'22 WTA ATP GS USOpen 8/29 - 9/11

[JTContinental]

A scorching last three months of last year, and everybody behind her having done nothing that comes close to that since.
Heck, I don't get how Sakkari is #3.

I think basically all her points came from the back half of the season, so if she continues to play in her current form, things should balance out quickly.

A little more than half of Sakkari's points are from 2022. She got 1,000 in Feb and early March, from Qatar and IW. If she bombs out of the USO first round, she will likely fall out of the Top 20 in the race. If she wins a few rounds and the tournament is another erratic one, she should stay in the Top 10 or 15.

Sorry, should have been more clear--I meant Kontaveit

[JTContinental]

I'd say "as good a chance." In the case of Garcia, people are letting her past affect their expectations of her more than current form. I guess that's somewhat fair, but players change and improve. She's resurgent and maybe she's better now than she was in 2017. Or just as good and now more experienced.

Zheng is getting better and better, and she has been close to a breakthrough event recently, just losing a close match to a top player. I'd give her an edge over Sakkari (although Sakkari beat her 1 and 4 at the Aussie) but not as good of a chance as Garcia, who has more experience and better results lately.

Garcia and Pera are my "peaked too early" picks for the USO

Pera has... peaked? You would have considered her a contender if she had won LESS this summer? She isn't on any of my gigantic lists. Maybe I'm a fool, but I don't consider her a Slam threat.

Garcia is just getting started. Some players can actually sustain a high level.

I'm thinking in SP terms, I guess. I think Pera and Garcia will be popular early round choices, and that both will disappoint.

[meganfernandez]

Garcia and Pera are my "peaked too early" picks for the USO

Pera has... peaked? You would have considered her a contender if she had won LESS this summer? She isn't on any of my gigantic lists. Maybe I'm a fool, but I don't consider her a Slam threat.

Garcia is just getting started. Some players can actually sustain a high level.

I'm thinking in SP terms, I guess. I think Pera and Garcia will be popular early round choices, and that both will disappoint.

Pera is totally making a run to the semis now. Good point about SP.

[meganfernandez]

I think basically all her points came from the back half of the season, so if she continues to play in her current form, things should balance out quickly.

A little more than half of Sakkari's points are from 2022. She got 1,000 in Feb and early March, from Qatar and IW. If she bombs out of the USO first round, she will likely fall out of the Top 20 in the race. If she wins a few rounds and the tournament is another erratic one, she should stay in the Top 10 or 15.

Sorry, should have been more clear--I meant Kontaveit

Ah, totally. She was on fire last fall. Sakkari had a good fall, too, but Kontaveit had a better one.

[JazzNU]

Ah, totally. She was on fire last fall. Sakkari had a good fall, too, but Kontaveit had a better one.

Sakkari has talked about struggling with being highly ranked and a favorite and how she let it affect her mindset versus being the underdog. But she's been playing better the last couple of weeks, I just don't think many have noticed. Played Garcia very close in Cincy for instance before Caroline pulled away in the 3rd, but few seem to have realized this. For whatever reason, I've always felt people have been down on Sakkari, even when she was winning regularly, there seemed to be more shock that she was getting through her draw and certainty that she'd lose in the next round to a perceived better player most of the time.

[meganfernandez]

Ah, totally. She was on fire last fall. Sakkari had a good fall, too, but Kontaveit had a better one.

Sakkari has talked about struggling with being highly ranked and a favorite and how she let it affect her mindset versus being the underdog. But she's been playing better the last couple of weeks, I just don't think many have noticed. Played Garcia very close in Cincy for instance before Caroline pulled away in the 3rd, but few seem to have realized this. For whatever reason, I've always felt people have been down on Sakkari, even when she was winning regularly, there seemed to be more shock that she was getting through her draw and certainty that she'd lose in the next round to a perceived better player most of the time.

I'm guilty, for no good reason. Probably because she hasn't won a big title, just one 250.

Also, her stature makes me think she isn't all that powerful, despite her physique. Probably a tall-player bias. I've felt the same about Fernandez - she just looks undersized. But Halep does just fine, and other small-stature players have. Hold on, just looked up Sakkari's height - she is listed at 5'8. Can that be right? Swiatek is listed at 5'9. I thought Sakkari was more like 5'5.

[AcesAnnie]

The thing with Sakkari, as I mentioned is she can look absolutely fantastic in a match, and then the next match you are expecting the same from her and she fools you terribly. She comes out with a real stinker of a match. There is no denying that the girl is not only extremely strong, but also very talented. Maybe she is just putting too much pressure on herself and needs to play looser.

[Deuce]

To clarify, once again...

I don't think I knew Sakkari had COVID. Yeah, definitely a factor. Thanks for the reminder. Now I'm going to back to underestimating her.

^ Just to clarify, I'm referring to Kontaveit above who had COVID, not Sakkari.

[meganfernandez]

To clarify, once again...

I don't think I knew Sakkari had COVID. Yeah, definitely a factor. Thanks for the reminder. Now I'm going to back to underestimating her.

^ Just to clarify, I'm referring to Kontaveit above who had COVID, not Sakkari.

ah okay. That I knew.

[ti-amie]

If she makes it to the second week I'll start paying attention. She's really fit though.

[ti-amie]

Another young US male people have their eyes on.

[ti-amie]

[ponchi101]

...

Sakkari has talked about struggling with being highly ranked and a favorite and how she let it affect her mindset versus being the underdog. But she's been playing better the last couple of weeks, I just don't think many have noticed. Played Garcia very close in Cincy for instance before Caroline pulled away in the 3rd, but few seem to have realized this. For whatever reason, I've always felt people have been down on Sakkari, even when she was winning regularly, there seemed to be more shock that she was getting through her draw and certainty that she'd lose in the next round to a perceived better player most of the time.

Megan replied already, but I say it is because she is already 27, and has only one tournament to her name. She started slow; she started reaching the upper levels about three years ago, but although she has been very consistent, she has won very little. By 27, I think that says something.

[ponchi101]

...

I'm thinking in SP terms, I guess. I think Pera and Garcia will be popular early round choices, and that both will disappoint.

Pera will be a good 1R option, depending on this week. She will most likely win, if she does not draw anybody of relevance.
Garcia will be a dilemma. Do you ick her early, expecting a regression to the mean in a couple of rounds, or do you wait until later, believing her new form is here to stay?
I will stay away. She has burned me before.

[ti-amie]