Week 34 - WTA ($637K) - New Haven, CT, USA Hard

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Week 34 - WTA ($637K) - New Haven, CT, USA Hard

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Laura will certainly need to step up a few gears from Cincinnati, but if she does it will be a interesting match.

The down side of Laura being given a wild card here is that she might be a bit short of hard court match practice going into the US Open. The up side is she gets another match against a top opponent and a chance to pull of an upset.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Laura's match v Bartoli is 3rd on the main court tomorrow. (Someone more diligent than me may give us an ETA on that

)

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Julia Carrot wrote:
Laura's match v Bartoli is 3rd on the main court tomorrow. (Someone more diligent than me may give us an ETA on that )

No one diligent appears available. Rats! - I'll have a go instead

Matches start at 18:00 UK time. 2 matches before Laura's - figure 90 minutes for each, plus 20 minutes change overs.

Rough guess-timate therefore = 21:00 to 22:00 UK time.

I didn't think she'd be playing until Monday - I'm glad you noticed otherwise!

philwrig · Hall of fame

Another nasty draw for Laura, I hope this means she will get a kind one at the US open.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

philwrig wrote:
Another nasty draw for Laura, I hope this means she will get a kind one at the US open.

I think Laura's draw looks ok. Bartoli's form on hardcourt this summer is hardly frightening. Reached final of Carlsbad but needed 3 sets to beat King, McHale and Chang. Larsson knocked her out of Cincinnati 6-4 6-2 with Marion generously contributing 13 dfs out of 25 2nd serves. Laura has been threatening a big win for a long time. This could be it.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

insomniacfolder wrote:
Julia Carrot wrote:
Laura's match v Bartoli is 3rd on the main court tomorrow. (Someone more diligent than me may give us an ETA on that )
No one diligent appears available. Rats! - I'll have a go instead
Matches start at 18:00 UK time. 2 matches before Laura's - figure 90 minutes for each, plus 20 minutes change overs.
Rough guess-timate therefore = 21:00 to 22:00 UK time.
I didn't think she'd be playing until Monday - I'm glad you noticed otherwise!

The complete OOP now shows her as 4th on so probably into unsociable hours for us now

-- Edited by Julia Carrot on Sunday 19th of August 2012 11:49:33 AM

philwrig · Hall of fame

kundalini wrote:
philwrig wrote:
Another nasty draw for Laura, I hope this means she will get a kind one at the US open.
I think Laura's draw looks ok. Bartoli's form on hardcourt this summer is hardly frightening. Reached final of Carlsbad but needed 3 sets to beat King, McHale and Chang. Larsson knocked her out of Cincinnati 6-4 6-2 with Marion generously contributing 13 dfs out of 25 2nd serves. Laura has been threatening a big win for a long time. This could be it.

I'll agree with you on one point about Marion struggling at the moment, but she tends to be a player that can suddenly turn it around after a couple of poor tournaments. I felt when looking at the draw that there were about 13 or so OK/decent draws, Marion not being one of them, hope you are right though.

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

They're underway, Laura to serve first.

I can't find a stream, but Bet365 are covering Heathers Texas match at 02~:30 for those trhat have an account.

Aaargh! 2 DF in her first game (again) - and another time that the DF gave the game away. Broken to 30.
0-1*

Bartoli tries to return the favour, but only manages the one DF. Laura breaks back though!

*1-1

-- Edited by insomniacfolder on Sunday 19th of August 2012 08:29:25 PM

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Julia Carrot wrote:
Ha Ha ! Shame we can't watch this !

Yes. I'm still looking, but I think the Cincinnatti womens final is on at the same time and gets the coverage.

No more DF's, but the result is the same, as Bartoli breaks again to 30.

1-2*

They should run a sweep on first to hold serve.

Laura had two more BP's at 40-15*, but Marion won 4 straight points from there -to hold! This is the situation Laura has been struggling to get out of recently - when she doesn't manage to break back.

*1-3

2 more DF contributes to another break - and again, the DF gave the game away. Laura yet to hold.

1-4*

-- Edited by insomniacfolder on Sunday 19th of August 2012 08:45:31 PM

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

kundalini wrote:
Laura's serve is a total train wreck at the moment.

It appears so - wish we could see her play to confirm.

Laura had a break point, after 2 successive Bartoli DF's, but Bartoli holds.

Laura has to hold now... serving at 28% currently...

*1-5

And she does hold, to her credit - from the first deuce. 3 first serves in out of 8 helped - that was an improvement! Now the fightback...

2-5*

Marion actually now leads the DF count at 5-4 in 4 service games each. Laura has 2 more BP's, and takes the second (as MArion poitely returns the favour of DF'ing the game away) to claw her way back a little more.

Laura seems in all the points - the point split is 54%/46% Bartoli. She just needs to serve better.

Good fight though.

*3-5

-- Edited by insomniacfolder on Sunday 19th of August 2012 09:03:20 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

The serve must be soo frustrating for Laura with the rest of her game seeming to have been coming on so well of ;late.

I'll tell you what, when ( surely when rather than if ) she gets it sorted she'll be dangerous !!

I hear her new coach has a drillmaster repuation, well for her serve that might be good.

-- Edited by indiana on Sunday 19th of August 2012 09:10:26 PM

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

indiana wrote:
The serve must be soo frustrating for Laura with the rest of her game seeming to have been coming on so well of ;late.
I'll tell you what, when ( surely when rather than if ) she gets it sorted she'll be dangerous !!
I hear her new coach has a drillmaster repuation, well for her serve that might be good.

Agreed, her general game seems able to match with most. It's a very large Achilles Heel at the moment though.

Marion with another DF, but 4/6 first serves mean Laura can't take advantage.

*0-1

Laura's DF in her first service game of set 2 does lead to a break for Marion though, to 15.

0-2*

DF #3 of this set (2 services!) by Bartoli, gave Laura another BP, she earned another, but could take neither.

Marions serving is bad - lots of DF's, but when her 1st serve goes in, she's dominant. Her serve % is now high enough to absorb those DF's to a degree.

With Laura that's not true, not only are there the rash of DF's, but her % is too low, and her 1st serve isn't winning enough points even when it goes in.

*0-3

Bartoli's all round game has certainly stepped up this set, as befits a player of her proven class, and it's telling. Another Robson DF hands over the BP which is gratefully accepted.

0-4*

Experience counts - Match BP's : Laura 3/9 Marion 6/8

Shocking serving, two more Bartoli DF's, and Laura's on the board in the set.

*1-4

2-4*

-- Edited by insomniacfolder on Sunday 19th of August 2012 09:35:01 PM

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

It is striking how poorly Laura is doing on her own first serve and when Bartoli's 2nd serve goes in. Naturally, as I write this she wins 3 points in a row against Marion's 2nd serve.

Come on Laura!

-- Edited by kundalini on Sunday 19th of August 2012 09:41:16 PM

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

8 Services each in the match. DF's: Laura 6 (bad) Marion 12! (indescribable)

Laura breaks back - took her first chance this time.
Better. Can she level it up? Would be the first time since 0-0 in set 1 that Laura had been level in a set.
*3-4

No. Broken to love. She's holding serve just under 4 times a match in her last 3 events.

3-5*

-- Edited by insomniacfolder on Sunday 19th of August 2012 09:44:00 PM