Week 39 - WTA Premier 5 ($2.4M) - Wuhan, China Hard

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 39 - WTA Premier 5 ($2.4M) - Wuhan, China Hard

PaulM · Tennis legend

Heather goes 2/12 on break points in the first and loses it 7-6(2)

Had two set points at 5-3*

Sigh

blob · All-time great

Heather levels up, 6-7(2) 6-2 1-0*

PaulM · Tennis legend

Breaks for 3-0*

Misses points for *4-0 and *5-1

*4-2 now

blob · All-time great

Was two points away, serving for the match at *5-3 *30-0
But was broken. Here we go again...
5-4*

PaulM · Tennis legend

6-5*

3 match points...

Wins 7-5 in the third after over 3 hours.

Well, it's a win.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Easy, peasy......not.....

Peter too · Tennis legend

Q1: WATSON, Heather (GBR) 8 78 def HAN, Xinyun (CHN) 132 6-7(2) 6-2 7-5

Q2: WATSON, Heather (GBR) 8 78 v JABEUR, Ons (TUN)14 91 CH=89 11/9/17
H2H 1-0 French Open 2012 7-6(5) 6-3

blob · All-time great

And... breathe.
It's been a pleasantly refreshing development that several of our players in the Western hemisphere this week have been able to post convincing, tension-free, wins.
This is not a suit in which Ms. Watson has ever been particularly strong, despite her many qualities and successes.
Supporting her so strongly over the years has aged me rather.

Onto the next one, if my heart can stand it.

Well done Heather.

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

A struggle, but a winning struggle so well done Heather :D
GL in Q2

Jan · Hall of fame

Phew!

blob · All-time great

In the MD, Johanna has a R64 Bye, followed by a difficult looking prospect in R32: the winner of Bellis/Barty.
Another considerable banana skin.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Barty has been amazing this year. I wouldn't fancy Jo's chances.

Michael D · All-time great

Jo has to improve her ability to adapt to different types of surfaces during the season. This year she seems to have lost in the first round of most tournaments on different surfaces, if not even the first two tournaments... And that leaves her only with 2-3 weeks where she is playing relatively well, then that part of the season ends... she takes a break to train for the next surface to come up, but somehow the adaptability issues continue, and thus she is way behind the curve of other players on that surface who are settling in on it weeks before she starts to perform. Next season Jo has to focus on how she can adapt more quickly to the regular changes in surface.

indiana · Tennis legend

Michael D wrote:
Jo has to improve her ability to adapt to different types of surfaces during the season. This year she seems to have lost in the first round of most tournaments on different surfaces, if not even the first two tournaments... And that leaves her only with 2-3 weeks where she is playing relatively well, then that part of the season ends... she takes a break to train for the next surface to come up, but somehow the adaptability issues continue, and thus she is way behind the curve of other players on that surface who are settling in on it weeks before she starts to perform. Next season Jo has to focus on how she can adapt more quickly to the regular changes in surface.

I actually think it is more picking up the reins again on whatever surface after a few weeks off that can be an issue for Jo ( as I have seen remarked on before ) rather more than adaptability to surface changes.

On the switch to clay in Stuttgart she reached R2 first out and anyway clay is not really her thing. Her clay tournament season went exits in R2, R1, her R2, and French Open R1 ( though her clay season had probably really started with Davis Cup in Romania, again she won her first match vs Cirstea before losing to Halep ). I don't think we can gather much from clay.

On the switch to grass she reached the final in Nottingham before exiting in R2 in Birmingham vs Vandeweghe. As a reporter was firmly told after her Birmingham loss she reckoned she'd taken to grass just fine.

On switch to hard again she lost first out in Toronto but I think more to do with the probably understandable more than 3 weeks off after Wimbledon and getting over that. She did indeed seem to be playing catch up from then through to the US Open but more through lack.of tournaments / matches. Not really less than most top players but maybe more of an issue for her.

Then Tokyo R1 exit has not really been a surface change but has followed another 3 weeks gap since her US Open R1 exit.

It's a difficult one, I think picking up the reins is an issue ( although she started the whole season well ) but certainly after Wimbledon and having played a lot of grass court matches, culminating in getting to that Wimbledon SF, she probably felt she really did need a break after these 5 weeks, hoping to come again strong later in the season, but that maybe did leave her a bit undercooked going into the US Open.

There may be a case that her whole season has rather caught up with her so she may not have a great end but hopefully she can win some rounds in Wuhan to get going again for Beijing and let's hope the Singapore tour finals.