Week 1 - (ITF 25k) - Playford, Australia, Hard

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Week 1 - (ITF 25k) - Playford, Australia, Hard

Michael D · All-time great

Was interested to watch Gabi today really to see whether her game seemed to have evolved from last year at all and whether she looked like she has the potential to improve much on her CH of 162 - or even to maintain this over the next few months, considering she has 3 25k wins to defend from her successful run in Aus early last year. On this showing, her game is still more or less where it was, and she still lacks either the power or precision to move up a level. There wasn't enough variation in her game today either, Rybakina being the one who caught Gabi cold with two good drop shot winners in the last few games, but that was also because Gabi was being kept by and large well behind the baseline. When she could come in Gabi hit some better shots, including some down the line winners, but in most of the rallies it was Gabi that was the defensive player. This is her first tournament back, but she is going to need more to her game than she showed today to progress this year.

indiana · Tennis legend

Thanks for the info.

Early days but I had already expected Katie to move significantly ahead of Gabi this year. All the best to both.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Same meat different gravy. Gabi didnt start in Aus until February last year when the AO players have moved on so relatively easy pickings I am not sure as to what type of itinerary she will play this year but she will get the opportunity to play for bigger points eg Aussie Qualifying that she didnt get last year. Plenty of time for Gaby she is not dissimilar to Harriet in terms of capacity to do what it takes, she really kicked on in her final year of juniors and then got sick, great year last year I feel she is in a good position mentally to improve further, winning ugly this year should be her focus.

I have seen more of Katie who was at a different level as a junior but has had bit of a stutter as she has got her head round transition, I expect her to push on this year but feel Gaby wont let herself be left behind. Good luck to both.

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

Katie/Gabi give a WO in the doubles SF

Jan · Hall of fame

Thanks for the commentary. Well done Katie. So close for Gabi.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Katie is on at 2am UK time, so it'll be a case of waking up to it for me this time.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

It will be interesting to see what Gabi does this season and if she can stay injury and illness free for the majority of it. As Michael says, most of her titles came in weaker ITFs where most of the better players had moved on and there were very few top 200 wins in that period, so there will be a lot of work to do just to maintain.

Bar the Surbiton QF run, she did very little in the grass period. A very commendable performance against Vekic, but it was still 4 first round exits in a row (all against top 200 players). There's certainly the opportunity to pick up grass net points in case her ranking does drop, although that said, she was definitely thought of as 2nd in that young group behind Boulter when it came to WCs last year, whereas this year, as it stands, you'd probably think there'd be a couple of others ahead of her in the pecking order.

Peter too · Tennis legend

Last year Gabriella had a 49% improvement from 323 to 165. In the process she overtook Katie Swan who improved 39% from 299 to 183. On the other hand Harriet Dart started slightly ahead of Gabriella and moved further ahead with a 53% improvement from 315 to 149. Maia Lumsden, Francesca Jones and Emma Raducanu are also moving up fast but from some way back, so seem unlikely to trouble the top six this year.

the addict · Tennis legend

I only watched a little of the first set of Gabi's match last night, but I got the impression that she was lacking the power and penetration to compete at a higher level. Of course, the breezy conditions didn't help. Mind you, I thought the same about Harriet when I first saw her play some three years ago, and look where she is now.

TomTraubert · Futures level

lackluster loss from swan 36 46

Michael D · All-time great

Yes I watched a few games at the end of the first set and at different points in the second. The wind was blustery again and whilst Rybakina was keeping the ball flat and in, Katie kept ballooning it long and out. At the start of the second set Katie was 2-1* 0-40 up, but then lost all 3 BPs and the next two to lose the game. After that the writing was on the wall as the next points I watched her game was still very loose.

So Rybakina beats both Brits and both head into the Aus Open qualifiers with questions to answer but nothing to lose.

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

I watched most of the first set and a bit of the second. Katie was competing, and got to deuce a few times on the others serve. She did play some nice shots, in the gusty conditions. There wasn't a lot of difference between the two players. It was more difference of approach. Katie played more conservatively, seemingly wanting to trade shots down the middle of the court in the rallies, whereas Rybakina took every chance to find the angle. A lot of the crucial rallies went that way. Katie could have tried to mix it up a bit more, and push the opponent around the court a bit more, keep her guessing a bit. Instead, that's what Rybakina did to her. I'd like to see a bit more variety of shot, the element of surprise is underused. The opponent needs unsettling.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Peter too wrote:
QF: SWAN, Katie (GBR) 4 176 def MCPHEE, Kaylah (AUS) WC 352 6-4 6-3
QF: TAYLOR, Gabriella (GBR) 2 187 lost to RYBAKINA, Elena (KAZ) 6 182 6-3 2-6 6-7(3)

SF: SWAN, Katie (GBR) 4 176 v RYBAKINA, Elena (KAZ) 6 182 CH=175 10/12/18

Sometimes when you do a comparison of players it can be a bit like comparing apples to oranges, but there definitely are similarities here. Both were very good juniors, they're pretty much the same age (Swan is 21 in March, Rybakina 21 in June), both have decent serves and forehands, and they have both been on the tour a few years, so were at similar stages, and you can see that on Jan 4th at the start of the season, both were very near their career high (Katie's is 163 acheived in October 2018), with Katie the higher ranked seed. Fastforward nearly 10 months, so pretty much a full season, and one of them has since won a WTA title on clay, reached another WTA final on hard, another WTA semi final on grass, qualified herself for 2 of the slams, and this week, has made use of a surprise MDWC to reach a P5 QF and is now 43 in the live rankings (37 in the live race). The other is currently ranked 265, and 287 in the live race, and although obviously had a tough year for a number of reasons, has still managed to play 17 events, which is more events than many above her in the race.

I suppose it shows that someone really can burst on the scene, which could hold some hope for a few of our younger players, but talk about a contrast in years for 2 players making a W25 semi final at the start of the year.

Michael D · All-time great

Ace Ventura wrote:
Peter too wrote:
QF: SWAN, Katie (GBR) 4 176 def MCPHEE, Kaylah (AUS) WC 352 6-4 6-3
QF: TAYLOR, Gabriella (GBR) 2 187 lost to RYBAKINA, Elena (KAZ) 6 182 6-3 2-6 6-7(3)

SF: SWAN, Katie (GBR) 4 176 v RYBAKINA, Elena (KAZ) 6 182 CH=175 10/12/18
Sometimes when you do a comparison of players it can be a bit like comparing apples to oranges, but there definitely are similarities here. Both were very good juniors, they're pretty much the same age (Swan is 21 in March, Rybakina 21 in June), both have decent serves and forehands, and they have both been on the tour a few years, so were at similar stages, and you can see that on Jan 4th at the start of the season, both were very near their career high (Katie's is 163 acheived in October 2018), with Katie the higher ranked seed. Fastforward nearly 10 months, so pretty much a full season, and one of them has since won a WTA title on clay, reached another WTA final on hard, another WTA semi final on grass, qualified herself for 2 of the slams, and this week, has made use of a surprise MDWC to reach a P5 QF and is now 43 in the live rankings (37 in the live race). The other is currently ranked 265, and 287 in the live race, and although obviously had a tough year for a number of reasons, has still managed to play 17 events, which is more events than many above her in the race.
I suppose it shows that someone really can burst on the scene, which could hold some hope for a few of our younger players, but talk about a contrast in years for 2 players making a W25 semi final at the start of the year.

Wow, that certainly brings it home Ace, what a disappointing year Katie has had so far...as unfortunately just one of many of our last year's top 10 who've had disappointing years thus far.