Week 15 - WTA $235K - Katowice, Poland Clay

RainDelay · Pro player

RE: Week 15 - WTA $235K - Katowice, Poland Clay

PaulM · Tennis legend

Ugh. Depressing stuff :(

Jan · Hall of fame

ooh it looks as though this is slipping away. I hope I'm wrong.

philwrig · Hall of fame

I still think this isn't a bad effort, obviously had MP but a reasonably encouraging start to the red clay circuit.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Saying that though would have loved to see more fight in the third set even if she is tired.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Laura has been complaining of lots of niggles and her shoulder has been strapped for a while. Needs to take time off and get back to full health.

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

Urgh nightmare. Laura's team need to get serious now, its getting worrying.

Jan · Hall of fame

what a shame

philwrig · Hall of fame

The problem now is that she will be developing a reputation in the locker room, where players will know just to keep fighting and there's a good chance she will crack if you can get it into the third.
A few days back home to refresh herself before setting off to Argentina.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

It's disappointing that Laura again fell away badly in the third set, though I have more sympathy for her this time after coming so close in the previous set. Losing the set from match point up (even if it was just one against the serve in a close tie break) was always going to be very tough to get over and she was never dominant in the match despite coming so close to winning.

As much as Laura is struggling for consistency in matches, she's not getting a lot of luck either with so many close sets going against her and she probably needed a bit of luck just to get over the line in the tie-break.

I do think it's more mental tiredness in the third sets rather than physical tiredness. In all of the matches she has played recently they have been mentally very difficult for one reason or another (losing a big lead v Arvidsson, long rain and power delays v Cornet, playing a close friend in Genie Bouchard and having a match point today). The downside is having to get over a lot of tough losses, but she needs to try and remind herself that she's not far away - it's not like anyone is beating Laura easily.

korriban · Challenger level

I guess losing the last 6 games in a row from a break up in the last set counts as fading a bit!

Where's the fight? It seems if opponents can weather the storm and keep her on the court long enough, it can easily start unravelling. Hard to comment without seeing it live, but the patterns and rhythm of the match seem increasingly familiar. I simply don't understand why Laura's serve, which appears so natural and potent a weapon, has become so unreliable and vulnerable, leading to huge numbers of BPs faced in almost every match, even the ones she wins.

Ho hum

philwrig · Hall of fame

At least we know that Laura has bouncebackability so I'm not overly concerned, a week on Fed Cup duty will be great for her spirits.

indiana · Tennis legend

Hmm, looks not too good but not too bad either, though I would have liked to have seen a closer final set.

I think that Laura is generally slowly improving this year, and I think could yet have a decent clay season if she gets OK draws.

Given she's playing here, there and everywhere, I am assuming Laura's niggles aren't too bad. I think she is though possibly too keen to play on occasion though no doubt gets advice.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Report on match from TF:
Was a really great clay court match, lots of long rallies ending in winners and Laura's movement has really improved. She collapsed after she got broken in the 3rd set - there was a ball that looked so in to me and Laura but the umpire thought otherwise and then she also had a very easy putaway shot that she missed by miles It's also worth mentioning that she seemed to have cold or sth as she was coughing a few times.

More worried about the reoccurence of the chest problem, thought that had been sorted.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Laura's serving stats were 46% winning 72% on 1st /31% on 2nd with 8 aces and 11 dfs in 58 second serves

Compare that to last season on the clay against decent opponents:

AMG (RG) 50% winning 65/29 2 aces 2/17 dfs
Vinci (Palermo) 53% winning 68/50 3 aces 6/36 dfs
CSN 54 72/35 1 ace 9/40 dfs
BZS 51 69/33 4 aces 18/57 dfs
AMG (Bastad) 54 59/45 0 aces 8/29 dfs