Week 38 - ITF ($25K) - Shrewsbury, UK Hard

indiana · Tennis legend

RE: Week 38 - ITF ($25K) - Shrewsbury, UK Hard

korriban · Challenger level

Sam 2-6 0-1*. Her play is unrecognisable from the strong, tough match player we have seen in recent times. Truly awful today. No Weetabix consumed perhaps - and she's sreaming at the umpire for this that and the other - something's very wrong.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

paulisi wrote:
indiana wrote:
Oh c'mon just because of these results and the general rankings positions at the moment, the LTA should drop 25Ks ??

I'm tempted to say, knowing what's happened to men's challengers in GB, don't encourage them !
I'm not saying they should, but will probably replace the majority with 10K's if they keep the same policy as the men. A couple of years ago it was probably justified with a few more girls competitive at this level.

It's an interesting question. Don't know the answer but just a couple of points:

1. 'Normally' we'd have Tara playing (don't know why not this time) and Lisa (injured) and maybe Amanda (she came for Wimbledon). So that's three more of the right level.

2. You can't take this one alone. You'd have to look at Woking (6 GB women made the second round, 2 made the semis) and Loughborough etc.

3. There is some argument to 'raising the bar' i.e. is the sudden influx of GB men into the top 500 this year because of the GB futures this year (yes in the case of Dan Cox) or a knock-on effect of the tournaments from last year ? Will it help the GB women more in the long term by being part of a 'home' higher-ranking tournament ? Most are playing doubles, so they'll be around to see the matches, see top 200 women playing, see what's possible etc. etc.

4. This 25k is far higher in standard than the other two 25ks going on this week (and one just in St. Malo, no distance). Is that normal ? Just 'bad' luck ? Timing ? A good thing?

Anyway, as I say, no idea . . .

and meanwhile Sam looks to be suffering - 2-6 0-1* down

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Sam 2-6 3-4* down against the WR 425 ):

john · Top national player

Wow, now Sam is broken from 40-0 after getting back on serve. Rubbish today :(

korriban · Challenger level

john wrote:
Wow, now Sam is broken from 40-0 after getting back on serve. Rubbish today :(

She's not playing that well, yet being exceptionally aggressive, almost Kamikaze. Sometimes, it's worth doing an Alex Ward and just gradually working your way back into the match and back into rhythmn.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

korriban wrote:
john wrote:
Wow, now Sam is broken from 40-0 after getting back on serve. Rubbish today :(
She's not playing that well, yet being exceptionally aggressive, almost Kamikaze. Sometimes, it's worth doing an Alex Ward and just gradually working your way back into the match and back into rhythmn.

I agree. These mad dashes to the net are bizarre !

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

well, as much by luck as judgement, Sam holds.

Now Martina will have to serve for the match and hopefully her nerve will give a bit . . .

john · Top national player

Ok, let's see if she can break to stay in the match at 4-5*

Might swing the momentum if she does

PockyTastic · Futures level

GSM Borecka 6-2 6-4

korriban · Challenger level

Sam. I'm very sorry, but that was just not thought through rationally.

Probably 80% of your lost points were errors attempting to go for outright winners, super aggressive returns on the baseline or dashing to the net on any old ball - if they go in, fantastic, but on those days when they don't, like today, you just have to be patient until the magic returns - or apparently not in this case. I just don't get it - she never gave herself a chance to "buy time" and win this match.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yep, I agree. Very weird. As though her brain had just been short-fused . . .

But then, I didn't expect Sam to lose. I didn't expect An-Sophie to lose. I didn't expect Stephanie F Gacon to lose. I'm batting well today . . .

I don't expect Claire Feuerstein to lose either - maybe that's good news for EMily !

PockyTastic · Futures level

Frustratingly, as the second match on the scheduled court is still dragging on, Em's match has been moved to one of the unstreamed courts. Good news is that Em is currently 3-1 up.

steven · Tennis legend

Feuerstein's name means "Flintstone" in German, so I'm assuming she's playing Pebbles to Emily's Bam-Bam at the moment

4-2*

PockyTastic · Futures level

From what I can see and hear of the match there was a contentious call on one of them that went against Em. The French woman has also hit a few big serves on the BP...