Week 5 - ITF ($60K) - Burnie, Australia, Hard

indiana · Tennis legend

Week 5 - ITF ($60K) - Burnie, Australia, Hard

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Lots of time for Laura very nice to see her winning. Playing doubles does mitigate a relative lack of mobility which is an impediment to her singles game

the addict · Tennis legend

Actually, I thought Laura's mobility in her singles match was greatly improved at the start of the match, but as it went on her footwork let her down, and then as she started missing the lines, her confidence and movement went as well. Having a partner on court, and having to cover less of the court, certainly seems to make a huge difference to her game and confidence.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes. I thought Laura started off really well in her singles. It wasn't the other girl playing badly.

It seemed to me that she went out in her singles, full of the advice and confidence and the game that the coach is drumming into her. And then, obviously, as things go on, it always becomes a bit more tricky, and - given her lack of wins - you try to stick to the plan but can't quite get over the line (and she was SO close).

I am reasonably confident about her - with the new coach/old coach back, I think it it looks promising.

And well done on the doubles.

blob · All-time great

I see young Ms. Kostyuk has continued on from her impressive run at AO by making the final here.
It should be said that her draw has certainly been kind: it included wins over two qualifiers and a WC from her four matches. Still, I doubt we'll be seeing her much longer on the ITF.

wimdledont · Challenger level

As a previous Wimbledon and US Open doubles champion, now just about retired from singles, Vania would be a very interesting long-time partner for Laura. The last US player standing at the 2018 Oz Open, she should be hoping for WCs for Miami and IW, if required.

If they were together, it could certainly give Laura an alternative scenario for a return to the top - playing WTA doubles main draws, with Laura hoping to scrape into qualifying for singles, and with the potential to skyrocket up the rankings with one spectacular week. That somehow seems more in character than the consistent run of sustained success that would be needed to progress by playing and winning week-in, week-out in 25k-100k ITFs.

WRT her doubles ranking, she can't now advance much further while playing at her singles level. She now has 629 points from 11 counters, so the 50 points for winning a 25k are below her average "par" score. And the minimum points available for winning a solitary doubles match on the WTA tour is 60 points, so she's not really catching up with those ahead of her.

Michael D · All-time great

wimdledont wrote:
As a previous Wimbledon and US Open doubles champion, now just about retired from singles, Vania would be a very interesting long-time partner for Laura. The last US player standing at the 2018 Oz Open, she should be hoping for WCs for Miami and IW, if required.

If they were together, it could certainly give Laura an alternative scenario for a return to the top - playing WTA doubles main draws, with Laura hoping to scrape into qualifying for singles, and with the potential to skyrocket up the rankings with one spectacular week. That somehow seems more in character than the consistent run of sustained success that would be needed to progress by playing and winning week-in, week-out in 25k-100k ITFs.

WRT her doubles ranking, she can't now advance much further while playing at her singles level. She now has 629 points from 11 counters, so the 50 points for winning a 25k are below her average "par" score. And the minimum points available for winning a solitary doubles match on the WTA tour is 60 points, so she's not really catching up with those ahead of her.

I would definitely say go for this strategy. Laura is not going to get anyway fiddling about in these ITF tournaments I don't think, trying to win a few singles matches. With a better coach, I would say hone her doubles play with a good partner like Vania, and that may just give her the real confidence to get her singles mojo back too. I'm in agreement that this path, playing in these smaller tournaments, is not going to get Laura back to anywhere where she'd like to be, since I doubt she will become consistent enough.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, suspect Vania won't be hanging around in ITFs. So there may be a possibility to link up with her in WTA doubles or with some other good doubles player. And yes, still compete in singles qualifying when the opportunity arises, and she is still probably capable of relatively big singles wins on a good day. And who knows where confidence gained from singles or doubles results or both could take her.

Sounds a plan ...

I guess though that she and Martijn Bok might want to build up her singles gradually as they begin working together again to find solutions, which may be fair enough for a little while and see how that goes.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 2nd of February 2018 11:26:35 AM

blob · All-time great

It would be fair to say that last night, for the most part, Vania carried Laura.
Vania may well be thinking in the same terms, except she can aim up too.
Having proven that her recovery from ankle surgery is going well, and the results at AO and then here, good, well ranked players, without regular partners, like her old mates, Shvedova & Niculescu, or Rosolska etc. would happily team up with her and guarantee immediate team entry into almost all WTA tier events.

wimdledont · Challenger level

Yes, I'd agree that Vania could easily find better offers. But both Laura and Vania are now down on the singles acceptance lists for the next 3x25k weeks in Australia, so if they stuck together for those, and it all continued to go well...

Another option for Laura could be to partner up with Anna Smith?

Whilst she might be still lowly ranked, Laura does also bring a certain amount of stardust/media interest to a partnership; more so than Shvedova/Niculescu, etc. Her OzOpen partner Coco was arguably the biggest American star name in that draw. So if not Vania, I think Laura could easily find other good WTA doubles partners. But for the moment, congratulatons to both of them, and I hope it continues.

Peter too · Tennis legend

Laura's best run in the last 12 months was in March in a series of $60K and $80K events in the far east. She won one event and reached the QF in two others. That seems her optimum level at present. There are no more events at that level until we reprise the far east ones agin in March.

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

blob wrote:
F: Laura ROBSON/Vania KING (GBR/USA)defeated Kobori/Muramatsu (JPN/JPN) 7-6(3) 6-1

Well done

This is Laura's third pro doubles title, and her equal biggest, along with last years $60K in Las Vegas. All on hard courts.
She has now won a doubles title in each of the last three consecutive years.

Excellent; well done Laura and Vania biggrin