Week 35 - US Open Singles Main Draw - Hard

philwrig · Hall of fame

RE: Week 35 - US Open Singles Main Draw - Hard

indiana · Tennis legend

It is what is.

Hopefully the "new" Jo will embrace the experience, feel great to have made it there and then just give it her all.

PS: Plus should certainly mean that Jo at worst makes the last 9

-- Edited by indiana on Sunday 6th of September 2015 10:40:19 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

Eugenie Bouchard has pulled out of tonight's L16 match giving a w/o to Roberta Vinci.

She slipped and fell over in the locker room yesterday, evidently suffering a "head injury" and possible concussion.

She earlier pulled out of the women's doubles and mixed doubles, but had been hoping to make her singles match.

skibbarriz · Strong Club Player

Konta has been a revelation. So great to see this sort of tale from a British player. It's been fun to hear the media doing their 'so who is Johanna Konta?' articles and converstaions.

I'm really pleased for her because not too long ago she seemed to be in a complete mire with no light at the end of the tunnel with regard her play and results. What a transformation. I know she's been on a great run prior to the US Open but delivering what she has on the big stage is another level. All hail the well documented changes she made.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

nicofrance wrote:
Apparently Konta plays in the night session tomorrow at midnight UK time. This is going to make life even more difficult for her, first time on Arthur Ashe court under the lights. I would have much preferred to see her in the day time on Louis Armstrong court.

I'm just really happy for her. I'm super exited that she's doing so well, and now ecstatic that the USO has given her that recognition. I think she'll be fine with her new found mental attitude, and what an opportunity. I think she's just enjoy every moment, she's the underdog in any case, and Petra's the one under the pressure, so who knows.

I'm just looking forward to it.

Go JoKo!

philwrig · Hall of fame

Great little interview on Sky with Jo, where she was quite clear that the cut in funding had no impact on her progress, all it did was provide uncertainty. The press have been pushing the theory that in some ways that was the catalyst for this most recent surge. Jo was also asked by Annabel about whether she had altered her forehand technique at all, and Jo replied not at all, the improvement was more down again to her mindset, just focussing on each individual point, and enjoy the process on court and don't overthink.
She was also quite unaware that she was so close to getting the GB number 1 status, Marcus explaining that a win over Petra would seal the deal.

As an aside I really believe Jo's big run here will help Hev, it's going to really motivate her to comeback strong during the Asian swing.

Peter too · Tennis legend

If Laura and Heather could just recover their previous form we could have three top 50 players. That really would be something, though it would set Judy a nice problem to solve particularly if Anna and Joss also start winning some more WTA matches.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

If you add Katie Swan into that mix, in the same way Kyle has been around the DC squad and you are beginning to build the foundation for a very powerful whiteman cup team, particularly given that Hev and Laura are still young and Jo about to enter the prime of her career.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

I doubt the change in funding has had a great impact on Johanna (she stated in one of her interviews that she much prefers her full name to Jo!), but I'm convinced that getting away from the NTC has had a major effect. Everyone who has trained there regularly in the past, junior or adult, looked anxious and worried on the match court and until she moved her career looked like it was disappearing in a bundle of nerves. IMO there was so much focus and emphasis there on targets and professionalism that a key ingredient got lost - enjoyment. And Johanna has been stressing the importance of that factor all week.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

The Optimist wrote:
I doubt the change in funding has had a great impact on Johanna (she stated in one of her interviews that she much prefers her full name to Jo!), but I'm convinced that getting away from the NTC has had a major effect. Everyone who has trained there regularly in the past, junior or adult, looked anxious and worried on the match court and until she moved her career looked like it was disappearing in a bundle of nerves. IMO there was so much focus and emphasis there on targets and professionalism that a key ingredient got lost - enjoyment. And Johanna has been stressing the importance of that factor all week.

I've worked around the world on British and non British teams in professional environments. Many other countries seem to have a healthier working environment IMHO. Energy is not wasted by stress and appearing to be 'serious'. Ironically the Germans are very high up there! They really have a laugh, but get the work done too. JoKo now seems to have followed suit. She seems to be both motivated and enjoying herself, and right now it's reaping it's rewards.

On a wider note, I wonder whether this culture of needing to look miserable to be seen as trying in the UK affects our other sports people too, and possibly our own general enjoyment of life, as well as reaching our own potentials.

indiana · Tennis legend

The Optimist wrote:
I doubt the change in funding has had a great impact on Johanna (she stated in one of her interviews that she much prefers her full name to Jo!), but I'm convinced that getting away from the NTC has had a major effect. Everyone who has trained there regularly in the past, junior or adult, looked anxious and worried on the match court and until she moved her career looked like it was disappearing in a bundle of nerves. IMO there was so much focus and emphasis there on targets and professionalism that a key ingredient got lost - enjoyment. And Johanna has been stressing the importance of that factor all week.

