by ti-amie THE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024
LADIES' SINGLES
SWIATEK, Iga POL [1] vs KENIN, Sofia USA
JONES, Francesca GBR (W) vs MARTIC, Petra CRO
PUTINTSEVA, Yulia KAZ vs KERBER, Angelique GER (W)
STAKUSIC, Marina CAN (Q) vs SINIAKOVA, Katerina CZE [27]
GARCIA, Caroline FRA [23] vs BLINKOVA, Anna
PERA, Bernarda USA vs POTAPOVA, Anastasia
DODIN, Oceane FRA vs SNIGUR, Daria UKR (Q)
TOMLJANOVIC, Ajla AUS (W) vs OSTAPENKO, Jelena LAT [13]
COLLINS, Danielle USA [11] vs TAUSON, Clara DEN
SHERIF, Mayar EGY vs GALFI, Dalma HUN (Q)
OSORIO, Camila COL vs DAVIS, Lauren USA
FRECH, Magdalena POL vs HADDAD MAIA, Beatriz BRA [20]
KREJCIKOVA, Barbora CZE [31] vs KUDERMETOVA, Veronika
CARLE, Maria Lourdes ARG vs VOLYNETS, Katie USA (Q)
BUCSA, Cristina ESP vs BOGDAN, Ana ROU
BOUZAS MANEIRO, Jessica ESP vs VONDROUSOVA, Marketa CZE [6]
RYBAKINA, Elena KAZ [4] vs RUSE, Elena-Gabriela ROU (Q)
SIEGEMUND, Laura GER vs BAINDL, Kateryna UKR
WOZNIACKI, Caroline DEN (W) vs PARKS, Alycia USA (Q)
BRONZETTI, Lucia ITA vs FERNANDEZ, Leylah CAN [30]
KALINSKAYA, Anna [17] vs UDVARDY, Panna HUN (Q)
BOUZKOVA, Marie CZE vs RIERA, Julia ARG
KALININA, Anhelina UKR vs AVANESYAN, Elina
MASAROVA, Rebeka ESP vs SAMSONOVA, Liudmila [15]
JABEUR, Ons TUN [10] vs UCHIJIMA, Moyuka JPN
MONTGOMERY, Robin USA (Q) vs GADECKI, Olivia AUS (Q)
GOLUBIC, Viktorija SUI vs NIEMEIER, Jule GER
LINETTE, Magda POL vs SVITOLINA, Elina UKR [21]
BOULTER, Katie GBR [32] vs MARIA, Tatjana GER
DART, Harriet GBR vs BAI, Zhuoxuan CHN (Q)
WANG, Xinyu CHN vs TOMOVA, Viktoriya BUL
KRUEGER, Ashlyn USA vs PEGULA, Jessica USA [5]
BOTTOM HALF
ZHENG, Qinwen CHN [8] vs SUN, Lulu NZL (Q)
VAN UYTVANCK, Alison BEL vs STARODUBTSEVA, Yuliia UKR (Q)
BEGU, Irina-Camelia ROU vs ZHU, Lin CHN
TOWNSEND, Taylor USA vs PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia [25]
ALEXANDROVA, Ekaterina [22] vs RADUCANU, Emma GBR (W)
HIBINO, Nao JPN vs MERTENS, Elise BEL
RUS, Arantxa NED vs YUAN, Yue CHN
KESSLER, McCartney USA (Q) vs SAKKARI, Maria GRE [9]
KASATKINA, Daria [14] vs ZHANG, Shuai CHN
KORPATSCH, Tamara GER vs MIYAZAKI, Yuriko Lily GBR (W)
BADOSA, Paula ESP vs MUCHOVA, Karolina CZE
FRUHVIRTOVA, Brenda CZE vs ANDREEVA, Mirra [24]
YASTREMSKA, Dayana UKR [28] vs PODOROSKA, Nadia ARG
TSURENKO, Lesia UKR vs GRACHEVA, Varvara FRA
VEKIC, Donna CRO vs WANG, Xiyu CHN
BEKTAS, Emina USA vs SABALENKA, Aryna [3]
PAOLINI, Jasmine ITA [7] vs SORRIBES TORMO, Sara ESP
MINNEN, Greet BEL vs WATSON, Heather GBR (W)
ANDREESCU, Bianca CAN vs CRISTIAN, Jaqueline ROU
ERRANI, Sara ITA vs NOSKOVA, Linda CZE [26]
KOSTYUK, Marta UKR [18] vs SRAMKOVA, Rebecca SVK
SAVILLE, Daria AUS vs STEARNS, Peyton USA
SCHMIEDLOVA, Anna Karolina SVK vs WANG, Yafan CHN
TREVISAN, Martina ITA vs KEYS, Madison USA [12]
AZARENKA, Victoria [16] vs STEPHENS, Sloane USA
PLISKOVA, Karolina CZE vs SHNAIDER, Diana
OSAKA, Naomi JPN (W) vs PARRY, Diane FRA
WANG, Qiang CHN vs NAVARRO, Emma USA [19]
CIRSTEA, Sorana ROU [29] vs KARTAL, Sonay GBR (Q)
LYS, Eva GER (Q) vs BUREL, Clara FRA
COCCIARETTO, Elisabetta ITA vs TODONI, Anca ROU (Q)
