Week 8 - WTA International ($227K) - Acapulco, Mexico - Hard

indiana · Tennis legend

Week 8 - WTA International ($227K) - Acapulco, Mexico - Hard

PaulM · Tennis legend

Meh

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Well, reading through that was a rollercoaster; pity the final twist in the tail was the wrong one :(
Agree with Indy, first tournament back after her little break so no great worries; it took her 2 tournaments before the AO to shake off the rust that time so fingers crossed she'll be firing again in time for IW and Miami :)

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

I don't quite understand the mitigation of her loss as 'Jo's taken a break'? How does that work as all of the top players take breaks after the majors.

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

I think the difference is that the top players are used to competing in the second week of majors, but for Jo it is very much a novelty, which will undoubtedly have a mental/physical impact.

Look at Kerber - surpassing her expectations at the Aussie Open has knocked her off her game as well. It happens.

wimdledont · Challenger level

From what I saw, that match told you little about JoKo, lots about MLB. MLB started off mis-timing, which allowed Jo to establish a lead in the first set, enough for Jo to (just) claim the first set; no surprise in the second set scoreline, nor the 5-1 lead in the decider, after MLB started to connect. Jo then did very well to stay in it, as MLB's nerves took over. The DF to lose the match was after advisedly trying for a very deep second serve.

Jo played a very good match against an opponent who was, in streaks, unstoppable.

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Mmm, yes, Jo didn't do too much wrong, certainly for the first set she played well.
Then Mirjana went all 'Banzai', and throughout her career, Mirjana has found that magical groove to blow some classy names off court when they were at or near their peak - and all higher ranked than Jo is now: Coetzer, Pierce, Tauziat, Seles, Ivanovic, Stosur, Bartoli, Halep (twice), Venus (in a final) etc.
As well as upcoming players, again in presumably their best form based on ranking, all higher than Jo, including, in the last year Muguruza and Pliskova right in the middle of their charges up the rankings.

All to say, you can lose to Lucic-Baroni without really knowing what happened.
Jo served OK, not great, but OK, there were some of those routine rally FH UE, and a few of the dreadful overhead flubs into the net from five feet away, but in sets 2 & most of 3, her opponent was just going for, and making, 10-20% plays time and again.
When Mirana started to come apart towards the end, perhaps you can say that Jo didn't seize her chance, but I think she was as shell shocked as those of us watching.

Still not sure where Johanna fits in.
Is she a solid Top 30 player, that can accumulate steady scores each outing to supplement her ranking?
Or, is she a big event performer, whose ranking will be based around 4 or 5 hauls at bigger events?
Will there be a pause whilst she acclimatises to everything at her new altitude, steadies, wavers, then grows?
Or, will it be a glorious but transitory chapter?

I have no idea.
Roll on Monterrey next week for another chance to see what we can discern there.

Unfortunately, we won't have three in singles though, as Laura has withdrawn from using her SR there. Hev & Jo will still be flying the flag though.

A131 · Intermediate Club Player

murray_2k9 wrote:
I think the difference is that the top players are used to competing in the second week of majors, but for Jo it is very much a novelty, which will undoubtedly have a mental/physical impact.

Look at Kerber - surpassing her expectations at the Aussie Open has knocked her off her game as well. It happens.

I get what you're saying and there are quite a few examples both past and present that you could have used that following a surprising and unexpected run to a semi-final of a grand slam their game seems to slump off for a while. Having said that (and I totally acknowledge Konta's improvement over the past year) wouldn't you have thought it would have had a positive impact mentally? As for physical - in Konta's case only one match went to 3 sets plus, other than a 70% fit Venus Williams, (which Venus might have got away with a year ago so I am acknowledging Konta's vast improvement and is not the only reason she won) she only beat 1 player inside the top 30 (Makarova). Of the other 3 Allertova was perhaps carrying a slight injury - not that I'm convinced Allertova would have won had that not been the case - but I do think it would have been a lot closer. The two Chinese girls were ranked outside the top 80 with the qualifier perhaps out of gas a bit by the time she faced Konta in the QF but nonetheless you have to be a pretty decent player to reach the SF of a grand slam whatever you're draw. On reflection perhaps her run at AO maybe flattered her a bit - just my view. But either way I don't think a break of 3 and a half weeks can be used as an excuse (not that anybody is particularly saying that) for losing yesterday - fair enough 3 and a half months - but not weeks.

A131 · Intermediate Club Player

Helen40 wrote:
I don't quite understand the mitigation of her loss as 'Jo's taken a break'? How does that work as all of the top players take breaks after the majors.

Without thinking too deeply about it, it may be that at the end of the day MLB just played that bit better or better for longer.

indiana · Tennis legend

A131 wrote:
Helen40 wrote:
I don't quite understand the mitigation of her loss as 'Jo's taken a break'? How does that work as all of the top players take breaks after the majors.
Without thinking too deeply about it, it may be that at the end of the day MLB just played that bit better or better for longer.

That's generally how matches are won and lost, but in a tennis discussion forum folk will very often like to discuss the whys and wherefore

-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 25th of February 2016 01:36:19 PM

A131 · Intermediate Club Player

indiana wrote:
A131 wrote:
Helen40 wrote:
I don't quite understand the mitigation of her loss as 'Jo's taken a break'? How does that work as all of the top players take breaks after the majors.
Without thinking too deeply about it, it may be that at the end of the day MLB just played that bit better or better for longer.
That's generally how matches are won and lost, but in a tennis discussion forum folk will very often like to discuss the whys and wherefore

-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 25th of February 2016 01:36:19 PM

So I've noticed Indy!

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

A131 wrote:
indiana wrote:
A131 wrote:
Helen40 wrote:
I don't quite understand the mitigation of her loss as 'Jo's taken a break'? How does that work as all of the top players take breaks after the majors.
Without thinking too deeply about it, it may be that at the end of the day MLB just played that bit better or better for longer.
That's generally how matches are won and lost, but in a tennis discussion forum folk will very often like to discuss the whys and wherefore
So I've noticed Indy!

I think I'll go with bad day at the office (whether it was Jo not playing her best or her opponent playing a binder), and leave it at that then. Roll on next week