WTA 500 Stuttgart 4/15 - 4/21 2024

[ashkor87]

Noskova beating Emma is not a high risk bet. I would say Noskova is a favorite.

Well, you would have lost your savings

Yes, Emma has been a really pleasant surprise...I love her anyway but didn't think she had clay legs .

[ti-amie]

Friday Order of Play

Centre Court
Starts at 6:30 AM

KAZ E. RYBAKINA (4) vs ITA J. PAOLINI
UPCOMING
CZE M. VONDROUSOVA (6) vs BLR A. SABALENKA (2)
UPCOMING
POL I. SWIATEK (1) vs GBR E. RADUCANU
UPCOMING
UKR M. KOSTYUK vs USA C. GAUFF (3)

[ashkor87]

Paolini is probably one of the best mover on the tour, up there with Coco.. she could reach almost anything, and is totally balanced when she reaches the ball..
nice to see these new players.. they add a dimension to the game. Rybakina next for her - a very different player then Jabeur.. I think Rybakina will manage but who knows -Paolini's defence could frustrate her..

[ashkor87]

Again, sticking my neck out, Kostyuk can certainly beat Coco.. 55% Kostyuk, I would say. Vondrousova 55% against Sabalenka too.. Raducanu 30% against Swiatek.. Rybakina 60% against Paolini

[ashkor87]

Rybakina has acquired this disturbing habit of losing the second set against everybody..she got away with it against Kudermetova but the good players will make her pay!

[ashkor87]

And again with Paolini

[ponchi101]

Her margin of error is minimal. With her flat forehand, I really wonder how she can beat players on clay.
But, she does. It is just never routine.
She'll give Iga a good workout, but I don't think she can beat her here.
(Now, watch this go in the same direction as my Raducanu prediction).

[Fastbackss]

Yes, Emma has been a really pleasant surprise...I love her anyway but didn't think she had clay legs .

Kids , this is where papa fastbackss advises you to not skim when reading because you read the reply and wonder why ashkor is talking about why he loves Emma's legs...

[ashkor87]

Again, sticking my neck out, Kostyuk can certainly beat Coco.. 55% Kostyuk, I would say. Vondrousova 55% against Sabalenka too.. Raducanu 30% against Swiatek.. Rybakina 60% against Paolini

That is 2 down, 2 to go.. V beat Saba and Ryba ryggled out against Paolini..now let us see how Kostyuk does...about Swiatek, I am not worried

[ashkor87]

Vondrousova has never won a title on clay or made a final on the surface in 5 years, so why are we liking her so much in this tournament?

True, but she has the clay game, and has been impressive thus far.
I am more surprised she won W...would never have thunk it. But she has a really good serve..

https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/ma ... -semifinal

as the article rightly points out, clay is Vondrousova's best surface, it is Wimbledon that is a surprise, even to her.

[ponchi101]

Yes, Emma has been a really pleasant surprise...I love her anyway but didn't think she had clay legs .

Kids , this is where papa fastbackss advises you to not skim when reading because you read the reply and wonder why ashkor is talking about why he loves Emma's legs...

For the same reason I love Emma's legs?

[ti-amie]

Saturday Order of Play

Centre Court
Starts at 6:00 AM

TPE H. CHAN/RUS V. KUDERMETOVA vs USA B. MATTEK-SANDS/CHN S. ZHANG
Followed by
POL I. SWIATEK (1) vs KAZ E. RYBAKINA (4)
Followed by
UKR M. KOSTYUK vs CZE M. VONDROUSOVA (6)

[ashkor87]

The usual pattern is unfolding...Rybakina wins the first set, loses the second..then scraps for the third..Iga is a better scrapper than she is, so it won't work.

[meganfernandez]

The usual pattern is unfolding...Rybakina wins the first set, loses the second..then scraps for the third..Iga is a better scrapper than she is, so it won't work.

Well, well, Rybakina comes through 6-3 in the third. Iga made a few too many mistakes. Rybakina has played okay, served okay, but this is about Iga missing. In the final game, she missed two routine short balls going for the lines and another fairly routine rally ball into the net. She was on her back foot - Rybakina's return landed by Iga's feet, and Iga tried to change directions on it, which was a bad decision.

In the last point, Iga got the short FH she wanted, just behind the service line, and she looped it back safely cross-court - I assume because she missed the previous 2 attack balls in that game. She got tenative. Should have been more aggressive on that ball - that's her game. A few shots later, Rybakina got the ball to Iga's feet on the baseline and Iga hit it long. She should have played a safer rally shot.

[ponchi101]

Her margin of error is minimal. With her flat forehand, I really wonder how she can beat players on clay.
But, she does. It is just never routine.
She'll give Iga a good workout, but I don't think she can beat her here.
(Now, watch this go in the same direction as my Raducanu prediction).

I am on a roll this week. That's for sure...
But love that Elena beat Iga. Also glad that I did not see that match because watching Elena makes me nervous.