by ti-amie Tournament: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dates: February 19 - February 25, 2023
Level: WTA 1000
Total Financial Commitment: $2,788,468
Surface: Hard
Entries
Seed Name Seeding Ranking Entry Ranking
1 Iga Swiatek 1 1
2 Aryna Sabalenka 2 5
3 Jessica Pegula 4 3
4 Caroline Garcia 5 4
5 Coco Gauff 6 7
6 Maria Sakkari 7 6
7 Daria Kasatkina 8 8
8 Belinda Bencic 9 10
9 Elena Rybakina 10 25
10 Veronika Kudermetova 11 9
11 Beatriz Haddad Maia 12 14
12 Petra Kvitova 13 15
13 Jelena Ostapenko 14 17
14 Liudmila Samsonova 15 20
15 Victoria Azarenka 17 24
16 Ekaterina Alexandrova 18 18
Karolina Pliskova 19 31
Paula Badosa 20 16
Shuai Zhang 22 22
Madison Keys 23 13
Qinwen Zheng 24 28
Martina Trevisan 25 21
Marie Bouzkova 26 26
Jil Teichmann 28 33
Barbora Krejcikova 29 23
Petra Martic 30 37
Anastasia Potapova 31 44
Anhelina Kalinina 33 39
Amanda Anisimova 35 27
Bianca Andreescu 36 43
Irina-Camelia Begu 38 30
Leylah Fernandez 39 40
Danielle Collins 42 11
Yulia Putintseva 43 47
Aliaksandra Sasnovich 44 38
Bernarda Pera 45 41
Shelby Rogers 46 51
Kaia Kanepi 48 29
Alizé Cornet 60 34
Sorana Cirstea 70 42
Marketa Vondrousova 74 32 (SR)
Karolina Muchova 123 22 (SR)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 730 21 (SR)
(WC)
(WC)
(WC)
(WC) Top 20
(WC) Top 20
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)
Alternates
Name Seeding Ranking Entry Ranking
1 Danka Kovinic 63 55
2 Lauren Davis 49 57
3 Anna Kalinskaya 56 59
4 Marta Kostyuk 55 61
5 Claire Liu 57 62
6 Ana Bogdan 76 63
7 Patricia Maria Tig 692 65 (SR)
8 Jasmine Paolini 64 66
9 Rebecca Marino 75 67
10 Alison Van Uytvanck 73 68
11 Madison Brengle 81 72
12 Evgeniya Rodina 430 73 (SR)
13 Tereza Martincova 98 74
14 Tamara Korpatsch 83 76
15 Maryna Zanevska 78 80
16 Linda Fruhvirtova 52 82
17 Julia Grabher 90 85
18 Viktoriya Tomova 100 91
19 Rebeka Masarova 95 93
20 Harriet Dart 109 96
Withdrawals
Name Seeding Ranking Entry Ranking
Ons Jabeur 3 2
Anett Kontaveit 27 19
by ti-amie Qualifying Entry Lists - Singles
Entries
Seed Name Seeding Ranking Entry Ranking
1 Lauren Davis 49 48
2 Linda Fruhvirtova 52 51
3 Anna Kalinskaya 56 53
4 Claire Liu 57 52
5 Danka Kovinic 63 67
6 Jasmine Paolini 64 66
7 Rebecca Marino 75 70
8 Ana Bogdan 76 68
9 Maryna Zanevska 78 93
10 Madison Brengle 81 80
11 Cristina Bucsa 89 86
12 Julia Grabher 90 89
13 Rebeka Masarova 95 100
14 Tereza Martincova 98 87
15 Dayana Yastremska 99 103
16 Viktoriya Tomova 100 99
Oceane Dodin 102 109
Magdalena Frech 104 101
Clara Burel 105 107
Sara Errani 106 105
Harriet Dart 109 104
Reka Luca Jani 117 111
Laura Siegemund 130 125
Olga Danilovic 142 130 (SR)
Kristina Mladenovic 152 145
Katarina Zavatska 277 145 (SR)
Kristina Kucova 343 90 (SR)
Margarita Betova - 100 (SR)
(WC)
(WC)
(WC)
(WC)
Alternates
Name Seeding Ranking Entry Ranking
1 Su Jeong Jang 146 149
2 Nigina Abduraimova 181 152
3 Oksana Selekhmeteva 153 154
4 Chloe Paquet 164 157
5 Polina Kudermetova 173 166
6 Yuriko Miyazaki 175 169
7 Kathinka Von Deichmann 293 173 (SR)
8 Na-Lae Han 179 176
9 Anastasia Tikhonova 183 177
10 Ashlyn Krueger 166 178
11 Vitalia Diatchenko 186 181
12 Ipek Oz 196 187
13 Irina Bara 201 194
14 Magali Kempen 198 196
15 Sinja Kraus 217 197
16 Valentini Grammatikopoulou 195 204
17 Lina Gjorcheska 223 211
18 Nuria Brancaccio 213 213
19 Ekaterina Makarova 218 221
20 Valeria Savinykh 222 230
Withdrawals
Name Seeding Ranking Entry Ranking
Yulia Putintseva 43 44
Shelby Rogers 46 45
Linda Noskova 50 56
Garbiñe Muguruza 86 82
by ti-amie Doubles Entry Lists
Entries
Seed Names Seeding Ranking Entry Ranking
1 Jessica Pegula / Coco Gauff 6 6
2 Lyudmyla Kichenok / Jelena Ostapenko 21 21
3 Demi Schuurs / Desirae Krawczyk 27 26
4 Giuliana Olmos / Shuai Zhang 31 34
5 Nicole Melichar-Martinez / Ellen Perez 35 35
6 Anna Danilina / Luisa Stefani 55 60
7 Zhaoxuan Yang / Vera Zvonareva 56 50
8 Laura Siegemund / Kirsten Flipkens 57 58
Shuko Aoyama / Makoto Ninomiya 61 64
Miyu Kato / Aldila Sutjiadi 74 75
Kimberley Zimmermann / Monica Niculescu 79 82
Alexa Guarachi / Erin Routliffe 81 78
Ulrikke Eikeri / Alicja Rosolska 89 84
Kristina Mladenovic / Timea Babos 91 95
Latisha Chan / Hao-Ching Chan 111 109
Marie Bouzkova / Beatriz Haddad Maia 113 112
Alexandra Panova / Oksana Kalashnikova 114 113
Yana Sizikova / Anastasia Potapova 119 105
Miriam Kolodziejova / Marketa Vondrousova 135 106
Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Leylah Fernandez 382 97
(OS) -
(OS) -
(OS) -
(OS) -
(OS) -
(WC) -
(WC) -
(WC) -
Alternates (Advanced)
Names Seeding Ranking Entry Ranking
1 Tereza Mihalikova / Ekaterina Alexandrova 123 117
2 Katarzyna Kawa / Nadiia Kichenok 138 149
3 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova / Elena Rybakina 164 163
4 Anastasia Zakharova / Angelina Gabueva 203 201
5 Ekaterina Yashina / Moyuka Uchijima 260 253
6 Alena Fomina-Klotz / Dalila Jakupovic 275 263
7 Irina Khromacheva / Anastasia Tikhonova 278 275
8 Ekaterina Makarova / Lena Papadakis 547 532
9 Yifan Xu / Qinwen Zheng - 10015
by ti-amie Qualifying Draw
USA L. Davis (1) vs KAZ A. Danilina
ITA S. Errani vs UKR D. Yastremska (14)
RUS A. Kalinskaya (2) vs KOR S. Jang
IND A. Raina vs BUL V. Tomova (15)
USA C. Liu (3) vs SVK K. Kucova
GER L. Siegemund vs ESP C. Bucsa (10)
MNE D. Kovinic (4) vs ROU S. Bojica
UKR K. Zavatska vs USA M. Brengle (9)
ITA J. Paolini (5) vs RUS M. Betova
HUN R. Jani vs FRA O. Dodin (16)
CAN R. Marino (6) vs GBR H. Dart
SRB O. Danilovic vs ESP R. Masarova (12)
ROU A. Bogdan (7) vs FRA C. Burel
POL M. Frech vs CZE T. Martincova (13)
BEL M. Zanevska (8) vs FRA K. Mladenovic
GBR E. Silva vs AUT J. Grabher (11)
by ti-amie Main Draw Singles
POL I. Swiatek (1)/BYE
Q AUT J. Grabher vs CAN L. Fernandez
CHN Q. Zheng vs CHN S. Zhang
ESP P. Badosa vs RUS L. Samsonova (14)
RUS V. Kudermetova (10) vs UKR A. Kalinina
Q UKR D. Yastremska vs FRA A. Cornet
CZE K. Pliskova vs CZE M. Vondrousova
BYE/GRE M. Sakkari (6)
FRA C. Garcia (4)/BYE
Q ITA J. Paolini vs USA M. Keys
USA A. Anisimova vs RUS V. Zvonareva
RUS A. Pavlyuchenkova vs BLR V. Azarenka (15)
KAZ E. Rybakina (9) vs CAN B. Andreescu
USA S. Kenin vs CZE M. Bouzkova
BLR A. Sasnovich vs Q ESP R. Masarova
BYE/USA C. Gauff (5)
SUI B. Bencic (8)/BYE
TUR I. Oz vs UKR M. Kostyuk
CZE K. Muchova vs USA B. Pera
ROU S. Cirstea vs BRA B. Haddad Maia (11)
RUS E. Alexandrova (16) vs USA S. Rogers
Q GER L. Siegemund vs Q ROU A. Bogdan
EST K. Kanepi vs Q BUL V. Tomova
BYE/USA J. Pegula (3)
RUS D. Kasatkina (7)/BYE
ROU I. Begu vs CZE B. Krejcikova
CRO P. Martic vs KAZ Y. Putintseva
ITA M. Trevisan vs CZE P. Kvitova (12)
LAT J. Ostapenko (13) vs Q UKR K. Zavatska
CZE L. Fruhvirtova vs USA D. Collins
SUI J. Teichmann vs RUS A. Potapova
BYE/BLR A. Sabalenka (2)
by Suliso Much tougher draw for Iga this time.
