Week 1 - WTA International - Auckland, New Zealand

James · Satellite level

RE: Week 1 - WTA International - Auckland, New Zealand

steven · Tennis legend

You're doing a fantastic job here James ... I just hope there's another twist and a happy ending still to come.

Peter too · Tennis legend

If Anne can just hold her service now, for the first time the pressure will go onto Vesnina.

James · Satellite level

Vesnina looking to capitalise on her break..

15-0: A crisply struck Keothavong bh return goes just long
30-0: Keothavong can't quite punch a down the T serve back into court despite her athleticism
40-0: The net cord god contrives against Keothavong, the ball springs up but comes down on K's side.
40-15: Double-fault
40-30: Vensina looks a little immobile and nets a fh from a ball that landed just to the right of her feet
40-40: Double-fault
Adv K: A solid string of bhs from Keothavong, she waits and waits and eventually Vesnina hits a fh wide
40-40: Keothavong frames and duly nets a bh return
Adv K: For the umpteenth time Vesnina throws the ball up but decides against serving. She eventually pushes a fh long
Game K: Keothavong scrambles for a Vesnina fh and slices it back, deep in the court. Vesnina rewards her efforts by netting her next fh.

*4-4

Keothavong serving..

15-0: Vesnina hits a bh dtl attempt wide
30-0: Vesnina follows this up with a x-court bh error
30-15: Keothavong nets a relatively simple fh, however she had been pushed out wide
40-15: Despite being pushed out wide on her bh side Keothavong produces a deep and powerful shot, one which Vesnina can't control, resulting in a long bh
Game K: "No, No, No..", Vesnina is not happy with a Keothavong groundstroke, she fails to return it.

5-4*

-- Edited by James at 03:08, 2009-01-09

James · Satellite level

Vesnina serving to stay in the match..

15-0: Keothavong goes for too much on a centre court ball and her fh drops just long
30-0: Rasping groundstrokes are displayed by both. Keothavong is eventually out-manouvered and Vesnina puts away a standard mid court fh
40-0: A similar point ends in a similar way, a mid-court fh is dispatched by Vesnina
Game V: Keothavong slaps a x-court fh return wide.

*5-5

Keothavong serving, at a critical point..

Goodall: "Service game of her life here"

15-0: Vesnina nets a bh,
15-0: Replay point: Keothavong slices a desparte backhand high over the net, umpire overrules the line judges call of out and the point is to be replayed..
15-15: Vesnina works her way into the net and make a short and low bouncing fh volley winner
30-15: Vesnina appears to over-reach on a bh and sends it screaming long
40-15: A timely serve out wide leaves Vesnina with little option but to slice her return into the bottom of the net
40-30: Scrambling at the back of the court Keothavong frames a backhand that flies out of the court
40-40: Vesnina attacks Keothavong's serve and again works her way towards the net, sending Keothavong from side to side until she finally nets an attmepted fh slice
Adv V: Big fhs from Vesnina make Keothavong do all of the running. This forces Keothavong into a long fh.
40-40: Keothavong plants her feet firmly on the baseline throughout the rally and, refusing to budge, much to the crowd's delight, smashes a fh winner dtl
Adv V: Vesnina shows little remorse after her x-court fh clips the net and plops over the net. Keothavong had been dominating the rally and looked to have the point won.
Game V: With her grunting getting louder and louder Vesnina approaches the net and Keothavong fails to make the pass, netting her attempted fh x-court pass.

5-6*

James · Satellite level

Vesnina serving for the match..

15-0: Keothavong loses her footing on a bh dtl attempt and rifles the ball into the sponsers board attached to the net
30-0: Keothavong flies a return long.
40-0: Keothavong stretches to her fh side and tries to whip it x-court, however it goes wide and brings up match point..
40-15: A solid bh return is not welcomed by Vesnina, straight into the net
40-30: Double-fault
40-40: Vesnina approaches the net, a desperate attempt to finish off the match; keothavong sends a passing shot to Vesnina's feet and it does not come back over.
Adv V: Keothavong mis-hits another fh deep into the rally and brings a sequel of delight from Vesnina.
40-40: A good return from Keothavong sees Vesnina scoop her proceeding fh wide.
Adv K: A weak and shallow 2nd serve from Vesnina is dispatched away x-court by the fh of Keothavong
40-40: From a few feet behind her own baseline Keothavong sends a bh just long.
Adv K: Bam Bam! Keothavong pounds away at a defensive and squeaking Vesnina, eventually producing an error from the Russian.
40-40: A big overrule from the umpire. No call is made on a keothavong fh but the umpire decides that it went long.. No complaints.
Adv V: Pushed to her left Keothavong drives a bh dtl but is called wide.
GSM Vesnina: The slight un-classy Russian wins the match with her first and only ace. The crowd seem a little deflated and it appears that they were rooting for Keothavong.

Vesnina def. Keothavong 6-7 6-1 7-5

James · Satellite level

Shame, but well done to Anne - this tournament has been a massive success for her. Onwards and upwards, I'm sure she'll have another chance to capture her first ATP title later in the season.

James · Satellite level

Goodnight everyone.

-- Edited by James at 03:37, 2009-01-09

steven · Tennis legend

James wrote:
Shame, but well done to Anne - this tournament has been a massive success for her. Onwards and upwards, I'm sure she'll have another chance to capture her first ATP title later in the season.

Only if she has a sex change LOL (I know, it's been a long night!)

Great match, just a pity about the result, but it's been another huge week for Anne.

James · Satellite level

If I was posher I would call you a 'rotter'! P**k is easier though.. wink

But you never know, in 6 months time she may just have had such an operation, put on a little bit of weight, changed her name to James, become a male tennis umpire and be sitting aloft a chair at wimbledon. We shall just have to wait and see...

steven · Tennis legend

Clever, someone might fall for that one

The Hoose · Satellite level

Thanks for the commentary, James.

wolf · Tennis legend

So close. Still great to see a Brit even competing in these type of matches.

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

So xlose and yet so so far.

Onwards and upwards i say.

All the best for Hobart

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Thanks for the commentary James, much appreciated. I watched the first set on the live streaming but the stream went down and I could never get it back up until right at the end of the match.

From what Anne said afterwards she wanted to reach the final so much that her emotions meant she struggled to find her game. It did seem like the situation got to both players.

Still I think she is doing very well and this is a learning process for her. To go from being a player for whom breaking into the top 100 is your career aim, to looking to reach a WTA tour final is a big jump. Mentally it may take some time to adjust and feel at home in these type of situations.