Week 5 - (ITF W60) - Launceston, Australia Hard

PockyTastic · Futures level

Week 5 - (ITF W60) - Launceston, Australia Hard

TomTraubert · Futures level

PockyTastic wrote:
And typically PBG has retired in her 2nd round match.

grrrr

SuperT · Futures level

It's really sad to hear these reports of Gabi's performance. I first came across her at Roehampton in 2016 when, at 18, she beat the very experienced Lourdes Dominguez. After a bit of a shaky start she quickly learnt how to adjust her game and showed such fight and determination that we fell in love with her on the spot and have followed her journey with great interest every since. Of course there was no pressure on her then, whereas now I'm sure she expects to win these type of matches so maybe the weight of expectation is too much. I'm sure she must also be frustrated that the illness and injury problems she has faced have prevented her progressing as quickly as she and we might have hoped. I really hope she can find a settled spell and put a string of wins together so we can see the real Gabi again.

Michael D · All-time great

SuperT wrote:
It's really sad to hear these reports of Gabi's performance. I first came across her at Roehampton in 2016 when, at 18, she beat the very experienced Lourdes Dominguez. After a bit of a shaky start she quickly learnt how to adjust her game and showed such fight and determination that we fell in love with her on the spot and have followed her journey with great interest every since. Of course there was no pressure on her then, whereas now I'm sure she expects to win these type of matches so maybe the weight of expectation is too much. I'm sure she must also be frustrated that the illness and injury problems she has faced have prevented her progressing as quickly as she and we might have hoped. I really hope she can find a settled spell and put a string of wins together so we can see the real Gabi again.

Yes, well said Super T, I think that sums up most of our feelings re Gabi, both why she has struck a wide appeal chord, and on her current travails. As per yesterday's discussion, it would also be interesting to know quite what her coaching/ support set up is at the moment.

I've had a look and noted that Gabi was not involved in the early post AO 60k events in Australia last year, as her ranking wasn't good enough. She only started to play - and win - the 25k tournaments from Feb onwards. Launceston has changed its status this year from 25k to 60k, and Perth seems to have disappeared. Those were 2 of the 3 25ks she won last year.

it is interesting to note too that in week 8 she has entered an indoor carpet 25k in Germany (where she is already a MD entry) rather than Glasgow (where she would initially be in the q list). I'm still assuming she is likely to return to Australia in early March, when a run of 3 25ks in 4 weeks will still take place. Hope the return to this level will enable her to start to string that win of runs together again, which would steady her ship and give her the confidence again to go forward again this year in a calmer and less frustrated manner, more akin to her superlative start last year.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

Interesting to read that Gabi is getting cross with herself. As a junior she was often quite tightly wound in matches - particularly those she expected to win and which turned out to be tight. Where she was the underdog or winning easily, she had super focus. I think it's two sides of the same coin....she puts her whole mind into the match, sets high standards and then it's a very fine line to cross from feeling right in the moment to feeling disappointed with yourself. She seemed to be on a much more even keel last year and I thought with maturity she had worked out how to stay the right side of the line.

flamingowings · All-time great

The comments here have been made of Heather too before now.