DOLEHIDE, Caroline USA vs GAUFF, Coco USA [2]
by ponchi101 Poll started. 6 votes spread between 3 players.
by Jeff from TX Lots of health questions among those contenders. Which of them will be 100%?
by skatingfan First Grand Slam Main Draw
Marina Stakusic, Canada (19)
Anca Todoni, Romania (19)
First Wimbledon Main Draw
Daria Snigur, Ukraine (22)
Maria Lourdes Carle, Argentina (24)
Julia Riera, Argentina (22)
Elina Avanesyan, Russia (21)
Moyuka Uchijima, Japan (22)
Robin Montgomery, United States of America (19)
Olivia Gadecki, Australia (22)
Ashlyn Krueger, United States of America (20)
Lulu Sun, New Zealand (23)
Yuliia Starodubtseva, Ukraine (24)
McCartney Kessler, United States of America (24)
Brenda Fruhvirtova, Czechia (17)
Rebecca Sramkova, Slovakia (27)
Diana Shnaider, Russia (20)
Eva Lys, Germany (22)
by ashkor87 my 'other' is not
Really 'other'...,it is Andreescu
by ashkor87 My upset special would be Kenin to beat Swiatek in the first round...she had sent Coco home last year...
by
nelslus Face it. We all should put 6 down for Ms. I Don't Have a Damned Clue.
by ashkor87 Sabalenka has been strangely fragile these few weeks .she would have a good shot at the title but doesn't seem fit and healthy..With Rybakina, it is impossible to tell..is it just a one time stomach bug or something more lingering? Vondrousova was injured recently ..only Coco seems healthy, apart from Iga .maybe it is Coco's turn to win ..her forehand grip is still a problem but maybe she can manage somehow .
by shmrck14 My other is Osaka and Andreascu
by mick1303 IMO Iga is a main contender. The variation between surfaces is not what it used to be. It is much smaller, because frames and strings advanced so much that their influence on the game covers larger share. At the same time the habit of winning that Iga possesses might just carry her through.
by jazzyg The surfaces are more similar, but it is a myth that there is not much difference. The difference remains tremendous, particularly in the footing and the way the serve goes through the court. The varying results of multiple players on clay and grass prove it over and over again.
Swiatek is very good, but her exaggerated swing on her forehand will give her problems on grass for her entire career, just as Gauff's forehand grip will be a detriment. It amused me that Wertheim's pick for the final was those two, although who knows, he may turn out to be right.
by
mick1303 jazzyg wrote: ↑Sat Jun 29, 2024 5:16 pm
The surfaces are more similar, but it is a myth that there is not much difference. The difference remains tremendous, particularly in the footing and the way the serve goes through the court. The varying results of multiple players on clay and grass prove it over and over again.
Swiatek is very good, but her exaggerated swing on her forehand will give her problems on grass for her entire career, just as Gauff's forehand grip will be a detriment. It amused me that Wertheim's pick for the final was those two, although who knows, he may turn out to be right.
