Weeks 21-22 - Roland Garros 2016 - Paris, France - Clay

murrayman650 · ATP level

RE: Weeks 21-22 - Roland Garros 2016 - Paris, France - Clay

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Laura's main problem at the moment is that her first serve has no penetration. In the first game she hit one ace and 2 unreturned first serves; in the rest of the match she only added one more unreturned first serve (no more aces), though she did get four unreturned 2nd serves. Nor did her first serve set up lots of easy winners on her first ground-stroke. Overall Petkovic 22 unreturned including aces, Robson 9.

Apart from that, her performance was patchy, some super shots, some near misses - lots landed inches long, and far too many horror shots on what should have been certain winners, smash out of play, drive volley long, forehand down the line miles wide on relatively easy shots.

Movement was desperately poor.

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

In contrast to Laura, Goerges is hitting winners on exactly 33% of all points played. She just has the answer to everything here today.
Jo unable to create a single BP in the match so far. Goerges winning 77% of 1st serves.
Jo serving to stay alive. 2-6 *2-5

We could do with some rain.

wimdledont · Challenger level

Georges getting just a touch wayward as the finish line looms?

murrayman650 · ATP level

*) Johanna Konta 2 - 6 3 - 6 Juila Goerges

15-0

30-0

30-15

30-30

40-30

5-3

0-15

15-15

30-15

40-15

6-3

GSM Goerges

6-2 6-3

wimdledont · Challenger level

Heather first up on Court 2.

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Only Hev left

As good as Goerges was - the best by a wide margin I've seen her play in at least 4 years - Jo was not very good by her standards of the last year or so. Even at her peak she would have been in a tough match today, but somewhat short of her best she was rather taken apart on her least effective surface by an opponent revelling on theirs.

Almost identical scorelines for Jo & Laura, and a thoroughly miserable afternoon for GB ladies and their fans, in Paris.

-- Edited by AliBlahBlah on Tuesday 24th of May 2016 05:11:34 PM

nicofrance · Intermediate Club Player

Disappointing to see Johanna Konta lose but really this was an awful draw for her. Julie Georges is an excellent clay court player and unfortunately decided to bring her A game today. I don't think Johanna played badly but this isn't her best surface. I'm sure she'll be happy to get on the grass and she has nothing to feel down about. More worrying is the continued painful watch of Laura Robson who just seems to be going round in circles, I've seen little improvement in her since last years Wimbledon and her game is so fragile.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Laura nowhere near at this level. She should be in the far east really playing itfs but fully understand using up her protected rank. Seems pointless going main draw of Notts and Brum tho as she's unlikely to win.

Jo was always a 40 to Georges 60 for me solely based on surface. Jo has no clay pedigree even at lower levels really and she didn't look great in the run-in, whereas Georges is good on the stuff. Julia played very well, as she did in Nuremberg and deservedly won. Jo could have made third round with a soft draw but realistically I couldn't see her doing anything better than that here. Not yet anyway.

One through is disappointing especially as Naomi was so close but the girls that went out would struggle with against the majority of the field on the devil stuff.

Not particularly going to get down about today. For Jo its too easy to forget how new all this is

PaulM · Tennis legend

Also Laura has a habit of completely folding after creating, and invariably missing, an early opportunity. Has to be able to refocus again because she could have made today closer

philwrig · Hall of fame

I actually still think there is reasons to be hopeful about Laura, certainly much more than at the beginning of the year. I agree about the 1st serve penetration, but the second serve is heaps better. Fitness/movement still lots to work on, and she missed some groundies by a wide margin, but overall I don't think she's a long way off.

As for Jo simply couldn't keep her feet on the surface, and when its like that you're playing with one hand behind your back, whereas JG was the complete opposite and was playing very well. Will be fascinating to see Jo back on the grass, and I'm still confident on a couple of big runs next month.

philwrig · Hall of fame

To be fair I like it when the British players committ 100% to the clay, travelling over to the other side of the world can have its rewards in terms of ranking points, but it feels like you're taking the easy route, especially for younger players I'm not a big fan.

wimdledont · Challenger level

I'm finding it difficult to watch Laura; but on what I have seen, she's now putting very little pressure on her opponents. It's flashy winners, or unforced errors coming off her racquet, with a majority of unforced errors. But neither of these disconcerts the woman on the other side of the net in the slightest.

Inducing forced errors in your opponent wins a lot of tennis matches. Jo induces a lot of errors, by hitting a consistent depth; Heather's new aggression and longstanding variety of play regularly wins her matches, by throwing the opponent off balance.

OTOH, it seems that Laura puts up little challenge at present to whomsoever is on the other side of the net. Hit the ball close to her, and she'll either hit a winner, or miss. Make her move, and you've won the point.

She's not posing many challenges, or conundrums, to her opponents.

Priesty · Challenger level

I also can't help but wonder how much longer she's going to want to keep getting thrashed which seems to be happening in a lot of the matches she plays at the moment. Can't be much fun having once been roughly where Petkovic is now. Hopefully she can get some wins and some confidence back over the grass season or maybe later on in the ITFs.

Spectator · All-time great

I tend to be a glass half full person - but that's not the only thing that makes me focus on Ms Watson right now. I just found myself thinking as she came through once again how fine her achievement is over so many years (in women's tennis terms) under so many different circumstances and despite an illness and recovery period that could have convinced her to give up. She's often overshadowed by others, but she just keeps on battling and accomplishing so much.

V'là qui vaout!

(which is, according to the BBC, Guernesiais for "Well done!")

And good luck in the next round.