by Sinner Fan Tough match for Jasmine Paolini in first round against American Madison Keys losing 1-6, 1-6.
Also Italian Martina Trevisan did not do much better against Petra Kvitova losing 2-6, 1-6.
by
ponchi101 Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 8:30 am
Much tougher draw for Iga this time.
Indeed. Let's see how she fares against Sakkari and Rybakina (if they make it that far).
And, of course, we should hope we get a final between her and Aryna. See how they currently measure up.
by
ponchi101 Sinner Fan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 12:47 pm
Tough match for Jasmine Paolini in first round against American Madison Keys losing 1-6, 1-6.
Also Italian Martina Trevisan did not do much better against Petra Kvitova losing 2-6, 1-6.
Italy right now has to be happy with the ATP crop. On the WTA, you have to wait a little for somebody else to rise up.
by ponchi101 Collins losing easily to Fruhvirtova. I say a bit unexpected, but Danielle is going through a little slump.
She may still be dizzy from that match against Iga.
by
Sinner Fan ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:27 pm
Sinner Fan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 12:47 pm
Tough match for Jasmine Paolini in first round against American Madison Keys losing 1-6, 1-6.
Also Italian Martina Trevisan did not do much better against Petra Kvitova losing 2-6, 1-6.
Italy right now has to be happy with the ATP crop. On the WTA, you have to wait a little for somebody else to rise up.
With Italian men like Sinner, Musetti, and Berrettini all in top 10 they doing real good. Martina Trevisan is top WTA Italian player right now and she can put some good game together, So can Jasmine. Just not against to players.
by
Deuce Sinner Fan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:55 pm
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:27 pm
Sinner Fan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 12:47 pm
Tough match for Jasmine Paolini in first round against American Madison Keys losing 1-6, 1-6.
Also Italian Martina Trevisan did not do much better against Petra Kvitova losing 2-6, 1-6.
Italy right now has to be happy with the ATP crop. On the WTA, you have to wait a little for somebody else to rise up.
With Italian men like Sinner, Musetti, and Berrettini all in top 10 they doing real good. Martina Trevisan is top WTA Italian player right now and she can put some good game together, So can Jasmine. Just not against to players.
Well... Sinner, Musetti, and Berrettini are all in the top 30, at least...
Trevisan hasn't done anything notable in a while, and she's regularly losing convincingly these days.
I think Giorgi is the better Italian hope on the women's side, though she's over 30 years old now. (Trevisan is just about 30, as well.)
by ti-amie Day 4 Order of Play
Centre Court
Starts at 12:00 PM
ROU S. CIRSTEA vs BRA B. HADDAD MAIA (11)
FOLLOWED BY
CZE K. PLISKOVA vs CZE M. VONDROUSOVA
FOLLOWED BY
RUS A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA vs BLR V. AZARENKA (15)
NOT BEFORE 7:00 PM
LAT J. OSTAPENKO (13) vs UKR K. ZAVATSKA
FOLLOWED BY
KAZ E. RYBAKINA (9) vs CAN B. ANDREESCU
Court 1
Starts at 12:00 PM
RUS V. KUDERMETOVA (10) vs UKR A. KALININA
FOLLOWED BY
SUI J. TEICHMANN vs RUS A. POTAPOVA
FOLLOWED BY
CRO P. MARTIC vs KAZ Y. PUTINTSEVA
NOT BEFORE 4:30 PM
RUS E. ALEXANDROVA (16) vs USA S. ROGERS
FOLLOWED BY
RUS V. KUDERMETOVA/RUS L. SAMSONOVA vs USA M. KEYS/IND S. MIRZA
Court 2
Starts at 12:00 PM
GEO O. KALASHNIKOVA/RUS A. PANOVA vs TPE H. CHAN/TPE L. CHAN
FOLLOWED BY
JPN S. AOYAMA/JPN M. NINOMIYA vs USA S. KENIN/RUS E. YASHINA
FOLLOWED BY
CHN Z. YANG/RUS V. ZVONAREVA (7) vs CZE M. BOUZKOVA/BRA B. HADDAD MAIA
FOLLOWED BY
KAZ A. DANILINA/BRA L. STEFANI (6) vs CAN L. FERNANDEZ/USA B. MATTEK-SANDS
FOLLOWED BY
RUS A. POTAPOVA/RUS Y. SIZIKOVA vs ROU M. NICULESCU/BEL K. ZIMMERMANN
Court 3
Starts at 12:00 PM
GER L. SIEGEMUND vs ROU A. BOGDAN
FOLLOWED BY
CZE K. MUCHOVA vs USA B. PERA
FOLLOWED BY
BLR A. SASNOVICH vs ESP R. MASAROVA
FOLLOWED BY
USA C. GAUFF/USA J. PEGULA (1) vs JPN M. KATO/INA A. SUTJIADI
by
JTContinental ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:31 pm
Collins losing easily to Fruhvirtova. I say a bit unexpected, but Danielle is going through a little slump.
She may still be dizzy from that match against Iga.
Based on how she is getting creamed, it could also be a flare up of her chronic pain syndrome.
by ponchi101 Had forgotten about that. Indeed.
by
Sinner Fan Deuce wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 8:05 pm
Sinner Fan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:55 pm
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:27 pm
Italy right now has to be happy with the ATP crop. On the WTA, you have to wait a little for somebody else to rise up.
With Italian men like Sinner, Musetti, and Berrettini all in top 10 they doing real good. Martina Trevisan is top WTA Italian player right now and she can put some good game together, So can Jasmine. Just not against to players.
Well... Sinner, Musetti, and Berrettini are all in the top 30, at least...
Trevisan hasn't done anything notable in a while, and she's regularly losing convincingly these days.
I think Giorgi is the better Italian hope on the women's side, though she's over 30 years old now. (Trevisan is just about 30, as well.)
That is correct. Martina Trevisan is almost 30 and Camila Giorgi is at least 30. The young Italian girls on tour are Elisabetta Cocciaretto who is only 22 year of age and is ranking of 50's range. Also Lucia Bronzetti who is 24 year of age and is ranking in 60's range. Both players have ways to go.
by Deuce Alexandrova and Potapova have withdrawn... Claire Liu and Lauren Davis are the 'lucky losers' who come in.
The court is being described as 'medium fast' with a lower bounce.
by Suliso A rare quality win for Cirstea. Kudermetova and Haddad Maia did well last week, but followed it up with early defeats this week.
by
meganfernandez JTContinental wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 8:14 pm
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:31 pm
Collins losing easily to Fruhvirtova. I say a bit unexpected, but Danielle is going through a little slump.
She may still be dizzy from that match against Iga.
Based on how she is getting creamed, it could also be a flare up of her chronic pain syndrome.
It was 3 and 4, right? A break per set? Was it not as close as the score suggests?
by
Sinner Fan Suliso wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 11:43 am
A rare quality win for Cirstea. Kudermetova and Haddad Maia did well last week, but followed it up with early defeats this week.
