Week 31 - ITF ($100K) - Vancouver, Canada - Hard

Sally · Grand Slam Champion

RE: Week 31 - ITF ($100K) - Vancouver, Canada - Hard

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Sadly, I agree with Coup Droit's comments regarding Naomi. Hard to see things improving unless big changes are made.

Super win for JoKo.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The mens doubles has just finished so Sam should be on shortly.

All square so far between Jo and Jade 2-2

Edit: now 4-4 between the two Uk girls - no breaks, not even any BP as far as I can see - very tight . . .

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Thursday 1st of August 2013 09:41:41 PM

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Sam breaks for *3-1 after a long game.

Mostly watching Sam v Kimiko but whenever I've seen some of JoKo v Jade, JoKo has been just awful in the 2nd set. Df to lose serve, managing to have total control of rallies yet somehow still lose them.

-- Edited by kundalini on Thursday 1st of August 2013 10:34:30 PM

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

There's a stream for both matches

www.vanopen.com/live-streaming.html

Sam held for 4-1* with an ace and some help from Kimiko.

Sam rather wastes mini opportunities at 30-30 and 40-40, firing 2nd serve returns out of play, as KDK holds for *4-2

Sam looks comfortable at 30-0 then goes to pieces, losing four points in a row with some careless errors 4-3*

Kimiko has moments of looking a class player but she's made enough errors for Sam to have won this set. 4-4

Meanwhile JoKo seems to have gone up at least one gear, looking much better and leading 3-0* in the third set

KDK breaks for 4-5*

Sam breaks back for 5-5 with a super, and slightly fortunate, stop half-volley that clips the net and just manages to make it over. KDK df earlier in the game and another woeful return from Sam, also one good attacking point from Murray and a soft error from KDK

KDK puts a straightforward backhand pass down the line into the net to allow Sam to hold to 30 for 6-5*

Poor fh from KDK, good return from Sam, good depth from Sam until KDK nets, then a fh long from KDK as Sam breaks to love to take the set 7-5

Meanwhile JoKo trying to close out the match at 5-1 but gets broken 5-2*

Sam seems to be having an injury time-out, might be tactical so I can watch some of JoKo's match.

JoKo gets mp then helps out Jade with a disappointing return, more errors allow Jade to hold for 5-3*

KDK's touch shots are sublime. Sam makes a slow start to the third set immediately going 0-40, saves two bps but a clean return winner from KDK gets her an early break 0-1*

KDK error, decent return, poor return out of play, df for 15-40, wild fh from Kimiko to concede her serve 1-1 she thinks about blasting a ball then remembers she's far too old for tantrums.

-- Edited by kundalini on Thursday 1st of August 2013 11:22:14 PM

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

JoKo 5-4

Sam 2-1* didn't see much of that game. Think there was a df early on

Another lucky netcord for Sam bring up 15-40, Kimiko nets *3-1

Sam with one of the worst smashes I've seen this year to get broken after a poor game featuring a df, a rubbish forehand into the net 3-2*

Standard is pretty low in this set, another df bring 30-30 but KDK holds for 3-3

Sam 0-40 saves two bps with good aggressive play then a wild df 3-4*

Clever short slice from Sam, Kimiko fights back from 0-30 to 40-30 as Sam's technique gets exposed, eventually holding *3-5

Sam holds to 15. 4-5*

Brilliant crosscourt backhand from Sam to break after she rather wasted an earlier bp, plenty of good aggressive play from Murray in that game 5-5

Sam's first serve goes missing, she saves two bps but eventually pays the price as Kimiko lands a deep return to set up another bp, Murray long 5-6*

A 2nd serve gets the treatment it deserves 30-30, mp saved with a pass winner after Kimiko failed to do enough with the volley. A short return from Murray causes KDK trouble allowing Sam to pass, KDK saves bp with aggressive play, an aggressive bh from Sam creates another bp and a good deep return gets her the break 6-6

Tiebreak

1-0

1-1 Murray attacks the net but Kimiko's pass is too good and she can't control the volley on the stretch

1-2 unreturned

1-3 df

1-4 another 2nd serve gives KDK the chance to attack

1-5 KDK aggressive

2-5 KDK ue long

3-5 KDK poor slice into net

3-6 yet another 2nd serve this time put away for a return winner

4-6 Sam does likewise

4-7 2nd serve but Sam's poor return is long

Not a match she should have won but definitely a match she could have won. Plenty of super play from Sam, taking control of the rallies with aggressive shots, coming to the net from time to time. But also a match full of dfs (13 from Sam, 6 from Kimiko), awful 2nd serve returns (mainly from Sam) and careless errors from both players. Kimiko had patches of looking a class player, wonderful touch near the net but her level was desperately low at times. Towards the end of the match Sam simply missed far too many first serves and despite twice breaking to stay in the match with some inspired play, eventually paid the price.

-- Edited by kundalini on Friday 2nd of August 2013 01:23:25 AM

steven · Tennis legend

JoKo should hit a new career high around 130 now. Hopefully she can get whatever the problem is sorted out - her movement in the last game provides a glimmer of hope there.

Jade won't quite make the top 300 but another main draw match win or two at 25K level or above should do it. She has got 4 wins and 24 WTA singles points this week, her =2nd biggest singles points haul, after Wimbledon QR2 (40) and equal with Johannesburg (24), both earlier this year.

She is also the first player to take a set of JoKo in the latter's 7-match winning streak!

-- Edited by steven on Thursday 1st of August 2013 11:39:33 PM

steven · Tennis legend

If only she could play as well when she's ahead as she does when she's behind - some fantastic shots from Sam as she saves a match point and gets a break point, but it's now deuce.

... and another incredible winner ... bp ... yes! Tiebreak time.

-- Edited by steven on Friday 2nd of August 2013 12:01:03 AM

briteny · Intermediate Club Player

bleh disbelief No! You worked so hard and lost, it is devastating! Tennis is so hard!

-- Edited by briteny on Friday 2nd of August 2013 12:13:49 AM

wolf · Tennis legend

I think JoKo has pulled out of her doubles with Tara, ITF scoreboard has walkover.

-- Edited by wolf on Friday 2nd of August 2013 12:35:47 AM

WD40 · Club Coach

Pity but yep sure looks that way..........and probably for the best to concentrate on the singles.

QF : Johanna KONTA (GBR)/Tara MOORE (GBR) (Q) lose to Stephanie DUBOIS (CAN)/ Stephanie FORETZ GACON (FRA) by a walkover cry

-- Edited by WD40 on Friday 2nd of August 2013 12:53:31 AM

paulisi · Tennis legend

philwrig wrote:
Interesting note about Tara is of course throughout the whole year she has been aided by Jeremy Bates. Now of course he has been assigned the task of helping Hev, not saying it has had any influence but I just wonder whether deep down there is a little bit of irritation there. Because this is probably one of her most disappointing performances of the season.

-- Edited by philwrig on Wednesday 31st of July 2013 10:54:40 PM

Tara's coaching team is Jeremy and Jane.

Sally · Grand Slam Champion

Jo v Jade starting now. Winner will play 6th seed Zanevska in the next round.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Joko takes the first set 7-5.

Maybe she'll relax and play better now but I wouldn't bet against a third set though - the two girls have practically identical stats.

Sam 1*-4, having just broken back after being 4-0 down.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Jade holding her own very well against JoKo.