"Smaller than it used to be" and "not much difference" are not equivalent statements. Nobody denies that surface dictates style variations. At the same time those style variations are noticeably less extreme than 20-30 years ago. Nadal had quite an extreme grip on his forehand. And his swing was a prototype for Swiatek's swing. It did not prevent him from taking a couple of titles. And he did not have to switch his style completely for grass, like Bjorn Borg.
by jazzyg Nadal stood on the baseline or close to it to return serve on grass and had a very short stroke on his lethal backhand. He also was one of the two or three best players ever.
Obviously everyone plays the same baseline style, negating that huge difference between the surfaces, but the difference is still gargantuan in my view. The old Tennis-x site used to spew the garbage that Wimbledon played like a clay court, and it was a laughingly stupid assertion. Jack Draper could play Alcaraz 100 times on clay and he would win zero times.
by FredX Potential Swiatek-Ostapenko Round of 16 match. Swiatek's worst nightmare.
by Suliso IF Ostapenko gets that far. I give 20% for that.
by
ponchi101 Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2024 2:57 pm
IF Ostapenko gets that far. I give 20% for that.
Exactly. It is actually good that Ostapenko is ranked high enough that she can't meet Iga sooner. It gives her four rounds to falter.
by
FredX Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2024 2:57 pm
IF Ostapenko gets that far. I give 20% for that.
Why? I don't see anyone in her little section of the draw that I would bet against her on, and grass is her best surface despite her Roland Garros win. And she's having a pretty good year.
by jazzyg She went 1-2 in the lead-ups to Wimbledon and lost to her first-round opponent, Tomljanovic, three years ago at Wimbledon.
Tomljanovic recently made the final of a tournament in which Ostapenko lost in the first round.
by
FredX jazzyg wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2024 6:59 pm
She went 1-2 in the lead-ups to Wimbledon and lost to her first-round opponent, Tomljanovic, three years ago at Wimbledon.
Tomljanovic recently made the final of a tournament in which Ostapenko lost in the first round.
Okay, maybe, but Ostapenko has a winning record against her, and there's no shame in losing Boulter this season on grass in England.
by ponchi101 Alona does not need to have ANYBODY ON HER SIDE OF THE DRAW to lose. She will wake up some days and will simply be unable to hit the court with a hose.
Mind you. I do hope she meets Iga and pulverizes her. It is just that Ostapenko is as wild as it gets.
by
Owendonovan FredX wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2024 6:56 pm
Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2024 2:57 pm
IF Ostapenko gets that far. I give 20% for that.
Why? I don't see anyone in her little section of the draw that I would bet against her on, and grass is her best surface despite her Roland Garros win. And she's having a pretty good year.
Ostapenko can lose and has to anyone 2 and 2. She's rarely a lock.
by
ti-amie No updates to the draw yet...
James Gray
@jamesgraysport
Aryna Sabalenka downplaying her fitness at #Wimbledon.
Says it's very rare injury, she might be the third tennis player ever to injure the specific muscle in her shoulder.
Even admits "there is always a chance" she does not even make her R1 match on Monday...
by
meganfernandez ti-amie wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2024 12:16 am
No updates to the draw yet...
James Gray
@jamesgraysport
Aryna Sabalenka downplaying her fitness at #Wimbledon.
Says it's very rare injury, she might be the third tennis player ever to injure the specific muscle in her shoulder.
Even admits "there is always a chance" she does not even make her R1 match on Monday...
Emina Bektas from Indy is her R1 opponent. Would be her luckiest day.
by ti-amie The bottom half of the draw after a day of (almost) completed play
SECOND ROUND
L. SUN Q vs UKR Y. STARODUBTSEVA Q
L. ZHU vs IOA A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA 25
E. RADUCANU vs WC BEL E. MERTENS
A. RUS vs GRE M. SAKKARI 9
D. KASATKINA 14 vs GBR Y. MIYAZAKI WC
P. BADOSA vs TBD
D. YASTREMSKA 28 vs FRA V. GRACHEVA
D. VEKIC vs IOA E. ANDREEVA LL
J. PAOLINI 7 vs BEL G. MINNEN
B. ANDREESCU vs CZE L. NOSKOVA 26
M. KOSTYUK 18 vs AUS D. SAVILLE
Y. WANG vs USA M. KEYS 12
S. STEPHENS vs IOA D. SHNAIDER
N. OSAKA WC vs USA E. NAVARRO 19
S. KARTAL Q vs FRA C. BUREL
A. TODONI Q vs USA C. GAUFF 2
by
nelslus meganfernandez wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2024 12:58 am
ti-amie wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2024 12:16 am
No updates to the draw yet...