Kalinina is tough opponent. She could make difficult for others.
by
ponchi101 meganfernandez wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 2:42 pm
JTContinental wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 8:14 pm
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:31 pm
Collins losing easily to Fruhvirtova. I say a bit unexpected, but Danielle is going through a little slump.
She may still be dizzy from that match against Iga.
Based on how she is getting creamed, it could also be a flare up of her chronic pain syndrome.
It was 3 and 4, right? A break per set? Was it not as close as the score suggests?
My bad. 3 & 4 is "easy" to me, but certainly not a drubbing. An intermediate score, by definition.
by
JTContinental meganfernandez wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 2:42 pm
JTContinental wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 8:14 pm
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:31 pm
Collins losing easily to Fruhvirtova. I say a bit unexpected, but Danielle is going through a little slump.
She may still be dizzy from that match against Iga.
Based on how she is getting creamed, it could also be a flare up of her chronic pain syndrome.
It was 3 and 4, right? A break per set? Was it not as close as the score suggests?
lol I was going by ponchi's description and saw the scoreline later in the day
by Deuce Rybakina beat Andreescu rather routinely. The 1st set was pretty easy and straightforward (6-3), but Andreescu was up a break in the 2nd. Rybakina broke right back, then broke again and finished it off 6-4.
It's interesting (and nice) to see linespeople at a 1000 event like this. I had thought that all the Majors and 1000s had gone electronic.
by
meganfernandez ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 4:01 pm
meganfernandez wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 2:42 pm
JTContinental wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 8:14 pm
Based on how she is getting creamed, it could also be a flare up of her chronic pain syndrome.
It was 3 and 4, right? A break per set? Was it not as close as the score suggests?
My bad. 3 & 4 is "easy" to me, but certainly not a drubbing. An intermediate score, by definition.
It can be not as close as the score appears. You know, if Fruhvirtova was holding easily and controlling everything and challenging all of Collins's service games. I meant the question sincerely.
The score isn't always the story.
by ti-amie Day 5 Order of Play
Centre Court
Starts at 12:00 PM
FRA C. GARCIA (4) vs USA M. KEYS
UPCOMING
BUL V. TOMOVA vs USA J. PEGULA (3)
UPCOMING
USA L. DAVIS vs BLR A. SABALENKA (2)
UPCOMING
POL I. SWIATEK (1) vs CAN L. FERNANDEZ
UPCOMING
BLR A. SASNOVICH vs USA C. GAUFF (5)
Court 1
Starts at 12:00 PM
CZE K. PLISKOVA vs GRE M. SAKKARI (6)
UPCOMING
USA A. ANISIMOVA vs BLR V. AZARENKA (15)
UPCOMING
SUI B. BENCIC (8) vs UKR M. KOSTYUK
UPCOMING
KAZ E. RYBAKINA (9) vs CZE M. BOUZKOVA
UPCOMING
RUS V. KUDERMETOVA/RUS L. SAMSONOVA vs USA M. KEYS/IND S. MIRZA
Court 2
Starts at 11:00 AM
UKR A. KALININA vs UKR D. YASTREMSKA
UPCOMING
CZE K. MUCHOVA vs ROU S. CIRSTEA
UPCOMING
USA S. ROGERS vs ROU A. BOGDAN
UPCOMING
USA D. KRAWCZYK/NED D. SCHUURS (3) vs NOR U. EIKERI/POL A. ROSOLSKA
UPCOMING
TPE H. CHAN/TPE L. CHAN vs RUS A. KALINSKAYA/CZE M. VONDROUSOVA
by Deuce Bouzkova beat Kenin 1 and 1.
I wonder if anyone knows what's going on with Kenin. She's playing a lot... well, she's not playing a lot because she always loses early, but she's entering a lot of tournaments, so she doesn't seem to be still injured...
Is she still interested in tennis?
It's rare that we see this kind of very radical and significant drop off from a player who was top 10 / top 15 for a decent amount of time.
by
JazzNU ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:27 pm
Sinner Fan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 12:47 pm
Tough match for Jasmine Paolini in first round against American Madison Keys losing 1-6, 1-6.
Also Italian Martina Trevisan did not do much better against Petra Kvitova losing 2-6, 1-6.
Italy right now has to be happy with the ATP crop. On the WTA, you have to wait a little for somebody else to rise up.
This is a bit on them though. Not technically Italian, but they had someone currently in the top 20 who they didn't see fit to keep because according to reports at least, they aren't used to sponsoring non-Italian players, even if they've grown up in Italy and lived there for an extended period of time. Samsonova still lives and trains there. From what I've seen, she's only had Italian coaches and that's where she began playing. She's very much an Italian product, not at all a Russian one, and she could've still been playing for Italy. Granted, she may not have had as much crowd support, but she grew up there, not a Kazakhstan style transplant, so they might still get behind her almost as much as a native.
by JazzNU Bianca. She had some very good moments against Rybakina, but she's not the player she used to be right now. She was able to break Lena back to back, but couldn't hold her own serve. Had to be looked mid-match by the trainer for something I think with her arm or shoulder. It's a shame that those mishandled injuries really seem to have caught up with her and we may never see that 2019 version of her again. For the sake of the game, it would be fantastic if she could get back to that level. She plays a different style than the other girls, and the variety is welcome.
by Deuce Andreescu's injuries haven't been 'mishandled' - she is simply a very physically fragile and chronically injured person. This goes way back to her Junior days, where she was also often injured - so it is something inherent in her, and it's not fair to accuse others - or Bianca herself - of incompetence in the matter of injury treatment or recovery.
Everything over the past 10 years or so certainly indicates that she will be injured often - perhaps even perpetually - regardless of how well or unwell her injuries are handled by the medical people.
by ashkor87 Interesting matchup today- Keys vs Garcia ...they are comparable in ',quality' but Garcia needs a faster court, I think..Keys should win...
Though I haven't actually seen the Dubai court ..eye surgery
by ponchi101 That is a match between to wildly swinging players. I would not call it in any way. Either can win.
by JazzNU Madison Keys almost never plays this double, so great that she made the effort and traveled for it this year. Rough draw, but at least she didn't lose first round like she did last week (not a bad loss, but there was no good draw in Doha). Toss up here, but maybe more of a test for Caroline than it appears. I can only remember her beating Madison in a pivotal Fed Cup match before. Maybe they've met in a less significant match, but I remember GS matches between them besides that where Keys wins. Caroline has had several of these type matches, where she would've lost them in the past. And new and improved Caro wins it, so we'll see.
by Deuce Kasatkina is the most perplexing player this year...
She quickly went down 0-5 to Krejcikova today - and that's something that Kasatkina has done very often this year... she's just been completely out of it many times.
But today, she came back to make it 4-5 - then promptly got broken easily in the 10th game to lose the set.
Then she played well in the 2nd set, which she won by the same score as she lost the 1st.
She has always been quite psychologically fragile... but this year it is more extreme than usual, as she has lapses where she's just completely lost out there, and is simply not competitive. This is extremely rare for a top 10 player.
I really believe that something is going on with her - something likely not directly related to tennis, but which is definitely affecting her tennis.
by Deuce In the 3rd set, Kasatkina was solid... up to 5-4. Serving in that 10th game, she blew 4 match points - 2 of them on double faults -, and saved 4 break points. Incredible.
She couldn't save the 5th break point, though, and it was 5-5.
You can't make this stuff up...
In the end, Krejcikova won - somehow - 7-5 in the 3rd.
Total points were 107 each.
Krejcikova was just barely more consistent than Kasatkina.
Even the commentator was going nuts trying to figure out how many momentum changes and "twists and turns" there were in this match.
This match must have been absolute torture for both Kasatkina fans and Krejcikova fans.
Keys beat Garcia 7-5, 6-4.
by
ashkor87 ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 1:32 am
Interesting matchup today- Keys vs Garcia ...they are comparable in ',quality' but Garcia needs a faster court, I think..Keys should win...
Though I haven't actually seen the Dubai court ..eye surgery
As predicted.
by JTContinental Keys notches her 4th straight win over Garcia.
Sadly, Zheng Qinwen has withdrawn from her match against Samsonova with abdominal pain.
by Suliso Same story. Hardly anyone who did well last week is doing well this week too. Sakkari out in straight sets as well and Azarenka in danger. Pegula looks ok so far.
by JTContinental Tomova really had the momentum going into that third set, and even put pressure on Pegula's serve, but then she totally lost it.
by ashkor87 saw highlights for the first time - Dubai court doesnt seem all that slow! Much faster than Doha in fact! nobody else here seems to care about the court speed, so .....
by Suliso Iga keeps dishing out bakery products to quality opponents.
by ashkor87 I will never understand Pliskova....
by
ponchi101 Suliso wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 4:27 pm
Iga keeps dishing out bakery products to quality opponents.
