Week 47 - ITF ($75K+H) - Toyota, Japan Carpet

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

RE: Week 47 - ITF ($75K+H) - Toyota, Japan Carpet

korriban · Challenger level

insomniacfolder wrote:
SF: MURRAY, Samantha (GBR) 288 lost to DATE-KRUMM, Kimiko (JPN) 4 120 3-6 2-6

Thanks for all the commentary. Now get some sleep! I expected a slightly better showing to be honest. Given the early scores (0-40 on very first serve, and 0-5) I imagine that "first big semi nerves" were as much a factor as fatigue. Well done Sam for a great week. Dubai would be a bonus, so if she's up for it and treats it as such, could be a few surprises yet.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

A great week for Sam with a first top 100 victory and certainly no disgrace in losing to a player of the calibre of Date-Krumm. Possibly she was a bit nervous today - the only other time she has played a well known player (Melanie Oudin) she also struggled to win many games.

It looks like she might have just a bit too much to do for the Australian Open qualies but she will be in a great position to push up towards the top 200 for next year and at least be in a position to get a Wimbledon wild card.

I also noticed on the ITF website she is from Stockport like the Broadys - a bit of a hotbed of tennis talent!

indiana · Tennis legend

Really tremendous week for Sam, and no real surrpise against a pretty in-form quality player like Date-Krumm.

I think it was a bit unreasonable / unfair to have expected much more than that, mainly apparently based on that one magnificent win against the no 2 seed, for great though her numerous recent top 300 player wins have been, they don't suggest she's suddently going to get that close to a player like Kimiko. Would have loved it if she had though !

Taking a wider view of where she is in the game, ewen if she has clearly found quite a bit more ( and not even considering earlier matches having maybe taken their toll ) that wasn't an uncompetitive performance. The first set in particular, in spite of the 2 early breaks ( in long games ) giving a 5 - 0 scoreline, seemed a pretty reasonable effort. Overall she held her own on serve, 4 games all, and as I calculate it was level on points overall on serve.. Though rarely made much inroads on the Kimiko serve with just the one break.

Thabks again IF for the commentary. Pretty decent effort today by Sam, and super stuff over the week as a whole, well done.

DavidC · Tennis legend

tony_orient wrote:
I also noticed on the ITF website she is from Stockport like the Broadys - a bit of a hotbed of tennis talent!

Not to mention Fred Perry. Naomi and Liam were both born and educated in Stockport, are covered by the local media and maintain their connections. Sam's link with Stockport isn't as strong I think - I know she was educated in Altrincham, and I have never seen or heard her mentioned by the local media (I live in the area)