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

cakj1234 · Lower Club Player

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

wimdledont · Challenger level

Q seeds 1+2 both qualified, so Heather should be first in line for a LL ticket.

I saw Mirjana beat JoKo a couple of months ago, and her ball-striking was phenomenal. With a happier family history, she and Serena might have been splitting a lot of those titles.

Match preceeding Naomi at match point.

Puig is one of the form players of the year, currently 19 in the live race. On clay, I think she is a prohibitive favourite.

And they're on...

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Naomi starts with an ace, goes 40-15 up then saves 3 bps before eventually holding to 40. Alarmingly, she only won half her first serve points in that game 1-0*

Monica finishes with an ace as she wins 3 points in a row from 15-30 *1-1

Naomi holds to love 2-1*

Naomi breaks to 40 *3-1

Naomi down 0-40, saves all three bps 4-1*

Monica easy hold to 15 *4-2

Naomi with her 4th ace as she holds to love 5-2*

Monica lands her first serve each time as she holds to 15 *5-3

A df and an ace as Naomi holds to 15 6-3

-- Edited by kundalini on Saturday 30th of April 2016 03:12:36 PM

wimdledont · Challenger level

Bebopaloola 6-3 Broady

DF · Tennis legend

Naomi takes the first set 6-3

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Monica saves bp in a long game *0-1

Naomi saves bp in game with 2 aces and a df 1-1*

Monica holds to love *1-2

Wasn't paying attention but I believe Naomi saved a bp in a game with 2 aces and a df 2-2*

Monica takes 3 points in a row from 15-30 *2-3

Naomi down 15-40 saves both bps 3-3*

Monica holds to 30 *3-4

Monica finally get the break on her 11th bp, Naomi losing 3 points in a row from 30-15 3-5*

Monica holds to 15 3-6

-- Edited by kundalini on Saturday 30th of April 2016 03:52:49 PM

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Monica seemingly with all the momentum. Naomi in difficulty in each of her service games in the 2nd set.

DF · Tennis legend

One set all

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Naomi holds to 40 1-0*

Monica holds to 30 *1-1

Monica takes her 2nd bp of a long game 1-2*

Monica down 15-40 saves both bps then a df gifts Naomi another bp, which she takes *2-2

Missed a few games (cleaning the shower a bit). Evidently Naomi broken again, finding it difficult to win first serve points in this set 3-4*

Monica wins 3 points in a row from 15-30 *3-5

Monica sees Naomi save one mp but not a 2nd 3-6

--

Looks like a decent effort from Naomi. Only really a few games in the first set when her serve wasn't under pressure. By the 3rd set she was struggling to win first serve points, making it even more difficult to hold. Monica with a very high first serve percentage, though Naomi didn't do much on the rare occasions she saw a 2nd serve.

-- Edited by kundalini on Saturday 30th of April 2016 05:08:35 PM

DF · Tennis legend

Nooo. Monica breaks 1-2

DF · Tennis legend

Back level 2-2

jb288 · Satellite level

One of Kasatkina and Siegemund retired in the dubs - both are in MD, so that LL spot for Heather might have opened up.

-- Edited by jb288 on Saturday 30th of April 2016 04:29:54 PM

wimdledont · Challenger level

So Naomi lost 6-3, 3-6, 3-6. A fantastic effort, against a higher-ranked opponent, who is in the form of her life, on Naomi's least favourite surface, on which she's had very little practice. All in all, she should be delighted, and very encouraged.

WavenNarsam · Lower Club Player

jb288 wrote:
One of Kasatkina and Siegemund retired in the dubs - both are in MD, so that LL spot for Heather might have opened up.

-- Edited by jb288 on Saturday 30th of April 2016 04:29:54 PM

I can't see Siegemund in the draw.