James Gray
@jamesgraysport
Aryna Sabalenka downplaying her fitness at #Wimbledon.
Says it's very rare injury, she might be the third tennis player ever to injure the specific muscle in her shoulder.
Even admits "there is always a chance" she does not even make her R1 match on Monday...
Emina Bektas from Indy is her R1 opponent. Would be her luckiest day.
.......Well.........
by
meganfernandez nelslus wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2024 8:07 pm
meganfernandez wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2024 12:58 am
ti-amie wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2024 12:16 am
No updates to the draw yet...
Emina Bektas from Indy is her R1 opponent. Would be her luckiest day.
.......Well.........
She had a good chance. As one of her former trainers here says, "No win-y, no money."
by ponchi101 Complaining about medical timeout when you literally own the record for retiring from matches seems a little... odd.
by
FredX ponchi101 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 05, 2024 12:49 am
Complaining about medical timeout when you literally own the record for retiring from matches seems a little... odd.
Takes one to know one? She almost seems grudgingly impressed.
by ashkor87 Coco is playing really well..she could win this title...
Revised probabilities now that Sabalenka is not playing .
Rybakina 40%
Gauff 35%
Swiatek 10%
Raducanu 10%
The field 5%
by jazzyg The field has a much better chance than five percent in my view.
Rybakina has suffered from a series of maladies recently and went three sets against Siegemund in her last match. Gauff has not played anyone. Swiatek has not proven her past struggles at Wimbledon are history. Raducanu just got her first top-10 win against a spent Pegula.
by
skatingfan jazzyg wrote: ↑Fri Jul 05, 2024 8:22 pm
Raducanu just got her first top-10 win against a spent Pegula.
I don't know if this improves things any, but she just beat Sakkari, and Raducanu didn't beat any top 10 players to win the US Open.
by
ponchi101 ti-amie wrote: ↑Fri Jul 05, 2024 9:01 pm
Notice the incredibly dumb swinging volley (from Sakkari). Straight back to Raducanu.
Navs, Mandlikova, Shriver, BJK, Court, and any of the great volleyers of the past would have hit a solid, sharp angle volley and finish the point there.
by ashkor87 Raducanu is simply better than people give her credit for ..nothing more to it.
by
skatingfan ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 06, 2024 7:06 am
Raducanu is simply better than people give her credit for ..nothing more to it.
Raducanu has played so little tennis that it's hard to quantify her abilities.
by Suliso Also if we take Raducanu so seriously why not Krejcikova and Ostapenko? They're GS champions too and much highet ranked.
by
skatingfan Suliso wrote: ↑Sat Jul 06, 2024 5:07 pm
Also if we take Raducanu so seriously why not Krejcikova and Ostapenko? They're GS champions too and much highest ranked.
And both with more extensive records that we can look at. Krejcikova is having a off year right now, but she's had success at other big tournaments, and Ostapenko's record against the world #1 is note worthy.
by
ashkor87 Suliso wrote: ↑Sat Jul 06, 2024 5:07 pm
Also if we take Raducanu so seriously why not Krejcikova and Ostapenko? They're GS champions too and much highet ranked.
certainly
by ashkor87 impressive by Rybakina today, blowing Caro away..I couldn't see the match...did anyone here? what happened to Caro?
by JTContinental She still can't hit winners
by
nelslus JTContinental wrote: ↑Sat Jul 06, 2024 7:18 pm
She still can't hit winners
Wait. Rybakina lost a game. Damn.
by
ti-amie ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 06, 2024 7:08 pm
impressive by Rybakina today, blowing Caro away..I couldn't see the match...did anyone here? what happened to Caro?
