Week 39 - WTA Premier 5 - Tokyo, Japan - Hard

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

RE: Week 39 - WTA Premier 5 - Tokyo, Japan - Hard

briteny · Intermediate Club Player

Well, even being top 30, I still think it is an good achievement !

-- Edited by briteny on Monday 23rd of September 2013 03:43:13 AM

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Another depressing display from Laura. Could easily have mistaken her performance for one of her matches when she was 17. Lots of stunning winners, especially on the return, but her movement was painful to watch; yet another Morita winner into a huge gap. Miles tried to encourage her after the opening set but Laura started the 2nd set as if she'd rather be on a beach somewhere, within no time she was 0-3 down and despite getting to 30-30 in each of Morita's final 3 service games, she couldn't take advantage of 2nd serves, allowing her Japanese opponent to hold without too much trouble each time. We'd seen a very similar pattern in the opening set, Laura giving away her opening service game with 3 awful forehands, then hinting at recovering the break in several return games before eventually punishing two 2nd serves to break back for 4-4. She saved a couple of bps the following game and looked well positioned at 5-4* 15-30 second serve, only to let that opportunity slip away.

It seemed to be quite windy, a few terrible shots perhaps due to gusts of wind blowing the ball at the last minute. Morita dominated most of the rallies, Robson's defensive shots regularly finding the net. I suspect Laura took some pace off her first serve at times; seemed like a reasonable decision until late in the opening set when Morita started belting huge returns deep, giving her control of the point and allowing her to win 3 points in a row against the first serve from 40-30. Morita's serve not too clever as she tried to serve out the opening set though Robson's returning was much better in that game. Laura appeared to have control of the tie-break at 3-1 then *4-3 but two second serves gave Morita the chance to dominate and then Laura made a couple of soft errors on the final two points of the set.

Hard to be optimistic about the next couple of years after that display. Eventually I imagine she'll get to the point where her talent alone can blast the likes of Morita off the court but right now the error count, especially on the return of serve, is so high that even modest opponents can beat Laura without playing that great. Miles said something along the lines of "keep your energy level high. You're hitting some good shots" after a depressed looking Laura had told him she didn't feel she was playing well. I suspect he may need to do a lot of encouraging while he remains her coach. I get the impression Laura hasn't had much confidence all season and rarely seems to enjoy being on court.

The numbers:

Unreturned serves (including aces): AM 25 (including 7 unreturned 2nd serves) - LR 19 (including 3 unreturned 2nd serves)

Winners (not including aces): AM 15 - LR 18 (6 return winners, 5 on first groundstroke after serve)

Unforced errors (not including unreturned 2nd serves) AM 21 - LR 21 (13 forehands, 3 of which were the first shot after her serve, 2 dfs)

Aggressive shots that forced an error: AM 12 - LR 10 (including 4 returns and 3 first groundstroke after her serve)

65% first serve percentage, winning 70/42 on serve, 32/56 on return, 5 aces (according to official stats, I had it as 6), 2 dfs in 21 second serves

-- Edited by kundalini on Monday 23rd of September 2013 06:32:00 PM

PaulM · Tennis legend

Laura was dreadful frankly. Ayumi had a couple of inspired winners but she was helped by Laura being slow, incredibly sloppy, and doing next to nothing with the ball. The tiebreak should have been killed off but she really let Ayumi back into it and it all ended a bit meekly.

She looked thoroughly miserable and flat throughout. I also think she gives up way to easily after losing a close set, she didn't fight for this at all. Miles was trying to tell her to keep her energy but she was really just going through the motions. No idea if the wrist is still an issue but these tournaments are huge for setting up a base to launch from next year, there are big, big points on offer.

15-19 record, one tour QF. Shocking for a player with her ranking. Time for this season to be over and get a very solid training block in over the winter. It just needs to click in place, and once it does she will be flying, she's such a special player but clearly needs a bit of time (probably at least another year) to keep learning. Just hope she doesn't get too deflated in the process.

-- Edited by PaulM on Monday 23rd of September 2013 07:36:09 AM

philwrig · Hall of fame

I think BT sport were covering Seoul over the weekend.

Very windy today in Tokyo, hoping the main arena is sheltered from the wind otherwise it could get ugly.

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

I remember there was a discussion on here about Laura and Heather about who would go further. Consensus being Laura top 10 potential Heather top 30. I think thats probably still about right Heather doesn't have the weapons to be any higher than top30 in my opinion but we shall see. Could struggling for direct entry to Aus open now.

