Tennis Random, Random (On Court)

[Suliso]

It's kind of old to still be outside the top 100. Some players do develop late, but it's not very common.

[patrick]

Elizabeth Mandlik. Remember that name. She will be a top 30 player, at least.
You heard it here first.
She is 21 years old and is Hana Mandlikova's daughter (I have no idea where the 'ova' went - maybe it's because Elizabeth is American).

She is playing Leylah right now at a 125 level tournament in Tampico, Mexico. Mandlik was ahead by a break in the 1st set, but Leylah broke her back when she was serving for the set. Then Leylah won the tiebreak 10-8.
I was more impressed with Mandlik in that set than I was with Leylah. She has the tools - and the tennis genes, obviously... all that's missing is the experience at the WTA level.
She is currently ranked #124. It would not surprise me at all if she is a top 10 player in about 3 years.

Did Mandlik play San Jose? She played well there.

[ashkor87]

Not looking it up but she did play well at SJ, lost narrowly to Badosa, I think

[ponchi101]

It's kind of old to still be outside the top 100. Some players do develop late, but it's not very common.

I knew she was Mandlikova's daughter, which would mean excellent coaching around the net.
But yes, 21 is already a bit past the time more players in the WTA make a move into the top 100. Did she go to college in the USA? That would explain it a bit.
Obviously, I have not seen her play (they never show any WTA here, other than the Slams) so I know nothing about her game.

[Deuce]

I think she did play college tennis (in the USA).
She played a couple of years at the ITF level, where she won 7 titles, including 3 W25s this year.

She just played her first WTA level match this year.
Her highest ITF singles ranking was 46, which was in February of 2020. One year ago, she was ranked around 500 in both the ITF and the WTA.

She has a twin brother - Mark - who plays tennis at the University of Oklahoma.

[meganfernandez]

It's kind of old to still be outside the top 100. Some players do develop late, but it's not very common.

I knew she was Mandlikova's daughter, which would mean excellent coaching around the net.
But yes, 21 is already a bit past the time more players in the WTA make a move into the top 100. Did she go to college in the USA? That would explain it a bit.
Obviously, I have not seen her play (they never show any WTA here, other than the Slams) so I know nothing about her game.

She didn't go to college. The delay could be related to two things - Covid, which sidelined her after a strong ITF year as a teenager, and the continued graying of the field. The average age of the top 100 player has gotten older, leaving fewer spots for less-experienced players.

[ponchi101]

Things that slip under the radar.
I "knew" and at the same time was oblivious that Ons and Pegula are 28; Garcia is 29. Simona is already 31. I guess I was focusing more on Coco, Iga, Emma and Leylah, who are certainly younger, and did not notice that indeed, the average age has gone older.

[Suliso]

There are already players even younger than Coco in the top 100 or very close.

[ti-amie]

Tennis fan doing the work of tennis media. Thanks to @JoyLuckScrub for this list of the balls used at all of the 2022 hard court tournaments by the WTA.

OUTDOOR HARDCOURT

Adelaide 1+2 - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Melbourne 1+2 - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Sydney - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Australian Open - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Dubai - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Doha - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Guadalajara 1 - Wilson US Open High Altitude

Monterrey - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Indian Wells - Penn Tour Regular Duty

Miami - Dunlop Grand Prix Regular Duty

Prague - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

San Jose - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Washington - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Canada - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Cincinnati - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Cleveland - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Granby - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

US Open - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Slovenia - Dunlop Fort All Court (regular duty)

Chennai - Wilson Tour Premier All Court (regular duty)

Seoul - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Tokyo - Dunlop AO Exta Duty

Monastir - Babolat Team All Court (regular duty)

San Diego - Dunlop Grand Prix Regular Duty

Guadalajara 2 - Wilson US Open High Altitude

That's 8 tournaments using extra duty, 17 tournaments using regular duty, 2 tournaments using high altitude

INDOOR HARDCOURT

St. Petersburg - Babolat Team (? duty)

Lyon - Head Tour (? duty)

Tallin - Head Tour (? duty)

Ostrava - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Transylvania - Wilson Tour Premier All Court (regular duty)

WTA Finals Forth Worth - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

[ponchi101]

I think the Head Tour ball comes in both regular and extra duty.

