A real Brit-fest of women's tennis today....And if the future of women's tennis is in the hands of Harriet, Gabi and Georgina Axon (and their cohort), life's looking up...

Harriet was in control the whole time, taking the ball early, taking it on, and against an opponent who looked rather disinterested..... (H lacks a yard of speed, and the defence isn't great, all a bit Robson-esque, but Harriet's got some real strengths, and a great physique for tennis)

Naomi B dodged a bullet today. Gabi was the better player for the first two sets, no question, with Naomi playing poorly and indulging in some amateur dramatics. A few 'rookie' errors at key moments gave Naomi the first set. But Naomi needs the points more, so all to the good - and Gab played very well, especially for someone without much match practice (I expect she's played domestic tournaments but don't know) and on grass, which I can't believe is her best surface, given her game.

Georgina Axon played some cracking tennis in the doubles (a 'strategic' (?) MTO for the French pair probably cost them the first set). For someone who only turned 16 a few days ago, it was very promising...

Fran v Mandy was a war of attrition - Fran could have won it in two, and plays nicely, but it's hard to warm to her on court as she humphs, and huffs and puffs, and looks so down, as though life is such a trial - which is bizarre because she's energetic and fit during the actual points.... But Mandy was on her toes, focused, doing her 'clay' stuff, making life tricky... and overall I was glad she won.

Shame for Lucy - that first set was very close - but no point her winning if she's injured so better that Tara won (real problems with that second serve, and still lots of fall-out from that Serena tweet, apparently....)

Cav v Em was a classic - two experienced, serious players, doing their best, no beginner stuff, no grandstanding, just heads down, battling. Well done to both....

Jazzamay wasn't as outclassed as one might have thought, although she was never going to win. But certainly didn't look ridiculous out there .....

Didn't see Laura D.

Laura Robson was there yesterday, in the grandstand apparently. Gave the Daily Mail interview which is now online re her return. (Judy Murray and Katie Swan also there yesterday, I was told).

Thanks very much for that, CD.

CD not sure how familiar you were with Naomi from her first stint on tour but how do you reckon she's looking at this stage in her comeback? Is top 200 realistic?

Anything Em did particularly well or badly today? Seems like a ground out win from a double break down in the third (although following the scores she shouldn't have lost the first with the chances she had).

I also like Gabi a lot, hope she can play a fullish schedule for the rest of the year. Harriet i think is the most promising out of the Dunne/Boulter etc... group , but all have serious potential

PaulM, I never saw Cav play live in her first coming, so it's hard to say. She certainly looks fit and, not to put too fine a point on it, a far better, healthier shape (I hope she takes that in the way it's meant, as a positive comment about now, rather than any comment re fluctuations in the past).

She has a cracking backhand (when well placed to hit it) and some good lefty stuff going on but, overall, I don't think I'd say it looks top 200 stuff.

Yet Harriet's opponent looked like nothing, and Naomi B most certainly did not look top 200 today... As one foreign coach said to me:

"the only thing you can be sure about in girls' tennis is that there's nothing to be sure about".

It can certainly be very up and down, and unpredictable .... And I also find it (personally) harder to judge with players who have rather atypical games. The classic flat-hitting, double-handed BH, baseline player is a lot easier to judge because there are so many of them. (Classic sitting on the fence, CD...)

The same applies to Em in many ways too. I thought she was playing well. But she has to work hard to win a point - her FH is well hit but she doesn't take it early and it's quite lofted, and the backhand is a lot of slice, so there's no easy winners - it's all about working angles, and constructing points, and then throwing in a few of her dropshot/net approach specialities etc. - which are good but they're not really a core strategy.

(NB Josh, I wasn't saying that Axon is at all competitive at this level yet, she's only just turned 16 and it's a 50K but I thought she was playing some lovely tennis: promising....).

Difficult to say re the Harriet/Katie B/Katy D .... I loved Katie B's game when I saw her play last year (she could have beaten Brianti if she'd been just a tiny bit more savvy). But was disappointed when I saw her later on livestream. But Harriet is certainly a fine looking player, very impressed with her strike of ball, how she leans into it, takes it early, etc. Good attitude too.)

edit: just crossed with yours, LTR - I expected a little more power too from Naomi - but might have been the wind that was a problem. Glad you had a good day too

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Wednesday 10th of June 2015 10:18:50 PM

That's funny CD, you can see Vitalia in the corner of the stream for the Kudla match, and she's already stropping, throwing her arms about and wondering why the hell she is even bothering.

Tara up 3-1*

ricardo89 wrote:

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Has Tara opponent retired score has gone lol maybe the sun has got to her ??

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I'm using the ITF scoring service and the match hasn't been on there at all, just the Sirotkina-Paszek match. Paul, where are you getting the score from? I assumed the match hadn't even started yet! 

Can just hear the umpire calling it on the men's stream. Livescoring not working on that court yet for some reason.

 

Tara *4-3, but what set that is I'm not totally sure!

 

EDIT - Turns out it was the first, which Tara has gone on to take 6-3. Long set for that scoreline!

-- Edited by PaulM on Thursday 11th of June 2015 11:10:13 AM