Week 41 - WTA ($235K) - Osaka, Japan - Hard

TomTraubert · Futures level

Week 41 - WTA ($235K) - Osaka, Japan - Hard

indiana · Tennis legend

Could have been better too. I'm not wildly confdent, but c'mon girls !

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

An average draw for both. Second round opponents look quite appealing if Laura and Heather can get through the first round, but QF opponents would be tough.

Looks like a tougher field than in previous years at Osaka.

I was trying to work out when was the last time a British woman entered a WTA tournament as defending champion. I think it was Monique Javer at Singapore in April 1989. She made the semi-finals, which Heather would settle for.

Spectator · All-time great

Hope that Ms Watson can be inspired by memories ... best of luck to them both.

TomTraubert · Futures level

had robmond worked out it wouldve been hev v laura in the dubs

hev & fichman play raymond & hercog

heathers singles is tomorrow about 04:30-05:00

laura not on oop

-- Edited by TomTraubert on Sunday 6th of October 2013 07:21:03 AM

Maza1987 · Challenger level

Just noticed Heather will fall behind joko if she fails to have a good run here.

steven · Tennis legend

Maza1987 wrote:
Just noticed Heather will fall behind joko if she fails to have a good run here.

Yes, she needs to reach the semis to stay ahead - a tall order, especially with Sabine Lisicki in her quarter.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Puig has had a breakthrough year, but she hasn't done much recently so Heather has a decent chance. Depending on how you look at it she has the benefit of good memories from last year or pressure of points to defend.

indiana · Tennis legend

I know it gets brought up quite often on here, but personally I'd be surprised if players in general felt much pressure from defending points. I'd expect them more just to concentrate on the tournament at hand pretty much as usual. I really doubt they in general bother that much about week to week points defenses.

And if that tournament is actually where they did have big success before, that should really be a positive.

TomTraubert · Futures level

well with hev right now theres the added bits about
dropping out of top 100
maybe having to q for AO
not having won many matches
just not being where she wants to be - clearly down and frustrated shes chucking or smashing racquets every match at the moment

so all that sort of stuff factors in to the pts defense pressures

anyways half the world away guernseys best is out on court good luck heather

TomTraubert · Futures level

break - break - break 1-2
pica holds *1-3

bencic has just qualified by beating rodionova (the fiestier one - she ret 0-5 down in the third) having already beaten last years finallist, kai chen chang & minella along the way - could play keys in R1 which would be interesting

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Come on Hev

TomTraubert · Futures level

first set gone 4-6

heather got back into it but let it go again at the end

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, Heather will certainly very much want to win matches and earn a lot of ranking ppoints for the reasons mentioned. But she would have wanted to do that last week, the week before and next week as well as this week.

I don't logically see that she should ( nor do I think she will ) feel particularly more pressure this week, just because this is the particular week big points come off.

Anyway, come on Hev !

indiana · Tennis legend

Heather was a break ahead in the second set, but after saving a number of break points in the 5th game is finally broken back.

Heather leads 3 - 2 *