Week 25 - WTA Premier ($712K) - Eastbourne, UK Grass

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 25 - WTA Premier ($712K) - Eastbourne, UK Grass

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Fantastic stuff from Jo again.

That head-to-head for the SF looks ominous, but got to get started sometime

When was the last time Jo Durie (other Brits of the era are available) was in the SF or better of a domestic WTA level event?

Strongbow · All-time great

Well done Johanna

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

After Cibulkova v Puig, it'll be Jo against Pliskova for the world #17 spot...a win for Jo would put her 30 points ahead of Pliskova and on a new CH; GL Jo :)

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Jo starts with a hold
1-0*

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

No breaks yet
3-2*

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

In fact no BPs either way yet
5-4*

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Mesmeric serving from Jo, and there's some fantastic ball striking here too. Good decision making; everything generally in very high order.
Just needs to find a chink in Pliskova's formidable serve.

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Tiebreak 4-2* at the change.

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

From *5-3 to 5-5* to *6-5

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Oh yes! Another fantastic drop shot from Jo wraps up a very tight, high quality set

7-6(5)

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Well done Jo :D
Keep this going please :)

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

First break of the match goes to the Czech.
Jo got the next game to 40-0*, took a nasty looking tumble - her leg folding right underneath her - on the 40-15* point, and the chance was lost, as Pliskova boomed big serves to get out of the hole with Jo still looking a bit shocked and distressed. Calls Carrill down.

This is then exacerbated by someone in either agony or anguish screaming gutturally and repeatedly from the crowd. It's an unsettling few minutes here.
7-6(5) *1-4

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Something about Jo seems to bring the best out in Ka. Pliskova.
I've watched her a bit recently, at Nottingham (where she played well throughout) and elsewhere (where the form has been patchy), and she hasn't played this well. The same was true of their Indian Wells encounter.
Pliskova seems to save her best for matches against Jo

She is in servebot mode right now.

Still very much in the balance.
7-6(5) *2-5

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Jo had 2 more BP in the ninth game, but Pliskova is really on form, and dug it out to send us into the final set.
7-6(5) 3-6

Come on Jo!