Indeed, to rather echo Helen and yourself, I always think the best environment is a work hard, but also have some fun and enjoyment environment.

Look at Andy's training, clearly super hard but he and his various teams have clearly had fun too, ribbed each other, had silly games etc. Think he grew up a bit in that culture looking at how much Judy was adding in to down time with the Fed Cup team.

Look at the England Women's Football World Cup team. I clearly do not know the real truth of the matter, but there has been a fair bit of retrospective undisguised critisism from players of the apparently strict regime of the previous manager Hope Powell with lack of enjoyment just being there mentioned. Now with Mark Sampson a squad clearly enjoying their time together, no doubt they work hard and they were successful, but I loved the footage of them dancing in the changing room before their winning bronze medal match with Germany.

On a professional work level, the best teams I have managed or worked in got on in each other's company, ribbed each other and worked hard towards our goals.

It seems to have been a pretty awful environment at the NTC, that's why it was failing and that eminates from the top.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 7th of September 2015 12:36:59 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The Optimist wrote:
I doubt the change in funding has had a great impact on Johanna (she stated in one of her interviews that she much prefers her full name to Jo!), but I'm convinced that getting away from the NTC has had a major effect. Everyone who has trained there regularly in the past, junior or adult, looked anxious and worried on the match court and until she moved her career looked like it was disappearing in a bundle of nerves. IMO there was so much focus and emphasis there on targets and professionalism that a key ingredient got lost - enjoyment. And Johanna has been stressing the importance of that factor all week.

Yes. Completely agree about the 'anxious' and 'worried' adjectives. Not sure about the use of the word 'professionalism' but I agree about targets. Although the idea of those in control getting uptight about targets is sadly funny, given that so many are still in their jobs, for such a long time, despite such ongoing poor results ..... The atmosphere when Jeremy Bates is around, for instance, is horrible - it's like being near the headmaster, you want to look down and check if your tie is on straight - quite wrong for tennis (IMHO). And the players don't look happy.

JWH is a classic NTC case in point. First year playing Wimbly qualies (from Soto) he was a young man loving to play, a little Evo like, taking obvious pleasure in trying out shots, even if they weren't perhaps the most percentage choices. And playing very well.

Moved to the NTC. A 12 months on and he's a serious, 'burdened' looking player, as though with a weight on his shoulders, uptight, a bit confused about how to play, and miserable/cross looking.

Johanna is (was?) obviously a 'stressy' sort of person - lots are. Great job by those new guys around her if they've put the enjoyment back into her game (and for her for recognising the ones who could help her do that). (ALthough that forehand has definitely been tweaked as well, whatever she says). I'm quite sure Tara would have been miles more successful if she had had different coaches/ a different set-up.

Alex Ward seems to be going great guns since moving back to Spain. JoKo aswell. JWH is now back at Soto and I'm hoping the tide will turn with him too. Maybe we should just farm out the LTA role to Northern Spain......

philwrig · Hall of fame

indiana wrote:
The Optimist wrote:
I doubt the change in funding has had a great impact on Johanna (she stated in one of her interviews that she much prefers her full name to Jo!), but I'm convinced that getting away from the NTC has had a major effect. Everyone who has trained there regularly in the past, junior or adult, looked anxious and worried on the match court and until she moved her career looked like it was disappearing in a bundle of nerves. IMO there was so much focus and emphasis there on targets and professionalism that a key ingredient got lost - enjoyment. And Johanna has been stressing the importance of that factor all week.

Indeed, to rather echo Helen and yourself, I always think the best environment is a work hard, but also have some fun and enjoyment environment.
Look at Andy's training, clearly super hard but he and his various teams have clearly had fun too, ribbed each other, had silly games etc. Think he grew up a bit in that culture looking at how much Judy was adding in to down time with the Fed Cup team.
Look at the England Women's Football World Cup team. I clearly do not know the real truth of the matter, but there has been a fair bit of retrospective undisguised critisism from players of the apparently strict regime of the previous manager Hope Powell with lack of enjoyment just being there mentioned. Now with Mark Sampson a squad clearly enjoying their time together, no doubt they work hard and they were successful, but I loved the footage of them dancing in the changing room before their winning bronze medal match with Germany.
On a professional work level, the best teams I have managed or worked in got on in each other's company, ribbed each other and worked hard towards our goals.
It seems to have been a pretty awful environment at the NTC, that's why it was failing and that eminates from the top.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 7th of September 2015 12:36:59 PM

It's also how the DC team has operated since Leon took over, so different to his predecessor Mr Lloyd, and they haven't done too badly, have they ?!

indiana · Tennis legend

Indeed, Phil. Well missed, Indy

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

OK so nothing much interesting happening right now so I should just go to bed...