Week 24 - WTA International $235K - Birmingham, UK - Grass

markymc1983 · Club Coach

RE: Week 24 - WTA International $235K - Birmingham, UK - Grass

korriban · Challenger level

Blob. regarding Laura I only brought up coach Krajan's comments again because they mirror and reinforce precisely the impression I think Laura continues to give off, both on the court and off the court. In the same way, I believe the impression that Heather gives off (on and off the court) is the polar opposite.

Both impressions may be completely false.

But as we say in retail when a new range just isn't selling (but the product buyer still insists on pushing it)......if your product looks like a dog, smells like a dog, runs like a dog and barks like a dog......then you should not be surprised to find that......it IS a dog! Impressions are mostly close to the truth.

blob · All-time great

steven wrote:
blob wrote:
[...]
I see that whilst composing this that you've covered my other point - Anne & Joko doubles - so will just say that we are therefore just left with Heather's doubles match with any Brit interest - 3rd after 11:00 on Court 3.
... or, er, not - "
"Heather Watson has pulled out of the doubles with an injury - #AegonClassic"
I hope these injury withdrawals are just precautionary.

yes, hopefully all just ultra cautious before next week, and then SW19.

korriban wrote:
[...] if your product looks like a dog, smells like a dog, runs like a dog and barks like a dog......then you should not be surprised to find that......it IS a dog! Impressions are mostly close to the truth.

I personally believe that is the sort of thinking that allows situations to become erroneously perpetuated, entrenched and to eventually become the received opinion.

Such as the malign perception of Alex Bogdanovic in the public at large - quite distinct from most members of this board. Namely that he is lazy, un-thankful, arrogant etc. All complete mis-conceptions but where impressions over the years have been held as, eventually, indistinct from the truth and thus the de facto truth.

Those of us with an active interest in tennis need to guard against such slights being visited upon other players to their detriment. It is for this reason, amongst many others, that I am very reticent to attack players for things which I have no hard facts, only supposition and opinion - the times and subjects and contents of twitter messages (Tara Moore, Oli Golding, Mel South etc.), and suggestions of un-professionalism comes to mind.

Often you ask "Is it normal that..." or "Does a professional really...", to which the answer is very possibly, "No".

But, that does not necessarily mean that it is therefore automatically in some way sinister. That is the additional leap that you make, by way of backing up argument for your opinion, which is fine. Going further though, presenting such without hard evidence, and stating matters of opinion as fact, is not. It is that which I sometimes find disquieting.

An allegation is very easy to make, and once made it persists, almost impossible to dispel entirely - the smoke is there, and of course, there's no smoke without...

paulisi · Tennis legend

denver23 wrote:
paulisi wrote:
Cracking day and glad the weather held.

Tara I thought was excellent, bar a couple of sloppy games and on another day would have won that game. Mladenovic was pretty awful first set, didn't look comfortable on the grass, but settled down and played much better tennis in sets 2 & 3. Tara generally outplayed a top 40 player and looks a decent prospect. It was a bit damp early on and skidded and had funny bounces, but behaved later on.

Shame Hev and Joko clashed. We opted for Hev and to be fair Hev played very well. Very solid on first serve, bar the one blip when serving for the match when Czink was throwing her toys out of the pram and trying to get the game stopped for rain. Her ground shots were excellent and her serving consistent.

The only other games I saw were Riske and then Vekic. Riske is superb defensively and frustrated Tamira, like she did with Anne and deserved to win. Tamira was still struggling with a chest infection/cough and didn't look fully fit. I think Riske could be a handful for the GB girls if they meet.
Vekic seems to have found her best surface. She was excellent(after a shaky start) and will be a real danger in this tournament and at Wimbledon. She was regularly recording serves over 110 mph and has a good all round game. Everyone around reckons she will in the next couple of years be the next big star.

Nice to meet Priesty, Julia Carrot and Philwrig.
Paulisi - Interesting that you talk about Vekic as I am aware she is very young and interesting that you say that she has a good all round game as opposed to just a big serve and forehand. On what you saw - and I suppose you have already answered this to some degree - do you think she would be a threat to Johanna Konta - or even Heather Watson, assuming her form does not drop?

Apologies for the delay in responding, but Donna is a real talent at 16 and her big win in the next two rounds proved it was no fluke. Everyone will want to avoid her at Wimbledon.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Interesting to see that Anne, Laura and Mel's opponents made the semis.