Week 9 - WTA International ($250,000) - Acapulco, Mexico - Hard

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

RE: Week 9 - WTA International ($250,000) - Acapulco, Mexico - Hard

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

The break hasn't stopped the Swiss momentum, as Bencic breaks immediately.

0-1*

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Bencic well in control now

0-3*

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Longish break, presumably a MTO/PTO of some description.
Bencic holds to love. *0-4

Perhaps something is wrong with Jo, the first two sets were very even and competitive; the third is turning into a rout. JoKo barely winning a point a game in this set so far.

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Jo grits her teeth and digs her heels in though. Plenty more grinding required.
1-4*

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Bencic wins

5-7 6-4 6-1

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Seemed a marked turnaround. Hard to know where to go as Joko needs to be scoring in these weeks to break out of that 100-150 range she's been in now for over a year, and the opportunities don't come so often.
Patience, and belief. It will happen.

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Well, at least Heather is still down to play doubles this week, with Kimiko.
Presuming, of course, that Heather recovers sufficiently well from whatever caused her singles withdrawals

The last time they played together, they made the final, so here's hoping for history repeating itself.

They have McHale/Tomljanovic in R1

steven · Tennis legend

QR2: (q9) Johanna Konta WR 119 lost to Belinda Bencic (SUI) WR 146 (CH 139, junior no. 1) by 5-7 6-4 6-1

Bencic won 6 games in a row across the set/heat break, with JoKo barely getting into double figures for points won in those games. With a LL place now available, she might well have been better off not getting promoted to 9th seed and staying where she originally was in the draw, especially after Hev had to pull out. She might then have got to the FQR and lost to Bencic there instead.

Oh well, it always did look like the qualifying section from hell ...

PaulM · Tennis legend

Jo has a rather frustrating tendency to play well for a set and a half. Her serving stats were really excellent up to that point, and then fell apart.

Disappointing. I thought once she broke back for *4-4 she was going to close out. it was a tough section but she really needs to start qualifying for these events.

-- Edited by PaulM on Monday 24th of February 2014 07:45:39 AM

indiana · Tennis legend

More disappointed by the fall away than the defeat itself. It always looked a tough one.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

It seems to me (although facts may not actually support this theory) that Jo frequently finds it hard to close out matches. There seem to have been plenty which were comfortably on her racquet but which have got away. If it is so, what theories do posters have as to why? Is it tough draws and she doesn't expect to win so tightens up when the end is in sight? Is it a trait she's always had? Is she over-ranked and struggling to maintain her ranking? Is it wanting to get into the top 100 too much? With the way she plays until the finish line is in sight, I really expected she would have steadily risen higher than she has so far. Frustrating for us to follow and doubtless frustrating for Miss Konta.

korriban · Challenger level

The Optimist wrote:
It seems to me (although facts may not actually support this theory) that Jo frequently finds it hard to close out matches. There seem to have been plenty which were comfortably on her racquet but which have got away. If it is so, what theories do posters have as to why? Is it tough draws and she doesn't expect to win so tightens up when the end is in sight? Is it a trait she's always had? Is she over-ranked and struggling to maintain her ranking? Is it wanting to get into the top 100 too much? With the way she plays until the finish line is in sight, I really expected she would have steadily risen higher than she has so far. Frustrating for us to follow and doubtless frustrating for Miss Konta.

There have indeed been a few shockers as the finishing line approaches. And I presume this is something that her WTA rivals will be well aware of by now.......its probably something that Jo should relax about, but I'd imagine the more you try to block out passive or. negative thoughts, the more they develop.

philwrig · Hall of fame

I'm not sure how much tennis players use psychologists, but Jo is a strong lady, and it might be that strength of character which she could use to say you know what, someone like this could be very helpful. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Alot of the top sportsmen use sport psychologists and it really helps. It wouldn't be evidence of a weakness but one of strength to try this option.

PockyTastic · Futures level

philwrig wrote:
I'm not sure how much tennis players use psychologists, but Jo is a strong lady, and it might be that strength of character which she could use to say you know what, someone like this could be very helpful. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Alot of the top sportsmen use sport psychologists and it really helps. It wouldn't be evidence of a weakness but one of strength to try this option.

I think Anne Keothavong used a sports psychologist and I think has said that it helped her make the transition from 150 to top 100.

-- Edited by PockyTastic on Tuesday 25th of February 2014 01:34:20 PM