The roof was closed.
If you love serve botting this was the match for you. Woz was lucky to win one game.
by
meganfernandez ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 06, 2024 5:36 pm
Suliso wrote: ↑Sat Jul 06, 2024 5:07 pm
Also if we take Raducanu so seriously why not Krejcikova and Ostapenko? They're GS champions too and much highet ranked.
certainly
either Krejcikova, Ostapenko, Collins or Putinseva will in the semis.
by ptmcmahon A few young slam winners, like Raducanu, and Andreescu seem to have earned much more scorn than others that are a little more experienced. Maybe because people started expecting more from them, where as some of the other surprise winners … not so much?
by ti-amie The audio is in Polish I believe but it doesn't matter. Poots and Kader hitting the mark with their non verbal communication.
Also Iga's stalling tactics after time is called kind of surprised me.
by jazzyg Not in personality but in game, Swiatek is a classic schoolyard bully. When she is dominating, she is great, but when someone stands up to her, she collapses in a (metaphorical) whimpering heap.
No one is good enough to challenge her on clay and put her in the fetal position, but there is a reason she needed a sports psychologist before she started winning big.
by ashkor87 putintseva beat Swiatek by doing exactly what Rybakina and Ostapenko do..take time away from her...
by
ashkor87 ptmcmahon wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2024 12:36 am
A few young slam winners, like Raducanu, and Andreescu seem to have earned much more scorn than others that are a little more experienced. Maybe because people started expecting more from them, where as some of the other surprise winners … not so much?
Also, people don't know how to gauge quality by looking at someone's game, they need proof with data..which needs time.
by ashkor87 Didn't see it but the reports of the press conference after the match ..Swiatek seemed singularly ungracious ..not a word of praise for her opponent .all about how she didn't get enough rest..sounds like Biden!
by
mick1303 ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2024 5:34 am
Didn't see it but the reports of the press conference after the match ..Swiatek seemed singularly ungracious ..not a word of praise for her opponent .all about how she didn't get enough rest..sounds like Biden!
This may have more to do with Putintseva. I suspect Swiatek would find something good to say about different opponent. But Putintseva has a certain reputation and it is 100% deserving.
by
ponchi101 ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2024 5:34 am
Didn't see it but the reports of the press conference after the match ..Swiatek seemed singularly ungracious ..not a word of praise for her opponent .all about how she didn't get enough rest..sounds like Biden!
It is one of the reasons she is not a fave (to me). She is indeed ungracious when she losses. When you win, everything is fine. When you lose, your real person comes out. And hers is not pleasant.
by Suliso I'll eat my hat if anyone had Lulu Sun in QF's before the tournament...
by
JTContinental Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2024 6:35 pm
I'll eat my hat if anyone had Lulu Sun in QF's before the tournament...
I’ll eat mine if anyone even had her in the tournament.
by ponchi101 The Field (AKA Miss Other) takes out the #1 player in the world, and the crowd favorite.
The field, in the WTA, NEVER is below 25%. That is how intense the parity in the WTA is.
by Suliso Let's see first who the winner is. Still high chances it's either Gauff or Rybakina. Neither is Miss Other.
by
ti-amie ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2024 5:16 am
putintseva beat Swiatek by doing exactly what Rybakina and Ostapenko do..take time away from her...
I will never understand why so called top players allow her to set the pace outside of the two mentioned above. I'm sitting at home on my couch and I can see that if allowed she will romp through a match at her own pace. Aren't these women, for the most part, paying big bucks to coaches to create a game plan for them? If they're coming on the court with the attitude of "if I play my game I can beat her" Iga wins.
I don't get it.
by Suliso Nobody created a viable game plan against Rafa on clay either. Not for lack of trying I assume. On clay generally speaking no one is able to rush her. Maybe Ostapenko could, but that match hardly ever happens.
by
ponchi101 Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2024 7:02 pm
Let's see first who the winner is. Still high chances it's either Gauff or Rybakina. Neither is Miss Other.
Agree. I am not saying Miss Other is a cinch to win a slam. But she is not at 5%. I think that right now, Gauff and Rybakina are looking at great odds. But if we get Miss Other at least in the final, she has done well.
