Week 14 - WTA International ($250K) - Katowice, Poland - Hard, Indoor

Jan · Hall of fame

Week 14 - WTA International ($250K) - Katowice, Poland - Hard, Indoor

paulisi · Tennis legend

Well done Naomi - good money, decent points. The points to the next girls are quite substantial, so it will take some good runs to climb the rankings.

DF · Tennis legend

She wins! smile

6-4 in the third.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

I was worried Naomi was going to follow Heather in winning more points but losing the match, but she sorted her serve out just in time. Good win, and would be great if Naomi could have a bit of a run here in her last hard court tournament for a while.

indiana · Tennis legend

Not good that the serve went away, but good that she still managed to get the win

KK was a good draw with her lack of matches. Naomi is very unlikely to get away with that in further matches this week.

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Naomi will have a wait, as her potential opponents are the only remaining R1 match not scheduled today. Which seems rather odd and a little unfair to them, especially as it involves defending champ Schmiedlova.

Good to be in MD by right and win a round, all little things consolidating her place, not to mention another minimum 30 pt counter for a year, banking those throughout the year to always have something to draw on. Trick now is to start upgrading those at least once more to 60 pt marks.

R1: Heather WATSON (GBR) 55 lost to Kristyna PLISKOVA (CZE) 88 2-6 6-3 4-6

R1: Naomi BROADY (GBR) 78 defeated Karin KNAPP (ITA) 72 6-7(6) 6-4 6-4

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, I did like how Fitzy talked in the Brittennis podcast about very much looking at the year as a whole and not being much bothered about weekly points defences, other than naturally realise that overall the first half of the year was the big window for rankings progress with general defences coming later in the year. Play when it makes most sense overall for the bigger picture.

In that overall year planning, I look at her now up to date 453 race points and it is clear that his mention of a WR 50 target is very challenging but not at all unrealistic, with the current WR 50 ( Danka Kovinic ) being on 1103 points.

That all said and while end of season top 50 is a great target and should remain so, actually with Naomi now at 824 ranking points in running ( keep her off these in running tables, Fitzy ) and relatively very little to defend before August, a couple of good weeks and a good grass season, in particular Wimbledon ( another target ) and who knows where she might be sooner rather than later.

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 5th of April 2016 01:38:48 PM

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

indiana wrote:
In that overall year planning, I look at her now up to date 453 race points and it is clear that his mention of a WR 50 target is very challenging but not at all unrealistic, with the current WR 50 ( Danka Kovinic ) being on 1103 points.

Which seems about right. The last three players in the final race rankings to finish at WR50 were:

Year	Rank	Player	Points
2015	50	Zarina Diyas	1025
2014	50	Magdalena Rybarikova	1046
2013	50	Yvonne Meusburger	1138*

*WTA & ITF points were tweaked prior to 2014 meaning scores at ~WR50 would be probably be slightly lower in successive years; as proved to be the case, exacerbated by the Serena effect at the top concentrating, so many points in one place and leaving fewer to distribute amongst the rest of the field.

If the standard can keep as it is, then a good grass season - presuming progression in all of Nottingham, Edgbaston & Eastbourne - and win (at least) a round at both Wimbledon & US Open (with the French a bonus roll of the dice), then you'd be close.

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Well done Naomi; up to #43 in the live Road to Singapore :D

The slowness of the courts was really messing with Heather's timing yesterday; hopefully that's just a blip in her season; #32 in the live Road to Singapore :)

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

The 3/4 Brit doubles bash is on. It was streamed, but now isn't

Jossanna make the fast start, *2-0

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Jossanna raced out to a 5-0* lead. Hev & Klaudia woke up long enough to avoid any bakery goods, but Big Bird & Beaker still closed out a comfortable set.
The Anglo-Pole alliance has turned up from the start of set 2 however.
Jossanna, 6-2 0-1*

DF · Tennis legend

Heather and partner serving for the second set 5-2 up

DF · Tennis legend

6-2 2-6

Into a MTB

-- Edited by DF on Tuesday 5th of April 2016 07:08:38 PM

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Looks like Heather & Klaudia's to lose now, unless there is one more sudden and unexpected momentum change in this one.

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

And so it was.
R1: Jocelyn RAE/Anna SMITH (GBR/GBR) [4] 140 lost to Heather WATSON/Klaudia JANS-IGNACIK (GBR/POL) 223 6-2 2-6 [6-10]

QF: Heather WATSON/Klaudia JANS-IGNACIK (GBR/POL) 223 vs. Stéphanie FORETZ/Amandine HESSE (FRA/FRA) 247