Week 19 - WTA Premier ($6.7M) - Madrid, Spain - Clay

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 19 - WTA Premier ($6.7M) - Madrid, Spain - Clay

PaulM · Tennis legend

She posted an Instagram post from Madrid, so must be an issue.

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

Jo is also in the doubles partnering with Shuai Zhang. They will play wildcards Anabel Medina Garrigues, playing her first official match for 2 years, and Arantxa Parra Santonja.

Michael D · All-time great

Hmm I wonder how often this happens? I see that in tomorrow's OOP one of the first round matches is Petra Kvitova vs Lesia Tsurenko, which might seem nothing remarkable... except that today Petra won the Prague Open Final. And tomorrow she is expected to go again already?! cry

.... and to be fair, so is her opponent today too, Mihaela Buzarnescu. It is happening because the women's event is a day ahead of the men's in Madrid, so the second half of the women's first round matches are all tomorrow, Sunday (will now today). It will mean however that both players have played every day this month so far. The Prague Open is of course Petra's home open. I'm not surprised players get burned out and pick up injuries, if the WTA really expects those that are successful to meet this kind of schedule. it is happening because they are trying to cram in two 64 player draws in the same venue in the same week, in order that they can go again in Rome next week. And the players are told they should participate in Masters events? It's a bit rich that's for sure.

flamingowings · All-time great

Quite right Michael.

Madrid isn't as a good warm up as Rome for the French Open as it's at altitude. I think. But that is terrible scheduling and there should be an exemption made or have either Rome or Madrid as a non mandatory Masters like Monte Carlo.

Peter too · Tennis legend

Jo's match is about to start.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Michael D wrote:
Hmm I wonder how often this happens? I see that in tomorrow's OOP one of the first round matches is Petra Kvitova vs Lesia Tsurenko, which might seem nothing remarkable... except that today Petra won the Prague Open Final. And tomorrow she is expected to go again already?!
.... and to be fair, so is her opponent today too, Mihaela Buzarnescu. It is happening because the women's event is a day ahead of the men's in Madrid, so the second half of the women's first round matches are all tomorrow, Sunday (will now today). It will mean however that both players have played every day this month so far. The Prague Open is of course Petra's home open. I'm not surprised players get burned out and pick up injuries, if the WTA really expects those that are successful to meet this kind of schedule. it is happening because they are trying to cram in two 64 player draws in the same venue in the same week, in order that they can go again in Rome next week. And the players are told they should participate in Masters events? It's a bit rich that's for sure.

It's not just the women tbf, Phil K has to play tomorrow in Madrid, a day after his Munich final defeat today.

blob · All-time great

Magda played ratehr well in Stuttgart - surprising as her clay record is about as good as Naomi's generally. She was clearly injured by the end of her time there.
Not sure how low to set ones sights with Jo now - a set? Will that be sufficient succour?

Good start, but that's often been the case...
*2-0

blob · All-time great

28 point game; 4 saved BP - Jo holds, 5-2*

blob · All-time great

It's not inspiring much confidence, but you can't deny the effort.
Why have Asics put their players in this horrible clay coloured kit for clay season - it's like camouflage

blob · All-time great

6-3

Joyce's pep talk between sets was: 'ya know', 'it's like, ya know', 'whatever' etc.

blob · All-time great

I am to Michael Joyce, as Coup Droit is to Jeremy Bates.

flamingowings · All-time great

blob wrote:
6-3

Joyce's pep talk between sets was: 'ya know', 'it's like, ya know', 'whatever' etc.

Sounds....detailed. not.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Misses break points at start of second. Could come back to haunt her

0-2*

blob · All-time great

Too many unforced errors, and they are completely unforced almost - and, apologies, I only put it this way becasue I lack the skill to find another suitable, kinder, word - amateurish; wild swings, shot technique and set up to the ball unrecognisable to anything professional, or studied.
It's happening again...
6-3 *0-3