EDITING AFTER THE REAL EMMA SHOWED UP. The field has taken out the top two, the crowd favorite, and is almost certain to reach the final.
Not bad.
by ti-amie
She was born Lulu Radovcić. Her father is Croatian.
by ti-amie Can someone tell me who the woman doing the interview is because isn't she a tad overdressed...
by
ponchi101 ti-amie wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2024 9:48 pm
Can someone tell me who the woman doing the interview is because isn't she a tad overdressed...
Annabel Croft. Former top UK player. Played in the 90's.
by
ti-amie ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2024 9:54 pm
ti-amie wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2024 9:48 pm
Can someone tell me who the woman doing the interview is because isn't she a tad overdressed...
Annabel Croft. Former top UK player. Played in the 90's.
Thanks. I know her voice but this is the first time I'm seeing her.
by
ti-amie The Tennis Letter
@TheTennisLetter
Coco Gauff says fans of the game are disrespectful when it comes to lower ranked players, ‘Even though they might not be as known, they’re still talented… they deserve their spot’
“How much did the fact that you were one of the few remaining top seeds left play on your mind today? I know that’s not very unusual in women’s tennis… did that add any pressure or anything like that?”
Coco: “Not really. Because I’ve seen and played so many slams where anybody can win. And the seed is just a number. It’s just an advantage so you don’t play another seed first round. It doesn’t mean you can’t lose. We’ve seen how a lot of seeds drop out. We’ve seen defending champions drop out. It means nothing. I think especially on my side of the draw.. even though the players might not be as known they’re still talented. I think that’s something that people… fans of the game are a little bit disrespectful when it comes to other players on tour. Maybe the ranking isn’t there. But the level is there. And they’re here for a reason. They deserve their spot. There’s no easy draw. There’s no cake walk or anything. This is competitive sport. We all want to win. I’ve been there when I was ranked whatever or unknown. It would be disrespectful for another player to be like ‘Yeah this girl is ranked whatever and she’s this age.. I should be able to win.’ That’s not the case. I don’t take my seed into account when it comes to anything. I take every match with a very competitive mindset regardless of the ranking or the person I’m playing against.”
Very classy statement.
(via Wimbledon Press)
by
ponchi101 
She is so down to earth.
by ti-amie Raducanu played well in spots, even getting an ad in the third set but Sun showed the composure you expect from a top ten player throughout the match. Did she get tense? Of course she did but in the end Raducanu just didn't have the consistency to close out the match.
Who knows what Sun will do going forward? That said today she was the better player.
by skatingfan Raducanu, and also Fernandez, need to think about varying their return position. They still return like women were serving in the 85-90 mph range on first serves when so many of the women now hit a first serve over a 100 mph. Maybe not every point, but every once in while give your opponent something different to look at, and particularly big points it's a lot easier for the server to hit a hard serve with good margin in a position that they can't return because they're so close to the court.
by
ponchi101 ti-amie wrote: ↑Mon Jul 08, 2024 3:02 am
Raducanu played well in spots, even getting an ad in the third set but Sun showed the composure you expect from a top ten player throughout the match. Did she get tense? Of course she did but in the end Raducanu just didn't have the consistency to close out the match.
Who knows what Sun will do going forward?
That said today she was the better player.
The kind of player that makes you wonder: where have you been? The strokes were gorgeous today.
But, more fodder to my theory of parity. This woman was ranked 163, and now she is in the QF's. She has not met anybody awesome, but she has also played solidly. Because they all can.
by ashkor87 Maybe Raducanu really had a wrist problem?
by ponchi101 Nope. Sun was the better player. And Emma was hitting with good power. It was not the wrist.
by mick1303 Now the draw really looks unbalanced. One half has 3 GS champions, the other one - all unexpected. Sabalenka's withdrawal had a lasting effect.
by jazzyg And the fourth player on that loaded side is Svotolina, a frequent slam contender who may be playing better than anyone left the draw.
by
ponchi101 mick1303 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 08, 2024 7:23 pm
Now the draw really looks unbalanced. One half has 3 GS champions, the other one - all unexpected. Sabalenka's withdrawal had a lasting effect.