She does this. She enters a zone and it lasts not for a few sets, if last for a few weeks (or more).
I gather we all have been there: those times in which we feel we can play at a high level. The difference is that she can sustain it for quite a while.
Let's see if she runs into Rybakina, her last conqueror. How she will play that day.
by ponchi101 She needed to go a level up in the second set? From "murderer" to "maniacal murderer"? It was 1 & 1, in 72 minutes!
I guess that is the way they have to think about these things. You can always hit it harder, you can always have more winners.
by
meganfernandez ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 4:44 pm
Suliso wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 4:27 pm
Iga keeps dishing out bakery products to quality opponents.
She does this. She enters a zone and it lasts not for a few sets, if last for a few weeks (or more).
I gather we all have been there: those times in which we feel we can play at a high level. The difference is that she can sustain it for quite a while.
Let's see if she runs into Rybakina, her last conqueror. How she will play that day.
Even more impressive because she is about to defend a boatload of points. I was wondering if she would feel any pressure.
by
JazzNU ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 1:36 pm
saw highlights for the first time - Dubai court doesnt seem all that slow! Much faster than Doha in fact! nobody else here seems to care about the court speed, so .....
I care very little about court speed, but Dubai regularly has a faster court than Doha. That's been the case for a long while.
by
Deuce
And you've said several times that Swiatek is good on slow courts, but not so much on faster courts.
Yet she looked just as good today as she did on the slower Doha court, and there is no sign of her momentum stopping.
It's interesting how the perspective keeps changing to accommodate the results...
by
Deuce ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 5:04 pm
She needed to go a level up in the second set? From "murderer" to "maniacal murderer"? It was 1 & 1, in 72 minutes!
I guess that is the way they have to think about these things. You can always hit it harder, you can always have more winners.
I watched the entire match. She did have to increase her level at the beginning of the 2nd set. You can't judge on statistics or score alone. Leylah came out in the 2nd set more determined, and taking the points to Swiatek. But Iga adjusted and upped her level as needed, as champions do.
The second half of the 2nd set was much like the 1st set - one way traffic. But for the beginning of that 2nd set, it was very enjoyable, competitive tennis from both players.
by ti-amie Day 6 Order of Play
Centre Court
Starts at 12:00 PM
ROU A. BOGDAN vs USA J. PEGULA (3)
FOLLOWED BY
USA M. KEYS vs BLR V. AZARENKA (15)
FOLLOWED BY
POL I. SWIATEK (1) vs RUS L. SAMSONOVA (14)
NOT BEFORE 7:00 PM
LAT J. OSTAPENKO (13) vs BLR A. SABALENKA (2)
FOLLOWED BY
CZE B. KREJCIKOVA vs CZE P. KVITOVA (12)
Court 1
Starts at 12:00 PM
UKR A. KALININA vs CZE K. PLISKOVA
NOT BEFORE 2:00 PM
SUI B. BENCIC (8) vs CZE K. MUCHOVA
FOLLOWED BY
KAZ E. RYBAKINA (9) vs USA C. GAUFF (5)
Court 3
Starts at 12:00 PM
CHN Z. YANG/RUS V. ZVONAREVA (7) vs JPN S. AOYAMA/JPN M. NINOMIYA
NOT BEFORE 2:00 PM
CAN L. FERNANDEZ/USA B. MATTEK-SANDS vs BLR A. SASNOVICH/CHN Y. XU
FOLLOWED BY
RUS V. KUDERMETOVA/RUS L. SAMSONOVA vs MEX G. OLMOS/CHN S. ZHANG (4)
FOLLOWED BY
USA C. GAUFF/USA J. PEGULA (1) vs TPE H. CHAN/TPE L. CHAN
FOLLOWED BY
ROU M. NICULESCU/BEL K. ZIMMERMANN vs RUS A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA/KAZ E. RYBAKINA
by Deuce It looks like Ostapenko took care of Linda Fruhvirtova quickly.
I didn't see the match, but 2 and love seems rather efficient...
Ostapenko has gotten herself back into the mix this year, after being relatively anonymous for a few years. I wonder if Kenin will ever be able to come back in a similar way.
Muchova in two close sets over Cirstea...
Kvitova keeps hanging around with a straight set win over Putinseva...
by ashkor87 Bencic' fighting qualities! She is simply refusing to lose when it gets close..she wasn't always like this..used to lose close matches because she had no extra gear ..as when Andreescu beat her at the USO the year she won it ..I thought that was bencic' best chance to win a major but she faltered when it got close .
Something seems to have changed in her life..good for her! And for us ...
by ponchi101 I agree that Belinda is getting it done a bit more frequently lately.
I just want to see her having the same believe against top opponents. She has the game.
by ashkor87 How will Coco do against Rybakina? On a faster court like this .? I actually expect her to do better than on a slow court like abuDhabi .very interesting match coming up
by
ashkor87
In these conditions, Iga is not invincible..
by
JazzNU ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 11:51 pm
Bencic' fighting qualities! She is simply refusing to lose when it gets close..she wasn't always like this..used to lose close matches because she had no extra gear ..as when Andreescu beat her at the USO the year she won it ..I thought that was bencic' best chance to win a major but she faltered when it got close .
Something seems to have changed in her life..good for her! And for us ...
Belinda's best chance was in 2021. She couldn't beat Emma. A loss more glaring by the day. Losing to Bianca in 2019 is something many top players had to contend with that year, starting in Indian Wells and ending at the US Open. Losing to Emma is an entirely different story.
by
JazzNU ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 11:52 pm
I agree that Belinda is getting it done a bit more frequently lately.
I just want to see her having the same believe against top opponents. She has the game.
She's getting into I'll believe it when I see it territory for me. I used to think she was a real contender. I've been thinking less so lately. She looks great at these 500 events a la Rublev, but doesn't seem to be able to play that level match after match at the 1000s and GS. She won that Olympic Gold of course, but that wasn't a murderer's row draw she had and then she pulled that gamesmanship at the end to help with closing out Marketa.
I'd be less surprised by her than I would by Pliskova, she hasn't reached that level of I'll believe when I see it, but I'd like her to change my mind in the next month, for instance. Make the finals of Dubai, Indian Wells, or Miami and maybe it'll seem like more of a possibility to me again. It's been a while since she's gotten to a final of that level.
by ashkor87 She has been beaten lately only by tier 1 players..which is to be expected
by Suliso So far Samsonova not doing any better vs Swiatek than Fernandez managed.
by Suliso 1 & 0 against a top 20 player. Crazy, isn't it.
In other news Rybakina has withdrawn with a lower back injury. Gauff will play Keys in QF's.
by ashkor87 Swiatek has become a monster...
by
meganfernandez ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 2:11 pm
Swiatek has become a monster...
baking Samsonova (my term for a scoreline of only bagels and/or breadsticks) is absolutely monstrous.
Unexpected scoreline for Bencic, going out 1 and 4 to Muchova. Keys easily over Vika is suprising, too, unless Vika was tired from her long match vs Anisimova.
Suliso wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 12:27 pm
So far Samsonova not doing any better vs Swiatek than Fernandez managed.
Going on memory, Samsonova was one of the only players to give Swiatek a good match last spring - one of the finals on clay, maybe Stuttgard? So I expected more of a challenge from her.
by
Suliso meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 2:58 pm
Going on memory, Samsonova was one of the only players to give Swiatek a good match last spring - one of the finals on clay, maybe Stuttgard? So I expected more of a challenge from her.
That's right. On clay in Stuttgart SF's (6-7, 6-4, 7-5).
by Suliso I think Bencic was too tired from too many extra long matches recently.
by
ponchi101 Suliso wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 12:48 pm
1 & 0 against a top 20 player. Crazy, isn't it.
In other news Rybakina has withdrawn with a lower back injury. Gauff will play Keys in QF's.
When she is on, she is on.
What I find a bit strange is that the fluctuations are wide. As I said before, against Cami at the Aussie she played "well" but was broken 4 times, by a player that really does not have a great return.
Then the Rybakina match was rather routine, for Rybakina.
And then, as you say, she is plastering top 20 and top 10 opponents, at ease. I understand that no player stays at these peaks for long stretches, but when she drops her level, it is noticeable. By now, I was really expecting the Rybakina match, but we won't see that. So only Aryna, playing also at her peak, could be a challenge.
Could be a great match. COULD.
by
ponchi101 Suliso wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 3:18 pm
I think Bencic was too tired from too many extra long matches recently.
