Week 14 - ITF (W25) Bolton, GB Hard

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Week 14 - ITF (W25) Bolton, GB Hard

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Victoria *0-2

Young Maja C doing really against 5th seed Ponchet, 7-6 4-0 - that would be a huge result for her, especially after her long battle yesterday. Definitely one I'll be keeping an eye on next week.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes, though I think Ponchet is rather overranked and overrated.

SuperT · Futures level

Just watched the first few games of Victoria's match. Didtchenko looks like a quality player so I think Victoria is going to have her work cut out to make any sort of impact today.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Yes, though I think Ponchet is rather overranked and overrated.

With your knowledge of the French scene, you'll know more about her than me, but just looking at a quick snapshot of her results, she has had a fair few top 200 wins these past 6 or 7 months (7 of those above her ranking at the time), won Glasgow 25k, competed reasonably well in 60ks and also came through slam qualifying for the first time. That's pretty solid.

Maja is pretty highly rated on TF and by a few on Twitter, but I've never actually seen her play yet.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

SuperT wrote:
Just watched the first few games of Victoria's match. Didtchenko looks like a quality player so I think Victoria is going to have her work cut out to make any sort of impact today.

Yeah, very solid at ITF level. Has won at least 2 60k events this year, including last week - I was kind of hoping she'd withdraw after winning in France, but she'll likely be a big favourite for another title here. Hopefully Victoria can get a couple of games on the board this set.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Ace Ventura wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
Yes, though I think Ponchet is rather overranked and overrated.
With your knowledge of the French scene, you'll know more about her than me, but just looking at a quick snapshot of her results, she has had a fair few top 200 wins these past 6 or 7 months (7 of those above her ranking at the time), won Glasgow 25k, competed reasonably well in 60ks and also came through slam qualifying for the first time. That's pretty solid.
Maja is pretty highly rated on TF and by a few on Twitter, but I've never actually seen her play yet.

You may well be right. I guess it's just because she's risen rather sharply, and i'm not sure she's really consolidated at that level.

But you're right to make me think - after all, it's all credit to her too that she's now 200 in the world, not having played a single ITF juniors game.

I'll take it back - and just say that, for me, the jury's out....

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
Yes, though I think Ponchet is rather overranked and overrated.
With your knowledge of the French scene, you'll know more about her than me, but just looking at a quick snapshot of her results, she has had a fair few top 200 wins these past 6 or 7 months (7 of those above her ranking at the time), won Glasgow 25k, competed reasonably well in 60ks and also came through slam qualifying for the first time. That's pretty solid.
Maja is pretty highly rated on TF and by a few on Twitter, but I've never actually seen her play yet.
You may well be right. I guess it's just because she's risen rather sharply, and i'm not sure she's really consolidated at that level.
But you're right to make me think - after all, it's all credit to her too that she's now 200 in the world, not having played a single ITF juniors game.
I'll take it back - and just say that, for me, the jury's out....

I know what you mean, you have this perception about someone and don't expect too much and then quite surprised if she is doing a bit better than you anticipated.

Tennis Abstract is by no means the gospel, but I (and a few others on here) do like to use it as a gauge and their ELO rankings (takes into account who you beat etc.) actually have Ponchet ranked at 149. They have Katie Swan 50 places below her current ranking, which I personally think is consistent with who she has, or hasn't, beat this year - that would also take into account the Begu win as well.

http://tennisabstract.com/reports/wta_elo_ratings.html

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Fast start from Jodie, only dropped 4 points in racing to a 3-0* lead. Still early days though. Currently on deuce in Kala's next service game.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Allen competing ever so well in this second set. She actually had 3 BPs at 40-* to get the second set back on serve, but VD has saved them all, the last one an ace that Victoria thought was long. Whatever happens here, she can definitely hold her head up high, especially the second set.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Diatchenko won the next 2 points to win the match 6-1 6-3. Shame she couldn't get one of those BPs to make it really interesting, and you'd never know at that point, but seems like a very good second set performance and her stock has definitely risen this week. Hopefully she is involved in some way at Sunderland next week.

Emma 4-6 1-0* and has a bit on an opening on the Anderson serve here.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Jodie 6-0. I've been hugely impressed with Jodie this year (although seemingly not in late December, predictions...), one of the shining lights this year, and would hate to take anything away from her especially as the match is stupidly not one of the streamed matches so I can't judge, but maybe Kalinskaya does have Lugano on her mind?

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Jodie had held to 30, 15, 15, 15, so has 'only' won 16 points on serve thus far and 7 of those have been aces which is great to see. She's held in the first game of the second set as well. 6-0 1-0*

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

'Radders' a break up in the second set, *3-1.

Jodie 6-0 *5-1, Emma 4-6 6-3 0-0*

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Thursday 4th of April 2019 12:26:32 PM

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Well Jodie absolutely dominated that 6-0 6-1 in no time at all, 55 points to 26, 11 aces and just generally great serving stats.

Who knows if Kalinskaya was distracted, but she came to England, won a match so probably would have pulled out if she wasn't committed and Jodie can take huge confidence from that. Not quite a career best win in terms of ranking, but probably would be in terms of ranking/scoreline combined and has a winnable QF against 7th seed Shinkova or Marcinkevica, who may well be going 3.

Congrats Jodie!