Week 6 - ITF ($100K) - Midland, USA Hard

steven · Tennis legend

RE: Week 6 - ITF ($100K) - Midland, USA Hard

steven · Tennis legend

Aargh. Crawford breaks again and it's tiebreak time

steven · Tennis legend

Horrific tiebreak from (our) Sam so far ... *1-5 at the change of ends ... what on earth has happened to her since that first set?

steven · Tennis legend

R1: MURRAY, Samantha (GBR) 260 lost to CRAWFORD, Samantha (USA) 267 by 4-6 6-2 7-6(3) bleh

Definitely one that got away She just couldn't get 1st serves in and I think she double-faulted on the final point, though the video went a bit mad then.

blob · All-time great

ack!
should have won
but
this time last year I don't think anyone honestly would have thought Murray would be competitive at this level in america against this opponent, but she clearly was
she's come a long way in a short time, aand at least has the ambition to live enter this event, not the $25k our other girls are in, and can clearly live at this level - the form at the end of last year ws not a mirage.
still should have won, but positive if the rough edges can be polished eg. service action (very narrow & unstable base, high inconsistent ball toss etc)

blob · All-time great

steven wrote:
R1: MURRAY, Samantha (GBR) 260 lost to CRAWFORD, Samantha (USA) 267 by 4-6 6-2 7-6(3)
Definitely one that got away She just couldn't get 1st serves in and I think she double-faulted on the final point, though the video went a bit mad then.

sadly she did DF, half way up net, then 18 inches long.

steven · Tennis legend

That's very true, blob, even if by her newer higher standards, this one will surely have been a big disappointment.

korriban · Challenger level

Watched the tiebreak and the last few games.

The standard of her play is generally very good, but Sam's serve looks extremely poor. Considering her height and fitness and the strength and power of her groundstrokes, it ought to be a massive shot for her, but it looks very strangely produced (similar to Lisa's - aren't they both at the Bath Academy), and is very unreliable. And I didn't see much ability to choose a direction on it, when they didn't go into the net. 1 Ace and 11 double faults in the match, including at match point down, and the commentator confirmed that she barely managed a first serve at all in the third set, and was broken serving for the match twice.

How good could she be with a serve in the Laura class and speed? Very good, I think. Mixed emotions - if she could sort this out, she's a top 100 player I suspect.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Its a tough call which double was worse, the one on her match point or the one on Crawfords.

Crawford is so inconsistent but Sam let her back in when she was going through periods of missing by making silly errors. An opportunity missed, and a sore one which should have been a very nice victory.

Onwards and upwards

philwrig · Hall of fame

blob wrote:
ack!
should have won
but
this time last year I don't think anyone honestly would have thought Murray would be competitive at this level in america against this opponent, but she clearly was
she's come a long way in a short time, aand at least has the ambition to live enter this event, not the $25k our other girls are in, and can clearly live at this level - the form at the end of last year ws not a mirage.
still should have won, but positive if the rough edges can be polished eg. service action (very narrow & unstable base, high inconsistent ball toss etc)

I think she probably chose this event because she went to college not far away but I know what you mean.

philwrig · Hall of fame

korriban wrote:
Watched the tiebreak and the last few games.
The standard of her play is generally very good, but Sam's serve looks extremely poor. Considering her height and fitness and the strength and power of her groundstrokes, it ought to be a massive shot for her, but it looks very strangely produced (similar to Lisa's - aren't they both at the Bath Academy), and is very unreliable. And I didn't see much ability to choose a direction on it, when they didn't go into the net. 1 Ace and 11 double faults in the match, including at match point down, and the commentator confirmed that she barely managed a first serve at all in the third set, and was broken serving for the match twice.
How good could she be with a serve in the Laura class and speed? Very good, I think. Mixed emotions - if she could sort this out, she's a top 100 player I suspect.

When I've seen her in the past her serve has been solid but not spectacular, but having said that she's come along way since those days.

Her backhand DTL has always been her biggest weapon.

Lisa's serving problems primarily are because she has a chronic shoulder problem which hinders her in this department.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Sam's doubles match, which I was looking forward to following, appears to have been bumped off the main court in favour of a singles featuring Taylor Townsend !!

blob · All-time great

i was looking forward to it to but seems they fit in in earlier - fair enough to make way for the enticing townsend/vickery match

DCTC 2013 @DCTCPROTennis [official tourney twits stream]
1st round doubles: Maria-Fernanda Alves/Samantha Murray d. Irina Falconi/Maria Sanchez (2), 3-6, 6-1, 10-6

nice win for Sam to help her forget yesterdays close run singles loss. Though, i've seen Falconi play dubs a bit, and she's always been useless, so i expected the win for Murray.
Sam's dubs QF looks very interesting, hope it's streamed.

QF: Maria-Fernanda Alves/Samantha Murray vs. Mallory Burdette/Jessica Pegula

Also: Brenda Schultz-McCarthy - yup same one, Kimiko has some competition! - is the main draw in the evening dubs in Midland tonight!

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Thanks for all of that

blob · All-time great

Murray/Alves turn around a slow start of 0-2 to lead 3-2
Burdette/Pegula have clearly decided that Sam should not be allowed anywhere near the ball where possible - mallory looks in a whole lot better physical condition than when she beat anne k last summer

Then Murrays team lose two games again, 3-4

but break then hold again and its 5-4*

had a set point at deuce in that game, but mallory serve volleyed, and the surprise was actually audible in the crowd and evident in sams shot giving burdette an easy smash to save *5-5

Sam/Alves take the first set 7-6(6)

Not always great quality, but entertaining nevertheless & really quite exciting at times, and the small crowd really seemed to be enjoying it

sleep beckons. I hope they see it through

-- Edited by blob on Friday 8th of February 2013 03:13:05 AM