Week 18 - WTA Premier Mandatory - Madrid, Spain - Clay

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Week 18 - WTA Premier Mandatory - Madrid, Spain - Clay

wimdledont · Challenger level

Excluding wildcards, Hradecka and Dodin appear to be the lowest-ranked players in the draw, so it couldn't be much better.

If Laura's in the main draw, she is guaranteed another 10 points.

One of the few tournaments at which Jo will not be seeded.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Looks like Laura's luck with the draws has just run out...

Laura plays Vika in R1 with JoKo playing Caroline Garcia (then potentially Aga in R2)

As for today's qualifiers, hard to see any other results apart from Heather winning and Naomi losing. Serena's withdrawal must have been the one that let Laura in the main draw as there aren't currently any LL spots, which could be relevant as Heather is 3rd seed.

-- Edited by tony_orient on Friday 29th of April 2016 11:07:43 AM

Peter too · Tennis legend

R1: KONTA, Johanna (GBR) 22 v GARCIA, Caroline (FRA) 51 CH=25 23/3/15
R1: ROBSON, Laura (GBR) 426 v AZARENKA, Victoria (BLR) 4 5 CH=1 2012

wimdledont · Challenger level

Main draw spots couldn't be much worse. Laura will do well to win a game. Very optimistically, Jo gets a potential early shot at a CH win.

I don't think Naomi has NO hope against Dodin. It's about the best draw available.

indiana · Tennis legend

wimdledont wrote:
Main draw spots couldn't be much worse. Laura will do well to win a game. Very optimistically, Jo gets a potential early shot at a CH win.

I don't think Naomi has NO hope against Dodin. It's about the best draw available.

Ach, Jo's taken out a WR 2 before, Simona Halep in the Wuhan L16 at the end of September last year. Hope she gets a chance to add Aga, but R1 clearly no picnic.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Dodin really isn't very good on clay - although she's certainly better than Naomi, bless

She's barely won a decent match on it in the last 12 months.

In fact, when you watch her on clay, it's very similar to Naomi (just a little less so)

i.e. she's like Bambi - all long skinny legs, going in all directions, skating over the clay, and tripping up, rather than digging in.

Of course, Naomi is like Bambi in spades (from her own admission) and as per her lovely video links.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Coup Droit wrote:
Dodin really isn't very good on clay - although she's certainly better than Naomi, bless

She's barely won a decent match on it in the last 12 months.

In fact, when you watch her on clay, it's very similar to Naomi (just a little less so)

i.e. she's like Bambi - all long skinny legs, going in all directions, skating over the clay, and tripping up, rather than digging in.

Of course, Naomi is like Bambi in spades (from her own admission) and as per her lovely video links.

Dodin did beat Laura, Madison Brengle and Krystina Pliskova for the loss of just 15 games in Stuttgart which makes me think Naomi might struggle here (especially as Naomi then won only 2 games against Brengle last week)

Madrid is often an anomaly though, where big hitting players often do better than any other clay tournament.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

tony_orient wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
Dodin really isn't very good on clay - although she's certainly better than Naomi, bless

She's barely won a decent match on it in the last 12 months.

In fact, when you watch her on clay, it's very similar to Naomi (just a little less so)

i.e. she's like Bambi - all long skinny legs, going in all directions, skating over the clay, and tripping up, rather than digging in.

Of course, Naomi is like Bambi in spades (from her own admission) and as per her lovely video links.
Dodin did beat Laura, Madison Brengle and Krystina Pliskova for the loss of just 15 games in Stuttgart which makes me think Naomi might struggle here (especially as Naomi then won only 2 games against Brengle last week)
Madrid is often an anomaly though, where big hitting players often do better than any other clay tournament.

Oh, as said above, yes, I think Océane will win.

Ans, yes, Naomi will struggle.

But not because Dodin is any good on clay - she isn't. Beating Laura (on clay) is no claim to fame, nor Brengle (who did well at the recent 50k on clay but that's only a 50k, and she hadn't won any other match on clay all the last 12 months). Nor indeed K Pliskova, who skipped the clay season completely last year.