Spectator · All-time great

And it would be no disaster, I suspect, if she didn't get direct entry. Ms Watson is very gifted and, if she can have had some good rest and drawn a line under a rotten year, would probably do very nicely indeed if seeded in the qualifying draw. Given the points on offer for the women in said draw, it might be a lot better for her than another possible scenario of getting direct entry, being unseeded, facing someone like Azarenka, and starting the year with a really difficult match.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Morita wins the first set on the tie-break. Laura paid for a sloppy opening game in the end as the quality has been quite high since.
Worryingly though Laura looked a bit despondent at the change of ends, so needs to start this set well

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Morita wins 7-6 6-3

Laura played quite well in the first set but she reacted badly to losing it which she can't afford to do and Morita took advantage early in the second set then held on. Laura has made some good progress in how she handles matches mentally but she has taken a backward step in that regard recently. I think that Laura's tie-break record this year is starting to get to her, either that or the defeat from last week. Credit to Morita though who played well, especially at the end of the first set where she played some inspired tennis.

steven · Tennis legend

L56: Laura Robson WR 38 lost to Ayumi Morita (JPN) WR 62 (CH 40 in 2011) by 7-6(4) 6-3 bleh

Only 3 points and 1 break separated them in the end, but I can imagine it wasn't pretty

TomTraubert · Futures level

laura played same sort of match she has often this year and got te same result

in running WR
37 laura
38 svitolina
39 genie
41 keys

both svitolina & genie won their R1 in tokyo and would overtake robson if they win another round. they have ivanovic & sloane next

all 4 have about the same amount of points to defend by year end
itll be interesting to see who tops that little league by the time the seasons done

korriban · Challenger level

PaulM wrote:
Laura was dreadful frankly. Ayumi had a couple of inspired winners but she was helped by Laura being slow, incredibly sloppy, and doing next to nothing with the ball. The tiebreak should have been killed off but she really let Ayumi back into it and it all ended a bit meekly.

She looked thoroughly miserable and flat throughout. I also think she gives up way to easily after losing a close set, she didn't fight for this at all. Miles was trying to tell her to keep her energy but she was really just going through the motions. No idea if the wrist is still an issue but these tournaments are huge for setting up a base to launch from next year, there are big, big points on offer.

15-19 record, one tour QF. Shocking for a player with her ranking. Time for this season to be over and get a very solid training block in over the winter. It just needs to click in place, and once it does she will be flying, she's such a special player but clearly needs a bit of time (probably at least another year) to keep learning. Just hope she doesn't get too deflated in the process.

-- Edited by PaulM on Monday 23rd of September 2013 07:36:09 AM

Same old story according to those that watched. Please, nobody mention this to Adrian Durham!

Not sure what is the most concerning of the comments.

1. Terrible movement. Again.

2. Wild UEs, particularly off the forehand. Again.

3. Losing a TB. Again. That's 10 lost out of 12 this year.

4. Showing not enough fight after losing a TB or a close set. Again.

As I've said before, I geniunely think with a player like this (all the natural talent in the world - A God-given ability in my view, but with average athletic ability, questionable matchplay streetsmarts, and a work ethic and attitude to life that has been questioned by some - possibly unfairly) she needs a big crisis to galvanise her into a radical change in her approach..........don't know what the new approach should be (because none of us know for sure how she trains, how much she wants it, and what her attitude is like), but surely there MUST be an issue behind the scenes. Yes Laura has more power, more experience and more endurance, but in terms of the critical areas that had to improve dramatically she still basically has all of the same issues as she did as a 14 year old.

The frustrating thing for me is NOT that she isn't already top 10, reaching QFs in slams, etc - it's that she is lucky enough that ALL of her specific weaknesses are the ones which can be literally transformed with hard work, dedication, high level coaching and sheer bloody-mindedness.......whereas her strengths cannot be taught....they are natural gifts! Yet whilst we do see signs of improvements, frankly, they are often fleeting or marginal. Why?

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Sigh, another slump.

She only seems to do well in the GS's, when another Brit is doing well or when she's just lost/gotten another coach.

korriban · Challenger level

TomTraubert wrote:
laura played same sort of match she has often this year and got te same result

in running WR
37 laura
38 svitolina
39 genie
41 keys

both svitolina & genie won their R1 in tokyo and would overtake robson if they win another round. they have ivanovic & sloane next

all 4 have about the same amount of points to defend by year end
itll be interesting to see who tops that little league by the time the seasons done

Please God one of these younger girls overtakes her, then we can be done with this "youngest ranked teenager" rubbish for ever. It doesn't score you any ranking points, but it probably does cost you an hour or two per week in terms additional interviews, WTA commitments and general irrelevant "stuff"

PaulM · Tennis legend

Laura not committed to anything after Beijing.

I think the European indoor fortnight would actually suit her game very well (at least she wouldn't have to bother with wind), certainly you would think an event like Luxembourg would be a great opportunity for her.

But I'm not surprised she isn't playing again, unfortunately the indoor events don't fit into a schedule very easily without lots of trans-contintent travel, which is a shame.