeous woman. Txs.

[ti-amie]