Uhm. She had several days off after withdrawing last week.
by
Suliso ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 3:36 pm
Suliso wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 3:18 pm
I think Bencic was too tired from too many extra long matches recently.
Uhm. She had several days off after withdrawing last week.
But not after playing 3 1/2 h yesterday too.
by ponchi101 Then, she and Sakkari have to get together and plan on their training. Belinda plans the on court schedule, Maria the gym.
Best of both worlds (I hope).
by ponchi101 Alona and Aryna playing a schizoid match. 6-2 Alona, 6-1 Aryna. They are probably trying to prove who can hit the ball harder.
by
nelslus IN other news, Pliskova had to default her next match against Iga, due to a bad case of inevitability-itis.
by
Suliso nelslus wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 7:46 pm
IN other news, Pliskova had to default her next match against Iga, due to a bad case of inevitability-itis.
I had to check it up to make sure you were not joking.
by ti-amie Day 7 Order of Play
Centre Court
Starts at 03:00 PM
Quarterfinal
CAN L. FERNANDEZ/USA B. MATTEK-SANDS vs RUS V. KUDERMETOVA/RUS L. SAMSONOVA
NOT BEFORE 5:00 PM
Quarterfinal
USA M. KEYS vs USA C. GAUFF (5)
NOT BEFORE 7:00 PM
Quarterfinal
CZE B. KREJCIKOVA vs BLR A. SABALENKA (2)
FOLLOWED BY
Quarterfinal
CZE K. MUCHOVA vs USA J. PEGULA (3)
Court 1
Starts at 03:00 PM
Quarterfinal
USA D. KRAWCZYK/NED D. SCHUURS (3) vs ROU M. NICULESCU/BEL K. ZIMMERMANN
FOLLOWED BY
Quarterfinal
CHN Z. YANG/RUS V. ZVONAREVA (7) vs UKR L. KICHENOK/LAT J. OSTAPENKO (2)
by
nelslus ....LET me also add, and to be clear- Bencic is not gonna happen. (Slam-wise, at least.) The gold medal was punishment enough for true tennis fans.
....Same for Garcia- and I actually like Garcia. Albeit, I must add that two Slam doubles titles= nothing to sneeze at.
by
ponchi101 Suliso wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 7:55 pm
nelslus wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 7:46 pm
IN other news, Pliskova had to default her next match against Iga, due to a bad case of inevitability-itis.
I had to check it up to make sure you were not joking.
What a virtuous cycle. You demolish an opponent so your next opponent chickens out, so you don't get to play one match and you are rested, so you will demolish your next opponent...
by JazzNU On the one hand, you gotta think Pliskova can do better than the suffering the 6-0, 6-0 beatdown since it was on clay. On the other hand, that beatdown happened at one of Pliskova's most successful tournaments on tour, so yes, a repeat was possible.
But in all seriousness - this is feeling like it's going to become a bit of an issue. People are making jokes now, but if it's the start of a trend, no one will be laughing and it's not a good look at all for the game.
by
Suliso JazzNU wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 8:23 pm
But in all seriousness - this is feeling like it's going to become a bit of an issue. People are making jokes now, but if it's the start of a trend, no one will be laughing and it's not a good look at all for the game.
I hope it's not a trend. One tournament or two no big deal, but we do want some competition too.
by Deuce These withdrawals and retirements are ridiculous. Three (at least) high profile withdrawals in the past week - Bencic, Rybakina, Pliskova. Players no longer have any integrity - it's pathetic.
It's amazing how players view every scheduled match as being optional!
The flippant withdrawals and retirements are disgusting.
There is way too much money in the game, and that ruins everything on several levels. "I'm rich, I'm famous, so I can play only if I want to - if I feel only 98%, I'll take it easy and rest while looking at my lovely bank account numbers and not give a damn about the fans, my opponents, the tournament, or the sport looking bad."
by Deuce Nice to see Muchova doing well after the injuries - she's one of the most enjoyable players to watch with her all-court game.
I don't feel that fatigue is a legitimate excuse this time for Bencic - that was last week's excuse. Unless she has some kind of virus.
She's only 25 years old, and should be able to withstand the physical demands of her chosen sport within reason.
by JTContinental It sounds like Pliskova has a cold, so I think she gets a pass for pulling out in the middle of a tournament
by ashkor87 The monster is devouring the game itself, if this goes on! Someone needs to step up, I hope Sabalenka or Rybakina can...Rybakina has already pulled out...
by
ashkor87 meganfernandez wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 2:58 pm
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 2:11 pm
Swiatek has become a monster...
baking Samsonova (my term for a scoreline of only bagels and/or breadsticks) is absolutely monstrous.
Unexpected scoreline for Bencic, going out 1 and 4 to Muchova. Keys easily over Vika is suprising, too, unless Vika was tired from her long match vs Anisimova.
Suliso wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 12:27 pm
So far Samsonova not doing any better vs Swiatek than Fernandez managed.
Going on memory, Samsonova was one of the only players to give Swiatek a good match last spring - one of the finals on clay, maybe Stuttgard? So I expected more of a challenge from her.
Samsonova may not have liked this court either, note what vekic did to her at the AO..we will have to wait to see what Saba can do..
by ponchi101 Ok. Only two instances of people pulling out BEFORE playing Iga. Last week's by Bencic, this week by Plis. So, a small sample. Let's not jump to conclusions.
HOWEVER. Indeed, this would be a pathetic trend. We can remember the times in which everybody that went out against, for example, Roger/Rafa (on clay)/Steffi/Serena/Martina, knew they had the chance of a cat with a broken leg against a rottweiler. But they did go out, and they played the entire match. If now they will pack it before even taking the court, that's a new low.
Right now, it is a WTA problem, but let's not forget that Rune pulled a surprise retirement last week, and the infamous Musetti affair at RG two years ago. So, the PTB have to at the very least address the possibility that players are pulling out for no other reason than "I can't win".
by
Deuce ashkor87 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 1:04 am
Samsonova may not have liked this court either, note what vekic did to her at the AO..we will have to wait to see what Saba can do..
But... but... Swiatek isn't supposed to like this court, either, as she only likes slow courts, remember?
She seems to be doing more than fine on this faster court, though - so there goes yet another theory out the window...
The fact is that these players are world class on all surfaces. Some might be slightly better on one surface than on another - but the differences aren't huge.
The biggest issue, I feel, is transitioning from a fast surface to a slow surface (or vice versa) within a short amount of time. But differences in the speeds of two hard court tournaments certainly aren't radical.
Borg was a master of transitioning, winning Roland Garros on the slow clay, and then winning Wimbledon on the fast grass just 2 weeks later - and he won these two tournaments back-to-back 3 times. He would probably say that all this talk about court speed is overblown hogwash.
by
Deuce ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 1:22 am
Ok. Only two instances of people pulling out BEFORE playing Iga. Last week's by Bencic, this week by Plis. So, a small sample. Let's not jump to conclusions.
HOWEVER. Indeed, this would be a pathetic trend. We can remember the times in which everybody that went out against, for example, Roger/Rafa (on clay)/Steffi/Serena/Martina, knew they had the chance of a cat with a broken leg against a rottweiler. But they did go out, and they played the entire match. If now they will pack it before even taking the court, that's a new low.
Right now, it is a WTA problem, but let's not forget that Rune pulled a surprise retirement last week, and the infamous Musetti affair at RG two years ago. So, the PTB have to at the very least address the possibility that players are pulling out for no other reason than "I can't win".
Yes... but I'd say that it's more like "I can't win, and I already have enough money to live the rest of my life in complete comfort, so what the hell, I'll take the easy way out."
Money corrupts everything.
by ashkor87 Iga the monster is one more reason why we need a variety of court surfaces and playing styles
by
Owendonovan nelslus wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 8:15 pm
....LET me also add, and to be clear- Bencic is not gonna happen. (Slam-wise, at least.) The gold medal was punishment enough for true tennis fans.
....Same for Garcia- and I actually like Garcia. Albeit, I must add that two Slam doubles titles= nothing to sneeze at.
Though not popular, I kinda feel the same way about Coco.
by
JazzNU JTContinental wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 10:32 pm
It sounds like Pliskova has a cold, so I think she gets a pass for pulling out in the middle of a tournament
Hopefully she's okay soon. And let us hope this virus isn't spreading through the locker room. I can't remember what year, maybe 2019, but a virus spread like wildfire and people were forced to pull out of this or Doha and then appearances at Indian Wells were in doubt because the virus had migrated there. The men are there too obviously, so let's hope this is more isolated.
by Suliso Good win for Gauff, but I'll be very surprised if she can seriously trouble Swiatek tomorrow (h2h 5:0, all in straight sets).
by ashkor87 nice win for Coco over Keys - Keys has been playing well. Now she is the next morsel for the monster, that is the only problem.. i dont think she has what it takes.. Sabalenka may have, but not Coco. But good for her nonetheless!
by ponchi101 It is one match in which Coco has to forfeit her second serve. It will make no difference if she hits 10 DF's, but better that than Iga returning her second serve for clean winners.