[Deuce]

For those Canadians wanting to watch Leylah vs. Marino in Tampico (starting now), you can go here...

https://player.video.wowza.com/hosted/f ... layer.html

.

[ti-amie]

Or set your VPN to a city in Canada...

#just saying.

ETA Leylah looked awful just now. She was serving to stay in the first set but either overhit her returns or missed her target serving. That music that's playing is way too loud too. How can anyone focus with that noise?

[meganfernandez]

How did the media drop the, um, ball?

Tennis fan doing the work of tennis media. Thanks to @JoyLuckScrub for this list of the balls used at all of the 2022 hard court tournaments by the WTA.

OUTDOOR HARDCOURT

Adelaide 1+2 - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Melbourne 1+2 - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Sydney - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Australian Open - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Dubai - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Doha - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Guadalajara 1 - Wilson US Open High Altitude

Monterrey - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Indian Wells - Penn Tour Regular Duty

Miami - Dunlop Grand Prix Regular Duty

Prague - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

San Jose - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Washington - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Canada - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Cincinnati - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Cleveland - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Granby - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

US Open - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Slovenia - Dunlop Fort All Court (regular duty)

Chennai - Wilson Tour Premier All Court (regular duty)

Seoul - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

Tokyo - Dunlop AO Exta Duty

Monastir - Babolat Team All Court (regular duty)

San Diego - Dunlop Grand Prix Regular Duty

Guadalajara 2 - Wilson US Open High Altitude

That's 8 tournaments using extra duty, 17 tournaments using regular duty, 2 tournaments using high altitude

INDOOR HARDCOURT

St. Petersburg - Babolat Team (? duty)

Lyon - Head Tour (? duty)

Tallin - Head Tour (? duty)

Ostrava - Dunlop AO Extra Duty

Transylvania - Wilson Tour Premier All Court (regular duty)

WTA Finals Forth Worth - Wilson US Open Regular Duty

[ti-amie]

When the controversy was "raging" because of Iga's comments how hard would it have been for someone to do what this fan did? It would've informed the conversation giving a reference point for people to start from. Tennis journalists, present company excluded, seem to basically take PR releases from top players, tours or tournaments and rehash them.

I don't play anymore but there are lots of folks on TennisTwitter who do and a "cheat sheet" like this would've enabled people to look at results, etc and form an opinion.

That's all I meant.

[Deuce]

Or set your VPN to a city in Canada...

#just saying.

ETA Leylah looked awful just now. She was serving to stay in the first set but either overhit her returns or missed her target serving. That music that's playing is way too loud too. How can anyone focus with that noise?

The music, the trains, the linespeople still calling the lines through the net in the quarterfinals (and no challenges, of course)... it’s a 125 in Mexico, and that’s what happens, I guess.

Leylah and Marino are good friends - Rebecca has been one of Leylah’s main mentors. They know one another’s games well... But tonight, Rebecca’s experience completely outsmarted Leylah.
Marino was in control from the beginning. Leylah looked lost out there. Rebecca overpowered her and outsmarted her - she won several points with well timed and well placed slices.

This is one of the best matches I’ve ever seen Rebecca play. She's been playing really well the past few months, back into the top 100... When she got off to the great start tonight, I was figuring it wouldn’t last. Rebecca is definitely one of the most genuinely nice players on the tour, and I thought that subconsciously - or even semi-consciously -, she wouldn’t want to disturb Leylah’s progress and development by beating her, and her level would drop. It did drop a few times during the match, but she picked it right up in the next game.
Quite impressive from Marino tonight.

I guarantee that Rebecca is taking the time to console Leylah in the locker room right now. That’s the kind of person she is (and the kind of person we need more of).