Week 33 - WTA Premier 5 ($2.8M) - Cincinnati, USA - Hard

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 33 - WTA Premier 5 ($2.8M) - Cincinnati, USA - Hard

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

First set to Jo 7-6(1)
Neither playing well, especially at the start; it got better as the set went on. Jo saved set point in game 10, and went on to play a very good TB.

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Past midnight in Cincy, and they'll be going the distance.
Better second set, very tight. Jo had chances on Aga's serve, and pressure, but couldn't make it tell.
Then, played one bad service game, and that was all Aga needed. 2 hours played, but both look fresh.
Aga playing better and better, especially on serve, is probably a pretty strong favourite now. Jo doing nothing much wrong, mostly just not taking her chances.
7-6(1) 4-6

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Ackh!
Double break down in double quick time. Aga now in full ninja mode, Jo gone leaden, struggling to win a point. Looks extremely doubtful now that this one is going to be anything than swift one way traffic in the decider

7-6(1) 4-6 0-3*

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Jo only won 6 points in the final set.
First two sets, she was definitely on top, and could have put the match away if she'd played just a little better.
Aga drew confidence from the break at the end of set 2, and almost hit magician form in the final set. Jo was bad at that point too, though; physically fine, but mentally frazzled, and error prone.
Played a lot of tennis since Wimbledon, and is down to play next week too. Perhaps it's taking it's toll.
Hard to be too disappointed by a loss to Aga, but there's a nagging feeling that this is one that got away.

R3: Johanna KONTA (GBR) [10] 13 lost to Agnieszka RADWANSKA (POL) [5] 5 7-6(1) 4-6 0-6

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Amazing isn't it when we reflect on where she was this time last year that we are now frustrated that Jo isn't able to finish of Aga after taking the first set.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Jo is a genuine top 15 player, but I get the feeling she has played too much tennis recently and will affect her results.

Needs a break after US Open

PaulM · Tennis legend

I think Jo's schedule has been far too heavy. I would have taken this week off but she did pretty well, could have won the second.

I really hope she pulls out of New Haven, there is really no need for her to have played every week between Wimbledon and the US Open (barring the first week where there were only two clay court events).

indiana · Tennis legend

Does look as if Jo hit a wall there after such a competitive first two sets, probably a cumulative thing.

Yes, I would have been for missing this week rather than New Haven since although a relatively less prestigious tournament I think that would have been better timing for her. A well earned week off and then tournament play again leading into the US Open. While the need is there for rest Jo is often not best fresh.

Hopefully she isn't being too influenced by trying to make the top 10 in the short term ( she would have had to reach the final this week and that would have done it - no small matter with that bottom half ) or more generally being tempted to overplay to ride further upon good form.

Needs now to carefully consider how to be at her best for the US Open.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 19th of August 2016 04:31:40 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

Angie Kerber is into the final against Karolina Pliskova so one win away from taking the WR 1 spot from Serena after Serena's latest 183 successive weeks as #1.

( Karolina Pliskova is one win away from dropping Jo a further place from each of WR 14 and race #10 )

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Also an interesting doubles final, with the freshly split Santina facing off against each other from different sides of the net in the first tournament it was possible!

thejester · Satellite level

indiana wrote:
Angie Kerber is into the final against Karolina Pliskova so one win away from taking the WR 1 spot from Serena after Serena's latest 183 successive weeks as #1.

( Karolina Pliskova is one win away from dropping Jo a further place from each of WR 14 and race #10 )

Kerber denied in surprisingly emphatic fashion as Pliskova wins 6-3 6-1

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Angie looked today exactly like Jo did in her 3rd set against Aga. Mind and body just had no more to give.
Karolina played extremely well this week though, the best I've seen her, and must be a serious threat at the Open, despite her awful GS record.

the addict · Tennis legend

Karolina was really on her game today, plenty of clean hitting to go with her impressive serve. Maybe a match too far for Angie, but perhaps subconsciously she didn't really want the No 1 spot this week leading into the US Open, especially with all the pressure from the press.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Sets it up nicely for the US Open - can Kerber take the No. 1 ranking there (I would like to see her take it in a tournament where Serena is there, and she is only defending R3 points)? Can Karolina Pliskova finally produce a run at a grand slam tournament?