Week 8 - WTA ($235K) - Memphis, USA - Hard

philwrig · Hall of fame

RE: Week 8 - WTA ($235K) - Memphis, USA - Hard

philwrig · Hall of fame

tony_orient wrote:
philwrig wrote:
Well that didn't go to plan, indoors is not really Hev's thing. Might have to wait for Miami before we see the best from Hev.
Interesting that Hev actually plays a few indoor events and Laura never does. Logically it would be the other way round.

Agreed

indiana · Tennis legend

Not good. I suspect a very in form Voegele met a still searching for her best form Watson and that was the result, though of course it would be great to have seen it ( or maybe not ! ) to properly judge.

I feared Hev might struggle to match her seeding this week, though she still does seem to have really got it together in patches in her first two matches.

Hopefully some good practice and a good draw for IW. A final here would probably have taken Hev into the top 32 and seeded for IW, but it will need rather a few folk to go missing now. I think she's still provisisionally WR 38,

blob · All-time great

If Lisicki makes the final, Hev will be 39, otherwise she'll be 38.

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere an analysis showing that the vast majority of seeds fail to match their seeding, across many sports, but I can't find the study now.

indiana · Tennis legend

Certainly a hell of a lot don't match their seeding in tennis ( be interesting to know figures ). My worry re Hev is that it was I'm pretty sure more to do with her form being still below par than just "sh*t happens".

Let's just hope that she can get back to her best fairly soon.

Peter too · Tennis legend

Probably singles and doubles yesterday followed by singles today proved a bit too much.

indiana · Tennis legend

I don't really agree, Peter. I'd say very much a form issue rather than anything much at all to do with the length of these matches.

Indeed, Hev's remaining reserves never had much chance to be found out today.

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

Heather mentioned feeling stiff in her blog, I think doubles and singles will work some weeks and prove too much in others - ie when Heather has very lengthy singles matches. This on top of poor form will either go two ways- dubs will help her play into form or tire her more and worsen her problems in singles, which it looks like it is doing atm.

steven · Tennis legend

blob wrote:
I'm sure I remember reading somewhere an analysis showing that the vast majority of seeds fail to match their seeding, across many sports, but I can't find the study now.

Surely that isn't really a big surprise. Even if seedings, rankings or ratings are accurate, they can only ever imply a probability in the 50%-100% range of the higher seeded/ranked/rated player winning each match, with that probability likely to be closer to 50% than 100% in most cases. So, for example, if a no. 4 seed in a 32-player draw has a 75% chance of beating each opponent ranked lower than them, they only have a 42% chance of making the semi-finals, implying that they are more likely not to match their seeding than to match it, even if they are more likely to get to the SFs than anyone else in their quarter.

On top if that, there are plenty of reasons why the WTA rankings probably aren't that accurate anyway, such as the way the WTA rankings exacerbate the importance of luck in R1 draws (especially for those who aren't seeded in the biggest events) and the way young (or just out of college players) tend to be under-ranked because they are improving fast and/or haven't played enough events to have an accurate ranking yet.

korriban · Challenger level

Heartfelt apologies to Stefanie Voegele for bigging her up, commenting on how well I'd seen her play, and tipping her to win the whole tournament.......

......now being walloped by Marina Erakovic at present.......and it's all my fault.

steven · Tennis legend

A new career high for Hev today, 39 ... which the LTA are reporting as her breaking into the top 40 for the first time. confuse

steven · Tennis legend

... and so far, over 20 people have retweeted it or otherwise quoted it, including Mike Dickson from the Mail ... how soon everyone forgets celebrating her getting into the top 40 a month ago! LOL

indiana · Tennis legend

That's really poor by the LTA.

If they are desperate to ramp up any success they could, as you suggested on twitter, have said "into the thirties for the first time" or simply "up to a CH of WR 39".

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

The BBC quotes Heather as breaking the top 40 for the first time, despite mentioning the CH of 40 in the next paragraph!

Heather Watson breaks into WTA world top 40

British tennis player Heather Watson has broken into the world's top 40 for the first time in her career.
The 20-year-old from Guernsey leapt to a career-high 40 last month, but is now ranked 39th with fellow Briton Laura Robson remaining in 43rd spot.

Obviously WR40 is not in the worlds top 40!

steven · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
That's really poor by the LTA.

If they are desperate to ramp up any success they could, as you suggested on twitter, have said "into the thirties for the first time" or simply "up to a CH of WR 39".

I think they had just forgotten, like so many other people seem to have. And forgetting appears to have paid off if they are getting positive coverage of it.

That BBC line tony_orient quotes is hilarious biggrin disbelief