I do give her a slight chance (SLIGHT!) simply because all players are bound to have a bad day, sooner or later. If Coco has a good day, and Iga a bad one, it could be interesting.
I don't think so, but just maybe.
by
mick1303 Deuce wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 8:51 pm
These withdrawals and retirements are ridiculous. Three (at least) high profile withdrawals in the past week - Bencic, Rybakina, Pliskova. Players no longer have any integrity - it's pathetic.
It's amazing how players view every scheduled match as being optional!
The flippant withdrawals and retirements are disgusting.
There is way too much money in the game, and that ruins everything on several levels. "I'm rich, I'm famous, so I can play only if I want to - if I feel only 98%, I'll take it easy and rest while looking at my lovely bank account numbers and not give a damn about the fans, my opponents, the tournament, or the sport looking bad."
Highly celebrated Serena gave 19 walkovers to her opponents. Out of the total of 172 losses it computes to 11%. I did not do a complete study but that seems to be a record percentage. I'm wondering if you were so harsh on her like you do now on these players.
Rybakina had until now 3 walkover losses out of 71 (4.2%). Pliskova has 208 losses and I did not find any walkover until now. This will be the first. Bencic has 158 losses of which there was only one walkover. It is less than 1%.
This rant about modern players being corrupted by money comparing to the previous generation seems to be missing the mark quite a bit.
by
ponchi101 mick1303 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:45 pm
...
Highly celebrated Serena gave 19 walkovers to her opponents. Out of the total of 172 losses it computes to 11%. I did not do a complete study but that seems to be a record percentage. I'm wondering if you were so harsh on her like you do now on these players.
Rybakina had until now 3 walkover losses out of 71 (4.2%). Pliskova has 208 losses and I did not find any walkover until now. This will be the first. Bencic has 158 losses of which there was only one walkover. It is less than 1%.
This rant about modern players being corrupted by money comparing to the previous generation seems to be missing the mark quite a bit.
And then you came up with the data.
Txs. It makes it clearer.
by Suliso We all are sometimes guilty of recency bias.
by Suliso Also what happened to Muchova?
by Suliso Went to play badminton at Sabalenka 6-0. Very surprised to see how it ended...
by
nelslus Owendonovan wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:28 am
nelslus wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 8:15 pm
....LET me also add, and to be clear- Bencic is not gonna happen. (Slam-wise, at least.) The gold medal was punishment enough for true tennis fans.
....Same for Garcia- and I actually like Garcia. Albeit, I must add that two Slam doubles titles= nothing to sneeze at.
Though not popular, I kinda feel the same way about Coco.
....Then again, Bencic and Garcia ain't 18.
by Suliso Gauff will be 19 in two weeks by the way.
by
nelslus Suliso wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 6:29 pm
Gauff will be 19 in two weeks by the way.
...Then again, Bencic and Garcia ain't 19.
by
nelslus JTContinental wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 10:32 pm
It sounds like Pliskova has a cold, so I think she gets a pass for pulling out in the middle of a tournament
Sure. But, assumedly. and unless I'm missing something timeline-wise, Pliskova won a match in 3 sets with the same cold- THEN quits?!?! How do you know how you'll feel with a cold when you get some sleep first? Unless she knew all her dreams would involve Iga.....
IN other tennis news, thank goodness Sabalenka has turned back into the player we've all known and loved for so long. So few things one can count on in life.
by
ponchi101 NO, NO, NO!!! Do NOT give thanks for Aryna to return to form. She was the sole player left that could have pushed Iga to ... 6-4 in the 2nd?
(Guess you are right. Weird score)
by JTContinental I don’t think any of these recent withdrawals was that egregious, except for Bencic, and like Mick said, it’s not really their style to pull out of tournaments.
But there is a crop of players who are doing this. Off the top of my head: Badosa, Yastremska, Andreescu, Raducanu
by
JTContinental nelslus wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 7:13 pm
JTContinental wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 10:32 pm
It sounds like Pliskova has a cold, so I think she gets a pass for pulling out in the middle of a tournament
Sure. But, assumedly. and unless I'm missing something timeline-wise, Pliskova won a match in 3 sets with the same cold- THEN quits?!?! How do you know how you'll feel with a cold when you get some sleep first? Unless she knew all her dreams would involve Iga.....
IN other tennis news, thank goodness Sabalenka has turned back into the player we've all known and loved for so long. So few things one can count on in life.
Pliskova is a court rat—if she can play, she will
by ti-amie Day 8 Order of Play
Centre Court
Starts at 03:00 PM
Semifinal
TPE H. CHAN/TPE L. CHAN vs USA D. KRAWCZYK/NED D. SCHUURS (3)
NOT BEFORE 5:00 PM
Semifinal
POL I. SWIATEK (1) vs USA C. GAUFF (5)
NOT BEFORE 7:00 PM
Semifinal
USA J. PEGULA (3) vs CZE B. KREJCIKOVA
FOLLOWED BY
Semifinal
RUS V. KUDERMETOVA/RUS L. SAMSONOVA vs UKR L. KICHENOK/LAT J. OSTAPENKO (2)
by ti-amie I don't expect Gauff to defeat Iga but it's a good opportunity for her to play as well as she can and see how she measures up. Thanks for the reminders that she is still only 18 (19 in two weeks) and that she has another couple of years to fine tune her game.
by Suliso Agree albeit let's not forget that Iga herself is only 21. One would expect further improvement from her too. She won her first GS just after turning 19 (born May 31st).
by
Deuce mick1303 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:45 pm
Deuce wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 8:51 pm
These withdrawals and retirements are ridiculous. Three (at least) high profile withdrawals in the past week - Bencic, Rybakina, Pliskova. Players no longer have any integrity - it's pathetic.
It's amazing how players view every scheduled match as being optional!
The flippant withdrawals and retirements are disgusting.
There is way too much money in the game, and that ruins everything on several levels. "I'm rich, I'm famous, so I can play only if I want to - if I feel only 98%, I'll take it easy and rest while looking at my lovely bank account numbers and not give a damn about the fans, my opponents, the tournament, or the sport looking bad."
Highly celebrated Serena gave 19 walkovers to her opponents. Out of the total of 172 losses it computes to 11%. I did not do a complete study but that seems to be a record percentage. I'm wondering if you were so harsh on her like you do now on these players.
Rybakina had until now 3 walkover losses out of 71 (4.2%). Pliskova has 208 losses and I did not find any walkover until now. This will be the first. Bencic has 158 losses of which there was only one walkover. It is less than 1%.
This rant about modern players being corrupted by money comparing to the previous generation seems to be missing the mark quite a bit.
1) Yes - I absolutely criticized Serena's attitude, lack of sportsmanship, and questionable commitment to the game for a long time. Though she was undeniably a great player, she was far too much of a 'diva' personality for my liking. The way she robbed Osaka of the joy of her first U.S. Open win tells you all you need to know about Serena - she insisted on the spotlight being on HER, completely depriving Osaka of a once in a lifetime joyful experience. It was pathetic. And that wasn't the only time she stole the spotlight from a more deserving person at the U.S. Open - she did the same to Kim Clijsters some years earlier.
Of course, as is the custom in this crazy society, one's faults, no matter how grave, almost always get completely overlooked if the person is A) good at their craft, and B) very 'famous'. Infinite (very poor) excuses are made for the despicable behaviour of 'famous people' because of the sick and very unhealthy celebrity worship/culture that exists. Think Tiger Woods, as well...
And I also obviously remember the frequency with which Serena decided not to play, often at the last minute (conveniently, after the tickets were sold). No - I was never a Serena fan.
As for the recent withdrawals... I stand by my position that it's bush league. What other professional sport on Earth has 4 matches/games cancelled in the space of one week? And they were 4 high profile matches, too - not first round matchups between qualifiers.
I really don't care what percentages you worked out in terms of their frequencies of withdrawals (why didn't you add in-match retirements to your tally?) - the fact is that when a player quits a tournament - whether through withdrawal or in-match retirement - the fans are screwed, the tournament organizers are screwed, and the sport looks quite bad.
