john wrote:

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I've always felt that Heather was massively overranked when she made the top 50 and it was just a matter of time until she was back on the ITF tour or floating around the 100 mark.

Sorry, but just my opinion. Feel free to flame away lol

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 I tend to think of players being over-ranked when they've got big points through w/o, retirements, injured opponents, ridiculously lucky draws, or beating a lot of modest opponents at a lower level of tournament (for example: Mel getting to the top 100 by playing 25Ks). Heather's career high came from 12 months that included 7 top 50 wins and 12 wins over players ranked between 51-100. With the exception of Na Li at the US Open, Heather's draws in that period of time were reasonably favourable though not outrageously so. I just think Heather's previous style of play, combined with her athleticism, is a good combination for a ranking 40-60 as there are so many events played in windy conditions, or at altitude, or on slower surfaces, where soaking up the pressure will quite often beat all-out attack, unless the attacking player is really on-form that day. 

-- Edited by kundalini on Saturday 21st of September 2013 08:33:09 PM

Tough one for Heather, that was probably about 50/50 before the match and it looked like a case of not taking her chances and a closer match than a 3 & 3 defeat suggests.

Will be tough for Heather to remain in the top 100 now unless she repeats her Osaka heroics of last year. Perhaps a more important target is top 110 and direct entry to the Australian Open.

john wrote:

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I've always felt that Heather was massively overranked when she made the top 50 and it was just a matter of time until she was back on the ITF tour or floating around the 100 mark.

Sorry, but just my opinion. Feel free to flame away lol

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 I understand where you are coming from as compared to Laura her ball striking ability is not even close, BUT what I think she has got that has gotten her to her CH (and probably will again) is grit and movement. Tennis as with most things in life is really played between the ears, albeit you have to have the talent too, and Hev's great in that department - miles ahead of Laura. I think top 50 is fair, and that she'll get back there once she recovers properly.

I still think Laura will go higher though as you can't teach ball striking, but you can teach psychology and movement.

Come on peeps, she's had GF all year, she's a solid top 50 player when fit and well. But it might take a little time to get back there.

I think kundalini has set it out very fairly. There was little in the year of tennis that took Heather to a WR of 39 to suggest she was markedly overranked. Certainly she seemed well deserving of being top 50.

As a still pretty young player, gaining experience by the day, and once she can put her GF fully behind her, both physically and mentally, I see no real logical reason not to think that she can again be a top 50 player.

Tbh, you guys have made some good points. More confident of Heather's success than before, you've talked me round

Can't beat the middle of the night.