Week 38 - ITF ($75K) - Shrewsbury, Hard

philwrig · Hall of fame

RE: Week 38 - ITF ($75K) - Shrewsbury, Hard

philwrig · Hall of fame

Having had a look at the top 100 provisional post so expertly produced by Steven a win in the SF might well be required by Katie to be certain.

djlovesyou · Strong Club Player

Could seriously do with Ammunadurova or whatever she's called to lose next round in Tashkent. Zakopalova is struggling in her match. De los Rios should lose to Dulgheru next and Zec-Peskiric is already out.

So it's not as bad as it looks.

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

Things looking better.

I'd love it to be an all british final cos then both would be top 100 for sure and the winner would be british #2

Drew · Sep 24, 2009

To say Im in shock would be an underestimate !!!

seagull · Hall of fame

Turning into quite a day at Shrewsbury

Smith/Larsson just beat top seeds 2-6, 7-6, 10-8 saving 3 match points!

Wolf seems to think winner of Bally/Flipkens will win event

alex03maccy · Grand Slam Champion

that win should take anna up to around 158 in the dubs ranking, hopefully she focuses on that more. she's too inconsistent in singles.

steven · Tennis legend

After today's wins, Elena is provisional WR 96 and Katie provisional WR 99.

The 9 players who could still overtake Elena are as follows: (i.e. 7 threats bit the dust themselves or were pushed out of range by Elena's win today smile

but she overtook A P-S, who thus becomes a threat now)

Arantxa Parra-Santonja (in St Malo QFs v (4) Hercog) if she reaches the semis
Akgul Amanmuradova (in Tashkent QFs v (5) Voegele) if she reaches the semis

Klara Zakopalova (in St Malo QFs v Cohen-Aloro) if she reaches the Final
Katie O'Brien (no. 6 seed in Shrewsbury SFs v (Q) Barthel) if she reaches the Final
Yung-Jan Chan (in Seoul QFs v Groenefeld) if she reaches the Final

Rossana de los Rios (no. 8 seed in St Malo QFs v (3) Dulgheru) if she wins the title
Daria Kustova (in Tashkent QFs v (4) Govortsova) if she wins the title
Stephanie Dubois (no. 1 seed in Saguenay L16 v Granville) if she wins the title
Kimiko Date-Krumm (in Seoul QFs v (1) Hantuchova) if she wins the title

Remember that if Elena loses her next match, she can get overtaken by up to 4 of these players and still be in the top 100 next Monday.

The 8 players who could still overtake Katie are as follows:

Akgul Amanmuradova (in Tashkent QFs v (5) Voegele) if she reaches the semis
Klara Zakopalova (in St Malo QFs v Cohen-Aloro) if she reaches the semis

Yung-Jan Chan (in Seoul QFs v Groenefeld) if she reaches the Final
Rossana de los Rios (in St Malo QFs v (3) Dulgheru) if she reaches the Final

Daria Kustova (in Tashkent QFs v (4) Govortsova) if she wins the title
Stephanie Dubois (no. 1 seed in Saguenay L16 v Granville) if she wins the title
Kimiko Date-Krumm (in Seoul QFs v (1) Hantuchova) if she wins the title
Shenay Perry (in Albuquerque R2) if she wins the title

If Katie loses her next match, she can get overtaken by up to 1 of these players and still be in the top 100 next Monday.

Unfortunately, virtually all of the above could still happen, since where there are two threats in the same tournament, they seem not to be in the same part of the draw.
However, Elena will have to be very, very unlucky for four of her threats to all do what they need to do since most of them would have to beat very tough opposition to manage it.

E&OE

-- Edited by steven on Thursday 24th of September 2009 05:38:45 PM

DavidC · Tennis legend

Two close matches as I expected after observation yesterday, but magnificent that both were able to pull through, given how they have struggled of late with the rankings pressure. Much more competitive than yesterday's matches, but having sat through a Katie third set tiebreaker before, going yesterday rather than today probably saved me being an emotional wreck smile

Good luck to both tomorrow - much will depend I suspect on how much today's marathons took out of them.

indiana · Tennis legend

Great results from the Elena and Katie.

It was really good to come in and read through it all. I did know the results before I went back and really read the details so wasn't engulfed by some of the gloom in some comments, particularly re Katie's match. Luckily Katie herself wasn't one to give up smile

Tremendous to pull off a win like his, particularly with her comeback ( 2 breaks down in the final set, saving 4 MPS, go girl ! ), when so often she's been the loser in such matches.

Surely, surely that will be enough to get Elena in the top 100. I know ( and absolutely tremendous information, Steven

) that theoretically it isn't yet, but if she isn't inside the top 100 after this, she shouldn't buy lottery tickets for a while. Might as well just beat Flipkens to put totally beyond doubt ( if it still is come that match ), though I would make Flipkens slight favourite myself.

Be great if Katie can get in top 100 as well and hopefully she's inspired by today to make sure ( OK, almost sure in case Steven proves otherwise smile

) with a semi final win, and she I do make favourite in her semi.

-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 24th of September 2009 07:45:39 PM

wolf · Tennis legend

Mel let the side down today, not only did she lose her singles but she lost her doubles semi 6-3, 6-0.

Amazing day, reports to dome later. biggrin

jb288 · Satellite level

Saw some of the matches on Tues and Weds here - was great to see lots of the GB girls.

I was particularly impressed with Lisa Whybourn, who I think certainly had more weapons than Jade or Tara - her double-handed backhand in particular was great, and got her loads of winners against Cornish and a fair few against Baltacha - against whom she was by no means outclassed, lasting the distance in lots of rallies. Her serve is very disappointing given how tall she is, and her forehand is nothing special, but she's certainly got potential.

