Week 26/27 - Wimbledon women's main draw - grass

SMC1809 · All-time great

RE: Week 26/27 - Wimbledon women's main draw - grass

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

jake270392 wrote:
Jaggy1876 wrote:
It hasn't really been as close as 6-3 5-4 to be fair Sam has only taken one game to deuce on Giorgis serve
Thats what happens when you have a good serve and your groundies are woeful?

I didn't think that the actual groundshots were woeful - technically, they're pretty good and clean. But if you're not in the right position you can't hit the ball properly and Sam's micro-footwork is dreadful, really lazy, especially for someone who looks fit and athletic. She needs to sign up for fencing or boxing and she'd probably be amazed at the benefits.

blob · All-time great

Jaggy1876 wrote:
All over 6-3 6-4 pretty easy outclassed ability wise an fitness wise. Maybe a bit out of depth at this level.

I get the point.

You don't think any of the GB women are any good, you think most of them should retire, or be retired, you think they're always outclassed, you think they're bordering on a disgrace, and useless, and you will use every opportunity to belittle them, kick them when they're down and pour relentlessly negative scorn on them under the cover of 'objective opinion'. I get the point.

The previous 290 times you made exactly the same point I didn't quite get it, but I get it now.

Your other point is always - 'Why aren't there any good British women coming through - look at the bums we have to endure'?

Well, it is perishingly difficult to get young girls in this country engaged in any sort of sport, let alone competitive sport, let alone stick with it long enough to have a shot at elite sport. With commentators like this, why would wnyone want to sign up for that?

You can respond, and I'm very sure you will, I won't be around to read about it. I'm done. The real world is providing enough Jeremiah's for me at the moment.

Thanksto all who shared their knowledge and keep the site running. Much appreciated.

Good luck to the Brits here and in future.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Sam's forehand takes too long set up I thought, she just wasn't timing it against a player who was hitting big and deep. She returned dreadfully today as well so didn't give herself a chance to get in the match.

Played some nice points, but couldn't do so consistently to mount any challenge, was just too big a step-up. I think there is a quality player there though, not sure she's top 100 material but no reason she can't break the top 200 with more work.

SMC1809 · All-time great

Blob, recently I've been feeling the same way. Too many doom mongers have infiltrated the board and seem to know more about tennis than the players, their coaches etc, providing expert analysis and critiques based on a scoreboard or a rumour they themselves have started and perpetuated. Perhaps take a break, but don't go for good. This board needs true supporters like you. "Don't let the buggers get you down".

korriban · Challenger level

Win or lose, JoKo playing very well indeed in the second set! Great effort!

PaulM · Tennis legend

Yes JoKo playing very well indeed. Just again can't keep it at the high level for long enough.

These draws are just too big an ask for the girls.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Anne to win 60 60 to salvage something on day 1?

PockyTastic · Futures level

JoKo has been competing well in the second set of her match against JJ. A sloppy game allows JJ to serve for the match at 6-5. It came out of nowhere as Jo as has been doing really well in this set and often outplaying her opponent, just hasn't strung it together at the right times.

PockyTastic · Futures level

Not a fan of the commentator watching the Joko match (not Virginia). He's been a little too critical of Jo in my opinion - I guess he's just frustrated as she has shown that she has the game to beat players like JJ.

jake270392 · Intermediate Club Player

PockyTastic wrote:
Not a fan of the commentator watching the Joko match (not Virginia). He's been a little too critical of Jo in my opinion - I guess he's just frustrated as she has shown that she has the game to beat players like JJ.

To be honest I am the same as well, I think its annoying watching a game like this where Jo is playing well and then she plays a really sloppy game and therefore loses the match. It has been pretty rubbish draws this year but its still frustrating!

PaulM · Tennis legend

Yes I thought he was a bit harsh. I thought she acquitted herself very well. As Virginia said, it's just fine tuning.