And I maintain that if you enter a tournament, you enter it to play until you either lose, or you win the tournament. That is called honest commitment. That is called respect for the fans, your opponents, the tournament, and the sport. To view every match as being
optional, and to view quitting if you are not feeling absolutely 100% as being a viable option, is downright pathetic. The only exception should be if you are TRULY incapable of playing due to injury (or that there is a strong likelihood that your injury will become very serious if you play), or due to some sort of personal emergency. Does anyone honestly believe that this situation has occurred
4 times in the past week with the top athletes in the world? If so, I'm sure there are some good deals on a few bridges you could purchase.
History shows unequivocally and undeniably that money corrupts people. Do you honestly think that tennis players are above this?
If so, why?
If common sense is employed, there can be absolutely no denying that today's players are far more coddled and spoiled than were the players of the '70s, '80s, and even into the beginning of the '90s. They are treated as demi-gods today by sponsors, by tournaments, by fans, by the media... Plus they are making much, much, much more money (relative to the cost of living) than they were pre 1990s. To not see that this very directly leads to a sense of entitlement in the majority of players, and to a less intense level of commitment and respect for the fans, and for the game, is, in my opinion, to be ignorant of the obvious.
by Deuce Maybe Sabalenka hasn't overcome her inconsistency problems after all, huh?...
She was basically flawless in the 1st set, winning it at love. She played very well in the 2nd set, as well - but she was challenged and matched by Krejcikova this time. And Krejcikova prevailed.
And then Sabalenka was virtually invisible in the 3rd set.
It appears that Sabalenka couldn't handle the abrupt change in the dynamic of the match. Maybe she was already half in the locker room, convinced she would win, and couldn't get to the proper mindset to compete after that - perhaps thinking too much that she just blew it before the match was over, and when she still had a chance to win. This is a lack of maturity/experience, I feel.
All credit to Krejcikova. There aren't many players who would still believe they could beat a powerful player like Sabalenka after a 0-6 1st set drubbing.
Krejcokova's victory in this match can best be described as 'crafty'. It was like a seasoned pro playing against a junior psychologically.
Sabalenka has the physical talent to be a dominant player for a long time. But she will have to vastly improve her fragile mental state if she is going to be considered one of the best players of her era.
by ti-amie I think Sabalenka and Sakkari are the biggest headcases on the WTA tour. Either can easily snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
by Owendonovan Makes me wonder about the appearance fees some of these top ranked players get. Do they get it for showing up and dropping out after the first or second round? Are those fees based on an expected upward movement through the draws or just for showing up and staying on the schedule through the beginning of the tournament?
by
Deuce Owendonovan wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 3:30 am
Makes me wonder about the appearance fees some of these top ranked players get. Do they get it for showing up and dropping out after the first or second round? Are those fees based on an expected upward movement through the draws or just for showing up and staying on the schedule through the beginning of the tournament?
I would think that it's almost always based on the player officially entering the tournament only. Because appearance fees obviously exist as a means of selling tickets based on a player's SUPPOSED participation in the tournament. The players who would get the appearance fees are obviously the top players, and most tickets are sold well in advance, so... 2+2=4.
There are too many examples of players pulling out of tournaments at the last minute - i.e. AFTER most of the tickets are sold to people wanting to see that player play - or 'surprisingly' losing in their first match of the tournament - this happens too often to think it's a mere co-incidence every time. I have no doubt that the tournament organizers are complicit much of the time - as in: the player tells the tournament 2 weeks before that he/she will not be playing the tournament (or maybe never had any intention of playing it), and the tournament director responds that if the player wants to collect the agreed upon appearance fee, the player must agree to only announce publicly that he/she will not be playing the tournament on the day before the tournament starts, to allow for tickets to be sold to the unsuspecting fans wanting to see that player play.
Business is a very dirty business.
by
Owendonovan Deuce wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 3:53 am
Owendonovan wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 3:30 am
Makes me wonder about the appearance fees some of these top ranked players get. Do they get it for showing up and dropping out after the first or second round? Are those fees based on an expected upward movement through the draws or just for showing up and staying on the schedule through the beginning of the tournament?
I would think that it's almost always based on the player officially entering the tournament only. Because appearance fees obviously exist as a means of selling tickets based on a player's SUPPOSED participation in the tournament. The players who would get the appearance fees are obviously the top players, and most tickets are sold well in advance, so... 2+2=4.
There are too many examples of players pulling out of tournaments at the last minute - i.e. AFTER most of the tickets are sold to people wanting to see that player play - this happens too often to think it's a mere co-incidence every time. I have no doubt that the tournament organizers are complicit much of the time - as in: the player tells the tournament 2 weeks before that he/she will not be playing the tournament, and the tournament director responds that if the player wants to collect the agreed upon appearance fee, the player must agree to only announce publicly that he/she will not be playing the tournament on the day before the tournament starts, to allow for tickets to be sold to the unsuspecting fans wanting to see that player play.
Business is a very dirty business.
So hard to find moral high ground in sports, unfortunately.
by ashkor87 Krejcikova vs Sabalenka - could see only highlights (which dont tell you much) but in the second set tiebreaker, Krejcikova came to the net and made a wonderful touch volley.. I wonder if that is the story? or just the usual brain-fade from Sabalenka?
Krejcikova did beat Swiatek with her forward approach, can she do it again? fascinating ..!
by Suliso H2H in all possible remaining matches
Swiatek vs Gauff 5:0
Pegula vs Krejcikova 1:0
Swiatek vs Pegula 5:2
Swiatek vs Krejcikova 2:1
Pegula vs Gauff 1:0
Gauff vs Krejcikova 0:1
by Suliso I had a chance to watch a full match between Iga and Coco. It started as usual with regular game from Swiatek and plenty of mistakes from Gauff resulting in Iga serving at 5-2. Then unexpectedly a weaker patch from Iga and a bit better from Gauff. She got as close as Iga serving at 5-4, 40-40. Needed 5 set points to close it out. Iga then accelerated to a double break 4-0 advantage and it seemed all over and maybe a bagel coming. Strong serving gave Coco the following game and then Iga gifted one service game with 2 double faults and easy errors. Clamped down immediately to win the last two games.
Coco needs a lot of improvement to challenge elite players seriously. One aspect of the game where she is really good already is net play. Forehand continuously breaks down though and second serve sometimes begs to be hit.
by ashkor87 Thanks...very useful summary
by ponchi101 I have spoken about Coco being young, but by now, Suliso's point that she will turn 19 soon starts to gain some weight. Plenty of players have won big before 19.
Since obviously I have not seen her play in a while (lack of coverage), I can only assess by what the people here say. And the same two issues remain constant: the FH, and the 2nd serve. So, if the crowd here sees that, and there is no improvement, I wonder if the stroke CAN be improved. Can it be fixed? If we can see that, her coaches certainly can too.
Edberg was never able to improve his FH (that weird continental grip). Muguruza's FH volley never got better. Evert's BH volley was never a solid shot. So maybe, this is one of those cases.
by Suliso 15th WTA level final for Swiatek and 9th for Krejcikova. Their final records are 12-2 and 5-3.
Krejcikova won the last time they met. I think it will be a serious fight this time as well.
by
meganfernandez Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 5:15 pm
15th WTA level final for Swiatek and 9th for Krejcikova. Their final records are 12-2 and 5-3.
Krejcikova won the last time they met. I think it will be a serious fight this time as well.
I hope this match is as good as Ostrava last fall, but that was indoors. I do think Krejcikova believes she can beat Iga, which is half the battle.
by ponchi101 Well, she CAN beat Iga. She has beaten her once, and her H2H is 2-1 Iga, which are too few matches to make any sort of pattern.
Krejcikova was out for a while, but maybe it was the after C19 effects. She has been playing well of late. it could be a very good final (let's hope we don't get Doha part II).
by ti-amie I'm not a big fan of Krejcikova (her antics) but I give her credit for going out there and trying to win her matches. I could be wrong but off the top of my head I don't remember her ducking out/avoiding anyone recently.
by ti-amie Day 9 Order of Play
Centre Court
Starts at 05:00 PM
Final
TPE H. CHAN/TPE L. CHAN vs RUS V. KUDERMETOVA/RUS L. SAMSONOVA
UPCOMING
Final
POL I. SWIATEK (1) vs CZE B. KREJCIKOVA
by Ainsley Any player that goes up against Iga has to go into the match with the mentality that they are going to slay a giant. If they don't they are going to get destroyed. Hell, they still might end up getting destroyed, but the mental part of the game going into a match against Iga is huge. Iga is human and can have a bad day on the court. If this is the case, Krejcikova is going to need to sense it right away and jump right on it. If she plays the match like she played the 2nd and 3rd sets against Sabalenka she has a chance. It is Iga's match to lose and if she stays focused and on her game she will continue to cruise.
by ponchi101 The serve will tell.
