WTA 1000 Dubai 2/19 - 2/27 2023

[ponchi101]

That is a match between to wildly swinging players. I would not call it in any way. Either can win.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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

As predicted.

[JTContinental]

Keys notches her 4th straight win over Garcia.

Sadly, Zheng Qinwen has withdrawn from her match against Samsonova with abdominal pain.

[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.

[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.

[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 .....

[Suliso]

Iga keeps dishing out bakery products to quality opponents.

[ashkor87]

I will never understand Pliskova....

[ponchi101]

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.

[ashkor87]

https://www.wtatennis.com/news/3077431/ ... z-in-dubai
At least Swiatek thinks the court speed matters! And Dubai is fast.

[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.

[meganfernandez]

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.