Week 30 - WTA Premier 5 ($2.7M) - Montreal, Canada - Hard

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Week 30 - WTA Premier 5 ($2.7M) - Montreal, Canada - Hard

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Streams finally appear:

Naomi held with 2 aces before streams 1-0*

Lepchenko with two super forehand winners immediately after her serve *1-1

Naomi holds to love with 2 unreturned second serves and one unreturned first 2-1*

Varvara holds to love *2-2

Naomi with 3 unreturned serves and 1 ace as she holds to love 3-2*

Two errors from VL give Naomi an opening at 15-30 but a careless forehand long after a rally costs her the chance of a bp *3-3

40-0 up Naomi goes to sleep, playing 3 dreadful points in a row after VL's super return. Naomi's serve gets her out of trouble, helped by a poor error from VL 4-3*

Missed most of another easy hold for Varvara *4-4

Naomi either wrong footed or totally asleep as VL strikes winners. Naomi gets game point. Poor forehand long, df, forehand clips net to set up a straightforward pass for VL for the break 4-5*

I'm afraid Naomi has looked dreadful apart from her serve, offering almost nothing in the rallies apart from careless errors. VL holds to 15 4-6

-- Edited by kundalini on Wednesday 27th of July 2016 01:34:34 AM

wimdledont · Challenger level

Hev+ take the first 6-2

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

I do think the rule that allows Lucky Losers into the second round is ridiculous but hoping Naomi takes advantage.

Spectator · All-time great

Parenthetically Ms Watson and Ms Mattek-Sands between them come very close to a career GS in mixed doubles: Roland Garros and AO + USO final for Ms Mattek Sands, and Ms Watson supplying Wimbledon.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Naomi broken at the worst time there

PaulM · Tennis legend

Gosh she's really terrible off the ground isnt she

wimdledont · Challenger level

Heather+ won 2+4, so Heather returns to the top 100 doubles, overtaking Anna and Joss.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Naomi starts with a df but responds with 3 unreturned first serves to hold to 15 1-0*

VL with 2 careless errors immediately after her serve for 15-30 then Naomi gets back to 40-40 with a super forehand winner but VL takes the next 2 points 1-1

An ace and a df as Naomi holds to 15 2-1*

VL up 40-15 makes 3 errors with Naomi contributing one point towards a break out of nowhere 3-1*

Naomi goes to pieces in a shocking game although with one nice drop shot then volley combination, ending with 2 dfs 3-2*

A truly dreadful game from both players ends with VL holding to 30, every point was a poor error *3-3

Another df but Naomi holds to 30, nice serve + volley play 4-3*

Naomi taking the initiative in a long game, two volley winners and a super forehand. Varvara saves 3 bps, one with an ace, another an aggressive forehand after her serve, but a Broady drop shot brings the score back to 40-40 then VL gifts the break with 2 ues *5-3

The Broady drop shot being deployed regularly now with fair success too, two in this game. An aggressive backhand wins her the set 6-3

-- Edited by kundalini on Wednesday 27th of July 2016 01:24:40 AM

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Managed to get access to the match. It's almost like another sport Naomi plays out there with her positioning. Kind of of entertaining as you never know where the ball is going. Some of those double faults especially. Must be tiring to play against for her opponent guessing what's coming next. Lepchenko is barely missing a first serve too though.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

I can't believe that first set only took 30 mins at 6-4. Were there just alot of UEs?

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Short answer is yes. A different way of playing tennis

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

After Fitzy came on Naomi played some really good stuff at the sharp end of set 2 to claim it.

Vania King has beaten Babos, and so is Johanna's next opponent. Might be a match similar to the Saisai Zheng one in Stanford then.

Fantastic win for Heather in doubles with Bethanie, 2 & 4 against Kuznetsova & Kasatkina is some going

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Missed VL's opening hold to 15 *0-1

Naomi up 40-0. VL comes up with 3 good points to get back to 40-40. Naomi wastes another game point with an error. Then saves 2 bps with an ace and an aggressive forehand. Another game point. More good play from VL and finally a Broady error for the break 0-2*

Naomi fails to get a return in play. Even Varvara's best friends are unlikely to describe her serve as anything better than quite good *0-3

Naomi holds to love 1-3*

Varvara with another easy hold despite an awful smash into the net *1-4

Naomi holds to love 2-4*

Varvara holds to 15 with plenty of help from a desperately poor Naomi *2-5

Naomi holds to 40 despite a df 3-5*

Ace, df, V forehand winner due to no penetration on Naomi's 2nd serve return, ace, Broady forehand error 3-6

-- Edited by kundalini on Wednesday 27th of July 2016 03:39:18 AM

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Lepchenko, by being a LL, had to play a match less than Naomi, and Naomi looked desperately tired at the end, very unfortunate wrinkle of the rules.
But, hard fought points for Broady this week, and at least looking in the right direction again. Even with the loss today, the week is in the top 5 points scoring hauls of her career to date.
Look to build on that foundation.