If Krejcikova can hold serve by moving it around, it can be done. if Iga pounds on her serve, Marsalama Barbora!
by
Ainsley ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 1:15 am
The serve will tell.
If Krejcikova can hold serve by moving it around, it can be done. if Iga pounds on her serve, Marsalama Barbora!
I thought Sabalenka was in a zone especially after that first set drubbing of Krejcikova 6-0. I was shocked when I saw the turn around in that match. I really thought an epic final between Sabalenka and Iga was in the making. I really think that is the level of play that Krejcikova needs to be at throughout the entire Iga match and Iga still may need to be off a bit to get it done.
by Deuce Krejcicova is so crafty that she should be a lefty!
by
Deuce ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 3:46 pm
I have spoken about Coco being young, but by now, Suliso's point that she will turn 19 soon starts to gain some weight. Plenty of players have won big before 19.
^ And plenty more players have won big only in their 20s.
It's interesting that just because Gauff has been around for 'so long' without winning a Major, people are starting to throw in the towel. But she was 15 years old when she first appeared on the WTA tour!
Tracy Austins don't come along every decade - especially now.
There is no logical reason to give up on Gauff to any degree. She's still the youngest player - and only teenager - in the top 40.
Not many players were in the top 10 at 18 years old - including the current rather dominant #1 player. Swiatek won her first Major at age 19 - and that was exceptional.
by ashkor87 i love Krejcikova's game, silky smooth, reminds me of Mecir - no jerks, slaps, just smooth flow
by
Ainsley ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 3:53 am
i love Krejcikova's game, silky smooth, reminds me of Mecir - no jerks, slaps, just smooth flow
She is going to have to flow like a smooth river to get the job done today against Iga.
by
ashkor87 Ainsley wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 3:16 pm
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 3:53 am
i love Krejcikova's game, silky smooth, reminds me of Mecir - no jerks, slaps, just smooth flow
She is going to have to flow like a smooth river to get the job done today against Iga.
i will love her anyway!
by Ainsley Krejcikova wins the 1st set over Iga and is also returning Iga's serve very well. Iga is going to have to hold serve better in this 2nd set.
by meganfernandez Krejcikova won a crazy point for a double-break lead in the 2nd, 5-2. Iga had control of the point and hit a great attacking BH down the line that Krejcikova barely got to, but she kept it alive. A couple shots later, Iga ran in to put it away a ball that barely dropped over the net - and hit ti right back to Krejcikova, who didn't move. She bunted it back for a lob that landed right on the baseline.
Iga must feel like nothing is going her way. She is openly mopey. Very negative for someone who famously has a sports psychologist.
And Krejcikova wins and made it look easy.
by
Ainsley meganfernandez wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 4:58 pm
Krejcikova won a crazy point for a double-break lead in the 2nd, 5-2. Iga had control of the point and hit a BH down the that Krejcikova barely got to, but she kept it alive. A couple shots later, her ball barely dropped over the net and Iga ran in to put it away - and hit ti right back to Krejcikova, who didn't move. She bunted it back for a lob that landed right not the baseline.
Iga must feel like nothing is going her way. She is openly mopey. Very negative for someone who famously has a sports psychologist.
That lob or block lob or whatever you want to call the shot was amazing. It just was Krejcikova's day. Great win and great tournament for her.
by ponchi101 And just like that, the narrative changes. Invincible Iga, WHO IS STILL THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD, loses by a rather routine score.
This sport is so great.
by
Ainsley ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 5:36 pm
And just like that, the narrative changes. Invincible Iga, WHO IS STILL THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD, loses by a rather routine score.
This sport is so great.
Krejcikova was on today. Returning Iga's serves like pure perfection. She seemed to have Iga off balance at times. I am not saying that Krejcikova has Iga's number, but on this day she was the much better player.
by ashkor87 not to denigrate Krejcikova's marvellous accomplishment in any way, but let us not forget Swiatek did not win Dubai last year, either - didnt stop her from ruling the rest of the year. The difference is the court speed and the way the ball behaves. This is one more proof point!
when we get to IW and Miami, and the claycourt season, Swiatek will be unbeatable again.
by
Ainsley Also Krejecikova worked really hard over this tournament week and she now has a very nice pitcher to serve either tea or coffee to anyone who visits her.
by ashkor87 Krejcikova's position on service rturn was really aggressive, she took time away from Iga, which is what you have to do.. great win, flawless!
by
ti-amie ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 11:36 pm
Krejcikova's position on service rturn was really aggressive, she took time away from Iga, which is what you have to do.. great win, flawless!
That is also something that is, or should be, coachable.
Player: I play Iga next round. What should I do?
Coach: If you take away her time she gets flustered and starts pressing. Here's how you use your style of play to do that.
It won't work all the time but I mean these players have to play and the coaches have to coach.
by ashkor87 yep, all tactics.. easy to say, virtually impossible to execute.. your instincts have to aligned, else it will feel unnatural and you will second-guess yourself..
by
Deuce Krejcikova is so crafty... She may be the most cerebral player in the top 30; maybe even in the top 100.
She said to Swiatek at the handshake "I respect you so much".
meganfernandez wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 4:58 pm
Iga must feel like nothing is going her way. She is openly mopey. Very negative for someone who famously has a sports psychologist.
^ I think that all her 'sports psychologist' has had to do up to now is ensure that Iga remains grounded as the wins accumulate and the gap between her and the other players grows.
There hasn't been much opportunity to 'teach' Iga the most efficient way to keep cool and maintain a healthy perspective when being properly challenged on court.
ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 11:22 pm
not to denigrate Krejcikova's marvellous accomplishment in any way, but let us not forget Swiatek did not win Dubai last year, either - didnt stop her from ruling the rest of the year. The difference is the court speed and the way the ball behaves. This is one more proof point!
^ No, this doesn't prove that Swiatek can only win on slower surfaces. Just like it doesn't prove that Sabalenka is weak on 'faster' surfaces because she lost in the Quarters here. Not everything in life - or in tennis - revolves around court speed. Life - and tennis - is not that simple or black & white.
Swiatek once again made some quality opponents look bad here in this tournament, getting to the Final, where she lost to a quality opponent who is currently playing very well. It was also the second tournament in as many weeks where she played until the last day - albeit with many quick matches and with a couple of walkovers thrown in, but playing two straight weeks at the top level is still rather draining psychologically, if not physically. She also had/has some sort of virus (hopefully they still test for COVID), as her voice was hoarse and she was often coughing a lot in interviews this week.
And so, with all of that considered, her losing today was not going to be shocking, or even that surprising, no matter the court speed.
If ever Swiatek actually struggles to any degree, and with some consistency, on faster surfaces (excepting grass, which is unique with a steep learning curve for almost everyone), THEN we can talk about such 'proof' about court speed - but not before.
by ashkor87 am a bit surprised at Kudermetova/Samsonova winning the doubles.. didnt see any of the matches but I would have thought they are rather similar in style.. theory says a little diversity is good - ideally, they say, the combination should be a solid, classical doubles player and a somewhat wild, creative player - like Navratilova and Shriver, or Paes and Mirza, Smith and Lutz, Hsieh and Mertens etc. I wonder if that theory still holds... of course, there are plenty of counter-esamples too - the Williams sisters, both pretty similar players (but then, so great that really no rules apply to them!)
by
Ainsley meganfernandez wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 4:58 pm
Iga must feel like nothing is going her way. She is openly mopey. Very negative for someone who famously has a sports psychologist.
I think it is really funny to say that Iga must feel nothing is going her way. She is the #1 player in the world and by quite a margin and hardly ever loses. I do see what you see though. I don't know if that is just her on court personality that she is just so focused that she seems like she is down all the time.
by
ponchi101 meganfernandez wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 4:58 pm
...
Iga must feel like nothing is going her way. She is openly mopey. Very negative for someone who famously has a sports psychologist.
...
Maybe Sabalenka's approach is not so iffy after all.
(Finding somebody else to fix your problem is not fixing the problem. Paraphrasing).
by Owendonovan Maybe she recognized she was having an off day and wasn't too thrilled about that as most of us wouldn't be either.
by
Ainsley Owendonovan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 4:51 pm
Maybe she recognized she was having an off day and wasn't too thrilled about that as most of us wouldn't be either.
Most definitely people have off days and that can lead to a pissy mood, especially when you're Iga and you don't really have many off days on the tennis court.