Weeks 3 & 4 - Australian Open, Melbourne (hard)

Peter too · Tennis legend

Weeks 3 & 4 - Australian Open, Melbourne (hard)

Peter too · Tennis legend

Putinseva breaks to love 5-7 5-6*

Jaffa · Challenger level

Gone for far too much off the backhand when it has come up the line and it looks like it migh cost her.

You never know though...

Peter too · Tennis legend

Heather finally converts a break point at her 5th attempt 6-6

PaulM · Tennis legend

Oh Heather. Just way too patchy

Sore to miss the set point in the breaker.

Shame, but I always felt this was a draw that hung in the balance, don't think her status with the bookies as clear favourite was justified.

Peter too · Tennis legend

At set point 6-5 in the tiebreak Heather missed the line by millimetres and then made a mistake to give her opponent match point which she takes with another missed line from Heather.
R1: WATSON, Heather (GBR) 68 lost to PUTINTSEVA, Yulia (KAZ) 54 5-7 6-7(6)

Edited second set score

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 16th of January 2018 01:01:05 PM

Jaffa · Challenger level

Got to say Putintseva really took the proverbial there but she did deserve to win overall.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Heather just went for too much, was missing lines by next to nothing, just a little more margin was needed.

But I agree, overall Poots deserved to win.

-- Edited by PaulM on Tuesday 16th of January 2018 10:54:13 AM

wolf · Tennis legend

Poor, and she had a good second round draw as well.

PaulM · Tennis legend

wolf wrote:
Poor, and she had a good second round draw as well.

Yes, opportunity missed with Bogdan awaiting in round two.

Still, not a completely terrible start to the year. Let's hope she can keep improving and nudging up.

Peter too · Tennis legend

When Heather committed herself to attack she invariably won the point but too often got bogged down in swapping baseline shots and then either hit the net or went wide from the baseline.

blob · All-time great

35 W, 51 UE
That sort of ratio has been the story of the last 2-3 years for Hev.

SuperT · Futures level

I love Heather but she is the most frustrating player to watch, with her level of play fluctuating wildly from game to game. She plays a few brilliant points and looks well in control and then dumps a couple of unforced errors in the net. Does anyone know what the situation is regarding her coach? I really feel she needs someone permanent to help steady her and get her playing more consistently at the level she's capable of.

wolf · Tennis legend

Lloyd was acting as her on court coach in Hobart, so I don't think she 's travelling with one at the moment. And Lloyd should be in Turkey right now.

indiana · Tennis legend

Such a pity, especially with such a good looking R2 draw if she had got through.

And no particular reason to think that Ana Bogdan WR 104 ( at CH ) has suddenly found a new level as she inflicted the 15th straight defeat on Kiki Mladenovic. By the way, Kiki rather remarkably is currently up to a live #9 ranking, which would be a CH, having moved ahead of Vandeweghe ( and will stay ahead of her ) and Jo ( hopefully not stay ahead of her ). I wouldn't though invest mucn money betting on her to defend the relative mountain of points she has to defend in the next few months.