Hadn't thought of it that way. That and Coco's loss truly made it wide open. So, at least one new slam finalist, if Paolini does not make it.
by ponchi101 Especially because grass is not her favorite surface.
Ouch. Although true.
But I would not want to face Iga in clay anymore if I were Alona.
by ashkor87 If nothing else it shows Ostapenko knows her tennis ..she could do expert commentary or something after her career as a player. Always refreshing to have honest, fearless observations and observers
by ashkor87 That was a surprising loss for Collins..I was on a plane, couldn't see it..what happened? Anyone see it?
by ashkor87 Coco's defeat was a shock to me, I thought she was in good form. apparently her forehand continues to be shaky? didnt see the match - anyone who did?
by jazzyg Collins is not a good athlete, and as you have pointed out, good athletes do well on grass. She was bothered by Krejcikova's slice and Krejcikova had a good serving day (no break points faced until 5-2 in the second set) and hit her forehand beter than normal. Collins took an injury timeout after falling behind in the second set but was moving fine before then.
Krejcikova was the No. 2 player in the world less than two years ago. I have been mystified by her struggles.
by
Suliso ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 2:37 am
Coco's defeat was a shock to me, I thought she was in good form. apparently her forehand continues to be shaky? didnt see the match - anyone who did?
Grass is her weakest surface and I suppose for a good reason (same for Iga).
by
mick1303 ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 12:27 am
Especially because grass is not her favorite surface.
Ouch. Although true.
But I would not want to face Iga in clay anymore if I were Alona.
Ostapenko is not a nice person. And it is putting it mildly. But the notion that she would afraid or even be concerned about the opponent being fired up against her makes me lough. If she was concerned about these things she would pick her wording more carefully rather than saying things like "she is not in my class" about Iga. Maybe not exact words, but she said something like that after last time beating her.
by
skatingfan ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 1:58 am
That was a surprising loss for Collins..I was on a plane, couldn't see it..what happened? Anyone see it?
Another injury issue during the match.
by
ponchi101 mick1303 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 8:15 am
ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 12:27 am
Especially because grass is not her favorite surface.
Ouch. Although true.
But I would not want to face Iga in clay anymore if I were Alona.
Ostapenko is not a nice person. And it is putting it mildly. But the notion that she would afraid or even be concerned about the opponent being fired up against her makes me lough. If she was concerned about these things she would pick her wording more carefully rather than saying things like "she is not in my class" about Iga. Maybe not exact words, but she said something like that after last time beating her.
You are not reading my posts properly. I said "I would not want" to face Iga again on clay. I know Alona is insane enough to never care about who she is facing.
by ashkor87 I knew before W began that Paolini would be a force here..you have to see her game, not her record
by
ponchi101 ashkor87 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2024 5:59 pm
I knew before W began that Paolini would be a force here..you have to see her game, not her record
Then why didn't you include her in any of your odds projections? You could have given a 5%, a 2%. You did not.
Why the discrepancy?
by ashkor87 I said she would be a force, not that she would win the title..I still don't think she will.
by ashkor87 Interesting exchange between Gilbert and McEnroe..M was saying Coco didn't get enough first serves in, Gilbert demurred, saying he would rather she didn't hold back - he wants her to go for a big one, even if the percentage is lower- it is percent of points won that counts, he said.
I suppose it depends on the player's psyche - if you tell Gauff to be cautious, she will only get confused?
by ashkor87 I noticed two changes to Coco's game after Gilbert took over - she hits the first serve harder (see discussion above) and, on the forehand, she is looping it deeper rather than trying to hit it hard..maybe that cuts down errors.. but her opponents will start coming to the net against it if she keeps doing it..presents the volleyer with a nice high volley
by
meganfernandez ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 10, 2024 11:12 am
Interesting exchange between Gilbert and McEnroe..M was saying Coco didn't get enough first serves in, Gilbert demurred, saying he would rather she didn't hold back - he wants her to go for a big one, even if the percentage is lower- it is percent of points won that counts, he said.
I suppose it depends on the player's psyche - if you tell Gauff to be cautious, she will only get confused?
