Week 13 - ITF (W60) - Croissy-Beaubourg, France - Hard Indoor

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Week 13 - ITF (W60) - Croissy-Beaubourg, France - Hard Indoor

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

You wait 7 games for one and then two breaks come together, 4-4*

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Similar story to the first set where Greet had was serving at *4-2 but lost 4 games straight, including two breaks, this time it's Harriet at *4-3, but loses 3 games straight, including two breaks.

Into a decider then. 6-4 4-6 0-0*

Greet was actually the pre match 4/7 favourite here, so with those close odds, it's not really a surprise it's gone the distance.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

4 games in a row for Harriet and serving for the match. She'll have a couple of chances to get the job done. Come on Harriet.

*5-2

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Yes! Serves it out to 30 and takes the match 6-4 4-6 6-2.

Great win.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

It's either qualifier Bucsa or In-Albon up next. The latter has a stand out name and has had a fair bit of ITF success recently including a 60k Japanese title a few weeks ago.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

And it's the 21 year old qualifier Bucsa who comes through 6-4 6-4. They were both 5/6 pre match, so not a shock in that sense.

She reached a SF in France in her last tournament, but lost comfortably in Shrewsbury quals last month.

Mervatron2 · Challenger qualifying

Great win Harriet.

Peter too · Tennis legend

R1: DART, Harriet (GBR) 5 140 def MINNEN, Greet (BEL) 212 6-4 4-6 6-2

R2: DART, Harriet (GBR) 5 140 v BUCSA, Cristina (ESP) Q 297 =CH

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Harriet is 3rd on the 2nd court tomorrow, following a doubles and singles match. Play gets underway at 10am UK.

Just saw that qualifier Paar beat 2nd seed Korpatsch (the only seed to go out) and that she now plays Naomi's conqueror Ferrando in R2, so if Harriet can overcome Bucsa, she'll be guaranteed a qualifier ranked in the 400's in the QF. That's a huge opportunity to get to a 60k SF, but tomorrow's match is relatively close in terms of odds, 8/15 (HD) vs 11/8.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Rybakina has just taken her match into a decider, so Harriet will be delayed a bit, she's in some form this year. I see Bucsa's odds have come in slightly overnight, now 4/7 vs 5/4 - that's really close for a high seed vs a qualifier.

And Robin Anderson has just knocked off Paula BG. She's on a decent run herself and this win will help with seeding into Bolton next week. She's 25 and a college grad, but is making a bit of a mark now. Others may disagree as there are a lot of fans of the US college system on here, but when I see a GB player go off to college, I kind of think their top 250 / slam Q chances are pretty slim and almost write them off as someone who could eventually get to that level. Obviously it's a great opportunity for them to play tennis to a good level, get their degree to fall back on etc. so therefore it is really good to see the likes of Sharma and Anderson, get all those benefits as well as pushing on to that level, but the pro tennis success stories do seem few and far between. Collins obviously the best recent success story on the women's side.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Wednesday 27th of March 2019 12:35:05 PM

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Harriet underway *0-1.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

A hold to love followed by a break to 40 and it's a good start. *2-1.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Harriet *5-2, but it does feel very closely contested, 32-26 points and a couple of times that HD has had to come back from 15-40 to win the game.

A more comfortable hold there though (15) and she's half way there. 6-2

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Wednesday 27th of March 2019 01:56:11 PM

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

A hold and a break to 40 (where Harriet had game points in both) and it's very much game on again. 0-2*