Baltacha v Dellacqua - http://www.lshunter.tv/index.php?option=com_lsh&view=lsh&event_id=97864&tid=270740&channel=0&tmpl=component&layout=popup&Itemid=327

Murray v Vandeweghe - http://www.lshunter.tv/index.php?option=com_lsh&view=lsh&event_id=97932&tid=270739&channel=0&tmpl=component&layout=popup&Itemid=327

Bally won the first set 6-2
Sam lost the first 6-2

I'm on the train back home now after enjoying a good day of tennis at Nottingham (hence plenty of time to write this long post!). It's not often all the top British women are in action on the same day, so for it to be a Bank Holiday as well was too good a chance to turn down.

 

I thought Bally played a solid first set without ever having to get out of 2nd gear to win it as Dellacqua was playing so poorly. It took Bally a few games to react to her opponent getting going in the 2nd, but once she got herself pumped up after getting the first of the breaks back, she always looked like winning in straight sets. In fact Bally was playing some pretty good tennis by the end and she was the only player I saw today who raised her game as she got nearer the finishing line.

 

I then took the opportunity to watch bits and pieces of a few different games on the outside courts and saw some good end of set drama:

 

Firstly watched the end of Same Murray's match. Her opponent kept letting her back into it with some nervy play but eventually got over the line.

 

Next was a very dramatic end to Larcher de Brito v Morita (you can say what you like about the noise Larcher de Brito makes when playing, but it certainly helps you find which court she is playing on!). Morita was looking pretty annoyed with herself throughout the match tie-break which was at 4-4 when she netted a return for 4-5. She then threw her racquet to the ground and received a point violation for 4-6. Following this, she picked up her racquet, received the ball to serve with and whacked it over the trees next to the Tennis Centre - Game Set and Match to Larcher de Brito!

 

Tara v Mel was a match that suffered from neither player being able to cope with being in the lead. This did make for a dramatic if not high quality match though, and ultimately Tara struggled slightly less than Mel with the pressures of trying to win. Watching Mel try and serve the match out was painful as she made 3 identical forehand errors in a row to go 0-40 down. When I have seen Tara play on TV before her style has been very much all or nothing, and she did seem more in control today.

 

I saw a bit of Annes match, but only the opening exchanges, which were a bit scrappy. I think Anne has a good game to conquer Pliskovas style in that she is quite effective as nullifying a big serve (similar to when she beat Naomi at Wimbledon). Im guessing from the final score that Anne found a bit of rhythm and Pliskova never did.

 

I watched all of Lauras match, and for the first 20 minutes she was playing really poorly, with only some good serving keeping the score as close as it was. Then at 2-4 15-30*, she played a really nice point ending with a clean winner and her game just turned around. She hardly lost a point until serving for the set at 5-4, and although she lost serve she broke back straight away and won the set. Laura looked the better player throughout the second set but had a bit of a wobble at 2*-3, but then she held after an epic game and broke to love. With Laura having lost from match points up recently, it was quite a nervy finish when she faced 30-40 on her own serve at 5-4 having lost match points at 5-3 but she turned that game around for a good win.

 

That just left enough time to watch about 25 minutes of Heathers match before the heavens opened. Oudin was really on top at the start of the third set and Heather did really well to hang in there and keep the match on serve. By the time it started raining, Heather was probably marginally on top so its a shame it didnt stay dry for another 15 minutes. Having said that, Oudin now has the unenviable task of serving to stay in the match in the first game of a new day.

 

-- Edited by tony_orient on Tuesday 5th of June 2012 05:53:40 PM

Currently here watching.Bally 2 breaks down in the 2nd at 0-3.

Some errors from Coco allows Sam to break back, and Bally does likewise

Sam digs a hole for herself going down 0-40 and despite one fine pass is broken at the third attempt

Sam 4-5*
Bally 5-4*