Week 10 - WTA Premier ($6.1M) - Indian Wells, USA Hard

philwrig · Hall of fame

RE: Week 10 - WTA Premier ($6.1M) - Indian Wells, USA Hard

PaulM · Tennis legend

Have to be honest i never thought this was as good a draw as many were saying. Galina is classy. Very hard to back up a long emotional week so I thought this could be dangerous.

Big fight needed now but she looks sluggish. Not playing well

PaulM · Tennis legend

Hev 0/3 and Galina 1/3 on break points. That decided the set

7-6(4) 4-6 1-0*

Julia Carrot · All-time great

philwrig wrote:
Julia Carrot wrote:
Did anybody catch what Heather said, that her mother replied "we'll sort that out later". ?
Something like this racket is giving me no power.

Ah, thanks Phil

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

PaulM wrote:
Have to be honest i never thought this was as good a draw as many were saying. Galina is classy. Very hard to back up a long emotional week so I thought this could be dangerous.

Big fight needed now but she looks sluggish. Not playing well

Well, that would have been some extraordinary deducement considering, despite her previous quality, that she's hardly played for 2 years, and those matches she has played show nothing to suggest anything other than a player in the very early stages of re-finding their game - 2 wins in qualies of a $25K, no other wins in the 3 other singles matches, including a loss in Fed Cup to WR 401, she's played since those two years out.
One might just as well have expected the similarly returning, and even better quality, Peng Shuai to have pushed Putintseva close (she lost 1-6 0-6) or, indeed Laura to challenge in her match, despite all indications otherwise.

So, congratulations on your remarkable acuity!
I certainly didn't see this coming at all, even backing up a big week for Heather, and I thought it would be a very routine win, in straight sets - though not as heavy perhaps as poor Peng suffered.

rebel_rebel · Lower Club Player

Heb is 3-0 up in the final set....

rebel_rebel · Lower Club Player

Well done Heather. 6-1 in the final set

PaulM · Tennis legend

If Hev hadn't won the title last week i would have perversely been more confident. I suspected there would be a let down today and it came but she toughed it out very well and Galina collapsed at the end.

I think that's a really, really good win. I suspect she'll play much better in round 2 and has a real chance.

philwrig · Hall of fame

I didn't necessarily see the letdown, that was her 3rd title, but just looked to me more like struggling with different conditions. Probably only got to practice for the 1st time yesterday. Vosko played well but blew up at the end.

Jan · Hall of fame

Oops I forgot all about this. disbelief
Well done Heather!

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Phew! That was, for the most part, uncomfortable viewing.

nicofrance · Strong Club Player

Heather got there in the end. Not her best performance but at the end of the day she won and that's really the only thing that matters. Voskoboeva certainly hits the ball hard but its clear she needs more matches after her long lay-off.

I was expecting a bit of a let-down for Heather after winning Monterrey last week and with the different conditions here her first match was always likely to be a bit of a struggle. I do fancy her chances against Niculescu and expect her to win that match.

Peter too · Tennis legend

R1: WATSON, Heather (GBR) WC 53 def VOSKOBOEVA, Galina (KAZ) UNR 7-6(4) 4-6 6-1

R2: WATSON, Heather (GBR) WC 53 v NICULESCU, Monica (ROU) 32 34 CH=28 2012
H2H 1-0
Hobart 2016 6-7(3) 6-2 7-6(3)

-- Edited by Peter too on Wednesday 9th of March 2016 10:12:06 PM

Strongbow · All-time great

nicofrance wrote:
Heather got there in the end. Not her best performance but at the end of the day she won and that's really the only thing that matters. Voskoboeva certainly hits the ball hard but its clear she needs more matches after her long lay-off.

I was expecting a bit of a let-down for Heather after winning Monterrey last week and with the different conditions here her first match was always likely to be a bit of a struggle. I do fancy her chances against Niculescu and expect her to win that match.

Not the best she's ever played but, I agree, a win is a win smile

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

Glad she got through.

Tough one next but winnable.