And before those three Q wins, Dodin had won only two matches on clay the whole of last year (against two lower ranked French women).

It's a decent draw for Naomi - but I think it will be like two players playing squash at the beach.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Friday 29th of April 2016 12:28:25 PM

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Yowch, gutting draw for Laura. I just hope she can get a game or two. I really don't want to see her with bread products.

Fair chance for Hev and Naaomi.

wimdledont · Challenger level

Heather's about to start.

Jo was the 17th ranked player to turn up here, so missed out on seeding by one spot.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Coup Droit wrote:
tony_orient wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
Dodin really isn't very good on clay - although she's certainly better than Naomi, bless

She's barely won a decent match on it in the last 12 months.

In fact, when you watch her on clay, it's very similar to Naomi (just a little less so)

i.e. she's like Bambi - all long skinny legs, going in all directions, skating over the clay, and tripping up, rather than digging in.

Of course, Naomi is like Bambi in spades (from her own admission) and as per her lovely video links.
Dodin did beat Laura, Madison Brengle and Krystina Pliskova for the loss of just 15 games in Stuttgart which makes me think Naomi might struggle here (especially as Naomi then won only 2 games against Brengle last week)
Madrid is often an anomaly though, where big hitting players often do better than any other clay tournament.

Oh, as said above, yes, I think Océane will win.
Ans, yes, Naomi will struggle.
But not because Dodin is any good on clay - she isn't. Beating Laura (on clay) is no claim to fame, nor Brengle (who did well at the recent 50k on clay but that's only a 50k, and she hadn't won any other match on clay all the last 12 months). Nor indeed K Pliskova, who skipped the clay season completely last year.
And before those three Q wins, Dodin had won only two matches on clay the whole of last year (against two lower ranked French women).
It's a decent draw for Naomi - but I think it will be like two players playing squash at the beach.

I've not seen Dodin play so admittedly I was basing my thoughts purely on results. Maybe the best way of putting it is that Dodin has a very good recent track record of beating players who don't like clay, which doesn't bode well for Naomi. Happy to be proved wrong in the next few hours.

Heather is much more comfortable on the red dirt and it seems a bit unfair that she has to qualify while Laura gets into the main draw. Not sure Hev would swap places even if she could now the draw is out though.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Heather broken to love, landing one first serve, with one df 0-1*

Lucie holds to 40 after early struggles to land her first serve *0-2

Heather quick love hold with an ace 1-2*

Lucie still finding it difficult to land her first serve but manages to hold to 40 *1-3

Heather with a 2nd serve ace to finish another love hold 2-3*

Lucie holds to 15, yet to face a bp despite a first serve percentage 38% *2-4

Heather holds to 15 3-4*

Heather wins her first point against Lucie's first serve then astonishingly, makes it 4 in a row to break *4-4

Heather holds to 15 5-4*

Lucie holds to 30 I think. Not paying much attention *5-5

Heather holds to 15 6-5*

Lucie saves set point. Heather gets another bp. Saved. Holds 6-6

Tiebreak 1-0 1-1 *2-1 2-2 3-2* 3-3 *3-4 *3-5 (df ?) 4-5* 4-6 *5-6 6-6 7-6* 7-7 (2nd serve) *7-8 (2nd serve) 8-8 9-8 9-9 *10-9 11-9

Heather takes the first set having saved 3 set points and missed out on plenty of her own. That's it from me. Winner plays Lucic-Baroni

-- Edited by kundalini on Friday 29th of April 2016 02:28:21 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

TonyO, we're just going to have to agree to disagree....

I can't even go with 'Dodin has a very good recent track record of beating players who don't like clay', I'm afraid.

She's beaten a couple but it's no great shakes beating people who are even worse than you on your bad surface (and, yes, Naomi will almost certainly be another to add).

But, yes, it would be nice if we were all wrong and Naomi was at least competitive.

I think though that points will be 'short and not very sweet'.

But, hey, stranger things have happened.....

DF · Tennis legend

TB