Week 35 - US Open main draw (women)

Ratty · County player

RE: Week 35 - US Open main draw (women)

PockyTastic · Futures level

Laura creates a few break points but is denied so it's 3-3

johnnylad · Tennis legend

from 40-15 to match point down

johnnylad · Tennis legend

2 & 3

PockyTastic · Futures level

Oh Laura.......

philwrig · Hall of fame

Very encouraging on the one hand, scoreline not a fair reflection as all games that went to deuce at least 6 she lost, but on the other just too many soft unforced errors. Watching it though you felt that Laura was very close to making a real match of it eventhough the scoreline might not suggest that.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Tough match for Laura today. She was at a similar up and down level to Monday but against a much stronger and more experienced opponent.

Medina Garrigues made hardly any unforced errors (none in the first set) and was content to stay in the points and run Laura around. She also looked like she had a good game plan and exposed the weaker areas of Laura's game well, which you would expect from a player who has been on the tour as long as she has.

Laura had a chance today but needed to be at her best which she was some way short of. She also missed quite a few of the easy put-aways which suggested to me she was quite tense today.

Still, from entering qualies, 2nd round is a really good result and gives her a good rankings boost.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

I thought Laura went for the right shot most of the time but the execution wasn't there. Backhand wasn't working at all. Forehand was mixed, perhaps a few too many careless errors on that side but plenty of winners. Nowhere near enough unreturned serves (MG 17 - R 10). Horrible smash that cost her a break in the first set, sliced backhands that landed out by miles, a terrible volley near the end, poor drop shots, her touch on finesse shots wasn't there at all. Shame her aggressive backhand return of a 2nd serve on bp landed just wide. Clear tendency for Laura to put together a run of missed first serves and wild errors costing her a break, having had game point; 3 of her 4 breaks happened this way.

MG was very impressive and her strategy well thought out, ruthlessly exposing Laura's fragile backhand in the opening set. Having said that, Laura dominated so many points yet failed to apply the finishing touch, that it could easily have been a competitive match had Robson's accuracy been slightly better.

In the long run, it's the right way to play so she won't need to readjust her game when she gets up towards the top unlike Heather and Andy. Just needs to improve her accuracy, her fitness and stay calmer throughout the contest.

-- Edited by kundalini on Wednesday 31st of August 2011 05:12:24 PM

Maza1987 · Challenger level

That attempted forehand volley in the penultimate point was like one of mine.

But, all in all, 'twas an expected pattern to the match. Laura can take quite a bit away from this.

P.S. They showed this on Eurosport, much to my surprise, but I wish I had just watched on a stream. Abysmal and annoying commentary.

-- Edited by Maza1987 on Wednesday 31st of August 2011 05:01:21 PM

Peter too · Tennis legend

Against a player with a less solid defence than AMG many of those forehands from Laura would have been winners but AMG was just too solid and kept putting the ball back in play. Laura had to keep hitting the ball hard and deep otherwise AMG was able to move her around. I thought Laura played well putting together some brilliant sequences but AMG was just too strong on the day.

indiana · Tennis legend

on kundalini wrote:
In the long run, it's the right way to play so she won't need to readjust her game when she gets up towards the top unlike Heather and Andy. Just needs to improve her accuracy, her fitness and stay calmer throughout the contest.

Yes, I think that's very fair comment. She plays Ihe right way, and I said before I am confident that improved accuracy will come, especially if say next year is much less interrupted than this year has been. One would expect too calmness and a clearer thought process to steadily develop more. Fitness does clearly need to be worked on, but hopefully being now clear of growth issues and other niggles, she can really work in the coming months and off season. No doubt will never be the best mover, but certainly can improve significantly.

Just don't be put off, Laura, by anyone making out you're playing pretty crap in the meantime while say qualifying and reaching R2 of the US Open wink

Been a good week overall, and more of the experience that will help her in the longer run.

-- Edited by indiana on Wednesday 31st of August 2011 06:10:56 PM

Ratty · County player

I'm all for vigorous debate and all that, and have no pretensions to any great insight, but can't one just sum it all up by saying that she made (a few) too many errors, and tended to freeze on the important points?

And isn't that pretty much the essential difference between a player ranked 33 and one ranked 173?

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

If the world number 1 had beaten the world number 2, with the world number too just making a few too many errors and freezing on the important points, you would accept that one player was in the zone and one wasnt. It doesnt define a player in terms of their ranking etc.

Anyone know Lauras plans for the end of the year? Assuming she herself knows of course...

indiana · Tennis legend

Ratty wrote:
I'm all for vigorous debate and all that, and have no pretensions to any great insight, but can't one just sum it all up by saying that she made (a few) too many errors, and tended to freeze on the important points?

And isn't that pretty much the essential difference between a player ranked 33 and one ranked 173?

I'll bite smile

Up to you but some folk do like to discuss the play of many of the British players in more depth. especially as generally on the forum we are supportive of the British players and many of us just like to discuss different aspects of their play. If that's not for you, fair enough.

Especially interesting to look at how the play is developing of a young player, who many clearly think has every chance of reaching the upper echelons of the women's game.

I'm interested to see all views, including these that may diverge from my own, because they do sometimes make me stop and think.

-- Edited by indiana on Wednesday 31st of August 2011 06:36:14 PM

KK · Club Coach

Jajon wrote:
Seems so unfair that she gets 5 points while laura gets 100! oh well, she did better then anyone could have hoped for!

It's worse than that. As this tournament is a mandatory one, Heather in effect loses 5 points, and ultimately probably more.