Week 34 - WTA Premier ($761K) - New Haven, USA Hard

markymc1983 · Club Coach

Week 34 - WTA Premier ($761K) - New Haven, USA Hard

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

As perspective for Naomi's match, Kayla Day just came from a set down to beat WR60 Flipkens 3-6 6-4 6-1!

Julia Carrot · All-time great

AliBlahBlah wrote:
As perspective for Naomi's match, Kayla Day just came from a set down to beat WR60 Flipkens 3-6 6-4 6-1!

And Heather's conquerer has taken the first set off Lucic- Baroni. hmmmm

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Julia Carrot wrote:
AliBlahBlah wrote:
As perspective for Naomi's match, Kayla Day just came from a set down to beat WR60 Flipkens 3-6 6-4 6-1!
And Heather's conquerer has taken the first set off Lucic- Baroni. hmmmm

Indeed, Sakkari just outdid WR5 Lucic-Baroni in straight sets, 6-3 6-4
I think they're both still massively disappointing results, but perhaps a fraction less execrable.

indiana · Tennis legend

AliBlahBlah wrote:
Julia Carrot wrote:
AliBlahBlah wrote:
As perspective for Naomi's match, Kayla Day just came from a set down to beat WR60 Flipkens 3-6 6-4 6-1!
And Heather's conquerer has taken the first set off Lucic- Baroni. hmmmm
Indeed, Sakkari just outdid WR5 Lucic-Baroni in straight sets, 6-3 6-4
I think they're both still massively disappointing results, but perhaps a fraction less execrable.

In their FQR matches Sakkari beat WR 66 Giorgi 6-3 6-3, while Day lost out in 3 sets to WR 52 Sevastova 6-1 6-7(4) 6-2

Day has though got into the MD as one of 5 LLs. Tsurenko is the one FQR loser to basically be an unlucky loser.

indiana · Tennis legend

The main draw sheet shows Jo's withdrawal as due to '"Low back injury".

Hopefully there is rather less to that then meets the eye and the main issue is needing a break.

I have though seen 'fatigue' being given as a withdrawal reason so that is presumably accepted as a legitimate reason as it certainly should be. Maybe been on men's drawsheets, not sure.

JonH · All-time great

I am not sure what value the US Open Series has but Jo Konta appears to be leading the race - she has scored in 3 events so her tally doubles apparently, leaving her well ahead.

www.emiratesusopenseries.com/Standings/

Main thing would seem to be a nice little bonus depending on where she reaches in the US Open itself...

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

JonH wrote:
I am not sure what value the US Open Series has but Jo Konta appears to be leading the race - she has scored in 3 events so her tally doubles apparently, leaving her well ahead.

www.emiratesusopenseries.com/Standings/

Main thing would seem to be a nice little bonus depending on where she reaches in the US Open itself...

It's a bonus accelerator pool; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_US_Open_Series

Essentially, you get points in the US summer hard court swing events, and the top 3 in the standings get a bonus added to whatever they earn at the US Open.
Additionally, if the leader of the series wins the US Open, they get $1 Million on top of that.

Johanna has already earned $1.25M this year so far, and that pushes her just over $2M in career earnings, but I'm sure any extras wouldn't be refused.

JonH · All-time great

AliBlahBlah wrote:
JonH wrote:
I am not sure what value the US Open Series has but Jo Konta appears to be leading the race - she has scored in 3 events so her tally doubles apparently, leaving her well ahead.

www.emiratesusopenseries.com/Standings/

Main thing would seem to be a nice little bonus depending on where she reaches in the US Open itself...

It's a bonus accelerator pool; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_US_Open_Series
Essentially, you get points in the US summer hard court swing events, and the top 3 in the standings get a bonus added to whatever they earn at the US Open.
Additionally, if the leader of the series wins the US Open, they get $1 Million on top of that.
Johanna has already earned $1.25M this year so far, and that pushes her just over $2M in career earnings, but I'm sure any extras wouldn't be refused.

Thanks for that - I guess the intent of this Series is to ensure players play the events in the North American swing ahead of the US Open, as opposed to staying on clay in Europe or not at all. Looking at it though, hard to be clear if that works, partic in an Olympic year. JK appears to be top in part for having a good swing but also for playing several events (hence rewarding players for turning up - mmm. not sure they would not just be better improving the prize money across the board).

Presumably the USTA feel the need to do this given the relative paucity of top US players compared to when it started, trying to ensure top Europeans played?

philwrig · Hall of fame

I think we may see GB's number 4 and 5 ranked players close the gap on 2 and 3, no doubt Hev has lost her way on the singles court, but it won't take much to turn it around.

indiana · Tennis legend

A noticeable thing about Heather's results is not just her win / lose ratio has gone backwards as the year has progressed her general consistent competitiveness is not what it was.

It took her until Miami this year to lose a match in straight sets ( her 6th loss of the year and it was to Halep ) and most of these 3 set losses were close final sets. 8 of her 13 subsequent losses have been in straight sets.

The trend has not been great, but yes she can certainly turn things around again.

indiana · Tennis legend

Just to conclude the ongoing progress tale, (Q) Sakkari and (LL) Day lost in R1 to (LL) Rodina and (Q) Konjuh respectively.

I also see that Cincinnati champion Karolina Pliskova was a late withdrawal ( "Lower back" ) and in the end all 6 FQR losers became LLs.

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 23rd of August 2016 09:25:25 PM

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

It goes even deeper, as Flipper, who lost in QR2 (to Kayla Day), got drafted in as a LL because Tsurenko, herself a LL, withdrew. Kirsten then promptly beat Bencic in R1!

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

JonH wrote:
AliBlahBlah wrote:
JonH wrote:
I am not sure what value the US Open Series has but Jo Konta appears to be leading the race - she has scored in 3 events so her tally doubles apparently, leaving her well ahead.

www.emiratesusopenseries.com/Standings/

Main thing would seem to be a nice little bonus depending on where she reaches in the US Open itself...

It's a bonus accelerator pool; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_US_Open_Series
Essentially, you get points in the US summer hard court swing events, and the top 3 in the standings get a bonus added to whatever they earn at the US Open.
Additionally, if the leader of the series wins the US Open, they get $1 Million on top of that.
Johanna has already earned $1.25M this year so far, and that pushes her just over $2M in career earnings, but I'm sure any extras wouldn't be refused.
Thanks for that - I guess the intent of this Series is to ensure players play the events in the North American swing ahead of the US Open, as opposed to staying on clay in Europe or not at all. Looking at it though, hard to be clear if that works, partic in an Olympic year. JK appears to be top in part for having a good swing but also for playing several events (hence rewarding players for turning up - mmm. not sure they would not just be better improving the prize money across the board).
Presumably the USTA feel the need to do this given the relative paucity of top US players compared to when it started, trying to ensure top Europeans played?

I think it's as you describe, an incentive to guard against the trend on the women's tour, which is for the very top women's players to play an absolutely minimal schedule.

Aga's win in New Haven means that she claimed the prize.
Both Jo & Aga scored in three events, which doubled their totals, and set them clear of the field. Both had otherwise identical records. Because Aga beat Jo in Montreal, that head to head was the deciding factor used to separate them.