Week 19 - WTA Premier 5 ($2.1M) - Rome, Italy - Clay

DavidC · Tennis legend

Week 19 - WTA Premier 5 ($2.1M) - Rome, Italy - Clay

Peter too · Tennis legend

Q1: WATSON, Heather (GBR) 3 56 def BURNETT, Nastaaja (ITA) WC 311 6-3 2-6 6-3
Q1: ROBSON, Laura (GBR) SR 339 lost to MCHALE, Christina (USA) 5 59 4-6 2-6
Q1: BROADY, Naomi (GBR) 80 def ZHENG, Saisai (CHN) 11 71 6-3 6-2

Q2: WATSON, Heather (GBR) 3 56 v KONJUH, Ana (CRO) 16 78 CH=55 15/6/15
Q2: BROADY, Naomi (GBR) 80 v MCHALE, Christina (USA) 5 59 CH=24 2012
H2H 0-1, Maui 2016 6-3 6-7(5) 4-6

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Delighted for Naomi. It will be interesting to see how she does against Christina McHale. Not expecting her to win but one set might be close. She has already surpassed even my most optimistic prediction for this clay season.

Laura still not quite there but not so far away either. Got two weeks to improve a bit before Roland Garros.

Heather with the easy draw and only just gets away with it.

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

Solid win for Naomi. Good stuff.

Glad Hev came through.

Laura :(. Not quite there yet.

Strongbow · All-time great

As someone once sang - two out of three ain't bad smile

wimdledont · Challenger level

Heather is about to start.

Qseed1 did indeed lose in qr1, with Qseed2 yet to play that round, so Heather's odds of a LL spot have increased.

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

There are streams available for Heather's match.

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Heather shading general play; Konjuh with the thunderous forehand & serve that get her out of occasional trouble.
Heather slide technique needs refinement - she starts too late.
No breaks; only BP came i a long Konjuh service game that the Croat did well to hold.
Hev playing nicely, had good success with early taken balss, DTL winners on both flanks.
6-5*

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Croatian crumble!
Bad game from Konjuh and Hev snaffles the first set

7-5

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Heather faces, and sees off, her first BP of the match. Konjuh well inside the court to receive the second serves, going for clean winners; not making enough.
Heather got a bit lucky, she did the thing which is very in fashion on the WTA right now - dominate a point, open up the court with 75 % of it there for a clean easy winner, but hit back again to where the opponent is standing rather than play in to the open space. Konjuh had a shot at a ball she would never have gotten near if you played the sensible shot, but missed. So many players on tour insist on doing this now, it must be some sort of coaching vogue. I don't understand it.
Anyway, Heather held, Konjuh Held, and now Heather in trouble again *15-40...
...and broken, he Croatian noticeably more aggressive in set 2
7-5 1-2*

Edit: My keyboard is dying and often omits 'l' and 'k' - put them back.

-- Edited by insomniacfolder on Sunday 8th of May 2016 10:17:36 AM

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Konjuh wraps up the second set with even more big serving.
Heather didn't get much of a look in. She is hitting quite short, and that plays to the Croatian strength, anything with time to set up is thumped away, but even in that slightly short length, as opposed to mid-court, Konjuh dictates. When Heather keeps a better length, Konjuh has a habit of mis-timing or hooking shots, particularly on the forehand side.
Also, I don't know what spin is on the Konjuh second serve, but Hev is having awful trouble timing what look like fairly innocuous sitters.

Konjuh favourite for the match at this point, unless something changes somehow.

7-5 4-6

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Heather comprehensively broken to love.
7-5 4-6 0-1*

Naomi about to start on an unstreamed court.

wimdledont · Challenger level

Naomi's about to start against McHale, who has about the best form in Rome of any player over the past couple of years.

In the other match on court, if Vesnina loses, Heather woud be leading contender for a lucky loser ticket. Though she could also try winning against Konjuh.

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Heather lost the first 7 points of the final set, then won the next 4 to set up a break back point, and then a second, neither of which she gets a chance on. Until, deuce four, and a Konjuh DF gifts the break back.
7-5 4-6 *1-1

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

In an even longer game than the previous one, Konjuh eventually gets the break back. After *30-0 Hev was always fighting to cling on in the game, saved multiple BP, but finally yielded.
7-5 4-6 1-2*

Naomi *1-3