Also depends on the score, but ideally you figure out how to make a high percentage of those hard first serves. It's doable. I agree she should go for a big first serve. You get a second one! "Yeah, but you might double fault" -- of course, but a pro has to have a reliable second serve. (Come to think of it, is the second serve the most unheralded shot in tennis? No one talks about it, like who has a remarkably good SECOND serve.)
by ponchi101 Everybody talks about it. As in "you are only as good as your second serve" comments, or our constant comments about players having weak second serves that can be attacked.
What would you say about a player that consistently hit 70% of her first serves in, and won 70% of those serves? We would all say "that is a very good sever". Yet that player would be winning "only" 56% of the points played on her first serve.
Also. By definition, the serve is a shot that landed short. It lands inside the service box, which, if it were a groundstroke, would be criticized by everybody. Any serve landing there at less than 100 MPH will be creamed by the opponent.
If you are winning 50% of your second serves, you are serving well. But we like to believe that that is a bad stat.
by ashkor87 Stich once said McEnroe is the best server in the world, because his second serve is so good..he didnt say first
by ashkor87 I once heard Peter Fleming say he didn't believe in hitting second serves..he just hit two first serves
by ponchi101 Lendl also said it was better to hit more double faults but win more points, than hit safe second serves and lose them because they were weak.
by ashkor87 Paolini not able to put any pressure on Vekic's serve..Vekic should win comfortably ..
by ashkor87 Suddenly a stream of errors from Vekic
by ponchi101 And... it is the field.
One final I will not see. I just don't like either player.
by
ti-amie Jasmine Paolini is the first woman to make both the RG and Wimbledon finals in the same year since Serena Williams did it in 2016.
by ashkor87 Interesting match today .though I won't be able to see it (working,)..Krejcikova's one weakness is she needs too much time to hit her shots..Paolini may be able to hurry her enough to make life difficult .K is also not the best mover. Still, K has more weapons, should be enough to win. We shall see.
Rybakina disappointed me, and most of her fans, by not serving well when it mattered..I guess nothing she can really do about it. And missed some shots by going to close to the line, whn she didn't have to- but that is her game, can't be faulted for playing it.
by ashkor87 Vekic's lack of poise and fight was quite disappointing ..in the third set tiebreak she was actually in tears .what message would Paolini have got from that?!
by
ti-amie
by
ti-amie ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 13, 2024 3:03 am
Vekic's lack of poise and fight was quite disappointing ..in the third set tiebreak she was actually in tears .what message would Paolini have got from that?!
Watching the match Vekic started rotating her arm during that third set tiebreak as if she were having an issue with her shoulder. I don't remember if it was her serving arm or not. I don't think she's said anything about injury but I think whatever it was that made her start to do that is why she was in tears.
by ponchi101 I don't think that was the case. She was clearly crying because of the nerves.
by
ti-amie ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 13, 2024 7:54 pm
I don't think that was the case. She was clearly crying because of the nerves.
I'm trying to help the woman out here...
Yeah she completely fell apart.
by skatingfan Vekic is one of those players who has a love-hate relationship with tennis - she`s 28 years old, and has been a professional tennis player for 14 years. There`s a reason why the WTA moved to limit the number of tournaments that players that age could play, and she`s a prime example of the pressure, and the expectations just sometimes being too much, and taking a toll.
by ashkor87 Honestly, I think players like Paolini and Vekic, and Pegula/Kasatkina for that matter, will never win a major but I do think they are wonderful players - they enrich the game as much as Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff and Rybakina do..we should not look down on them because they are not going to be grand slam champions..as TS Eliot once remarked, Shakespeare comes once in a thousand years but it is the minor poets who are the lifeblood of the literature..
by ponchi101 Agree. We can be demeaning sometimes about how good these players are.
A few weeks ago, I was training and a small group of "top" local players were training at the place too. They were training for an upcoming CHALLENGER. The quality of the strokes was unbelievable: the sound of the ball, the speed of the shots, the consistency.
Again. These guys were training for a CHALLENGER.
We must always remember. Adrian Mannarino will cream each and every one of us 0, 0 & 0. Jasmine Paolini will wipe the court with any one of us.
