Week 27/28 Wimbledon Main Draw - Singles

Michael D · All-time great

Week 27/28 Wimbledon Main Draw - Singles

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Does anyone know if that guarantees Heather a main draw berth in the US Open?

blob · All-time great

Cracking matches late in the day with all of Azarenka, Carla, Vesnina, Ostapenko & Vekic involved in final set fights for their continued participation.
Donna just dispatches Vikhlyantseva, and so is the R64 opponent for Johanna.

2-2 today is about what I expected. The matches as drawn were winnable, but, just as equally, losable, and that's the balance that seems to have played out.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Yes 2-2 is about par, and the two wins were as expected. Just the ease of victory making the wins and losses quite stark with Jo and Heather well in control (bar a nervy end for Hev) and Naomi and Laura losing matches that on a better day they could have been very competitive in.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Hev sort of continuing her form from Eastbourne, her opponent who I don't think is that bad, pushed her all the way in the 2nd, suspect it'll free up her to have a decent crack at Sevastova. Jo was solid, her opponent was very poor today compared with FO, Vekic camethrough impressively today against a tough opponent, won't be easy but I expect Jo to exact revenge for her Notts loss. Shame for Naomi who as mentioned earlier seems to underperform here, but she's still had a much better grasscourt season than last year.

Tennisbrit · Improver

Heather def continuing form i believe, I really enjoy watching her play on the grass, she has a combination of shots, I like the dropshots... when played at the right time!

LordBrownof · Futures level

I listened to Simona Halep's press conference ahead of Wimbledon about the FO loss and something really struck me that I thought was relevant to Heather. Halep said that on reflection she should've been braver in the big moments, especially 3-0 up in the second - and not revert to passive play. I often feel this really relates to Heather. If she could be braver in the big moments - go for the return winner or come into the net and make the opponent play, then we wouldn't have such nervy endings. This is particularly true when you're serving for the set or match.

Easier said than done, of course. But I think if she's going to progress she really needs to be more positive in the crucial moments. Given where she is in her career, she might as well spend a few months going all out with this approach.

indiana · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Does anyone know if that guarantees Heather a main draw berth in the US Open?

Yes indeed that R1 win pretty much clinched the deal

With this year only 6 weeks between the conclusion of Wimbledon and the start of the US Open, the US Open MD entry list will be based on the immediate post Wimbledon, 17/07, rankings.

As said, she is up to #89 in the live rankings on 686 points, a mark equivalent to WR 93 in the current rankings list.

By the way, such is her relative weight of points this year after a very dry second half of 2016, she is up to #60 in the live race.

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Excellent that Heather is back inside the top 100 :D

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

philwrig wrote:
That was poor from Laura today, not up to the level she's been playing at that's for certain. Tight as a drum, whereas before she always upped her game here at Wimby. Still I am positive going forward, as I've seen ALOT of Laura playing at Notts and Ilkley, and she was so much better. Its interesting when Laura has a bad match, you get a lot of negative analysis ( fair enough ) But I try to look at the big picture objectively. Start of the year I wasn't very hopeful, but now I think she'll 100% get back in the top 100. 1st serve needs more mph, movement will always be poor, but there's no excuse regarding fitness, which needs to improve. Still getting back to the ITF circuit will be good for her, and will give her the wins to build the confidence back up again.

I heard an interview on 5L from her, saying that she had played poorly and got nervous. If this is the case, then maybe giving her WCs here seems like a bad idea. QWC sure unless she gets it together again.

She said the same after her PR ran out last year - the expectation to perform was making it harder. Hopefully she'll be better in the States without the pressure. Everything she gets there, she will have earned.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I don't have a problem with Laura having got a wildcard.

Laura is 189 in the world and so it's 'normal' that she would get a wildcard. It may not be the best idea for her development but that's not really the point of the AELTC's thinking. And that's fine (given we have wildcards in the first place).

But the comparison to Tara's position (who probably wouldn't have played any better) is marked.

The bottom line, though, is that Laura played poorly. And in a way that looks as though no progress is being made in areas that are crying out for progress. I would like to say that she played better at Surbiton and it was nerves at SW19 but I'm not convinced. But the US tour will certainly be interesting, and many players perform badly in their own Grand Slams.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Interesting to read that Jo's style of play is being emulated even by our male players !

The Telegraph in Jan. 17

".....British No. 4 Aljaz Bedene say that Johanna Konta is doing really well using her whole body, whereas I was known to use my wrists a lot, so I am trying to be more physical like her.

Bedenes coach Nick Cavaday later clarified that When you use large muscle groups to hit your shots, like Konta does, that movement tends to be a lot more stable under pressure than fine motor skills in your hands and wrists. The result is that she is just very consistent.

the addict · Tennis legend

Katie B warming up on court for her GS debut

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

If McHale plays as badly for the whole match as she is right now, Katie has a real chance.

wimdledont · Challenger level

Katie leads 4-1*, McHale awful, with 5 DFs