Maza1987 wrote:

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I had hoped the rain would bring a change of fortune, and it did. I would sympathise with Sprem, but upon hearing she couldn't be fussed to shake hands with Heather, I'm pleased she lost.

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Hmm, strange.

Heather tweeted :  "Beat Sprem today 16 63 30 ret. She's got some huge shots & is a great sport. I played great after the rain delay+ my first ever retirement"

Maybe Heather was going :  "Woo, my first ever retirement !"    

Very good to read such a full report from someone that was there.

Interesting that it looks as if Heather's mum is pretty much her main confidant at the moment, I wonder what the position is on her getting a new coach.

Still, it looks as if she pretty much worked out how to get herself back into the match with maybe Mum's help during the rain delay, though I think Heather herself is pretty smart.

I see that our first hand observer has clarified re the end of the match in the andy.murray forum :

"Sprem did not come over as unsporting. The changeround started. The trainer had not arrived. Sprem was talking to her coach who was about twenty metres away. They seemed to have made a decision. The trainer arrived and was redundant. She told the umpire and she did say sorry to Heather (about not completing the match - sitting down from the normal distance between the players. She seemed so deflated she just went off. I would put it down to being upset rather than unsporting. My fault if I did not give enought context to make that clear. What was a bit unsettling was it too a few seconds for the umpire to confirm it so by the time he had it seemed almost churlish to celebrate."

He had left things rather less clear earlier with  "..and went off without "finishing the formalities of the handshakes" "

Anyay, I can quite understand Sprem being being deflated and upset to be injured again, and if she has albeit at distance said sorry to Heather, I don't see an issue.

philwrig wrote:

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Long wait as the match before has just gone into a third set. Conditions are warm and sunny, so should suit Heather and I expect her to come through this match. THATSNOTAJINX

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 And on and on it (Daniilidou v Panova) goes - 5-5 in the 3rd after 3 h 20 m - Eleni has been *4-2 and *5-4 up, but then gives up the break each time - in fact, there have been 15 breaks in 35 games.

Or maybe it is. Now who'd have thought that wouldn't get to a 3rd set tiebreak - Eleni wins 7-5 6-7(2) 7-5 in 3 h 26 m.

Hev up next, live scores at http://www.protennislive.com/frameset.asp?year=2011&wkno=17&lang=en&tabno=1&eventid=M020