Katie was a bit lacklustre against Geuer, but then she didn't really need to do any more. Mel was shocking in the first set against Meusberger (whose service toss is quite obscenely high), and rather inconsistent throughout against an opponent whose sole reason for existence seems to be returning the ball (I think she barely hit a winner all match - but that's tennis!). Against Cav, on the other hand, she was excellent, with Naomi being the one to make the error first very often. When the ball came a little slower and Naomi could get behind it she was able to unleash her trademark forehand and Mel had no answer - but it didn't happen often because Mel was so aggressive.

Bally didn't really impress me in either of the matches I saw, I must say; Jade is great fun to watch but was sorely mismatched against the 6'+ Barthel and couldn't really cope with it - but I hope she goes further, and she generates plenty of power given her size (much more per inch than Joss, whose weight of shot seemed surprisingly slow to me, though again she has an interesting game and looks a good prospect - though she was oddly struggling to hold serve when I was watching). Georgie was looking good, but imploded and got very frustrated and angry with herself in the second set, and I think that had a big impact - but when she's on song, she looks by far the most complete and athletic player of the ones on show.

Nigel Sears was there a lot; he was complaining to Katie's sister about her getting angry with herself when she kept dropping serve against Geuer. He was also a bit derogatory about Lisa - when someone mentioned that she was doing well against Bally, he said 'yeah but she can't win, can she?', which seemed a bit beside the point...

Having seen today's results, I'm impressed Bally won as Barrois looked one of the best there, and really chuffed for Katie who is my personal favourite! Surprised Mel didn't do better, but she does seem to struggle when she's not playing someone like herself (i.e. a pure power player - she definitely needs a B game!). But Flipkens is doing great, so no real shame.

-- Edited by jb288 on Thursday 24th of September 2009 07:21:57 PM

wolf · Tennis legend

Couldn't believe it when I got there and play was delayed because they were putting a stand up!! What is this a pro tournament or not? They then cordoned off, obviously saving us all from a monsterous disaster!

Flipkens never really looked in much trouble against South, just always in control and Mel just couldn't assert herself at all.

Bally also started badly against Barrois, there was a bit of a eerie feeling about the place with not many people there to start off with. Bally was broken for 4-2 but broke straight back. Both players were serving to well to be in too much trouble, Barrois enjoying the serve out wide into the deuce court. Bally saved three set points and a very dodgy game to take it into a TB, but after they traded MB's mid-way through Barrois hit a mis-hit return winner and then Bally netted as Barrois took the TB 7-4. The start of the second saw a bit of a drop off in intensity and then Barrois started giving Bally some gifts and soon Bally had won the set 6-2. By this time the crowd had gathered on the balcony and were trying to drive Bally on. The third set saw the level of the match increase with both players not giving an inch. It also coinincided with some debateable (at best) umpiring. Barrois questioned a call (but she was wrong, it was in) and after that she got four calls in her favour which were very debateable and maybe influenced by the umpire trying to compensate. Bally played a poor game at 2-2 and was broken to love. With Barrois serving at 4-3 30-30 Bally hit a crosscourt pass that looked to have the hit the line, but it was called out and the umpire unsighted by Barrois didn't overall. The next point Barrois hit a backhand winner on game point that was clearly to me (and the people beside and behind me) well in. It was called out. Maybe trying to compensate again? Barrois quite rightly went ballistic, lost her concentration, Bally sensed an opening and broke, held, and broke again, sealing it with a backhand winner down the line and sinking to her knees, clearly knowing the win would in all probability mean a quite important ranking milestone.

O'Brien had the unenviable of task of trying to please the crowd after that emotional epic. She played some very poor tennis in the first set, making a number of poor errors and Kerber didn't have to do a lot to win. In the second set Katie was getting a better strike on Kerber's serve and started to but away some balls and despite being broken twice won the set 6-3. Bad Katie returned at the start of the third and she was broken from 40-0 up in the first game and soon found herself 0-3* down, but she soon pulled it back to 4-4. Up until this point the match hadn't been that great, with either Katie hitting a winner or an unforced error to decide the ball. It started to get better from here with Katie holding on her fourth game point but then Kerber responding with a love hold. Katie then was put off by Kerber questioning a line call when the point was still going on and was broken and Kerber found herself 40-15 up serving for the match. Katie saved four match points in total that game and took it to a TB. There must have been a MB in every set of two points in the TB before Katie held two in a row at *4-5 and Kerber then netted and then came the victory scream from Katie! Relatively poor match to the previous one, Kerber was unimpressive, doing nothing with the ball, and if you're a pusher and you are playing an off-form Katie O'Brien and still can't win then you are in trouble. Katie had trouble putting the ball into an open court, she kept trying to wrongfoot without success. She also has trouble with short balls on the backhand side.

I can't see past the winner of Bally/Flipkens for the title, I think the other two will be hoping Bally beats Flipkens as I can't see either of the other two beating her the way their games match up.

I saw relatively little of the other quarter-final and the first doubles semi, but I saw the Smith/Larsson v Hlavackova/Hradecka match. The Czech team were 6-2, 5-2* up but Smith/Larsson finally found there form, saved three set points at 5-6 15-40 down and took two TB's in a row to take the match, going in front for the first time in the match at 9-8* in the MTB!! Some nice doubles play, with crosscourt rallies and interceptions or down the line shots the name of the game.

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

Just out of interest where were you standing for the Bally match?

Just trying to work out if i spotted you.

steven · Tennis legend

Thanks for the great reports from this week, which I've only just got around to reading!

Indiana, I agree that Elena is in all probability already there and Katie would be if she reaches the Final ... just thought it would be nice to know when it happens for sure!