Hev responds in kind with a pretty awful service game of her own.
As I see it, she's not bending her knees, not getting in good position to hit through the ball, a lot of work in the arms, rather than using the body to generate power.
5-7 2-4*
Somehow Naomi's unconvincing backhand slice induces Puig into 2 inept errors as she gains an early break, every so often there's a super shot but most of the time it's poor quality *1-0
Naomi gives away her serve again with some shocking errors, a weak drop shot into the net, then an astonishing backhand error stood close to the net, Monica with a fortunate netcord winner on the final point 1-1
A rare instance of a decent shot just wide, slightly unlucky for Naomi at 30-30, previous point had been a super backhand return winner, anyway Monica holds *1-2
Naomi holds after a game in which she wasted 7 game points and served 4 dfs, two of which were aggressive serves that narrowly missed, unlike the vast majority of her dfs. Several super Broady backhands in the game 2-2
Monica implodes after Naomi wastes one bp, ending with a df. Naomi with a super lob earlier in the game. *3-2
Another 4 dfs in a game from Naomi as she saves 3 bps then pays the price as Monica finds a great return then puts away an easy drive volley winner to break 3-3
Naomi with another incredible blunder at 15-30, then puts two aggressive backhand down the line shots into the net to allow Monica to hold *3-4
Naomi lands just 1 first serve yet holds to 30, every time Naomi is asked to hit an easy drive volley she hits it straight back to Monica, this time she got away with it 4-4
It looks like Naomi has wasted her chance when at 30-30 she hits a drive volley straight back to Monica but Naomi follows it with her best spell of the match to break, a great lob, an aggressive backhand, finishing with a smash winner *5-4
A fairly routine hold from Naomi, thanks to Monica putting a couple of 2nd serve returns outside the lines 6-4
-- Edited by kundalini on Tuesday 26th of July 2016 11:28:06 AM
A good attacking game on return from Naomi, and breaks. Her groundstrokes are actually pretty good this set, for the most part. It's the serve that's letting her down most. 3-6 *5-4
Serve it out!
Ah! Well done! Not pretty stuff, by any means, but digging deep. 3-6 6-4
All to play for as Pica is struggling too. Unsurprisingly, she's struggling to get any rhythm against Naomi.
Monica holds from 15-30 with 3 first serves, finishing the points with a drive volley winner and a sublime drop shot *0-1
Naomi with 2 unreturned first serves, very rare so far in this particular match 1-1
Naomi's technique fails her completely as she allows Monica to hold to 30 in a game of woeful errors from both *1-2
2 aces for Naomi. Looks like wind may have gone down a bit. Yet again Monica reaches a Broady drop shot and finds a winning passing shot but Naomi recovers well from 15-30 2-2
Puig backhand error wide. Careless forehand from Monica makes it 0-30, Naomi with a super backhand down the line winner and Monica puts a forehand long immediately after her serve, for the break to love *3-2
Naomi holds to love thanks to a couple of poor backhands from Monica and a great lob, finishing with a drop shot winner 4-2*
A super lob from Naomi, Monica can't deal with a Broady backhand slice that stays low for 15-30, then a backhand pass winner after a miss-hit return before Monica unwisely aims a forehand down the line and goes narrowly wide *5-2
Naomi's first serve may have taken a long time finding the court she was playing on but it turns up in style, 4 aces in the game, from 15-30 it went ace, ace, df, ace, ace 6-2
-- Edited by kundalini on Tuesday 26th of July 2016 11:14:43 AM
Absolutely brilliant! She did really well to dig in and win that. Naomi is all lobs, aces, forehand slice returns and unforced errors...long may it continue :)