It's not really fair to huff and puff about her not taking it to three. She played someone who is way above the type of player she normally faced, gave it everything she had, and came up short. Of course she's not going to hit screaming winners every point, if she was she wouldn't be ranked 137 in the world.

Another tearful walk off court for a Brit but she is just so exciting to watch. It just needs to click. She needs to schedule smart and get a few wins under her belt. I feel JoKo needs momentum, and once she gets going she'll be on her way.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Well done to Jo. The best show by a Brit today (and no criticism as such to some of the others, simply Jo's second set was absolutely nip and tuck with a world top class player).

She's pretty young and should get on the shirt-tails of Heather and Laura - she's really close to breaking out and moving up a significant notch.

NB nice thinking for Anne but, if I could wave the magic wand, I'd give James a win - still feel awful for him after Queens. Of course, both would be nice . . .

PockyTastic · Futures level

PaulM wrote:
Yes I thought he was a bit harsh. I thought she acquitted herself very well. As Virginia said, it's just fine tuning.

It's not really fair to huff and puff about her not taking it to three. She played someone who is way above the type of player she normally faced, gave it everything she had, and came up short. Of course she's not going to hit screaming winners every point, if she was she wouldn't be ranked 137 in the world.

Another tearful walk off court for a Brit but she is just so exciting to watch. It just needs to click. She needs to schedule smart and get a few wins under her belt. I feel JoKo needs momentum, and once she gets going she'll be on her way.

Agreed. It's sad to see her exit, but it was a draw that was always going to be tough. Yep, a good mix of WTA qualies & 50Ks this Summer should allow Jo to move upwards - apart from the big haul at the US Open and a 50K runner up (I want to say Lexington?) am I right in thinking she has nothing else really to defend this year (I seem to remember her carrying a few niggles in the Autumn season last year?).

At the end of the day she's going to get a slating in the press. All the performances will create yet another "Look how bad British tennis is" article. Jo showed promise. Bally is still working her way back (definitely looked like she wanted it too much - understandable as she is a passionate, give it 100% player). Sam was making her slam debut - not great on the return so it was just a lot of pressure on her serve. Hopefully Sam will take heart and play a more relaxed match in the doubles with Jade.

Criticism is good, but one thing I miss about the board of yore (back 4/5 years ago) is the optimism. Blind optimism is of course a bit silly, but I liked how this was the one place on the internet where people weren't constantly slinging mud at British players. Again, not to say constructive criticism isn't good - Virginia Wade's point about JoKo's very slight hesitation on her groundies after an early set up seemed valid, once she pointed it out you could kinda see Jo doing it. However, players who most people have never seen play live let alone met get all sorts of nasty comments. BUT, perhaps if you see a thread in which a player ranked around 900/1000 has lost in round 1 or 2 of a 10K event and you think "yeah she can't be very good" maybe you should keep it to yourself. If you were there and saw her shanking the ball left right and centre or whatever then say so... Now I sound like some dictator inhibiting people's freedom speech, but I'm not sure I'd like a bunch of strangers ripping me to pieces on the basis of my job performance (yes tennis is a spectator sport...).

steven · Tennis legend

Such a pity the match ended like that. I thought JoKo played really well in the 2nd set and would have loved to see her win it.

As was mentioned when the draw came out, to a large extent the better the Brit, the worse the draw they got, which meant quite a few outside chances but also that it could easily go as badly as it has done so far.

blob, I hope you don't really go (at least not for ever) - it's good to have lots of shades of opinion on the board but that means we definitely need the people who helped give the board a positive atmosphere in the first place,

I'm all for a bit of realistic discussion and can't stand the ridiculous fanboying/fangirling you get on many of the individual player forums, but in my opinion all the best forum members genuinely want the Brits (or at least a subset of them) to do well and I get fed up too when it feels like someone is being relentlessly negative just for the sake of it - after all, I can read much of the media if I want relentless negativity!