Laura won 6 out of 7 games to win the first set and 6 games in a row to win the match, so at her best she was dominant. At her worst it was a disaster.
That is actually a very positive sign. Mandy has won comprehensively against a player who is good on the surface, but is getting on a bit in terms of age.
Don't forget Mandy has hardly played on hard surfaces.
Mandy plays about 4 hard court matched for every 10 clay matches.
She actually performs much better on hard courts than on clay these days though. The belief is just lacking.
Laura very much in keeping with her entire comeback; some select isolated points look like top 30 stuff, most of it is a hot mess underpinned by natural talent, and with no real sign of a plan or long term improvement over time.
It's solid 180-250 stuff. Some weeks (well, two weeks, consecutively) it's Landisville quality, often it's Sharm-el-Sheikh.
I don't think at this point anyone can be surprised at what we see each time she plays.
I didn't quite know what to make of her talk of hiring a mental coach. On the one hand, it's definitely a good mature decision, recognising flaws and taking correct action to address them. But, as so often with Laura, she somehow managed to make it seem like a short cut - as though every other part of her game was fine, and this was the final piece required to be top 30 again, which from every evidence since her return - except those two weeks Landisville/USO Qualies, and therefore the exception not the rule - just simply isn't true; or is, at best, alternative facts.
Wish her well though, and here's hoping for a Mandy v. Robbo title fight here!
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Data I post, opinions I offer, 'facts' I assert, are almost certainly all stupidly wrong.
The thing is though when Laura CAN play like she has only too occasionally like at Landisville and the US Open, chasing down balls and controlled agressive play to very good effect, shown to an extent again against Burger and Lemoine last week, then there does appear to be matters of mind and confidence there.
-- Edited by indiana on Wednesday 1st of February 2017 09:38:01 PM
I feel Laura is finally approaching matches as she needs to in order to climb back up the levels - scrapping, fighting and digging deep to win however she can. Up until recently I feel she's gone on court hoping her world class game is there and being like a rabbit in the headlights when it hasn't been. The more she wins, the more settled and confident she will feel and the more likely her classy, top flight game will start to emerge again.
Regarding the serve, I wonder if there is some slight adjustment she has had to make following wrist surgery. Maybe slightly less snap at the end, or shoulders coming through at a very slightly different angle, or needing to move her ball toss slightly? She hasn't said anything to that effect but it seems quite possible to me and would explain the inconsistency in what was once her major weapon.
Misses game point and double faults on break point
Loses 62 62
Looks like a pretty terrible performance.
There's absolutely no way she can be relied upon to set foot on court in Fed Cup next week. I feel so bad for her, and I'm sure she's desperately trying to find a way out her funk, but the fact is that whatever chinks of light she manages to show every one tournament in 6, she can't be relied upon to do the business against the number 2 players she'd be facing (certainly not Soylu).
Frustrating more than anything not to carry any of the positives forward from last week, when she was looking really good and sharp
-- Edited by PaulM on Thursday 2nd of February 2017 12:55:00 PM
The long term trend for Laura of solid 200-250 form holds true, and you never know what's coming week-to-week; even, in this case, against the same opponent on the same courts. Roll the dice again next time, and hope for the best, I guess.
If Venus & Serena can go back to Indian Wells, surely we can finally plead and persuade Naomi how much we'd love to see her in a GB 'vest', perhaps Annie K can work on her.
Amanda up later on the same court; hoping for better fortune.